What if walking into a hospital birth didn’t mean giving up your voice?

In this powerful conversation, Meredith and Alicia from Intentional Birth share how to advocate for yourself in a hospital setting so you feel respected, informed, and truly in charge of your birth. From simple language shifts to knowing your legal rights, you’ll walk away with practical tools you—and your partner—can use to create a positive, empowering experience, no matter what unfolds.

Tune in to hear:

• Why birth trauma is often less about what happened and more about how you were treated
• The difference between hospital policy and patient consent (and why policy does not override your rights)
• A simple 3-step framework (OWN IT) to decline procedures without confrontation
• The role of your partner as the guardian of the birth—and how they can protect your space
• Key phrases that change the room instantly: “We do need her consent” and “Please document that I am declining ___”
• How to use the chain of command if you’re not being heard (charge nurse → nurse manager → house supervisor)
• “Secret menu” options in the hospital most families don’t know they can request
• A real-life VBAC story where intentional advocacy led to a hospital water birth, minimal interventions, and an unhurried third stage

Join the waitlist for the Doula Mastermind: https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/doula-certification-waitlist 

Resources mentioned:

5% discount on the Advocacy Trainings: Code: PAINFREEBIRTH

IG:  @intentional.birth

Website: www.intentionalbirth.co

Connect with Karen:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/

Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731

Website - https://painfreebirth.com/

Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

Have you ever felt a little nudge that maybe you were meant to support women in birth? Maybe you’re the one who stays up late watching birth videos, fascinated by how God designed the body, secretly dreaming of being in the room one day. If so, this episode was made for you.

In today’s conversation, Karen pulls back the curtain on the realities of birth work — the beauty, the challenges, and the sacred calling of becoming a doula. She shares the struggles many doulas face, from burnout and being on-call to working in hospital systems that don’t always support women’s physiology. And she reminds us why women supporting women through life’s biggest transitions is not only historical, but biblical.

Tune in to hear:

• Why the average doula career lasts only two years — and how to prevent burnout
• The surprising origin story of doulas and how their presence was “accidentally discovered” to improve birth outcomes
• The missing rituals of modern maternity care — and why women are crying out for community again
• The biggest challenges doulas face today (on-call life, finding clients, hospital politics, and more)
• What it truly means to protect a woman’s physiology, her power, and her voice in labor
• How the vision of the Red Tent is reviving sacred sisterhood for doulas and birth workers

Join the waitlist for the Doula Mastermind: https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/doula-certification-waitlist 

Connect with Karen:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/

Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731

Website - https://painfreebirth.com/

Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

What if the pushing phase of birth didn’t have to be painful, exhausting, or filled with strain?

In this powerful episode, Erika shares her incredible birth story — from an unexpected pause in labor that gave her one more week to prepare, to the fast-moving labor that had her in transition before she even realized it. But the highlight came in the final moments: instead of force pushing, Erika learned to breathe her baby down, allowing her body to work with her baby for a gentle, peaceful birth.

You’ll hear how faith, prayer, and intentional breathing transformed her experience — and how you can apply these same principles for your own birth. Whether you’re preparing for your first baby or hoping for a redemptive birth after trauma, this episode is filled with encouragement, practical tips, and the reminder that God cares deeply about your birth story.

Tune in to hear:

• The emotional block Erika faced leading up to birth and how she overcame it
• The miraculous “false labor” that gave her more time to prepare
• What it felt like to go from early labor to transition in the backseat of a truck
• How she stayed focused and avoided negative self-talk in active labor
• The exact breathing technique she used to “breathe baby down” instead of pushing
• Why her postpartum recovery was so much easier this time
• Encouragement for moms to release fear and trust God with their birth stories

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Pain Free Birth Course – Learn how to prepare physically, mentally, and spiritually for a peaceful, pain-free birth. Use code PODCAST to get $50 off
• Book: To Light Their Way  
  
  

Connect with Karen:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/

Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731

Website - https://painfreebirth.com/

Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

What happens when you’re told you’re infertile, exposed to toxic mold, living in constant stress—and still believe for a miracle?

In this powerful episode, Karen sits down with Ashlee Rowland, a Christ-centered nutritionist and wellness educator from @simplholistic, to share her incredible journey from infertility and illness to a pain-free, breech homebirth—all while living in a mold-contaminated house.

This is more than a birth story—it’s a testimony of God’s faithfulness, a lesson in trusting your intuition, and a raw look at the realities of anxiety, postpartum, and walking through the fire with Jesus by your side.

Tune in to hear:

• How Ashlee went from infertility and autoimmune diagnoses to a thriving pregnancy
• The jaw-dropping moment her midwife realized the “head” was actually something else
• How she delivered her frank breech baby in runner’s lunge with zero tearing
• Why she didn’t feel pain, even during the ring of fire
• What it's like to live in toxic mold while pregnant—and still have a healthy baby
• How God showed up in the chaos to bring peace, clarity, and strength
• The difference between anxiety and intuition (and how she learned to tell the two apart)
• Why postpartum spiritual warfare is real—and what helped her stand firm
• Practical tools Ashlee used to regulate her nervous system and heal emotionally
• How surrender, faith, and affirmations shaped her birth and postpartum experience
• A powerful prayer for any mama walking through fear, anxiety, or hardship

Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE: https://painfreebirth.thrivecart.com/pain-free-birth/

Try Lifewave x39 patches: https://lifewave.com/painfreebirth 

Check out Ashlee's courses:

• Naked Hormones
• Holistic Mold Protocol
• Holistic Mold Protocol (Body)
• Holistic Mold Protocol (Home)

Connect with Ashlee:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplholistic/ 

Website: simplholistic.org 

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/

Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731

Website - https://painfreebirth.com/

Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

Have you been told VBAC is too risky?

In this episode, Karen pulls back the curtain on the fear-based messaging surrounding VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) and delivers the real evidence every mom deserves to know. If you’ve ever been told VBAC is too risky, this episode is your permission slip to ask better questions, trust your intuition, and get truly informed before making one of the biggest decisions of your life.

Tune in to hear:

• The real evidence behind VBAC success rates (hint: it’s not 15%!)
• Why so many OBs still quote 100-year-old beliefs about birth
• The actual risk of uterine rupture—and what doctors aren’t telling you
• How fear-based care is keeping women in the dark
• The difference between relative risk and real risk
• The risks of repeat C-sections that almost no one talks about
• What it means to get true informed consent
• 5 powerful ways to prepare for a successful VBAC
• Why choosing the right provider is the #1 decision you’ll make

Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE

Grab the Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE https://painfreebirth.com/healing-birth-trauma/

VBAC Resources: 

-Birth by the Numbers 

-PubMed Views of Women From Countries With High VBAC Rates 

-EBB 113 - The Evidence on VBAC

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/

Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731

Website - https://painfreebirth.com/

Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

What happens when you walk into the hospital at 8.5 cm dilated… and still end up with a C-section?

In this episode, Karen sits down with Carrie Coppins to unpack her journey from a traumatic first birth to a redemptive, healing home VBAC. Carrie vulnerably shares how her first birth left her feeling devastated, angry at her body—and even at God. But through therapy, faith, and deep preparation, she chose to believe for a different story with her second baby.

This episode is for every woman who has ever doubted her body, grieved a birth that didn’t go as planned, or is preparing her heart for a VBAC. It’s a story of healing, hope, and holy redemption.

Tune in to hear:

• What really happened when Carrie “stalled” at 9 cm
• How birth trauma impacted her mental health and relationship with God
• The resources that helped her prepare for a VBAC (and the mindset shift she needed)
• What her OB told her about her “15% chance” of VBAC success
• The stark contrast between OB and midwife care
• Her beautiful, redemptive home birth story (spoiler: her husband caught the baby!)
• Advice for VBAC moms navigating doubt, fear, and outside opinions

Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE

Grab the Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE https://painfreebirth.com/healing-birth-trauma/

Resources mentioned:

VBAC book: https://amzn.to/4lu4bl5 

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth: https://amzn.to/3TC8w9M 

VBAC Resources: 

-Birth by the Numbers 

-PubMed Views of Women From Countries With High VBAC Rates 

-EBB 113 - The Evidence on VBAC

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/

Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731

Website - https://painfreebirth.com/

Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

Can you really have a safe breech or twin birth at home? What if your OB told you yes?

In this powerful episode, Karen sits down with Dr. Victoria Flores, a Southern California-based home birth obstetrician who specializes in breech and twin births. After decades inside the hospital system, Dr. Victoria made a radical shift—leaving behind a broken model to fully support women outside of it.

From childhood, Victoria was fascinated by breech birth. But after 20+ years in the medical system, the soul-crushing grind took a toll on her health and spirit. Now, she’s taken the reins of Dr. Stuart Fischbein’s legendary practice and brings her unique intuition, deep knowledge, and unwavering belief in women’s bodies to every birth she attends.

Tune in to hear:

• The spiritual and intuitive shift that led Dr. Victoria to leave hospital birth behind
• What she really sees inside the birth canal (hello, x-ray vision)
• Common myths vs. medical truth around breech birth safety
• Why head entrapment is often used to scare women out of vaginal breech
• The #1 reason most OBs won’t support breech births—even if they can
• What qualifies someone as a good candidate for breech or twin home birth
• A shocking 11-hour wait between twin births 
• A radical story of a triplet home birth you’ll never forget

Connect with Dr. Victoria: https://victoriamdbirthing.com/ 

Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/

Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731

Website - https://painfreebirth.com/

Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

In this episode, Karen sits down with holistic birth doula and mom of two, Lauren McEnulty, as she shares her incredible story of planning and executing a successful vaginal breech birth. Despite being pressured into a C-section by her original birth center and rejected by multiple providers, Lauren stayed true to her intuition and her baby’s needs.

She shares the emotional and physical toll of trying everything to flip her baby—including spinning babies, acupuncture, and moxibustion—only to later discover that her baby’s short cord and positioning made flipping impossible. After being dismissed by her original providers, Lauren sought out a breech-trained midwife over an hour away and finally found someone who believed in her.

This episode is a beautiful testimony of maternal instinct, perseverance, and the truth that women’s bodies are capable of birthing breech when supported by the right providers.

Tune in to hear:

• How Lauren navigated the emotional and physical stress of learning her baby was breech
• What she tried to flip her baby naturally, including spinning babies, acupuncture, and moxibustion
• The moment her providers gave up on her—and how she refused to give up on herself
• How she found a breech-trained midwife after being turned away by multiple birth centers
• The powerful moment she discovered why her baby never flipped
• Her labor experience, from water breaking in a hotel to giving birth surrounded by support
• A vivid, hands-off breech birth story that was calm, safe, and deeply affirming
• Her advice to moms navigating a breech diagnosis and how to find the right provider

Connect with Lauren:
https://www.waves-doula-care.com/ 

Watch Lauren's birth video (TW: Graphic Content)

Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/

Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731

Website - https://painfreebirth.com/

Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

What happens when your water breaks at 36 weeks—and your midwife legally can’t attend your birth?

In this episode of the Pain Free Birth Podcast, Karen Welton interviews Lindsey  Cantu, a chiropractor, doula, and founder of BirthFit, who shares her incredible story of navigating an unexpected early labor, trusting her body, and giving birth outside under the stars in a peaceful, unassisted birth.

Tune in to hear:

• How Lindsay got pregnant naturally at 40 after years of waiting 
• What most women misunderstand about training during pregnancy
•  How to support the pelvic floor for birth and postpartum
•  Why strong doesn’t mean tight—and why softening is vital
•  How movement, breath, and nervous system connection prepare you for     labor

BirthFit Prenatal Package (Get 20% off with code: PAINFREEBIRTH)

BirthFit Basics Free Video Training

Website: https://birthfit.com

Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/

Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731

Website - https://painfreebirth.com/

Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

In this episode of the Pain Free Birth Podcast, Karen welcomes first time mom Brenna Burkins to share her extraordinary 4-hour pain-free home birth story. What makes Brenna’s birth so remarkable? Not only was it her first baby, but she labored with joy, laughter, and zero pain after intentionally preparing—spiritually, mentally, and physically—for a supernatural birth experience.

Brenna opens up about the moment she first believed pain-free birth was possible, after hearing a testimony that challenged everything she’d been taught about childbirth. From there, she immersed herself in faith-building resources like Supernatural Childbirth by Jackie Mize and partnered with her husband in prayer and belief.

Tune in to hear:

• How Brenna rejected fear from the start of her pregnancy
• Her experience using Scripture and worship music as labor tools
• What happened when pain began to creep in—and how she stopped it through prayer
• The moment she felt the fetal ejection reflex and her body took over
• Laughing during pushing (!!) and the overwhelming joy when her son was born
• Why this birth radically impacted her faith, her confidence, and her identity as a mom

Resources Mentioned:

• Supernatural Childbirth by Jackie Mize
• Brenna’s labor worship playlist
• Karen’s worship playlist for labor
• Watch Brenna’s birth video on Instagram

Connect with Brenna:

@brennaburkins on all platforms - instagram, Tiktok, YouTube, +  Pinterest 

Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE

Grab the Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE