Happy Homebirth

What happens when the person working inside the hospital system…

And… what does it look like when years of witnessing birth—

This week, we're joined by Alehson Treadwell, a labor and delivery nurse, IBCLC, and mother of three, whose personal birth experiences evolved alongside her years caring for women inside of the hospital system.

Episode Roundup: 

First…

Alehson has spent over sixteen years working as a labor and delivery nurse. She has seen complications. She has seen intervention. She knows the hospital system deeply. And yet—rather than moving further away from physiological birth, she moved into it.

Sometimes understanding physiology more deeply actually increases trust in the body—not decreases it.

Next,

Her first birth held anxiety, timelines, and the pressure of approaching forty-two weeks. Her second birth was fast and overwhelming in a completely different way– But by her third birth, we hear a mother who has settled into pregnancy, labor and trusting herself more thoroughly. 

I especially loved hearing how specific she became in prayer during that final pregnancy.

She prayed for the right people to be there, to be present, and to have peace.

And finally…

Alehson spoke candidly about postpartum anxiety, depletion, low ferritin, and the connection between nourishment and mental health.  The truth is we cannot separate the physical from the emotional. What happens in the body can impact the emotional, and vice versa.  Which means that rest matters.Minerals.  Water.  Warm nourishing food.  It’s foundational.

Links:

FREE Peaceful Birth Reset: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/birthreset

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Learn more about Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

Youtube Episode Link: https://youtu.be/TXEaxJEg1-I

Can hope return after something painful changes the way you experience motherhood?

This week, we're speaking with Lydia Ashford, a flower farmer, worship leader, wife, and mother of two daughters born at home on the Northern California coast. Lydia and her family live and work together on a flower farm with her parents and sisters, raising babies alongside one another in a deeply connected community.

In this conversation, Lydia shares the beautiful homebirth of her first daughter—but also the traumatic postpartum complications that followed– and the transformational healing that slowly took place after.

Episode Roundup:

1. “Postpartum is porous.”

Lydia described postpartum as “spongy”—that everything spoken over a mother during that season goes straight to the heart.

YES. The postpartum period is incredibly vulnerable.

The voices around a mother matter.

And hearing how her midwife, her mother, her husband, and her community continually spoke hope over her while she struggled with breastfeeding… it’s such a powerful reminder that support can completely shape a postpartum experience.

2. I was deeply moved by Lydia’s honesty about fear after trauma, because it’s such a common experience.  

Sure, not everyone has experienced sepsis or emergency surgery postpartum, but many mothers have walked through complicated births or postpartum seasons that left them afraid to do it again.

And I loved hearing how Lydia described God slowly transforming fear into hope—not all at once… over time.  

Through prayer walks, community, stories, scripture, and through intimate moments of healing.

3. This line Lydia shared just got me at my core:

“I will not nurse fear. I will nurse hope.”

What a powerful renewing of her mind.  She intentionally refused to let fear become the center of the story.

Wow, doesn’t  that apply so far beyond birth?

What are we feeding?

Lydia’s story is such a beautiful reminder that healing does not always mean the absence of difficulty.  Healing is allowing hope to return.

Links:

FREE Peaceful Birth Reset: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/birthreset

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Learn more about Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

Youtube Episode Link: https://youtu.be/_zhc9aKXtME

Have you ever reached the point in labor—or honestly, in life—where you truly didn’t think you could keep going?

This week, we're speaking with Faith Robinson, a stay-at-home mom from Kansas City, wife to her husband of three years, and mother to baby Ezekiel. Faith grew up around birth through her mother’s work as a doula, but despite always wanting an unmedicated birth, she initially viewed birth primarily as a medical event. That slowly began to change after witnessing a peaceful birth as a teenager—and eventually led her and her husband to prayerfully pursue homebirth for their own family.

In this episode, Faith shares her pregnancy journey, navigating back pain from previous spinal injuries, concerns about preeclampsia symptoms late in pregnancy, and the emotional challenge of going well past her due date.

And then came the loooong labor.  You’re going to love hearing her perseverance.

Episode Roundup:

2. This story is such a reminder that labor does not always unfold quickly or neatly.

3. I was so moved by the way Faith described the Lord meeting her during labor.

Links:

FREE Peaceful Birth Reset: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/birthreset

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Learn more about Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

Youtube Episode Link: https://youtu.be/PFkl9gpM_k8

What does it look like to re-build a family legacy? 

And how do birth, motherhood, healing, and even hardship become part of that restoration?

Gabrielle Manier is a wife, homeschool mother of four, homemaker, gardener, and passionate homebirth mother living in Michigan with her husband Dustin and their children. Since her first appearance on the podcast, their family has welcomed two more babies while continuing to walk through healing from a difficult past marked by addiction, homelessness, and generational brokenness.

Episode Roundup:

1. The idea of rebuilding.

Gabrielle and her husband came from incredibly difficult backgrounds, and yet the way they are intentionally building their family now—with faith, purpose, nourishment, connection, and presence—it’s such a reminder that generational patterns do not have to continue forever.

Healing, change, renewal really is possible.

2. I loved hearing how intentionally Gabrielle prepared for postpartum this time.

So many mothers focus all of their energy on birth preparation, but postpartum can feel deeply vulnerable if we don’t also prepare to be cared for afterward.

And hearing how her mother came to help…

It’s such a picture of what women were always meant to experience after birth:

Care and space to heal.

3. Another part of Gabrielle’s story that really stayed with me was the way she navigated her son’s clubfoot diagnosis.

An unexpected diagnosis in pregnancy can bring so many emotions.

Fear, confusion, and a sense of pressure to make quick decisions and “do something”.

What I appreciated so much was hearing Gabrielle approach the experience in sugh a grounded, thoughtful,  prayerful way.

I think many women need to hear that it is possible to walk through unexpected circumstances while still remaining connected and even joyful.

And Gabrielle’s experience is such a reminder that a diagnosis does not change the value, beauty, or purpose of a child.

Sometimes it’s these very moments that invite families deeper into trust, advocacy, and dependence on God in ways they never expected.

4. I was so moved by Gabrielle’s description of birth as exhilarating.

Not that it was painless or easy, but because she experienced birth as something full of purpose, connection, and joy.

There can be intensity and peace at the same time.

5. I so appreciated Gabrielle’s honesty about fear and anxiety.

I think that sometimes women may hear peaceful birth stories and assume those mothers never struggle with fear, confusion or anxiety.

But that’s not what Gabrielle described– 

She described continually bringing those fears before the Lord… and continuing to move forward in faith.

Links:

FREE Peaceful Birth Reset: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/birthreset

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Learn more about Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

Youtube Episode | https://youtu.be/0upk9wjTHz0

Previous Episode with Gabrielle: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-homebirth/id1446934537?i=1000588746221

We all know that life is unpredictable in many ways, but when you’re experiencing extreme unpredictability in the midst of your pregnancy, how do you imagine you’d feel?  Would ‘peaceful’ be the first word that comes to mind?

This week, we’re speaking with Sarah, mother to two babies– Timothy and Lydia.  We’ll hear Sarah’s extremely difficult experience during her most recent pregnancy and birth of a micro preemie, but take heart– you will leave this story feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and beauty for having heard it.  

Sarah does an incredible job of summing up the amazing points of her story at the end, so we won’t have a typical episode roundup.

Links:

FREE Peaceful Birth Reset: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/birthreset

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Learn more about Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

Coincidences– How many of them can you experience before you stop thinking they’re coincidences and start realizing that they are a beautiful divine gift?

This week, we're speaking with Kaylee, a mother of 3 living in Athens, Georgia.  Kaylee and her husband experienced struggles with infertility before becoming pregnant, and they are now in the process of raising the large family they always dreamed of.  We’ll hear how a “high risk” hospital-birthing mother found herself at home with her most recent baby.

Episode Roundup:

Links:

FREE Peaceful Birth Reset: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/birthreset

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Learn more about Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

What happens when you know too much about birth… and you’re experiencing pregnancy and birth for yourself?

This week's episode, I’m joined by Emily—a labor and delivery nurse who found herself navigating pregnancy and birth as both a provider and a patient.  

We talk about how working inside the hospital shaped her first birth…

Episode Roundup:

First—this idea of knowing too much: how too much information can sometimes lead us to questioning ourselves, our bodies and our instincts– information overload can create fear instead of clarity.  I love how Emily was so aware of this– how what she’d seen and experienced at work actually needed to be balanced with nervous system regulation, surrender, and leaning into her own intuition.  During postpartum with her first baby, Emily felt like she missed much of the experience because it seemed impossible to turn her brain off and simply trust.  But that first experience transformed how she would interact with pregnancy, birth and motherhood from then on.

Second—the shift from control into surrender… not just in birth, but in motherhood as a whole.  What a learning curve it is to go from taking care of only your own needs to the needs of others.  As Emily said, she had to reorient herself to life now that she was a care provider– no longer could she simply bop off and workout on a whim or head to the grocery store alone.  Even her ability to regulate her nervous system after her second child had to shift– It wouldn’t be 30 minutes on the couch with her warm cup of tea, but instead breathing exercises while she rocked and nursed her baby.  Our willingness to be flexible and do things differently– to be creative– is a gift to both ourselves and our babies.

And finally—birth can shape the way we step into motherhood… Emily went from anxiety and overthinking in her first pregnancy and birth… into presence, peace, and confidence during her homebirth, and the impact has continued far beyond.

Links:

FREE Peaceful Birth Reset: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/birthreset

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Learn more about Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

What happens when your first experience of birth leaves you shaken…

and the providers you’re supposed to trust tell you not to try again?  Where do you go from there?

Sarah Marie is the owner of Entering Motherhood, a wife and a mom of three who spends her days soaking up life with her little ones, whether that’s through slow mornings at home, time in the garden, or exploring a new coffee shop.

As a certified birth and postpartum doula, Sarah is passionate about walking alongside women as they step into motherhood. She also hosts the Entering Motherhood podcast, where she shares encouragement, education, and real conversations about pregnancy, birth and beyond.

Sarah believes that birth is more than just an experience, it’s a beautiful moment to reflect on and embrace. She loves helping moms feel confident, informed, and supported so they can truly own their journey as they are entering motherhood.

Episode Roundup:

First—how much our early experiences can shape us.

Sarah’s first birth didn’t go the way she expected. It left her questioning herself, her body, and what was possible for future births. And I think many women can relate to that… carrying questions after birth, wondering, “What does this all mean?”

But what stands out to me is this:

She didn’t stay there, stuck and unchanged.  She intentionally began to dig for more– to ask questions, and to physically place herself in spaces where she could see birth differently.

And because of this, over time, her perspective changed– her ideas about what she was capable of changed.

Next—the power of exposure and understanding.

As Sarah stepped into doula work, she witnessed birth again and again. And with each experience, she gathered a new understanding of what the body can do– the vast array of what birth can be like.

And this is such a key point:

What we see, what we hear, what we surround ourselves with—it shapes what we believe is possible.

Sarah went from being told not to pursue a vaginal birth…

And finally—can you guess it? Surrender.

Even in conception, Sarah described letting go of trying to control the outcome… and that was the moment things shifted.

And isn’t that often the rhythm?

We prepare.  We work. 

And then… we’re left with nothing to do but release.  And so often, that’s the final step.

Sarah’s story is such a clear picture that confidence in yourself and your ability to birth can be rebuilt.  And that your previous story does not have to hold your current experience captive.

Links:

FREE Peaceful Birth Reset: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/birthreset

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Learn more about Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

When your body has experienced legitimate physical trauma during two back to back births, what do you do for your next experience?  What would it look like to play it safe– would that be a planned cesarean?  Or… What if you swing the other way and bring it home?

This week we’re speaking to Janie Hobbs,  a stay-at-home wife and mom of three littles. She is happily married to her husband Sam, and they recently moved to Thunder Bay, Ontario from Missouri where Sam serves as one of the pastors at a local church. Janie has been a birth enthusiast for years and has experienced so much personal and spiritual growth through the births of each of her children. When she is not chasing her energetic toddlers or nursing a baby, she enjoys baking, photography, coffee, and exploring the beautiful Canadian countryside.

Episode Roundup: 

Links:

FREE Peaceful Birth Reset: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/birthreset

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Learn more about Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

What if the discomforts we’ve been told are “just part of pregnancy”  are actually signals  that something needs support?

This week, we're speaking with Whitney Sippl, a pelvic physical therapist who works closely with women in pregnancy, postpartum and beyond.  

In this episode, Whitney walks us through what pelvic physical therapy really is, why it matters in all stages of life, even before birth, and how simple techniques can make a meaningful difference in both birth and recovery.

Episode Roundup:

First…

So many women experience things like leaking, heaviness, or discomfort

And while it may be common…

Our bodies are communicating.

And when we listen early—

Second…

 I love the shift from thinking about the pelvic floor as something to “strengthen”…

Because labor itself is not just about being strong — it’s also very much about release.

And finally…

It doesn’t have to be complicated or feel overwhelming.

Small, consistent awareness of your body—

Links:

FREE Peaceful Birth Reset: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/birthreset

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Learn more about Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”