Doing It At Home - The Home Birth Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode we chat with mom-to-be Katie about her journey to home birth, and the days ahead. At 39 weeks pregnant, she’s prepped and ready for birth day! And this episode has a surprise special guest - Katie’s husband Chris! He joins us for the call, a first for the show. We were super excited to hear from him and get his perspective on the whole process. Both were heavily influenced by The Business of Being Born, and knew they wanted to have labor and birth be on their own terms. A self-described “birth nerd,” Katie loves to dive into researcher mode. Their pregnancy was no exception. They searched their options for a local midwife and never looked back. Katie and Chris feel like old friends to us. The conversation was effortless, fun, light and empowering. They set a great example for doing what feels best to them and creating a loving, welcoming space for baby to enter into. We can’t wait to chat with them once baby is earthside! Links From The Episode: ⁠The Business Of Being Born⁠ Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we're talking with Megan Kibling as she shares her empowering home birth story with us. Megan is mom to 6-year-old Aurelia and 19-month-old Leonardo Iztali from Denver, Colorado. We connected with Megan via another DIAH mom, Marissa (whom we interviewed a few weeks before). Megan had sent a banner to Marissa to decorate her home in preparation for home birth. The same banner has made its way to other mamas since then, and Megan plans to continue to send it to friends as they want it. Besides supporting other women in their home birth journeys, Megan has an amazing story of her own. After having a great experience with her first birth in a birthing center, she felt inspired to move into home birth for the next time around. She says she felt empowered and knew a home birth was the next step. In between Aurelia and Leonardo, Megan experienced a miscarriage at 10 weeks. Megan shares openly on the fear and guilt that crept in during that time, and how she embarked on a journey of forgiveness, back to grace, comfort and love. By the time she was pregnant with Leonardo, Megan felt in full trust of her body, her baby and herself. She listened to the flow and went the whole pregnancy and birth almost completely unassisted. She did yoga, meditated, read, watched home births, created affirmations and playlists -- all to create the sacred space for her birth. Megan is a total inspiration. This episode has a lot of great quotes and mantras to pull from. My favorite? “PURE MAGIC!” Links From The Episode: Sacred Living Movement - ⁠http://www.sacredlivingmovement.com/⁠ Indie Birth - ⁠https://www.indiebirth.com/⁠ Peaceful Birth Project - ⁠http://thepeacefulbirthproject.org/⁠ Ina May Gaskin - ⁠http://inamay.com/⁠ Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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! Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order The FamilyAlbum app: Share your family’s precious moments with your loved ones + get 11 free photo prints delivered each month CLICK HERE. More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What sort of stuff do I need to prepare for a baby? Great question. And what if it’s not about the “stuff?” What if we focus less on the “stuff” and look more at the support and resources that mothers and parents need after they have a baby? Enter Be Her Village, an online cash gift registry where parents can select services and support for friends and family to contribute to. You can customize your registry to include things like your midwifery care, a doula (birth and/or postpartum), lactation consultant, physical therapy, massage therapy, chiropractic care, nutritionist, etc.  Kaitlin talks about her journey that inspired the idea for Be Her Village, plus how it works for parents to use it (ps - it’s ALWAYS free for parents to use), as well as how birthworkers can use it to list their services and be a part of the $12 billion industry for baby gifts (spoiler: majority of them are not necessary!).  For parents: go to www.behervillage.com and start your registry (and let them know DIAH sent you when you sign up!) For birthworkers: go to www.behervillage.com to list your services (which is free!), and you can use the code ATHOME for 20% off any course or certification you’d like to sign up for Links From The Episode: Be Her Village: https://behervillage.com/ Be Her Village Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behervillage/ Episode 370 with Kaitlin: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doing-it-at-home/id1153134918?i=1000551843569 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

But what about the bag of waters?! We answer this and other questions that we received as follow ups to our second home birth story for baby Naomi. There were also some things from the birth story that we forgot to mention and wanted to expand upon further. This includes but is not limited to: crying during labor, the cord snap, birthing the placenta and the moment when we discovered that baby was a girl. Links From The Episode: Naomi’s Birth Story: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doing-it-at-home/id1153134918?i=1000601018385 Erica and Anthony on the podcast part 1:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doing-it-at-home/id1153134918?i=1000489077553 Erica and Anthony on the podcast part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doing-it-at-home/id1153134918?i=1000521255751 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When did you first learn about home birth? For today’s mama, Celia Donaldson, she herself was born at home. So for her growing up, it was just “normal.” So there didn’t have to be this explanation and deep dive into what it was or why people might choose it. It’s this normalcy that carries through how Celia shares her story, from research she did while pregnant, the conversations with her partner Ali and assembling a birth team that would support her in what she wanted to create (while also receiving prenatal care at a hospital).  With about a month of “practice labor” prior to birth, Celia was ready to meet her baby, her son Nadir. We hear the birth story as well as some of Celia’s favorite resources, as a birth and postpartum doula and childbirth educator herself. Check the links for more on her and the resources she shared. Links From The Episode: Celia’s website: https://www.intuitivebirth.org/ Evidence Based Birth: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/ Birthful podcast: https://www.birthful.com/ The Birth Hour podcast: https://thebirthhour.com/ Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Enjoy another listener story submission! This one is from Lauren Carney about the birth of her son Jasper. Things mentioned in this story: Advocating for yourself Looking into a birth center Care providers that make you feel safe and care about you properly Falling in love with midwifery Switching plans at 24 weeks from OB to midwifery Baby flipping positions Humming through contractions Water easing sensations Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order More From Doing It At Home: Share your story with us: https://diahpodcast.com/mystory/ 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you know when labor is starting? This is a question we put out there into the community, and received some really great answers and examples. So we’re sharing them with you! Plus our experience of what it was like when we realized it was “game time” -- what it felt like, what was going on, and what we did once it was clearly active labor. There’s a wide range of possibilities and experiences when it comes to discovering you’re in labor. Our goal in sharing this conversation with you is to help you should you find yourself experiencing anything similar to these situations. And for those who have already been through the birthing experience, something to reflect back on and connect with. We also share some bonus tips on what you can do when you do discover you’re in labor, to avoid any unnecessary stressors and create a smooth and peaceful environment. Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH23 to get 20% off your order or DIAH100 for $100 off a Complete Plan More From Doing It At Home: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FINALLY! Our second home birth story. At 12 weeks postpartum, we are sharing the details of the birth of our second daughter, Naomi.  Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH23 to get 20% off your order or DIAH100 for $100 off a Complete Plan More From Doing It At Home: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why home birth? For today’s DIAH Mama Holly Leever, her answer was: “I knew I would be more comfortable at home and would avoid a lot of unnecessary interventions.” This episode is part of a new format and style we will be featuring on the podcast every so often - a non-interview audio submission from listeners sharing their birth stories with us. We’re excited to have this as another way to bring you more birth stories, for when we’re at capacity with our interview schedule. And it’s great for those who would prefer to share in this way.  Some of the topics mentioned in Holly’s story: Practicing FAM Finding out she was pregnant Struggling with eating disorder before becoming pregnant Helpful resources during pregnancy A sweet and simple birth Links From The Episode: Holly’s Website: Rosebudwellness.com Love Your Labor: https://brownrootslove.com/ Ina May’s Spiritual Midwifery: https://amzn.to/3jVLfkI Steamy Chick: www.steamychick.com Womb Wisdom Podcast episode with Sarah: https://www.rosebudwellness.com/podcasts/womb-wisdom/episodes/2147827042 Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH23 to get 20% off your order or DIAH100 for $100 off a Complete Plan More From Doing It At Home: Share your birth story with us: 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices