Healing Birth

During the delivery of her first child, Kayla’s care team believed that she experienced a shoulder dystocia, which led to violent, and rushed efforts to get her baby out as fast they could. This left Kayla with a fourth degree tear, a NICU stay for her baby, and lots of trauma to process in her postpartum time. It wasn’t until she was considering having a second baby and was interviewing home birth midwives, that she realized the diagnosis of a dystocia in her first birth was probably inaccurate, and her baby simply needed a little more time to emerge. Armed now with the knowledge that her body didn’t dysfunction in any way, Kayla chose to have a home birth with her second child, and had a beautiful, healing birth experience. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Take me Back by Strength to Last

Julie shares the sweet and beautiful story of finding love, experiencing pregnancy with ease, and having her baby at home, at the age of 41. Follow Julie @eatingwithbabies If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Sky by Hotham

Tiffany, a former doula and fellow podcaster, shares the story of having her first baby at seventeen in a hospital, and her second birth experience, which ended in a home birth transfer. Because she remained pregnant to 42 weeks, her midwife intervened in several ways to help induce labor, and in this episode you will hear exactly how those seemingly “harmless” and common induction interventions directly compromised her safety in labor. Follow Tiffany @sacredwomb.birth Tiffany has her own birth story podcast, and if you like this show, you will love hers too! Birth and Rebirth Podcast Here is the episode where I appeared on her show. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Bubbles by PALA

Julia grew up with a fear of giving birth, due to what she knew of birth within the medical paradigm. But by the time she was ready to become pregnant, she had the awakening, mostly from listening to podcasts (!), that there was a better way, more aligned with her values: Freebirth. She spent her pregnancy traveling around the country with her husband in their RV, giving her fears to nature, and finally, settling in Montana in the dead of winter where she gave birth. Follow Julia @bigmountainhomestead If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Take Me Back by Strength to Last

Liz shares the story of her wild pregnancy, birth, and the loss, of her daughter Arati. Her experience is a deeply spiritual one where her daughter guided her toward all of the choices she made during her pregnancy. While the outcome is one none of us would wish for, Liz says that she would still choose a wild pregnancy and still choose freebirth. In honor of Aarti’s first birthday, Liz is offering a giveaway. She is offering an "Energetic attunement for the womb & Spirit baby communication." This session is designed for any woman who is pregnant, wishes to conceive, or has experienced loss. In it, we fine-tune the energetic field of their womb to erase any dissonant vibrations and increase the expanse of their luminous field. We also connect with the baby they wish to welcome or the baby who left too soon. It's a beautiful session exclusively thought of for this Special Giveaway. Liz says that Arati brought her a mission, and she intends to fulfill it by assisting wombs thrive and anchor the Children of New Humanity. Follow Liz on Instagram @spiritual.doula If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Together by Justhea

Amalia planned a home birth with her first baby. When she went into labor, despite many of hours of intense contractions, her body never dilated. They decided to transfer to the hospital, where she received all the things the hospital has to offer, ending, as it so often does, in a cesarean birth. But this is not a story of defeat. Amalia mined this experience for gold, and in retrospect, she sees how much her birth experience taught her. We talk about how important it is that we really get to know what our subconscious beliefs are about birth and our bodies. And how those beliefs can shape our lived experiences. Follow Amalia @amaliamarialee If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Sunset by Justhea

Hannah returns to the podcast to share the story of the freebirth of her third baby, which was a surprise breech birth! All of Hannah’s birth experiences have included something that falls outside the scope of “normal.” Her stories are such a good example of why some women chose to freebirth. Had she been in the medical system, her birth outcomes would have looked very different. You can listen to Hannah’s first appearance on this show, where she shares the story of her first and second birth experiences here: Trusting Birth at 35 Weeks Follow Hannah @theprimalpriestess If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Snowfall by Vendredi

Both of Ana’s first two births were traumatic in different ways. Her first ended in an emergency cesarean, after a long labor. Her second was a VBAC birth, but during the birth, her baby’s cord ripped, causing blood loss, and injury to both Ana and her baby. Because of the intensity and trauma of her two previous births, when Ana became pregnant with her third, she chose to have an elective cesarean. Of all her births, this one was the most peaceful, and in it, she found healing. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Support the show on Patreon! patreon.com/healingbirth Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Ocean Space by aryll

After a traumatic and disempowering hospital birth in 2020, which Ali compares to a prior sexual assault, Something deep shifted within her. She went from being a self-diagnosed hypochondriac who sought medical treatment for non-existing conditions, to a home-birthing, self-healing soul who has come to know the power of the mind and self-programming. Ali reconditioned her views on birth, pregnancy, and life, and manifested her dream birth with her second baby. She believes that it is our birthright to experience life altering and blissful birth, which is our portal to a deeper connection to the Divine, to the life force that guides us, and to our lineage and children. Follow Ali on Instagram @alibarn3tt If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Crushing by Reveille

Aimee, a labor and delivery nurse, shares the story of giving birth to her second child after one of the worst tragedies I can imagine: losing her husband in a car accident. Aimee says she was given divine grace to have exactly the birth she needed with that baby. Aimee went on to remarry and give birth again, this third time, at home. In a surprise twist, that baby resented with a prolapsed cord, which was easily resolved! If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Take me back by Strength to Last

Abby spontaneously went into labor at 24 weeks, and on the ride to hospital, her baby was born into her best friend’s hands. This is the truly miraculous story of how her baby, and Abby, survived. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Together by Justhea

Ashley’s first two babies were born in the hospital, and both experiences left her traumatized. By the time her third baby was conceived, Ashley had been through an awakening to many truths, among them, the truth about birth. That was a natural birth with a midwife, but still not without interventions that were harmful. Finally, after serving as a doula for free birthing women completely outside of the medical system for some time, she became pregnant with her fourth and knew this was her turn to trust birth fully. You can connect with Ashley, and learn about the farm she lives on at www.sacrednectarsanctuary.com Ashley’s on Instagram @river_wolf_369 If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Chill Night by Amine Maxwell & MICHAL

Maggie shares the story of having a natural birth in a birth center, after two unnecessary cesarean births. The experience led her to become a local ICAN volunteer, and to create an online course for other women desiring to VBAC. You can find Maggie and her offerings on instagram @vbacroadmap In this episode you’ll hear us talk about how ICAN helped us both along our journeys to VBAC. You can find your local ICAN chapter here: https://www.ican-online.org/ If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Bubbles by Pala

Busy with graduate school, and pregnant with her first child, Christina carefully chose her birth team and planned a to have a home birth. But her birth experience took an unexpected turn when, deep into her labor, her midwife decided they needed to transfer. Her baby was born only fifteen minutes after arrival at the hospital, but not before the doctor, without consent and against her will, gave her an episiotomy. This incredible violation left her with PTSD for many months postpartum. Christina found healing with EMDR therapy, sharing her story, and blogging about it. You can find a written version of her story below: https://healthwellnesswoman.com/libbys-birth-story/ If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Snow Fall by Vendredi

Emily shares the story of experiencing the rare event of a shoulder dystocia, while birthing her first baby at home, with a midwife. They were able to safely resolve the dystocia, and her baby was born, but as a precaution they visited the hospital after the birth. What followed was a series of events including encounters with good doctors, one very bad one, and CPS. This experience initiated Emily into motherhood in an extremely powerful way. At times in the days immediately postpartum, she had to find a strength to protect herself and her daughter, that she didn’t know she had. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: Letting Go by Hotham

After a traumatic first birth experience that ended in a cesarean, Amber knew she would never give birth in a hospital again. She quickly conceived again, found a midwife she loved, and had a completely different experience the second time. In her words, this second birth not only showed her that she could do it, but that it was what she had always truly wanted. Be sure to check out our instagram page this week, @healingbirth, to see photos of both births. I’ve never seen a better example of Amber’s pictures saying a thousand words! If you love this podcast, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow us on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music is Cool Cats by Smith the Mister

A big story in a lot of little ways, the end of Sonja’s pregnancy was a rollercoaster of minor “complications” which led to her being induced at 42 weeks. The classic cascade of interventions ensued, ending in a very unwanted c-section. One of the hardest things for Sonja to cope with in processing this experience, is that there was no external villain in her story, but on a level, she let it happen. We talk about how hard it is to come to terms with the role that we play in the traumas in our own lives. If you love this podcast, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow us on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music by Jessica Villa

Anisa shares her story of having a midwife-assisted homebirth with her first baby, and a freebirth with her second. She says that birth can just keep getting better when we take back more of our autonomy, and especially when intentional preconception preparations for mind, body, and spirit are made. Anisa Woodall is a holistically-minded Certified Nutritionist and natural mama of 2 adventurous boys living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Her life's purpose is to inspire and educate women to live, eat and move with intention and confidence so they can create the family of their dreams. She is the host of The Resilient Fertility Podcast and serves women throughout their motherhood transition- for preconception care, pregnancy and postpartum planning- via 1:1 holistic nutrition coaching online and through her online course, Resilient Motherhood: A self-paced guide to preparing for conception and beyond Check out Anisa’s Unlock Your Fertility Masterclass! You can learn more and access FREE resources for your preconception journey at anisawoodall.com and follow @anisawoodallnutrition If you love this podcast, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow us on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music by PALA

Yolande Norris-Clark is a leader in the freebirth, birth-freedom, self-healing, and health liberation movements. She is a spell-breaker, way-shower, whistle-blower, trailblazer, and beloved guide to women all over the world who are awakening to the possibility of giving birth in peace and power. Her mission is to dispel the myth that birth is an ordeal from which women must be “delivered,” and to share the truth that birth is primarily a spiritual experience, designed to be transformational, transcendent, and ecstatic, and that this is possible for every mother and baby. We go DEEP. In this episode, you’ll hear us discuss: Buy her book Portal: The Art of Choosing Orgasmic, Painfree, Blissful Birth Connect with all of Yolande’s work: www.yolandenorris-clark.com You can find Yolande on Instagram @bauhauswife If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you’d like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: What Did You Name Your Island by Aardverk

Brittany described herself as a “good country girl” when pregnant with her first child. Her wishes for that birth were to merely make it out alive with her baby, and she completely deferred to her private care obstetrician when it came to the birth experience. Now, pregnant with her third baby, Brittany is free birthing, on a cattle station in the middle of the Australian outback, miles from anyone. That’s how deep her trust in in her ability to birth goes! This is part two of two - if you haven’t heard part one yet, go back one episode in the feed to hear her first two birth stories. Do you have a story you’d like to share on the podcast? I would love to hear from you! Email me via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net. You can find our new e-book, “Did I Really Need a C-Section?” on our website at www.healingbirth.net/shop Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music: What Did You Name Your Island by Aardvark