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Some moms swear placenta pills changed their postpartum recovery…others say they did nothing. So what’s actually true?
Today I'm sitting down with Dr. Sophia Johnson. She's a physician, researcher, and author who spent a decade studying the placenta inside a university lab in Germany.
(Fun fact: in Germany, the placenta is literally called Mutterkuchen: "mother's cake." 🎂 After this episode, you'll understand why. )
We're diving into the actual science of consuming it: which preparation methods preserve the most hormones, the GBS case every encapsulating mom needs to know about, what hormone withdrawal really does to your body postpartum, and so much more.
I've been watching this topic explode since my oldest was born (17 years ago!!), and this episode is everything I wish I had been able to hear all those years ago.
I know you're going to LOVE this episode — and I'm so curious about what you'll plan to do after you listen!!
Here are some highlights from the episode:
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >>
On Apple Podcasts
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FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
Let's Connect!
Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected].
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!
What would you do if your baby came so fast… your husband hadn't even had his morning coffee yet?
Veronica planned a home birth... she just didn't plan for it to look like this: her husband catching their daughter in their bedroom, the midwife and doula still an hour away, and a baby who had absolutely no interest in waiting for anyone.
And she definitely didn't plan for her placenta to be so rare that a midwife with YEARS of experience had never seen anything like it...
... Or for that same placenta to be the very reason her intuition had been telling her the entire birth: do not let anyone touch me.
This episode is one of the most complete birth stories I've ever had on the podcast.
We are talking about the full journey:
✅ The mindset work leading up to her birth
✅ The daily prep (including how her toddler held her accountable to her exercises!)
✅ The birth itself (minute by minute, because you need every detail), and what happened after
✅ The post-birth matrescence that I think every single person who loves a pregnant woman needs to hear
Veronica came into her second pregnancy knowing she wanted something different. She just didn't know how different it would actually get.
Here are some highlights from the episode:
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >>
On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
Let's Connect!
Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected].
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!
What if the most powerful voice in your birth room isn't the doctor's — it's your husband's?
In this episode, I sit down with Catalina Clark, a licensed home birth midwife in Sonoma, California, who has spent 11 years at the crossroads of spiritual midwifery, birth sovereignty, and the sacred side of birth that nobody in the hospital is talking about. From the father's role in the birth room to why Pitocin may be affecting us on a cultural level, we talk about it all — and I think you're going to want to listen to it more than once.
I loved every minute of this conversation with Catalina. She has this incredible way of meeting you exactly where you are — whether you're planning a hospital birth, a home birth, or you're not even sure yet — and reminding you that you have far more power than you've been told. This is the kind of episode that makes you think differently, breathe a little deeper, and trust yourself a whole lot more.
Here's some highlights from the episode:
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >>
On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
Let's Connect!
Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected].
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!
Over the years, birth has slowly shifted from a natural, woman-centered experience to something much more medicalized — and most pregnant moms have no idea why.
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how modern maternity care evolved, why so many women are left feeling like their bodies are broken (or are told something along those lines), and what you can do right now to walk into birth feeling confident, informed, and supported.
Because the truth is… your body isn’t broken.
When you understand how birth actually works — and how the system around birth operates — everything begins to look different. You can start to trust your body again, ask better questions, and make decisions that truly support the birth experience you want.
I absolutely loved recording this episode because it gives moms the bigger picture that most of us were never taught. Understanding the history and structure of maternity care can completely change the way you prepare for birth — and help you walk into labor feeling calm, confident, and empowered.
This is an episode every I hope every pregnant mom has a chance to hear before she gives birth.
Here are some highlights from the episode:
• How birth slowly shifted from a normal life event to a highly medicalized experience
• The rise of interventions like inductions, Cesarean birth, and routine procedures in modern birth
• Why helpful medical tools sometimes become routine practices — even when they aren’t always necessary
• What research actually says about home birth vs hospital birth for low-risk pregnancies
• Why your birth environment plays a huge role in how your body labors
• What the pandemic revealed about birth choices and maternity care systems
• The hidden limitations of many hospital birth classes
• The epidural conversation many moms aren’t prepared for before labor begins
• Why informed consent matters and the options many women don’t realize they have during birth
• The foundational pieces that help women feel confident and empowered heading into labor
• Postpartum decisions most moms never realize they’ll be making before birth
Tune in to learn how understanding the system around birth can help you take back ownership of your experience, trust your body, and prepare for the empowered birth you deserve.
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >>
On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
Let's Connect!
Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected].
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!
What does it look like when a pelvic floor physical therapist uses everything she knows — plus the My Essential Birth course — to prepare for her own unmedicated birth? It looks like THIS episode.
Haley Sampson is a labor of love kind of mama. She stayed active, did her prep work, went to 41 weeks and 3 days, had her water break, and pushed her baby out using tools, visualization, and a birth partner who truly showed up. Whether you're curious about pelvic floor prep, what unmedicated contractions actually feel like, or how to push effectively — Haley gives us every amazing detail.
In this episode you'll learn:
Birth is hard work — but you were made for this. Tune in and let Haley remind you just how capable you really are.
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >>
On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
Let's Connect!
Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected].
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!
Is everything we’ve been told about fat… wrong?
In this episode, I sit down with Reproductive Endocrinologist & Fertility Specialist, Dr. Robert Kiltz, founder of CNY Fertility, to talk about infertility, gestational diabetes, insulin resistance, and the controversial idea that eating more fat — not less — may be the key to healing.
Dr. Kiltz shares his personal health journey, how he began questioning conventional nutrition advice, and what he started noticing in his fertility practice when patients shifted toward paleo, keto, and even carnivore-style eating. We discuss rising infertility rates, pregnancy nutrition myths, blood sugar balance, liver health, inflammation, and why so many women today are being diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
This episode will absolutely challenge the standard pregnancy nutrition narrative you've been receiving — and invite you to think more critically about what truly supports fertility and metabolic health.
Here are some highlights from the episode:
• Dr. Kiltz’s unexpected journey from troubled teen to fertility specialist
• Why infertility rates continue to rise — and what might actually be driving it
• The connection between insulin, liver health, and gestational diabetes
• How quickly hormones and blood sugar can begin to shift with dietary changes
• Protein vs. fat — are we emphasizing the wrong one?
• Whether you can really “eat too much” fat
• The role inflammation may play in reproductive struggles
• Why reproductive health reflects overall metabolic health
• How mindset, faith, and stress impact healing and fertility
Whether you agree with everything shared or not, this conversation will help you ask better questions about what you’re eating before and during pregnancy — and what truly nourishes your body while growing a baby.
If you’re trying to conceive, navigating gestational diabetes, or simply wanting to optimize your health for pregnancy, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Tune in, decide for yourself, and let me know what you think!!
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >>
On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
Let's Connect!
Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected].
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!
If you're aiming for a VBAC this pregnancy, this one is for you mama!
I had a wonderful conversation with My Essential Birth Mama, Sarah. She shares how she navigated pregnancy, labor, and birth with confidence — even when things didn’t go exactly as planned. We discuss everything from preparing her mindset during pregnancy to advocating during labor and embracing the beauty of her baby’s arrival. This episode is full of encouragement for any mama preparing for birth...and especially for my VBAC mamas!
Here are some highlights from the episode:
• How Sarah prepared mentally and physically for birth during pregnancy
• The mindset shifts that helped her release fear and build confidence
• What early labor felt like and how she knew things were progressing
• The tools she used to manage contractions naturally
• How preparation helped her advocate for herself in the hospital
• What it looked like to pivot peacefully when birth didn’t unfold exactly as expected
• The emotional moment she met her baby
• Her honest postpartum reflections and what she wants every pregnant mom to know
Birth may not always go exactly according to plan — but it can still be powerful, peaceful, and empowering. I hope this story reminds you that your body was designed for this, and with the right preparation, you can walk into your birth feeling strong and ready. 💛
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >>
On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
Let's Connect!
Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected].
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!
"It's our birthright to be deeply connected to our babies and to grow from it." - Dr. Kirshenbaum
What if the most important thing you could do for your baby’s brain… isn’t something you buy, schedule, or optimize — but in the way you nurture & feel?
This week, I sit down with Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum — neuroscientist, author of The Nurture Revolution, and former doula — to talk about what modern neuroscience says about pregnancy, birth, infant sleep, and the first three years of life. We talk about how your emotional experiences during pregnancy shape your baby’s brain, why nurture is not “soft” but biologically essential, and what moms really need to know about stress, bonding, sleep training, and early brain development.
If you’ve ever worried about doing enough, getting it right, or messing up your baby, you're going to love this discussion and I hope more than anything, it puts your mind at ease. I feel like I cannot say this enough, but YOU are the perfect mother for your baby AND you're doing better than you think you are!
Here’s some highlights from the episode:
• How pregnancy experiences shape your baby’s brain before birth
• The neuroscience behind what doulas do in the birth and postpartum space
• Why the first 0–3 years are the most critical window for emotional and mental health
• What “nurture” really means from a brain-based perspective
• Dr. Kirshenbaum’s views on infant sleep and why she questions sleep training
• What’s considered normal for baby sleep around the world
• How mothers can regulate stress — for themselves and their babies
• Why soothing your baby also soothes your own nervous system
• What happens if early nurture wasn’t ideal (and why there’s still so much hope)
• The core message of The Nurture Revolution and how it supports modern motherhood
This episode is a beautiful reminder that you don’t have to be perfect to raise a healthy, secure, thriving baby. If you’re pregnant, postpartum, or even just thinking about motherhood, this conversation will leave you feeling calmer, more confident, and deeply validated in the most important role you’ll ever have.
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >>
On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
Let's Connect!
Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected].
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!
“Don’t lift your arms over your head.”
“First babies always come late.”
“Hospital birth is the only safe option.”
If you’re pregnant, you may have already heard at least one of these — maybe from a well-meaning family member… or maybe from your doctor.
In this episode, we’re having a little fun (and a lot of truth-telling) as we walk through 16 of the most common pregnancy and birth myths, from the 1940s all the way to today. Some are funny. Some are outdated. And some are still quietly shaping how women experience pregnancy and birth — without even realizing it.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this actually true… or just something people say?"... this one's for you!
Here are some highlights from the episode:
• Why lifting your arms, moving your body, and even sex during pregnancy became taboo
• The truth behind weight gain, cravings, and “eating for two”
• The real history of being put to sleep for labor (and why informed consent matters)
• How formula marketing, induction convenience, and medical authority shaped modern birth
• Why questioning your provider is not only okay — it’s important
• What actually happens with water breaking, due dates, and first babies
• The myths surrounding epidurals, C-sections, and “forgetting the pain”
• Why instant bonding doesn’t happen for everyone — and why that’s normal
Some will make you laugh, others will have you shaking your head...all of them will be debunked 😉
Let's keep the conversation going...send me the craziest, funniest, or downright concerning myths you've heard!
IG @myessentialbirth
email: [email protected]
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >>
On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
Let's Connect!
Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected].
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!
I never thought I would hear birth compared to fighting… but honestly, it might be one of my favorite analogies ever.
In this episode, I’m joined by Madie — a professional fighter, dog trainer, and mom — who shares how she approached pregnancy and birth with the same mindset she brings to fight camp: strategy, mental strength, and trust in her mind and body.
We talk about what it’s like to navigate pregnancy when you can’t workout, how she chose the right midwife, and how she learned to make intuitive decisions in labor — including whether or not to get the epidural, and how to trust her body's need for movement.
I absolutely loved this conversation and the way Madie reframes birth as something you can actually train for, mentally and emotionally, not just physically.
Here are some highlights from the episode:
• How Madie went from professional fighter to first-time (& second-time) mom...who still fights btw!
• What it was like mentally to not be able to fight or workout during pregnancy
• How she chose her midwife and what to do if you’re second-guessing your provider
• The truth about pregnancy weight gain and why it wasn’t actually a problem
• Why she calls birth a “nine-month fight camp”
• How she used visualization, meditation, movement, and My Essential Birth to prepare
• Why she actually wanted cervical checks
• How intuitive position changes helped her baby move into a better position
• How My Essential Birth supported her through pregnancy and labor
• Her best advice for moms (and dads… especially dads 😅)
If you are here and pregnant, I hope you take some of this amazing advice into your own birth prep, and that you enjoying the fun birth story as well.
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >>
On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
Let's Connect!
Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected].
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!
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