My sixth baby was born when I was 42 years old, and for him we hired a midwife who'd been in practice since the year I was born. His pregnancy and birth stretched me and produced a lot of agitation, weirdly!

You can read and see photos from his birth here.

Preparing for home birth (with or without a midwife)? Here's how I can help:

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Challenge⁠

• Courses (so many!)

• ⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast⁠, co-hosted with Lauren Hall (longer, deeper episodes featuring birth stories and conversations)

• ⁠The Blog⁠

• Weekly email ⁠Newsletter⁠

• ⁠Embrace Birth Journey⁠ -- comprehensive course library for holistic, faith-based pregnancy, home birth and postpartum

• ⁠Free Birth With God⁠ mini-course

• Birth nerd ⁠merch⁠

Stuff I Recommend:

• ⁠Restorative Roots⁠ -- ancestral meals for postpartum mamas (and other people too). Use code SISTERBIRTH to save $20 on your first order of >$200

• ⁠Needed supplements⁠ - radically better nutrition for conception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save on your first subscription or bundle

• ⁠17Hats⁠ - client management system I've used/trusted for nearly 10 years. Use this link to get a referral deal!

My fifth baby was a surprise, and her home birth during the pandemic lock-downs was a planned unassisted birth. This birth also includes a slow transition that required my support. It's a very tender, sacred one for me. You can read more and see photos here.

SHOW NOTES:

Preparing for home birth (with or without a midwife)? Here's how I can help:

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Challenge⁠

• Courses (so many!)

• ⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast⁠, co-hosted with Lauren Hall (longer, deeper episodes featuring birth stories and conversations)

• ⁠The Blog⁠

• Weekly email ⁠Newsletter⁠

• ⁠Embrace Birth Journey⁠ -- comprehensive course library for holistic, faith-based pregnancy, home birth and postpartum

• ⁠Free Birth With God⁠ mini-course

• Birth nerd ⁠merch⁠

Stuff I Recommend:

• ⁠Restorative Roots⁠ -- ancestral meals for postpartum mamas (and other people too). Use code SISTERBIRTH to save $20 on your first order of >$200

• ⁠Needed supplements⁠ - radically better nutrition for conception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save on your first subscription or bundle

• ⁠17Hats⁠ - client management system I've used/trusted for nearly 10 years. Use this link to get a referral deal!

• ⁠Body Talk Basics⁠ -- puberty and cycle wisdom class for mothers and daughters. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save 10%

• ⁠YNAB⁠ - the budgeting program I'm addicted to and which has kept me out of the red for 15 years (even with variable/unpredictable income). This link gets you one free month!

Here is the home birth story of my fourth-born child, which is one of my favorite births. I was walking and reading for most of it, and then she was very nearly born unassisted. You can read the text and see photos here, too.

SHOW NOTES:

Preparing for home birth (with or without a midwife)? Here's how I can help:

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Challenge⁠

• Courses (so many!)

• ⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast⁠, co-hosted with Lauren Hall (longer, deeper episodes featuring birth stories and conversations)

• ⁠The Blog⁠

• Email ⁠Newsletter⁠

• ⁠Embrace Birth Journey⁠ -- comprehensive course library for holistic, faith-based pregnancy, home birth and postpartum

• ⁠Free Birth With God⁠ mini-course

• Birth nerd ⁠merch⁠

Stuff I Recommend:

• ⁠Restorative Roots⁠ -- ancestral meals for postpartum mamas (and other people too). Use code SISTERBIRTH to save $20 on your first order of >$200

• ⁠Needed supplements⁠ - radically better nutrition for conception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save on your first subscription or bundle

• ⁠17Hats⁠ - client management system I've used/trusted for nearly 10 years. Use this link to get a referral deal!

• ⁠Body Talk Basics⁠ -- puberty and cycle wisdom class for mothers and daughters. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save 10%

• ⁠YNAB⁠ - the budgeting program I'm addicted to and which has kept me out of the red for 15 years (even with variable/unpredictable income). This link gets you one free month!

Here is the birth story of my third child, my third home birth. This one has a couple of unusual elements in it, while also being precipitous.

You can also read it and see photos here.

Preparing for home birth (with or without a midwife)? Here's how I can help:

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Challenge⁠

• Courses (so many!)

• ⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast⁠, co-hosted with Lauren Hall (longer, deeper episodes featuring birth stories and conversations)

• ⁠The Blog⁠

• Weekly email ⁠Newsletter⁠

• ⁠Embrace Birth Journey⁠ -- comprehensive course library for holistic, faith-based pregnancy, home birth and postpartum

• ⁠Free Birth With God⁠ mini-course

• Birth nerd ⁠merch⁠

Stuff I Recommend:

• ⁠Restorative Roots⁠ -- ancestral meals for postpartum mamas (and other people too). Use code SISTERBIRTH to save $20 on your first order of >$200

• ⁠Needed supplements⁠ - radically better nutrition for conception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save on your first subscription or bundle

• ⁠17Hats⁠ - client management system I've used/trusted for nearly 10 years. Use this link to get a referral deal!

• ⁠Body Talk Basics⁠ -- puberty and cycle wisdom class for mothers and daughters. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save 10%

• ⁠YNAB⁠ - the budgeting program I'm addicted to and which has kept me out of the red for 15 years (even with variable/unpredictable income). This link gets you one free month!

Here's my second home birth story, a smooth butter birth if every there was one!

You can read it and see photos here.

Preparing for home birth (with or without a midwife)? Here's how I can help:

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Challenge⁠

• Courses (so many!)

• ⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast⁠, co-hosted with Lauren Hall (longer, deeper episodes featuring birth stories and conversations)

• ⁠The Blog⁠

• Weekly email ⁠Newsletter⁠

• ⁠Embrace Birth Journey⁠ -- comprehensive course library for holistic, faith-based pregnancy, home birth and postpartum

• ⁠Free Birth With God⁠ mini-course

• Birth nerd ⁠merch⁠

Stuff I Recommend:

• ⁠Restorative Roots⁠ -- ancestral meals for postpartum mamas (and other people too). Use code SISTERBIRTH to save $20 on your first order of >$200

• ⁠Needed supplements⁠ - radically better nutrition for conception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save on your first subscription or bundle

• ⁠17Hats⁠ - client management system I've used/trusted for nearly 10 years. Use this link to get a referral deal!

• ⁠Body Talk Basics⁠ -- puberty and cycle wisdom class for mothers and daughters. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save 10%

• ⁠YNAB⁠ - the budgeting program I'm addicted to and which has kept me out of the red for 15 years (even with varia

Here's the home birth story of my firstborn, a rather epic, elongated tale.

⁠Here's the written version, with photos, too.⁠

Preparing for home birth (with or without a midwife)? Here's how I can help:

• ⁠Faith-Filled Home Birth Challenge⁠⁠

• ⁠Courses⁠ (so many!)

• ⁠⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast⁠⁠, co-hosted with Lauren Hall (longer, deeper episodes featuring birth stories and conversations)

• ⁠The ⁠Blog⁠⁠

• Weekly email ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠Embrace Birth Journey⁠⁠ -- comprehensive course library for holistic, faith-based pregnancy, home birth and postpartum (newly lowered price!!)

• ⁠⁠Free Birth With God⁠ ⁠mini-course

• Birth nerd ⁠⁠merch⁠⁠

Stuff I Recommend:

• ⁠⁠Restorative Roots⁠⁠ -- ancestral meals for postpartum mamas (and other people too). Use code SISTERBIRTH to save $20 on your first order of >$200

• ⁠⁠Needed supplements⁠⁠ - radically better nutrition for conception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save on your first subscription or bundle

• ⁠⁠17Hats⁠⁠ - client management system I've used/trusted for nearly 10 years. Use this link to get a referral deal!

• ⁠⁠Body Talk Basics⁠⁠ -- puberty and cycle wisdom class for mothers and daughters. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save 10%

• ⁠⁠YNAB⁠⁠ - the budgeting program I'm addicted to and which has kept me out of the red for 15 years (even with variable/unpredictable income). This link gets you one free month!

Here you get to hear some birthkeeper (and mom) ramblings.

• The sister circles I host monthly
• Paradigm shifts inherent to becoming a home birther (more on this in Trust God, Trust Birth)
• My upcoming IRL doula clients
• Doulas becoming more in demand than photographers -- why?
• Serving as a doula — what I love and what I don’t like about the name/role
• Weaning my youngest child at age 3
• Gathering old baby/pregnancy items for a SIL who is pregnant --> nostalgia
• NYT article about continuous fetal monitoring
• EBJ Sale - 50% off through Nov 26
• 
  

Preparing for home birth (with or without a midwife)? Here's how I can help:

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Challenge⁠

• Courses (so many!)

• ⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast⁠, co-hosted with Lauren Hall (longer, deeper episodes featuring birth stories and conversations)

• ⁠The Blog⁠

• Weekly email ⁠Newsletter⁠

• ⁠Embrace Birth Journey⁠ -- comprehensive course library for holistic, faith-based pregnancy, home birth and postpartum

• ⁠Free Birth With God⁠ mini-course

• Birth nerd ⁠merch⁠

Stuff I Recommend:

• ⁠Restorative Roots⁠ -- ancestral meals for postpartum mamas (and other people too). Use code SISTERBIRTH to save $20 on your first order of >$200

• ⁠Needed supplements⁠ - radically better nutrition for conception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save on your first subscription or bundle

• ⁠17Hats⁠ - client management system I've used/trusted for nearly 10 years. Use this link to get a referral deal!

• ⁠Body Talk Basics⁠ -- puberty and cycle wisdom class for mothers and daughters. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save 10%

• ⁠YNAB⁠ - the budgeting program I'm addicted to and which has kept me out of the red for 15 years (even with variable/unpredictable income). This link gets you one free month!

Trying to decide whether or not to hire a midwife to attend your home birth? There are many considerations to take into account when deciding whether or not to have a free birth or an unassisted birth.

In this episode we cover:- history of midwifery (very abbreviated)- reasons having a midwife can be great- influx of interest in unassisted birth due to desire to leave behind hospital/medical birth (including midwives who are becoming more medicalized!)- factors to consider when deciding whether or not to go unasssisted- how to seek direction from the Lord about it- my own process of coming to having a free birth with my 5th baby after 4 midwife-assisted home births.Get equipped with the most comprehensive, freebirth-friendly, faith-based pregnancy/birth/postpartum course library out there Embrace Birth Journey

Or skip straight to the free birth prep with Free Birth With God (this course is also inside Embrace Birth Journey).

Preparing for home birth (with or without a midwife)? Here's how I can help:

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Challenge⁠

• Courses (so many!)

• ⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast⁠, co-hosted with Lauren Hall (longer, deeper episodes featuring birth stories and conversations)

• ⁠The Blog⁠

• Weekly email ⁠Newsletter⁠

• ⁠Embrace Birth Journey⁠ -- comprehensive course library for holistic, faith-based pregnancy, home birth and postpartum

• ⁠Free Birth With God⁠ mini-course

• Birth nerd ⁠merch⁠

Stuff I Recommend:

• ⁠Restorative Roots⁠ -- ancestral meals for postpartum mamas (and other people too). Use code SISTERBIRTH to save $20 on your first order of >$200

• ⁠Needed supplements⁠ - radically better nutrition for conception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save on your first subscription or bundle

• ⁠17Hats⁠ - client management system I've used/trusted for nearly 10 years. Use this link to get a referral deal!

• ⁠Body Talk Basics⁠ -- puberty and cycle wisdom class for mothers and daughters. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save 10%

• ⁠YNAB⁠ - the budgeting program I'm addicted to and which has kept me out of the red for 15 years (even with variable/unpredictable income). This link gets you one free month!

There are some universal needs of women in labor. In this book review and discussion, I'm digging into a little booklet by midwife Ruth Ehrhardt, which draws heavily from the work of the late Dr. Michel Odent, to paint a picture of what those needs are, and how to ensure that those needs are met.

If you are about having a smooth, physiological birth, this episode is for you.

Resources for going deeper:

• Buy the book go HERE.
• Listen to the free audiobook HERE.
• Get a FREE basic needs checklist HERE.

Preparing for home birth (with or without a midwife)? Here's how I can help:

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Challenge⁠

• Courses (so many!)

• ⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast⁠, co-hosted with Lauren Hall (longer, deeper episodes featuring birth stories and conversations)

• ⁠The Blog⁠

• Weekly email ⁠Newsletter⁠

• ⁠Embrace Birth Journey⁠ -- comprehensive course library for holistic, faith-based pregnancy, home birth and postpartum

• ⁠Free Birth With God⁠ mini-course

• Birth nerd ⁠merch⁠

Stuff I Recommend:

• ⁠Restorative Roots⁠ -- ancestral meals for postpartum mamas (and other people too). Use code SISTERBIRTH to save $20 on your first order of >$200

• ⁠Needed supplements⁠ - radically better nutrition for conception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save on your first subscription or bundle

• ⁠17Hats⁠ - client management system I've used/trusted for nearly 10 years. Use this link to get a referral deal!

• ⁠Body Talk Basics⁠ -- puberty and cycle wisdom class for mothers and daughters. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save 10%

• ⁠YNAB⁠ - the budgeting program I'm addicted to and which has kept me out of the red for 15 years (even with variable/unpredictable income). This link gets you one free month!

In the world we're living in, we have to pay to have things left alone. If you don't want additives, fillers, and preservatives in your food or your birth, you may have to pay a higher price tag.

Check out The Basic Needs of a Woman in Labour, now also available as a podcast mini-series on Spotify.

Preparing for home birth (with or without a midwife)? Here's how I can help:

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Challenge⁠

• Courses (so many!)

• ⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast⁠, co-hosted with Lauren Hall (longer, deeper episodes featuring birth stories and conversations)

• ⁠The Blog⁠

• Weekly email ⁠Newsletter⁠

• ⁠Embrace Birth Journey⁠ -- comprehensive course library for holistic, faith-based pregnancy, home birth and postpartum

• ⁠Free Birth With God⁠ mini-course

• Birth nerd ⁠merch⁠

Stuff I Recommend:

• ⁠Restorative Roots⁠ -- ancestral meals for postpartum mamas (and other people too). Use code SISTERBIRTH to save $20 on your first order of >$200

• ⁠Needed supplements⁠ - radically better nutrition for conception, pregnancy, and postpartum. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save on your first subscription or bundle

• ⁠17Hats⁠ - client management system I've used/trusted for nearly 10 years. Use this link to get a referral deal!

• ⁠Body Talk Basics⁠ -- puberty and cycle wisdom class for mothers and daughters. Use code SISTERBIRTH to save 10%

• ⁠YNAB⁠ - the budgeting program I'm addicted to and which has kept me out of the red for 15 years (even with variable/unpredictable income). This link gets you one free month!