In this emotional and empowering episode, we sit down with former doula client and mama of two, Lauren, to unpack her two very different birth experiences. Her first — a long, exhausting labor in the middle of the 2020 pandemic — ended with Pitocin, an epidural, and a traumatic retained placenta. Her second? A redemptive, fast-moving birth that unfolded in complete contrast: deeply connected, beautifully instinctive, and full of power.

This episode is for any mom healing from a first birth that didn’t go as planned, or anyone wondering if birth can look different the next time around. Lauren’s honesty, vulnerability, and insight will leave you encouraged, grounded, and inspired.

⚠️ Content note: The first birth story includes mention of retained placenta and manual extraction. If you would like to skip, it spans from 12:48 to 13:44

🎧 In This Episode

💔 Giving birth during the pandemic — and how disconnection shaped Lauren’s first experience

📉 When Pitocin, prodromal labor, and high expectations collided in a tough first birth

🤝 How education and support completely changed her second pregnancy and labor

🦁 A fast, instinctive second birth — from sudden intensity to powerful pushing

🍼 Postpartum then vs. now: isolation vs. real support, and what made all the difference

🗝️ Key Takeaways

Birth in 2020 was uniquely hard — lack of support can deeply impact both parents.

Pitocin contractions are intense. Knowing your options matters more than you think.

Supportive, informed partners make all the difference — before, during, and after birth.

Redemption is real. A hard first birth doesn’t define what’s possible next time.

You won’t forget who showed up postpartum — so be that person for someone else.

🔗 Resources + Mentions

• 💡 Download the free eBook: 5 Steps to a Fear-Free Birth
• 🎓 Interested in going deeper? Check out The Empowered Birth Method, the complete childbirth education course.
• ❓Got a question we didn’t cover? Submit it anonymously here for our next Q&A episode!

🙌 Connect + Subscribe

📬 Sign up for email notifications so you never miss an episode

📸 Follow on Instagram for behind-the-scenes and birth tips

🎥 Follow on TikTok for bite-sized birth wisdom

🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen

💛 Loved this episode? Share it with a friend or leave a quick review — it helps more families find Let’s Talk Birth and feel empowered for what’s ahead.

In this episode, I’m joined by VBAC educator and doula Hannah Gill to break down everything you need to know about vaginal birth after cesarean. Whether you’re planning your first VBAC, recovering from a traumatic cesarean, or supporting someone through birth after surgery—this one’s for you. We cover the real risks, how to prepare physically and mentally, and what it means to truly advocate for your birth.

🎧 In This Episode

✂️ Planned C-section vs. vaginal birth: pros, cons & real risks

⚠️ Uterine rupture: what the data really says

🧠 Mindset work: how to trust your body again

📋 What to put on your VBAC birth plan

🏥 Hospital rules that impact VBAC (monitoring, induction, water labor)

🗣️ Advocacy tips for parents & doulas

❤️ Why wanting a VBAC doesn’t make you selfish—it makes you informed

💡 Key Takeaways

• VBAC is a safe, evidence-backed option for most — not a fringe or risky choice.
• Uterine rupture is real but rare. Understanding the risk helps, not fear mongering.
• Mindset matters. Believing in your body is just as crucial as physical prep.
• Support makes all the difference — from your provider, your team, and your own voice.
• There’s power in planning — for VBAC and for a C-section, if it comes to that.

🔗 Resources + Mentions

• VBAC Is Your Birthright (self‑paced prep program for parents)
• VBAC & Cesarean for Birth Professionals (Approved for 8 ICEA Contact Hours for doulas/providers)
• Instagram: @thehannahgill
• Podcast: Motherhood Flow
• 💡 Download the free eBook: 5 Steps to a Fear-Free Birth
• 🎓 Interested in going deeper? Check out The Empowered Birth Method, the complete childbirth education course.
• ❓Got a question we didn’t cover? Submit it anonymously here for our next Q&A episode!

🙌 Connect + Subscribe

📬 Sign up for email notifications so you never miss an episode

📸 Follow on Instagram for behind-the-scenes and birth tips

🎥 Follow on TikTok for bite-sized birth wisdom

🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen

💛 Loved this episode? Share it with a friend or leave a quick review — it helps more families find Let’s Talk Birth and feel empowered for what’s ahead.

In this follow-up to the previous Labor 101 episode, we’re walking through what happens after you’re fully dilated. From the first urge to push to the golden hour of skin-to-skin, this is your full guide to stage two and three of labor — plus how to navigate the big moment calmly and confidently, whether you're birthing at home, a hospital, or a birth center.

If you haven’t listened to Episode 5 yet, I recommend starting there!

🎧 In This Episode

🌀 The 3 types of pushing: physiological, directed, and the fetal ejection reflex

🔥 What the “ring of fire” really feels like — and how to work with it, not against it

🧘🏽‍♀️ Why waiting to push (aka laboring down) can reduce tearing and exhaustion

🧍‍♀️ Standing? Side-lying? In the tub? Best pushing positions with and without an epidural

⏳ How long pushing actually takes — and what factors influence it

💉 What to expect with stage three: delivering the placenta, fundal massage & delayed cord clamping

👶🏽 Why the golden hour matters — for baby, for bonding, and for milk supply

💡 Skin-to-skin with dads, C-sections, and how to keep the room calm after birth

🗝️ Key Takeaways

• There’s no prize for fast pushing. Slower, gentler pushing can protect your body.
• Your position makes a difference — especially for reducing tearing and helping baby descend.
• The golden hour is about more than cuddles — it supports baby's vitals and your recovery.
• Every birth is different. What matters is tuning into what your body is telling you in the moment.

🌿 Resources + Mentions

💡 Download the free ebook: 5 Steps to a Fear-Free Birth

🎓 Interested in going deeper? Check out The Empowered Birth Method, the complete childbirth education course.

❓Got a question we didn’t cover? Submit it anonymously here for our next Q&A episode!

🙌 Connect + Subscribe

📬 Sign up for email notifications so you never miss an episode

📸 Follow on Instagram for behind-the-scenes and birth tips

🎥 Follow on TikTok for bite-sized birth wisdom

🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen

💛 Loved this episode? Share it with a friend or leave a quick review — it helps more families find Let’s Talk Birth and feel empowered for what’s ahead.

From first contraction to full dilation, here’s what to expect during the longest (and most misunderstood) part of labor.

In this episode, we’re walking through the entire first stage of labor — from those very first “is this it?” contractions to the intensity of transition. Whether you're planning a home birth, hospital birth, or anything in between, this conversation is all about what’s normal, what’s helpful, and what can make things easier as labor unfolds.

If you’ve ever wondered what contractions are supposed to feel like, how prodromal labor fits into the picture, or why dilation isn’t the only number that matters — this one’s for you.

🎧 In This Episode:

🌀 A breakdown of stage one labor — from early signs to transition

📉 What dilation, effacement, and station actually mean

💤 Why resting early can impact the entire birth

🛁 Comfort tools you can use at home (think moaning, movement, water)

🦵 The best positions to help baby move down

🔥 Transition signs — and why “I can’t do this” means you’re close

🏥 When to head to the hospital or call your midwife

💡 How to tell Braxton Hicks from real labor

🧠 The role of mindset, emotional safety, and flexibility

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• Early labor is often the longest and most mentally draining. Don’t overthink it — eat, rest, and hydrate.
• Effacement matters just as much as dilation. It’s not just about getting to 10.
• The way you move matters. We’re talking knees apart, then asymmetrical, then knees together — different positions for each phase.
• Who you invite into your birth space can impact your progress. Choose people who help you feel safe, not performative.
• You are already doing the work. Even in the doubt, even in the early stages — your body knows how to labor.

🌿 Resources + Mentions:

🎓 Want to feel truly prepared for labor?

Check out The Empowered Birth Method, my full childbirth education course → Learn more here

📥 Want the next episode (on pushing + delivering the placenta) delivered straight to your inbox?

Sign up for email notifications here

🙋‍♀️ Got a question you’re too embarrassed to ask out loud?

Submit it anonymously right here — I just might answer it in a future Q&A!

🙌 Connect + Subscribe:

📬 Sign up for email notifications so you never miss an episode

📸 Follow on Instagram for behind-the-scenes and bonus tips

🎥 Follow on TikTok for bite-sized birth wisdom

🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen

💛 New here? Leave a quick review or send this episode to a friend who’s expecting. Your support helps more mamas find the show and feel empowered for birth.

In this first-ever Q&A episode, I’m joined by my sister and part-time doula, Kirsten, to answer some of the most common (and honest!) questions we get from first-time moms. We talk about real fears, what labor actually feels like, tearing (yes, we go there), how to plan for postpartum, and what you really need to know if you want a natural hospital birth.

Kirsten brings her experience as both a doula and a mom of two, and we share how even our births were drastically different—proof that everyone’s story is unique, and there’s no one “right” way to give birth. Whether you’re pregnant, prepping, or just curious, this episode is for you.

🎧 In This Episode:

💬 The #1 fear most first-time moms have — and how to reframe your mindset before labor

💩 Pooping during birth?! Yes, it happens — and why it’s actually a good sign

😬 Tearing: how to minimize it, what it feels like, and why it’s not as scary as it sounds

🧠 The surprising mental game of labor — and how your thoughts affect your progress

💡 How to use your five senses to create a calming birth environment

🏥 Is a natural hospital birth even possible? (Spoiler: yes, and here’s how)

📋 What a birth plan actually is — and how it helps you stay calm, even when things get intense

🫶 What doulas actually do (and why your partner will thank you for hiring one)

😡 Postpartum rage, carpal tunnel, guilt, and more — what we really wish someone had told us

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• Your body knows what to do — and so do you. But preparation is key. From birth planning to pain management, we cover it all.
• You don’t have to choose between “natural” and “supported.” You can have a natural hospital birth with the right tools, team, and mindset.
• Postpartum is more than just healing. It’s emotional, hormonal, and sometimes overwhelming — and that’s totally normal.
• Your voice matters. Whether it’s about who’s in the room or how you give birth, your preferences are valid.

🌿 Resources + Links:

📘 Download my free ebook: The 5 Steps to a Fear-Free Birth

🎓 My Complete Childbirth Education Course: The Empowered Birth Method

🗓️ Join my new workshop: 3 Secrets to a Natural Hospital Birth

💬 Submit an anonymous question for a future Q&A episode here

🙌 Connect + Subscribe:

• 📬 Sign up for email notifications so you never miss an episode
• 📸 Follow on Instagram for behind-the-scenes and bonus tips
• 🎥 Follow on TikTok for bite-sized birth wisdom
• 🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen

💛 New here? Leave a review or share this episode with a friend who’s expecting — it helps more mamas find the show!

Join me as we sit down again with Justina and Michael Branson for part two of their birth story trilogy — and this time, it’s all about baby #3, their daughter Brielle.

What started as another planned home birth quickly turned into a surprise hospital induction. From skyrocketing liver levels to a labor that progressed faster than anyone could’ve imagined, Justina walks us through every wild and tender moment — including nearly birthing her baby alone in a hospital room before the epidural arrived.

This episode is for anyone preparing for birth with big hopes — but also wondering what happens when those plans shift. If you’ve ever wrestled with disappointment, surrender, or the raw beauty of birth not going “according to plan,” this one’s for you.

🎧 In This Episode:

🧪 How routine lab work led to unexpected news — and a pivotal decision

🌿 The role holistic care played in Justina’s third pregnancy

🚨 A sudden change of plans just hours before a normal family outing

🏥 Why trusting her midwife brought peace during an unexpected hospital stay

🤰🏽 What it’s like when labor picks up fast — and no one takes you seriously

🙌 Michael’s take on witnessing a whirlwind delivery

🍼 What it was really like coming home with a newborn… and two sick toddlers

💡 How Justina’s views on birth, pain, and preparation have evolved over three babies

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• Trust is everything. Even with an unexpected induction, Justina’s deep trust in her midwife shifted the entire experience from fear to peace.
• Your body is wiser than you think. What began with a softening pill ended in a baby born in just over an hour — no Pitocin required.
• Postpartum is wild — and beautiful. Life with three littles means less sleep, more chaos, and a lot of surrender… but also a deeper sense of grace.
• We deserve better prenatal care. Justina makes a powerful case for holistic and preventative care — no matter where you plan to give birth.

🌿 Resources + Mentions:

• 💡 Interested in learning how to prepare for a fear-free birth? Download Amanda’s free guide: The 5 Steps to a Fear-Free Birth
• ❓ Got awkward questions or something you’re too embarrassed to ask? Submit them anonymously right here — we will answer them in upcoming episodes!
• 📸 Looking for a family or newborn photographer in Northern California? Follow Justina on Instagram: @justinalanaephotography

🙌 Connect + Subscribe:

• 📬 Sign up for email notifications so you never miss an episode
• 📸 Follow on Instagram for behind-the-scenes and bonus tips
• 🎥 Follow on TikTok for bite-sized birth wisdom
• 🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen

💛 New here? Leave a quick review or share this episode with a friend who’s expecting. Your support helps this show reach more families!

In this deeply honest and emotional episode, we sit down with Justina and Michael to talk through their first two birth stories — a planned home birth that turned into a hospital induction, and a fast, instinctual home birth that left them forever changed.

This episode is for anyone navigating uncertainty, dealing with unexpected birth outcomes, or wanting to hear the power of transformation when fear is replaced with trust.

🎧 In This Episode:

• 💬 Justina’s initial expectations of birth — and how they completely changed during pregnancy
• 🏥 The story of Judah’s birth: A last-minute hospital induction, unexpected diagnoses, and emotional overwhelm
• 🧘🏽‍♀️ What it’s like to prepare mentally and spiritually for birth — and how fear can hijack that process
• 💡 Why “fear takes the joy out of childbirth” — and how that realization shaped their future births
• 🛁 Bru’s story: A fast, peaceful, empowering home birth… most of which Justina labored through alone
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Michael’s honest perspective on becoming a dad — the emotional difference between baby #1 and baby #2
• 🤯 A side-by-side comparison of hospital vs. home birth — what they learned and what they’d do differently

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• Fear is powerful — but so is trust. Justina and Michael share how fear disrupted their first birth plan and how they fought to reclaim peace the second time around.
• Your body knows what to do. Even without traditional cues or support, Justina leaned into her intuition and birthed her second baby in less than 7 hours.
• Preparation matters. From care models to support people, having the right kind of guidance makes all the difference.
• Every birth teaches you something. And sometimes, the births that don’t go according to plan are the ones that prepare you most for the next.

🌿 Resources + Mentions:

• 💡 Interested in learning how to prepare for a fear-free birth? Download Amanda’s free guide: The 5 Steps to a Fear-Free Birth
• ❓ Got awkward questions or something you’re too embarrassed to ask? Submit them anonymously right here — we will answer them in upcoming episodes!

🙌 Connect + Subscribe:

• 📬 Sign up for email notifications so you never miss an episode
• 📸 Follow on Instagram for behind-the-scenes and bonus tips
• 🎥 Follow on TikTok for bite-sized birth wisdom
• 🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen

💛 New here? Leave a quick review or share this episode with a friend who’s expecting. Your support helps this show reach more families!

Welcome to the very first episode of Let’s Talk Birth! I’m your host, Amanda — a doula, childbirth educator, mom of three, and a total birth nerd. In this debut episode, I’m sharing the heart behind this podcast, my personal birth story, and why I believe birth doesn’t have to be scary.

Whether you’re expecting your first baby, your seventh, trying to conceive, or just passionate about birth — you are so welcome here.

In This Episode:

• 🎙️ Why I started Let’s Talk Birth and what you can expect from future episodes
• 🧠 How fear impacts labor — and why it doesn’t have to be this way
• 💬 The power of real, raw birth stories to inform and inspire
• 🩺 My first birth experience: a vulnerable, honest look at how it shaped my calling as a doula
• 🧡 The emotional and physical sides of labor — and why both matter
• 💡 The difference between doulas and midwives (and why I wish I knew that sooner)
• 💌 A safe space to ask the “awkward” questions you’re too nervous to ask your provider

Key Takeaways:

• Fear brings pain. One of the biggest barriers to a positive birth experience is fear, and this podcast aims to dispel it.
• Birth is birth. Home, hospital, unmedicated, or epidural — there is no shame in how you bring your baby into the world.
• You deserve emotional support. Labor isn’t just physical. Mental and emotional preparation are just as important.
• You were made for this. Truly. You are more capable than you know.

Resources Mentioned:

• 📘 Free eBook: The 5 Steps to a Fear-Free Birth
• Packed with mindset tools and calming techniques to help you feel confident and prepared for labor.
• ❓ Submit Your Anonymous Birth Questions Here
• No question is too embarrassing or off-limits. My sister Kirsten (also a doula!) and I will answer them in upcoming episodes — judgment-free.

🙌 Connect + Subscribe:

• 📬 Sign up for email notifications so you never miss an episode
• 📸 Follow on Instagram for behind-the-scenes and bonus tips
• 🎥 Follow on TikTok for bite-sized birth wisdom
• 🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen

💛 New here? Leave a quick review or share this episode with a friend who’s expecting. Your support helps this show reach more families!

Birth doesn’t have to be scary, and you shouldn’t have to figure it out alone.

Welcome to Let’s Talk Birth: A Deep Roots Podcast—a space where we have real, no-judgment conversations about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

I’m Amanda, a birth doula, childbirth educator, and your go-to internet doula. I started this podcast because I know so many people who feel overwhelmed by birth, and I want to change that. Whether you’re a first-time mom, hoping for a redemptive birth, or just want to feel informed and empowered, you’re in the right place.

In each episode, we’ll dive into real birth stories, answer your biggest questions, and have candid conversations about what birth is really like—without fear, without sugarcoating, and without judgment.

✨ What to Expect from the Podcast:

✔️ Honest conversations about birth & postpartum

✔️ Real birth stories from moms like you

✔️ Answers to your biggest pregnancy & labor questions

✔️ Practical tips to help you feel confident & prepared

If that sounds like your vibe, hit subscribe and follow along!

🎉 Be the first to listen when we launch!

Sign up for updates

🎧 More Resources & Ways to Connect:

• Download my free eBook: 5 Steps to a Fear-Free Birth
• Join my workshop: 3 Secrets to a Natural Hospital Birth
• Follow me on Instagram or TikTok
• Visit my website