Taylor always envisioned the day she would give birth, unlike other young girls who dream of their wedding day. But when she unexpectedly went into labor at just 24 weeks with her first baby, she had to set aside her long-held dreams for a more medicalized experience.

This is her bittersweet, yet ultimately beautiful, story of letting go.

Photo by @angenobles

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

Lauren, an expat living in Brazil, planned a home birth with midwives for her first baby’s birth. Near the end of her birth process, the midwives decided her baby was likely too big be born at home, and transferred her to the local hospital, where the birth ended with an episiotomy. It was a violent intervention that left Lauren, and her husband, traumatized (also, spoiler alert: the baby was a perfectly normal size).

When she became pregnant with her second baby, she knew she would not allow the same thing to happen to her again. She found the right team of wise women to surround her, set very clear boundaries (including with her husband, who was still working through his fears), and mostly importantly of all, trusted herself.

That second birth experience was the “birth of her dreams.” And Lauren wants every woman who hears her story to know that it’s every woman’s birthright to experience a birth like hers.

If you don’t already follow @healingbirth on Instagram, be sure to this week to see photos of Lauren’s birth. They are exceptionally beautiful!

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

Sandra shares the sweet story of the birth of her second baby, who came so fast, the midwife didn’t make it. Deep down, a free birth was what she wanted anyway, and she got it! While the birth was triumphant, her postpartum period was very challenging.

You’ll hear us discuss the importance of being held spiritually and emotionally during that tender time, and why we culturally seem to lack awareness around that.

Sandra wants other women to know that birth itself offers an incredible initiation into healing, if we are open to it.

You can follow Sandra @sandrablex

If you love the show, 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

Couple Marion and Banks share the sweet, intimate conception and birth story of their daughter. Banks was Marion’s sole support during the birth and shares what it was like to witness, hold space, and have a vital role during the experience.

I got to ask Banks some of the questions I have always wanted to hear from a conscious man about birth! Among other things, he speaks to:

• How witnessing his partner birth their baby at home, sovereignly, healed generational birth trauma from his family of origin
• How this birth experience changed their relationship
• What he would say to other fathers who have fear around childbirth

Follow Marion on Instagram @marion.hearth

Marion’s website: www.marionhearth.com

A Link to Marion’s course, Roots of Attachment

This is an intimate group container for future parents where Marion transmits 12 years of the embodied wisdom that inspired her towards freebirthing all 3 of her babies, going diaper free, having nourishing postpartums, and more.

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

Kaytlynn shares the beautiful and heartbreaking story of the birth, and death, at just a week old, of her first baby.

Still in the throes of grief, she quickly conceived again, and found a way to trust the process of life and birth once more.

Follow Katytlynn on Instagram @kaytlynn_marie

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: New Beginnings by Beau Walker

Alexa’s first birth was attended by a medically minded midwife at home, who rushed her through the third stage of labor. What happened during this part of the birth experience left her traumatized and affected the critical bonding period between Alexa and her baby. In the aftermath, she experienced post-partum anxiety (you will hear us discuss the connection between Pitocin and post-natal mood disorders).

Alexa says that “Birth trauma affects the motherhood journey so much.”

Five months postpartum she conceived again. That baby was born again at home, but with just her husband and son there. This was her healing birth.

In addition to being an author, Alexa leads writing workshops, host women’s circles, and offers workshops on freebirth as well as cloth diapering.

Alexa’s website is www.mamafreebirth.com. You can find her on Instagram is @mama.freebirth.

Find Alexa’s book Motherhood Disenchanted here.

If you love the show, 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: Snowfall by Vendredi

Olivia shares the story of the conception and family birth of her fourth child, whose labor was just seven minutes long!

You can listen to Olivia’s first appearance on this podcast, from season one, here.

Follow Olivia on Instagram @discovermother

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

Heather’s first baby was born via a traumatic cesarean after a grueling, two-day induction. She was told by the surgeon that her anatomy was such that she could never birth vaginally. That, plus the trauma of the induction experience, led her to choose an elective cesarean for her second baby, which at least offered her a degree of control.

Serendipitously, one day at work, Heather found birth podcasts (like this one!) where other women shared their stories of free birthing - taking back their power from a system that says we need their interventions, their drugs, and surgeries in order to give birth. A lightbulb clicked on for her. She consciously conceived her third baby, and birthed her at home.

In doing so, she birthed a new version of herself.

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