Doing It At Home - The Home Birth Podcast

Latest Episodes:

033: You're Doing Great, Mama! Mar 04, 2017

Show notes

In this bite-sized episode, I share some realness with you. This week has been tough for me. At any point, I’ve felt frustrated, tired, stressed, over-extended, low, and a bunch of other adjectives you use when everything feels difficult.

I didn’t take time for myself and had myself convinced that I wasn’t doing enough - that I wasn’t feeling productive enough.

Bottom line: this was my ego playing some huge mind tricks.

So for any mama out there, future and present, who has felt this way. This is for you.

I talk about how I got into the dark place and what I did to get out of it.

Take advantage of the opportunities to remind yourself how awesome you are - especially for pregnancy and birth planning. Experience your joy!

Links:

Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

032: HOME BIRTH STORY - Switching to Home Birth at 31 weeks with Sara-Beth Reuter Feb 26, 2017

Show notes

In this episode we're talking to Sara-Beth Reuter about her inspiring journey to home birth. Sara-Beth is a great example of courage and determination. After her doctor told her that she would not be able to deliver naturally and would need a c-section because of the size of her baby, she and her husband Matthew decided to get another opinion on the matter.

They reached out to Matthew’s grandmother, an experienced midwife, and explored their options. Already not too keen on hospitals and clear that she wanted a natural birth, at 19 years old and 31 weeks pregnant, Sara-Beth switched over to the midwifery model of care and planned for a home birth with the help of Matthew’s grandmother.

Sara-Beth has a solid sense of confidence in her body’s ability to do what it’s meant to do, and it comes across when she talks about the rest of her pregnancy and her birth.

Sarah-Beth believes that “labor is not a sickness,” and is all about putting empowering information out there to support women in having a home birth if that’s what they want for themselves and their families. We’re so grateful to her for sharing her time with us, especially with 2-month old baby Silas in the picture. We understand how valuable time is for a new mama!

Links:

Miami Maternity Center
Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

031: The Postpartum Sex Episode: Why We’re Having Our Best Sex After Baby Feb 22, 2017

Show notes

In this episode we're talking all about having sex after baby. Yes, this is the much anticipated followup to our episode about sex while pregnant (link below). Postpartum sex can be tricky, and for us it involved patience, compassion and creativity. But now, both Matthew and I can say without a doubt, that we're having the BEST SEX OF OUR RELATIONSHIP, and that's after pushing out a kid!

If you’ve listened to the Doing It At Home podcast for a while, you’ve probably gathered that Matthew and I value transparency a whole lot. It’s important for us to be as candid, raw and real as possible - because the greatest breakthroughs we’ve had as a couple and as individuals have been made possible by others showing the example of bold and authentic living.

It’s for this reason that we share parts of our experience of home birth and beyond - because if it helps and empowers anyone like others did for us, then we feel in our purpose and mission.

So that’s why we include talking about our sex life in the show’s topics. We covered sex while pregnant in episode 6. And now that we’re on the other side, we figured it was worth taking time to talk about postpartum sex.

Sex after giving birth is a whole other dimension of a sexual relationship - or at least it has been for us. It has brought its own set of unique opportunities and challenges.

For one thing, after some minor tearing during Maya’s home birth, I had some fears around how my vagina would heal and whether or not I’d ever be able to make love the way we used to (forget the possibility of expanding our repertoire or level of intimacy). I judged myself when I thought about the timeframe of when we’d return to having sex. When I asked other women how long they waited, I catalogued the responses and started comparing myself.

And when we did have sex for the first time after giving birth, I was a little disheartened and frustrated. It was pretty painful. So here I was back to the time I lost my virginity and thought, “Why would anyone ever want to have sex?! This is the worst thing ever. I can’t believe people do this and like it!” I saw what I thought would be a long road of recovery up ahead. Not to mention I was getting used to my new body - everything leaking and in a different position from where it was a year ago.

I am blessed to have an amazingly patient partner in Matthew. Over the course of postpartum recovery we worked together to communicate clearly and connect intimately. It’s been a process of opening up, drawing upon the trust and surrender process of giving birth, and allowing that to carry over into our sexual relationship.

It’s taken time, conversations, and some deep breathing...but now we’re at a place where the sex is juicier than it ever was! How is that possible? Listen to this episode and find out!

Links:

DIAH Episode 6 - Sex While Pregnant: The Ins, The Outs, The Reach Arounds
Orgasmic Meditation (aka OMing)
Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

030: HOME BIRTH STORY - First Pregnancy, Planning a Home Birth and an Active Duty Daddy with Christie Andersen - Part 2 Feb 18, 2017

Show notes

This episode is part two of our conversation with Christie Andersen, our first-time mom planning her home birth while her husband Ryan had been stationed in Korea throughout the whole pregnancy. And a lot has changed since our last conversation!

For one, we had a baby! Little Charlotte has since stepped on the scene, and we get to hear all about her grand entrance.

Christie shares Ryan’s homecoming, anxiety around whether or not she’d actually go into labor while he was home, and how she dealt with the pressure of all the calls and texts inquiring as to baby’s arrival.

We get to hear the whole process, as it’s still fresh in her mind (Charlotte is just 2 weeks old now! They welcomed their baby girl into the world from the comfort of their home along with Christie’s mother, a close friend, a midwife, a doula and 2 midwife assistants (quite the full house, which we can relate to!).

One of my favorite takeaways from Christie’s story is “be open, go with the flow.” It sounds simple, but it’s incredibly profound and relevant when it comes to birthing babies.

029: HOME BIRTH STORY - First Pregnancy, Planning a Home Birth and an Active Duty Daddy with Christie Andersen - Part 1 Feb 14, 2017

Show notes

In this episode we're talking with Christie Andersen about her upcoming home birth. Christie was pregnant at the time of our recording, just days away from giving birth. We were incredibly excited that Christie wanted to share her homebirth story with us and let us into her experience as a soon-to-be-mom. On top of all of that magic, Christie was excitedly awaiting the return of her husband, who was on active duty and heading back home that very evening.

This is a great story because it’s ongoing. Christie Andersen is pregnant - in fact just a couple of days away from her due date at the time of this interview. So this is our first “before and after” style interview where we’re talking to a mom who is actively planning and preparing for her home birth (her first!).

Then in a couple of weeks, once mom and baby are a little bit settled, we’re going to do another interview to recount the actual birth and compare thoughts and feelings for both before and after birth.

Christie’s husband Ryan was deployed right after they found out they were pregnant. Christie originally intended for a hospital birth but decided to make the switch around 20 weeks, in a bold move to follow her heart and trust her body.

Even though he’s been thousand of miles away for the entire pregnancy, Ryan has been fully supportive of Christie in her process of transitioning to home birth planning and was traveling home for the birth at the exact moment we were chatting with Christie on the phone for our interview.

So already Christie’s story is an amazing one - planning a home birth and also representing the community of women and families who experience pregnancies and births often without spouses or other family present because of active military duty. We’re so honored to share her journey and excited to bring you the rest in part 2 sometime soon!

028: HOME BIRTH STORY - Trust, Surrender and the Magic of Home Birth with Melissa Thormahlen Feb 12, 2017

Show notes

In today's episode we're talking to two-time mom Melissa Thormahlen, about the home birth of her son Tyler. Melissa's home birth story is a beautiful example of trust and surrender to the process of childbirth.

Melissa Thormahlen knows how to give me “all the feels.” I knew her story would impact many when her first email to me about her birth story had me tearing up.

She experienced most of her birthing experience at home with her first baby Emeline, before transferring to a hospital and having a beautiful birth.

For Tyler, baby number 2, she knew she wanted to go for a home birth again because she trusted her body and her amazing birth team.

In Tyler’s birth story, Melissa explains the trust and surrender to the process. She also took time to be close and intimate with her husband, Paul in the time before active labor.

When baby Tyler was born in the bathtub after a strong surge that took everyone by surprise she exclaimed, “I DID IT!”

We even get to hear from baby Tyler as he chimes in a couple of times. We love when the babies make little appearances, they’re the reason we’ve come together to chat after all!

Links:

Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

027: When It Comes To Home Birth, Everything Is Energy Feb 10, 2017

Show notes

Everything is energy - this is a principle that Matthew and I became aware of a few years ago and since then have used it to guide our lives. How we create and nurture our relationships, our businesses and how we make decisions in our lives have all been influenced. And especially our home birth journey.

Essentially when it comes to planning your home birth, it serves you well to drop judgements and be at peace with what is.

It’s also a great idea to think about the energy you have around you during your pregnancy and birth. This includes (but is not limited to) to physical environments you place yourself in, the people you hang around, the information, entertainment and food you ingest, and even down to the thoughts and emotions you have.

Pregnancy can be a particularly vulnerable time, so it’s important to be mindful of what you allow to enter your own energy field.

One way to think about it is to evaluate your ART form. In other words, your ACTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS and THOUGHTS. How is the energy of all of these things playing a part in your home birth experience?

For more episodes and resources on home birth check out these links:

Links:

Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

026: HOME BIRTH STORY - How Home Birth is a “Hands-On Experience” with Megan Hebenstreit Feb 06, 2017

Show notes

In today's episode we have another home birth story for you, this time from Megan Henebstreit.

Megan Hebenstreit is a straight shooter - she’s very real and super clear about her decision to go with home birth and how she experienced it.

She’s also known from a younger age that she was interested in home birth - something Matthew and I haven’t heard very often in our conversations with women and families. So that’s really exciting and inspiring!

One of the biggest things you get from Megan when you hear her birth stories is that birth has been so empowering for her. You also get to hear the difference in experience with her two births. One was relatively quiet, and in the other she thought her body was going to explode! Just goes to show how no birth story is the same, even for the same woman.

Megan’s honest story covers all manners of things many who choose home birth encounter like: resistance from family, conversations around the female body and its ability to know what it’s doing, and the physical experiences of a challenging pregnancy that make birth seem like “a breeze.”

Megan lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Ian and her two daughters, Amelia and Macy.

Links:

Megan’s Instagram
The Business of Being Born
Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

025: Preparing Your Space For Your Home Birth Feb 03, 2017

Show notes

In this episode we’re talking about ways in which you can prepare the physical space (i.e. your home) for your home birth. For our home birth, Matthew and I were very intentional in wanting to create a peaceful, comfortable, relaxing space to welcome Maya into the world. We were also gifted with incredibly fabulous things like a home cleaning and a “homebirth space setting” ceremony, which really helped create the most amazing environment for birth. So in this episode we share with you all the things that worked for us and some ideas to help make your home birth space as magical as it can be.

Links:

Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

--- Rough Episode Transcript ---

Ways to prepare the space for home birth - beyond the medical supplies and the “must-haves”:

Candles
Music
Decorations
Hire cleaners beforehand (or have friends do it like ours did)
Especially if you have pets; don’t want pet hair all over the place when you’re laboring
Sage, some kind of clearing of the space….

Which leads into our specific example

There are a lot of awesome things you can do, by yourself, with your partner or family/extended community members and I wanted to share a recent experience I had and how it impacted me as we prepare for birth anytime over the next couple of weeks.

Group of women gathered at our house - unbeknownst to me

The Ceremony:

We all sat in a circle and shared our names, our mother’s name and our grandmothers’ names
Then everyone shared a significant motherhood story - whether they were mothers and shared their birth story or something about their kids or how they have helped raised others, or a story from when they were a baby
Then each woman gave a token representing something significant to them and they were strung together on a necklace
We drummed and sang and hugged
Then we decorated the birth room - have nice things to look at during the birthing process

Fantastic method to prepare for your homebirth.

So that’s one idea, but I’m sure there’s a million awesome things you could do to prepare and put yourself in the space...just about what aligns best with you.

Have you done something like this or do you have any ideas for one?

024: HOME BIRTH STORY - Normal, Natural and Joyful Birth with Anne Margolis Jan 26, 2017

Show notes

In today's episode we're talking to Anne Margolis - Certified and Licensed Home Birth Midwife, Licensed OB/GYN nurse practitioner, practicing prenatal yogi, home birth expert and creator of HomeSweetHomeBirth.com. Anne believes in a healthy woman’s innate ability to give birth normally, naturally and with pleasure despite the challenges. She is devoted to protecting undisturbed physiological labor and birth, and, after our conversation, you'll see that she is a wealth of knowledge and resources!

It’s really exciting when things you put out into the Universe come together. That’s how I feel about this episode.

I had been following Anne Margolis of Home Sweet Home Birth for a while. I love the work she does and her influence of empowering women around holistic birth. With over 21 years of experience as a home birth midwife, more certifications than I have fingers, knowledge in all things pregnancy, birth and postpartum, and not to mention an Instagram following of over 47,000 people, it’s safe to say that Anne is a leader in the space of home birth. I knew we had to have her on the show.

When we finally connected, it’s so easy to see how Anne has touched so many lives. I could sit and listen to her talk for hours.

Anne has 4 children: 2 born in a hospital and 2 born at home (in that order). She brings the perspective of not only giving birth in a hospital, but also working in one as an obstetric nurse - an experience which oddly enough created a lot of fear for her around giving birth.

When she made the switch to midwifery and eventually opened up her own home birth practice, she describes it like “coming home.”

Anne is brilliant, personable and funny. This interview is chock-full of great quotes, tidbits of information and morsels on resources for you all to take advantage of. I say listen to this one with a notepad and pen. Listen, pause and re-listen. It’s a great one!

Links:

“Doing It At Home” book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/
Home Birth Support Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/
DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg
DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/
DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe
Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9

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