Anastasiya and Eric share their candid journey to parenthood, from conceiving after long-term birth control and facing a surprise gestational diabetes diagnosis, to navigating a sudden job loss just days before their daughter’s early arrival. Their story unfolds with an unexpected start to labor in the Poconos, a fast and empowering unmedicated birth in Manhattan, and the vital role of partner support and childbirth education. They open up about the realities of postpartum life—addressing new parenthood’s emotional and practical challenges, breastfeeding struggles, and the process of finding themselves again. 

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Jane & Sam, New Yorkers who met in San Francisco, share the story of their unmedicated, physiologic birth attended by midwives in a Manhattan hospital and supported by a doula. A year or so into being married, they decide to try to conceive with hopes of having a baby in the Year of the Dragon as Jane is Chinese-American. To their surprise, they get pregnant immediately after removing her IUD. Given Jane’s background having previously worked for a women’s healthcare tech company, she had learned enough about the maternal healthcare system to know she wanted to strategically position herself for a safe, unmedicated birth and to be well-supported by a doula. Jane also shares a bit about her breastfeeding journey and being well supported by two IBCLCs to be sure baby is thriving and to support her when she had some temporary initial nipple damage.

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Today’s birth story is shared by Aatreyi, a podcast listener who worked with a wonderful doula from East River Doula Collective. She shares her experience navigating pregnancy and birth in New York City (as is usually the case on this podcast). Aatreyi also talks about the pivotal role acupuncture played in starting her labor right before her due date, helping her avoid a medical induction. We discuss how the constant focus on percentiles and dilation numbers during her pregnancy and labor often added more stress than clarity, and how she learned to look beyond the numbers to trust her own experience. From switching care providers to finding support through her doula and community, this episode offers a candid look at the unexpected twists and turns pregnancy and labor can take as well as the importance of listening to your own instincts.

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In today's episode, we're joined by Priscilla and Micah, who share their deeply personal journey from miscarriage to a blissful home birth experience. They open up about the challenges of navigating their birthing location and provider and how they had their choice to plan a homebirth affirmed in several ways throughout pregnancy, including through their own research, doula, and birth class. They detail the spiritual, emotional and physical rollercoaster of pregnancy after loss as well as the importance of trusting one's body and instincts. Their story is a testament to resilience and the support of a loving community of women. Quick content warning: there is not only mention of 1st trimester pregnancy loss, but also a bit of a scary mention of blood loss after birth when they decide to transfer to the hospital after birth to be sure that the whole placenta was delivered due to its unusual shape (spoiler alert: it ends up being a false alarm, as you might have seen in this episode’s title). 

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Following Michelle’s first baby’s unmedicated hospital birth, which she shared in Episode 86, Michelle is surprised to be told at around 39 weeks that she needs to go straight to the hospital to be induced due to gestational hypertension. She advocates to go home to say goodbye to her son and grab her bag. Once she checks into the hospital for the induction, it goes much more efficiently than anticipated and she’s able to give birth again without pain medications and this time without tearing, using all kinds of proactive comfort measures with the support of her husband and doula. She also describes some of the guilt she felt and grief she experienced in having a second baby at different points in pregnancy and beyond. This story will be particularly supportive to folks who have hypertension, are being induced, and/or are having a 2nd baby or are thinking about it for sometime down the road.

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In this episode, Liz and Kevin open up about their journey through pregnancy, sharing their firsthand experience with white coat hypertension and the challenges it brought. They discuss the pressures they faced around induction, their decision to delay an induction in hopes of an unmedicated birth, and the lessons they learned along the way. They also talk a bit about breastfeeding and how identifying and correcting a tongue tie their son had helped resolve issues they had early on. Liz and Kevin offer encouragement and practical advice for others navigating similar choices, highlighting the importance of informed decision-making and self-advocacy in the birthing and early parenthood journey.

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In this episode, we welcome Alaska McFadden—birth doula, childbirth educator, lactation counselor, and occasional home birth midwife assistant—who shares her powerful transition from birthworker to birthing person. Alaska opens up about her path to pregnancy after a previous loss, navigating conception at 37, and the emotional complexities of carrying a baby after supporting so many others in doing the same.

Alaska discusses the challenges of pregnancy, including managing a large fibroid, fears of intrauterine growth restriction, and the emotional weight of going 42 weeks and 5 days—setting a new “record” for this podcast. She shares deep reflections on the mental and emotional toll of late pregnancy, her experiences with Dreambirth visualization, and how her community of birthworkers supported her through it all.

This episode is a raw, reflective look at what it means to trust your body, make nuanced choices around risk, and still feel the full range of vulnerability—even as a seasoned professional. From making a Guinness pie in early labor to the intense moment of not feeling her baby move, Alaska takes us through the physical and emotional terrain of her labor, birth, and transformation into parenthood.

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In this episode, Lisa reconnects with Ann Morris—doula, childbirth educator, and mother of two—to hear the powerful story of her second birth: a planned home birth after a positive hospital experience. Ann shares why she chose midwifery care, how her husband became her “moula,” and how she prepped mentally and physically for a peaceful, water birth at home. From laborade popsicles to postpartum healing and navigating breastfeeding challenges, Ann offers practical tips and emotional insight into birth, motherhood, and trusting your intuition. A must-listen for anyone planning a home birth, considering birth work, or seeking inspiration for informed, empowered choices. If you haven’t heard her first birth story, you can listen to that way back in Episode 25.

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Due to her experience working in Brooklyn hospitals as a social worker, Lindsay chose to work with midwives for a more personalized birthing experience. Her story includes gleaning lots of tips from friends who gave birth shortly before her, some fairly extreme work stress leading up to labor, the confusion of stop-start labor, how she had to wait a long time to get the epidural and then it slowed progress, how multiple visitors prevented her from resting, as well as the magical moment of welcoming her baby to the sounds of Led Zeppelin. We’ll discover the struggles and triumphs of early breastfeeding, the relentless cycles of pumping, and the delightful detail of her baby smelling like a freshly baked cake at birth.

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Today, Donna shares her transformative journey from a first birth experience via C-section to achieving a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) with her second child. She describes her extensive preparations, the critical role of her doula, and the stark differences between her two birth experiences. From facing prodromal labor to making informed choices like hiring a supportive healthcare team and deciding on an epidural, Donna relives the emotional and physical steps that led to her ultimately pulling her own baby onto her chest. Her story highlights the importance of preparation, support, and empowerment in achieving the birth you envision, which has been a theme in many of our stories, if you’ve been listening here for a while.

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