In this heartfelt continuation of Abby’s story, Jordan and Sophie sit down with Abby to explore her second pregnancy and birth experience. Abby opens up about navigating a series of unexpected challenges, including a velamentous cord insertion, a bilobed placenta, and a breech baby, which ultimately led to a planned cesarean birth. With vulnerability and humor, she reflects on her hopes for another vaginal birth, the emotional complexity of a C-section, and the invaluable support she re...
Apr 16, 2025
53 min
Join us in Part 1 of our conversation with Abby, where she candidly shares her whirlwind of a birth story for her first birth. Abby walks us through the highs and lows of her labor and beyond. With humor and vulnerability, she reflects on the chaotic beauty of birth and the unexpected journey of reclaiming her identity as a new mom. Stay tuned for Part 2 on April 16th, where we hear Abby’s second birth story and more reflections on what it’s like to be a parent of two kiddos. Thanks for...
Apr 2, 2025
44 min
Picking up where the previous episode left off, Samantha shares the outcome of her high-risk fetal surgery. While the medical intervention was necessary, the results were devastating—one of her twins sadly did not survive. She opens up about the emotional complexity of grieving one baby while still carrying the other, the medicalized journey that followed, and the struggles of balancing loss with hope as she continued her pregnancy. The episode also explores the birth of her surviving daughte...
Mar 19, 2025
58 min
In this episode, Samantha Leusink shares her first pregnancy and birth story, describing a smooth and empowering experience at a local Portland birth center. She reflects on postpartum struggles, breastfeeding challenges, and the transition into motherhood. As Sam and her husband decide to expand their family, they receive an unexpected surprise: twins. Initially overwhelmed yet excited, their joy is quickly overshadowed by a shocking diagnosis of Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS)—a ra...
Mar 5, 2025
48 min
In this heartwarming episode, Sophie's Grandma, Maxine, shares her birth stories spanning from the 1960s to the 1970s. She reflects on her experiences with minimal pain management, evolving gender roles in parenting, and the emotional complexities of breastfeeding without modern support systems. The conversation touches on the profound joys of motherhood, intergenerational wisdom, and the transformation of birth culture over five decades. Listeners will hear tender reflections on family, humo...
Feb 5, 2025
37 min
Britnee Spring returns to recount the dramatic, vivid, and often hilarious story of her labor and birth experience—including extreme back labor and unique birthing positions. She also reflects on postpartum recovery, hormone shifts, and the joy of early motherhood. From placenta smoothies to bedsharing with her son, this episode offers an honest, heartwarming look at transformation through birth and the lessons of motherhood. Content warnings: homebirth, tearing, blood loss, prodromal labor,...
Jan 22, 2025
44 min
In this episode, Britnee Spring shares her pregnancy journey, from her unexpected conception to managing relentless nausea and navigating workplace accommodation challenges. She reveals her thoughtful decision to have a home birth with a male midwife and her mother as her doula as well as how she set up a peaceful birthing space. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on pregnancy preparation, mindset, and trusting your instincts! Website: bearingbirthpodcast.com Instagram: @BearingBirth...
Jan 8, 2025
29 min
In today’s episode, your hosts Jordan and Sophie reflect on one year of their birth story podcast being live! They ask each other questions including what the podcast has meant to them and how they have grown as birth story listeners and podcast hosts. To celebrate one year and to thank our incredible guests, you get to hear a little snippet from each of them! At the end of every episode we ask our guest: what advice do you have for someone about to give birth or become a parent? This ...
Dec 4, 2024
36 min
Join us for Part 2 with our very own Sophie! If you missed the first half of Sophie’s birth story on November 6th, make sure to go back and listen there first. In this episode, Sophie walks us through the rest of her challenging birth experience where she reaches the pushing stage but ultimately ends up needing an emergency c-section. Sophie finally gets to meet her daughter and then navigates early c-section recovery in the hospital. She details her experience dealing with processing a...
Nov 20, 2024
59 min
Join us for a very special episode today…our very own Sophie gets vulnerable and shares her birth story! In part 1, Sophie talks with Jordan about her experience with pregnancy and what it was like navigating scary and abrupt changes to her birth plan. Sophie describes what informed her beliefs surrounding birth and how learning “too much” about birth in a doula training created the perfect conditions for trauma exposure. Sophie walks us through her fears around giving birth, especially...
Nov 6, 2024
1 hr 8 min
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