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

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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/

What is pelvic floor therapy?

Dr. Sara Reardon had two unmedicated vaginal births with no perineal tearing.  So, how?

Sara has her online pelvic floor fitness platform The V-Hive (everyone can try free for 7 days) and her book available for pre-order now and releasing June 10, 2025 Floored: A Woman’s Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage

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

• Pelvic floor issues affects almost 50% of women and there is help to prevent and overcome

• My book Floored can help guide you through Pregnancy, birth and postpartum to manage common issues like urinary leakage, prolapse and painful sex

• Preparing for birth can help improve birth outcomes and birth experiences for women and moms

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

• Floored

• The Vagina Whisperer

• Pelvic floor therapy

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

My book Floored, a comfortable pair of pajamas with buttons in friend, Frida Mom postpartum recovery kit

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

Dr. Sara Reardon, board-certified pelvic floor physical therapist and known on social media as The Vagina Whisperer. I have an online pelvic floor fitness platform, The V-Hive, for pelvic floor workouts for pregnancy, childbirth preparation, postpartum, perimenopause and painful sex.  I live in my hometown of New Orleans with my husband and two boys. 

Website: www.thevagwhisperer.com - sign up for 7 days of free pelvic floor workouts

Book: https://thevagwhisperer.com/floored/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.vagina.whisperer/

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

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thevaginawhisperer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-reardon-pt-dpt-wcs-4a6b1025/ 

Photography/Videography: Please email [email protected] subject YOUR NAME PODCAST PICS/VIDEOS any images I can share in my stories to promote your episode. 

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

Heidi talks through her birth statistics from 2024 with her fall interns Katie, Cat, and Mariza. Take a dive into cesarean section rates, how long labors lasted, and more fun data in this annual episode!

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

Are you ready to hear the amazing birth story of Kenzie Petty with her partner Jackson by her side?

Let's do this!

And since Kenzie is a baddy and won survivor and crushed a primal unmedicated birth...she has a bunch of ways to connect and save you money on all of her favorite things.

Make sure to follow her if you aren't already! Here is what you need to know!

XOXO Heids

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

Chatbooks: CODE:  “KENZIETHEHAPPYFAIRY” 20% off

https://chatbooks.com/products/ambassador?utm_source=Ambassador&utm_medium=IG&utm_campaign=kenziethehappyfairy

HOPE&plum carriers 10% off 

https://www.hopeandplum.co/KPetty

BIRTH STORY ACADEMY childbirth education online classes

www.BirthStory.com

CODE: $50 OFF with code KPETTY

Kenzie, salon owner extraordinare and Survivor 46 winner

Website: https://linktr.ee/kenziepetty

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kenziethehappyfairy?_t=ZP-8u3eLHGbwHW&_r=1 

________

We have seats available in Birth Story Academy. Join today for $50 off with code KPETTY 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

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

•  craniosacral is very gentle and can be used on anyone, but especially babies very soon after birth, no matter if the birth was smooth, or traumatic

• it can help with feeding (no matter how you feed your baby), sleep issues, tongue ties, and meeting developmental milestones

• it’s never too late to start craniosacral treatments

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

a craniosacral treatment!! This is a great way to help the body prepare for birth, and heal from the experience afterward. 

I’m Meaghan Beames, a Registered Massage Therapist, Craniosacral therapist. I’m trained in Rhythmic Movement, and Visceral Manipulation. I work with people of all ages, but specifically newborns and infants in Toronto, Canada. I teach health professionals around the world to do Infant Craniosacral Therapy through my school, Beames CST Training Centre.

Website: www.beamescst.com and www.mybabycst.com

Instagram: @beamescst @mybabycst

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/beamescst

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@beamescst

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

Today Heidi interviewed Cora Howard, a mother of two and the owner of Write to Heal, a coaching program for birthing people that have experienced cesarean births. Here is a little more about Cora Howard and this episode.

In Cora's words: "In this episode, we’ll explore the emotional journey of recovering from a C-section and rediscovering your sense of self. I’ll share my personal birth stories, including the challenges and transformations I experienced after two C-sections, and how these led to the creation of my mindfulness-based coaching program, Write to Heal. We’ll also discuss tools for emotional resilience and how to empower yourself through writing, mindfulness, and community support."

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

• Why emotional healing after a C-section is just as important as physical recovery.

• How mindfulness and therapeutic writing can help moms reclaim their sense of identity.

• Practical tips for fostering emotional resilience and facing postpartum challenges with courage.

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

• C-section recovery

• Emotional resilience for moms

• Postpartum mindfulness practices

Favorite baby product or new motherhood product? What would you buy for someone who was currently pregnant or a new parent?: The Harbor Baby Monitor (https://harbor.co/products/harbor) is my favorite! It’s a smart, modern monitor designed to provide peace of mind for parents. What makes it even better is their trade-in program, so you can upgrade your current baby monitor for Harbor’s high-quality system.

I’m Cora H., a mindfulness practitioner and C-section Emotional Resilience Coach, based in Fairhope, AL, a beautiful small town off Mobile Bay in Southern Alabama. Through my Write to Heal approach, I empower moms to process their emotions, rebuild their courage, and embrace personal growth after a C-section.

Website: corah.coach

Instagram: csectioncoachcora

Threads: @csectioncoach 

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/corahoward

___________________________________________________________________

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

Today Heidi interviewed Chelsea Skaggs, the founder of Postpartum Together, a coaching program for parents to continue to grow their relationship after having kids. Here is a little more about Chelsea Skaggs and this episode.

In Chelsea's words: "Having a baby creates a huge shift in your relationship. More than half of couples report decreased satisfaction in their marriage after having a baby, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s no sugar coating that it’s humbling and hard work to understand yourself and your partner in the midst of such a big change but there are ways to become better at communicating and connecting so that you’re more of a team moving through the changes together."

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

• Point 1: You need to understand where you keep looping in arguments and why that’s happening 

• Point 2: Understand when you’re telling yourself a story and need to get accurate details from your partner

• Point 3: Sex probably isn’t going to look the same as it did before, and that’s cool

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

• Point 1: Relationship Coaching

• Point 2: Sex after baby

• Point 3: After kids

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

Larken Nursing/Pumping bra (I still wear it 6 mo PP because it’s so cozy!)

Chelsea is a certified life and relationship coach who helps expecting and new parents to get out of the resentment and disconnect and build a relationship they are proud of so that they can enjoy the life they’ve built. She is a mom of two and her family lives in Central Ohio. 

Website: www.postpartumtogether.com

Instagram: instagram.com/chelseabrookeskaggs

Pinterest: pinterest.com/postpartumtogether

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@chelseaskaggs

Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/better.relationships.after.baby

YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@ChelseaSkaggsCoach

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 babies 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 parent 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

• My Doula Heidi Website

• Birth Story Media™ Website