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Choosing a home birth for a first baby can feel bold, especially if you come from a family that is involved in the Western medical system. 

In this episode I sit down with Anna as she shares her candid Maine home birth story that moves from a pandemic-era relocation to a fast, intense labor in a cabin birth tub. 

We talk about the surprising ways birth can feel mystical and medical at the same time, plus the hard-earned postpartum lessons about sleep, feeding anxiety, and learning your baby over time.

We discuss:
• Moving from remote Alaska back to Maine for support and logistics
• Choosing a home birth midwife who feels meticulous and risk aware
• Staying flexible and resisting a rigid birth plan
• Early labor that arrives intense and progresses quickly
• Relief in the birth tub, then rapid transition 
• Fully dilated without an urge to push and the “hand” vision that creates connection
• Baby born above water and an out-of-body first meeting
• Postpartum hemorrhage handled quickly at home with skilled support
• Placenta prints, community care, and the bliss of the first 24 hours
• The grind of the first six months, sleep deprivation, and breastfeeding stress
• Letting go of the myth of instant intuition and building trust over time

You can find more about Anna's midwife Tiffany Carter Skillings by clicking here and visiting  her website TwoRiversLactation.com

If you'd like to join the community of Maine moms sharing birth stories on the podcast you can fill out the form on my website   or you can also always message me over on instagram @mymainebirth 

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Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

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This week I chat with my friend Krista about her two cesarean birth stories in Florida and the choices that helped her feel steady through major curveballs. This conversation is packed with relatable, practical insight for anyone searching for positive cesarean birth stories.  

 Krista describes the mental shift from early pregnancy fear to learning how to make informed decisions, ask questions, and stay grounded even when the plan changes fast. 

Her story widens into a bold life change: moving from Florida to Maine, homeschooling, and restoring the Bar Harbor Lobster Pound near Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. 

Krista and her family rebuilt a closed, rundown restaurant while raising little kids, even living in an RV during a busy season. They designed the space around real family needs: room to run, lawn games, easy parking, and a relaxed atmosphere so parents can actually enjoy a meal. 

It’s an inspiring blueprint for work life balance, and it circles back to the core message: you can make choices that fit your body, your baby, and your life, even when the path isn’t what you expected.

You can find the Bar Harbor Lobster Pound by visiting it, the address is:

414 ME-3, Bar Harbor, ME 04609

BarHarborLobsterPound

Bar Harbor Lobster Pound on Instagram

Bar Harbor Lobster Pound on Facebook

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Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

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In this episode, Mary from Mainely Babywearing joins me to share her Maine birth story and everyting she's learned about the beauty and practicality of babywearing.  

We talk about how baby wearing supports bonding, helps regulate baby's nervous system, makes daily life with a newborn more manageable, and why following your instincts to keep your baby close can feel so right - even when the pediatrician might tell us the opposite...

Mary offers gentle, real-world tips for new moms who are curious about baby wearing, whether you're just starting out or looking for ways to make it part of your everyday rhythm.  

if you've ever wondered about holding your baby more, thought about whether trusting your gut was the right thing, or finding tools that make the early days feel connected instead of overwhelming, this conversation is for you.  

You can connect with Mary through her website MainelyBabywearing.com

Connect with Mary on Instagram

Connect with Mary on Facebook

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Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

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Katie’s experience at Maine Medical Center in Portland is packed with practical insight.

She shares how an endometriosis diagnosis and surgery right before trying for a baby shaped her mindset, and why she chose InterMed for prenatal care while still prioritizing an unmedicated birth. 

Her planning style is research-heavy: she listened to countless birth podcasts to understand interventions like induction or vacuum assistance, and build confidence for shared decision-making. The core theme is not rigidly sticking to the birth plan, but informed flexibility with a clear preference for staying in control of her body.  

 Katie shares the details about her two unmedicated birth stories at Maine Medical Center in Portland, including how doula support changes the tone in the room.  We also dig into postpartum life, feeding and sleep realities, and the mindset shift from trying to do everything alone to trusting your instincts and leaning on your village. 

We close with some grounded parenting advice for new moms: trust yourself, avoid comparison culture on social media, and remember every phase changes quickly, especially when you keep getting outside with kids, a mission she now shares through her Instagram guide, Maine Mom Compass.

You can connect with Katie via her instagram    @MaineMomCompass 

The Doula that Katie used was through Maine Doulas and you can find them  online at    mainedoulas.com 

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Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

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Emily joins me to share how a positive pregnancy test on a trip to Greece turns into a pregnancy full of big decisions, including letting go of a home birth dream because of a medical complication and choosing the kind of support that actually feels right.

We talk about switching providers twice, moving from OB care to the Mercy midwives late in pregnancy, and why listening to your inner voice matters in prenatal care. Emily breaks down what she notices in appointments that helps her build trust: time, warmth, real answers, and a team that supports autonomy and minimal intervention. 

If you’re searching for a Maine birth story, a Portland, Maine hospital birth that feels more like home, or guidance on advocating for yourself, her experience offers a grounded roadmap.

Emily also shares the emotional side: body anxiety near the end, going inward socially, and the surprisingly powerful reset that comes from joy, nature, and rest. 

Then we walk through her 33-hour labor, living 45 minutes from the hospital, the tricky timing decisions, and the moment everything shifts once she is admitted. 

With her doula, a calm nurse, and a trusted midwife, she uses position work, hot water, and the birth tub for an unmedicated water birth, followed a sweet postpartum stay with breastfeeding support.

If you’ve been craving more positive birth stories without the fluff, this one delivers. 

Subscribe to My Maine Birth, share this episode with a pregnant friend, and leave a review so more families can find these stories.

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Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

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Birth can change in a second, and sometimes the part that lingers is not just what happened, but what you did not get to feel or remember. 

Teal joins me for a vulnerable, detailed conversation about her first birth in April 2020, when early-pandemic uncertainty collides with a frightening labor complication and an emergency C-section. 

She shares what it was like to be rushed into surgery, how an unexpected spinal block response triggered panic and loss of control, and why those moments can leave real birth trauma even when everyone is ultimately safe.

We also talk about the long tail of postpartum recovery after a cesarean: intense pain, returning to the hospital with a high fever, IV antibiotics for a postpartum uterine infection, and mastitis layered on top of breastfeeding challenges and isolation. 

Teal names the hard feelings many parents keep private, including struggling to connect, carrying grief about how birth “should have” gone, and realizing how profoundly sleep deprivation can impact postpartum mental health and family life.

Then we move into her second pregnancy, her hope for a VBAC, and the respectful decision-making that leads to a planned C-section that feels completely different. With time to advocate, meet the anesthesia team, and prepare emotionally, Teal experiences more presence, connection, and immediate bonding, even while holding space for disappointment. 

We close with practical, honest advice about postpartum support, accepting help, considering a doula, and why talking about your birth story can be healing.

If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more parents can find these stories.  

Teal is a baby and toddler sleep coach, you can learn more about her services  at RootsofReverie.com 

You can find teal on instagram @rootsofreverie

Bubbles and Bean, Teal's children's conignment shop in Camden, Maine 

Additional Resources:

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Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

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A birth can look “low risk” right up until the second it doesn’t, and Emma’s story makes that reality impossible to ignore. She joins us to share her three births in Maine: her first two were at  Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, then a planned home birth that became urgent in a way no checklist could predict.

We talk through inductions, Pitocin contractions, epidurals, and how hospital monitoring can limit movement and coping tools like water. 

Then we shift into what changed for Emma when she chose relationship-based midwifery care and prepared for a home birth about 30 minutes from the nearest hospital. 

Her perspective is honest and practical: informed consent, trust, and a clear transfer plan matter as much as the vibe of the room.

The heart of the conversation is her third birth, where start stop labor patterns, a cervical lip, shoulder dystocia, and a cord complication lead to a baby born not breathing with no heartbeat. 

Emma explains how her experienced, trained midwives immediately began neonatal resuscitation, called 911, and worked seamlessly with EMTs, leading to a positive and healthy outcome. 

We also cover postpartum hemorrhage, low iron recovery, emotional processing, and her passion for prenatal nutrition, postpartum fitness, and pelvic floor health.   

Emma has just started hosting Mommy and Me strength training classes at Miller fitness in Newport, Maine - and you can connect with her via her instagram @EmmaGriffinFitness   

Additional Resources:

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Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

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This conversation draws a sharp line between the idea of free birth and the brand and ideology of Free Birth Society, described by a former inner circle member as a high control group. Serendipiti explains how constant content, binge listening to the curated podcast stories, and a tight private membership can gradually reshape beliefs about maternity care, medical risk, and even personal identity. 

The key warning is not about birth choices alone, but about control. 

Serendipiti describes censorship inside the membership, shaming around transfers or even positive medical experiences, and how extreme anecdotes can become “proof” that overrides basic safety planning. We discuss the Journey Moon case, the role of NDAs and platform shifts, and what it was like to participate in The Guardian’s reporting and The Birthkeepers podcast as the broader picture became clearer.

The heart of the conversation is discernment: how to support birth autonomy and informed consent without handing your mind to a high control group. If you have ever wondered whether a community is empowering you or isolating you, this is for you.

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

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In this episode we talk with Nikki about her pivot from Free Birth Society circles and birth keeping back into a hands-on midwifery apprenticeship as she works toward CPM licensure.  

Nikki Shared her two free birth stories and her experience with the Radical Birth Keeper School and the MatriBirth Midwifery Institute back in episode 122 of MyMaine Birth, you can find that episode HERE

Connect With Nikki at BornFreeFamily.com

Check out Nikki's Child Birth Education Course called - Knowledge is Power

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

Send us Fan Mail

In today's episode we hold space for Katie Spinks as she shares the traumatic birth of her daughter Jolene, including a Pitocin induction that ends in uterine rupture, delayed care, and a devastating HIE diagnosis. 

From there, we zoom out to the bigger questions: what informed consent should actually sound like in hospital birth, why birth plans can be used against mothers, and how hospital policy gets treated like law. We also explore how trauma can push families toward home birth or free birth, and where a search for autonomy can slide into rigid ideology. 

Katie is blunt about what she wishes she’d known before agreeing to the Pitocin induction, and why asking “what are the risks, benefits, and alternatives?” is not being difficult, it’s basic safety.

We close with Jolene’s ongoing journey, including intensive therapy and experimental stem cell treatments in Mexico, and what progress can look like when you’re fighting for every gain.  

If this conversation changes how you prepare, how you consent, or how you advocate, please subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more families can find it.

You can connect with Katie Spinks on Facebook HERE

You can connect with Katie Spinks on Instagram HERE 

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers