This episode is a rare solo one with just your host, Amber Dawn, sharing the birth story of Elijah River. 

Born nearly 10 years ago in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. 

This story is one that highlights some of the ways that birthing folks are not listened to and their body autonomy disrespected. 

Healthy Parent, Healthy Baby should not be our only markers for a successful birth. 

Did you feel respected? Did you feel heard? Did you feel involved in and able to make informed choices? Did you leave your birthing experience without trauma? 

With guest Carly Boutilier, we discuss her pregnancy, birth story and postpartum. 

We discuss the role of motherhood, the expectations and weight of parenting and the patriarchy. 

We talk about her business, The Broom Closet Cape Breton, and the unique and delightful services her and her mother offer our community! 

Carly works with astrology, creating birth charts and helping people better understand themselves, their children and the importance of our connections with the planetary systems. 

This is a free flowing conversation with Rebecca Hammond, a Holistic Reproductive Practitioner, who has spent over a decade learning to balance her hormones and recover her relationship to her body, mind, soul and womb. 

Follow her on Insta @iamrebeccahammond and be prepared for incredible amounts of wisdom, love and grace. 

If you are interested in becoming a Holistic Reproductive Practitioner, you can go to their website at www.bythemoon.ca to check out their offerings! 

Thank you for joining us on this journey!

Some notes for this episode:

*Orthorexia is a term that was established in 1998 and refers to someone having an unhealthy obsession with healthy food. A woman or girl who struggles with orthorexia might focus on clean eating, fad diets, ingredient lists, and food planning to the point where her health starts to suffer.

In this episode, Kim Crane-Maclean is my guest and she shares the pregnancy and birth stories of her three children: Gus, Hector and Rosie. 

From BC to Cape Breton, Kim is a writer and blogger raising her children with fun, fashion and fresh air on Canada's East Coast. 

She writes about mindfulness, mental health, fun and affordable children's fashion and intentional parenting. Kim was deeply influenced by her time living in Northwestern BC and in that spirit she and her family have embarked on a one year nature and forest homeschooling adventure. 

Check her out at @thenestymum on Instagram and thenesty.com 

*Disclaimer: Please excuse the shoddy sound quality. I am learning.*