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When Amanda DeLorme of Pearl Holistic Health joined me, she didn't just bring her expertise in holistic women's health; she brought the raw and transformative story of her journey into motherhood and self-care.  As our conversation unfolds, Amanda's powerful narrative shines a light on the often-unspoken pressures that mothers endure and the vital lesson that taking care of oneself is not just important—it's essential.

Embarking on a path from occupational therapy to a more integrative practice, Amanda's personal experiences with childbirth catalyzed her professional pivot. Through her story, we gain insights into her holistic approach to healing, incorporating craniosacral therapy, breathwork, and somatic techniques.  Amanda's professional metamorphosis is poignant, reflecting a deep commitment to supporting women's health not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. Her journey is a testament to the profound impact that personal experiences can have on our career choices and the ways in which we seek to heal others.

Throughout our discussion Amanda delves into her own birth experiences, hormone imbalances, and the longing for support she navigated as a new mother. Her reflections on natural childbirth, the emotional roller coaster of postpartum life, and the reshaping of her identity beyond motherhood offer a touching perspective on the intersection of personal growth and professional evolution. We explore Amanda's practice, Pearl Holistic Health, and how it continues to embody her vision of expansive wellness as it grows, reaching beyond pelvic health to encompass the full spectrum of holistic care.

Connect with Amanda on instagram @pearlholistichealth visit her website Pearl Holistic Health  and you can email her [email protected]

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state’s biggest hospitals to Birth Center Births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

If you are interested in birth photography or doula support for your upcoming Maine birth, head over to my website MyMaine Birth and send me a message to inquire about your due date.  

Thank you again for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! And I’ll See you back here again, next week.  

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Have you ever wondered about the raw and transformative moments that come with welcoming a new life into your family? Join me as Nora returns to share the intimate details of her home birth journey with her third daughter, Theodora, in the tranquil Maine backwoods. This heartwarming episode peels back the layers of childbirth, revealing the supportive dynamics of a close-knit family and the beautiful balance of motherhood and rural living.

Nora's narrative offers a candid glimpse into the preparation and emotional landscape of expecting a third child. She reflects on the highs and lows of her pregnancy, from the elation of a positive test to the personal choices that shaped her natural birthing experience. With insights into the decision-making processes, including genetic testing and dietary considerations, this conversation is a treasure trove for anyone curious about the choices that come with bringing a new life into the world.

As we discuss traversing the tender postpartum period, we touch upon the significance of naming her daughter and the essential role of community support.  **Take this as your sign to set up that meal train, Mama!   This episode doesn't shy away from the complexities of post-birth recovery and the heartfelt decisions surrounding expanding one's family. Listeners will come away with not only a profound respect for the dance of parenthood but also practical advice that resonates with new and experienced parents alike. So settle in, and let's embark on this remarkable journey together with Nora.

MyMaine Birth, a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state’s biggest hospitals to Birth Center Births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

Thank you again for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! And I’ll See you back here again, next week.  

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When Gabby stepped into the birthing room for the first time, little did she know it would redraw her life's map, leading her away from nursing and toward the powerful work of a midwife.  Her story is not just about changing career paths, but a deeper transformation fueled by witnessing the raw beauty and strength of birth.

This episode is a heartfelt journey alongside Gabby, a student midwife immersing herself in the profound world of midwifery at Holly No. 7 Birth Center in Bangor. With her, we traverse the intimate space of out-of-hospital births, exploring how these encounters have shaped her mission to support families in one of life's most pivotal moments.

Gabby's narrative intertwines with the threads of her family's history, revealing how past generations have sewn seeds of passion for motherhood and birth work within her. As she navigates the demanding apprenticeship and rigorous academic pursuits, her dedication to non-biased, evidence-based information and the philosophies behind informed consent shine through.  Listeners will glean insights into the different paths of midwifery in Maine, and how each molds the way midwives like Gabby engage with expectant parents. For those drawn to the call of birth work or for future parents charting their course through the maze of childbirth options, Gabby's reflections offer guidance, encouraging an unwavering trust in one's intuition and the power of informed choice.

Thank you for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!  And I'll see you back here again next week. 

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Have you ever marveled at the sheer unpredictability of life, especially when it comes to the momentous journey of bringing new life into the world? Today on the podcast, we sit with Rachel, mom of 5 boys!   Her first ended up being a hospital birth, although it was a planned home birth.  Two home births following that, a Holly No.7 Birth Center Birth, and then finally another home birth.  

She describes every experience as amazing and life changing and says she wouldn't change a thing.  Her babies have ranged from 39 weeks gestation, to 42.  From 8 pounds to 10 pounds.  She has had 2 water births.  She was a teen mom.  She has had three different Maine Midwives and describes every single part of each pregnancy to each birth as magical.  

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state’s biggest hospitals to Birth Center Births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

Thank you again for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! And I’ll See you back here again, next week. 

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Today's birth story guest is Haley and she shares her beautiful Maine home birth story with care from Saco River midwifery.  After her amazing birth experience, she transferred to the hospital to have a tear checked out and while she was there her baby was unnecessarily taken to the NICU and was not allowed to leave for 10 days.   
MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state's biggest hospitals to birth center births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

As part of my commitment to capturing these incredible moments, I am proud to offer my Birth Photography services to families throughout Maine.  As a certified birth photographer and experienced doula, I am dedicated to capturing the beauty and emotion of this special moment in your life.  For all of the information head over to https://www.mymainebirth.com

Thank you again for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!  And I'll see you back here again, next week.  

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Today's birth story guest is Maria, she shared her first birth story in episode #32 of the MyMaine Birth Podcast, so go check that out if you haven't had a chance to listen yet for part one of her story!   I'm so excited to have her back today to share all about her most recent birth story which is another Holly No.7 Birth Center Birth Story in Bangor, Maine.

MyMaine Birth, a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state’s biggest hospitals to Birth Center Births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

As part of my commitment to capturing these incredible moments, I am proud to offer my birth photography services to families throughout Maine.  As a certified birth photographer and experienced doula, I am dedicated to capturing the beauty and emotion of this special moment in your life.    For all of the information head over to  https://www.mymainebirth.com

Thank you again for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! And I’ll See you back here again, next week.  

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Today's birth story guest is Fiona and she shares all about her Maine home birth story.  Fiona is a doula and child birth educator located in the Portland, Maine area, and you can find all of the information on her services on her website https://www.fullstorybirth.com  and you can follow her over on Instagram @fullstorybirth

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state's biggest hospitals to Birth Center births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

As part of my commitment to capturing these incredible moments, I am proud to offer my birth photography services to families throughout Maine.  As an experienced doula and photographer I am dedicated to capturing the beauty and emotion of this special moment in your life.   For all of the information head over to my website https://www.mymainebirth.com

Thank you again for tuning in, and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!  And I'll see you back here again, next week.  

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Todays birth story guest is Shandi and she shares all about her Maine birth story.  She originally planned for a birth center birth at Holly No 7 in Bangor, and then changed her plan and began preparing for a home birth in Trenton, and then after a long labor she transferred to a Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth where she gave birth to her baby.

MyMaine Birth, a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state’s biggest hospitals to Birth Center Births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

As part of my commitment to capturing these incredible moments, I am proud to offer my birth photography services to families throughout Maine.  As an experienced doula and  photographer I am dedicated to capturing the beauty and emotion of this special moment in your life.  And I create a personalized and intimate photo album that you will treasure forever.  For all of the information head over to https://www.mymainebirth.com

Thank you again for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! And I’ll See you back here again, next week.  

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Todays’ birth story guest is Alexandra and she shares about her two Maine birth stories. 
The first was in a hospital and  during that experience she ended up getting an epidural that she regretted.  Because of that first experience, she knew early in her pregnancy with her second that she wanted to birth at home. 

She admits that she didn’t know a lot about home birth or birth in general even though she had already been through one experience, but she trusted her intuition and switched her care to Scope Valley Birthing services.    S

he spent her second pregnancy diving into the absolute miracle of what physiological birth is all about, and was amazed at what she learned.  Her second baby was born just recently at home with just her,  her husband, her mother in law,  and her amazing team of midwives.

MyMaine Birth, a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state’s biggest hospitals to Birth Center Births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

As part of my commitment to capturing these incredible moments, I am proud to offer my birth photography services to families throughout Maine.  As an experienced doula and  photographer I am dedicated to capturing the beauty and emotion of this special moment in your life.

For all of the information head over to https://www.mymainebirth.com

Thank you again for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! And I’ll See you back here again, next week!

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Today's birth story guest is Natalie.  Natalie shared her first birth story in episode 65 of the podcast so if you haven’t had a chance to listen yet - go check that out for part one of her story.  She is here today to share about her most recent Maine birth story, a natural hospital birth, and the importance of educating yourself about all things birth while you are pregnant so you are able to advocate for the things you want during your birth.  

If you are hoping for a natural birth, I want you to know that you are going against the grain..  the bottom line is that natural birth is not what the hospitals specialize in….

If you are planning for a natural hospital birth you have to be prepared for quite a bit of advocating for yourself  with a healthy mix of  ignoring some of the things that you may be told to do (like coached pushing even though no coached pushing is on your birth plan..just to name one..), while simultaneously tuning in and really following your intuition regardless of what’s happening around you. 

Remember hospital policy is not law, and in my course MyAutonomous Birth I have a full module where I cover your legal rights during birth and I break down the difference between hospital policy and your legal rights and why the word “allowed” doesn’t belong in birth.  I think this is a huge missing piece from most childbirth education programs today - what exactly are your legal rights?!

This comprehensive childbirth education course that I’ve created, MyAutonomous Birth is 11 modules and over 42 lessons, is available as a self-paced course with lifetime access -  and it is included in my Sisterhood Birth Experience package which is birth photography and doula support.   I specialize in supporting natural births in all settings.  So if that’s something your interested in, head over to my website  mymainebirth.com  for all of the  information.

Thank you for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave me a review.  And I'll see you back here again next week!