Have you ever had a conversation with someone and felt like you just sat through a therapy session afterward? That's exactly how I felt after speaking with Meghan from The Stress Free Mama. She is a conception, pregnancy, and postpartum coach and in this episode we deep dive into managing stress from trying to conceive to postpartum, the weight of societal expectations on motherhood, and feeling like we have to do it all. If you are in the thick of motherhood, trust me you don't want to miss this one!

Connect with Meghan here:
www.thestressfreemama.com
www.instagram.com/thestressfreemama

Connect with me here:
www.instagram.com/motherhoodfromwithinpodcast
www.instagram.com/meglivingfree

Are you familiar with your pelvic floor? Have you heard of or seen a pelvic floor therapist? If not, this episode is for you! I was honored to sit down and chat with Dr. Stephanie Perez, PT who specializes in pelvic floor therapy this week as she explains what our pelvic floor is, why it's so important, and how we can best support our pelvic floor through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. Stephanie is a wealth of information and I can't wait for you guys to listen and learn just as much as I did. She also offers in-person and virtual consultations, so if you're looking into pelvic floor therapy don't hesitate to reach out!

Connect with Stephanie:
www.empoweredwellnesspt.com
https://instagram.com/pelvicptmama
[email protected]

Connect with me here:
https://instagram.com/onceuponabirthpodcast
https://instagram.com/meglivingfree

On this week's episode I had the pleasure of sitting down with Shannon of The Empowered Pregnancy and hearing her inspiring story of becoming a first time mom to her sweet little boy, Baker. She shares their journey of receiving a prenatal down syndrome diagnosis, how the changing world of 2020 affected their birth plans, and what it really means to surrender in pregnancy and motherhood. Shannon is a NASM-CPT, prenatal and postpartum fitness coach, and founder of The Empowered Pregnancy where she does in-person and virtual fitness coaching. I will definitely have her back for a future episode to deep dive into all of that!

Connect with Shannon:
https://instagram.com/theempoweredpregnancy
[email protected]

Connect with me here:
https://instagram.com/onceuponabirthpodcast
https://instagram.com/meglivingfree

Finally a new episode! Sorry it's been a few weeks friends. We're getting settled from the craziness of moving and just trying to find our new rhythm. I talk a little more about what's been going on with the move and our family in the first part of this episode, and then I dive into my personal experience in the difference in care between an OB and a midwife. Obviously every practice and care provider is different, so this is just my personal testimony. But I hope you find this helpful if you are trying to decide which way you want to go with your pregnancy and birth.

Connect with me here:

https://instagram.com/onceuponabirthpodcast

https://instagram.com/meglivingfree

January 13, 2020 we unfortunately lost our third baby to miscarriage at 7 weeks. 1 in 4 women will experience pregnancy loss, but although it's so common it was something I didn't really understand until going through it myself. There's so many things I wish I knew or that someone would have told me, and I've made an effort to share very openly about our loss story to not only help in my own healing, but to connect with other mothers who have experienced the same so they know that they are not alone. This week I'm sharing a very honest account of what my pregnancy loss was like for me. If you are 1 in 4, I hope you find some solidarity through this episode. And please know that I am here for you, mama.

Connect with me here:

https://instagram.com/onceuponabirthpodcast
https://instagram.com/meglivingfree

This week I had the pleasure of chatting with my good friend Lauren who shares the birth stories of her two daughters. She talks about the difference in her experiences of giving birth during a deployment in a hospital with her first vs having a home birth (in Germany!) with her second. Lauren is a licensed aromatherapist, all around crunchy mama, and advocate for mothers suffering from PPD (she even wrote a book about her experience). 

Connect with Lauren:
www.laurencecora.com
https://instagram.com/laurenccecora

Check out her book:
https://www.amazon.com/Past-Partum-Shattered-Sane-Lauren-Cecora/dp/1548007226/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=lauren+cecora&qid=1611711267&sr=8-1

This week I'm sitting down with Olivia from the Healthy Balanced Birth and Beyond podcast.  She shares the birth story of here daughter and how her work as a birth and postpartum doula shaped her experience.

Connect with Olivia:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcasts/healthy-balanced-birth-and-beyond-podcast/id1497432430

https://instagram.com/healthybalancedbirth

Sharing my own personal stories of the births of my first two babies.

Connect with me here:

https://instagram.com/onceuponabirthpodcast

https://instagram.com/meglivingfree

Welcome to the Once Upon a Birth podcast! I'm your host, Megan Drake, and today is just a little introduction to who I am, my heart for starting the podcast, and what's to come.

Connect with me here:

https://instagram.com/onceuponabirthpodcast

https://instagram.com/meglivingfree