In Part One of Alayna's story, we left off as she made the difficult decision to go to the hospital after developing clear signs of preeclampsia at the end of her pregnancy. As she had been planning to freebirth, she arrived with no record of prenatal care and ultimately experienced a failed induction followed by a cesarean, the last way she had imagined welcoming her baby. But Alayna's story is about so much more than the way her baby was born. In Part Two, she shares with incredible vulnerability about the many layers of grief that followed: being the last person to hold her baby, never seeing her placenta, and coming home to the untouched birth pool, and birth affirmations that had been waiting for a completely different birth. She also speaks honestly about the loneliness and disconnection she experienced afterward, including the painful thought, "I know she's mine, but I don't feel it yet," and why she couldn't bring herself to share her birth story for two months. Alayna is still healing. At the  time of our recording, she only recently has she begun to feel that she holds the whole story of her birth, rather than scattered pieces of an experience she was still trying to understand. Together, we talk about grief, PTSD, the small mercies she held onto along the way, and how this experience is shaping, but not yet defining, the choices she may make in a future pregnancy. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at [email protected] Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Alayna's journey to motherhood began with two years of trying to conceive, a season filled with hope, disappointment, and the emotional rollercoaster of waiting for the pregnancy she wanted so deeply. When she finally became pregnant, she thrived in those early months and began preparing for the freebirth she envisioned. But halfway through her pregnancy, life changed dramatically. Her husband was seriously injured in a car accident, leaving him unable to work and Alayna carrying the financial weight of their family while running her own chiropractic practice. As the stress mounted, so did changes in her body. Swelling increased, sleep became nearly impossible, and her blood pressure began to rise. By 38 weeks, symptoms of preeclampsia had become too significant to ignore. In Part One of Alayna's story, we talk about the long road to becoming pregnant, the pregnancy she had hoped for, and the particular kind of heartbreak that comes when you feel your carefully considered birth plans slipping away. For Alayna, it meant confronting the realization that she may have to go to the one place she desperately did not want to give birth: the hospital. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at [email protected] Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

After going into labor unexpectedly at just 35 weeks with her first baby, Hannah's plans for a midwife-assisted homebirth quickly turned into a hospital transfer and a traumatic experience that left her feeling deeply let down by the very system of support she had trusted. She went on to freebirth her next two babies at home, experiences she remains incredibly grateful for. But looking back, Hannah can also see how her choice to birth without professional support was shaped, at least in part, by what she had experienced the first time around. By her fourth pregnancy, something had shifted. She no longer felt like she needed to do it all on her own. She wanted support, and for the first time since her first birth, she felt ready to invite a midwife back into her birth space. She experienced weeks of exhausting, mind-bending prodromal labor before Hannah finally welcomed her fourth baby peacefully at home, surrounded by her midwife and supportive friends. This is a story about much more than one homebirth. It's about the ways our previous birth experiences shape the choices we make, the difference between choosing independence and feeling like we have no other choice, and Hannah's journey toward healing her relationship with midwifery and allowing herself to be supported again. You can listen to both of Hannah's powerful, previous birth stories here: Trusing Birth at 35 Weeks A (Surprise!) Breech Freebirth  If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at [email protected] Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

As the oldest of 13 children, nearly all of whom were born at home, Evelyn grew up with homebirth as her normal. Naturally, when she became pregnant with her first baby, she planned to give birth at home, too. But at 36.5 weeks, a violent case of food poisoning unexpectedly sent her into labor, just days before she would have reached the 37-week cutoff for a midwife-attended homebirth. Suddenly thrust into the hospital system without a plan in place, Evelyn experienced a birth she describes as traumatic, followed by feeding challenges that made an already difficult transition into motherhood even harder. Then, just three months postpartum, Evelyn discovered she was pregnant again. Coming to terms with another pregnancy so soon was difficult, especially while she was still carrying the trauma of her first birth in her body. Throughout her second pregnancy, Evelyn intentionally worked to somatically process and release what she had experienced, while preparing for the very different birth she hoped was possible. This time, she gave birth at a birth center in a peaceful, fast, and deeply healing experience. Evelyn's story is a beautiful example of how profoundly different two births can be, and how healing can happen when we give ourselves the space to process what came before and step into birth again with new support, trust, and possibility. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at [email protected] Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Today's guest reached out to me just after welcoming her fifth baby at home, in what she described as a deeply healing birth. Her journey to this birth was shaped by four very different experiences before it, including a hospital birth, two previous homebirths and a traumatic freebirth with her fourth baby. Looking back, she doesn't blame freebirth itself for what happened. Instead, she recognizes that there were moments when she needed support and didn't seek it, an experience that profoundly changed the way she approached birth the next time around. For her fifth baby, she chose to birth at home again, this time with trusted support around her. What unfolded was the beautiful, attended homebirth she had hoped for and an experience that helped bring healing to the birth that came before it. In this episode, she shares what her five births have taught her about intuition, support, and knowing when to reach for help. She reflects on why she still believes in the beauty of freebirth while also recognizing that, sometimes, having the right person beside you can be lifesaving. Most of all, her story is a reminder that healing doesn't require us to erase or reject the births that came before. Each experience can shape us, teach us, and become part of the mothers we are becoming. Find Desirae on Instagram @womb.2.grow If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at [email protected] Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Julia was planning to give birth at a birth center throughout her pregnancy, but at 37 weeks, she learned that it was closing its doors. With little time to make a new plan, she and her husband chose to transfer their care to a home birth midwife, a decision that would profoundly shape the way their son's birth unfolded. During labor, Julia experienced an unusual contraction pattern, with contractions coming close together and then unexpectedly spacing back out. In a hospital setting, this pattern may have been interpreted as labor failing to progress and prompted intervention. Instead, Julia was given the time and space to labor patiently, eventually welcoming her son at home after nearly three hours of pushing. After he was born, they discovered that he had an exceptionally short umbilical cord, offering a remarkable explanation for the unusual rhythm of her labor. Julia's story is a beautiful reminder of the inherent wisdom of the birth process: that what appears to be "wrong" or dysfunctional from the outside may sometimes be the body adapting to the unique circumstances of a particular mother and baby. Her experience invites us to wonder what birth may be accomplishing when it is given the time and space to unfold in its own way. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at [email protected] Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

After spending years supporting families as a doula, Nina Spears had witnessed birth in hospitals, birth centers, and homes. So when it came time to welcome her own babies into the world, she made a choice that surprised many: she chose to give birth at home. In this episode, Nina shares her own birth story, why home birth felt like the right path after years of witnessing birth in so many different settings, and what becoming a mother taught her that no amount of professional experience could. Our conversation then turns to the transition into motherhood. Drawing from decades of experience as a doula, childbirth educator, founder of The Baby Chick, and now author, Nina reflects on a pattern she's seen again and again: women often spend months preparing for labor, yet many still enter postpartum feeling emotionally overwhelmed and underprepared. We discuss: • What mothers commonly wish they had prioritized before birth and postpartum • The hidden mental load that often begins during pregnancy • How to choose a provider and birth setting that aligns with your values • Practical ways to prepare emotionally for the postpartum season Whether you're expecting your first baby or welcoming another, this conversation offers both a deeply personal birth story and practical wisdom for preparing not just for birth, but for the life-changing transition into motherhood. Nina also shares insights from her new book, The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy, a resource designed to help women feel informed, confident, and emotionally supported throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Find Nina @thebabychick and www.baby-chick.com If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at [email protected] Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

When Elena decided on a homebirth at 37 weeks pregnant with her first baby, many people questioned her choice. Then, when her waters broke and the fluid was stained with meconium, it seemed to confirm everyone's fears. But Elena trusted herself. Despite advice to head to the hospital, she chose to remain at home with her birth team. Her baby was posterior, then became caught with a hand beside her face, leading Elena to spend labor doing squats on the stairs to help her baby find the best position to be born. Surrounded by positive birth affirmations, squeezing a comb through each contraction, and supported by her husband, midwife, and even her mom quietly documenting the journey from the hallway, Elena welcomed her 8 pound, 13 ounce daughter into the world at home. The story didn't end there. After the birth, the umbilical cord tore, resulting in a trip to the hospital and a brief NICU stay that brought moments of fear and uncertainty. Now, 18 months later, Elena reflects on a birth that wasn't pain-free or perfect, but was deeply empowering. She believes that preparing thoroughly, advocating for herself, and trusting her instincts made all the difference. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at [email protected] Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Terra was the kind of kid who was terrified of hospitals and doctors. As a young woman, she never wanted to have children because of it. But when she learned about the option to homebirth, it immediately resonated with her, and her fears began to subside. What followed was an unexpectedly long journey to conception. During that time, Terra immersed herself in birth podcasts, and through hearing other women's stories, she gained greater clarity about the birth she wanted. Eventually, she decided she would freebirth. Terra welcomed her first baby at home with her husband and in-laws by her side. She says it was especially meaningful to have her mother-in-law witness the experience, having experienced only highly medicalized birth herself. Watching her grandchild enter the world in a peaceful, undisturbed setting became more than the birth of a new baby - It was an opportunity to rewrite a family's birth story. In that room, healing didn't happen in just one generation; it rippled across several. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow us on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at [email protected] Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard

While on a fertility journey to conceive her second child, Olivia discovered an unexpected spiritual gift: the ability to connect with and communicate with the souls of babies and children who are still in spirit, often referred to as "spirit babies." In this episode, Olivia shares her journey of discovering this ability and offers a unique spiritual perspective on conception, pregnancy, motherhood, infertility, miscarriage, and loss. We discuss: • How Olivia discovered her connection with spirit babies during her own fertility journey • What messages often come through for women longing to conceive or those who have experienced pregnancy loss • The concept of spirit babies and whether all parents have children waiting to come through • How to connect with your intuition and your baby before conception • A spiritual perspective on miscarriage, infertility, and the challenges many women face on their path to motherhood • Autism and neurodivergence through a spiritual lens Whether you are trying to conceive, navigating infertility, healing from pregnancy loss, or simply curious about the spiritual side of conception and motherhood, this conversation invites a deeper exploration of the unseen connection between parents and the children they are meant to welcome. Listen to Olivia's first appearance on this podcast, where she shares her beautiful birth journey, here. Click Here to receive a free monthly Letter of Love from your Spirit Babies Email Olivia: [email protected] If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts! Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at [email protected] Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto