Healing Birth

After becoming pregnant through the intensely medically managed experience of IVF, Kelli planned to step away from that model of care, and birth her baby at home.

But after five weeks of exhausting on and off labor, she felt like something was wrong, and agreed to transfer her care to the local hospital. It was there that they discovered the reason for her confusing labor pattern was a previous, commonly performed, medical procedure to her cervix.

Despite how traumatic this experience was, Kelli says that it helped to facilitate generational healing, going back to her trauma from her own birth.

This story is such a great example of how often birth gives us, not always the birth we want, but the medicine that we need as we are initiated into motherhood.

Kelli Moore is the CEO and Co-Founder of Soulfire Productions, Host of the top-rated podcast: The Naked Mama, and Co-Host of the beloved relationships podcast, OK, Babe.

Follow Kelli @kellitmoore

https://kellimoore.co/

Do you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast? I would love to hear from you! Email me via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net.

You can find our new e-book, "Did I Really Need a C-Section?" on our website at www.healingbirth.net/shop

Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard

Transition music: Chill Night by Amine Maxwell & MICHAL

With raw emotion and beautiful vulnerability, Mallory shares her three birth stories, and the life circumstances that shaped them. Her first two births took place in a hospital - one quite traumatic, and one not. Her third baby was born at home, with just her husband present.

She says that it was this birth that catalyzed her transformation from maiden to mother. And that she wants to share her powerful story not to fix the system or change anyone's mind, but in service to other mothers.

I want to share the verse below in full, which she references during our conversation, because it is so beautiful - and does remind me of birth!

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

Do you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast? I would love to hear from you! Email me via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net.

You can find our new e-book, "Did I Really Need a C-Section?" on our website at www.healingbirth.net/shop

Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard

Transition music: Oceanic by Aryll

Clancy spent three and a half years calling in her second child.

Swimming in sacred fertile waters, speaking desires into the ethers, dreaming, ritual, ceremony, creating altars, writing letters, journalling, setting intentions, kinesiology, acupuncture, medical intuitive session, not trying, psychics, therapy, family constellations, womb work, chi ne tsang massage, herbs, and vaginal steaming. You name it, she did it. Often with pure hopeful intentions, sometimes tinged with desperation and sometimes with an agenda "that maybe this will be the thing".

If you have been wanting to conceive a baby, and it's taking longer that you feel it should, this episode is for you.

This is Clancy's second time on this podcast. If you would like to hear the first part of her story, here is a link to Season 1, episode 12 which first aired in March of 2020.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5eovKK5sbMLyPFpNwahnTD?si=e75daf521fa24c71

You can follow Clancy on Instagram @womancraftway

Do you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast? I would love to hear from you! Email me via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net.

You can find our new e-book, "Did I Really Need a C-Section?" on our website at www.healingbirth.net/shop

Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard

Transition music: Flow by Nomyn

Jodi is a postpartum registered nurse and lactation consultant who works at her local hospital. After two very medically managed, in-hospital births, one of her friends shared the concept of freebirth with her, and that there were women choosing a totally different way to walk through their pregnancies and birth their babies. At first, she thought this idea was crazy, but the seed was planted.

By the time Jodi was pregnant with her third, that seed had sprouted, due to the combination of what she was witnessing at work everyday, and listening to free birth and home birth podcasts (yay!). She chose a mostly wild pregnancy that allowed her to deepen her relationship with her intuition, be present with this baby, and cultivate peace.

She birthed that baby at home, completely in her power.

Do you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast? I would love to hear from you! Email me via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net.

You can find our new e-book, "Did I Really Need a C-Section?" on our website at www.healingbirth.net/shop

Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard

Transition music: Free by KV

Kristen is a former nurse of 14 years, who spent most of her career in the NICU. She once believed that home birth should be illegal, and that doctors always knew best.

But in 2015, with the birth of her first son, she began to see things differently.

She is also one of the co-founders of Canadian Frontline Nurses. In that role, she has been a powerful, public voice advocating for medical freedom and true informed consent.

Follow Kristen @Kristen_Nagle

www.kristennagle.ca

Do you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast? I would love to hear from you! Email me via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net.

You can find our new e-book, "Did I Really Need a C-Section?" on our website at www.healingbirth.net/shop

Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard

Transition music: Chill Night by Amine Maxwell & MICHAL

Neena's first baby was breech at term, so she was given no other option but a planned cesarean. When she conceived again, she knew she wanted a VBAC, but even at her local "VBAC-friendly" practice, she was coerced, gaslit, and shamed, at nearly every interaction with them.

Neena's story is an excellent example of how even a highly informed, confident, and, perhaps most importantly, perfectly healthy woman can end up with medical interventions and birth outcomes that are unnecessary and traumatic.

This is, though, ultimately, not a victim story, but a power story. There is power in how hard she fought. There is power in her healing journey. And so much power in the realizations she came to after this birth experience about herself.

This is part two of her story, be sure to listen to part one if you haven't already!

Follow Neena @greatnorthpostpartum

Do you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast? I would love to hear from you! Email me via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net.

You can find our new e-book, "Did I Really Need a C-Section?" on our website at www.healingbirth.net/shop

Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard

Transition music: Snowfall by Vendredi

Neena's first baby was breech at term, so she was given no other option but a planned cesarean. When she conceived again, she knew she wanted a VBAC, but even at her local "VBAC-friendly" practice, she was coerced, gaslit, and shamed, at nearly every interaction with them.

Neena's story an excellent example of how even a highly informed, confident, and, perhaps most importantly, perfectly healthy woman can end up with medical interventions and birth outcomes that are unnecessary and traumatic.

This is, though, ultimately, not a victim story, but a power story. There is power in how hard she fought. There is power in her healing journey. And so much power in the realizations she came to after this birth experience about herself.

This is part one of her story, tune in next week for part two!

Follow Neena @greatnorthpostpartum

Do you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast? I would love to hear from you! Email me via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net.

You can find our new e-book, "Did I Really Need a C-Section?" on our website at www.healingbirth.net/shop

Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard

Transition music: Free by KV

Ada's first baby was born at home, attended by a midwife. The birth was uncomplicated, but she realized in retrospect that the way her midwife handled the birth of the placenta was problematic, and could have caused serious complications.

She knew when she conceived again, it would be just herself and her partner at the birth. And that's exactly what happened - in an off grid home, with no electricity and no running water! A testament to what's really the most important thing to have while giving birth: someone there you can really trust.

She says that she feels this birth was a powerful initiation for him, too.

You can follow Ada on Instagram @wildridgeherbfarm

Do you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast? I would love to hear from you! Email me via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net.

You can find our new e-book, "Did I Really Need a C-Section?" on our website at www.healingbirth.net/shop

Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard

Transition music: My Way by Roa https://roa-music.com

After a hospital birth, then a midwife attended home birth, Brenna was ready the third time to follow the call she felt in her heart to choose freebirth.

She describes it as the longest and hardest birth, but without a doubt the most peaceful, redemptive and transformative.

Her daughter was born into the arms of her father, into a room full of sunshine, with the sounds of happy tears and rejoicing in the goodness of Yah.

She says, she will never be the same.

You can follow Brenna on instagram @brennaschwartzel

Do you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast? I would love to hear from you! Email me via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net.

You can find our new e-book, "Did I Really Need a C-Section?" on our website at www.healingbirth.net/shop

Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard

Transition music: Snow Fall by Vendredi

After a birth with many interventions, ending in a cesarean, Tamika's first baby spent a harrowing time in the NICU.

When enough time had passed for Tamika to process this experience and heal, she was able to release the heavy weight of guilt she carried.

With a deeper trust in her body, she chose to conceive again and gave birth to her second baby, at 43 weeks, in the comfort of her own home.

Do you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast? I would love to hear from you! Email me via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net.

Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard

Transition music: oceanic space by Aryll