Did you have a healthy baby, but still feel broken after birth?

For decades, women have been told that if their baby is healthy, they should simply be grateful. But what happens when your body, your heart, and your spirit are still carrying the weight of a birth that left you feeling unheard, violated, disappointed, or ashamed?

In this deeply personal episode, I unpack the hidden damage behind the phrase "healthy mom, healthy baby," why birth trauma is so often minimized, and how true healing begins. Whether your birth included unexpected interventions, a cesarean, feelings of failure, or simply didn't unfold the way you dreamed, this conversation will remind you that your story matters and that healing is possible.

Tune in to hear:

•  Why "healthy mom, healthy baby" has become one of the most harmful phrases women hear after birth 
•  How birth trauma happens, even when everyone says your birth was "normal" 
•  The emotional signs that you may still be carrying unresolved birth trauma 
•  Why trauma is about what happened inside of you, not just what happened to you 
•  The connection between birth trauma, nervous system regulation, and postpartum healing 
•  How shame, fear, and self-blame become trapped in the body 
•  The powerful role forgiveness plays in healing, including forgiving yourself 
•  Questions that help uncover the root of birth trauma and lifelong patterns 
•  What family, friends, doulas, and birth workers can say instead of "At least you had a healthy baby" 
•  Practical first steps for processing grief and reconnecting with your body 
•  Why empowered mothers create healthier families and healthier birth culture 
•  Resources available through Pain Free Birth for deeper healing and support

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. Join now and save $500! Grab your spot HERE.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

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

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Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect tho...

What if your birth doesn't go according to plan, but becomes even more transformative because of it?

In today's powerful birth story, actress, filmmaker, and creator Eliana Ghen shares her incredible 42-week induction journey. After being pressured toward an early induction for a suspected IUGR diagnosis, Eliana learned to advocate for herself, trust her body, and ask better questions. That decision ultimately allowed her baby more time to grow and led her into one of the most transformative experiences of her life.

What followed was a 42-hour labor that tested every mental, physical, and emotional reserve she had. Through Pitocin, Cytotec, Foley balloon induction, relentless back labor, extreme exhaustion, and moments where she believed she couldn't continue, Eliana discovered a level of strength she never knew existed. Her story is a powerful reminder that birth does not have to be perfect to be empowering.

Tune in to hear:

• How a suspected IUGR diagnosis almost led to a 37-week induction
• Why she chose to continue her pregnancy past 42 weeks
• What really happened during her Foley balloon and Cytotec induction
• The truth about Pitocin and whether it made contractions more painful
• How mindset preparation changed her entire labor experience
• The fear release exercises that helped her stay grounded
• Why back labor became the biggest challenge of her birth
• The moment she nearly chose an epidural
• How her husband helped her avoid a decision she wasn't ready to make
• What happened when her water was finally broken
• Why pushing felt completely different than labor
• The surprising pain-free ending after 42 hours of labor
• How birth transformed her confidence forever
• Her advice for women facing induction
• Why empowerment matters more than any specific birth outcome

Connect with Eliana:

• ElianaGhen.com
• TikTok: Eliana Ghen
• You tube: Eliana Ghen
• Instagram: eliana_ghen
• Facebook: Eliana Ghen

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. Join now and save $500! Grab your spot HERE.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

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

Submit Your Birth Story

Apply to Come on the Podcast

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Looking for a like-minded provider? View the PFB Directory HERE.

Want to join the directory? JOIN HERE

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect tho...

Can a traumatic birth experience be redeemed, even after years of fear, postpartum struggles, and disappointment?

In this powerful episode, Karen sits down with Anna Kroese, a homeschooling mom who shares her journey through three radically different birth experiences. After an induction for suspected IUGR, a difficult breastfeeding journey, and a fast but overwhelming home birth that left her feeling disconnected, Anna wondered if birth would ever feel empowering.

Seven years later, everything changed. Through intentional preparation, understanding birth physiology, renewing her mindset, and partnering with God throughout pregnancy and labor, Anna experienced a peaceful, redemptive home birth that transformed not only her labor, but her entire postpartum experience.

Tune in to hear:

•  Anna's first hospital birth and unexpected IUGR induction 
•  How breastfeeding struggles, tongue ties, and body tension impacted her family 
•  Why bodywork, fascia release, and craniosacral therapies can be game changers 
•  The red flags she missed during her first pregnancy 
•  How she convinced her husband to support home birth 
•  Why she switched midwives in her third trimester 
•  The surprising lessons she learned from a fast, intense second birth 
•  How fear changed her perception of pain during labor 
•  The physiology behind pain-free birth 
•  The role of Christian hypnobirthing and faith during pregnancy 
•  How her husband became an incredible labor support person 
•  The moment she realized birth didn't have to hurt 
•  Delivering her baby before the midwife arrived 
•  Why her postpartum experience was dramatically different after her third birth 
•  How birth hormones can impact postpartum healing and mental health

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. Join now and save $500! Grab your spot HERE.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

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

Submit Your Birth Story

Apply to Come on the Podcast

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Facebook

YouTube

Looking for a like-minded provider? View the PFB Directory HERE.

Want to join the directory? JOIN HERE

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect tho...

What if the birth you've been praying for feels impossible according to everyone around you?

After five cesarean births, Derika Brown was told over and over that a vaginal birth was out of the question. Doctors dismissed her questions, providers refused to support her, and fear surrounded every conversation about birth. But deep in her heart, she believed God was showing her a different path.

In this powerful episode, Derika shares the remarkable story of her journey from five cesareans to a pain-free home birth. From hospital coercion and birth trauma to finding a supportive midwife just four days before labor, this testimony is a powerful reminder that faith, preparation, advocacy, and trust in the body's design can transform the birth experience.

Tune in to hear:

•  How Derika's first birth led to a cascade of repeat cesareans 
•  The dream that first planted the possibility of a VBAC in her heart 
•  What happened when she attempted a VBAC after four cesareans 
•  The shocking hospital experience that ended in a fifth cesarean 
•  Why informed consent matters in maternity care 
•  How birth trauma impacted her emotionally and spiritually 
•  The role faith played in rebuilding her confidence for another pregnancy 
•  Finding a supportive midwife only four days before labor 
•  How her 9-year-old daughter became her unexpected doula 
•  The atmosphere of worship, prayer, and peace surrounding labor 
•  What a pain-free birth actually felt like 
•  Experiencing the fetal ejection reflex after five cesareans 
•  The emotional moment of finally achieving her long-awaited VBAC 
•  Encouragement for mothers believing for their own redemption birth

Derika's Birth Video on IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXkpAMrDY-e/ 

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. Join now and save $500! Grab your spot HERE.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

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

Submit Your Birth Story

Apply to Come on the Podcast

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Looking for a like-minded provider? View the PFB Directory HERE.

Want to join the directory? JOIN HERE

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect tho...

Can you trust your body completely and still acknowledge that medical emergencies sometimes happen in birth?

In this episode, Karen shares a perspective she's never publicly discussed before and diving into the recent conversations surrounding free birth, birth emergencies, and the growing divide between the natural birth community and the medical model of care.

This conversation is not about fear. It's about wisdom. It's about holding confidence in the body's design while also recognizing that true emergencies can happen. 

Whether you're planning a home birth, hospital birth, birth center birth, or free birth, this episode will help you navigate conflicting messages and make informed decisions rooted in both faith and discernment.

Tune in to hear:

•  Why I decided to speak publicly about free birth and birth emergencies 
•  The growing divide within the birth community 
•  What the natural birth movement gets right about physiology 
•  What concerns me about some free birth teachings 
•  How to distinguish between physiological birth and pathology 
•  Why medical intervention is sometimes life-saving 
•  The difference between overmedicalization and undermedicalization 
•  Common red flags women should never ignore in labor 
•  Why informed consent requires understanding both risks and benefits 
•  The role intuition plays in preventing poor outcomes 
•  How birth trauma can occur in any setting 
•  Why needing help in labor is not a failure 
•  What true radical responsibility looks like 
•  Encouragement for mothers healing from birth disappointment and trauma 
•  How to prepare for birth with both confidence and wisdom 

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. Join now and save $500! Grab your spot HERE.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

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

Submit Your Birth Story

Apply to Come on the Podcast

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Looking for a like-minded provider? View the PFB Directory HERE.

Want to join the directory? JOIN HERE

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect tho...

What would you do if you were 29 days overdue… and everyone around you was afraid?

In this episode of the Pain-Free Birth Podcast, Karen sits down with Christine Janicke, a mom of five, who shares her incredible story of carrying her fifth baby to 44 weeks + 1 day before experiencing a beautiful, natural home birth.

Christine opens up about the intense mental, emotional, and spiritual journey of waiting far beyond what most providers (and most people) would consider “normal.” From navigating fear-filled comments and pressure from others to learning how to radically surrender and trust the Lord, this episode is packed with wisdom, encouragement, and perspective-shifting conversations around birth, intuition, and motherhood.

You’ll hear how Christine protected her peace during those final weeks, the profound spiritual lessons God taught her through the waiting, and the miraculous moment she specifically prayed for a 3-push delivery… and got exactly that.

Tune in to hear:

•  What it was like being 29 days overdue 
•  Navigating fear and outside pressure during pregnancy 
•  Trusting God when everyone around you is afraid 
•  The emotional and spiritual surrender of motherhood 
•  Why Christine intentionally kept her circle small 
•  The difference between intuition vs fear in birth 
•  How mindset changes the experience of labor 
•  The surprising reality of her healthy placenta and baby at 44 weeks 
•  Her fast, joy-filled 3-push home birth 
•  Why “surrendering to God will never disappoint”

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE:
@Christinekj89

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. Join now and save $500! Grab your spot HERE.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

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

Submit Your Birth Story

Apply to Come on the Podcast

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Looking for a like-minded provider? View the PFB Directory HERE.

Want to join the directory? JOIN HERE

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect tho...

Could you trust your body after a traumatic birth experience?

In today’s episode, Karen sits down with Connie Johnson, a mom of four from Phoenix, Arizona, who shares her incredible journey from a traumatic military hospital birth and C-section to experiencing three redemptive VBACs—including a completely peaceful, supernatural hospital birth that ended with her baby being born before the doctor even made it into the room.

This episode is a powerful reminder that hospital birth does not have to equal fear, trauma, or loss of control. Her story is deeply encouraging for moms preparing for VBACs, hospital births, or healing after previous traumatic birth experiences.

Tune in to hear:

•  Connie’s traumatic first birth in a military hospital during COVID 
•  The pressure and fear surrounding “geriatric pregnancy” 
•  How induction led to a 36-hour labor and eventual C-section 
•  The emotional impact of birth trauma and NICU separation 
•  Why she chose to pursue a VBAC after her first experience 
•  The importance of choosing the right birth team 
•  How mindset shifts transformed her subsequent births 
•  Navigating grief and pregnancy after losing her father 
•  The connection between fear, tension, and pain during labor 
•  How she prepared mentally and spiritually for birth 
•  Creating a peaceful worship-filled hospital birth environment 
•  What physiological pushing actually felt like 
•  The incredible moment her body birthed her baby naturally 
•  Why her doctor completely missed the birth 
•  How she recovered immediately after birth without exhaustion 
•  Encouragement for moms believing for a redemptive birth story

CONNECT WITH CONNIE:

@conniemichelle85

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. Join now and save $500! Grab your spot HERE.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

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

Submit Your Birth Story

Apply to Come on the Podcast

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Looking for a like-minded provider? View the PFB Directory HERE.

Want to join the directory? JOIN HERE

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect tho...

What started as a planned unmedicated hospital birth quickly turned into an unexpected free birth on the side of the highway.

In this episode, Selina shares the incredible story of giving birth to her posterior baby in the front seat of a truck before ever making it to the hospital. From laboring alone in her bathroom to feeling her baby’s head in her own hand, this story is filled with faith, surrender, instinct, and the undeniable power of the female body.

This episode is an emotional, empowering reminder that birth is not something to fear and that our bodies were beautifully designed for this work.

Tune in to hear:

•  Why Selina originally planned a hospital birth instead of a home birth 
•  How hearing positive birth stories helped eliminate fear around birth 
•  The moment she realized labor was progressing quickly 
•  What it felt like to experience the fetal ejection reflex 
•  Why she says the contractions were painful but the actual birth was painless 
•  How she accidentally delivered her baby in the truck on the side of the highway 
•  What it was like to catch her own posterior baby 
•  The emotional moment she saw her baby’s face before his body was born 
•  Why she felt complete peace immediately after birth 
•  The prayers she says God answered throughout her labor and delivery 
•  How unmedicated birth transformed her faith and confidence as a woman 
•  Karen’s insights on surrender, physiological birth, and trusting the body

CONNECT WITH SELINA:

@selsal44

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. Join now and save $500! Grab your spot HERE.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

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

Submit Your Birth Story

Apply to Come on the Podcast

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Looking for a like-minded provider? View the PFB Directory HERE.

Want to join the directory? JOIN HERE

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect tho...

What if motherhood isn’t something you’re losing yourself in… but something you’re being reborn through?

We are celebrating 100 episodes of Pain Free Birth! In this episode, we are re-airing a powerful message from Karen on the transformation from maiden to mother and the sacred, often overlooked rite of passage that motherhood truly is. 

With Mother’s Day as the backdrop, this conversation honors both the beauty and the weight of motherhood. Karen speaks directly to the emotional, physical, and spiritual shifts women experience as they step into this role highlighting the surrender, identity shifts, and deep inner work that come with it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

•  Why motherhood is a sacred rite of passage, not just a life transition 
•  The emotional and identity shifts that happen from maiden to mother 
•  How surrender in birth mirrors surrender in motherhood 
•  Why resisting the process creates more pain—and how to release control 
•  The difference between masculine productivity and feminine presence 
•  How cultural expectations can disconnect women from their intuition 
•  Why feeling like you’ve “lost yourself” may actually be a rebirth 
•  The power of embracing each season of motherhood without judgment 
•  How to navigate doubt, overwhelm, and identity shifts with grace 
•  A new perspective on what it means to be “doing enough” as a mother

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. Join now and save $500! Grab your spot HERE.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

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

Submit Your Birth Story

Apply to Come on the Podcast

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Looking for a like-minded provider? View the PFB Directory HERE.

Want to join the directory? JOIN HERE

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect tho...

What would you do if your dream birth plan completely fell apart… and still turned out better than you ever imagined?

In this powerful episode of the Pain-Free Birth Podcast, Karen sits down with Brie Kuikahi, who shares her incredible first birth story-a breech hospital birth during COVID that she describes as “better than I imagined” and “absolutely perfect.”

After planning for a natural birth center experience, Brie’s baby remained breech, and due to state laws, no midwives were able to support her. What followed was a journey filled with fear, surrender, and ultimately, divine alignment.

Despite every obstacle, Brie had the birth she prayed for: minimal intervention, deep connection with her husband, and a delivery that “went perfectly.”

This episode will encourage any mama navigating uncertainty, unexpected changes, or fear around birth.

Tune in to hear:

•  What happens when your baby stays breech—and your options feel limited 
•  The emotional reality of being denied support for your birth preferences 
•  How Brie navigated fear, disappointment, and uncertainty during pregnancy 
•  The moment everything shifted—and she found the only supportive provider 
•  What it’s like to have a vaginal breech birth in a hospital setting 
•  How mindset, faith, and surrender transformed her birth experience 
•  Why “losing control” can actually lead to your most powerful birth 
•  The role of a supportive partner during labor (and what helped most) 
•  How her birth ended up being better than she ever imagined

Connect with Brie:

@Briekuikahi

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. Join now and save $500! Grab your spot HERE.

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

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

Submit Your Birth Story

Apply to Come on the Podcast

Instagram

Facebook

YouTube

Looking for a like-minded provider? View the PFB Directory HERE.

Want to join the directory? JOIN HERE

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding your individual health, pregnancy, birth, or postpartum care. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect tho...