The Birth Hour - A Birth Story Podcast

Sponsor: Go to 8Sheep.com and use the code BIRTHHOUR for 10% off your purchase! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check out their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Sponsors: Simply Magnetic Me: Go to simplymagneticme.com/birthhour and use Promo code: BIRTHHOUR Other Links: Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

In this rebroadcast, Kimberly Mace discusses her fertility journey using an egg donor and hospital birth story. Links: Sponsors: Today's episode is sponsored by Caraway Home. Visit Carawayhome.com/BIRTHHOUR to take advantage of a limited-time offer for 10% off your next purchase. Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Sponsors: Simply Magnetic Me: Go to simplymagneticme.com/birthhour and use Promo code: BIRTHHOUR Reel Paper: Go to reelpaper.com/birthhour and sign up for a subscription using code BIRTHHOUR at checkout, you’ll automatically get 30% off your first order and FREE SHIPPING! Other Links: Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links: Today's episode is sponsored by Motif Medical. See how you can get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check out their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links: Get your breast pump for free at aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour and use promo code TBH15 at for 15% off supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Use code BIRTHHOUR for 20% off at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the First Latch Course Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links: Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Sponsor: Go to 8Sheep.com and use the code BIRTHHOUR for 10% off your purchase! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check out their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links: Sponsors: Today's episode is sponsored by Caraway Home. Visit Carawayhome.com/BIRTHHOUR to take advantage of a limited-time offer for 10% off your next purchase. Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links: Today's episode is sponsored by Motif Medical. See how you can get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check out their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! Kalen's first Birth Hour episode

In this rebroadcast from 2020, Bekah shares how she and her boyfriend discovered they were pregnant after 3 short months of dating, and struggled to navigate their new roles as partners and future parents throughout an otherwise uneventful pregnancy. Links: Get your breast pump for free at aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour and use promo code TBH15 at for 15% off supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

In this replay from an episode in 2020, Isabel shares how she went into labor while working a night shift as an L&D nurse at the hospital she was delivering. Links This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Use code BIRTHHOUR for 20% off at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the First Latch Course Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check out their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! Clarice's first Birth Hour episode

In this rebroadcast from 2019, Danielle shares the story of her induction at 42 weeks pregnant. Links: Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links: Sponsor: Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

In this rebroadcast from 2020, Laura shares the story of birthing her fraternal twin girls, their NICU stay, and navigating breastfeeding. Show notes links: Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Show notes links: Click this link for a $10 voucher towards your Backer College Savings account. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check out their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! Elizabeth's first Birth Hour episode

Links: Get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (or comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links: Get your breast pump for free at aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour and use promo code TBH15 at for 15% off supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Use code BIRTHHOUR for 20% off at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the First Latch Course Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check out their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Show notes links: Kavisa's First Birth Hour Episode Click this link for a $10 voucher towards your Backer College Savings account. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Today we are back with Part II of Von Lane's birth story with a focus on her postpartum experience.  This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check out their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment at thebirthhour.com/course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! at patreon.com/birthhour

Sponsor KiwiCo: Get 50% off your first month on ANY crate line with code BIRTHHOUR at kiwico.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links: This episode is sponsored by Fairhaven Health, which is generously offering 15% of all of their products with the code BIRTHHOUR15 at www.fairhavenhealth.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! In spite of being a Large Animal Veterinarian (Board Certified in Animal ObGyn) and a Reproductive Physiologist studying human fertility, Dr. Joanna Ellington was surprised when the flu threw off her ovulation cycle and an unplanned pregnancy occurred. Using excellent classic references like Active Birth and Spiritual Midwifery, Joanna used perineal massage to prepare for childbirth, and was maybe a little too active with a 2 mile hike that turned into 5 miles the day before her membranes began leaking. An induction resulted in a normal birth where Joanna used her knowledge of birth and lactation in animals to enjoy the process as much as possible, even telling her midwife “That was kind of fun!” Joanna's second son was born within 10 minutes after she arrived at the hospital. In the chaos and discomfort of having two male doctors she had never met working on her son and her private parts, Joanna coped by switching into “medical professional mode" and talking to them about her research. But, she lost her focus on her baby and the moment. Sadly, she forgot to invite her waiting son and mother in to see the birth, as she had planned. This was a valuable lesson of not “taking care of others” or outwardly focusing during birth, but staying centered and baby focused.

Links: Today's episode is sponsored by Motif Medical. See how you can get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links: Get your breast pump for free at aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour and use promo code TBH15 at for 15% off supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Use code BIRTHHOUR for 20% off at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the First Latch Course Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

In this rebroadcast, Megan shares that after an especially tough pregnancy, she was more than ready to welcome her third daughter into the world. Being that this was her third child, she went into this sure of two things: this child will be born on or before her due date (like her older sisters) and this mama definitely wanted an epidural. It wasn't until she found herself 4 days past her due date without a sign of labor that she started to suspect that this birth might not go as planned. Little did she know that was only the beginning. Links: Go to shopify.com/birthhour for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment at thebirthhour.com/course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! at patreon.com/birthhour

In this rebroadcast, Diana shares the story of her first baby who was an unexpectedly large, 12 lbs, 3 oz. He was born via c-section after a very long labor. It was a deeply traumatic experience for her, but when she became pregnant again 2 years later she knew she'd have this second baby at home. Diana had a completely different labor and birth experience the second time - a beautiful, fast home birth that was also incredibly healing for her. She wants anyone who's had a traumatic birth or a c-section to know it's completely possible to not only heal from it, but to have a better, empowering subsequent birth. Links: Today's episode is sponsored by Premama Wellness. Use the code BirthHour25 for 25 percent off your purchase! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the First Latch Course

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check out their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment at thebirthhour.com/course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! at patreon.com/birthhour

Show notes links: Click this link for a $10 voucher towards your Backer College Savings account. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Sponsor KiwiCo: Get 50% off your first month on ANY crate line with code BIRTHHOUR at kiwico.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check out their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment at thebirthhour.com/course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! at patreon.com/birthhour

The first story of her son's birth was drastically different from her daughter's birth. Her son was born at a birth center after being in labor for over 26 hours (and pushing for two hours). Her daughter was born in the backseat of her car, after 15 hours of mild contractions and 5 hours of more intense contractions. She appreciates both of her experiences and is grateful to her husband, her main birthing partner in both births. She is also grateful for the Hypnobabies training that she and her husband completed in preparation for childbirth.  Links: Get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (or comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

In this fan favorite episode from 2018, Rebecca shares the stories of her three children's births in a hospital setting. Rebecca was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes with her first two pregnancies and was able to control it with diet. She also talks about her first baby having a two vessel cord, meconium in the water and a short NICU stay as well as her second baby refusing the breast at just two months old. With her third pregnancy Rebecca found research regarding a vitamin that helps prevent Gestational Diabetes and was able to avoid another GD diagnosis.  Sponsor: Milkies is generously offering 15% off all Milkies products with the code BirthHour15 at www.fairhavenhealth.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (also comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Clarké embarked on the journey of pregnancy and birth with a specific vision in mind - a peaceful, undisturbed home birth Links: Get your breast pump for free at aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour and use promo code TBH15 at for 15% off supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Use code BIRTHHOUR for 20% off at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the First Latch Course Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Liz Parker shares her experience with infertility as well as her hospital birth story with midwives.  Links: Today's episode is sponsored by Premama Wellness. Use the code BirthHour25 for 25 percent off your purchase! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the First Latch Course Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

In this rebroadcast, Lindsey shares that long before even trying to conceive, Lindsey knew she wanted an intervention-free birth. Despite her intentions, research, planning, and extensive preparation, Lindsey and her husband learned their first parenting lesson (you are no longer in control!) at seemingly every turn, from pregnancy through delivery and postpartum.  An induction lead to a 28 hour labor which ultimately ended in a cesarean section. Lindsey spent much of the fourth trimester trying to understand her birth experience and heal physically and emotionally. Links: Go to shopify.com/birthhour for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify’s entire suite of features. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment at thebirthhour.com/course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! at patreon.com/birthhour

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check out their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment at thebirthhour.com/course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! at patreon.com/birthhour

Nicole shares her birth story and experience with prenatal and postpartum anxiety and OCD. Nicole hopes that by sharing her story it may provide a glimmer of hope for mamas with similar experiences. Links: Sponsor KiwiCo Get 30 percent off your first month on ANY crate line with code BIRTHHOUR at kiwico.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Show notes links: Click this link for a $10 voucher towards your Backer account. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

In this rebroadcast of an episode from 2016, Paula shares her experience creating a homebirth like atmosphere for her birth and describes it as a a sacred space. Links: Today's episode is sponsored by Motif Medical. See how you can get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the First Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/

A popular episode with Jamie Dorobek is back! Jamie shares the birth story of her son Maxwell who was born at a birth center in Austin, Texas. Jamie discusses her decision to have an unmedicated birth and the speedy delivery of her son after arriving at the birth center. Jamie shared this story while she was VERY pregnant with baby #2 and has since given birth to a daughter as well! Links: Sponsor KiwiCo Get 30 percent off your first month on ANY crate line with code BIRTHHOUR at kiwico.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Sarah shared her first birth story on episode 402 (available in our Patreon archives) and is back today to share her more recent birth. Links: This episode is sponsored by Fairhaven Health, which is generously offering 15% of all of their products with the code BIRTHHOUR15 at www.fairhavenhealth.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Nkite gave birth to her baby girl through an unmedicated vaginal birth at a birth center in South Africa. Her baby was born 2 weeks early and she had a doula supporting her and her husband during the birth. Links: Get your breast pump for free at aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour and use promo code TBH15 at for 15% off supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check our their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment at thebirthhour.com/course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! at patreon.com/birthhour

In this rebroadcast, Aleesha shares her two birth stories, PCOS, gestational diabetes, and suffering a postpartum fever. Links This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Use code BIRTHHOUR for 20% off at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the First Latch Course

Links Today's episode is sponsored by Premama Wellness. Use the code BirthHour25 for 25 percent off your purchase! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the Latch Course Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This postpartum series is in partnership with Ergobaby. Check our their baby carriers at ergobaby.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment at thebirthhour.com/course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! at patreon.com/birthhour

In this rebroadcast, Erin shares that she didn't do a lot of research before her first birth, although she wanted to have a natural birth since her mom had done so. She ended up being induced with pitocin, getting an epidural, and then an episiotomy which led to a 4th degree tear. For her subsequent births, she hired a doula, gave birth in the hospital with midwives, and had the natural births she wanted. Show notes links: Click this link for a $10 voucher towards your Backer account. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Erica Chidi is the Co-founder and CEO of LOOM, a wellbeing platform empowering women through sexual and reproductive health education. Bryn Discusses postpartum preparation and survival with her. Listen to hear some amazing bits of wisdom from Erica. Today's episode is sponsored by Ergobaby. Check out all of their amazing baby carriers at ergobaby.com. The Birth Hour Links: Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Amia shares the story of her unexpected homebirth where her mom caught the baby! Sponsor KiwiCo Get 50 percent off your first month on ANY crate line with code BIRTHHOUR at kiwico.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Ariel shares about her quick labor and unmedicated hospital birth after preparing for birth with a Bradley Method course. Links: Sponsor: Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Amy Porter describes her fertility and pregnancy journey with her second child as “a delicate balance of luck and chaos.” From the accidental thawing of their donor sperm units before her IUI treatment to the routine ultrasound that discovered their son’s fatal heart defect amidst the global pandemic, Amy’s second journey to parenthood definitely was not what she and her wife imagined it would be. With the help of a team of medical professionals, the Porter family was able to prepare themselves mentally and emotionally for the birth of a critically ill newborn who would require open-heart surgery within his first few days of life to survive. Listen and learn about just how common of a birth experience this is and what parents can do at their 20-week anatomy scan to advocate for the heart health of their children. Links: Get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (or comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Megana shares her experience as a pediatrician navigating pregnancy, birth, and postpartum during the early days of the Covid-19 Pandemic Sponsor: Milkies is generously offering 15% off all Milkies products with the code BirthHour15 at www.fairhavenhealth.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Rana is mom to a 17 month old baby boy who she delivered pain medication free after 40 long, but exciting hours of labor.  Get your breast pump for free at aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour and use promo code TBH15 at for 15% off supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This is part two of Lexie's story of a long prodromal labor and hospital birth followed by a postpartum DVT experience. Links This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Use code BIRTHHOUR for 20% off at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the First Latch Course Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

This is part one of Lexie's story of a long prodromal labor and hospital birth. In part two she will finish telling her birth story and share about her postpartum DVT experience. Links Today's episode is sponsored by Premama Wellness. Use the code BirthHour25 for 25 percent off your purchase! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the Latch Course Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Shannon shares her experience having a baby while in Addiction Recovery and taking Methadone. Show notes links: Click this link for a $10 voucher towards your Backer account. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Both of Allison’s births were unmedicated natural labors ending in a tub at the Fort Worth Birthing & Wellness Center. However, Allison nicknamed her first birth, to her son, the birth marathon. It was long, hard, and full of exercise. Her second birth she nicknamed the sweetest surprise. It was still hard, but full of rest until pushing out a baby girl! Sponsor KiwiCo Get 50 percent off your first month on ANY crate line with code BIRTHHOUR at kiwico.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Sponsor: Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Mari became pregnant with her second child in September of 2018. After an anxiety-ridden fearful c-section 2 years prior, due to failure to descend, she was determined to have a VBAC!  She experienced a lot of push back from doctors, family, and her partner. Ultimately after facing her anxiety, getting her partner on board and breaking down all her VBAC fears, she was successful in birthing her son via VBAC in May of 2019. Today's episode is sponsored by Motif Medical. See how you can get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Grace shares her two cesarean breech births in New Zealand. Links: This episode is sponsored by Fairhaven Health, which is generously offering 15% of all of their products with the code BIRTHHOUR15 at www.fairhavenhealth.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Kelsey shares her two birth stories and postpartum experiences. Overall, Kelsey believes her empowering birth and postpartum experiences were due to lots of physical and mental preparation, as well as unwavering support from her husband, family, coworkers, and friends.  Get your breast pump for free at aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour and use promo code TBH15 at for 15% off supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

In her own words, Christina shares a bit about her experience as a doula participating in the world of birth: "I find that as a new birth worker I tell the story of how I came to birth work quite lot. But I try to keep my birth story out of my birth worker story as much as possible. I don’t want my clients to feel compelled to compare their story to mine or to worry that I am judging them based on my birth. And since I can’t control people’s thoughts (yet…), an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Keeping my birth out of the picture helps both of us keep the focus on the birthing person and what they want. However, I also feel very strongly about people sharing their birth stories. Especially in our society where so much fear and negativity surround birth and positive birth stories are seen as exceptions or “lucky” or shouted down as bragging or preaching. All we can do is speak from a place of compassion and authenticity. This is my experience." Sponsor: Go to Grove.com/birthhourto get a free gift set worth up to fifty dollars with your first order. Plus, shipping is fast and FREE.  Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Use code BIRTHHOUR for 20% off at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the Latch Course Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Katya Suh found out she was pregnant shortly after her marriage to NFL Defensive Lineman Ndamukong Suh in May 2020. The months that ensued ended up being some of the most transformative moments of her life especially with expecting twin boys. Links Today's episode is sponsored by Premama Wellness. Use the code BirthHour25 for 25% off your purchase! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the Latch Course Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

After years of deliberation and a several miscarriages, Chantale found herself pregnant in the middle of a pandemic. Anxious about childbirth, inspired by a history of hypertension and a healthy imagination, she knew she wanted to deliver in a hospital with the support of midwives. Chantale received shared-care throughout her pregnancy and her beautiful daughter was born in February 2021. She feels incredibly empowered by her positive birth experience. Sponsor: Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the Latch Course: Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Katherine shares her experience getting pregnant via IUI as well as deciding to switch from a hospital birth to a homebirth at 24 weeks gestation. She went into labor on Halloween and baby was born at home with a midwife in attendance. Sponsor KiwiCo: Get 50% off your first month on ANY crate line with code BIRTHHOUR at kiwico.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

At 37 weeks, Katie went in for an induction due to an ICP diagnosis (thanks to learning about it from this show and Nicole Phelps' story!)  Hoping for a very low-intervention birth experience, the team of midwives and nurses were amazing at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass in providing as gentle of an induction as possible. Sponsor: Go to Grove.com/birthhourto get a free gift set worth up to fifty dollars with your first order. Plus, shipping is fast and FREE.  Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Abby Theuring of the Badass Breastfeeder shares her hospital induction birth story as well as her subsequent homebirth story. She also talks about breastfeeding struggles and how a lactation consultant helped. Sponsor: Milkies is generously offering 15% off all Milkies products with the code BirthHour15 at www.fairhavenhealth.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course (100OFF for $100 off) Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Haylie and her husband, Jeffrey, had been married for a year when they decided to try and get pregnant. With many tales from friends and family members that it could take a while to conceive (it was news to Jeffrey that you actually had to "try" to get pregnant) they were surprised when a pregnancy test came back positive only a few months later. Haylie had a history of depression but was adamant about getting off antidepressant medication while pregnant. At first she felt fine, both emotionally and physically. But right around her second trimester, serious signs of depression and anxiety began to creep in. This made for a difficult pregnancy in which Haylie sought help from a number of sources to cope with the mounting feeling that she was unprepared for motherhood. As she prepped for an unmedicated hospital birth, she also battled a constant fear that she wasn't ready to be a mom. As you'll hear on this episode, there were several unexpected twists and turns during Haylie's labor and delivery that ultimately led to an epidural and a long but successful vaginal delivery. Haylie also shares how experiencing depression during pregnancy morphed into postpartum depression and talks about the lifesaving support she received after her son was born. Get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the Latch Course (or comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Megan shares her story of her 1st pregnancy & birth, receiving dual care from an OB and midwifery practice. Megan's story culminates in an empowering home waterbirth. Get your breastpump for free at aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour and use promo code TBH15 at for 15% off supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Barbara shares her experience with trying to conceive, gestational diabetes, a cord prolapse and emergency cesarean as well as some challenges with breastfeeding. This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Use code BIRTHHOUR for 20% off at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Maureen shares two birth stories and discusses having recovery complications due to Hamman's syndrome. Today's episode is sponsored by Premama Wellness. Use the code BirthHour25 for 25% off your purchase! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Olivia shares her birth story and experience with embryo adoption. Sponsor: Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/birthhour. Links: Join Bryn for a Wisdom chat where she will share her birth stories and invite those on the call to ask questions or share your own stories. The Q&A will be on December 27 at 10am CT on the Wisdom app: https://joinwisdom.audio/thebirthhour Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - Use Code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the Latch Course: Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Whitney shares her birth story and about why it was positive despite not going to plan. Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Emily shares her two very different birth stories. Today’s episode is sponsored by Ergobaby. Visit ergobaby.com to learn about Everlove by Ergobaby, a first of its kind baby carrier buy-back and resale program. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Melissa shares about her hospital birth during COVID. Today's episode is sponsored by Motif Medical. See how you can get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

In Part 2, Kelly shares the birth story of her rainbow baby. Part 2 is sponsored by Aeroflow Breastpumps. Use promo code "TBH15" at aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour for 15% off supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

In Part 1, Kelly shares the stories of her hospital birth and miscarriage. This episode is sponsored by Babylist. Start your registry today at babylist.com to be eligible for a free Hello Baby Box of goodies worth over $100 while boxes last. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Annie shares four birth stories. This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Listen to this episode for a special coupon code to use at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Jess shares her two (very) different birth stories. Today's episode is sponsored by Premama Wellness. Use the code BirthHour25 for 25% off your purchase! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Charity comes back on TBH to share her twin birth story. Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor at BetterHelp.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Sionann shares her varied birth experiences. Today’s episode is sponsored by Ergobaby. Visit ergobaby.com to learn about Everlove by Ergobaby, a first of its kind baby carrier buy-back and resale program. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Lauren shares her stories of birth and loss. Today's episode is sponsored by Motif Medical. See how you can get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

On this episode, Cassi shares her four hospital birth stories and some great resources. This episode is sponsored by Wumblekin. Visit wumblekin.com to order or subscribe and get 15% off your first box by using promo code BIRTHHOUR. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Sarit shares about her births in Switzerland and Germany, and discusses being diagnosed with PCOS. Today's episode is sponsored by Aeroflow. Use the promo code “TBH15” in their online shop for 15% off all supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Tiffany shares her birth story and discusses becoming pregnant just before the world shut down. This episode is sponsored by Babylist. Start your registry today at babylist.com to be eligible for a free Hello Baby Box of goodies worth over $100 while boxes last. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

J.J. shares her birth and postpartum stories. This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Listen to this episode for a special coupon code to use at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Claire shares her birth story and discusses misdiagnoses during labor and an empowering postpartum. This episode is sponsored by Babylist. Start your registry today at babylist.com to be eligible for a free Hello Baby Box of goodies worth over $100 while boxes last. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Avery shares her birth story and discusses the upsides of having her birth and postpartum plans go awry. Today’s episode is sponsored by Ergobaby. Visit ergobaby.com to learn about Everlove by Ergobaby, a first of its kind baby carrier buy-back and resale program. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Amanda shares her birth story and discusses the postpartum struggles that led to her founding Nest Collaborative. Today's episode is sponsored by Motif Medical. See how you can get Motif's Luna breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

After over 4 years of dealing with infertility, Gisselle and her husband, Lynneric, found out they were pregnant due to an IUI. This episode is sponsored by Wumblekin. Visit wumblekin.com to order or subscribe and get 15% off your first box by using promo code BIRTHHOUR. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Poppy shares her birth story and discusses a five-day NICU stay postpartum. This episode is sponsored by Essembly, Head to esemblybaby.com to learn more. And use code BirthHour15 for 15% off your first order. Also available on Amazon and Target.com. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Makayla shares her conception journey and birth story. Today's episode is sponsored by Aeroflow. Use the promo code “TBH15” in their online shop for 15% off all supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Lindsey Henke is the founder and Executive Director of Pregnancy After Loss Support, a writer, clinical social worker, wife, and most importantly a mother of two beautiful daughters and one sweet-smiling little boy. Tragically, her oldest daughter, Nora was stillborn after a healthy full-term pregnancy in December of 2012. This episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely. Listen to this episode for a special coupon code to use at kindredbravely.com Support The Birth Hour at https://patreon.com/birthhour

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Chloe shares two birth stories and discusses infertility, using IVF, and postpartum depression. This episode is sponsored by Seven Starling (sevenstarling.com), a new kind of digital membership designed to help you find your way through pregnancy and parenthood. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Angela shares her birth story, discusses her journey with infertility, and also shares about losing her baby late in her second trimester. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Carolyn shares her birth story and discusses her postpartum recovery challenges. Today's episode is sponsored by Esembly, a new diapering system for sustainability. Head to esemblybaby.com and use code BirthHour15 for 15% off your first order. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Lana shares her birth story and discusses postpartum preeclampsia. Today’s episode is sponsored by Ergobaby. Visit ergobaby.com to learn about Everlove by Ergobaby, a first of its kind baby carrier buy-back and resale program. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

In Part 2, Zahra picks up with her first postpartum story and shares her second birth story, a cesarean section. This episode is sponsored by Wumblekin. Get 15% off your first box by using promo code BIRTHHOUR at checkout. Visit wumblekin.com to order or subscribe, today! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Zahra shares her unmedicated hospital birth story in this first of two episodes. This episode is sponsored by Motif Medical. Discover how you can get a breast pump covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Daniela shares her birth story and discusses diaphragmatic breathing. Today's episode is sponsored by Aeroflow. Go to aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour and use the promo code “TBH15” for 15% off all supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Beth shares her birth story and discusses her journey to conceive. This episode is sponsored by Babylist. Start your registry today at babylist.com to be eligible for a free Hello Baby Box of goodies worth over $100 while boxes last. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Ashley shares her two birth stories. Today’s episode is brought to you by Kindred Bravely. Listen to this episode for a special coupon code to use at kindredbravely.com! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Cara shares her birth story and discusses being pregnant during med school and COVID. Today's episode is sponsored by Owlet. Right now get exclusive access to the Owlet Band in its beta program and save $100. Get yours now, before spots fill up, at owletcare.com/band. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Lisa shares her hospital and home birth stories. This episode is sponsored by Esembly- a new diapering system for sustainability. Head to esemblybaby.com to learn more. And use code BirthHour15 for 15% off your first order. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Alyssa, founder of Seed & Sew, shares her birth story. This episode is sponsored by Ergobaby. Visit ergobaby.com to shop their broad range of award winning products. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

To hear the full episode, subscribe at patreon.com/birthhour! Rhea Dempsey is a childbirth educator, speaker, counselor and birth attendant (doula) with experience at over one thousand births. In this conversation, we discuss reframing the way we think about birth with an emphasis on what Rhea refers to as the 'crises of confidence' among laboring people and how our culture doesn't support us through those moments. Rhea also makes a unique argument for why you need a birth plan. Plus, lots more!

Sarah shares her birth story, and discusses what the body is capable of and the power of motherhood. This episode is sponsored by Motif Medical. See how you can get a breast pump, like Motif's Luna, covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Natalia shares her birth story and her physically and emotionally challenging postpartum. This episode is sponsored by Wumblekin. Get 15% off your first box at wumblekin.com by using promo code BIRTHHOUR at checkout. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Monica shares her birth story and discusses being medevaced at 33 weeks. This episode is sponsored by Aeroflow. Go to the Aeroflow Breastpumps website and fill out their free and easy Qualify Through Insurance form. Be sure to go to aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour so they will know we sent you! Bonus — use the promo code “TBH15” in their online shop for 15% off all supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Joelle shares her birth story and discusses transferring from a home birth practice to a midwife-led OB/GYN practice at 35 weeks. Today's sponsor is Babylist. Start your registry today to be eligible for a free Hello Baby Box of goodies for baby worth over $100 while boxes last. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Lottie shares her birth story and discusses how important fetal movement monitoring was to her story. Today's sponsor is Kindred Bravely. Listen to this episode for a special coupon code to use at kindredbravely.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Sarah shares her birth story and discusses her positive NICU experience. Today's sponsor is Brightside. Take your free mental health assessment and get up to ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS credit on your first month of treatment at Brightside.com/birthhour. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Beyond the Latch Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Angela shares her pregnancy and birth stories. Today's sponsor is Ergobaby: http:// ergobaby.com Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Back-2-Work Breastfeeding Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Christi shares her birth story and discusses being diagnosed with gestational diabetes, delivering at 36 weeks, and postpartum phototherapy jaundice treatment. Visit wumblekin.com and get 15% off your first box by using promo code BIRTHHOUR at checkout Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time Back-2-Work Breastfeeding Course: https://courses.thebirthhour.com/enroll-b2w/ Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!: https://patreon.com/birthhour

Chae shares her conception and birth stories, and discusses going in for an induction due to gestational hypertension that turned into an unscheduled c-section. Get a free breastpump through Insurance!   Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course  Back-2-Work Breastfeeding Course  Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Hadar shares her gentle cesarean birth story. Today's sponsor is Cord Blood Registry. Go to cordblood.com and use code: HOUR to get 60% off the Newborn Stem Cell Bundle which includes both cord blood and tissue banking Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course  Back-2-Work Breastfeeding Course  Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Allison shares her birth story, her experience with the Know Your Options Childbirth Course, and about hiring a postpartum doula for her 4th trimester. Get a free breastpump through Insurance!   Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course  Back-2-Work Breastfeeding Course  Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Jill shares her three, very different, birth stories and discusses the challenges of pandemic postpartum. Become a listener supporter at patreon.com/birthhour Enroll in the Know Your Options Childbirth Course and use code 100OFF for $100 off!

Lauren shares her two, unmedicated hospital birth stories.

Taylor shares her birth story and discusses her struggles with breastfeeding.

Aubrey shares her waterbirth story.

After planning for a baby for years, the time finally came for Kayla and her husband to start trying. They successfully got pregnant fairly quickly, but found their timing to be all but perfect as news of the pandemic began to spread. Although adapting to this new way of life during pregnancy was difficult, Kayla had a relatively normal pregnancy and planned for an unmedicated hospital birth with midwives.

Jasmine shares about being induced at 37-weeks for pre-eclampsia and discusses her postpartum treatment experience as a black woman.

Bert Anderson had three positive vaginal births in hospitals. She used epidurals for all three births and for the most part she had uncomplicated pregnancies. After her first birth she was diagnosed with postpartum depression when her son was four months old. Since then she has become aware of her mood and depression so she can recognize the warning signs.   Today's sponsor: Brightside.com/birthhour

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Logan and Brian are parents to five, four girls and their newest arrival, their son Maverick Moon. This was Logan's third homebirth and one of the goals was for the midwife to make it this time! Logan shared her previous birth stories on episode 441. You can listen to those at here.

Camilla shares three birth stories and discusses postpartum during covid.

Today's birth story comes from mom of two, Monet Moutrie, who shares her experience giving birth at a birth center in Denver, Colorado. Monet comes to birth with the unique perspective of having photographed hundreds of births as a birth photographer—in other words she's pretty much seen it all! 

Sarah shares her empowering hospital birth story.

Shauna shares her two very different hospital birth stories.

Emelie shares her two birth stories: the first, an induction due to preeclampsia; the second, an emergency c-section due to a placental abruption.

Brenna shares her epidural-free birth story and discusses testing positive for GBS, but not receiving antibiotics due to the rapid onset of active labor.

Keelie shares her two different birth experiences, one with and one without an epidural.

On this episode, Annie shares her three birth stories, and having postpartum depression and pelvic floor issues.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Madison shares her two cesarean birth stories, and how her preparation for the second made for a positive birth and postpartum experience.

Aubrey shares her two brith stories. Find her birth videos on the show-notes page!

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

A few days before Jenny was 41 weeks with her fifth baby, she came to the Midwife Center to start a natural induction - pumping and walking. After a few hours, her water broke and her labor began.

Lori shares her 2- year pregnancy journey, birth story, and discusses her postpartum complications.

Before she was even pregnant, Loi had read all there is to read about pregnancy and childbirth. She knew that she wanted an unmedicated birth, and began to prepare herself by learning all she could about labor and delivery. After a smooth pregnancy, Loi had a home water birth with a midwife attending in Nairobi, Kenya!

Nikki shares the birth of her twins and shares advice for NICU parents.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Arden is a grief and bereavement doula who found her calling to help others through pregnancy loss after a long fertility journey to her son, Cameron. In this episode, she opens up about pregnancy and live childbirth after infertility and loss. This episode is sponsored by Fairhaven Health, which is generously offering 15% of all of their products with the code BIRTHHOUR at www.fairhavenhealth.com.

Hattie shares her two birth stories and discusses birth and postpartum resources in a rural community. This episode is sponsored by Baby Cube. For a limited time, BabyCube is offering 20% off to birth hour listeners with the coupon code BIRTHHOUR20 at babycubeglobal.com

Lola worked during most of her pregnancy and walked 6 km a day. She was quite scared about going into labor, so she chose a doctor who really made her feel confident about herself. The doctor had a reputation of standing back during most of the delivery and letting things follow their natural course, and would step in as needed. Another important factor that made things easier was that the hospital was only a 3 minute walk away from their apartment. Sponsor: grove.co/birthhour Become a Patron: patreon.com/birthhour

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Brittany shares her two birth stories. Today’s episode is sponsored by Advanced Nutrition by Zahler. Visit https://amzn.to/3sGzFYY for an exclusive 25% off toward your purchase on Amazon using code PREDHA25.

Caroline and Matt tried everything under the sun to turn their baby head down in an effort to avoid a c-section: moxibustion, acupuncture, Spinning Babies, flips in the pool, and two ECVs. Ultimately, Caroline found acceptance in a scheduled c-section and loved her birth experience. She was able to advocate for all of the gentle cesarean practices including immediate skin to skin, a clear drape, arms free, music playing, etc.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Meghan shares about her molar pregnancy and loss, and her subsequent hospital births with a midwife.

Victoria shares her three birth stories.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

After being faced with needing to transfer care at 34 weeks, Georgiana wound up letting go of the “hypnobirth of her dreams” due to the need for an urgent caesarean section at 37 weeks.

After a fairly normal pregnancy, Nicky developed high blood pressure at 37 weeks and had to be induced. Despite a long labor she was able to have the epidural-free birth she’d hoped for. Postpartum, she struggled with triple feeding and was diagnosed with Insufficient Glandular Tissue.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Rachael shares the stories of her hospital birth and brain surgery a few weeks postpartum.

Introducing #Zombiemum, a new podcast about the psychological effects of having and raising children. Since her own experience with postpartum psychosis, writer and illustrator Laura Dockrill (@LauraDockrill) has been on a mission to smash the stigmas associated with parental mental health. Each week, Laura will be joined by guests from a range of different backgrounds and disciplines, all with their own experiences. Subscribe now to hear the rest of the first episode with musician Paloma Faith!

January Harshe shares her first four birth stories: a cesarean, a homebirth transfer to cesarean, a hospital VBAC after being dropped from care by her homebirth midwife, and a very healing unassisted homebirth. You can hear her 5th and 6th birth stories on her podcast that she hosts with her husband, The Harshe Podcast. This episode's sponsor is Pharmaca. Go to pharmaca.com/birthhour for 20% off your first order!

Kayla shares her the story of her unmedicated hospital birth. For a special offer from this episode's sponsor, Grove Collaborative, go to grove.co/birthhour

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Kalen shares about the birth of her son with hearing loss and her VBAC birth of twin girls.

Charlotte found out she was pregnant with her 2nd child in December 2019. In January, while still in her first trimester, it was confirmed that she was moving to Singapore from London with her 2 year old daughter and husband in May. However, due to coronavirus their moving plans were changed and they ended up spending 6 months in her husband's home country of New Zealand.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Hannah shares her birth stories and struggles breastfeeding.

A doctor told Chelsea there were no trophies for women who have an unmedicated birth; but, Chelsea felt passionate about having a serene, med-free experience in the hospital. When she had to be induced at 38 weeks with gestational hypertension, her preparation and self advocacy paid off for a successful hypnobirth experience. Become a listener-supporter at patreon.com/thebirthhour

Jerika shares her experience birthing with the assistance of her husband and a 911 operator.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

At 37 weeks pregnant, Elizabeth went to the hospital for a scheduled induction due to gestational hypertension that developed the prior week. After she was admitted into the labor room, everyone was surprised to find out that she was already in active labor and unable to feel contractions. Due to the lack of pain even after receiving pitocin, she was able to give birth without an epidural and deliver a healthy baby boy.

Genny shares her birth stories and discusses hypnobabies and switching care providers. Her husband, Dave, shares his experiences on TBH's Partner Podcast at patreon.com/birthhour.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Following an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured one of Shana’s fallopian tubes, she unexpectedly got pregnant almost immediately after her first loss. At the time, she was living in London, England and preparing for her husband, Doug, to move in early 2020. Become a listener-supporter at patreon.com/birthhour

Sarah shares her birth and postpartum stories. Become a listener supporter at patreon.com/birthhour!

Elise Hurst shares her three birth stories—two unmedicated hospital births and one homebirth. She also shares some fun and interesting tidbits from pregnancy and her struggles with breastfeeding and postpartum.    Head to grove.co/birthhour for a FREE gift with your first purchase! Become a Patreon member at patreon.com/birthhour

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Brittany and Mickey worked with a team of 2 midwives who delivered at their local hospital. COVID threw a wrench in their baby plans, and she ended up needing a medically required induction. When the first two induction methods didn’t work, Brittany was started on Pitocin. Thanks to their doula (who the hospital made a one-time-COVID exception for), they were able to make it through 19 hours of labor without an epidural. Become a listener supporter at patreon.com/birthhour! Sponsor: Cord Blood Registry - Use code HOUR at cordblood.com for 60% off. 

At Nathalie’s twenty week ultrasound, she learned that she was at high risk for placental challenges and pre-term labor. In the eighteen weeks between her twenty week ultrasound and birth, she would make over 52 visits to various doctor's offices, including twice-weekly non-stress tests and dopplers. The gravity of Nathalie’s health challenges and her desire to make it to term caused an overwhelming amount of stress. To cope with her anxiety, Nathalie turned to Expectful's meditations and hypnobirthing. Within one week of using Expectful, Nathalie saw her condition stabilize, and she was able to make it to term. expectful.com/birthhour for 14 day free trial

Andrea used hypnobirthing for her two births. Her births were similar in that they both lasted about 8 hours with 20 minutes of pushing. Her first birth to her daughter ended with meconium presenting and a third degree tear. Her second birth was started via induction. After a failed epidural, Andrea gave birth to a surprisingly huge 10lb 12oz boy. Go to thebirthhour.com/peanut for a special offer from this episode's sponsor Peanut!

After a 20 hour labor, Liesel delivered her son epidural-free at the hospital (and department) where she worked. This episode is sponsored by Grove Collaborative. Go to grove.co/birthhour for a special offer!

After learning she had fibroids shortly after she started her TTC journey, Mabel decided to have a laparoscopic myomectomy done to remove multiple fibroids from within her uterine wall. The journey to get pregnant continued on for another 2 years before she got a positive pregnancy test. She had a relatively smooth pregnancy except for fibroid degeneration and gestational diabetes. Her son was born vaginally after a 36 hour labor.

On this episode, Lauren returns to share her second birth story. Sponsors: Pharmaca. Go to pharmaca.com/birthhour for 20% off! Literati. For 25% off your first TWO orders, go to literati.com/birthhour!

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Hillary shares her birth story and about her postpartum challenges with nursing and gallstones. Become a listener supporter at patreon.com/birthhour! Sign up for the Know Your Options Childbirth Course at https://courses.thebirthhour.com/course

Along with sharing her birth story, Danielle discusses experiencing several early miscarriages and being diagnosed with preeclampsia. Become a listener supporter at patreon.com/birthhour! Sign up for the Know Your Options Childbirth Course at https://courses.thebirthhour.com/course

Jane shares about her unexplained infertility issues, adoption, pregnancy via IUI, and homebirth. Become a listener supporter at patreon.com/birthhour

After an uncomplicated, swift, birth center birth with her first son in 2018, Lauren was caught off guard when her second son was still breech at 36 weeks. Become a listener-supporter at Patreon!

Sarah planned an unmedicated hospital birth with her first child, but eventually got an epidural after becoming frustrated with a difference in cervical checks done by the nurse and the on-call doctor. For her second, she decided to try again for an unmedicated birth and decided to hire a doula for extra support. This episode is sponsored by Grove Collaborative. Visit grove.co/birthhour for a free gift with your first purchase!

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Kaitlyn was worried that her PCOS and irregular cycles would be a problem when she and her husband Brett started trying to conceive their first child. The day before she planned to start her first round of fertility drugs, they found out they were expecting. Become a listener supporter at patreon.com/birthhour You can find the Peanut app at thebirthhour.com/peanut

On this new episode of our Know Your Options series, we are discussing COVID-19 and what we are seeing in regards to care during pregnancy and childbirth as well as planning for postpartum. We have added content to our Know Your Options course covering COVID-19 and are always talking about this in our bi-weekly Zoom calls for our students.  Sign up for the Know Your Options Childbirth course at thebirthhour.com/course and use the code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment.

Rachel had a textbook pregnancy and planned an unmedicated hospital birth with the support of her husband, midwife, and doula. Her labor began in the intimacy of her home as desired, but after arriving at the hospital, it was determined that scar tissue on her cervix was stalling progress. After 39 hours of labor, she was able to deliver her son. Become a listener supporter at patreon.com/birthhour!

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

After a happy and straightforward birth with her first child, Priscilla, Katherine started thinking about the idea of home birth. Become a Birth Hour listener-supporter at patreon.com/birthhour

Courtney became pregnant with her first child and quickly began researching all the ways to prepare for a healthy natural birth. After seeing one of her favorite YouTubers have a beautiful home birth it opened her eyes beyond hospital birthing.

Elana's birth story went as she hoped - she had a planned hospital birth with an epidural that was 12 hours start to finish. The doctors & hospital were kind & compassionate, and really helped create a special experience.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

After a bad experience with a small town OBGYN and switching care providers at 35 weeks pregnant with her first pregnancy, Amanda knew the importance of finding the perfect care provider during her second pregnancy. Become a listener supporter at patreon.com/birthhour

Kaitlin shares the story of her fourth homebirth, which she calls a "wildcard."

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

In this replay, Sasha shares two birth stories as well as three losses. Sahsa will be back soon to share her most recent to births. Become a Birth Hour listener supporter at Patreon!!

Lauren shares the birth stories of her three children, who were all conceived via IVF. Today’s episode is sponsored by March of Dimes, in honor of Birth Defects Prevention month. During this month, March of Dimes is partnering with the CDC to generate awareness among women of childbearing age, families, and health care providers about things they can do to help prevent birth defects. You can find out more at marchofdimes.org/TheBirthHour.

After conceiving quickly, Jeni had an easy pregnancy apart from fear and changing plans due to COVID-19. She planned a unmedicated childbirth at the birthing center in the University Hospital System where she worked. Two days before her due date, she went for two two-mile walks and did some prenatal yoga, only to start to have some irregular contractions that evening. Become a listener supporter at Patreon! Sign up for our Know Your Options online Childbirth Course at thebirthhour.com/course

Having her first baby at 25 years old as a single mom, Michelle thought she was done having children until she got married and gave birth to her second child at 41 and her third child at 43. Become a listener supporter at Patreon! Sign up for our Know Your Options online Childbirth Course at thebirthhour.com/course

Kate shares her two birth stories. Become a listener supporter at Patreon!

On this episode, Jana tells several stories, which she describes as: devastated by a 21-week loss due to multiple congenital anomalies, followed by a miscarriage at 8 weeks, blessed by two, unmedicated births (one at a hospital and one at home during the pandemic).

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Anita and her partner, Brian, were initially surprised by their pregnancy. After six months of trying to conceive, they both weren’t sure they could. After delivering her son via a vaginal birth (with an epidural) in 2009, Anita desired to have an unmedicated birth with her next child.

On July 28th, 2016 Alexis gave birth to her first child after 8 hours of labor. Despite dealing with back labor, she was able to have an unmedicated labor and delivery with the support of her husband Kurt, their doula, and midwives at the local hospital.  In the spring of 2020 Alexis and Kurt were preparing for the birth of their second child. The plan was to again have a hospital birth with the same midwifery group and be supported by a doula. When the world started rapidly changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they found themselves navigating the unimaginable. With the use of technology, Alexis was able to have her doula support her virtually as well as help coach her husband to support her throughout labor and delivery. That combined with the calming expertise of her midwife and nurse, Alexis was able to have the birth that she wanted feeling fully supported by her birth team. They welcomed their second daughter into the world on April 28th, 2020.  Become a listener supporter at patreon.com/birthhour. Find out how to get maternity compression garments and the Luna breastpump from Motif for free through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

After a traumatic experience with postpartum Hellp Syndrome, two blood transfusions, a 24 hour magnesium drip several hours after the birth of her daughter in 2017, and a miscarriage in 2019, Vered and her husband had garnered a solid and trusted medical team in her new OB and Doula, and felt mentally prepared to safely welcome their son in 2020.

Amanda had a smooth, yet uncomfortable, pregnancy but then had to navigate giving birth and finding support during the pandemic. She experienced a day of prodromal labor before real labor started the day after her due date. After arriving at the birthing center, she labored most of the day in the water supported by her husband and sister. Labor was intense yet peaceful and she progressed steadily throughout the day. She delivered her baby on a birth stool and after a short scare with the baby not immediately breathing, they had an immediate bond. Postpartum was the happiest time of her life and loved breastfeeding from the start. She had a significant tear but had a great experience working with a pelvic floor physical therapist to heal. 

On this new episode of our Know Your Options series, we are discussing why an induction might be offered, the difference between an elective vs medically indicated induction, and how to prepare for an induction. We have an entire module in our Know Your Options course covering inductions including natural coping techniques, pain medication options, and so much more. Sign up for the Know Your Options Childbirth course at thebirthhour.com/course and use the code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Sara was able to get pregnant pretty quickly and had a routine pregnancy up until 35 weeks. At her 35 week appointment she had high blood pressure and had to go to the hospital for monitoring. After a couple of days her blood pressure began to climb higher and she was diagnosed with preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. Sara was induced and after a fairly quick labor gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Patrick. She had to stay in the hospital a little longer than usual while the doctors got her blood pressure under control and found the right mix of medications. By 12 weeks postpartum she was back to somewhat normal and they have all been settling in as a family of three. Become a listener supporter and get access to our exclusive Partner Podcast & more. See more at patreon.com/birthhour

Those first 24 hours after birth are crucial to getting off on the right foot with breastfeeding. We have all the info you need for a great start! Grab your free download — Quick Start Breastfeeding Guide Sign up for the course today at thebirthhour.com/course and use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment!

This is a full-episode preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Right now we have a Black Friday special going through 11/30 where you can get two months free with an annual membership bringing it to just $8/month! Patreon support starts at just $5 per month and you will get hours and hours of content not available to the public. And with that you will also have the opportunity to become a member of our Private FB group where we have the most amazing group supporting one another through all things pregnancy and parenthood. Head to patreon.com/birthhour to get all the info. We are so appreciative of your support!

When Laurel found out that she would give birth to her first child at an overseas military base,  she was elated! Although she was committed to choreographing a local production of Mary Poppins in the third trimester, she thought that pregnancy (having started smoothly) would continue in run-of-the-mill fashion. However, the OBGYN clinic on base recommended  inducing Laurel due to blood pressure concerns. Take advantage of our Black Friday Deal on Patreon membership thru 11/30 and get two months FREE by selecting the annual  membership at Patreon.com/birthhour! You can also join our Know Your Options Childbirth Course at https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time/ and use coupon code 100FF for $100 off your enrollment!

At her 37 week appointment, Hannah’s OBGYN discovered that her baby was in the breech position and had also developed a heart arrhythmia. She was sent to Labor and Delivery for further follow up and an ultrasound. The doctors discovered that her baby was measuring in the 96th percentile for weight and her amniotic fluid levels were lower than they would have liked to see. They were recommending an urgent Cesarean section that evening. Of course, Hannah’s Husband was on the ocean fishing during this time. Luckily, he was able to make it back with an hour and twenty-six minutes before baby was born. Take advantage of our Black Friday Deal on Patreon membership thru 11/30 and get two months FREE by selecting the annual  membership at Patreon.com/birthhour! You can also join our Know Your Options Childbirth Course at https://courses.thebirthhour.com/limited-time/ and use coupon code 100FF for $100 off your enrollment!

Setting boundaries with your loved ones is one of the tricky things about having a baby that no one really talks about in childbirth preparation. But Stephanie and I have both personally dealt with this and we know how important it is so we want to go over how to get on the same page with your partner and how to approach issues with your extended family. Be sure to grab my favorite free printable download yet that goes over some of the questions you should be asking each other and tips on how to navigate and set postpartum boundaries. Sign up for the Know Your Options Childbirth course at thebirthhour.com/course and use the code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment. Grab your free download — www.thebirthhour.com/bonus6

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

After a fast labor with her first child (episode 397), Megan expected to labor quickly with her second, but she was unprepared for just how fast things would happen. Megan was in labor for just under 3 hours and struggled to avoid pushing for the 30-minute car ride to the birth center. She delivered her daughter just 2 minutes after walking barefoot into the birth center.

When JoAnne was almost 9 months pregnant, Adam contracted the coronavirus and tested positive on two separate occasions several weeks apart. JoAnne and Adam had to spend the last six weeks of her pregnancy completely separated.

Megan shares about finding out her son, Bert, had Down syndrome during pregnancy, as well as her birth story and about Bert's two surgeries postpartum: having a gastronomy tube placed at two months; and, open-heart surgery at four months.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Rachel shares her two homebirth stories, one with a doula, one without.   Info on our Know Your Options Childbirth course can be found at thebirthhour.com/course. Use coupon code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment!

Christina shares her three birth and postpartum stories.

Worrying about giving birth and what your vagina will be like afterwards is completely normal. Naturally, most of us want to do everything possible to reduce the risk of tearing, so today we are discussing this very topic! Sign up for the Know Your Options Childbirth course at thebirthhour.com/course and use the code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment. Grab your free download — www.thebirthhour.com/bonus5

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Morgan shares her three birth stories and the complications arising during each.

Brett and her husband went through two IUIs and 5 rounds of IVF. On their fourth round they had two viable embryos and both transfers eventually became her two sons. Brett says the experience of going through IVF nearly broke her but just before it did it she fought back and ending up learning things about herself that she never knew. Since then she has made it her goal to help other women suffering in silence to feel less alone in their struggles with infertility.

Nearly every laboring person in some capacity will need to cope with contractions unmedicated at some point. Even if you are planning for an epidural, you aren't automatically hooked up to an epidural the moment you feel that first contraction! You will find useful tips in this bonus episode and free download! Sign up for the Know Your Options Childbirth course at thebirthhour.com/course and use the code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment.

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Valerie shares her three birth stories, focusing on her third, Rex, who spent over 3 months in the hospital and had 4 open heart surgeries before he was 8 months old.

During Nicole's first pregnancy, her baby was diagnosed with a rare intestinal malformation called duodenal atresia. She went into labor at 32 weeks and went on to have a c-section with inadequate anesthesia. Her baby had surgery 3 days after birth and spent a month in the NICU. This experience has helped Nicole better serve her patients as an OB/GYN. Dr. Nicole Calloway Rankins is a board-certified, practicing OB/GYN and mom of 2 who empowers first time moms to feel supported and prepared for pregnancy and birth. Over the last 15 years she’s helped more than 1,000 babies come into this world and has demystified pregnancy and childbirth for thousands more women through her 5-star rated All About Pregnancy & Birth podcast, her free online birth plan class, and her signature online program - The Birth Preparation Course. Visit her website www.drnicolerankins.com and follow her on Instagram @drnicolerankins. Aeroflow Breastpumps has helped thousands of new and expecting moms find the perfect pump for her lifestyle. They offer all major pump brands including Medela, Spectra, Motif, Lansinoh, Ameda and more. And the best part, they take care of everything – including getting all required paperwork, dealing with your insurance company, and explaining your options in order to get your free pump shipped straight to your door.  Bonus — you may also qualify for free maternity compression garments like compression socks, maternity support band, and a postpartum recovery garment PLUS breast pump resupply products ranging from new bottles, tubing, and flanges to duck valves and pump membranes.  All you have to do is go to the Aeroflow Breastpumps website and fill out their free and easy Qualify Through Insurance form. Be sure to go to aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour so they will know I sent you!  

When it comes to dealing with unsupportive hospital staff or conflicting information it can be easy to feel overwhelmed or stunned, especially in the moment. Today Stephanie and I are talking about key phrases to use when you find yourself in one of these situations and other tips to keep in mind so you are prepared for all of the different potential scenarios. Sign up for the Know Your Options Childbirth course at thebirthhour.com/course and use the code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment. Grab your free download — How to Handle Tricky Situations with Hospital Staff at thebirthhour.com/bonus3

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Victoria shares the story of her miscarriage, and subsequent birth.

Natalie is the Pied Piper of twin families around the globe. Founding Twiniversity — the world’s leading support network for multiple birth families — in 2009, she’s become the global influencer for this small niche community. Reaching over a million families a week through Twiniversity’s Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube channels, moms and dads of twins flock to Twiniversity to find resources, ask questions, explore new products, and find community and support from other twin parents. Natalie is a true connector, bringing parents from all walks of life together, breaking past cultural differences, to share in the highs and lows of parenting twins. Natalie’s book, “What To Do When You’re Having Two” is a global bestseller in Twins & Multiples Parenting.

After two straightforward, unmedicated births (one hospital birth with an OB, the other a homebirth with a midwife), Grace planned another homebirth with a midwife. Those plans changed immediately when she noticed her baby had stopped moving at 41 weeks and her birth quickly changed to an emergent hospital induction.

When it comes to finding a hospital, there are some key things to look for to ensure you will be setting yourself up for the most mother-baby friendly care possible! Today Stephanie and I are talking about questions you can ask prior to choosing where you will give birth. Because many doctors only have privileges at certain hospitals, you may want to look into the hospitals early on in your care when choosing a doctor. Stephanie is a doula, lactation consultant and certified childbirth educator so you will definitely want to soak in all of her amazing knowledge! Grab your free download: Guide to Finding an Evidence Based Hospital! You can also go straight to thebirthhour.com/course to sign up for our Know Your Options course today! Use code 100OFF for $100 off your enrollment. 

This is a preview of our Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

After naturally conceiving twins, Alina and her husband were told by doctors that one of their twins would pass away shortly after birth.

Justina conceived in 2019, and saw the same midwife for all of her pregnancy care and for her baby’s birth. Justina gives credit to the midwifery model of care and a Hypnobirthing course for her positive birth experience. 

When it comes to finding a doctor, does it ever make you feel completely stuck? How do you know if they will be right for you? Today Stephanie and I are talking about why we recommend finding an evidence based care provider and how you can tell if the person you're interviewing (YES, you should absolutely be interviewing your providers!) is practicing evidence based care. Stephanie is a doula, lactation counselor, and certified childbirth educator so you will definitely want to soak in all of her amazing knowledge! Grab your free download: Guide to Finding an Evidence Based Provider! You can also go straight to thebirthhour.com/course to sign up for our Know Your Options course today! Use code 100OFF for $100 off your enrollment. 

This is a preview of our new Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to Patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Emily's labor was easy, calm, and quiet thanks to her attentive husband, supportive doula, and hands-off birth team. After an hour of pushing, the doctor assisted Emily using the Ritgen’s maneuver and Elijah David was born. Emily began hemorrhaging moments later and was stabilized with the use of medication and a bakari balloon.

After suffering a difficult pregnancy and miscarriage, Mimi planned for an unmedicated hospital birth with midwives. She shares the story of her rainbow baby and discusses how her husband prepared for and took on the role of doula.

This is a preview of our new Partner Podcast series from The Birth Hour. These episodes release every Friday for our listener supporters at the $10+ level via Patreon. Go to Patreon.com/birthhour to become a patron and receive access to these weekly partner episodes as well as other bonuses such as access to over 350 archived episodes, membership in our private Facebook group, and other bonus content. We are so appreciative of your support!

Caroline is back to share her second birth story!

Jasmine shares her birth stories and discusses experiencing the unrealized fears of her first birth during her second. Become a listener-support at patreon.com/birthhour!

Linnaea shares her two birth stories and relates complications with breastfeeding after her second.

Elizabeth shares her experience having to leave China during COVID-19 only to find out it was in the U.S. and having to change her birth plans.

Both of Meghan’s births were, coincidentally, hospital inductions at 37 weeks.

After an uneventful pregnancy, Deborah thought she had planned for all aspects of her labor and delivery; but, she never anticipated having an unexpectedly quick labor and unassisted delivery.

Tayla shares her three birth stories.

After a disempowering birth with her first son that nearly ended in tragedy, Erica vowed to have a different experience when she got pregnant again.

Ashley's labor started late on the evening on May 3rd 2018. She was unable to fall asleep that night after what she thought was an upset belly and turned out to be the beginning of her laboring journey.

At 30 weeks, Megan changed her birthing plan from a hospital birth to a home birth after finding out she might not have any support person (including her partner) in the room due to Covid-19.

Kemah shares her two pregnancy, birth, and postpartum stories.

Audra shares her cesarean birth stories.

Returning guest, Meg Tietz, shares her most recent birth story, a gentle cesarean.

Nijsha shares her birth story, and discusses the support of her partner, doula, and midwives who helped her get through 18 hours of labor.

Bree and her husband, Bobby, planned for a home birth in their home on the island of Oahu in Hawaii with a local midwife. Bree went into labor the day before her due date and labored all night in the tub.

Bree shares her stories of loss and birth.

After developing a robust unmedicated birth plan for her March 6th due date, Amy learned at about 32 weeks that her blood pressure was such that an induction a few weeks early would be very likely.

Megan's pregnancy went relatively smoothly, except for mild nausea in the first trimester, headaches in the 2nd trimester, and the COVID-19 pandemic beginning her third trimester. At 32 weeks, Megan was diagnosed with gestational hypertension, which raised concerns because her baby was in the breech position. 

To listen to the full episode join our Patreon at patreon.com/birthhour! This was such a fun episode and I loved catching up with these two Birth Hour fan favorites. We talk everything from VBACs, to healing postpartum, to raising boys vs girls, to favorite products!  Here are links to their birth stories if you haven't heard them before: Elizabeth: https://www.patreon.com/posts/32510683 https://www.patreon.com/posts/32510701 https://www.patreon.com/posts/32543874 Caitlin: https://www.patreon.com/posts/32566479 https://www.patreon.com/posts/32572773 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/438-second-unmedicated-vbac-caitlin-shrum/id1041801905?i=1000463891773

Morgan shares her birth stories and discusses various aspects of breastfeeding.

Morgan shares her birth stories and discusses Hyperemesis Gravidarum and giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After a surgery, an 8 week recovery, and battling an infection, Caroline Wynne felt her body was out of control and feared for her son’s life. A mother’s womb should be the safest place for her growing baby, but Caroline felt the complete opposite. Miraculously, she had a very positive induction experience and delivered a healthy baby boy despite all the health obstacles.  19 months later, Caroline found herself pregnant again with a sweet little girl. After a (blissful) uncomplicated pregnancy, Caroline decided to have another elective induction since her first experience was so positive!  Become a listener-supporter of The Birth Hour.

Each month, we publish an expert interview for our listener supporters via Patreon! Become a member at patreon.com/birthhour for access to these episodes as well as a ton of other fun perks! I really enjoyed talking with Erica all about which exercises are safe during pregnancy and postpartum, and the fundamentals of healing your core after baby.  Erica also has a podcast called Core Connections and here are some of the episodes that are especially relevant to our discussion today if you want to hear more from Erica! Why Pregnancy is the BEST Time to Learn How to Strengthen Your Core! {Podcast Episode}  The Power of Rotational Movement! {Podcast Episode}  6 Diastasis Recti Questions Answered! {Podcast Episode} Erica also has an online course called Knocked Up Fitness and Core Rehab for Postpartum that I have personally enjoyed as have many members of The Birth Hour community! 

Teisia shares the story of her unmedicated birth with a midwife.

Aleck shares the stories of her medicated and unmedicated hospital births and postpartum recoveries. Become a podcast supporter at patreon.com/birthhour!

Meriankh was planning an unmedicated birth at a birth center. However, due to a very last minute gestational hypertension diagnosis, she ended up delivering in a hospital, with an epidural, and having a very positive experience.

Elise shares her two cesarean birth stories.

When A’briel became pregnant with her first child, she was quite surprised as one OBGYN had previously assured her that she’d need fertility treatment in order to conceive. She immediately sought out doula support and started to build a birth team full of strong African American women.

To hear the full episode, subscribe at patreon.com/birthhour! Jen McLellan is a published author and founder of Plus Size Birth and the Plus Mommy blog. She helps people navigate the world of plus size pregnancy, shares tips for embracing your body, and laughs her way through the adventures of parenthood. Her work has been featured in major publications such as Yahoo Shine, Huffington Post, Everyday Feminism, and International Doula. She authored My Plus Size Pregnancy Guide and co-wrote the Amazon bestseller, The Peachie Moms Guide to Body Love for Moms. Jen is also a childbirth educator, skilled patient advocate, professional speaker, wife, and mother.

After the OB she loved left the office a month before her due date, Felicia was left having to advocate for her birth plan when the new doctor attempted to scare her into an early induction. She was finally induced at almost 42 weeks. After Cervidil didn’t change anything overnight, Felicia received a small amount of pitocin, which jumpstarted what ended up being her ideal birth without an epidural.

Melody shares her hospital birth using a midwifery practice in Toronto, Canada, as well as experience with postpartum anxiety.

Grace had an unmedicated hospital birth with an OB. She prepared for her unmedicated birth by hiring a doula and taking Bradley classes during her pregnancy. She also had the added bonus of having her sister as her L&D nurse throughout her entire birth!

Tiara shares her experience being pregnant while serving active duty in the Navy and planning a home birth.

When Bryn got pregnant with her third child, she planned for another unmedicated birth in a birth center. The plan changed when she was diagnosed with Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy(ICP) at 33 weeks and risked out of the birth center.

After 2.5 years of trying as well as a miscarriage in 2018, Susanna and Will found out they were pregnant with their rainbow baby in February 2019. They learned halfway through the pregnancy that Susanna would be induced due to high blood pressure. She went in at 39 weeks to be induced, hoping to avoid pain medications.

Liz moved to a new city just outside of NYC right before the Coronavirus outbreak really set it. It turned out that her new city of New Rochelle was a hotspot for COVID19 and quickly earned the label of "containment zone."

Naria and her husband, Luther, received unexpected news of their first pregnancy in January 2019. Though unexpected, years of being exposed to pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences through family and education had prepared Naria to make informed decisions about the birth experience she wanted.

Today's episode is a rebroadcast of Christine McNabb's episode from the archive. Christine had three girls and then found out she was pregnant with a boy. The idea of raising a black boy in America caused Christine extreme anxiety and depression throughout pregnancy and postpartum. She shares how that affected her bonding with her son, how she overcame it, and how she's helping women today.

Today I'm replaying an episode from Denene Millner, who shared her experience with pregnancy and childbirth as a black woman in America back in 2016 on The Birth Hour. But first I'm going to share some clips from NPR's Code Switch podcast which recently covered this topic.

Angela planned for a birth with hospital midwives. Her birth plan included an epidural and support from her partner who was a hospital employee.

Britt shares her birth story and discusses breastfeeding and postpartum depression.

Madeline shares about giving birth during COVID-19 and discusses ICP.

Shannon shares her birth story and discusses her peripartum anxiety.

During a very healthy, normal pregnancy, Karissa was unexpectedly sent to the hospital at 29 weeks with preterm contractions. They determined that she was not in labor and sent her home after a night of observation and medication to bedrest for the next five weeks.

Emily shares her birth story and also discusses breastfeeding.

Laura is a faculty member in public health whose research focuses on quality and equity in maternity care. She shares the story of birthing her fraternal twin girls, their NICU stay, and breastfeeding.

Lauren's episode first aired in Mach 2016.

Gabey shares her two birth stories with the same midwife group in a hospital.

I interviewed Rebecca Dekker from Evidence Based Birth on April 13, 2020, for an expert interview bonus episode exclusive to our patreon listener-supporters. We scheduled that interview months in advance before Coronavirus was on anyone's radar in the U.S. She was so generous to stick around for an extra conversation about the existing evidence/research around COVID-19 and I wanted to make sure that portion of the interview was available to our entire audience.

Katie shares her three birth stories, focusing on her most recent, an unassisted car birth with a positive postpartum experience in the hospital.

Melanie discusses preparing for her c-section twin birth and the how COVID-19 affected her pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

This is the second part of Danielle's episode, in which she tells her birth story.

This is the first part of Danielle's story. She shares her pregnancy story and learning her husband had COVID-19.

Kristen Seward's First Hand Account Giving Birth During COVID-19

Ndeya and her wife, Kourtney, knew even before they were expecting that they wanted to have a home birth. After a simple IUI in January 2018, they were pregnant! Armed with knowledge and the support of her wife and fabulous midwives, Ndeya went into labor and birth feeling confident and excited. After 20 hours of early labor, 10 hours of active labor and 25 minutes of pushing (in a squat) their daughter, Aminah, was born, in the middle of their living room.

Kimberly discusses her fertility journey and birth story.

Monique Lamhut discusses switching from a hospital birth to a homebirth in her third trimester.

On this episode from the archives, Juliana shares her OB and midwife birth stories.

Listen to a preview of our most recent Expert Interview with Amy Ard of Motherhood Beyond Bars, an organization that supports pregnant and postpartum women in prison as well as their families.  Become a listener supporter for as little as $5/month to access these bonus episodes via www.patreon.com/birthhour

Danielle shares her experience with being pregnant while incarcerated, giving birth without any family support, and the physical and emotional toll of recovering from childbirth while in prison and separated from her baby.

Bekah and her boyfriend discovered they were pregnant after 3 short months of dating, and struggled to navigate their new roles as partners and future parents throughout an otherwise uneventful pregnancy.

I was 38 weeks and 5 days pregnant when I went into labor. Just one day prior, My daughter's father and I went to my mother's house to go to the state fair. I was so over being pregnant, I decided to walk the baby out. I went into labor early that morning around 2 AM. Thankfully, I slept through most of my labor and the next morning we took the two hour drive back to Atlanta. I stayed home until 7 PM then labored unmedicated at the hospital before giving birth.

Jackie's labor was 48 hours from beginning to end: baby A came vaginally on September 10th, and 15 hours later, baby B was born on September 11th from an emergency C section.

Listen to a short preview of the most recent Ask Me Anything Episode (exclusively available to our listener supporters via Patreon)! After three kids, Bryn and Richard still aren't experts but they are in the trenches with you and have learned a few things along the way!

Yoga teacher Brett Larkin wanted a natural homebirth (despite objections from her husband and family). As a compromise she and her husband decided on a plan for collaborative care, wanting to be prepared for both a hospital and a homebirth.

Karyn had two unmedicated births with midwives, but both experiences were very different.

Victoria discusses giving birth at a birth center, using the Bradley Method, and breastfeeding.

Jana tell her birth story and discusses switching care providers.

Alle had her heart set on an unmedicated birth. She spent her entire pregnancy educating herself on what that might look like with being overweight, however, she also had to deal with fear mongering from her OB. She was encouraged by her support team which included her husband and her mother, but constantly questioned by her medical care provider.

Zahra Kassam, an early childhood education entrepreneur, delivered her two children with unmedicated hospital births using midwives and the hypnobirthing method.

After 10 years with her partner, Liz was facing two daunting life changes simultaneously: a failing relationship and a positive pregnancy test. Liz shares her story.

Logan shares her four birth stories.

Isabel went into labor while working a night shift as an L&D nurse at the hospital she was delivering.

Every month I'll be publishing an 'Ask Me Anything' bonus episode for our listener supporters! Become a listener supporter to gain access to these episodes every month via patreon.com/birthhour! As a listener supporter you'll also receive access to over 300 birth story episodes from our archives, membership in our private FB group, and be entered in a BIG giveaway (value $1450) we are running right now!!

Listener favorite, Caitlin Shrum, is back to share her second VBAC birth story. You can hear her first two birth stories (episodes 185 & 244) in our archives. Archives are accessible to listener supporters via Patreon!

Kayla shares her the story of her unmedicated hospital birth.

Simone prepared to have a typical, long-and-late birth, but Mother Nature had a different idea. Nothing could have prepared Simone and her husband Gregg for their little boy to come 10 days early, fast and furious, with a precipitous labor.

Joanna shares her experience with gestational diabetes and an epidural hospital birth.

Lindsay and her husband, Jeff, live in Detroit, Michigan, with their son, Rivers. Lindsay has had type one diabetes since she was a child, and with it came some obstacles to navigate in order to start her journey to become pregnant. Lindsay became pregnant shortly after her team of doctors gave her a green light; and, her pregnancy went well until she was unexpectedly hospitalized at 27 weeks due to pre-eclampsia.

Julia transferred to a midwife group at 30 weeks. She went into labour at almost 38 weeks, had a 30 hour labor at home with mostly back labor, and after a quick drive to the hospital, Frankie was born two hours later.

Jennifer’s husband was diagnosed with cancer two months after they were married. They were able to bank his sperm before he started chemotherapy and knew that IVF would be the only way to have children in the future. After years of battling cancer they decided they didn’t want to let cancer hold them back from living life. They implanted one embryo through IVF and were shocked when they found out their one embryo had split into two. They were expecting twins!

On this episode, Cassi shares her four hospital birth stories and some great resources.

Julia planned for an unmedicated, hospital water birth. After having to have her water artificially ruptured and finding meconium, the water birth was no longer an option. After laboring for nearly 26 hours, pushing for 4.5 hours and narrowly avoiding a c-section, Julia was able to have an unmedicated vaginal birth.

Danielle shares her two cesarean birth stories

On this episode, Victoria shares her pregnancy, birth, and postpartum stories. After dealing with Gestational Diabetes that was insulin dependent for her fasting numbers and finding out she had Group B strep, Victoria had the most amazing, beautiful birth. She labored for 24 hours, pushed for 3 hours, all with the wonderful support of her doula and birth center. Unfortunately things got harder postpartum.

Carrie, an experienced doula, had an unexpectedly emotionally-difficult pregnancy. She worked hard throughout to release secondary trauma from being a birth worker, all in hopes of having a home birth with a truly community-centered birth team.

Before getting pregnant with her first child, Brittany had hoped and planned for an unmedicated birth. Due to an unnecessary induction and several interventions her first birth ended in a cesarean. Immediately following that birth, she began preparing for a VBAC.

At 37 weeks, Katie went in for an induction due to an ICP diagnosis (thanks to learning about it from this show and Nicole Phelps' story!)  Hoping for a very low-intervention birth experience, the team of midwives and nurses were amazing at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass in providing as gentle of an induction as possible.

Tash shares her two cesarean section birth stories, one traumatic, the other redemptive.

After Shannon found out she was pregnant with her first, there was no question that she wanted an unmedicated, untouched birth. The questions were: where, and with who.

Rebecca is the founder of Evidence Based Birth® and the author of Babies Are Not Pizzas: They’re Born, Not Delivered! On this episode she shares two of her birth stories and discusses the impact those experiences had on shaping her life.

Hannah shares her surprise road side delivery and homebirth stories.

While planning on an intervention free birth center birth, Taya and her husband prepped by doing the Know Your Options childbirth course. At 39 weeks, Taya was diagnosed with preeclampsia and, after being turned away from a local hospital for refusing certain medical treatments, finally ended up at the university of Washington medical center.

Katie and her husband, Dave, conceived twins through IVF after four years of intensive fertility treatments.  Katie’s conception story includes a vasectomy reversal, two rounds of embryo generation, miscarriage, embryo loss, genetic studies, and seemingly endless trans-vaginal ultrasounds. 

On this episode, Valerie shares her two birth and postpartum stories.

On this episode, Lina shares her hospital and home birth stories.

Rachel shares her birth story and discusses using the Ava bracelet to get pregnant, as well as being diagnosed with both Hyperemesis Gravidarum & Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER).

Kyra and her husband Oscar uploaded their first video to OKbaby in 2015. At the time, they were 18 years old and expecting their first child, dealing with the challenges many teen parents face, such as finishing high school and finding financial stability. After years of sharing their lives with the world (as well as two more babies), they have engaged millions of devoted fans and now host two wildly popular channels and have a massive Instagram following. OKbaby features the entire family as they share their experiences - from everyday activities to travel and adventure. Fans love watching the family grow and explore life together as they face the challenges of being a young family with love, humor, and tons of fun. Connect with Kyra on Instagram and YouTube.

On this episode, Carly shares her experience getting pregnant as a queer couple as well as planning for a homebirth that ended up in a cesarean transfer.

On this episode, Valerie shares her loss and birth stories.

On this episode, Mia shares her two birth stories: a c-section and VBAC.

Sierra shares her experience with two early miscarriages as well as her birth story. She discusses being diagnosed with placenta previa, her resulting cesarean section, and postpartum complications afterwards.

After an easy pregnancy with few complications, Melissa endured prolonged labor with Group-B Strep, leading to her son contracting bacterial meningitis after birth. After a three week stay in the hospital, he is now 18 months old and happy and healthy! Melissa dealt with Postpartum Depression and anxiety stemming from her experience, and hopes to shed light on GBS and its possible complications at birth. She hopes to encourage women to be their own advocate and take charge of their own health research as they prepare for pregnancy and birth.

On this episode, Erica tells her two birth stories. Erica planned a birth center birth with her first child. After a low risk pregnancy, she went into labor at 39 weeks and 6 days. After having early labor contractions all night she checked into the birth center at 6 am on November 6th. She labored there all day and eventually started to run a low grade temperature resulting in her midwife risking her out of the practice and insisting on a hospital transfer. After a total of 33 hours, she welcomed her daughter at a Houston Hospital. After her first birth experience Erica knew she wanted to try again for an unmedicated birth. Thinking her previous hospital transfer was necessary she opted for a group of midwives at a local hospital for prenatal care. After an upsetting encounter with one of the midwives in the group she followed her gut and switched to planning for a homebirth. Erica had another low risk and straight forward pregnancy and welcomed their son at home at 38 weeks and 4 days after only 6 hours of labor.

On this episode, Lauren returns to share her second birth story.

Mari became pregnant with her second child in September of 2018. After an anxiety-ridden fearful c-section 2 years prior, due to failure to descend, she was determined to have a VBAC!  She experienced a lot of push back from doctors, family, and her partner. Ultimately after facing her anxiety, getting her partner on board and breaking down all her VBAC fears, she was successful in birthing her son via VBAC in May of 2019. She shares the journey of her healing birth, including breaking up with two doctors in her both her second and third trimester and her empowered labor and delivery with a full female staff.

On this episode, Claire shares her two very different birth stories.

On this episode, Amy shares her very different hospital birth stories.

On this episode, Michelle shares two birth stories and her in-between cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy, and recovery. Become a lister supporter via Patreon.

On this episode, Megan discusses how her uneventful pregnancy, marathon labor, and difficult postpartum opened her eyes to the various resources within her local birth community and sparked a fire in her to advocate for new and expecting moms about what their options truly are when it comes to pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.

On this episode, Sarah shares her empowering hospital birth story.

Annie has three children with about 2 years between each. She has had a hospital induction with epidural due to being almost 42 weeks with her first, an unmedicated vaginal hospital birth, and a hospital induction to have a specific midwife with her third. Having a male provider for her second birth brought up some unresolved sexual traumas from her past so she did everything she could to heal and find a supportive care team for her last birth. She discusses suffering postpartum depression after her second and third births and pelvic floor issues. 

Alicia Eastes is a screenwriter/writer, documentary filmmaker, and founding co-President of an emerging chapter of Women in Film and Television International in Austin, Texas. On this episode, Alicia shares her birth story and her experience of neurological restoration through her first pregnancy.

When I received an email from Gina explaining that after three medicated hospital births, she had successfully had a natural birth with her fourth baby and that she credited listening to other women's birth stories on The Birth Hour, I knew I had to hear her stories. 

On this episode, Emma shares the story of her quick hospital birth and the challenges of having a low milk supply.

Megan became pregnant with her first child unexpectedly after 4 years with an IUD. Fortunately, the pregnancy was healthy and viable and continued uneventfully until her son decided to enter the world earlier than she anticipated (37 weeks and 3 days). After being in labor almost a full day without realizing it, Megan made it to the hospital at 10 cm and delivered a healthy baby via waterbirth almost 3 hours later.

Emmalina experienced a traumatic birth with her first baby and did extensive EMDR therapy to recover emotionally; so, when she found out she was pregnant again, she knew she had a chance to make this birth experience a healing one. After much contemplation, she decided to have a scheduled cesarean. 10 days before her cesarean date, she spontaneously went into labour. A few hours later her baby boy was born by a positive and healing cesarean and she moved through her postpartum period with health and no complications.

Today's episode features Jesse Coulter who is going to share the birth stories of both her son, born at a birth center, and her twins who were born vaginally in a hospital. The twins' birth story is fast and furious as they arrived before the hospital staff even had a chance to put the IV in Jesse.

On this episode, Erika shares her two quick hospital births and discusses the importance of trusting your body.

Aleesha shares her two birth stories, PCOS, gestational diabetes, and suffering a postpartum fever.

Karyssa has known she wanted to be a mother since she was very young so she and her husband started trying for a family right away and now have two girls who are currently 2.5 years and 8 months old. After giving birth to her babies, Karyssa became fascinated with what women's amazing bodies are capable of and she hopes to become a doula herself. Today she shares her two daughter's birth stories, the first born in a hospital and more recently her birth center birth.

Today's birth story episode features Marissa Lawton who discusses getting pregnant with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and dealing with fertility treatments.

On this episode, Mirah shares her birth story and experience using the Ava Fertility bracelet to help her conceive.   Use coupon code BIRTHSTORIES for $20 off at avawomen.com

Paige lives in Northern California where she is a stay at home mom to her 17 month old son. She had him via planned c-section due to his breech position and was excited to for the opportunity to share her experience and encourage other moms who may find themselves preparing for a planned c-section. (Spoiler alert: she loved it.) She enjoys any time she can get to be creative and crafty. You can catch her blogging periodically at TheRampaige.com.   

Elana's birth story went as she hoped - she had a planned hospital birth with an epidural that was 12 hours start to finish. The doctors & hospital were kind & compassionate, and really helped create a special experience.

On today's episode, Emily shares her fourth birth story. After experiencing extreme pain in her foot that traveled to her calf, Emily begrudgingly went into the ER and a HUGE DVT blood clot was discovered in her calf.

Cristina shares her two hospital birth stories.

After a healthy pregnancy and relatively normal 12 hour labor, Kelly’s birth took a sharp turn when her baby needed immediate resuscitation after delivery at their birthing center. Her daughter, Emilia, was transported by EMS with her husband to the nearest hospital. Even though her birth was frightening, Kelly felt cocooned in peace and safety by her care team back at the birthing center. Later on in the evening Emilia began to experience seizures. After a substantial amount of testing it was determined that she had bleeding in her brain with an unknown cause. Kelly’s family spent a miraculous four days in the NICU and were able to go home with a healthy baby. In the months following her daughter’s birth, Kelly suffered from some postpartum depression and intrusive thoughts regarding her daughter’s resuscitation and NICU stay. After seeking treatment she has come closer to a place of understanding and empowerment.

Cassandra always planned to have a homebirth and accidentally took her newly-conceived baby on a 1000 mile motorcycle camping trip before she knew she was pregnant. She had a rather uneventful pregnancy up until the last trimester, when her active baby girl wouldn't stop flipping breech and back up until 39 weeks. She had to make alternate plans in the event the baby decided to stay breech (in the state of California, breech home births are unfortunately illegal); but, fortunately Cassandra was able to stick to her original dream of a birth at home with her entire family present. After 36 long hours of labor (24 of which consisted of strong contractions 2-3 mins apart), Cassandra pushed her baby out in 30 minutes and had a beautiful golden hour with her whole family in the room.

Amy had a fast and furious birth with her first born: her water broke at 9pm and Eli was born by 1am! With rising blood pressure and transitioning so quickly, Amy blacked in and out of consciousness, but was able to have her planned unmedicated birth. Her nurses joked that she’d need to “camp out” for any subsequent babies, but when Amy delivered her daughter 3.5 years later, she had a very different birthing experience. While both babies came exactly 9 days before their due date, Juniper’s labor was slow and steady and much less chaotic.

On this episode, Linnaea shares her two birth stories and relates complications with breastfeeding after her second.

When Jenna found out about Ava bracelet she was thrilled to become pregnant again after a year of use! The bracelet helped her and her husband understand her cycle and body better. It taught her what her most optimum days were and, took a lot of the stress out of trying to conceive. She loved that it was very easy to use and see the data daily. Her pregnancy was anything but easy but this she expected. She ended up having to be hospitalized the last month of her pregnancy due to severe preeclampsia. On the day of her baby shower, Jenna was rushed into an emergency cesarean section at 30 weeks and gave birth to her tiny 3.5 pound rainbow baby boy Wesley Arlo. Jenna and Patrick feel completely blessed to have him and can't wait until he can come home from the NICU. Jenna wanted to share her story to give hope to those who have gone thru similar circumstances