Heidi catches up with Gina Conley in 2025 to update their conversation from 2022. In 2022, Gina shares about her first 2 births and 2 miscarriages and how Mamaste Fit came to be.

In this episode, Gina shares about her new book, Training for Two, and digs into her final two homebirths. 

If you haven't listened to the 2022 episode, I have replayed in just before this episode in 219....start there!

XOXO

Heidi 

There are still seats available for Birth Story Academy. Go to BirthStory.com and use code BIRTHSTORYFRIEND to get $20 OFF. 

This is a replay of episode XXX in 2022.

The follow up episode 220 is up next and is Part 2 where I catch up with Gina in 2025 and hear two more homebirth stories and an update on the Mamaste Education and Fitness platform.

Make sure to listen to both episodes!

XOXO Heidi 

Bec thought she knew everything she needed to to have a smooth Home birth for her son- after all she’d been teaching prenatal yoga and birth classes for over 20 years at the time. But when her birth ended up in a hospital transfer and unplanned cesarean she started looking more deeply into what had happened, and where she might have missed something. In doing so she discovered a missing piece in how certain movements, actions, and practices are key to creating balance throughout the body, and how practicing this way not only better prepares the body for labor, but also balances the mind to ride the twists and turns of the birth process. Her approach is captured in her new book The Om Births Approach, and in her online pre and postnatal yoga programs available at www.ombirths.com

The first 100 listeners interested in the Om Births Full Mama Membership or a day pass to either the pre or postnatal recorded libraries, enter BIRTHSTORY10 for a 10% discount

3 Key takeaways from the podcast that listeners will learn today:

• Point 1: Being flexible isn't the only thing for preparing for birth we need overall balance

• Point 2: Balance for birth means having strength as well as stretching

• Point 3: Even if we can’t plan out every moment of birth, we are able to learn to ride the waves and still have a positive experience

3 Keywords that people would want to search when looking for content that you would provide in this episode:

• Point 1: Pelvic floor

• Point 2: Birth muscles

• Point 3: Balance

Favorite baby product or new motherhood product? What would you buy for someone who was currently pregnant or a new parent?: 

A gift card for doula services- Birth or Postpartum

Summary of guest experience – Who are you? What are your credentials? Where do you live? 

Bec Conant is a respected figure in Boston and New England for her expertise in prenatal care and yoga instruction spanning over two decades. Through her Om Births program, she empowers expecting individuals, guiding them through childbirth and easing their transition into parenthood. Bec is also the author of The Om Births Approach, which explores using yoga to prepare the body, mind, and spirit for birth. She is mother to her 7 yr old son who serves as her neverending teacher in meditation and life.

Website: www.ombirths.com

Instagram: @ombirths

Facebook Group:/OmBirths

YouTube Channel: Theyogadoula

XOXO -Heids

___________________________________________________________________

We have seats available in Birth Story Academy. Join today for $20 off with code BIRTHSTORYFRIEND at https://www.birthstory.com/online-course

Resources:

• Birth Story Academy Online Course

• Shop My Birthing Workbooks and Guides

I’m Heidi, a Certified Birth Doula, and I’ve supported the deliveries of over one thousand parents in my career. On the Birth Story Podcast, I’ll take you on a journey through your pregnancy by providing you education through storytelling. I provide high-level childbirth education broken down to make it super digestible for you because I know you are a busy person on the go. Plus, because I am so passionate about birth outcomes, you will hear from many of the top experts in labor and delivery.

Connect with Me! XOXO Heidi

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Birth Story Boutique Doula + Pregnancy Concierge Services in Charlotte, NC

• Birth Story Media™ Website

• Pinterest

This is a replay of episode 210 to celebrate and promote the launch day of FLOORED, by Dr. Sara Reardon aka The Vagina Whisperer. Out today! 

You can buy your copy HERE. 

XOXO- Heidi 

In this podcast episode, Julia Winn shares her unmedicated Pitocin birth story, detailing her journey from induction to delivery. Her induction plan for a cervical ripening process without an epidural, her unexpected exposure to listeria, and the decisions she faced as labor progressed. From the intense contractions brought on by Pitocin to the incredible support of her doula (Catherine 😀) who is part of Heidi's local doula company Birth Story Boutique and her amazing partner. Despite how difficult it was, the experience was empowering, and she reflects on the deep love and awe that come with bringing a new life into the world.

3 Keywords that people would want to search when looking for content that you would provide in this episode:

• Induction

• Unmedicated Pitocin birth

• Doula

Julia's favorite baby product or new motherhood product? What would you buy for someone who was currently pregnant or a new parent?: Breastfriend, Moby Wraps, Halo Swaddles, Bumbo chair, playpen.

 Who is Julia? In her words....My name is Julia, I am from a small town in New Hampshire, moved to Houston, TX when I was 22 and moved to Charlotte when I was 27. I used to be in the medical field for 6-8 years as a CNA. I am now a videographer and content creator. 

Where to follow Julia:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julia_winn/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/julia_winn/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julia_winn

YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@julia_winn/videos

XOXO -Heids

___________________________________________________________________

We have seats available in Birth Story Academy. Join today for $20 off with code BIRTHSTORYFRIEND at https://www.birthstory.com/online-course

Resources:

• Birth Story Academy Online Course

• Shop My Birthing Workbooks and Guides

I’m Heidi, a Certified Birth Doula, and I’ve supported the deliveries of over one thousand parents in my career. On the Birth Story Podcast, I’ll take you on a journey through your pregnancy by providing you education through storytelling. I provide high-level childbirth education broken down to make it super digestible for you because I know you are a busy person on the go. Plus, because I am so passionate about birth outcomes, you will hear from many of the top experts in labor and delivery.

Connect with Me!

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Birth Story Boutique Doula + Pregnancy Concierge Services in Charlotte, NC

• Birth Story Media™ Website

• Pinterest

Sasha Niz Konrad is the founder and CEO of Sashamama Wellness, a brand dedicated to non-toxic, holistic wellness solutions for pregnant and postpartum women. With a background as a prenatal and postpartum yoga instructor and a deep passion and interest in holistic maternal and hormone health. Sasha has combined her expertise and personal journey to create thoughtfully curated, safe, and effective products safe for anyone but especially mamas! Based in Charlotte, NC, Sasha is an advocate for self-care and empowerment for moms during every stage of their motherhood journey.

We'll explore the inception of Sashamama Wellness, a brand dedicated to providing non-toxic, pampering wellness products for prenatal and postpartum mothers. I was inspired by the Andean fertility goddess Pachamama, symbolizing Mother Earth, and my personal journey through hormonal imbalances and pelvic floor issues + teaching prenatal/postpartum yoga classes. I had a light bulb moment, which led to my conscious effort to curate products that prioritize women's health. A focus on reducing the top 3 common complaints for new/expecting moms and overall self-care habits/rituals during motherhood.  

• Clinical Importance of Non-Toxic Products and Detoxifying Safely:

• Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to environmental toxins, which can adversely affect both maternal and fetal health. Studies indicate that exposure to certain chemicals during pregnancy can lead to complications such as preterm birth and developmental issues. Utilizing non-toxic skincare products minimizes these risks, promoting a healthier pregnancy, higher chance of getting pregnant, breastfeeding safety/brain development  . Talk about my personal experience with hormonal imbalances, walk through journey and story of hormone issues, pelvic floor muscle spasm, and years of listening to new symptoms that pregnant and postpartum women faced weekly as I saw them week after week. Talk about detoxifying from phthalates and endocrine disruptors, define what that means and the sperm count rates declining. Talk about EWG, dry brush, exercise, gua sha, as a form of toxin release. 

Please link your contact information for me to share in the episode.

Website: sashamamawellness.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sashamama_wellness

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SashamamaWellness?ref=shop_sugg_market

TikTok: Tiktok.com/ Sashamama_wellness 

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095452157752

XOXO -Heids

___________________________________________________________________

We have seats available in Birth Story Academy. Join today for $20 off with code BIRTHSTORYFRIEND at https://www.birthstory.com/online-course

Resources:

• Birth Story Academy Online Course

• Shop My Birthing Workbooks and Guides

I’m Heidi, a Certified Birth Doula, and I’ve supported the deliveries of over one thousand parents in my career. On the Birth Story Podcast, I’ll take you on a journey through your pregnancy by providing you education through storytelling. I provide high-level childbirth education broken down to make it super digestible for you because I know you are a busy person on the go. Plus, because I am so passionate about birth outcomes, you will hear from many of the top experts in labor and delivery.

Connect with Me!

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Birth Story Boutique Doula + Pregnancy Concierge Services in Charlotte, NC

• Birth Story Media™ Website

• Pinterest

How does Birth Order impact you and your parenting?

Dr. Robert V.V. Hurst was born in Hammond Indiana and has been practicing orthodontics in Covington Louisiana for over 35 years. During this time he has used his office and patients as his living laboratory to study his patient’s personality traits and birth orders. Out of this has come a unique and workable theory that accurately finds a person's real birth order and explains their behaviors.

Educated at Indiana University and Harvard, he has taught at both Tufts University and Louisiana State University. He has published numerous articles on birth order and patient behavior. He has also lectured on this same subject applying it to not only patient management but also to office dynamics and employee relationships.

In Life's Fingerprint, Dr. Robert V. V. Hurst offers an illustrative and funny look at how birth order is directly related to behavior, how people work, how people live, and how people love. A revealing questionnaire helps you navigate the variety of information Dr. Hurst offers to help you pinpoint your real birth order. Unique to this book is the discussion of double birth order and families within families. This concept is the Rosetta stone of understanding birth order theory, and it is why just your ordinal birth order, or number order of birth, is sometimes not your real birth order. Life's Fingerprint: How Birth Order Affects Your Path Throughout Life will help you understand yourself and show you how to better interact with your family, friends, and coworkers. Learn more at www.lifesfingerprint.com and buy the book at www.mybirthorder.com

3 Key takeaways from the podcast that listeners will learn today:

• Point 1  Birth order influences all parts of your life

• Point 2  All children are different don’t treat them all the same

• Point 3  Finding your real birth order is the key ie. Double Birth Orders

XOXO -Heids

___________________________________________________________________

We have seats available in Birth Story Academy. Join today for $20 off with code BIRTHSTORYFRIEND at https://www.birthstory.com/online-course

Resources:

• Birth Story Academy Online Course

• Shop My Birthing Workbooks and Guides

I’m Heidi, a Certified Birth Doula, and I’ve supported the deliveries of over one thousand parents in my career. On the Birth Story Podcast, I’ll take you on a journey through your pregnancy by providing you education through storytelling. I provide high-level childbirth education broken down to make it super digestible for you because I know you are a busy person on the go. Plus, because I am so passionate about birth outcomes, you will hear from many of the top experts in labor and delivery.

Connect with Me!

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Birth Story Boutique Doula + Pregnancy Concierge Services in Charlotte, NC

• Birth Story Media™ Website

• Pinterest

Drumroll....I am proud of myself for pumping out the ever popular Doula Diaries! I had a crazy week of births around the full Blood Moon of March 14, 2025. 

I went to a homebirth, a birth center birth, and 2 hospital births in the same week. Let's see how they all played out. This week was reminding me that birth is unpredictable. It can be long, it can be short, it can be uncomplicated, it can be complicated. 

Prepare for it....that's why I wrote Birth Story Academy. You can enroll in my online course and be ready for whatever labor throws at you. Enroll at BirthStory.com and use code BIRTHSTORYFRIEND for $20 OFF. 

XOXO- Heidi 

Today is World Downsyndrome Day! Celebrating all of our homies with an extra chromy. Thank you for being here and sharing this podcast episode with someone that you know that is parenting and/or pregnant and Down's Syndrome is part of their story. 

Heidi sits down with Abby Rose Green of the HERself Podcast to chat about fertility, an unexpected anatomy scan, an amniocentesis, chromosomal uniqueness, Down's Syndrome, and birth. 

Abby was originally planning an unmedicated homebirth. She shares how she changed plans and was still able to achieve the beautiful vaginal birth she so desired with her son Owen. 

This episode brought Abby and Heidi to tears as they bonded over parenting children with a "diagnosis" they were not anticipating. 

Follow along on Instagram:

Abby: Instagram.com/abbyrosegreen

Heidi: Instagram.com/birth.story.academy

We would love for you to write a review for both the Birth Story Podcast and the HERself podcast if you have time today. 

XOXO

PS. There is always room for you in Birth Story Academy. Join Heidi for all of your childbirth education needs at BirthStory.com. Use code BIRTHSTORYFRIEND for $20 OFF the course and a FREE copy of the Birth Story Pregnancy guidebook and journal. 

Thank you Michelle Smith for recording these beautiful birth affirmations to help get through birth and to practice before birth! If you have 8 minutes, come back to this episode every day!

XOXO Heidi

You can find Michelle's Birth Ease Method for Hypnobirthing at https://www.birtheaseservices.com/