What if you’re terrified of giving birth but desperately want a positive, empowering birth experience?

In this episode of the Built to Birth Podcast, Bridget sits down with Annaliese to share her journey through pregnancy, miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, fear of childbirth, and two empowering, positive natural birth experiences.

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🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/

🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

Before becoming a mom, Annaliese was afraid of pregnancy and birth. After an unexpected pregnancy ended in miscarriage, becoming pregnant again brought both excitement and anxiety. She began intentionally preparing for birth through education, positive birth stories, breathing techniques, and learning how to trust her body.

That preparation ultimately led to an unmedicated birth center birth with her first baby—and an experience that completely changed the way she viewed childbirth.

During her next pregnancy, however, a new fear emerged: an overwhelming anxiety that something would happen to her baby during birth. Annaliese shares how she navigated those fears through prayer, positive affirmations, birth education, and intentionally filling her mind with encouraging birth stories.

Her second labor then unfolded incredibly quickly, leading to a fast water birth at a birth center and an intense first few moments after her baby was born.

Annaliese and Bridget talk honestly about pregnancy anxiety, pregnancy after miscarriage, overcoming fear of birth, natural childbirth, unmedicated labor, water birth, birth center birth, breathing techniques for labor, doulas, midwifery care, partner support, and preparing mentally for childbirth.

If you’re pregnant and feeling scared or overwhelmed by birth, Annaliese’s story is a beautiful reminder of how much can change when fear is met with education, preparation, support, and trust.

In this episode:

• Overcoming fear of pregnancy and childbirth
• Pregnancy after miscarriage and navigating anxiety
• Preparing for a positive birth experience
• Breathing techniques for labor
• Annaliese’s first unmedicated birth center birth
• Giving birth in an upright position
• Preparing for a second natural birth
• Her incredibly fast second labor
• Her birth center water birth
• When her baby needed help immediately after birth
• How her midwives responded
• The role of a doula and supportive husband
• Why positive birth stories can matter during pregnancy
• Using birth education to replace fear with confidence

Childhood friends reconnect to share a positive birth story. Bethanie's journey from pregnancy to labor and delivery is filled with challenges and triumphs, highlighting the importance of preparation, support, and endurance. Bethanie shares her challenging yet empowering birth story, from a long labor to delivering her doctor's biggest vaginal delivery ever. Her experience highlights the mental and physical strength required for childbirth, as well as the importance of support and preparation.

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast

✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast

✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/

🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

Takeaways

• Childhood friends reconnect after years, sharing a powerful birth story.
• Preparation, support, and endurance play a crucial role in the journey from pregnancy to labor and delivery. Mental and physical preparation are crucial for childbirth.
• Support from a partner and healthcare provider is essential during labor.
• The experience of childbirth, though challenging, is incredibly empowering and worth it.

Chapters

• 00:00 Reconnecting with Childhood Friend
• 03:35 Pregnancy and Motherhood
• 12:06 Preparing for Birth
• 16:11 Onset of Labor
• 20:47 Challenges and Endurance in Labor
• 27:17 The Challenge of a Long Labor
• 28:11 The Intensity of Pushing
• 30:22 The Impact of a Big Baby
• 43:01 The Journey of Recovery
• 52:15 Reflections and Encouragement

In this episode of the Built to Birth Podcast, we’re sitting down to talk through Ashley's birth story—from preparing for birth and choosing the right birth team to navigating an unexpected preeclampsia diagnosis and induction.

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast

✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast

✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/

🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

We talk about what it looked like to make decisions when birth didn’t go exactly as planned, how important it was to feel informed and supported along the way, and why having a birth team you truly trust can make such a difference.

We also get into some of the really special moments from her birth—the photos and videos she has to look back on, her baby being born in the amniotic sac, and what her recovery and postpartum experience looked like afterward.

More than anything, this conversation is such a good reminder that preparing for birth isn’t about trying to control exactly how your birth unfolds. It’s about understanding your options, learning to trust your body, surrounding yourself with people you trust, and feeling confident making decisions along the way.

If you’re pregnant and preparing for birth—or you just love hearing real, honest birth stories—I hope this episode leaves you feeling encouraged and empowered.

• How family experiences can shape the way we think about pregnancy and birth
• Why preparing for birth matters, even when things don’t go according to plan
• Choosing a birth team you feel safe with and trust
• Navigating high blood pressure, preeclampsia and induction
• Making informed decisions and advocating for yourself during labor
• The importance of autonomy during birth
• Learning to trust and believe in your body
• How education and preparation can help you feel more confident and empowered
• Recovery and the postpartum experience

Chapters

• 00:00 Family and Pregnancy
• 03:03 Preparing for Birth
• 12:03 Choosing the Right Team
• 20:52 Dealing with Pre-Eclampsia
• 22:25 Preeclampsia Diagnosis and Induction
• 26:13 Labor and Delivery Experience
• 29:09 Informed Decision-Making and Advocacy
• 42:43 The Birth Experience
• 43:30 The Impact of Pictures and Videos
• 43:58 The Significance of the Sack of Water
• 45:08 The Importance of Autonomy in Birth
• 53:19 Recovery and Postpartum Experience
• 58:57 Support and Encouragement for Moms

Join me today for my sister in love's birth story! She chose to switch care from a traditional OBGYN at the hospital to a midwife for a homebirth and having her home birth was one of the best decisions Shannon made for her labor and delivery experience.

In this positive birth story episode we chat about how ANYONE can have a homebirth. So many women think you have to be a certain type of person to have a homebirth. The truth is, anyone can have a home birth and I think this story is a beautiful example of how true that is!

Enjoy this podcast about giving birth at home!

____________________________________

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast

✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast

✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/

🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast

✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast

✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/

🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

Speaking up for yourself and your birth preferences is hard to do as a pregnant and birthing woman especially when things don't go according to plan and you need more answers than you're getting. In this Episode of the Built To Birth Podcast, Marieta shares her POSITIVE BIRTH STORY including how she chose between an OBGYN and a Midwife for her hospital birth, her amniotic fluid leaking before labor began, and her induction without epidural using Cervidil. If you need some encouragement on how to speak up, be bold, and find courage in asking questions to your care provider, you are going to love Marieta's birth story.

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast

✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast

✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/

🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

In Episode 13 of the Built To Birth Podcast, Kristina shares her TWO birth experiences, both at a birthing center but the first being somewhat traumatic and the second being healing and empowering. Kristina talks about everything from raspberry leaf tea to induce labor, back labor, transition, different labor positions, to what do contractions feel like, postpartum care, and beyond! I absolutely LOVED chatting with Kristina and hearing her labor and delivery story and I know you will too!

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast

✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast

✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/

🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

Listen to Melissa’s captivating story as she shares her first birth experience which she described as traumatic and her most recent birth experience for which she could not get an epidural. Melissa shares her experiences with and without an epidural and also gives us powerful encouragement and insight on dealing with postpartum depression and miscarriage. Her positive birth story is one you won’t want to miss! Enjoy!

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast

✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast

✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/

🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

Today, Victoria shares her 4 birth stories- one an unexpected C-section, the other 2 successful VBACS with only partially working epidurals, and her 4th, an induced VBAC without an epidural. Her story shares so many different experiences and tips and tricks for how to prepare for labor and birth as well as recovery from c-sections.

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast

✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast

✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/

🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

Every birth story is different and can be unpredictable, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed if you’re facing a situation that wasn’t apart of your plan. In today’s Built to Birth podcast, Jerrianne shares about her two birth experiences- her induced hospital birth and her second time giving birth at home as well as her experience with midwifery care. Jerrianne shares about how both her induction and natural birth experience were beautiful in their own way, but how they impacted her postpartum period differently.

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast

✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast

✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/

🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register