Do you feel called to a home birth but your husband isn’t quite on board? You’re not alone. As a doula, I see this tension often—moms who long for the peace and intimacy of birthing at home, but dads who feel nervous, protective, or unsure.

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Why Not Home? (Documentary)
• The Business of Being Born (Documentary)
• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin (Book)
• Book a consult (virtual or in-person) with a doula to get your questions answered.

Take a step TODAY toward your natural, faith-filled birth!

1. Grab my FREE guide for navigating your first trimester: FREE GUIDE
2. Get access to the beautiful guidebook of information all pregnant women need but may not have access to: $17 EBOOK
3. Join my online birth classes!: Birth Tide Academy

👋🏼 👋🏼 👋🏼 Hey, I’m Karissa, a Christian doula in Lebanon, PA, and I bring faith and birth education together to help pregnant women see their true potential!!

If you are pregnant, first of all congratulations!!! Find me on Instagram @thebirthtide and DM me to let me know you are here!❤️❤️❤️

I'm been a bit MIA for a few weeks, but I'm backkkk! I really prioriize my in-person doula clients first, and so when that is busy, the podcast goes to the back burner. So I thought I'd bring you inside by recaping my 18 births so far this 2025!

I've also been chatting about homebirth a lot on the gram and so I thought I'd share with you WHY and dive deeper into that!

Take a step TODAY toward your natural, faith-filled birth!

1. Grab my FREE guide for navigating your first trimester: FREE GUIDE
2. Get access to the beautiful guidebook of information all pregnant women need but may not have access to: $17 EBOOK
3. Join my online birth classes!: Birth Tide Academy

👋🏼 👋🏼 👋🏼 Hey, I’m Karissa, a Christian doula in Lebanon, PA, and I bring faith and birth education together to help pregnant women see their true potential!!

If you are pregnant, first of all congratulations!!! Find me on Instagram @thebirthtide and DM me to let me know you are here!❤️❤️❤️

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Shannon, The Hart Doula, to unpack her powerful testimony of walking through three shoulder dystocia births—all unmedicated and out of the hospital.

➡️ Her first birth happened at a birth center, after she recovered from a month-long hospitalization with COVID pneumonia. Her second and third were both home births, with her final baby weighing in at 10.5 pounds. And in every single one, she experienced God’s presence, protection, and peace, even in the face of unexpected challenges.

Whether you’re a birth nerd, a doula, or a mom preparing for your own delivery, this episode will strengthen your trust in your body, in birth, and in the God who designed both. Shoulder dystocia is often talked about with a lot of fear, but understanding it and having a peaceful, knowledgable team to support you is key when it comes to avoiding trauma even in hard, unexpected things.

Connect with Shannon:
Instagram: @thehartdoula.ministry
Website: https://msha.ke/thehartdoula

Take a step TODAY toward your natural, faith-filled birth!

1. Grab my FREE guide for navigating your first trimester: FREE GUIDE
2. Get access to the beautiful guidebook of information all pregnant women need but may not have access to: $17 EBOOK
3. Join my online birth classes!: Birth Tide Academy

👋🏼 👋🏼 👋🏼 Hey, I’m Karissa, a Christian doula in Lebanon, PA, and I bring faith and birth education together to help pregnant women see their true potential!!

If you are pregnant, first of all congratulations!!! Find me on Instagram @thebirthtide and DM me to let me know you are here!❤️❤️❤️

In this episode, we’re joined by a seasoned doula of 20 years who shares her powerful personal journey through three out-of-hospital births—one at a birth center and two at home. With a background in child attachment, Holli approached birth with deep intentionality, especially when it came to how her babies were touched, handled, and nurtured in those sacred first moments and months

What You’ll Hear:

• How a background in child attachment influenced her birth choices
• How being a doula shaped her own birth preparation
• The importance of touch, presence, and emotional safety for babies at birth
• Encouragement for moms and dads in helping them bond with their baby no matter what type of birth you had

Take a step TODAY toward your natural, faith-filled birth!

1. Grab my FREE guide for navigating your first trimester: FREE GUIDE
2. Get access to the beautiful guidebook of information all pregnant women need but may not have access to: $17 EBOOK
3. Join my online birth classes!: Birth Tide Academy

👋🏼 👋🏼 👋🏼 Hey, I’m Karissa, a Christian doula in Lebanon, PA, and I bring faith and birth education together to help pregnant women see their true potential!!

If you are pregnant, first of all congratulations!!! Find me on Instagram @thebirthtide and DM me to let me know you are here!❤️❤️❤️

Summer pregnancy can feel like a whole new level of hot, but you don’t have to suffer through it! In this episode, I’m giving you practical tips to not just survive—but thrive—in the heat. From hydration hacks to sun protection, I want to make sure you stay strong and healthy to avoid swelling, fatigue, and just beating the heat.

Things mentioned:

• Redmond Re-Lyte Electrolyte Mix (my favorite as far as taste goes!)
• Jigsaw Adrenal Cocktail + Electrolytes (no natural flavors plus a great source of Vitamin C for healthy, adequate amniotic fluid levels, a strong immune system, and encouraging higher progesterone levels)
• Just Ingredients Electrolytes
• Coconut Water – (Natural source of potassium and hydration. I actually mix my electrolyte powder with coconut water!!)
• Lily of the Desert Aloe Water (potassium is super important for many things! This is a great source. You can add 1-2 tbsp to each drink)

Take a step TODAY toward your natural, faith-filled birth!

1. Grab my FREE guide for navigating your first trimester: FREE GUIDE
2. Get access to the beautiful guidebook of information all pregnant women need but may not have access to: $17 EBOOK
3. Join my online birth classes!: Birth Tide Academy

👋🏼 👋🏼 👋🏼 Hey, I’m Karissa, a Christian doula in Lebanon, PA, and I bring faith and birth education together to help pregnant women see their true potential!!

If you are pregnant, first of all congratulations!!! Find me on Instagram @thebirthtide and DM me to let me know you are here!❤️❤️❤️

I've been attending births for just a little over 2 years and ALMOST at my 100th birth! WILD!! I've learned so much!

Something that honestly cracks me up is how intrigued people are with my job. When I tell people what I do, they often ask what its like to be on call, how I know when to go to a birth, ask for birth stories, how I became a doula, etc, so I decided, WHY NOT turn it into a podcast episode!!! So here we go!

P.S. If you don't already know, I do doula mentoring!! Check it out right here

Take a step TODAY toward your natural, faith-filled birth!

1. Grab my FREE guide for navigating your first trimester: FREE GUIDE
2. Get access to the beautiful guidebook of information all pregnant women need but may not have access to: $17 EBOOK
3. Join my online birth classes!: Birth Tide Academy

👋🏼 👋🏼 👋🏼 Hey, I’m Karissa, a Christian doula in Lebanon, PA, and I bring faith and birth education together to help pregnant women see their true potential!!

If you are pregnant, first of all congratulations!!! Find me on Instagram @thebirthtide and DM me to let me know you are here!❤️❤️❤️

What happens when a baby comes too fast for your midwife to make it? Or when a family decides to intentionally birth without any medical professional present? In today’s episode, I’m joined by the incredible Leah the Doula to talk all things freebirth—both unplanned and planned.

We dig into:

• What unplanned freebirth looks like, and how moms, partners, and doulas can prepare just in case
• Skills and practical tips to navigate a precipitous or unsupported birth
• Why some families are choosing to freebirth on purpose
• The legal, emotional, mental, and spiritual layers of planned freebirth
• What it’s like to be a doula in a freebirth space—and why it’s not for everyone
• Personal stories from both of our experiences witnessing or supporting freebirth

Whether you're curious about this topic or feel it could be a possibility in your birth journey, this episode will give you clarity, insight, and support.

Leah is a seasoned doula, lactation counselor, childbirth educator, and circle leader based in NYC. Her rich and diverse background—from her first birth on the mission field over 15 years ago to working with underserved communities, teen moms, and VBAC families—has shaped her into a grounded and deeply wise birthworker. She’s been part of everything from hospital births to triplet births… and yes, even a car birth! Learn more about her work at @leahthedoula on Instagram.

Take a step TODAY toward your natural, faith-filled birth!

1. Grab my FREE guide for navigating your first trimester: FREE GUIDE
2. Get access to the beautiful guidebook of information all pregnant women need but may not have access to: $17 EBOOK
3. Join my online birth classes!: Birth Tide Academy

👋🏼 👋🏼 👋🏼 Hey, I’m Karissa, a Christian doula in Lebanon, PA, and I bring faith and birth education together to help pregnant women see their true potential!!

If you are pregnant, first of all congratulations!!! Find me on Instagram @thebirthtide and DM me to let me know you are here!❤️❤️❤️

In this episode, Kenzi to shares the beautiful story of her unassisted home birth—peaceful, natural, and completely led by the Holy Spirit. Without any doctors, midwives, or even a doula present, Kenzi gave birth at home with just her husband and mother by her side.

She chose to forgo prenatal checkups and ultrasounds, trusting in her body, her preparation, and most importantly, in Jesus. Her confidence in the natural design of birth, coupled with deep faith, allowed her to fully surrender and experience the kind of birth she had always hoped for.

Kenzi’s story is a powerful testimony of trust, surrender, and the presence of God in the birth space. If you’ve ever felt called to a more instinctual, Spirit-led birth experience, this episode will both encourage and inspire you.

Take a step TODAY toward your natural, faith-filled birth!

1. Grab my FREE guide for navigating your first trimester: FREE GUIDE
2. Get access to the beautiful guidebook of information all pregnant women need but may not have access to: $17 EBOOK
3. Join my online birth classes!: Birth Tide Academy

👋🏼 👋🏼 👋🏼 Hey, I’m Karissa, a Christian doula in Lebanon, PA, and I bring faith and birth education together to help pregnant women see their true potential!!

If you are pregnant, first of all congratulations!!! Find me on Instagram @thebirthtide and DM me to let me know you are here!❤️❤️❤️

In this episode, we explore the vital role husbands play in creating an empowering birth experience. From managing decisions to staying calm under pressure, learn practical tips on how to support your partner through labor with confidence, peace, and love. This episode is a must-listen for any husband wanting to be his wife’s rock during labor and help create a peaceful, Spirit-led birth.

Birth Partner Book

Take a step TODAY toward your natural, faith-filled birth!

1. Grab my FREE guide for navigating your first trimester: FREE GUIDE
2. Get access to the beautiful guidebook of information all pregnant women need but may not have access to: $17 EBOOK
3. Join my online birth classes!: Birth Tide Academy

👋🏼 👋🏼 👋🏼 Hey, I’m Karissa, a Christian doula in Lebanon, PA, and I bring faith and birth education together to help pregnant women see their true potential!!

If you are pregnant, first of all congratulations!!! Find me on Instagram @thebirthtide and DM me to let me know you are here!❤️❤️❤️

Mannah’s first birth in 2021 was a wake-up call. Like many first-time moms, she trusted the hospital system, only to feel blindsided by routine interventions and a loss of autonomy. That experience led her down a path of deep learning and transformation.

Determined to rewrite her birth story, she went on to have two redemptive home births—one with a midwife yet with some self-doubt and fear that lingered from my first birth and another homebirth which was completely intuitive and empowering, where she even caught her own baby. In this episode, we compare her three birth experiences and discuss how she overcame fear, embraced trust, and found empowerment in the birth process.

Connect with Mannah:
 🌿 Website: risebirthservices.com
📷 Instagram: @rise.birth

Take a step TODAY toward your natural, faith-filled birth!

1. Grab my FREE guide for navigating your first trimester: FREE GUIDE
2. Get access to the beautiful guidebook of information all pregnant women need but may not have access to: $17 EBOOK
3. Join my online birth classes!: Birth Tide Academy

👋🏼 👋🏼 👋🏼 Hey, I’m Karissa, a Christian doula in Lebanon, PA, and I bring faith and birth education together to help pregnant women see their true potential!!

If you are pregnant, first of all congratulations!!! Find me on Instagram @thebirthtide and DM me to let me know you are here!❤️❤️❤️