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Corinne shares the story of giving birth in a birth center during the height of Covid. After the birth, her baby was transferred to the NICU where she spent her first  few days, seemingly unnecessarily. Thank you for supporting brands that help support the show! Treat yourself with Puffs for the Public. They make high quality, CBD & CBG products that I absolutely love. As a listener of this show, you get 10% off at check out with code “healingbirth” (one word). Here’s a link to Soothe the Soul Here’s a link to Snooze Button Use the link below to purchase! It lets them know you heard about them from me. Thank you for helping to support the show! LINK TO PURCHASE

Nelson and Alison were so inspired by the home birth of their first baby, that it lit a fire in them to share what they learned through this experience with others. They believe that conception, pregnancy, birth, motherhood and fatherhood are all sacred experiences and should be honored as such.  Five minutes into speaking with them, I fell in love with their passion, their light, and infectious energy. It was also a real treat to get to hear, for the first time on this show, a male partner’s perspective about what it was like to have a baby at home. If you are in the Austin, TX area (or feel inspired to go there like I now am!), join them for the Sacred Birth Symposium March 11-12 at Casa De Luz. You can find tickets, the speaker lineup, and all other relevant info here: www.sacred-birth.com Use code "HBSAVES15" for 15% off tickets! You can find them on Instagram @sacredbirthsymposium

After a birth experience that left her feeling trapped and traumatized, Sian developed severe postpartum anxiety and depression. Realizing she needed help, she turned to the National Health Service (UK) for mental health support, but the therapy she was received was nearly useless to her (and, delivered over the phone no less). Sian found her way out of the dark place from spiritual, rather than cognitive, solutions, and the joy she now feels from her new son. We also talk about the importance of planning your postpartum period intentionally, accepting help when it’s offered, and asking people to bring you food (SERIOUSLY. Trust us). Speaking of accepting help…treat yourself with Puffs for the Public! They make high quality, CBD & CBG products that I absolutely love (in fact, I wish I knew about CBD when I was postpartum!). As a listener of this show, you get 10% off at check out with code “healingbirth” (one word). Here’s a link to Soothe the Soul Here’s a link to Snooze Button Use the link below to purchase! It lets them know you heard about them from me Thank you for helping to support the show! LINK TO PURCHASE    

After a long labor, and, feeling like she needed some relief, Emily transferred from her midwife-attended home birth to the hospital. The classic cascade of interventions ensued, beginning with an epidural, ending in a cesarean. At several points during her labor experience there, surrounded by total strangers and overwhelmed by the sensations in her body, the staff failed to support her in the ways that she needed. Emily connects the experience of being sexually violated at an early age, and that having been met with shame and indifference from adults who should have protected her, with this experience too. It is a pattern that has showed up in her life, and, it showed up in her labor. In a postscript that I love, Emily had the strength to provide written and verbal feedback to the hospital where her birth occurred, which caused them to make changes to their policies around how homebirth transfers are handled. What a wonderful gift to those who will come after her. You can find Emily on Instagram @storiesandsongbirds ——————— Support Puffs for the Public! They make high quality, CBD & CBG products that I absolutely love! As a listener of this show, you get 10% off at check out with code “healingbirth” (one word). Here’s a link to Soothe The Soul bath salts Here’s a link to Snooze Button Use the link below to purchase! It lets them know you heard about them from me :) LINK TO PURCHASE      

Welcome to SEASON FOUR! Christina is a coach, doula, and childbirth educator, who helps new parents with the transition when a new child is born. Like so many of us who get into birth work, her passion for it comes from her own experiences giving birth, which she shares with us today. After two births in German hospitals, the second of which left her traumatized, she knew she wanted to birth her third baby at home. That birth was the powerful, healing experience that she knew she needed. We also talk about the culture of birth in modern day Germany, and speculate as to why the C-section rate there is rising. You can connect with Christina on Instagram, @theintuitivemamacoach Christina is a listener who reached out to me to share her story. If YOU would like to share your birth story on the podcast, I want to hear from you! Send me a note via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net. If you love the show, please consider supporting the podcast on Patreon! There are bonus episodes, video podcasts, + other content there. www.patreon.com/Healingbirth Thank you for listening!

An end of year message from my heart to yours. Thank you so much for listening! I love you! Send me a note at www.healingbirth.net We're on Instagram @healingbirth Diana

Unhappy with her previous experience birthing within the medical system, Saphron decided to simply stay home and free birth her second baby. Leading up to the birth, she had constant, vivid dreams with visual representations of transformation. Reflecting back on the two birth experiences, she’s says that physiological birth is what helps us cross the transformational threshold, ushering us into our full power as a mother. Having experienced both ways of birthing myself - I fully agree. We wrap up our conversation talking about the of sacred role of the birthing woman’s partner in birth. If you love the show, please consider supporting us on Patron! www.patron.com/healingbirth. I love to hear from you! If you would like to send me a note, please use the contact page at www.healingbirth.net. And if you have a story you’d like to share on the podcast, reach out to me there as well!

Jackie shares the story of having her first baby via unplanned cesarean at 35 weeks. After the NICU stay, and very tough first year, she found healing in getting answers from a spiritual perspective to the “what, why and how” of that birth experience. When she was ready, she and her daughter had a rebirthing ceremony that also helped to heal the trauma of the birth. Be sure to check out our instagram page @healingbirth for a bunch of photos that accompany this episode! Jackie is a listener who reached out to share her story. If you have a story you’d like to share on the podcast, please reach out! You can send me a note via the contact page on our website which is www.healingbirth.net If you love the show, please consider supporting us on Patron! www.patron.com/healingbirth

How do you ravish a mother? In this vulnerable conversation, Lisa and I share our experiences coming back to our sex lives after a traumatic birth. I strongly suspect that feeling shut down sexually after giving birth, especially  a traumatic one, is something that is way more common than is openly discussed. The reasons can be myriad. Our relationship to our bodies change, our very identity changes, some of us have complicated physical healing to do, and many of us have experienced medical rape or assault during the birth process, just to name a few. Coming back into right relationship with our sexuality is coming back into right relationship with ourselves, and is such an important piece of the healing journey. Thank you Lisa for getting so vulnerable and raw with me! You can find Lisa on Instagram @thewomanssanctum and at www.thewomanssanctum.com You can find Lisa’s first appearance on the show, where she tells her whole birth story, here: https://www.healingbirth.net/podcast/episode/2c7f3747/a-loss-a-cesarean-an-awakening Intro music is Dreams, by the artist Markvard @Markvardofficial Transition music is Adventures, by A Himitsu @Ahimitsu If you love the show, support us on patreon! www.patreon.com/healingbirth I love to hear from listeners, send me a note via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net

Two births in the Finnish medical system left Anahel angry and knowing, in her words, “something is not right here.” She planned to have her third baby at home. That whirlwind birth experience completely healed the pain of the past two. Anahel is a listener who reached out to me to share her beautiful story. If you have a story you’d like to share too, reach out! Send me a note at the contact page at www.healingbirth.net If you love the show, support us on patreon! www.patreon.com/healingbirth  

After years of working in hospitals as a midwife, being a part of the broken maternity system that causes 1 in 3 women to experience birth trauma, Anna chose to step out on her own, become a whistleblower and actively work to speak the truth about the power of natural physiological birth. She exposes the over medicalized maternity system for the harm it is causing women, babies, families and the world at large. Follow Anna @the_spiritual_midwife Anna has some amazing offerings including a course, her own podcast, and works one on one with women to help unpack birth trauma. You can learn more at her website, which is www.thenaturalbirthcourse.com. If you love the show, support us on patreon! www.patreon.com/healingbirth I love to hear from listeners! Send me a note at the contact page at www.healingbirth.net  

Julia was planning for a peaceful home birth with her third baby, but plans changed when her labor began at 34 weeks gestation. Even though she gave birth in an environment she didn’t want, she did an amazing job advocating for herself and her baby during his subsequent NICU stay, and medical complications. She truly believes that the circumstances around his birth were exactly as they should be. I am always amazed at the miracles that happen when we honor our maternal intuition, and listen to guidance from our babies. This story is perfectly illustrative of that truth! If you love the podcast, please consider supporting the show! www.patreon.com/healingbirth I love to hear from you! Send me a note at www.healingbirth.net Transition Music by: @jaysomeday

Juanita’s story begins with the heart wrenching experience of becoming pregnant at 14 after a sexual assault, and giving that baby up for adoption. Later in life, the birth of her second child was a re-traumatizing experience for her, as it commonly can be for survivors. The third time, Juanita used mindfulness tools, meditation, a trauma-informed team to support her, and super strong boundaries to have exactly the birth she desired, even in the midst of a time of national chaos. She says that you (yes, you!) CAN you have the birth you desire. At the 1:08 minute mark Juanita leads us in a grounding meditation that she wrote just for listeners of this podcast! We mention a few there resources during the conversation that both of us strongly recommend, especially if you are survivor of sexual assault who is planning for birth: 1. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk 2. When Survivors Give Birth by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus Be sure to go to our instagram page this week to see the grounding and centering resource that Juanita created herself and generously shared with us all. We are @healingbirth You can find Juanita @thesnappiehippie and @pauseanywhere Go too www.pauseanwhere.com to see all of Juanita’s mindfulness offerings! If you love the podcast, please consider supporting the show! www.patreon.com/healingbirth I love to hear from you! Send me a note at www.healingbirth.net

Mandy was induced for all of her births, until her fourth. She was told by medical professionals that her body just “didn’t go into labor on it’s own” and she “needed a little help.” The resulting distrust in her body was something she carried within her until, after having had enough with the conveyer-belt style standard maternity care, she sought out a midwife who would support her to birth at home. And after three previous births, all induced and two of them, cesareans, she birthed this baby at home without surgery or drugs. Turns out, her body knew how to give birth just fine. If you love the podcast, please consider supporting the show! www.patreon.com/healingbirth I love to hear from you! Send me a note at www.healingbirth.net

Leah’s first daughter was born still, but this isn’t the story of trauma you might be expecting. Supported at home with just her husband and best friend, she says that the somatic experience of that birth was so intact, that it left her feeling the fullness of her power, full of oxytocin, even ecstatic. Leah quickly conceived again after her loss, and under rainbow filled skies on the island of Kauai, freebirthed her second daughter. This one feels really special for me to share because as you will hear quite early on, I have a personal connection to this story! Follow Leah on instagram @of.mystic.nature If you love the podcast, please consider supporting the show! www.patreon.com/healingbirth I love to hear from you! Send me a note at www.healingbirth.net

Last season, (episode linked below) Natalie shared the truly jaw-dropping story of giving birth via cesarean with completely failed anesthesia -  she had full sensation of the procedure. We talked about what it looks like to heal from an experience like that, and the total lack of accountability from anyone at the hospital where this birth occurred. This year, Natalie reached out to me to let me know she’d had another baby, and I’m happy to say, this time it was different. You can hear her first birth story here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4b1ZExcI5aogUcCbMSuNSk?si=d59b34fcd1124632 Please consider supporting the show! www.patreon.com/healingbirth Visit our website! www.healingbirth.net

The best definition I know of trauma goes something like this: Anything that was too much, too soon, and too fast for us to process and integrate. It causes elements of the past to get stuck in the biology of our bodies and our subconscious experience. This story is a perfect example of how that can show up in birth. You can follow Katie @clairehaven_farm and @littleonedoula Please consider supporting the show! www.patreon.com/healingbirth Visit our website! www.healingbirth.net

Dr. Sarah is a chiropractic physician, birth educator, and mother of three. She became entrenched in the birth world after a traumatic, unnecessary cesarean led her to have a subsequent, healing freebirth. In this episode, she shares the stories of both of those births. Sarah is an advocate for bodily autonomy and human rights in childbirth, and believes that you deserve to be in charge and have a birth that transforms you. You will hear us talk quite a lot about that! Follow Sarah @birthuprising www.birthuprsing.com JOIN US! BIRTH PLANNING WORKSHOP Join Dr. Sarah of Birth Uprising and Lynnea Laessig for a two-hour, intimate birth planning session where you will learn about ALL of your options for birth and have a village to support you as you make decisions that feel best to you. This workshop is an amazing foundation for first time moms and seasoned mothers who plan to birth in any setting to get curious and make informed choices about your upcoming birth. Online Event | October 1, 2022 | 10AM EST Sign up at www.birthuprising.com Support the show and get bonus episodes! www.patreon.com/healingbirth

Amana is a mother, birth keeper, death keeper, and host of the show The Heart of the Soul. Recently she invited me onto her podcast as a guest, and the conversation we had was so epic we decided to release it to both of our audiences! In this part two, Amana shares the stories of her journey with birth and loss, including that of her daughter Hartly, who passed shortly after her birth at home. From working as a hospice nurse, to the ways death has touched her as a mother, I have rarely met someone so young who has so much experience with loss, and wisdom about grief. Amana’s website: https://www.birthingnova.love/ Check out the Heart of the Soul Podcast! https://www.birthingnova.love/podcast-theheartofthesoul Support the show! https://www.patreon.com/healingbirth Our website is www.healingbirth.net

Amana is a mother, birthkeeper, deathkeeper, and host of the show The Heart of the Soul. Recently she invited me onto her podcast as a guest, and the conversation we had was so epic we decided to release it to both of our audiences! In this part one, Amana interviews me. I share both of my son’s (very different) birth stories, and if you are a new listener and not familiar with my story, I think you will understand why I am so passionate about birth and birth trauma.  Next week, in part two, you’ll hear Amana’s story. Amana’s website https://www.birthingnova.love/ Check out the Heart of the Soul Podcast! https://www.birthingnova.love/podcast-theheartofthesoul We have an upcoming event! Rituals for Rooted Postpartum with Nicole Parker Join us with traditional birthkeeper Nicole Parker as we integrate into embodied motherhood with the support of conscious, rooted rituals for postpartum. In this live webinar, you'll learn about the energetics of postpartum descent and the biomarkers your body uses to communicate with you, over 30 simple nourishing rituals to support you as you integrate the initiation of motherhood each time you cross the veil, and reclaim the innate power of your inner matriarch. www.healingbirth.net/events ONLINE EVENT SEPTEMBER 18, 2022 | 4 PM PST Support the show! https://www.patreon.com/healingbirth Our website is www.healingbirth.net