Motherbirth

Emmy Low feels fortunate to have a beautiful baby girl and to enjoy all that motherhood has to offer. Before birthing her daughter, Rooney, Emmy experienced several miscarriages. When she shared her story with the other women in her life she was surprised to find that half of them had also had miscarriages but never felt comfortable talking about it.   Emmy posted a blog about her experience intending to share her story of loss and let other women know they were not alone. But, just seven days after publishing the post she discovered she was pregnant again. There was an outpouring of empathy and compassion from strangers who had read her story and Emmy went through a bout of ‘survivor’s guilt’ when she was found herself unsure of how to announce she was already pregnant again.  We dive into how to navigate both loss and the birth of a new stage where you move into motherhood even when others you’ve connected with aren’t there yet.   When Emmy went into labor she wasn’t sure if it was really happening - but

It’s a girl! On Valentine’s Day last year Mellisa welcomed a beautiful baby daughter into the world and into her family where she was meant to be. During this episode, Mellisa recounts her pregnancies, births, and losses. She shares how years of deep personal work and the support of community helped her build the confidence to trust her body again after a devastating full term stillbirth and multiple miscarriage. Throughout 5 pregnancies, 3 births and 2 babies, Mellisa has been emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually shaken and forced to evaluate what she really believes about birth and motherhood. So, how did she move from a space of utter brokenness to the decision to continue trying even though though there are no guarantees? Her courage came from cultivating an inner knowing that she was meant to be a mother and that her body was not broken. We are so excited to share this final chapter in Mellisa’s story with you today - so many of you have been part of it and part of encouraging her throughou

Today’s guest, Hannah Eloge, has always wanted to be a mother. So much so, that she obtained her degree in Education with the idea that her work schedule could easily accommodate having children. Her heart moved towards adoption and creating a family that was a little different than the social norm after seeing many children without a family during her first trip to Africa. After many discussions, she and her partner decided to create a profile book to share with expectant mothers preparing for adoption as they transitioned into a ‘Waiting Family.’ As Hannah searched for help to create her profile book, she recognized the gaps of information available and the lack of community for people who yearned to know more about the adoption process and the experiences of other adoptive families. Hannah founded Kindred & Co., a community designed to help women connect and share their stories about the adoption process, as well as provide assistance in putting together effective profile books for expectant adoptive f

No matter how your baby comes into this world, it’s an amazing opportunity to share your life, your joy, and your love. Today’s guest, Austie Eckley loves having babies and being a mother. Her birthing experiences are as varied as the children she brought into the world. She and her partner have experienced completing a birth plan with barely a glitch, learning they were pregnant with twins 20-weeks in, delivering those twins prematurely at only 28-weeks, and a sunny side up gender surprise. Looking back at it all, Austie says trusting her instincts and listening to her body lent confidence to her motherhood experience. The community outpouring of kindness and support she received during the twins’ extended stay in NICU gave her a new appreciation for helping other mothers during trying times. Her non-profit organization Twenty Eight and Six is a testament to her desire to provide support to other families with children in the NICU through comfort, connection & financial assistance. Austie shares her stor

When you are on the right path you don’t always recognize it at first. Roadblocks often seem like the perfect place to give up. Laura, the co-host of the Motherbirth podcast, didn’t give up. She has been pursuing her life’s calling of becoming a nurse-midwife for years. During this episode, Laura shares the intimate details of her personal journey, her ups and downs, how her determination has paid off, and the reason she energetically advocates for women’s healthcare issues. Laura believes passionately in the midwifery model of care.  She would like to see all women receive the support of a midwife or doula offers in terms of holistic care.  Throughout her challenging journey to be able to provide this kind of care to women herself, Laura has worked as a doula, labor and delivery nurse, and is now finishing her doctorate in Midwifery.   Advocacy on behalf of immigrants, minorities and people without access to health care is a big part of her her work and the passion that she cultivates daily in her education

Today’s guest, Heng Ou, has had the unique experience of exploring postpartum customs in many different cultures. During her travels to Asia, India, and even in her mother’s home she observed levels of support and community given to new mothers that are not commonly practiced in Western households. In other cultures, family members live with the new mother during the fourth trimester, preparing nourishing meals and offering emotional support for both mother and child. Heng wanted to give other women the same type of care and support so she started a food delivery service for new mothers. The nourishing meals she prepares are designed to heal new mothers from the inside out. Her project has grown into a lifestyle community and she co-authored the inspiring book, The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother. Heng shares the stories of her own births and how much of a difference it made when she was taken care of in the weeks after her birth - resulting in an incredibly quick physical rec

In this episode, we explore healing our bodies and our minds through the uncharted territory that is a woman’s vagina. Guest, Kimberly Johnson, shares how she empowers herself and others to become physically, spiritually, emotionally, and sexually aware of their wants and needs during postpartum and offers empowerment tips for women who want to gain intimacy in their sexual relationships. After giving birth, Kimberly was told she would need full surgical pelvic reconstruction to heal her pelvic floor. In addition, she had vaginal soreness, hemorrhoids, and lower back pain. Her attempts to gather information about healing herself by way of search engines and forums led her to unfriendly places. A turning point in her healing process came when she met a woman who practiced sexological bodywork. After three sessions of an integrated practice of hands-on work and nervous system tracking Kimberly started to heal in both body and mind. The positive experience led her to investigate and study a mother’s physiologica

In this episode, we take a look back at the previous year and highlight three women who share about how building their families and giving birth gave them an invaluable gift; careers they are passionate about. For each of us, having a child is a unique experience. We want to learn as much as we possibly can to make the best choices for our family. When we don’t find what we’re looking for, some take it upon themselves to create the experience they find missing for others. That is what Jen McLellan, Steph Crowder, and Lauren Falconer did. In Episode #5 with Jen McLellan, Jen shares how becoming a mom at a plus size left her at a loss when she searched for information online about pregnancy and birth.  Discovering that there was a complete lack of empowering and informative resources for plus size pregnant women, she set out to create the space she knew women needed.  Jen is now the best resource for plus-sized women online! In Episode #4 with Steph Crowder, Steph describes how she experienced a transformatio

In this special episode, we chat with several guests who share insights about how they create family traditions that are in alignment with their beliefs and personal values and how they navigate through the trappings of cultural norms at this time of year.  We wanted to get their perspectives on how they focus on simplicity and intention instead of materialism  A common thread of all three of our conversations is that making the holidays your own is not just a one-time conversation with your kids or your partner. It is about sowing seeds and knowing every year is going to look a little different and every year is going to grow and change and develop, much like a family does.  That's a beautiful thing! Rachel Jonat is an expert of minimal living and slowing down to take time for herself, her husband, and three children. She sets small goals for herself during the holidays and carefully considers the intention behind each gift given. Rachel is the author of three books. Her current book, The Joy of Doing Nothin

Two years ago, Breena Bard’s first son was born, an experience she calls comedic inspiration. Her birth plan didn’t include any of the challenges she faced. She had intended to have an unmedicated delivery but after days of painstaking labor due to the position of her son’s head in her pelvis, Breena and her OB decided it would be best to have a Cesarean. Breena’s difficult postpartum recovery, both physically and emotionally, was a catalyst for opening up about the challenges of embracing becoming a mom. Breena has often considered the parallels between a birthing experience and the creative experience. Before her son’s birth, she would gestate a creative idea and when it came to fruition she would compare the experience to giving birth. There is no trial run in either experience. Breena and her husband joke that their story was a flow-chart for all the different things that can happen during labor and delivery. During the first six months of being a mother, Breena was able to integrate her creative passion

Elly Taylor and her husband thought they were prepared for having their first child but quickly realized they faced unexpected conflicts. When Elly started counseling other parents, she realized most couples were experiencing the same challenges. She began researching the stages parents went through and how having children transformed relationships. When Elly became pregnant with her third child, she wrote her book, Becoming Us, with the hope of preventing postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, and relationship breakdown for both parents through better preparation. Parenthood is a venture into the unknown and has such a huge impact on couples.  Elly passionately believes that as a society we are setting parents up for failure - there is no longer a community of people invested in a raising a child. Nowadays, the support families desperately need drops away when parents leave the hospital or shortly thereafter, and we aren’t equipped with the ability to communicate with each other about our needs and chall

Despite being a believer in out-of-hospital births, Page Rose ended up giving birth to her first two biological children in a protocol-driven hospital. Pregnant with her first child, Page went to the hospital due to back pain, where she was shocked to find out she was in preterm labor at just 33 weeks. There was no known medical reason for Page to be going into labor. Even though the doctors told her she was having contractions, she couldn't feel them.  As things unfolded, fear and disappointment crept over her as she realized she wouldn’t be able to follow her birth plan and would have to have a Cesarean. Page got real with us about how her birth plan set her up for failed expectations as well as a lot of trauma and how she found healing in her journey as a mother.  The beautiful story of her redemptive second VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) at home in the water and of making it to 39 weeks after two premature births is an emotional one - not to be missed!   In This Episode: ● Her first baby being in the

An experienced NICU nurse faces her worst fears when her second daughter is born prematurely via c-section with unexpected respiratory failure and struggles to survive.

After an emergency cesarean at 26 weeks, a first time mother faces an agonizing NICU stay while her daughter fights for her life.

Part 2 of her story, co-host Mellisa Reeves shares about the difficult and grueling labor with her first son, complicated by severe postpartum anxiety and a long road to recovery.

Co-host of the show, Mellisa Reeves, shares the devastating story of the unexpected stillbirth of her son Rowan, and how grief changed her life.

Christa Black Gifford had no idea that her daughter, Goldie, had anencephaly until the moment she was born at home, delivering in one push since she only had a partial skull. She shares about the time they spent with Goldie before saying goodbye and what her healing journey has looked like.

Lindsay Ostrom of Pinch of Yum shares her moving story of delivering her son at 23 weeks, how she chose to spend their few precious hours together and what healing has looked like since saying goodbye.

A mother shares the haunting story of waking up to find her 2 day old son having passed away of SIDS, and how she found healing and strength in her life as a mother.

Filmmaker Jessicca Moore (Documentary - Why Not Home?) shares her story as a nurse practitioner of choosing a homebirth after researching her options and realizing that more and more medical providers are making the same choice.