Doing It At Home - The Home Birth Podcast

Latest Episodes:

226: HOME BIRTH STORY - Two Mama’s Story of Insemination, Breech with ECV and Home to Hospital with Amy and Mallory Caldwell (Rebroadcast) Jun 27, 2019

Show notes

How do you process when things don’t go the way you planned in your birth?

We deconstruct this question with mamas Amy and Mallory Caldwell in today’s episode by taking it back to the beginning of their pregnancy journey.

Both Amy and Mallory knew that they’d like to carry children at some point in their marriage and growing their family. So for their first, they made the decision for Mallory to go first as the gestational parent. They share the process of insemination, selecting a donor, and how they’re aiming to use the same sperm for their future children.

They made the decision to have a home birth around 16 weeks. They found a queer midwife who works largely in the LGBTQ community and fell in love with her. We also discuss the legality of home birth in their state of Ohio and what that looks like with cooperation of midwives and hospitals.

And hey - creative, business savvy people out there - there’s a huge opportunity for expanding the options in maternity clothing. For Mallory, it was quite frustrating to find clothing that she liked. Wearing primarily men’s clothing when she’s not pregnant, it was challenging and disappointing. It’s a simple and yet profound example of how there are variations of normal in how pregnancy looks and how gestational parents can be represented in the pregnancy and birth world of products and services.

We then get the full breakdown of the birth story, which includes an ECV (external cephalic version) procedure to flip baby from the breech position, and multiple trips back and forth from the hospital back to home. That’s all I’ll say here, and let you listen to get the rest of the story. It’s such a powerful and inspiring conversation, and we’re so grateful to Amy, Mallory and baby Sebastian for joining us on the podcast!

Show Notes:

Le Pooch - http://lepooch.net/
Cryo Bio - https://www.cryobio.com/
Milk and Hannah - https://www.milkandhannahphoto.com/journal/2018/2/17/welcome-sebastian-birth-story-from-mama-columbus-birth-photographer-milk-Hannah?rq=Sebastian
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

225: The Emotional Journey of Multiple Inseminations and Planning a Home Birth for Two Mamas with Caitlin Thompson (Rebroadcast) Jun 19, 2019

Show notes

How do you stay in a space of trusting your body and the process when getting pregnant presents an emotional journey of challenges?

This was Caitlin’s reality when she and her wife, Shona decided to start a family. First there were the conversations of who would be the gestational parent - which were relatively easy given that Caitlin wanted to be pregnant and Shona wanted to be a parent but didn’t necessary want to be pregnant. Then come the logistics of how they would conceive. As Caitlin puts it, “we couldn’t just hop in bed and make a baby!”

So they explored the different routes of insemination. There are options of having a known or unknown donor. Then for the procedure itself you can have an IUI - intrauterine insemination, which is performed at a clinic and is a more “medical process” or an ICI - intracervical insemination, which you can do at home yourself and Caitlin refers to as the more DIY insemination.

Caitlin walks us through their journey, from cycle monitoring to increase the likelihood of insemination success, the rounds of unsuccessful IUIs, a break in the middle of the process after such an emotional rollercoaster and obsession with the process.

They eventually moved into the ICI route, where after a few more attempts and switching up donors (now using a close friend’s sperm), they finally got their successful insemination!

And so now Caitlin and Shona are planning for a home birth!

We’re so honored to share their story on the podcast in our first episode with an LGBTQ family! As Caitlin says in the interview, “families are something we build out of love.” We couldn’t agree more.

Links:

Part 2 of Caitlin and Sho's story: https://parentsondemand.com/podcasts/doing-it-at-home/185-home-birth-story-two-mamas-welcome-their-baby-with-caitlin-thompson-and-sho-selby/
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

224: HOME BIRTH STORY - Risking Out of Home Birth at 40 Weeks Pregnant with Laura Smoker Jun 11, 2019

Show notes

What if you had to change your birth plans on your due date?

This happened for Laura Smoker, as she prepared for and planned a home birth, however had to shift plans when she risked out due to concerns around her blood pressure and possible preeclampsia.

Laura and her husband Joshua wanted a home birth following 3 miscarriages and some of the hospital experiences associated with them. Laura is beautifully open about her journey with loss and how she processed being pregnant for the fourth time and finally being able to hear a heartbeat at 13 weeks. And we hear all about baby Elliot’s entrance into the world.

Despite the changes to the birth plan, Laura acknowledges that she got to experience everything she wanted minus the specific location. In her words, “I know there are many people who desire a home birth that can't have it for some reason and I feel that sharing my positive hospital experience and what made it that way could be helpful to others.”

Links:

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Womans-Guide-Better-Birth/dp/0399525173
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

223: HOME BIRTH STORY - The Balance of Pregnancy and Birth with Katelyn Fusco of The Happy Homebirth Podcast Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

Don’t all moms ultimately want what’s best for their children?

This is a question that Katelyn Fusco addressed in her work as a certified health coach for pregnant mothers. This question and the answers to it evolved and applied to the world of pregnancy and birth as well when Katelyn shifted to become a student midwife.

As a cesarean baby herself, Katelyn and her husband Thomas decided for a home birth when they became pregnant with their first child.

Katelyn is currently pregnant with her second and planning for another home birth. She has birthed another project over the past year, The Happy Homebirth Podcast - a community for stories and sharing that launched in January 2019. So we are in great company with a fellow podcaster and birth enthusiast!

And Katelyn interviewed Sarah for The Happy Homebirth Podcast, which you can listen to via the link below!

In our conversation on DIAH, we cover Katelyn’s background and history, the birth story of her daughter Janie, planning for baby number 2 and her future plans for her podcast and community.

Links:

The Happy Homebirth Podcast: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/
Happy Homebirth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyhomebirthpodcast/
Sarah’s interview on The Happy Homebirth Podcast: https://podcast.myhappyhomebirth.com/e/ep-27-doing-it-at-home-with-sarah-bivens/
Spinning Babies: https://spinningbabies.com/about/gail-tully/
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

222: HOME BIRTH STORY - Healing Through Trauma After a 48-Hour Labor and Unplanned Cesarean with Katie Suder May 28, 2019

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 on 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 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.

Links:Our website:

Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

221: HOME BIRTH STORY - A Secret Home Birth and Postpartum PTSD from Hospital Trauma with Stephanie Aberlich May 21, 2019

Show notes

Have you experienced postpartum PTSD?

Today we’re talking with Stephanie Aberlich, not only about her home birth of her son Arlo (which she and her husband Dustin planned for and kept a secret from friends and family), but also the traumatic ER visit and hospital stay for baby Arlo just 24 hours after he was born and was experiencing fast breathing.

Doctors later diagnosed him with polycythemia and kept him in the PICU and then the NICU for a total of 5 nights and 4 days. Stephanie talks about their experience, including all the procedures that Arlo underwent as well as the treatment and care from the hospital staff (particularly around their decision to home birth) and how she’s processed since the event.

Stephanie is beautifully open about the whole thing and shares with a reliability and vulnerability that we know will touch other families who have experienced something similar, as well as inform others who have not.

Links:

Stephanie’s website: https://inharmonylife.com/
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

220: HOME BIRTH STORY - From Hospital to Birth Center to Home to Possible Free/Unassisted Birth with Emilee Petrill May 14, 2019

Show notes

How does the experience of one birth influence the plans for births that follow?

Today we chat with Emilee Petrill, and we pack a lot into a sub-hour conversation. Emilee has experienced a hospital birth with her first son Corbyn, a birthing center for her son Penn and finally a home birth for her son Moxy. She walks us through the processes and decisions around each of those experiences.

Then we get into the details of her home birth, and why she’s thinking about a free/unassisted birth for a future baby.

Bonus topics in this conversation include Emilee’s experience with consuming her placenta and why she’s a big advocate for it, the 10,000+ oz of breast milk she has donated and how the Doing It At Home podcast and community has impacted her body image and sex life!

Links:

Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

219: HOME BIRTH STORY - Home Birth After 3 Cesareans (HBA3C) with Dedra Straka May 08, 2019

Show notes

What if you felt like no one believed in your body’s ability to birth your baby?

What if a care provider told you that just by being pregnant you were making an unsafe choice?

Today we talk to Dedra Straka, mama of 4. Dedra had a home birth for her fourth, after 3 cesarean births. She had always dreamed of a home birth, but due to multiple circumstances and methods of care after her first cesarean, she would try for a VBAC for the next two but felt cornered and pressured. Following her third birth, doctors noticed a thin left lower uterine segment (essentially the thinning of the uterine lining, which could potentially cause future complications).

After waiting the recommended 2-3 years before becoming pregnant again, Dedra and her husband Joshua thought it would be another cesarean for their fourth birth. But unpleasant encounters with a doctor who claimed she was putting her child’s life in danger by even being pregnant, she no longer wanted to be in his care.

Utilizing resources like the local ICAN community and finding a midwife who could support her process, Dedra eventually moved into a plan for a home birth. This is an inspiring story of coming full circle in the process of informed, empowered choice and healing when it comes to birth.

Links:

Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9
Kelly McDermott from Sage Femme - http://sage-femmemidwifery.com/about/meet-us/
ICAN - http://www.ican-online.org/
Dedra’s video - https://youtu.be/3QPfQM8i_GM
ICAN Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/ICANonline/
ICAN Capital District - https://www.facebook.com/ICANoftheCapitalDistrict

218: HOME BIRTH STORY - The 11 Pound Home Birth Baby with Natalie Bancroft and Laura Fifield (Rebroadcast) May 01, 2019

Show notes

In today’s episode we’re talking with Laura Fifield and Natalie Bancroft, two amazing women who are linked with a quite famous recent birth story. You see Natalie, a birth photographer and doula as well as a mama of 3, gave birth to her third baby earlier this year at home. And baby Simon weighed 11 lbs. 2 oz!!! And Laura, Natalie’s friend, birth photographer and mama of 2, was there to document the experience.

Some of the amazing photos from the birth, namely one that features Natalie holding her newly birthed bundle of adorable squish with this elated, shocked, goddess-like expression of “wow!” has been featured far and wide. Publications like Today Show, Hello Giggles and even People have featured the image on their sites.

We were so grateful and excited to speak with these awesome women. They share insights from the birth photography community, which is small in their city of Spokane, WA. We get to hear about some of the memorable births they’ve been able to document.

Natalie talks about her journey to home birth, having her first in a hospital, and deciding that she wanted a different experience for future births. Her second was a beautiful home birth, and she knew she’d have another one for her third.

It wasn’t long into the pregnancy that she realized baby number 3 was going to be larger than the others. Natalie’s belly was so much larger, in fact, that they went for an ultrasound towards the end of the pregnancy to find out if she was having twins! Turns out, she wasn’t. This baby was just that big.

When birthing time came around, everyone was prepared and peaceful. And the whole experience was only about 4 hours!

Both these women are total rockstars and inspiration for the birthing community. We’re honored to have them join the DIAH podcast and share a story that has reached so many. Enjoy!

Links:

Spokane River Midwifes - http://spokanerivermidwives.com/
Childbirth without fear - https://www.amazon.com/Childbirth-Without-Fear-Principles-Practice/dp/1780660553
Ina mays guide to childbirth - https://www.amazon.com/Ina-Mays-Guide-Childbirth-Gaskin/dp/0553381156
Today - http://www.today.com/parents/mom-gives-birth-11-pound-baby-home-without-epidural-t110221
Hello Giggles - http://hellogiggles.com/shows-womens-bodies-incredible-meet-mom-gave-birth-11-lb-baby-home-without-epidural/
People - http://people.com/bodies/mom-11-lb-baby-without-epidural-at-home/
Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

217: HOME BIRTH STORY - 5-Hour Home Birth Plus Mom and Dad are Both Birth Workers with Caitlin and Drew Hutcheon Apr 23, 2019

Show notes

How long was your birth?

We tend to made assumptions about the birth experience based on how long it was. Especially if it was very fast. Some might think, “Oh, wow that’s awesome! You’re so lucky!”

But it’s not always that simple. In today’s episode, we talk to both mom and dad! Caitlin and Drew Hutcheon join us to talk about their pregnancy and birth of their son Harbor.

Both Caitlin and Drew are in the birth world! They served on the board of the Birth Network of Monterey while living there. And Caitlin is also an Evidence Based Birth instructor, Birth Chemistry educator, Doula and birth activist.

Their birth lasted a total of 5 hours. Despite things moving very quickly, there were some challenges and things to move through, like not being totally prepared for birth and communication around how fast things were actually progressing. This is great support in the conversation of processing parts of your birth that don’t exactly go to plan. Your feelings are valid and everyone has their own experience and way to cope.

Links:Our website:

Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU
DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

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