Anna’s story unfolds over 70 hours of labor, beginning with a prophetic dream, a detour through the hospital system, and ultimately a triumphant return home where she birthed in her own power. Along the way, she faced her deepest fears, surrendered to trust in her body, and stepped fully into her role as mother.

In this conversation, Anna shares:

• The red thread lineage that shaped her relationship to birth and voice.
• A vivid prophetic dream that foreshadowed her birth.
• How bleeding in early labor led her to a hospital stay — and the moment she chose to leave against medical advice.
• The inner work with archetypes, spiritual practice, and Jungian analysis that prepared her for free birth.
• The ecstatic, liminal, and at times brutal hours of laboring at home — complete with chanting, visions, drumming, and profound encounters with her lineage.
• How she navigated a short cord, heavy bleeding, and the arrival of her son posterior after days of prodromal labor.
• The wild postpartum: placenta rituals, burning the cord, and the challenges of early breastfeeding.

Anna’s story is one of devotion, resilience, and remembrance — a reminder that birth is both deeply personal and profoundly ancestral.

About Anna Blash Anna lives in Maine with her partner Aaron and their son Thomas. She is a craniosacral therapist and space-holder passionate about natural living, spiritual practice, and creating sacred containers for others walking the free birth path.

Contact Anna: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Website: ⁠⁠www.emilygracenixon.com⁠⁠

Instagram: @⁠⁠embodiedwomenswisdom⁠⁠

Leave me a review on ⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

Music: The Ancients (feat. Loga Ramin Torkian) by Azam Ali

Disclaimer:

The information and resources provided by me are not intended to constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice or a Mother’s intuition. Instead, all information provided is intended for education purposes only. My advice is not to be seen as medical diagnosis or to treat any medical illness or condition of Mother or baby/fetus.

Keywords: natural birth, home birth, freebirth, physiological birth, birth stories, postpartum healing, women’s circles, rites of passage, womb wisdom, feminine embodiment, sisterhood, conscious conception, birth trauma healing, matrescence, menopause, first-time mom birth story, VBAC, spirit baby.

Join us for a home birth to free birth story with Fatima.

Fatima is a mother of two beautiful children who are the reason she pursued her passion to work in the birthing space.

After having two empowering births at home she felt the call to help pregnant women which led her to become a transformational birth coach.

She brings her experience as a Mother’s Blessing facilitator and prenatal yoga teacher into her practice.

She strives to empower women to embrace their unique birth experiences and cultivate a sense of confidence and empowerment as they transition into motherhood.

Her ultimate goal is to help women feel supported, empowered, and deeply connected to their own strength and wisdom as they navigate the transformative journey of childbirth and motherhood.

@birthinggoddess

@fatimawheeler

Website: ⁠⁠www.emilygracenixon.com⁠⁠

Instagram: @⁠⁠embodiedwomenswisdom⁠⁠

Leave me a review on ⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

Music: The Ancients (feat. Loga Ramin Torkian) by Azam Ali

Disclaimer:

The information and resources provided by me are not intended to constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice or a Mother’s intuition. Instead, all information provided is intended for education purposes only. My advice is not to be seen as medical diagnosis or to treat any medical illness or condition of Mother or baby/fetus.

Keywords: natural birth, home birth, freebirth, physiological birth, birth stories, postpartum healing, women’s circles, rites of passage, womb wisdom, feminine embodiment, sisterhood, conscious conception, birth trauma healing, matrescence, menopause, first-time mom birth story, VBAC, spirit baby.

Today's episode focuses on healing from birth trauma. Birth debriefing, like all of my offerings, is a very individually tailored experience. Integrating your birth experience is multilayered. 

Do you need one? In my opinion, every woman should take the opportunity to tell her experience in its totality, without interruption or judgment, as soon as she feels ready. Birth is a sacred rite of passage. No matter what does or doesn’t happen, it changes who you are multidimensionally. It is normal to need safe space and plenty of time to integrate what you experienced.

Today's guest is Diana Forsell Tayan. Diana is a writer, speaker, and host of the Healing Birth Podcast, now in its fifth season. Her podcast is popular in over 36 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

She is the Co-Founder of Healing Birth, a perinatal support organization dedicated to supporting women in various ways who have experienced birth trauma. Diana is trained with Birthing from Within as a Birth Story Listener, and offers one on one, non-clinical support to mothers who seek her help to process their birth experiences.

Diana’s passion and commitment for this work comes from her own personal experience with a traumatic birth, its aftermath, and ultimately, her healing.

She is a mother of two sons, and lives with her family on Kauai, Hawai’i.

You can find more of Diana’s work at ⁠www.healingbirth.net⁠.

You can find her podcast, Healing Birth, on all streaming platforms.

@⁠healingbirth⁠

Website: ⁠⁠www.emilygracenixon.com⁠⁠

Instagram: @⁠⁠embodiedwomenswisdom⁠⁠

Leave me a review on ⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

Music: The Ancients (feat. Loga Ramin Torkian) by Azam Ali

Disclaimer:

The information and resources provided by me are not intended to constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice or a Mother’s intuition. Instead, all information provided is intended for education purposes only. My advice is not to be seen as medical diagnosis or to treat any medical illness or condition of Mother or baby/fetus.

Keywords: natural birth, home birth, freebirth, physiological birth, birth stories, postpartum healing, women’s circles, rites of passage, womb wisdom, feminine embodiment, sisterhood, conscious conception, birth trauma healing, matrescence, menopause, first-time mom birth story, VBAC, spirit baby.

From a hospital birth to free birth - Listen to Katie tell her tale...

"I’m Katie, a sovereign mother of 2 boys living in central Maine. After having my first son, my life completely shifted and I began transforming into the woman this life has set out for me to be. I felt like my eyes opened up for the first time, to the lies and utter chaos I grew up believing about the world and “systems” around me.

Everyday, I’m doing the work to better myself as a woman, mother, and wife, but I am far from perfect! I am learning at each step of the way, and I see setbacks as stepping stones toward my better growth.

I finished the Radical Birth Keeper School by Freebirth Society in April of 2023, so I have newly begun to call myself a birth keeper & birth space holder.

My true passion is to guide other women, from all walks of life, to become the expert of their own bodies. I hope to be a lighthouse for women to remember the true power they have in taking radical responsibility for their lives in each and every way. I want to be there for women, to protect their sacred birth space and early stages of mothering. And I want to nourish & love on mothers while they rest and relish in the crucial postpartum time. I want to remind women that we are SAFE TO TRUST OUR BODIES!

Let’s get back to remembering the ancient wisdom we all hold within our cells."

@kt.loving.life

@instinctively_womban

Website: ⁠⁠www.emilygracenixon.com⁠⁠

Instagram: @⁠⁠embodiedwomenswisdom⁠⁠

Leave me a review on ⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

Music: The Ancients (feat. Loga Ramin Torkian) by Azam Ali

Disclaimer:

The information and resources provided by me are not intended to constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice or a Mother’s intuition. Instead, all information provided is intended for education purposes only. My advice is not to be seen as medical diagnosis or to treat any medical illness or condition of Mother or baby/fetus.

Keywords: natural birth, home birth, freebirth, physiological birth, birth stories, postpartum healing, women’s circles, rites of passage, womb wisdom, feminine embodiment, sisterhood, conscious conception, birth trauma healing, matrescence, menopause, first-time mom birth story, VBAC, spirit baby.

This is part 2 of a two part series where we get to hear mom and dad's version of a birth story. Listen to Nate tell about his initial hospital birth experience at the age of 19 to the recent home birth of his daughter.

"At 19, my fatherhood journey began. Inside a hospital, my healthy son from a previous relationship was born. Right away I knew that the only way I could be a good father was to be happy and healthy.

Passionate, about health and my own self discovery, my desire to learn brought me many places. It was on this path that I met Kirsten, who deepened my way of thinking and broadened the spectrum of what I thought was possible.

Meeting her opened my eyes to alternative ways of living and when the time seemed right we explored what it would look like if we had a child of our own.

Through trusting my partner and the birth process itself, we chose a home birth, in our attempt to reclaim responsibility for our own health.

Now we live off grid in the foothills of the White Mountains as we explore how to be better participants in the natural world.

I am a teacher, homesteader, dedicated learner, aspiring men’s group facilitator, but most importantly I am a father. Here is my birth story."

@mainely.offgrid

https://www.facebook.com/nate.colpitts

Website: ⁠⁠www.emilygracenixon.com⁠⁠

Instagram: @⁠⁠embodiedwomenswisdom⁠⁠

Leave me a review on ⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

Music: The Ancients (feat. Loga Ramin Torkian) by Azam Ali

Disclaimer:

The information and resources provided by me are not intended to constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice or a Mother’s intuition. Instead, all information provided is intended for education purposes only. My advice is not to be seen as medical diagnosis or to treat any medical illness or condition of Mother or baby/fetus.

Keywords: natural birth, home birth, freebirth, physiological birth, birth stories, postpartum healing, women’s circles, rites of passage, womb wisdom, feminine embodiment, sisterhood, conscious conception, birth trauma healing, matrescence, menopause, first-time mom birth story, VBAC, spirit baby.

This is part 1 of a two part series where we get to hear both mom and dad's version of a birth story. This is an incredible first time home birth experience with all of the components of a big empowering rite of passage.

"My path has always led me toward living in tune with nature. Leaning into what has felt most natural to me has guided me to some crazy places. Most recently living completely off grid on a mountain in Maine.

I wouldn’t call myself a homesteader, just a girl who gets strength and inspiration from being able to live along the cycles of the sun and drink from the sweetest of mountain springs.

My hope is to care for and steward the land for my daughter, all my future children, my family, and my current and future friends.

I've never been someone to back down from a challenge. When I was first exposed to the realm of natural birth at home I knew this was the only way for me to birth my babies.

With the support of my amazing husband, very best friend, and my chosen team, I was consistently reminded of the strength and determination I knew I had in me all along."

@Kirstens.garden_

mainely.offgrid

Website: ⁠⁠www.emilygracenixon.com⁠⁠

Instagram: @⁠⁠embodiedwomenswisdom⁠⁠

Leave me a review on ⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

Music: The Ancients (feat. Loga Ramin Torkian) by Azam Ali

Disclaimer:

The information and resources provided by me are not intended to constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice or a Mother’s intuition. Instead, all information provided is intended for education purposes only. My advice is not to be seen as medical diagnosis or to treat any medical illness or condition of Mother or baby/fetus.

Keywords: natural birth, home birth, freebirth, physiological birth, birth stories, postpartum healing, women’s circles, rites of passage, womb wisdom, feminine embodiment, sisterhood, conscious conception, birth trauma healing, matrescence, menopause, first-time mom birth story, VBAC, spirit baby.

This is a special episode for two reasons, first I am bringing you Gayle. Gayle is a local midwife here in southern maine. A midwife that I myself would consider hiring if I became pregnant again.

Her bio reads:

I am a keeper of secrets.

A space holder, a quietude creator.

Maybe a sister, mother or best friend.

I am safe arms to fall into.

Sharer of knowledge & curator of intentions. 

A wiper of tears, holder of hands, hearts & souls.

I am a midwife.

Enough said really. 

Secondly, in this episode I ask Gayle questions from a free resource I offer anyone interested.

It’s titled “Questions to Ask Your Midwife When Seeking a Physiologic & Instinctual Birth; Your Rights and What is Legal.

It is so important that we hash out all of the important questions around our desired care before we hire a provider. 

Gayle & I use the questions as opportunities to educate about birth and it is an overall lovely conversation. I hope you find value and inspiration!

Find Gayle @stonemountainmidwife

Website: ⁠⁠www.emilygracenixon.com⁠⁠

Instagram: @⁠⁠embodiedwomenswisdom⁠⁠

Leave me a review on ⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

Music: The Ancients (feat. Loga Ramin Torkian) by Azam Ali

Disclaimer:

The information and resources provided by me are not intended to constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice or a Mother’s intuition. Instead, all information provided is intended for education purposes only. My advice is not to be seen as medical diagnosis or to treat any medical illness or condition of Mother or baby/fetus.

Keywords: natural birth, home birth, freebirth, physiological birth, birth stories, postpartum healing, women’s circles, rites of passage, womb wisdom, feminine embodiment, sisterhood, conscious conception, birth trauma healing, matrescence, menopause, first-time mom birth story, VBAC, spirit baby.

Welcome to the very first Dad’s Version of a birth story. This is part two of a two-part series; if you haven’t yet, listen to Episode 86 for Britney’s powerful telling of their daughter Pari’s birth.

In this conversation, Nate shares his perspective on preparing for and witnessing the home birth of his first child. With honesty and vulnerability, he speaks about:

• The influence of his father and grandfathers on his own path into manhood and fatherhood.
• How intentional inner work, plant medicine, and meditation shaped his readiness to become a father.
• The challenges of preparing for birth while living communally and financially uncertain.
• The importance of presence, planning, and holding space for his partner during pregnancy and labor.
• How faith, surrender, and clear preparation allowed him to fully step into his role as partner and father.

Nate’s reflections illuminate the often unseen inner journey of men in the birth portal — reminding us how critical fathers are to the sacred container of birth. This is a powerful listen to share with the men in your life.

About Nate Nate is a dedicated father, partner, and space-holder. His spiritual journey has been deeply shaped by time in the forest, plant medicine, and meditation practices. He is now bringing that wisdom into fatherhood and his work in men’s circles. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his partner Britney and their daughter Pari.

To connect with Nate, reach out via his partner Britney on Instagram: @britneybeckstrand

Website: ⁠⁠www.emilygracenixon.com⁠⁠

Instagram: @⁠⁠embodiedwomenswisdom⁠⁠

Leave me a review on ⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

Music: The Ancients (feat. Loga Ramin Torkian) by Azam Ali

Disclaimer:

The information and resources provided by me are not intended to constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice or a Mother’s intuition. Instead, all information provided is intended for education purposes only. My advice is not to be seen as medical diagnosis or to treat any medical illness or condition of Mother or baby/fetus.

Keywords: natural birth, home birth, freebirth, physiological birth, birth stories, postpartum healing, women’s circles, rites of passage, womb wisdom, feminine embodiment, sisterhood, conscious conception, birth trauma healing, matrescence, menopause, first-time mom birth story, VBAC, spirit baby.

This is part one of a powerful two-part series, sharing both Mama and Dad’s perspectives on a first-time natural home birth. Tune in next week for Dad’s version, another listener favorite..

In this conversation, Britney opens up about the preparation, surrender, and wisdom that shaped her first home birth. She shares the deep insights she carried into postpartum, and how birth transformed her calling as a mother and as a guide for women.

About Britney Beckstrand Britney is a devoted mother, yoga and meditation teacher, and facilitator of women’s circles in her community. She is passionate about helping women remember the power they hold through conception, pregnancy, birth, and beyond. 

Today, Britney continues to weave her gifts as a space holder, tending to her family, her community, and her own growth as a woman. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her partner Nate and their daughter Pari.

Find her on Instagram @⁠⁠britneybeckstrand⁠⁠

Website: ⁠⁠www.emilygracenixon.com⁠⁠

Instagram: @⁠⁠embodiedwomenswisdom⁠⁠

Leave me a review on ⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

Music: The Ancients (feat. Loga Ramin Torkian) by Azam Ali

Disclaimer:

The information and resources provided by me are not intended to constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice or a Mother’s intuition. Instead, all information provided is intended for education purposes only. My advice is not to be seen as medical diagnosis or to treat any medical illness or condition of Mother or baby/fetus.

Keywords: natural birth, home birth, freebirth, physiological birth, birth stories, postpartum healing, women’s circles, rites of passage, womb wisdom, feminine embodiment, sisterhood, conscious conception, birth trauma healing, matrescence, menopause, first-time mom birth story, VBAC, spirit baby.

With an approach described as a merging of medicine and mysticism, she weaves her extensive formal education in Traditional Chinese & Allopathic Medicine with her passion for the metaphysical realm of healing to cultivate self-discovery, self-compassion, and sovereignty in her clients’ lives. 

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Dr. Lauren is devoted to helping others navigate the unknowns they face through life’s inevitable changes and challenges. From shades of trauma, loss, and relentless stress to the effects of injury, illness, or living with chronic pain, her care instills you with resilience while inviting you to remember how capable you are of becoming your body’s wisest healer.  

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Her craft includes providing alchemical Acupuncture & related somatic therapies for: Mental & Emotional Health, Chronic Pain, Digestive Issues, as well as Women’s Wellness needs at all stages of life with an additional knack for working with those experiencing mystery ailments that have left them without validation, clarity, or relief from conventional medicine alone.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Collaborating with Dr. Lauren invites you to form an alliance with your body rather than perpetually living in conflict with it, learning its language to illuminate the messages stirring beneath the surface of your symptoms. In addition to looking beyond a diagnosis to discern the root causes of your concerns, her curated care cultivates reintegration of the psyche, body, and spirit so you may return to yourself more vibrant, aligned, and embodied than before. 

@runeacupuncture

Website: ⁠⁠www.emilygracenixon.com⁠⁠

Instagram: @⁠⁠embodiedwomenswisdom⁠⁠

Leave me a review on ⁠⁠⁠iTunes⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

Music: The Ancients (feat. Loga Ramin Torkian) by Azam Ali

Disclaimer:

The information and resources provided by me are not intended to constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice or a Mother’s intuition. Instead, all information provided is intended for education purposes only. My advice is not to be seen as medical diagnosis or to treat any medical illness or condition of Mother or baby/fetus.

Keywords: natural birth, home birth, freebirth, physiological birth, birth stories, postpartum healing, women’s circles, rites of passage, womb wisdom, feminine embodiment, sisterhood, conscious conception, birth trauma healing, matrescence, menopause, first-time mom birth story, VBAC, spirit baby.