Are you an expectant mother feeling overwhelmed by the thought of childbirth? Welcome to the podcast for Christian women seeking to overcome fear and embrace God’s BEST for their lives. I’m your host, Alise Marsh, a childbirth educator, doula, wife, and mom, here to help you navigate your motherhood journey with confidence and clarity, so you can achieve your dream of experiencing a positive and empowering birth all while growing deeper in your relationship with God. Your best birth and postpartum is waiting for you! I believe there’s nothing like motherhood to give us a glimpse into the heart of our God, who sees us Perfectly, Wonderfully Made.
10: Julie Cannon - An Adoption Story: Equipped to do the sanctifying work of motherhood through the fullness of His grace.
Nov 16, 2017
Show notes
10 - Julie Cannon. An Adoption Story: Equipped to do the sanctifying work of motherhood.
Perfectly, Wonderfully Made - Alise Marsh
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Today on the show, I chat with my friend Julie Cannon. Julie is a wife, a mama, a writer, and a talented photographer. Julie shares with us her story of adopting their one year old daughter, Crew. Before, meeting their precious, smiley, adorable daughter they walked through years of infertility. Julie shares with us so honestly about how her marriage struggled in that season, and the importance of honoring the covenant of marriage she made. She shares about continuing on and staying in the fight for a healthy marriage. Julie talks about how she conquered fear and anxiety while in the middle of her adoption process. The Lord, changed her and allowed her to learn to trust Him in new ways.
Julie talks with us about how she struggled with the reality that she might mess her daughter up. She asked the question of the Lord, “how am I not going to mess her up?” Julie explains how the Lord changed her heart, and encouraged her not to live a life of fear, but one of freedom. One where she found freedom and refreshing knowing the Lord had grace for her each day. I loved our conversation about how motherhood sanctifies you in a way nothing else can. Being a mama forces you to examine your heart and become more like Christ. We chat about how we are fully equipped to do this work of motherhood because we are made in His likeness through the fullness of His grace.
For those of you who are interested in adoption or learning more about Julie’s story, you can connect with her through her blog Relentless Journey or on IG @JulieKCannon
As always, I would love it if you would share the show with your friends & family. Find me on IG @perfectlywonderfullymade and Facebook @yourbirthclass. Email me anytime with your comments about the show alise@alisemarsh.com See you next week!
09: Colby Martin - Laughing through Labor! A mama's story of falling in love with a baby she didn't know if she could love.
Nov 08, 2017
Show notes
09: Colby Martin - Laughing through labor! A mama's story of falling in love with her baby girl.
Perfectly, Wonderfully Made - Alise Marsh
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Today on the show I sit down with one of my past doula clients, Colby Martin. I had the opportunity to attend the birth of her daughter last fall. I had so much fun catching up with her on the show today. I have never laughed more at a birth than I did with Colby. Her coping mechanism was laughter, and that we did. A lot. I know this episode is going to bring a smile to that lovely face of yours today.
Colby is a work from home mama who runs her own business with her husband in the South Sound. We chat about remodeling their home and celebrating our kids birthdays.
Colby shares honestly about how guilty she felt for not having that gut feeling that she just, “had to be a mom.” She was guarded for many years and was afraid that she wouldn’t love her daughter. She felt like she missed out on having a love connection with some individuals in her childhood and didn’t know if she would be able to love her child. She asked herself, if there were seasons in her life when she felt unlovable as a child by those who should have been able to love her, how could she love her own daughter? She wondered if she was even capable of love. Colby’s honesty is remarkable when she said she was afraid to be excited about her pregnancy because of the fear of what loosing a child might feel like. She was afraid feelings of loss might overtake her even before she was actually pregnant. It wasn’t until after having her daughter that she realized she had an overwhelming love for the daughter she now had.
Colby has a unique birth story and tells us what it was like to be electrocuted on accident during her pregnancy. Colby recalls a specific memory in her birth story when she was terrified to push out her child. She froze knowing this was the moment she might meet her child and know if she was going to have a love connection to the child growing inside of her. She knew she was the only one who could push out her baby, and so she did it. She did what she knew only she could do.
We had a great conversation about making the decisions that are best for ourselves and our babies regardless of what others are saying. I loved how she talked about her journey to finding a pediatrician for her daughter that aligned with her values and desires for care. Colby encourages us to be confident in who we are as parents and trust our instincts.
It’s an encouraging and uplifting conversation you guys. Go have a listen and enjoy!
My 6-Day Free Email Course - Can be found on my homepage in the green menu on the lower right of the screen.
As always, I would love it if you would share the show with your friends & family. Find me on IG @perfectlywonderfullymade and Facebook @yourbirthclass. Email me anytime with your comments about the show alise@alisemarsh.com See you next week!
08: Katie Knudson - Parenting children on a journey toward heart transformation - striving for forgiveness and letting go of perfection.
Nov 02, 2017
Show notes
Parenting children on a journey toward heart transformation: striving for forgiveness
Perfectly, Wonderfully Made - Alise Marsh
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Our guest on this week's episode is Katie Knudson, a high school friend of mine. Katie lives in a small town in Washington with her husband Perry. They’ve been married for 7 years and have loved small town living.
Katie is a stay at home mama to her two boys. She’s just started homeschooling her preschooler and is loving it. Katie went to college in Oregon and married her college sweetheart. She shares her experience with PUPPS (pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy) during her pregnancies. She went to 42 weeks with her first pregnancy and talks about patiently waiting for her baby to arrive. She had such trust that her baby would come at the right time. She shares her water birth story and the excitement of having her mom arrive just in time for the birth. Katie shares about the excellent care she received from her midwife during the postpartum period and how much she enjoyed transitioning to life as a new mama.
During her second pregnancy, Katie shares about how fluid retention and PUPPS was a struggle for her. She went to 41 weeks with her second pregnancy and ended up catching the flu bug. With her entire family sick, she went into labor. All of that throwing up worked wonders for her, and kicked her into active labor.
We have an authentic conversation about parenting little people. She shares that the reality that she’s just in the thick of it with her littles is hard to manage at times. We talk about balance. Is it attainable and what does that really even look like? I really enjoyed our conversation about healthy living not just in our roles as mamas, but also as women, friends, and wives.
I think my favorite part of the conversation is when we chat about what it looks like to be a sinner yourself while parenting sinful children. It’s such a challenging task as times. I loved how Katie shared what so much of us experience. We fail as parents, and our kids will fail as well. They are on a journey to heart toward heart change just like we are. Katie beautifully shares her heart with us and what it looks like for her to pursue what God has for her life. The very real truth about parenting little ones is we all are tired. Chasing after and exerting our energy towards things that the Lord has not called us to will drain us even more than we already are. We talk about what it looks like to give grace and receive it for ourselves. Katie talks about needing the Word of God in this season of motherhood more than she ever has before.
I loved how Katie shared about the example she wants to set for her boys. That she doesn’t desire to be some perfect mom. That she desires heart transformation. For herself and her kids. She values her boys seeing her fail, repent, and come back to what they know to be true. An example not of perfection, but of forgiveness is something she wants to instill.
My 6-Day Free Email Course - Can be found on my homepage in the green menu on the lower right of the screen.
As always, I would love it if you would share the show with your friends & family. Find me on IG @perfectlywonderfullymade and Facebook @yourbirthclass. Email me anytime with your comments about the show alise@alisemarsh.com See you next week!
07: Angela Baker - A Redeeming VBAC Story - Finding Security in a Season of Uncertainty
Oct 26, 2017
Show notes
07: Angela Baker - A Redeeming VBAC Story - Finding Security in a Season of Uncertainty
Perfectly, Wonderfully Made - Alise Marsh
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Angela Baker is my guest for episode #7 of the Perfectly Wonderfully Made Podcast. Angela has been commuting to work for 10 years, and has recently decided to leave her full time corporate job and stay home with her two boys. We chat today about the transition from one – two kids. Angela shares her story of developing hyperemesis gravidarum with her first pregnancy and the challenges of being sick for such a long time.
Angela shares her two birth stories with us today. Nothing turned out as she had planned with her first baby. We chat about the challenges she had during her first labor with the many distractions she wasn’t prepared for, her epidural that wasn’t effective, and the unfortunate experience of getting a spinal headache that led her to needing an unplanned cesarean birth. Angela recalls one of her health care providers telling her, her pelvis was too small and she’d never push a baby out. We talk about the emotions that made her feel and how she processed and worked through her first birth experience. Her postpartum journey was challenging after her first birth. She struggled with feeling detached and emotionally unavailable for her baby. She longed for community and felt isolated and alone.
Shortly after Angela got pregnant with her second child, her husband was laid off and without work. Angela talks us through the fears and anxiety she struggled with while pregnant with her second baby. Living on one income and trying to provide for her family while pregnant was really challenging for her. There were moments when she was unsure how she was going to feed her family. We talk about how she ultimately was able to surrender control of her finances to the Lord. Angela was able to have a healthy pregnancy and continue to work full time in order to support her family.
We chat about her preparations for her birth with her second baby and how excited she was to go into labor. I loved listening to Angela talk about how prepared and confident she felt going into her second birth. She wanted a different experience and she knew she could have one. She choose a hospital and provider that was VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) friendly and did the work to mentally prepare for her labor and birth. She was ready. I had the opportunity to attend Angela’s birth as her doula and I loved hearing her shout with joy after her delivery, “I can’t believe that just happened. I can’t believe I actually did it!” She had a perfect, redemptive VBAC. Angela shares how her recovery went so smoothly following her second birth. Her healing was quicker and she experienced much less pain.
Near the end of our conversation we talk about a season of her life when she felt like she couldn’t hear from the Lord. That God wasn’t speaking to her. She couldn’t feel him near. She remembers feeling like God wasn’t listening to her. In that season of financial hardship is she shares with us how she had to realize that her security wasn’t in her finances. It couldn’t be. That wasn’t working. She had to give up control and trust that the Lord was and always has been her provider. God was going to take care of her.
We talk about how she’s learning to dive into the character of God and really get to know who He is. She’s choosing to focus on contentment and satisfaction in this season of her life and experience the peace that can only come from her God.
As always, I would love it if you would share the show with your friends & family. Find me on IG @perfectlywonderfullymade and Facebook @yourbirthclass. Email me anytime with your comments about the show alise@alisemarsh.com See you next week!
Resources from the show:
My 6-Day Free Email Course - Can be found on my homepage in the green menu on the lower right of the screen.
05: Dani Larimore - A journey through grief, while clinging to hope
Oct 09, 2017
Show notes
05: Dani Larimore - A journey through grief, while clinging to hope for tomorrow.
Perfectly, Wonderfully Made - Alise Marsh
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Today on episode #5 of the Perfectly Wonderfully Made Podcast, I chat with my friend Dani Larimore. Dani is a mama to two beautiful little kiddos. She tells us her story of falling in love with the man of her dreams, their struggle with infertility, and the birth of her first baby in her local hospital. She talks about how life with her new baby are some of her favorite moments to look back on. Dani shares about getting pregnant with her second baby with the help of fertility medication.
We talk about how Dani’s life changed two years ago this month. Her husband very unexpectedly went home to be with Jesus while she was 16 weeks pregnant with their second child. Dani shares so honestly with us what walking through that tragedy was like for her. She walks us through her anxiety, grief, and loss. Her hope in the Lord through devastation is incredible. Dani shares her birth story with her second baby and how she faced giving birth without her husband by her side.
We chat about her dreams for her kids. How she continues to pursue joy, and vision for her future. The Lord is so clearly continuing the good work he has started in Dani’s life. We talk about how faithful the Lord is to redeem those broken pieces of our lives.
If you haven’t already, I would love it if you would share the show with your friends & family. Find me on IG @perfectlywonderfullymade and Facebook @yourbirthclass. Email me anytime with your comments about the show alise@alisemarsh.com See you next week!
04: Amanda Gandy - Overcoming shame: Finding hope in God
Oct 03, 2017
Show notes
04: Amanda Gandy - Overcoming shame: Finding hope & healing through a traumatic birth.
Perfectly, Wonderfully Made - Alise Marsh
Amanda Gandy joins me on the Perfectly, Wonderfully Made Podcast today for episode #4.
Amanda is a childbirth educator & doula. She is a wife and mama to two boys ages 3 & 18 months. Amanda is one of those people who are just so easy to be friends with. We chat about her unplanned pregnancy, her decision to walk out of the abortion clinic and save her baby, and the shame that overshadowed her. When she was 3 months pregnant she married her husband, Jeremiah and they’ve been together now for 4 years. Amanda shares about changing health care providers at 36 weeks while pregnant with her first son. We get real and talk about the shame and depression she dealt with becoming a mama and a newlywed at the same time.
While pregnant with her second baby, Amanda was told her son had Down Syndrome. We chat about how she proclaimed the goodness of God over her son in that season, regardless of what his diagnoses would come to be. Her labor with her second baby was much different than her first and much more mentally challenging. She shares about her traumatic postpartum hemorrhage, emergency hospital transfer, and near death experience. Those moments listening to her share about the word the Lord spoke over her life when she thought it was going to be her last, were so powerful! We both agree there was no question, the grace and hand of God on her life is remarkable. The Lord is so surely in control of her life. Just as He is ours.
Amanda & I have a great conversation about raising bi-racial children in our society today. She shares her hopes and dreams for her boys in our culture. You will be so encouraged by her words!
As always, I would love it if you would share the show with your friends & family. Find me on IG @perfectlywonderfullymade and Facebook @yourbirthclass. Email me anytime with your comments about the show alise@alisemarsh.com See you next week!
03: Amanda Bills - Finding healing through Postpartum Depression
Sep 28, 2017
Show notes
03: Amanda Bills - You can do hard things: Finding healing through postpartum depression
Alise Marsh - Perfectly, Wonderfully Made
Amanda Bills is a third grade teacher who shares with us her journey to becoming a mom. Amanda has a deep, genuine love for those around her and I know you will be blessed by the words she shares with you all.
She chats with us about her choice to deliver with a midwife out of the hospital setting, all while navigating negative comments about her choice from those around her. We talk about her challenging journey with postpartum depression, how she got help, found hope, and how she began to feel like the mama she was created to be.
I’d love to hear from you! Find me on IG @perfectlywonderfullymade and on FB @yourbirthclass If you’re interested in sharing your story on the show message me at alise@alisemarsh.com
02: Mindy Renard - Mama, Friend, Superwoman. A miscarriage redemption story.
Sep 18, 2017
Show notes
02: Mindy Renard - Mama, Friend, Superwoman
Perfectly, Wonderfully Made - Alise Marsh
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So excited to be sharing my FIRST interview on the Perfectly, Wonderfully Made podcast. Mindy Renard is one of my dear friends, and I'm so excited for you to hear from her. She was one of the first doula clients I ever had the privilege to work with. She will be my first 3 - peat client! I'm been so blessed to attend her first two births. We were neighbors in Puyallup for a season, and when they recently moved to Bonney Lake, we missed them so much we too moved to Bonney Lake.
We talk about living in a house full of boys, love languages, the importance of date night, and being a working mom. She shares her two very different hospital birth stories with us. She also talks about the pain and recovery of miscarriage, and pregnancy after pregnancy loss. She shares some fun ideas for special get aways with your significant other and her favorite resources for new mamas. She also talks about why she is choosing to have her third baby out of the hospital setting. You'll be sure to laugh and learn something new!
Below are links to the books referenced in this episode!
01: Welcome Episode - Perfectly, Wonderfully Made
Sep 10, 2017
Show notes
Perfectly, Wonderfully Made 01: Welcome
Alise Marsh
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Welcome to the Journey!
Hi there, mama! Welcome to the Perfectly, Wonderfully Made podcast. We will share birth stories and talk about our journey into parenthood. The great stuff, the terrible stuff, and everything in between. I believe the journey to becoming a parent allows each person a glimpse into the heart of a Creator who so desperately wants you to know how chosen, designed, called, and beautiful you are. He sees you perfectly, wonderfully made.
In this first episode, I introduce myself, give a little insight into what to expect in this podcast, and my sweet little 4 year old daughter makes a guest appearance. I chat about my first birth experience as a doula, and my heart to empower women to make the decisions that are best for them.
Please be sure to subscribe to the podcast your podcast app. That way all new episodes will automatically show up on your device! If you feel like this podcast has added value to your life, I would love for you to share this podcast with your mama friends. Let's do life together! Thank you for joining me!
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