Happy Homebirth

Husbands, what can you tangibly do to support your wife during postpartum, especially those first few critical weeks? And today we’re having a GUEST interviewer! My very own hero of a husband, Thomas Fusco. Thomas will be taking over the interview reins as he sits down with a father-to-father chat with Eric Stein, CEO of Restorative Roots, and husband to Holly Stein, last week’s podcast guest. If you didn’t hear my interview with Holly, make sure to click the link in the show notes and give it a listen next. Moms, this week’s dad chat episode is going to be one that you’ll want to go ahead and send to your spouse so that he can feel ready and prepared for the postpartum phase. On an unrelated but exciting note, do you have birth photos and videos that you feel deserve to be shared with the world? I want you to send them to me! I’m collecting birth photos and videos to share on social media platforms, my website that’s in the process of being rebuilt, AND… I want to feature your photos and videos inside of the new weekly newsletter that I will be sending out. Both mothers and birth photographers, you’re welcome to submit! Episode roundup: Links: Ep 291: Postpartum Healing & Nutrition with Holly Stein of Restorative Roots | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-291-postpartum-healing-nutrition-with-holly-stein/id1446934537?i=1000724335999 Submit your Birth Photos and Videos: https://happyhomebirth.myflodesk.com/birthphotos

What do you think you’ll want your first meal to be after having your baby? And does it really matter how we’re fueling our bodies after the baby is born? Holly, her husband Eric, and their 3 children live in Southern California, where they love homeschool, skateboard, and cook. They have built an incredible company, Restorative Roots, that delivers nutrient-dense postpartum meals to mothers across the country. From a tiny kitchen venture to a nationwide business, Holly and Eric are proud to offer support during such a transformative time- the postpartum experience. This week, we’ll be speaking to Holly about her 3 birthing experiences, how postpartum has changed for her over time, and ways in which we can be set up for success and healing in the critical first few days and weeks after birth. Episode Roundup:

We talk about trusting your instincts a decent amount around here– but what does it look like to LEARN how to lean into those instincts? This week we’re speaking with Lisa, who found the confidence to trust her instincts during pregnancy, which has changed her trajectory both as a mother as well as an entrepreneur and coach. Lisa Villani is a rebellious doula, sassy sales coach, hip-hop dancer, and mama to her spunky son in Buffalo, NY. She's married to her ride-or-die and believes fiercely in building a life where both parents get to thrive. After an unmedicated, out-of-hospital birth cracked her wide open, Lisa made it her mission to help women rewrite the narrative of motherhood, money, and identity. A survivor in every sense—of divorce, disordered eating, and a medical system that tried to silence her—she now stands as the loudest voice in the room for women ready to own their power, whether they're giving birth or selling their offers. She's also the host of the Loudmouth Lisa podcast—because playing small was never an option. Episode Roundup: Links: Whole Mother Homebirth | wholemotherhomebirth.mykajabi.com/presale Interview Application | interviewwithkatelyn.my.canva.site/direct-to-landing-page Youtube | Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

If you had an arduous labor due to your baby’s positioning once, it’s sure to happen similarly if your next baby takes the same position, right? Ashley Atwood and her husband Sam have 3 active and lively boys. They are a homeschooling family and love adventure and being outdoors. Ashley is a self described birth nerd and loves educating herself about all things birth and pregnancy and discussing all they entail. She feels that education about birth and pregnancy is so important to the birthing experience. Her hope is for all women to take the initiative to learn because birth matters! If it’s in the cards, she would love to become a midwife or doula one day when her children are grown. Episode Roundup: Links: Whole Mother Homebirth | wholemotherhomebirth.mykajabi.com/presale Interview Application | interviewwithkatelyn.my.canva.site/direct-to-landing-page Youtube | https://youtu.be/aeSddUAUrEA Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

Vaginal births after cesarean- are they really safe? And what about vbacs at home, or outside of the hospital? This week we’re speaking with Meagan Heaton, Host and founder of The VBAC Link. Meagan co-founded the VBAC Link in 2018. Although she always felt called to the baby world, she really found her love for birth in 2014 after her second C-Section. Through these two birth experiences, her love and passion grew around VBAC. She wanted to help people feel supported and loved. She had two C-sections and then went on to have a VBA2C, and has now supported over 300 families through their birthing journeys as a doula. Her drive is to help women like herself feel educated, supported, and empowered during their birthing time. Meagan is so incredible- we’re going to hear her birth stories along with all of the wisdom she has to share for mothers who are seeking to have a vaginal birth after cesarean. Episode Roundup: As we head into this week’s episode roundup, here are a few little thoughts I’m having: Links: Whole Mother Homebirth | wholemotherhomebirth.mykajabi.com/presale Interview Application | interviewwithkatelyn.my.canva.site/direct-to-landing-page Youtube | https://youtu.be/mSvLScNwm2E Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

Is it possible to hold space for both joy and grief simultaneously? This week we’re speaking with Ivana Burbage. Ivana is a mom, wife and photographer from San Diego but now lives in Hawaii with her husband Justin. She loves being creative, surfing, spending time in the ocean and since having her babies is passionate about birth and motherhood. And as Ivana’s story unfolds, you will certainly notice the mingling of both joy and pain throughout and between her two pregnancy and birthing experiences. And isn’t this such a picture of the reality of our lives? We don’t always have perfectly separated, segmented experiences of extreme elation or depthy grief– often times our lives unfold in a way where both must share space and coexist. I am so grateful to Ivana and her family for sharing this reality, both the pain and the beauty. Episode Roundup: Links: Whole Mother Homebirth | wholemotherhomebirth.mykajabi.com/presale Interview Application | interviewwithkatelyn.my.canva.site/direct-to-landing-page Youtube | https://youtu.be/4TR1W5_VM2o Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

Does an empowering birth change you all at once? Or does it do so incrementally? Pulling back layers as time goes on, exposing truths– behaving more like a well-cultivated seed than an instant shift? Abigail Pyle is wife to her husband Jeff, and a stay-at-home mom of five very energetic and delightful children ages 10-2 years. She is navigating homeschool and parenting on the Central Coast of California with lots of prayers for wisdom, grace and humility! Through her five unique homebirths, she has become very passionate about sharing with women about what a gift birth was meant to me! Today we’ll get to hear how Abigail’s experiences have unfolded over time, and the beautiful growth that she has undergone. Episode Roundup: Links: Happy Homebirth Academy | happyhomebirth.thrivecart.com/happy-homebirth-academy-checkout/ Notify for HHA Pre Sale! | interviewwithkatelyn.my.canva.site/notifypresalelink Youtube | Blueshield | blushield.com/homebirth (use code HOMEBIRTH for 18% off of your order today!) Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

What’s the best way to enter birth? Is it with a completely blank slate- not allowing the stories of others to influence your own experience, or…. Is there benefit to listening to the raw stories of others: the gamut of experiences to know what’s possible? This week we’re speaking with Dr. Elliot Berlin, who we last spoke to on episode 229 titled Have an Informed Pregnancy with Dr. Elliot Berlin. For those of you who have not yet heard of this champion of birth education, let me introduce him. Dr. Berlin is an award-winning prenatal chiropractor, childbirth educator, labor support bodyworker, filmmaker, co-founder of Berlin Wellness Group in Los Angeles, California and the host of the Informed Pregnancy Podcast. Dr. Berlin graduated Summa Cum Laude from Life University of Chiropractic in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Atlanta School of Massage. Dr. Berlin’s Informed Pregnancy® Project aims to utilize multiple forms of media (podcasts, YouTube series, documentaries, and online workshops) to compile and deliver unbiased information about pregnancy and childbirth to empower new and expectant parents to make informed choices regarding their pregnancy and parenting journey. Dr. Berlin lives in Los Angeles with his wife, perinatal psychologist Dr. Alyssa Berlin, and their four fantastic kids. Episode Roundup: Links: Samaritan Ministries | samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth Happy Homebirth Academy | happyhomebirth.thrivecart.com/happy-homebirth-academy-checkout/ Interview Application | interviewwithkatelyn.my.canva.site/direct-to-landing-page Youtube | https://youtu.be/uSDL1pxrvhw Blueshield | blushield.com/homebirth (use code HOMEBIRTH for 18% off of your order today!) Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order) Previous Interview: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/episode-229 Link to Informed Pregnancy Plus: informedpregnancy.tv Discount Code: HHB725 for 1 month free on a monthly membership (new users only)

How do you discern the difference between fear mongering and true concern? Scarlen is a home birth mom from Chattanooga, TN. She is a wife to Manny and together they have 5 boys. After a rough hospital birth with her first, she knew there had to be a different way to birth. When she became pregnant with her second boy, she decided she would birth at home and has not looked back since. Her love for birth and postpartum has led her to create a thriving home birth group in Chattanooga, TN called Chattanooga Home Birth Community. The group includes over 400 home birth advocates who are mothers and birth workers local to Chattanooga. This group has successfully connected mothers (in all stages of pregnancy) to doulas, midwives, and other home birth moms. Episode Roundup: Links: Samaritan Ministries | samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth Happy Homebirth Academy | happyhomebirth.thrivecart.com/happy-homebirth-academy-checkout/ Interview Application | interviewwithkatelyn.my.canva.site/direct-to-landing-page Youtube | Blueshield | blushield.com/homebirth (use code HOMEBIRTH for 18% off of your order today!) Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

The pelvic floor: it can be wounded during childbirth– but– could it be healed during the process instead? Victoria Hedrick is a wife to her wonderful husband Jonathan, and the mother of their almost three year old daughter, Josie. They live on a small piece of land in Virginia that they are slowly turning into a homestead. Victoria enjoys fishing, canoeing, baking sourdough, and all things babies and homebirth. They are expecting their second baby later this year. Victoria and Jonathan have walked through quite an amazing journey throughout their marriage, particularly in relationship to birth and the physical and emotional healing it provided. You are going to be in awe with this episode! Episode Roundup: Links: Samaritan Ministries Happy Homebirth Academy Interview Application Youtube Blueshield (use code HOMEBIRTH for 18% off of your order today!) Restorative Roots (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

The pelvic floor- can you truly heal it and restore function? Or is there a point where you’re beyond help? This week we are speaking with Paris Latka. Paris has been involved in the practice of Bowspring since 2016, and this transformative movement system has deeply reshaped both her body and her life. Teaching for the past six years, she shares this work from a place of embodied passion and reverence for its healing power. Bowspring continually amazes Paris with its ability to restore balance, uplift the spirit, and invite joy into our everyday lives. It supports healing from the inside out and opens the door to a more optimistic, radiant way of being in life. Paris will be sharing more with us about this practice and specifically it’s amazing relationship with the pelvic floor. Links: Samaritan Ministries Happy Homebirth Academy Interview Application Youtube Paris’s Course Free Bowspring on Youtube Click here for my previous interview with Paris Blueshield (use code HOMEBIRTH for 18% off of your order today!)

Breech birth is supposed to be rare, right? How would you feel if you had more breech babies than head down babies?! This week we’re speaking to Stephanie Kase, who has had twice as many breech babies as she’s had cephalic presentations! Stephanie is mama to 3 under 3, wife, and online business coach from Greenville, SC. She's married to her husband, Michael, of 7 years with 3 girls - twin toddlers and a baby girl. She's a huge believer in trusting your God-given intuition in birth. Episode Roundup: 1. I can’t help but start with Stephanie’s mindset. Wow. As soon as she heard that she was pregnant with twins, her reaction was delight. Her first thought wasn’t, “oh my goodness, how are we going to do this?” but instead, “oh my goodness, what a blessing.” This could be seen throughout her story– Even when she shared about her experience with the NICU and the obvious difficulty that had to have come from having her plans change and giving birth in the hospital, and then spending weeks at that hospital….. It’s very clear to me that Stephanie has taken these experiences and learned to look at them with positive eyes– quickly pulling out the goodness in how things unfolded, even while acknowledging the areas that she wouldn’t have chosen for herself by any means. I feel this is so worth highlighting. Truly, it can be the easier route to see all of the things that didn’t happen the way we expected and then find ourselves hanging in that upset place for days, months, years, even decades. There is something so powerful in being able to take our story, see it for what it truly is: The good parts, the hard parts– acknowledge them all! And then choose the way we are going to interact with that event. Sometimes this requires help and support. But when we are able to genuinely process our births– and many other intense situations– we are able to accept them, see the good parts, perhaps even focus on those, and move on in our lives even more empowered, more confident, and filled with more gratitude. Stephanie really embodies this, and I hope you were as encouraged by that as I was. 2. And next, I love the way Stephanie thoughtfully interacted with her birthing choices. For example, she could have been convinced by the first doctor she spoke with at the hospital who told her she would need a cesarean. Instead, she and her midwife sought another provider. Another example could be seen in her second birthing experience, where she knew that she didn’t want to be checked. She knew that there was no information at that time that she would gain from a vaginal exam that would change anything about her plans of how she would give birth. This resulted in a beautiful breech birth with no need to transport into the hospital. Education combined with intuition– wow, it’s a powerful thing, my friends, and it serves us so well not only during birth, but throughout the whole of motherhood. Links: Samaritan Ministries Happy Homebirth Academy Interview Application Youtube

If you had a pretty good experience in the hospital with your first baby, what’s the point of changing things up with subsequent births? Today we’re speaking with Kylie, who is living the dream as a stay at home mom of 3. She is married to her husband of 10.5 years, Tim and they live in Franklin, TN. They are passionate about embracing the adventure of life wherever it takes them and celebrating both the little things and big things in life! Kylie is a self-proclaimed birth junkie and could talk all things birth with you all day if you'd let her, which we did in this episode, and you are going to love the conversation that came from this. Episode Roundup: Links: Happy Homebirth Academy Interview Application Youtube

What is the balance when it comes to preparing for our birth, but also holding it all with an open hand, knowing that outside factors can contribute to our experience? Sara West and her husband Andrew live on Florida's sunny Space Coast with their four children. Her passions include writing, singing, drawing, and crocheting, though she has a little less time for those things while starting her homeschooling journey and bringing up toddlers! She hopes to one day finish a novel... or at least get a Substack up and running. Episode Roundup:

You’re either for something or you’re against it, right? Like, you either love ultrasounds or you don’t. Or you want testing done or you don’t….. Or… gasp, could there be more to it than right or wrong? This week we’re speaking to Taylor Shaffer: a wife, mother of two beautiful girls, holistic doula and online educator. She is passionate about nourishment, holistic living and taking radical responsibility for your health and birth choices. She serves women locally in Upstate SC through her doula agency, Nested & Nourished, as well as online through her Holistic Mama Pregnancy & Birth Course, virtual doula support offerings, podcast titled Holistic Pregnancy, and more. Episode Roundup: If there’s one word that demands your attention in this episode, I hope it’s “intuition”. Taylor’s decisions were not informed by sheer logic or dogma. No, the seat of her decisionmaking came from a deeper source. From what I believe to be Holy Spirit guided intuition. Intuition. That inner knowing that often times goes against your expectations. Taylor isn’t a huge fan of ultrasounds for herself, but she sensed that an ultrasound is what she needed. This ended up providing her with the information she used to support her body and baby through gestational diabetes. And again, we see this intuition work in the complete OPPOSITE direction at the end of pregnancy, where Taylor felt that she shouldn’t have a scan. Looking back, she knows that this prevented her from unnecessary fear regarding her baby’s weight. I love how this example unfolded. We take the same topic: Ultrasounds and apply intuition to them in two different directions. That, my friends, is what it looks like to listen to your intuition. Next, I want to remind you of just how deeply our emotions are connected to labor and birth. Taylor needed to take her baby into her arms, hold her, and grieve the change that was coming. Yes, of course, adding a new baby is a massive blessing to a family! But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a sense of pain at the leaving behind of the old ways. Honoring this feeling is exactly what led Taylor deeper into labor. Feel those feelings and don’t be afraid of them. And finally, Taylor’s love for birthwork came from her own experiences. She realized that she had something to offer other mothers, other families after having her first daughter. She decided to seek out a way to be both the mother that she desired to be, and to also build a thriving business at the same time. Sounds impossible, right? But Taylor is doing it, very successfully I might add! Her online business, her doula agency… It's incredible! Taylor sought education from someone who values family, business AND birthwork. She found a coach who wouldn’t tell her to push aside family for money, but who would encourage her to and teach her to make a way for both. Links: Samaritan Ministries Happy Homebirth Academy Interview Application Youtube Kyleigh’s Workshop Sign Up Lily Nichols Episode Taylor’s Instagram Taylor’s Podcast The Glucose Revolution The Glucose Goddess IG Dr. Rachel Reed- Gestational Diabetes Review Article Dr Sara Wickham- Gestational Diabetes Article Tags: gestational diabetes, big baby

A shocking medical diagnosis is never easy to grapple with– but what happens when it comes in the middle of your pregnancy? This week we’re speaking to Chloe, a wife and mother to two precious little boys. Chloe’s story will have you on the edge of your seat, but it will also instill a level of beauty beyond my ability to express in this little intro, so let’s not waste any time and jump right in. Episode Roundup: Links: Samaritan Ministries Happy Homebirth Academy Interview Application Youtube

Dads- how does the idea of your wife giving birth make you feel? Does the idea immediately excite you, or does it put a level of fear on you– do you wonder how you can protect her and your baby? Do you feel out of control? This week, all the way to episode 276, we are doing something new. We are hearing a homebirth story completely from the perspective of the father. Today we’re speaking to Dustin Garrett, a husband, father to two, and new to the club- homebirth dad! Episode roundup: Links: Samaritan Ministries Happy Homebirth Academy Interview Application

When a midwife gives birth to her first baby, she’ll know exactly what to expect, right? This week we’re speaking with Leigha Fairchild, a midwife who serves mamas and families in the Kansas City area. She became a midwife while living in the Philippines and serving at a low resource birth center for two and half years. Yet her even greater role is that of wife to her husband Cody, and mother to her 3 beautiful children, with another one on the way. Episode Roundup: Links: Samaritan Ministries Happy Homebirth Academy Interview Application Youtube Link

Is it really safe to have hopes and desires for your birth? What if you plan but things don’t unfold the way you’d wanted? This week we’re speaking to Lindsey Fuller, a homemaker and former registered nurse living in Tampa, Florida. She is married to her husband John and they have 3 wonderful kids. She loves spending her days devoted to raising her children and supporting her husband in his medical practice. Episode Roundup Links: Samaritan Ministries Happy Homebirth Academy Interview Application Youtube Link

Have you ever found yourself clinging so tightly to something- only to realize that it wasn’t serving you the way you once thought it would? Today we’re speaking with Carey Glenn, a Certified Professional Midwife who is keenly aware of the traps of dogma in all areas of the birthing world. Often times we’re so able to see what’s “wrong” in the hospital system, but do we ever stop and look at our own choices and question why we’re making the decisions that we’re making? This episode is such a delightful conversation for both mothers and midwives, and I know that you’re going to gain beautiful insight on what it’s like to walk a balanced path– whatever that looks like for you. Episode Roundup: Okay my friends. Such a beautiful episode. That’s all I’ve got for you for today. I’ll see you back here next week. Rooted Birth Rhythms by Sacred Heart Beats: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1K898fhwDdVUj2oEqSouME?si=XJZSdO32T0iB2S0zCfaCFw Links: Samaritan Ministries Happy Homebirth Academy Interview Application