Doing It At Home - The Home Birth Podcast

Latest Episodes:

458: A Home Birth Transfer to the Hospital is Not a Failure with Allison Rich (DIAH Classic) Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

Has anyone ever felt like a failure because their birth didn’t go exactly the way they planned?

We think this happens far too often. That’s why we’re happy we have conversations like the one we have today on the podcast. Allison Rich joins us to share her birth story.

After a false diagnosis of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) medically mismanaged miscarriage, Allison and her husband Rafe wanted a different experience the next time they got pregnant.

Allison actually met with a group of midwives after her miscarriage (before becoming pregnant again) to talk about her experience, process and discuss what it could look like in the future for her.

Finally when she was pregnant again, she felt both excited and terrified at the same time. We go into her birth planning process and then the “incredible blur” of the birth. Allison talks about extending grace to yourself and realizing how hard we can be on ourselves when it comes to our births. This is a must listen for anyone nervous about hospital transfer or who experienced one and could use some extra support and affirmation.

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More From Doing It At Home:

Send us your birth story: https://bit.ly/3jOjCKl
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH Website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Merch: www.diahpodcast.com/merch
Give Back to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

457: How Orgasmic Birth Is Connecting Women To Their Power With Debra Pascali-Bonaro (DIAH Classic) Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

Warning: this is an amazing episode. Full of conversation around pleasurable, joyful, ecstatic birth. It may cause you to feel empowered and excited around birth. There, we gave you a heads up!

But seriously, we are so honored to have Debra Pascali-Bonaro join us on the show. She’s another one of the powerhouses of the birthing community that we’ve been anxious to meet and chat with. She is the creator and director of the documentary, “Orgasmic Birth: The Best-Kept Secret.” She’s also the co-writer of “Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying and Pleasurable Birth.” Oh and also a Lamaze International childbirth educator, birth and postpartum doula trainer with DONA International. And the Founder & President of the revolutionary online childbirth class Pain to Power, which prepares expectant mothers, fathers, and partners to be positively prepared for birth and focuses on the intimate and sacred nature of birth.

Debra’s passion comes from her over 30 years of working with women, men, midwives, doulas and physicians in over 40 countries bringing comfort, love and pleasure to birth and life!

In our interview, we talk about her path to being obsessed with birth, learning from her own birth story. We also chat about the concept for the documentary and where it came from. We explore themes from the documentary and the impact it’s had on the conversation of birth. Plus we talk about other cool projects that Debra has her hand in, and a surprise for any of those interested in checking out her online childbirth class “Pain to Power.”

Thank you to Debra for her knowledge, passion and tireless effort to serve and inspire!

Links From The Episode:

Orgasmic Birth: The Best-Kept Secret - https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/
Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying and Pleasurable Birth - https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/products/books/
Pain To Power Childbirth Class: https://www.paintopowerchildbirth.com/
Happy Healthy Child: http://www.happyhealthychild.com/
Eat Pray Doula: https://www.eatpraydoula.com/
Sign up for 3 Free Videos on finding your power and pleasure in birth: http://www.paintopoweroptin.respond.ontraport.net/optin

Offers From Our Awesome Partners:

Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order
Splash Blanket: https://bit.ly/3JPe1g0 - use code DIAH for 10% off your order
Esembly: https://bit.ly/3eanCSz - use code DIH20 to get 20% off your order

More From Doing It At Home:

Send us your birth story: https://bit.ly/3jOjCKl
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH Website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Merch: www.diahpodcast.com/merch
Give Back to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

456: Overcoming Diagnoses of “Incompetent” Cervix and IUGR with Sarah Schade (DIAH Classic) Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

How do you plan for a positive hospital birth experience, when you were originally intending to have a home birth?

This is such a great topic to cover. For many who start out with a home birth plan, sometimes that changes for various reasons.

Sarah Schade shares her story with us. From a diagnosis of an “incompetent” cervix (definitely not a term we’re fond of around here) to another diagnosis of IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction), Sarah and her husband Jeremiah went through a lot of ups and downs.

She shares all the thoughts and emotions that came up, and ultimately the arrival of her daughter Clementine.

Things we talk about in this episode: incompetent cervix, cervical cerclage, IUGR, D&C procedure for placenta removal, home birth plan, hospital birth

From Sarah:

“It was really difficult being labeled as “incompetent”, or “high risk”, especially because being healthy and active is something really important to me, and I never thought I would have any problems with my pregnancy, being so young and healthy. We shifted from working only with our midwife, to the medical treatment model, which neither of us envisioned for our pregnancy…

My pregnancy was filled with joy, sadness, fear, and anger. Our baby is healthy, and we are so in love with our little fighter, and her strength. But we have learned so much about the health care system, how women are treated, and why women need to be given more options in treatment. We had a lot of positive aspects to her birth, but were also threatened with an episiotomy, forceps, and vacuum. Our midwife and the hospital nursing staff was amazing, but the doctor on call severely violated some of my wishes without consent.

I want to share my birth story, because it’s not enough to believe that “doctors know best” when in actuality birth experiences matter to the mental and physical health of women and their babies.”

Links From The Episode:

Sarah’s Schade’s website: SarahSchade.com

Offers From Our Awesome Partners:

Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order
Splash Blanket: https://bit.ly/3JPe1g0 - use code DIAH for 10% off your order
Esembly: https://bit.ly/3eanCSz - use code DIH20 to get 20% off your order

More From Doing It At Home:

Send us your birth story: https://bit.ly/3jOjCKl
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH Website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Merch: www.diahpodcast.com/merch
Give Back to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

455: Unsupportive Midwife with Traumatic Experience Leading to a Hospital Transfer and Peaceful Birth with Lillie Cooke (DIAH Classic) Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

Is one way to birth “better” than another?

Sometimes there are misconceptions and unhealthy conversations floating about in the birth community around natural vs. medicated birth or hospital vs. home. That one is better than the other or there’s a sense of superiority or higher moral code to choose one over the other. And competition comes in as a factor, like there is something to prove or defy.

This topic is relevant for the conversation we have today with Lillie Cooke, sharing her birth story with us. Lillie and her husband Josh planned for a home birth with their first child, son Judah. Along the way towards planning for the birth, Lillie noticed little things that indicated she wasn’t really connecting deeply with her midwife. There was also a big fear of going to the hospital, seeking to avoid that at all costs. This fear stemmed from, as Lillie put it “hearing terrible hospital stories and only fairy tale home birth stories from the homebirth community.”

Labor began at 40 weeks and 6 days. After laboring for 4 days, things started to feel chaotic and the midwife’s hands-off approach wasn’t very helpful for what Lillie needed. Lillie made the choice to transfer because of pain and exhaustion. What helped make the transfer a less fearful event was the great experience she had with the staff there. They were respectful and she felt empowered, calm and peaceful.

Some words from Lillie: “I ended up having so much better care and such a peaceful birth. The OB was more of a midwife than my own midwife! We ended up with a peaceful vaginal delivery. She also didn’t check on me until 3 weeks after my birth. After I just felt abandoned and not welcome in the home birth community. I felt the one in our area was not very inclusive to all births and made it feel like you didn’t have a good enough or “superior” birth if it wasn’t at home. My experience woke me up from the tunnel vision I had before from being in that community and showed me that none of that was true. That’s why I love this podcast because it is the only homebirth podcast that is inclusive with ALL births and shows the pros AND cons of homebirth. I want to share my story to other first time mamas so they have a better perspective and know there is no superior way or place to birth despite what people promote. And there are good stories and traumatic stories at home just like at the hospital. But no one lets people come on and talk about that with home births and that’s a shame. Everyone’s experience is so powerful. Birth is so powerful. I've learned a lot from my first birth and would just love to share my story and my thoughts surrounding it.”

And - Lillie is currently pregnant with her second child. What birth plan are they creating? Listen in to find out!

Topics we cover in this episode: Business of Being Born, Ina May Gaskin, relationship with your midwife, choosing a care provider that’s best for you, Miles Circuit, hospital transfer, epidural

Links From The Episode:

The Miles Circuit: http://www.milescircuit.com/

Offers From Our Awesome Partners:

Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order
Splash Blanket: https://bit.ly/3JPe1g0 - use code DIAH for 10% off your order
Esembly: https://bit.ly/3eanCSz - use code DIH20 to get 20% off your order

More From Doing It At Home:

Send us your birth story: https://bit.ly/3jOjCKl
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH Website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Merch: www.diahpodcast.com/merch
Give Back to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

454: Rainbow Home Birth Baby After 2 Miscarriages and a Stillbirth with Mellisa Reeves of Motherbirth (DIAH Classic) Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

What would you do if you really trusted yourself?

This is a beautiful question that comes up in today’s episode, and I think everyone can take something from it and carry it into their lives.

Mellisa Reeves of Motherbirth is sharing part of her journey with us. From some of the traumatic elements of her first hospital birth with her first son Aiden, a stillbirth in hospital at 41 weeks pregnant with her second son Rowan and two subsequent miscarriages, she brings us to the healing process and experience of her home birth with her daughter, Etney.

And along the way, Mellisa leaned into her passions and opportunities to help other women with loss. She started a podcast and online community called Motherbirth with her friend Laura, and has been coaching and providing resources for women and families.

Links From The Episode:

Mellisa’s website - www.motherbirth.co

Offers From Our Awesome Partners:

Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order
Splash Blanket: https://bit.ly/3JPe1g0 - use code DIAH for 10% off your order
Esembly: https://bit.ly/3eanCSz - use code DIH20 to get 20% off your order

More From Doing It At Home:

Send us your birth story: https://bit.ly/3jOjCKl
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH Website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Merch: www.diahpodcast.com/merch
Give Back to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

451: Healing Through Trauma After a 48-Hour Labor and Unplanned Cesarean with Katie Suder (DIAH Classic) Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

What do you do when it’s difficult to come to terms with how your birth unfolded?

In today’s episode, Katie Suder shares her journey with us. From her unexpected and joyful pregnancy to currently 9 months postpartum and still processing a lot of her birth experience.

While waiting the few weeks before she could see an OBGYN for her first appointment, Katie had time to reflect and research her options. This led her and her fiance Andrew to a home birth midwife.

Fast forward to birth, baby Andrew Michael was 13 days past the guess date. After laboring for 30 hours at home, Katie and her team transferred to the hospital. Katie and the supportive staff did everything possible to facilitate a vaginal birth. The cesarean, though necessary, was traumatic. Katie is beautifully honest about how she’s felt over the months and we know her story will touch the community and have a ripple effect of healing.

Offers From Our Awesome Partners:

Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order
Splash Blanket: https://bit.ly/3JPe1g0 - use code DIAH for 10% off your order
Esembly: https://bit.ly/3eanCSz - use code DIH20 to get 20% off your order

More From Doing It At Home:

Send us your birth story: https://bit.ly/3jOjCKl
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH Website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Merch: www.diahpodcast.com/merch
Give Back to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

450: Empowering Hospital Births with a Home Birth Mindset with Cami Harper (DIAH Classic) Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

What do you do when you want a home birth, but life circumstances make it a bit challenging to create?

Cami Harper is sharing her story with us and how she embraced her situation to make it beautiful, even though it wasn’t exactly what she wanted.

Cami herself was born with the help of midwives, so she knew she eventually wanted a holistic and natural approach to birth.

She shares her process of both of her pregnancies with her sons James and Howie, along with the support of her husband Dustin.

With moving in the middle of one of them, financial elements, challenges finding doctors and/or midwives and insurance changes, they decided on hospital births. With a powerful mindset, resources and support, Cami was able to create an empowering experience.

Offers From Our Awesome Partners:

Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order
Splash Blanket: https://bit.ly/3JPe1g0 - use code DIAH for 10% off your order
Esembly: https://bit.ly/3eanCSz - use code DIH20 to get 20% off your order

More From Doing It At Home:

Send us your birth story: https://bit.ly/3jOjCKl
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH Website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Merch: www.diahpodcast.com/merch
Give Back to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

449: Giving Birth in Another Country Without Fear, Intervention or Complication with Amy Brown (DIAH Classic) Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

What’s it like giving birth outside of your native country?

It’d be understandable to have fears and/or reservations around birthing in a different country. But what if it could be normal, uncomplicated, supported and without fear?

Our guest today is Amy Brown. Amy traveled from Chicago, Illinois to Peru in 2011 to work as a teacher, and hasn’t left since. After meeting her now husband Marco, she has since set up life in Lima. And she has given birth to her two children: daughter, Leah and son, Christopher in a birthing center in the city.

Amy walks us through her journey of desiring natural births without intervention, to selecting the birthing center (run by a German doctor now living in Peru), working with a doula from England (yes, quite the international birth!) and preparing for the birth experience with Marco.

We talk about some of the birthing options and trends in her area, where cesarean rates are particularly high.

Then we get to hear details from both of her births, which took place in the Casa Pakarii birth center:

This story includes: international birth experience, husband being active participant in birth process, different birth options in Lima, Peru, placenta ceremony (el pago a la tierra), water birth

Links From The Episode:

Amy’s Blog: http://www.wawasinperu.com/
Casa Pakarii Birth Center: https://pakarii.com/

Offers From Our Awesome Partners:

Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order
Splash Blanket: https://bit.ly/3JPe1g0 - use code DIAH for 10% off your order
Esembly: https://bit.ly/3eanCSz - use code DIH20 to get 20% off your order

More From Doing It At Home:

Send us your birth story: https://bit.ly/3jOjCKl
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH Website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Merch: www.diahpodcast.com/merch
Give Back to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

448: Witchcraft, surprise babies, and moving during pregnancy with Meggie and Steve Andrews (DIAH Classic) Aug 12, 2023

Show notes

In today’s episode we’ve got the whole family on the line - Meggie and Steve Andrews join us, along with their baby William, or Liam as they refer to him.

Meggie reached out to us during her pregnancy, thanking us for what we’re doing on the show and sharing how helpful it had been for her as she planned for the home birth of her first child with her husband Steve (we’ve copied her original email below). And interesting fact - they weren’t planning on having children. But, surprise! So they worked through some of the mental and emotional adjustments that come with this huge unexpected life change.

Meggie happened to have a friend who birthed at home, so after speaking with her and watching Business of Being Born, they explored the midwifery model of care. And then one of the biggest things throughout the pregnancy - they decided to move from Virginia to Michigan. So that meant finding different midwives, who could collaborate with each other and support Meggie and Steve as much as possible in making the transition and keeping up with the best prenatal care and birth planning as possible. Another interesting fact - they had their home birth in the same house that Meggie grew up in!

So listen in as we talk about some of the interesting questions and comments you get when you have a home birth like, “Is that witchcraft or something?” and advice for those home birth dads and birth partners.

Added bonus of Liam’s presence in the interview. We love having newborn coos in the background!

Links From The Episode:

Offers From Our Awesome Partners:

Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order
Splash Blanket: https://bit.ly/3JPe1g0 - use code DIAH for 10% off your order
Esembly: https://bit.ly/3eanCSz - use code DIH20 to get 20% off your order

More From Doing It At Home:

Send us your birth story: https://bit.ly/3jOjCKl
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH Website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Merch: www.diahpodcast.com/merch
Give Back to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

447: “I did it!” - Building Confidence in Our Births with Naomi Jardine (DIAH Classic) Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

Do you feel confident in your ability to birth?

Today’s birth story features Naomi Jardine, sharing her journey to home birth. Naomi felt a loss of control with her first birth of her daughter Jasmine, followed by some traumatic stitches to repair her tearing. She was left feeling disappointed, not at peace. For her second birth, she wanted to do something different.

So she prepared more this time - she read, listened to podcasts (like DIAH!) and joined local groups to connect with other mothers. It gave her the opportunity to get clear on what she wanted and what she didn’t want.

For her home birth of her daughter Summer, it was a peaceful, powerful, transformative experience with the confidence and satisfying feeling of “I did it!”

Links From The Episode: