Pain Free Birth

What if birth didn’t need to be managed, induced, or controlled? 

In this episode, Karen sits down with Dr. Melanie Jackson, known as Melanie the Midwife, to unpack why the modern maternity system so often views women’s bodies as “a ticking time bomb” and how that fear drives the epidemic of unnecessary inductions.

With 17 years of experience as an Australian midwife, Melanie brings evidence-based wisdom and a rebellious spirit to the conversation. She shares what she discovered in her PhD on birth outside the system, the truth about “preventative inductions,” and why trusting the design of birth might be the most radical act of all.

Tune in to hear:

• The surprising philosophy driving unnecessary inductions
• Why 45% of first-time mothers in Australia are being induced
• How fear of women’s bodies shapes modern maternity care
• What questions to ask before agreeing to an induction
• The truth about stillbirth statistics and relative vs. actual risk
• Why “going with the flow” often means going with hospital protocol
• The hormonal design of physiological birth (and how hospitals disrupt it)
• How to prevent obstetric violence and over-medicalization
• The sacred transformation of matrescence (from maiden to mother)

Connect with Melanie:

@melaniethemidwife 

@thegreatbirthrebellion

The Great Birth Rebellion podcast

https://www.melaniethemidwife.com/

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. 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 those of the host or Pain F...

What happens when you’ve done everything “right,” but your labor still isn’t going according to plan?

In this episode, Karen interviews Bernise Theron, a pastor’s wife and mom of three from South Africa, who found herself facing one of the most faith-testing moments of her life in labor. After months of praying, preparing, and believing for a peaceful birth, she suddenly faced unexpected complications, fear, and a decision that would change everything.

But instead of panic, Bernise and her husband turned to something sacred. Something that completely shifted the atmosphere in the room, and what followed was nothing short of miraculous.

Tune in to hear:

• How Bernise's faith helped her move through fear after miscarriage
• What birth looks like for women in South Africa and why natural births are so rare
• The turning point moment that changed everything in her labor
• The beauty of worship, gratitude, and communion during birth
• How God’s hand was revealed in the smallest details of her baby’s delivery
• Why she now believes that miracles can be messy and still absolutely divine

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. 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 those of the host or Pain F...

What happens when your first birth leaves you traumatized and fearful—but God writes a redemptive story through your next births?

In this powerful episode of the Pain Free Birth Podcast, Karen sits down with Grace Kaminkow, a mom of three, who went from an unexpected emergency c-section to experiencing a VBAC home birth and eventually a pain-free birth filled with faith and worship.

Tune in to hear:

• How her first c-section birth unfolded after a cascade of interventions and left her questioning everything.
• The shocking words her husband heard from the anesthesiologist that fueled his fears about birth.
• Why she started researching VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and discovered the truth about home birth safety.
• How she convinced her hesitant husband to consider home birth, and the midwife who completely changed their perspective.
• The role of prayer, Scripture, and faith in moving from birth trauma to joy.
• Her second home birth after c-section, where peace replaced fear and her husband found redemption too.
• The incredible story of her third birth—worshipping through labor, resting at home, and experiencing a nearly pain-free supernatural home birth.

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. 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 those of the host or Pain F...

In today’s episode, Karen sits down with Tommi Kirkpatrick, a mother of six whose powerful story captures the highs, lows, and supernatural beauty of birth and motherhood. From her first home birth to the moment she thought she couldn’t go on, Tommi vulnerably shares how each of her births shaped her faith, her family, and her understanding of what it means to be a mother. 

Whether you’re preparing for your first baby or your sixth, this conversation will give you hope, courage, and a renewed belief in the way God designed birth.

Tune in to hear:

• How Tommi’s early births stretched her limits and reshaped her expectations
• Why brokenness in motherhood can actually be a gift
• The role of community, faith, and support when raising little ones
• What shifted between her fifth and sixth births
• The incredible story of her first pain-free birth after five babies
• How birth can become your greatest “pep talk” for life and motherhood

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. 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 those of the host or Pain F...

What if the “impossible” was actually possible?

In this jaw-dropping episode, Karen sits down with midwife Kristine Lauria, a global midwifery director with more than 30 years of experience, to unpack the viral story of a home birth triplet delivery.

Kristine has attended over 5,000 births worldwide — from refugee camps in South Sudan with Doctors Without Borders to high-risk deliveries in the U.S. — and she brings an unmatched perspective on what physiological birth can truly look like.

Tune in to hear:

• The incredible story of Amber’s viral home birth with triplets
• What actually happens in a breech extraction (and why it was needed in this case)
• How Kristine stayed calm in an emergency and why that saved a life
• Why the role of a good midwife often means having the skill to do nothing
• The difference between scary and traumatic births — and how a mother’s experience matters just as much as the outcome
• What Kristine has learned from thousands of births in hospitals, homes, and disaster zones around the world
• Why hospital cesarean rates don’t compare to what’s possible when birth is left undisturbed
• The spiritual and emotional side of birth that modern maternity care often overlooks

Triplet home birth video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C38V_IIpWzX/ 

Connect with Kristine: 

@globalmidwife64 

@allowedtobirth

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. 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 those of the host or Pain F...

What happens when you’ve been told your body “can’t” birth vaginally… and then God writes a different story?

In this episode, Karen sits down with Audrey Stinson, a mom of four, who went from believing she would never experience a vaginal birth to having not one, but two redemptive home births—the last being completely pain-free.

Audrey vulnerably shares her journey through two cesareans, the heartbreak of feeling her body was “broken,” and the desperate prayers that led her to invite God fully into her birth story. With the support of her doula, a faith-filled mindset shift, and leaning deeply on God’s presence, Audrey discovered strength, redemption, and joy in birth that she never imagined possible.

Tune in to hear:

• The limiting beliefs that often follow cesarean birth—and how faith can rewrite them
• How prayer and preparation paved the way for a redemptive VBAC at home
• The integral role a doula played in supporting Audrey and empowering her husband
• The difference between “intensity” and “pain” in labor
• How inviting God into every part of pregnancy and birth can transform the experience
• Audrey’s pain-free birth story with her fourth baby and how she walked away with an even deeper faith

Connect with Audrey:

IG: @faithful.labor

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. 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 those of the host or Pain F...

In this episode, Karen sits down with Kendall Pattillo — a mom of two (with one on the way!), wife, follower of Christ, and graduate of the Pain Free Birth Doula Mastermind. Although she’s just beginning her doula career, Kendall has already supported a variety of powerful births: VBACs, hospital births, birth center births, and home births.

Whether you’re a new doula searching for wisdom, a mom preparing for birth, or a partner curious about how doulas support families, this episode is full of encouragement, practical insights, and inspiration.

Tune in to hear:

• Kendall’s calling into birth work and how God opened the doors for her
• The powerful VBAC story she supported at her very first birth as a doula
• Why doulas are both servants and shields in the birth space
• Practical doula tips — knee pads, birth stools, showers, and headphones
• How doulas enhance a partner’s role instead of replacing it
• Lessons on presence, boundaries, and avoiding burnout as a new doula
• The confidence and tools Kendall gained through the Pain Free Birth Doula Mastermind

Connect with Kendall:

IG: @everedendoulaservices @kendallpattillo

Website: https://everedendoulaservices.com/

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. 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 those of the host or Pain F...

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

Resources mentioned:

5% discount on the Advocacy Trainings: Code: PAINFREEBIRTH

IG:  @intentional.birth

Website: www.intentionalbirth.co

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. 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 those of the host or Pain F...

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

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. 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 those of the host or Pain F...

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:

• Book: To Light Their Way  
  
  

Doors are open for the Doula Certification Program. 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 those of the host or Pain F...