Keeping Your Power® with Traci Doula

EPISODE 24: Naming Obstetric Violence and Telling the Truth — with Cristen Pascucci

In this episode, I sat down with my longtime friend Cristen Pascucci, founder of Birth Monopoly, to have a real and honest conversation about obstetric violence and what’s actually happening in maternity care. This isn’t always an easy topic, but it’s one we can’t ignore if we want things to change.

We talked about:

What obstetric violence really is and why naming it matters

Cristen’s personal birth experience and how it led her into advocacy

The stories of families who felt dismissed, coerced, or violated in their care

Why there’s resistance—even within the birth community—to talking about these issues

The importance of truth-telling instead of minimizing or gaslighting

How systems and past experiences shape the way people are treated in birth

Cristen’s film Mother May I and the heart behind creating it

This episode is about being willing to see what’s real, even when it’s uncomfortable. Because resilience isn’t about ignoring harm—it’s about naming it, learning from it, and expecting better moving forward.

Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it

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EPISODE 23: From Doula to Midwife: Advocacy, Burnout, and Staying in the Fight — with Victoria

In this episode, I sat down with Victoria, a birth doula of more than ten years who’s now pursuing her path to becoming a certified nurse midwife. Our conversation was honest, reflective, and full of the real experiences that come with working in the birth world.

We covered:

The emotional highs and lows of supporting families through birth

Imposter syndrome and finding confidence in your calling

Victoria’s moment catching a baby during a home birth and realizing midwifery was her path

Why birth advocacy isn’t about fighting the system, but understanding it

The importance of collaboration between doulas, nurses, and doctors

Addressing systemic issues and disparities in maternity care

How small conversations can lead to real changes in hospital policies

This conversation is a reminder that improving birth care isn’t about picking sides—it’s about staying teachable, staying connected, and continuing the work even when it feels hard.

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EPISODE 22: Adoption from Both Sides — with My Fiancé Kevin

This episode felt especially close to my heart because I sat down with my fiancé, Kevin, to talk about adoption from both sides—his perspective as an adoptive father of two, and mine as an adoptee. We kept it honest, real, and grounded in what adoption actually looks like over time, not just the version people like to post online.

We talked about:

The “adoption is saving children” narrative and why Kevin pushes back on it

Infertility and how fear can shape adoption decisions

Bringing our daughter home from China and our son home from Thailand

How every adoption journey is different, even within the same family

The lack of agency support, post-adoption resources, and trauma education

Why therapy and honest conversations should be part of every adoption process

The everyday realities adoptive families face, including intrusive questions and identity struggles

This episode is about growth, empathy, and staying teachable. Adoption can hold heartbreak and healing at the same time, and we need more honest spaces for people to process it all.

Share this episode with someone in the adoption triad or anyone who wants to understand adoption beyond the surface.

EPISODE 21: Being Teachable, Building Trust, and Keeping Birth Human — with Jen Hamilton

In this episode, I sat down with Jen Hamilton, labor and delivery nurse, advocate, and one of the brightest lights in the birth world. This conversation was honest, practical, and full of those “yep…that’s real” moments that remind you why agency and voice matter so much in birth.

We talked about:

Self-reflection, blind spots, and how bias shows up in birth work

Why being “teachable” matters more than being right

How defensiveness and fear can block informed consent

The difference between supporting agency vs. pushing compliance

Trust, accountability, and why apologies matter even when harm wasn’t intended

How Jen educates patients in real time through “narration” and clear communication

Birth trauma that comes from not being listened to, dismissed, or rushed

Jen’s book Birth Vibes and how families can communicate what matters most

We laughed, we got real, and we kept coming back to the same truth: people may not remember every detail, but they will remember how they felt. Birth is not just physical. It’s emotional. It’s personal. And families deserve to leave feeling respected, informed, and whole.

EPISODE 20: Black Maternal Health, Action Over Awareness with Frances

In this episode, I sat down with Frances for a real, necessary conversation about Black maternal health and the broken systems surrounding it. We didn’t soften this one. We talked openly about racism, colorism, privilege, and the very real consequences Black mothers continue to face in healthcare.

Frances shared her own story, growing up in foster care, navigating the world as a neurodivergent Black woman, and working inside healthcare spaces from ERs to trauma rooms. She’s seen firsthand how race impacts the care people receive, and she’s not here for surface-level solutions.

We talked about:

Why “just get a Black provider” isn’t a realistic or fair solution

How access, numbers, and systems actually work

The problem with performative “COVID activism”

What real accountability and action should look like in hospitals and birth work

Why white birth workers cannot wait to be told what to do

Frances’s upcoming guide, Beyond Awareness, and moving from talk to action

This episode is uncomfortable, and it needs to be. Black mothers are dying, and awareness alone isn’t saving lives. Action does.

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EPISODE 19: High-Risk Birth, Misinformation, and Grief — with Sarah (L&D Nurse)

In this episode, I sat down with Sarah, a labor and delivery nurse who’s spent years in high-risk birth settings and has seen the full range of what families walk through. We started with a story that hit home, Sarah shared how her little sister got dangerous misinformation from TikTok about baby movement during labor, and how that led to a traumatic delivery. That moment was a turning point for her and became part of why she now shares factual birth education online.

We talked about:

How social media misinformation can change outcomes in birth

What “high risk” actually means (and what it doesn’t mean)

Autonomy, informed consent, and why the birth team’s beliefs matter

Bias in maternity care and how it shows up, even unintentionally

What it looks like to be truly present for families in hard moments

Grief and loss, Sarah shared about losing her close friend Amy and how that pain carries into daily life and work

This episode is about education, truth, and holding space, both in birth and in grief. If you’ve ever questioned your intuition, felt overwhelmed by information online, or are walking through loss…you’re not alone.

Share this episode with a friend, a parent, or a birth worker who needs it.

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EPISODE 18: Midwives, Myths, and the Gray Areas of Birth — with Miri & Kimberly Taylor

In this episode, I sat down with two of my favorite midwives, Miri and Kimberly Taylor, to talk through some of the harder, often uncomfortable conversations happening in the birth world right now. We started with the term “lay midwife”, why it’s confusing, often misused, and how it’s frequently used to dismiss the education, skill, and experience of midwives outside the hospital system.

We talked about:

Why the term “lay midwife” creates fear and misunderstanding

The black-and-white thinking around hospital vs. home birth

What resilience really looks like in maternity care

How midwives assess whether someone is truly informed or just reacting to trauma

Why transfers are not failures, but good clinical judgment

The importance of asking hard questions and informed consent

The pressure families face to navigate a broken system

What midwives and providers can do better, inside and outside hospitals

Both Miri and Kimberly brought honesty and clarity to what safe, ethical midwifery care actually looks like, across birth centers, home births, and hospitals. This episode is about nuance, preparation, and staying grounded in evidence instead of fear or ideology.

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EPISODE 17: Birth Trauma, Loss, and Honoring Everly’s Story — with Ashley Nerison

This episode comes with a heartfelt trigger warning, as it includes discussion of traumatic birth and infant loss. I sat down with Ashley—a strong, honest mom who shared her story of losing her daughter, Everly, after a planned home birth that took a devastating turn.

We talked about:

The planning and intention behind choosing home birth

The moment labor shifted and the silence that followed

How a shoulder dystocia changed everything in an instant

The NICU stay, Everly’s five days of life, and the grief that followed

The lack of postpartum support and the importance of informed care

What Ashley wants families and birth workers to know about real risk and preparation

Ashley’s courage to tell Everly’s story is a reminder that every family deserves honest, transparent care—and that birth conversations must include both beauty and heartbreak.

Please take care of your heart as you listen.

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EPISODE 16 : Faith, Abuse, and Finding Freedom — with Detra Part II

In this episode, I sat down with my friend Detra for part two of our conversation about moving through and out of emotionally abusive marriages, especially within church settings. Both of us spent decades in marriages that looked “godly” on the outside, mine was 31 years, Detra’s was 34. What we uncovered were the hidden patterns that kept us small, confused, and convinced that silence equaled faithfulness.

We talked about:

How church culture can hide or excuse emotional abuse under “submission”

The subtle manipulation and gaslighting that wear you down over time

The healing that comes from good therapy and solid truth-based support

The CORE principles from The Emotionally Destructive Marriage by Leslie Vernick

The freedom and clarity that follow leaving toxic environments

This one’s for anyone still questioning if what they’re living through is “bad enough.” You’re not crazy. You’re not faithless. And you don’t have to keep giving yourself up to prove your worth.

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EPISODE 15: My Adoption Story — The Truth, The Layers, and The Healing 

In this episode, I’m sharing something deeply personal, my own story as an adoptee. This is where I unpack what adoption has meant in my life, the complicated emotions that come with it, and the truths I wish more people understood.

I talked about:

Challenging the idea that love alone “fixes” adoption trauma

My story of finding out I was adopted and how those emotions changed with time

The attachment patterns that shaped my childhood and motherhood

What it was like to find my biological family and get my adoption records

Why every person in the adoption triad deserves empathy and space to heal

This one’s raw and close to my heart. If you’ve ever felt unseen, disconnected, or unsure where you belong, this conversation is for you.

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