Pain Free Birth – Details, episodes & analysis

 Sign up for the Pain Free Birth Doula Mastermind HERE https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/doula-certification-waitlist 

Welcome back to the Pain Free Birth Podcast!

In this episode we’re meeting two doulas, Jessica Grant and Kallie Caton, the founders of the “Birth Belongs to Women” movement. We discuss why birth does, indeed, belong to women, and how the medical system and current social/political movements are unfairly marginalizing women and doulas who believe birth belongs to women. We discuss many of the contemporary debates around being a doula and how Mamas like you can best prepare to work with doulas in today’s climate.

CHAPTERS

00:38 - The origin story of the Birth Belongs to Women movement, and the state of the Doula and medical birthing industries

07:26 - How birth should be (and why the birthing industry system is rigged)

13:13 - Why the phrase “birth belongs to women” is so resonant for some and polarizing to others in today’s social climate

15:37 - “Inclusivity” in birthing

17:33 - Birth Belongs to Women is not anti-trans at all, it is pro-women. Karen’s thoughts on forced gender-inclusive language.

22:53 - Doulas should stay true to themselves regardless of social or political pressure

25:50 - Many women have felt silenced or unable to speak their mind

27:36 - Restoring the sacredness to the experience and tradition of birthing

32:48 - Doula v Birth Worker and how centralized certification regimes effect the Doula tradition

36:53 - Is it possible for doulas to do good work within the hospital system?

38:51 - The doula is not the “rescuer” - and avoiding unfair dynamics between mothers and doulas

40:29 - What women getting pregnant now most need to understand

42:07 - Advice for women who want a doula but still need to give birth in a hospital

46:25 - Doula burnout and creating sustainable work for birthing professionals without “turning it into a business”

53:00 - The true calling and passion of Doulas to serve mothers

55:05 - The “scope” of a doula’s work, and allowing the mother to have room for her own spiritual journey

56:25 - Healthy boundaries in doula work and why clients sometimes need to be turned down

1:00:10 - The future of the doula space

1:05:45 - Why there’s so much fear and dogma in the medical birthing system

CONNECT WITH BIRTH BELONGS TO WOMEN:

Connect with Kallie here: instagram.com/kalliecaton Connect with Jessica here: instagram.com/jessiesvibe

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@painfreebirthwithkarenwelton

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/

Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731

Website - https://painfreebirth.com/

Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

Learn more about Birth Belongs to Women → https://www.birthbelongstowomen.com/

In this episode, Karen sits down with Dr. Lizzie Kieffer as she shares her personal birth experiences and professional insights. From her hospital birth to her empowering home birth, Lizzie opens up about the lessons learned along the way. Tune in as we dive into why relying solely on kegels might not be the best approach for birth and postpartum recovery, how diaphragmatic breathing helps relax the pelvic floor, and explore practical tips for avoiding severe diastasis recti. Plus, learn how to surrender to the natural timing of labor rather than trying to control it.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Lizzie’s first birth in the hospital vs. her second at home
• Why kegels aren't the only answer for pelvic floor health
• How diaphragmatic breathing can prevent postpartum issues
• The importance of surrendering to God's timing in birth
• Tips to help reduce the intensity of diastasis recti
• The benefits of training during pregnancy for postpartum recovery

MORE ABOUT DR. LIZZIE KIEFFER:

Lizzie is a doctor of physical therapy, a mom of two, and a strong advocate for movement as medicine. After earning her doctorate in 2018, she began her career in a traditional clinic but soon realized her passion lay in helping women navigate pregnancy, postpartum, and pelvic floor health. Motivated by the lack of specialized information in these areas, she opened her own practice and developed the Mind Body Core programs to empower and educate women worldwide. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys pickleball, hiking, and spending time with her daughters, Mia and Lily, her husband Matt, and their dog Snickers. A lifelong learner, she is dedicated to helping women feel confident, understood, and supported as they embrace the changes of womanhood and motherhood.

Instagram: @doclizziedpt

PRENATAL: Mind Body Core Prenatal Program — Use code: PAINFREEBIRTH for $15 off

POSTPARTUM: Mind Body Core Postpartum Program — Use code: PAINFREEBIRTH for $15 off

Christian Hypnobirthing App — Get one month FREE with the purchase of the Faith-Filled Childbirth E-Course

CONNECT WITH KAREN:

Stay in the loop with Pain Free Birth and become an Insider HERE! Thanks for listening! Get 10% off the Pain Free Birth E-Course HERE!

Grab Karen's Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE. This course is for any woman experiencing trauma in the body. If you're ready to release it, this course is for you.

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Jill is a joyful warrior as a mom of 8 beautiful babies including newborn twins who just successfully had her first home birth. Yes, Jill had six traditional births with a regular OB team in the hospital before her OB unfortunately passed away and she had to look elsewhere for the upcoming birth of her twins, Ruth and Samuel. She felt God calling her to have a home birth, but her husband Joe wasn't initially supportive. After a lot of prayer and giving it to the Lord, Jill & Joe had a beautiful home birth with the support of her birthing team! She had Ruth at 7 pounds 2 ounces and Samuel at 7 pounds 15 ounces! Despite Samuel being breech, Jill's team had the expertise to handle things with ease and keep a peaceful environment for the birthing mama. Join us today as Jill shares more about her magical experience giving birth at home to twins.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• The feeling Jill couldn't shake that led to her having her 7th birth, but 1st home birth
• Drowning out the noise to have a birth Jill dreamed of
• Home-birth hesitant husbands turned to the most supportive teammate during birth
• Measuring 52 weeks at 37 weeks pregnant
• Switching OB's at 34 weeks pregnant
• In denial about being in active labor even after Jill's water broke
• The feeling of finding out Baby B is breech seconds before delivery
• Two thick, healthy, and pulsating umbilical cords
• Anterior placenta semi-fused together for one big, healthy placenta

MORE ABOUT JILL:

Wife to Joe Reitz (former NFL player) Momma of 8 including newborn twins, oldest almost 13, 11, 9, 7, 5 and 3. Former collegiate Division 1 runner. Faithful Catholic. Resides in North suburb of Indianapolis. Huge lover and encourager of natural, physiological birth and all things motherhood, wifehood and family life!

Follow Jill on Instagram

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Pain Free Birth Course

Today we are joined by Emily Gardner, a first-time mom, who actually didn't want children prior to getting married due to the painful and traumatic experiences she'd heard of. Now, she is a happy mama of an 8-week old baby boy named Finnigan. She tells us all about how she found Karen on Instagram, how she adopted her determined pain-free-birth mindset, and what her labor experience was like inside a traditional hospital. No spoilers, but her labor & delivery came with a few surprises that resulted in a longer labor, yet still absolutely pain free. Emily said, "the IV line was probably the most painful part of the whole experience."

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Emily's pure determination & dedication to have a pain free birth
• Completely shutting away any negativity around pregnancy, labor, and birth
• Diving deep into Emily's spirituality helped ease her mind: "God has me. I am safe."
• Taking on random home improvement projects right before labor
• Emily's water broke without any contractions so they made their way to the hospital
• Hospital honoring Emily's wishes of having an unmedicated birth and assigning her a midwife as her OB was out of town
• Back laboring for quite a while and actively pushing for three hours
• Different positions & getting in the water to speed up labor
• Birthing a posterior baby with a compound arm presentation

MORE ABOUT EMILY:

Emily is a first-time mom (besides her two adorable fur babies) who lives in a small town in New York with her husband, Samuel, who doubles as her business partner. She attended University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and graduated with a degree in Biology/Pre-Medicine. Dr. Emily then made the long trip to Iowa and received her chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic. She was able to study under amazing sports doctors and learn a lot of therapies that she implements at her clinic back home in New York! Emily is full of gratitude to be finding her way in her new role as mom.

Follow Emily on Instagram

Emily's Chiropractic Clinic Website

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Pain Free Birth Course

Birth Partner Bootcamp

If you have been on the fence about having an unmedicated birth, especially if you've had medicated births in the past, this story is going to be so inspiring to you. Whether you're currently planning a hospital birth or you simply want to hear an encouraging birth story Jilda is here to share her transformational story with us. After having two medicated hospital births that left her traumatized with epidurals gone wrong, she decided that her third birth was going to be unmedicated in the hospital. In most parts of the United States, that is unheard of! Tune in as Jilda shares her she determined her birth plan, if the hospital staff honored her plan, and the peaceful environment she was blessed to give birth in.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Jilda's experience of medicated versus unmedicated births
• Uncovering the misconception of how complicated inductions can be
• An induction, three failed epidurals & NICU stay with her first baby
• An elective induction & failed epidural with her second baby
• Creating a solid birth plan & switching birth teams for her third birth
• How to advocate for yourself in the hospital
• Affirmations & support for other moms desiring a natural birth

MORE ABOUT JILDA:

Jilda is a proud mother of three hailing from New Jersey. Her journey is all about empowering women, especially postpartum moms, through fitness. With years of dedication as a fitness instructor, Jilda's had the honor of transforming lives through group exercise, advocating for self-care and holistic health. Currently pursuing her doula license, her passion for nutrition during and after pregnancy drives her forward. Amidst the ebb and flow of motherhood, Jilda's resilience has soared while exercising her body and spirit through every one of her pregnancies. With her heart ablaze, she seeks to be a guiding light of support and positive change in every life she encounters.

Follow Jilda on Instagram: @jacked.withjil

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Pain Free Birth Course

Trisha, an amazing woman who has extensive knowledge, experience, and expertise with being a nurse midwife and IBCLC joins Karen on the podcast today! After virtually meeting on the Down To Birth podcast that Trisha co-hosts, Karen was eager to dive deeper into the conversation around breastfeeding and problems that can arise with each dyad. Trisha shares her unintentional, unattended birth as well as dives into the specifics of the difference between IBCLC's and LC's, her education & experience, as well as a lot of the problems and easy fixes that can be made to solve current problems like painful latches, low-milk supply, and even postpartum anxiety and depression! Join us as we uncover all these dyad hot takes!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Trisha birthing and unintentionally catching her third baby ALONE because it happened so fast and unattended
• How birth can affect how a baby breastfeeds
• Baby's natural instincts to latch & breast crawling
• The most common problems with breastfeeding dyads
• The most common interferences with breastfeeding
• Trisha's number one tip for supporting breastfeeding mothers

MORE ABOUT TRISHA:

Trisha Ludwig is a Yale educated Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She has experience as a homebirth midwife, is a holistic women’s gynecologic health practitioner, and has fifteen plus years working as an IBCLC (and works privately providing both in-person and virtual appointments anywhere in the world). She is also a podcaster and the co-host of the globally known birth podcast Down to Birth Show. She is a mother of three children all birthed at home.

Follow Trisha on Instagram: @trishaoludwig

Follow Down To Birth on Instagram: @downtobirthshow

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Pain Free Birth Course: https://painfreebirth.com/pain-free-birth/

Down To Birth Podcast Episode 208: Achieving A Pain Free Birth with Karen Welton: https://www.downtobirthshow.com/208-achieving-a-pain-free-birth-with-karen-welton-painfreebirth/

This episode is a real treat! Today, Karen is joined by both husband and wife, Harif & Jennifer Hazera. This beautiful couple ran into Karen at a Tony Robbins event where they were able to share their beautiful home birth story and thank Karen for all her help. Jennifer was a graduate of the Pain Free Birth Course and it didn't come very naturally ⏤ no pun intended. After experiencing a horribly traumatic birth with their first son in the hospital, Harif and Jennifer eventually came to the decision to have their second son in the comfort of their own home. Once a thought that Jennifer scoffed at turned into the most redemptive, God-ordained moment ever. Tune in to this episode to hear the stark difference between their two birth experiences and how fathers are dismissed throughout and left with trauma after the birth experience.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• The unnecessary epidural, pitocin, and all the interventions at the hospital for the birth of their first son despite progressing very well & naturally
• A father's take on birth & feeling dismissed throughout the whole process
• Father's dismissing the trauma they carried through labor, birth, and the postpartum journey
• Dreaming up their ideal birth & living it out in the comfort of their home for the birth of their second son

MORE ABOUT THE HAZERA'S:

Harif and Jennifer are happily married and work together as entrepreneurs in the real estate space. Once they got pregnant with their first baby, they didn't question giving birth in a hospital, that is until there were too many disturbances and interventions that ruined the sacred experience they thought they were going to have by bringing their first son Leo into the world. Fast forward to getting pregnant with their second son, Max, they knew that it could be better. After getting three obvious signs from God to explore a home birth, Jennifer finally gave in. Little did they know, God would end up offering the most redemptive experience to them by giving birth inside their home in the way they dreamed of. Harif and Jennifer are just like you, they weren't professionals in home birth knowledge but after graduating from the Pain Free Birth Course, they gained the knowledge and empowerment needed to have the most beautiful, sacred, and pain free birth at home.

Follow Jennifer on Instagram: @j_hazera

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Pain Free Birth Course: https://painfreebirth.com/pain-free-birth/

Healing Birth Trauma Course: https://painfreebirth.com/healing-birth-trauma/

Birth Partner Bootcamp: https://painfreebirth.com/birth-partner-bootcamp/

In this episode, Karen is joined by Amanda Johnson, a mama of 4 beautiful babies. Despite all odds and one baby even being breeched up until delivery, Amanda had a successful home birth with her twins for her most recent pregnancy. Today we’ll get into all the nitty gritty of Amanda’s experience with hospital versus home births, how her pregnancies varied, and how her most recent pregnancy was a massive surprise up until the very last minute of delivery! After Amanda’s first labor and delivery experience that was less than ideal in the hospital, she knew she didn’t want to experience that again. With her second child, she successfully gave birth at home and knew she would repeat the experience when she fell pregnant the third time… little did she know, this home birth experience would be quite rare and one to remember!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Amanda found out she was having twins at 32 weeks and decided to have a home birth, despite concerns from family and the traditional health system
• Going into labor at 40 weeks 3 days with an intense but smooth 2-hour labor, delivering both twins vaginally at home
• Her faith and trust in God's plan helped her through the physical and financial challenges of a twin pregnancy and homebirth
• A home birth with twins is possible with the right support team

MORE ABOUT AMANDA JOHNSON:

I’m a SAHM to 4 babes ages five and under. We are a military fam currently stationed in Monterey CA! My first birth was an induction and after that whole experience, I knew it could be better. My induction was not traumatic as I truly believe I was on the brink of labor (11 days past my guess date) but the whole process from start to end felt very unnatural. When I got pregnant with my 2nd I knew I was going to have a homebirth, this was October of 2019. Luckily my midwife (Lindsey Meehleis) and I were totally aligned and she shut her office down for maybe a month during Covid. It was crazy, my husband was overseas and I thought I was going to have to deliver without him. I had my 2nd at home at the height of Covid in June 2020 and had a totally different experience than my hospital birth in the best way. When I got pregnant in 2021, I of course opted for home birth again. I didn’t find out until 32 weeks that I was having twins and I truly wasn’t surprised - the pregnancy felt totally different! I carried them to 40w3d and had a beautiful labor and delivery under 2 hours!!!

Follow her on Instagram: @therealamandajohnson

Check out her website: https://www.therealamandajohnson.com/

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Karen's Pain Free Birth Course: https://painfreebirth.com/pain-free-birth/

In this episode, Karen is joined by Dr. CeCe Brooks, a highly respected Functional Medicine Family Nurse Practitioner with a Doctorate in Nursing Practice. With preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum, there are so many myths spread or things missed by traditional medicine that will be busted today. Get ready to dive into the world of progesterone well into pregnancy, not relying on antibiotics during birth, and even vaginal steaming as part of postpartum care. Dr. CeCe explains how functional medicine can offer natural and effective health solutions whether you're planning to conceive, currently pregnant, or navigating the postpartum period.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• How to use functional medicine principles to prevent preeclampsia and naturally manage GBS so you don't have to erase the healthy bacteria for your baby in the vaginal canal
• The importance of progesterone during pregnancy (even into the third trimester) and how to maintain its levels
• Practical advice on nourishing your body to ensure both maternal and fetal health ⏤ Like the controversial yet beneficial practice of consuming beef liver during pregnancy
• Interesting insight into the growing issue of oral health ties in babies and how it will affect your breastfeeding journey
• Natural remedies for common postpartum challenges, including navigating mastitis, even if you have the fever & chills

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Dr. CeCe's eBooks & guides including the 30-page comprehensive guide on must-have pregnancy and postpartum supplements, safe and effective pregnancy and postpartum healing modalities, & labor and postpartum nourishment! See all of Dr. CeCe's resources here: https://thediscoverydoc.com/resources

Postpartum Bliss ⏤ Karen's guide to fall in love with the postpartum period: https://painfreebirth.com/postpartum-bliss/

CONNECT WITH DR. CECE:

The Discovery Doc® was born after struggling with her own medical issues and a misdiagnosis that took years to correct. Now, by using holistic, integrative, and preventative medicine as a foundation, Dr. CeCe teaches parents how to make educated, informed decisions on behalf of their child’s health and wellbeing. By implementing fun + simple life changes, you can greatly reduce everyday toxic loads that parents may not even be aware of.

Website: https://thediscoverydoc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thediscoverydoc/

In this episode…

Rylee Portela, a resilient mom of three boys, shares with Karen how mental fortitude, lots of prayer, trusting in the Lord, and a supportive birth team – including hiring a doula – can make or break your birth experience. From having a cesarean with her first (simply due to a “big baby”), to a medicated VBAC during the challenging times of COVID shutdowns with her second (an even bigger baby!), and finally experiencing a nearly pain-free, physiological birth in the hospital with her third, Rylee’s journey is filled with hope and encouragement for any mom who is worried about vaginally birthing “big babies” or is simply dreaming of a redemptive birth experience like hers. Tune in and let Rylee’s inspiring story uplift your spirit and instill new confidence in your innate ability to birth!

Check out Karen’s famous “Big Baby” IG story highlight here!

Check out Rylee’s Third Birth Story featured on PFB’s IG here.

Connect with Karen: @painfreebirth facebook.com/painfreebirth youtube.com/@painfreebirthwithkarenwelton

Sign up for the new highly anticipated Unlocking a Pain Free Birth Masterclass HERE (releasing SOON)!

Thanks for listening! Get 10% off the Pain Free Birth E-Course HERE!

Connect with Rylee on IG and Facebook: @mrs.newtela Rylee Portela