We sit down with Sharon Medrano, IBCLC, who has supported families in their breastfeeding journeys for over 16 years. Sharon’s own struggles led her to dive deep into the science and soul of breastfeeding, and now she works to bridge the gap between birth, postpartum, and feeding with compassion and practical wisdom.

We explore why breastfeeding doesn’t always “just happen,” how interventions at birth can shape the start of feeding, and why support and informed choices matter more than anything. Sharon also breaks down common myths (like breast size and milk supply), shares the number one thing she wishes moms knew before giving birth, and reminds us that even if your birth didn’t go as planned—you can still have a positive, nourishing breastfeeding experience.

This is one of those conversations every mom deserves to hear, whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, or supporting another mother on her journey.

• How Sharon’s personal struggles led her to become a lactation consultant

📍 Hear Sharon live at the Reclaiming Birth Conference in Ontario – September 19 & 20, 2025

Connect with Sharon Medrano

Motherly: Helpful Articles

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Podcast Disclaimer:

Couples therapist and birth advocate Ashley Mariani (aka “The Rogue Therapist”) joins us to talk about love, leadership, and protecting your family in the birth space. Ashley works at the powerful intersection of birth, intimacy, and nervous system healing, supporting couples through pregnancy, birth, and the massive transition into parenthood. From naming obstetric violence to calling fathers into true protection and partnership, this episode is a wake-up call and a blueprint for unity.

We unpack why so many moms feel dismissed, how “good girl” conditioning shows up in appointments, and what real advocacy looks like when the pressure is on. Ashley shares the core relationship shifts after baby (mental load, intimacy, boundaries), how to regulate your nervous system so you can respond—not react and why fatherhood should be treated as a rite of passage, not an afterthought.

If you’ve ever wished your partner knew exactly how to show up or you’re ready to reclaim birth as yours, this one will change how you prepare together!

Key Highlights:

About the Reclaiming Birth Conference

This powerful in-person gathering brings together voices from around the world who are reclaiming birth, autonomy, and truth. Designed for parents, birth workers, and change makers, the conference is about honouring physiology, challenging the status quo, and reclaiming your birthright.

📍 Ontario – September 19 & 20, 2025

📍 Montreal – Spring 2026

Connect with Ashley Mariani:

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Podcast Disclaimer:

The Raw MOMversations podcast is for entertainment purposes only and not a substitute for professional or medical advice. The views expressed by hosts and guests are their own. Consult professionals for individual needs. We strive for accuracy but make no warranties. Any views or opinions expressed by the hosts, guests, or contributors are solely their own and do not represent the views of Raw MOMversations, its sponsors, or affiliated organizations. Raw MOMversations is not liable for any losses. By listening, you agree to these terms. Thank you for tuning in!

Dr. Nathan Riley, holistic OB-GYN and host of the Born Free Method podcast, joins us for one of our most expansive and paradigm-shifting conversations to date. Trained in both conventional medicine and hospice care, Dr. Riley now walks a radically different path- one that integrates midwifery, lifestyle medicine, intuition, and reverence for birth as a sacred rite of passage.

We talk about how doctors are schooled out of intuition, how medical hierarchy silences women, and why midwifery—not obstetrics—should be the default model of maternity care. Dr. Riley also shares his deeply personal story of attending his own daughter’s home birth, what it really means to “sit on your hands,” and why reclaiming birth is inseparable from reclaiming society itself.

This episode is a masterclass in love-based care, medical deprogramming, and what it looks like to hold birth—not manage it.

If you've ever questioned the system—or yourself—this one will help you remember your power.

Key Highlights:

About the Reclaiming Birth Conference

This groundbreaking event brings together voices from around the world to challenge the mainstream birth narrative. Designed for parents, birth workers, and revolutionaries, the conference centers physiology, sovereignty, and sacred connection.

📍Ontario – September 19 & 20, 2025

📍Montreal – Sprin 2026

Connect with Dr. Nathan Riley:

Connect with Melania & Ally:

Podcast Disclaimer:

C-section recovery specialist and founder of The Scar Connection, Sarah Stead, joins us for a raw, validating, and truth-filled conversation that every mother deserves to hear whether your birth was surgical or not.

With over a decade of experience supporting women after cesarean birth, Sarah is on a mission to rewrite the narrative around healing, recovery, and VBAC choices. From scar tissue and stored trauma to postpartum grief, physical pain, and the myth of the 6-week “all-clear” this episode is full of truths that rarely get shared.

We talk about what’s really missing from postpartum care, how the medical system downplays a major abdominal surgery, and why support after birth is non-negotiable. Sarah also breaks down the difference between common and normal, and what your body—and heart—might still be holding onto years later.

This episode is a warm hug, a wake-up call, and a reclamation all in one. Whether you’re a C-section mama, planning a VBAC, or simply looking for more truth and support—this one’s for you.

• Why the “6-week checkup” is not the finish line—it’s just the beginning

This powerful in-person gathering brings together voices from around the world who are reclaiming birth, autonomy, and truth. Designed for parents, birth workers, and changemakers, the conference is about honoring physiology, challenging the status quo, and reclaiming your birthright.

📍 Ontario – September 19 & 20, 2025

📍 Montreal – Spring, 2026

 Instagram: @scar.connection

VBAC Info:

https://www.thevbaclink.com/vbac-provider/ 

Reclaiming Birth Conference 15% off use SARAH15

 Instagram: @rawmomversations

The Raw MOMversations podcast is for entertainment purposes only and not a substitute for professional or medical advice. The views expressed by hosts and guests are their own. Consult professionals for individual needs. We strive for accuracy but make no warranties. Any views or opinions expressed by the hosts, guests, or contributors are solely their own and do not represent the views of Raw MOMversations, its sponsors, or affiliated organizations. Raw MOMversations is not liable for any losses. By listening, you agree to these terms. Thank you for tuning in!

Can birth actually heal your childhood wounds?

Holistic birth guide, doula, and podcast host Eyla Cuenca joins us for one of the most soul-shifting conversations we've ever had. Known for her trauma-informed, spiritually grounded approach to birth, Eyla dives deep into how our earliest experiences shape our nervous system—and how the birth portal can actually help us reclaim, rewire, and heal.

With over a decade of experience and more than 200 births attended, Eyla brings wisdom, depth, and compassion to this powerful dialogue. From inner child healing to conscious conception to the vibrations of our words in labor—this episode is a wake-up call to slow down, reconnect, and birth from a place of wholeness.

Whether you’re a birth worker, a mama-to-be, or someone on their own healing journey—this episode will stir something in you.

If you've ever felt birth was more than just a physical event… you’re right. And this conversation might just unlock what’s been waiting for you all along.

Key Highlights:

• What it really means to reclaim your birth experience

About the Reclaiming Birth Conference

📍 Ontario – September 19 & 20, 2025

Follow @reclaimingbirthconference and @reclaiming.birth.montreal

Connect with Eyla Cuenca:

Courses:

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Podcast Disclaimer:

Is hospital birth really the safest—or just the most profitable?

We talk about the medicalization of birth, the overuse of interventions like ultrasounds and inductions, and why the system isn’t broken—it’s working exactly as designed. Dr. Stu explains the cascade of interventions, how VBAC risks are distorted, why informed consent is often missing, and why so many mothers feel disempowered. He also shares how the birth world is changing—and what gives him hope.

If you've ever felt something was “off” about the way birth is handled today, this episode will validate that instinct. And if you're navigating your own birth choices, it may just change everything.

This powerful in-person gathering brings together voices from around the world who are reclaiming birth, autonomy, and truth. Designed for parents, birth workers, and changemakers, the conference is about honoring physiology, challenging the status quo, and reclaiming your birthright.

📍 Ontario – September 19 & 20, 2025

📍 Montreal – October 25, 2025

The Raw MOMversations podcast is for entertainment purposes only and not a substitute for professional or medical advice. The views expressed by hosts and guests are their own. Consult professionals for individual needs. We strive for accuracy but make no warranties. Any views or opinions expressed by the hosts, guests, or contributors are solely their own and do not represent the views of Raw MOMversations, its sponsors, or affiliated organizations. Raw MOMversations is not liable for any losses. By listening, you agree to these terms. Thank you for tuning in!

Can birth really be sacred in today’s world?

In this soulful and inspiring episode, Rivka unpacks what it means to truly reclaim birth. We talk about navigating birthing choices, the emotional terrain of becoming a mother, and how to trust our instincts in a world that often tells us not to. She shares insight into “the mysteries” of birth, why not all OBs are created equal, and how sacredness can still exist—no matter where or how you birth.

If you’ve ever felt pulled toward a deeper, more intuitive path to birth, this episode will affirm what your body already knows: You were made for this.

• What physiological birth really means (and how to access it)

This powerful in-person gathering brings together voices from around the world who are reclaiming birth, sovereignty, and truth. A space for parents, birth workers, and changemakers, this conference is about unlearning, remembering, and rising.

Catch Rivka Cymbalist and other featured speakers at:

📍 Montreal – Oct 25, 2025

• Podcast: Baby Magic Podcast

• Instagram: @rawmomversations

Email: [email protected]

The Raw MOMversations podcast is for entertainment purposes only and not a substitute for professional or medical advice. The views expressed by hosts and guests are their own. Consult professionals for individual needs. We strive for accuracy but make no warranties. Any views or opinions expressed by the hosts, guests, or contributors are solely their own and do not represent the views of Raw MOMversations, its sponsors, or affiliated organizations. Raw MOMversations is not liable for any losses. By listening, you agree to these terms. Thank you for tuning in!

Can you really heal from birth trauma? Billie Harrigan, traditional birth companion, educator, and founder of Birth Trauma Ontario, says yes—when we name what really happened and reclaim our stories. With over 40 years of experience, Billie has supported countless women through birth, postpartum, and the long road of healing after difficult or traumatic experiences.

In this raw and deeply validating episode, we dive into the nuances of birth trauma, the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways obstetric violence shows up, and why so many mothers are left feeling silenced or dismissed after birth. Billie brings clarity, compassion, and fierce truth-telling to a topic that desperately needs to be spoken about.

If you’ve ever walked away from your birth feeling confused, hurt, or like something just wasn’t right—this conversation is for you. You are not broken. Your feelings are valid. And healing is possible.

This powerful in-person gathering brings together voices from around the world who are reclaiming birth, sovereignty, and truth. A space for parents, birth workers, and changemakers, this conference is about unlearning, remembering, and rising.

Ontario – Sept 19 & 20, 2025

Montreal – Oct 25, 2025

• Instagram: @billieharrigan

• Instagram: @rawmomversations

• Email: [email protected]

The Raw MOMversations podcast is for entertainment purposes only and not a substitute for professional or medical advice. The views expressed by hosts and guests are their own. Consult professionals for individual needs. We strive for accuracy but make no warranties. Any views or opinions expressed by the hosts, guests, or contributors are solely their own and do not represent the views of Raw MOMversations, its sponsors, or affiliated organizations. Raw MOMversations is not liable for any losses. By listening, you agree to these terms. Thank you for tuning in!

Melania is just weeks away from welcoming her second baby—and in this intimate, emotional, and often hilarious episode, we sit down for a real, raw conversation about everything she’s doing differently this time around. From preparing Markus for big brotherhood to confronting her fears from her first birth, Melania opens up about how choosing a holistic path has transformed her mindset and confidence.

Together, we unpack what it really means to prepare for a physiological birth, why education is power (especially for second-time moms!), and how postpartum healing begins with honoring your instincts. Whether you’re pregnant with your first or your fourth, this episode will remind you of the strength you already carry—and why your birth experience matters just as much as your baby’s arrival.

Key Highlights:

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Podcast Disclaimer:

Are all inductions necessary—or even helpful? HeHe Stewart, doula, childbirth educator, and the powerhouse behind The Birth Lounge. Known for her unapologetic advocacy and evidence-based insights, HeHe unpacks the truth about medical inductions and empowers moms to make informed, confident choices about their births.

Together, we explore the myths and realities around due dates, elective vs. medical induction, and why many women feel pressured or coerced into choices they later regret. From understanding the flawed ARRIVE trial to navigating Pitocin protocols, this episode is a deep dive into what every mom should know before walking into a hospital birth.

If you’ve ever been told “a healthy baby is all that matters,” this conversation will open your eyes to why you matter just as much—and how advocating for yourself starts with being informed!

Key Highlights:

Connect with HeHe Stewart:

Connect with Melania & Ally:

For partnership and collaboration inquiries:

Podcast Disclaimer: