1. We talk about communication being extremely important, and Karey's story truly highlighted this. She and her husband Matthew truly spent time before their third birth working on communicating with one another about their hopes and desires of the event. This so clearly paid off in their experience together, and this birth was an extremely magnetizing event- pulling them even closer together.

1. I'd like to start with the fact that Jessica has very clearly considered her birth and worked to integrate this experience into herself, her role as a mother and her life as a whole. My friends, this is critical. We talk about this inside of The HBC- the fact that truthfully, it matters less what the events ARE than it does how we INTEGRATE them. Jessica has considered her birth, noted how things unfolded, used her experiences to shape future decisions in motherhood and grown tremendously. This, in my opinion, is the definition of succes.

1. Leigh Anne and Colton were confident and excited in their decision to give birth at home from a logical standpoint, but this didn't mean that there weren't mental aspects that had to be considered and dealt with during the end of her second pregnancy. Leigh Anne had loving, well-meaning family around her who were truly concerned for her decision to give birth at home. I loved how Leigh Anne was able to consider the WHY behind the actions and feelings of the people closest to her. Listen, not everyone is going to agree with your choices in birth.... just as they won't for the rest of motherhood. It comes with the territory. But being able to pull the positive meaning from something without changing your own decisions is an incredible skill, and Leigh Anne showed that quite gracefully.

The wait is almost over, are you ready for the Fall2023 season of Happy Homebirth?

Join me from your favorite podcast platform on September4 for our first brand new episode and mark your calendars for September 18, when my husband and I will be sitting down to tell all about our most recent birth experience.

 It is completely unlike our previous experiences, and you don't want to miss it.

1. 10 or so years into his career, Dr. Stu made a choice. He decided to recognize the fact that the way he'd been caring for patients did not align with the new knowledge and perspective that he was gaining. Honestly, it could have been a lot easier, a lot more comfortable for him to have stuck his head in the sand, continued down the ol' path of typical obstetric care and never be faced with the discomfort of change. I'm so grateful that he didn't do that.

The wait is almost over, are you ready for the Fall2023 season of Happy Homebirth?

Join me from your favorite podcast platform on September4 for our first brand new episode and mark your calendars for September 18, when my husband and I will be sitting down to tell all about our most recent birth experience.

 It is completely unlike our previous experiences, and you don't want to miss it.

1. I promise I didn’t pay Rachael to talk about this— But the topic just keeps coming up, and I know it’s vitally important.  The concept that we can choose not to feel like victims of our birthing experiences.  We can ready ourselves for the balancing act of both birth preparation and feminine wildness, and we can positively claim our birth stories, no matter the specifics of how they unfold.

1. I loved the way that Dr. Courtney approached the selection of her care provider.  Yes, there were a number of providers in her area that she liked and trusted, but she knew that she needed someone who was going to be comfortable with the informed decisions she was planning to make during her pregnancy and labor.  She knew the right questions to ask.  “What would cause me to risk out of care with you?  What procedures would you be uncomfortable with me declining?”  Knowing what you want in a care provider before you walk in for the interview makes this so much easier.  Make sure you check out episodes 157 and 159 if you’re looking for more specific help in this area.  I’ll link those below.