This conversation draws a sharp line between the idea of free birth and the brand and ideology of Free Birth Society, described by a former inner circle member as a high control group. Serendipiti explains how constant content, binge listening to the curated podcast stories, and a tight private membership can gradually reshape beliefs about maternity care, medical risk, and even personal identity. 

The key warning is not about birth choices alone, but about control. 

Serendipiti describes censorship inside the membership, shaming around transfers or even positive medical experiences, and how extreme anecdotes can become “proof” that overrides basic safety planning. We discuss the Journey Moon case, the role of NDAs and platform shifts, and what it was like to participate in The Guardian’s reporting and The Birthkeepers podcast as the broader picture became clearer.

The heart of the conversation is discernment: how to support birth autonomy and informed consent without handing your mind to a high control group. If you have ever wondered whether a community is empowering you or isolating you, this is for you.

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

In this episode we talk with Nikki about her pivot from Free Birth Society circles and birth keeping back into a hands-on midwifery apprenticeship as she works toward CPM licensure.  

Nikki Shared her two free birth stories and her experience with the Radical Birth Keeper School and the MatriBirth Midwifery Institute back in episode 122 of MyMaine Birth, you can find that episode HERE

Connect With Nikki at BornFreeFamily.com

Check out Nikki's Child Birth Education Course called - Knowledge is Power

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

In today's episode we hold space for Katie Spinks as she shares the traumatic birth of her daughter Jolene, including a Pitocin induction that ends in uterine rupture, delayed care, and a devastating HIE diagnosis. 

From there, we zoom out to the bigger questions: what informed consent should actually sound like in hospital birth, why birth plans can be used against mothers, and how hospital policy gets treated like law. We also explore how trauma can push families toward home birth or free birth, and where a search for autonomy can slide into rigid ideology. 

Katie is blunt about what she wishes she’d known before agreeing to the Pitocin induction, and why asking “what are the risks, benefits, and alternatives?” is not being difficult, it’s basic safety.

We close with Jolene’s ongoing journey, including intensive therapy and experimental stem cell treatments in Mexico, and what progress can look like when you’re fighting for every gain.  

If this conversation changes how you prepare, how you consent, or how you advocate, please subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more families can find it.

You can connect with Katie Spinks on Facebook HERE

You can connect with Katie Spinks on Instagram HERE 

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

Freebirth and unassisted birth are getting more attention for a reason, and the most useful place to start is not with outrage but with curiosity. 

When families move away from hospital birth, it often has less to do with rejecting modern medicine and more to do with a loss of trust after feeling unheard, touched without true consent, or treated as “room two” instead of a person. 

This episode explores the gap between being kept safe by technology and feeling safe in care, a difference that can shape labor progress, trauma, and long-term wellbeing.

Dr. Nathan Riley describes his evolution from conventionally trained OBGYN to a more holistic approach that values the “art of doing nothing” when nothing is needed. 

He challenges routine interventions that become automatic through protocols, like time-based cervical exams, and asks a simple clinical question: if we remove an intervention, do outcomes worsen? 

That evidence-minded approach collides with a system that often trains physicians to be “captain of the ship,” prioritizing a live mother and live baby while discounting lived experience. The episode argues that over-standardization can erase relationship-based care, even though childbirth usually happens without emergency and thrives with calm, privacy, and dignity.

Listeners hear a nuanced view: choosing free birth can be a form of radical responsibility, but it should be grounded in honest counseling about what can go wrong, what skills matter, and what support systems exist if plans change.

Along with the rest of the episodes this week, this conversation also separates the idea of free birth from the ideology promoted by the Free Birth Society. 

The idea centers on non-interference, self-trust, and accepting uncertainty. The ideology critique is sharper: selling certainty, dismissing real complications like hemorrhage, shaming families who choose midwives or hospitals, and creating an echo chamber that replaces community support with blame when outcomes are bad. 

That distinction matters for public discourse, because media narratives can lump all out-of-hospital birth together, increasing pressure on skilled midwives and reinforcing a false binary of “hospital equals safe” and “home equals reckless.”

You can connect with Dr. Nathan Riley at BornFreeMethod.com 

Born Free Method with Nathan Riley, MD, Sara Rosser, CPM,  is a comprehensive program  for soon-to-be parents (and birthworkers) who want to feel empowered, confident, and informed about their fertility, pregnancy and childbirth journeys.

Connect on Instagram @NathanRileyOBGYN

Free Birth Discussion with Nathan Riley, MD, FACOG  - an important discussion from April 2025

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

If you’ve ever felt pulled between “trust birth” and “trust the system,” this conversation lives in the complicated middle where real autonomy actually grows. 

In this episode I’m joined by Maren Green of Indie Birth, a practicing midwife for over 15 years, mother of 10, and a teacher known for speaking her truth.

We dig into the difference between free birth as a personal option for healthy women and the ideology popularized by the Free Birth Society, including the black-and-white message that autonomy requires being alone. 

Maryn shares why she believes midwifery and free birth don't have to be enemies, how trauma can drive people toward extremes, and why “nuance doesn’t sell” in movements built on dogma. Along the way, we talk about responsibility in birth messaging, what it means to stop outsourcing your inner authority, and why nobody gets to “own” a term and nobody gets to define or describe another woman’s lived experience.

Maryn tells the story that rattled the comment sections: her “free birth in the hospital,” where respect, boundaries, and embodied clarity made a medical setting feel genuinely sovereign. 

Then we get practical about birth education and ethics, including why an in-person midwifery apprenticeship matters, what online coursework can and cannot teach, and how communities can rebuild trust after harmful programs. 

As we close Maryn shares about her free summer online group “From the Ashes,” focused on somatic work, grounding, and moving forward from this dogmatic thinking around this topic.  

Connect with Maryn by visiting -  IndieBirth.org

Sign Up for Maryn's Free summer circle, From the Ashes: Transforming FreeBirth Ideology Into Change  -     maryngreen.co/freebirth 

Sign Up for Maryn's  community  - The Circle - This is a place to show up for yourself, a place to be seen and heard.  It is also a place to give and receive.  Our paths as women are all so different but to Maryn, it seems like we have so much to offer each other on this journey of life.  Apply Here to Join 

Are you interested in learning more about The Indie Birth School of New Midwifery?  Click HERE for more info! 

Listen to Maryn's Amazing Podcast - Taking Back Birth 

Taking Back Birth Episode originally released in 2019 Titled - The Honest Truth About Free Birth (re-release)

Taking Back Birth Episode released April 2026 Titled - The Free Birth Cult has Collapsed

Taking Back Birth Episode originally released in November of 2020 Titled - The Time I had a FreeBirth at the Hospital (the indie birth of Rumi Sol)

Midwives Gone Wild - Social Media and the Rise of the Overnight Midwife 

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

A home birth plan can unravel fast when fear, deadlines, and other people’s priorities start driving the room.  Katie joins me to share three very different birth experiences that span from Maine, to France, and then Connecticut and what those births taught her about informed consent, and physiological birth.

We talk honestly about her first pregnancy during COVID, the move to midcoast Maine, and how pressure when she was overdue shaped her options. 

Katie walks through a castor oil induction, a manual water break, a hospital transfer, and a cesarean birth, then names the real postpartum fallout: recovery limits, breastfeeding pressure, and the emotional weight that can linger for years after a C-section.

From there, the story turns toward redemption and self-trust. Katie describes preparing for a VBAC abroad when providers won’t support her, using education, movement, rest, and a calmer environment to create the conditions she wants for labor. She also shares the side of free birth that rarely gets discussed: the bureaucratic and legal intimidation that can follow an out-of-system birth, and the hard choices families make to protect themselves.

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

A pregnancy can look “low risk” on paper and still feel like walking through a storm. Keely, a nurse and mom of six, joins us to tell the full story of her sixth baby, including why she chose a home birth with an unassisted plan while carefully distancing herself from the most extreme corners of freebirth culture.

We talk candidly about the unraveling of the Free Birth Society midwifery training community, and the weight of scary stories circulating online.  

Keely shared her first five birth stories as well as her experience with the MatriBirth Midwifery Institute back in episode 123, so go check that out for her full story. 

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

In this episode I talk with Isabel about how the free birth society's  “sovereign midwifery school” promise turned into confusion, missing transparency, and a culture that punished questions. 

We also unpack what it looks like to unlearn judgment, protect informed consent, and support physiologic birth across the full spectrum from hospital to home.

In this episode we discuss:

• Isabel's early fear of medicalized birth stories and her pull towards home birth
• a traumatic injury as the turning point toward becoming a birth worker
• how Free Birth Society and MMI marketing sold legitimacy and titles
• early wins from self-mastery tools followed by disappointment with course
• red flags around legal risk and the pressure to use labels
• why demonizing the word doula harms clarity and informed consent
• students organizing concerns, then being kicked out or leaving en masse
• German New Medicine as a central lens that felt undisclosed
• rebuilding with nuanced education and practical postpartum and holistic doula training
• developing a new lens on physiologic birth as unfolding best in the place where the mother feels safest

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing Song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

A glossy website, a “world's leading” tagline, and a $12,000 price point can make an online school feel vetted and legitimate. 

Then the curtain lifts. 

I sit down with Emma Moore, a fellow Mainer who grew up in Bangor and enrolled in the Free Birth Society’s Matribirth Midwifery Institute (MMI), to share what it felt like to walk in hopeful and leave alarmed, embarrassed, and determined to tell the truth.

We talk about the emotional setup that makes programs like this so compelling: the hunger for sisterhood, the desire to reclaim birth, and the promise of a “sovereign midwifery” path that blends freedom with structure.

Emma shares her early experience of imposter syndrome inside what was supposed to be a high-intensity cohort, the moment a traumatic birth story from Nicaragua shifted the tone, and how simple questions about terminology, risk, and integrity were treated as threats instead of openings for honest dialogue.

From there, we get specific about what was missing. Emma describes a birth-focused quarter that never actually taught birth skills, a reliance on anecdote labeled “evidence-based,” and a dynamic where dissent gets reframed as “gossip.” 

We also trace what happened when mentors left, and students started comparing notes.  Emma says she was removed quickly after calling out leadership’s denial, losing access to separate paid content and a MRF festival ticket.

We close with the nuance that matters: freebirth can be a valid option for some families, but ideology that blames mothers for complications is dangerous. If you care about home birth, midwifery education, informed consent, and how to vet online birth courses, this conversation offers practical insight and hard-earned perspective. 

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada

The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society 

The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death 

Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

In this episode I talk with my niece Kately about becoming a mom at 19 and choosing a home birth in rural Maine where options are limited. We unpack a rapid, induced labor, unexpected third-degree tears, early breastfeeding struggles, and what it feels like when support stops being transparent and starts feeling like control.

In this episode we discuss:

• finding out she was pregnant at 18 and the decision to parent
• why a home birth felt safer than the local hospital
• navigating prenatal care in a maternity care desert
• late pregnancy pressure to induce
• tinctures, castor oil, and a labor that moved too fast
• baby's first moments
• third degree tears and choosing no stitches
• boundaries in the birth space and questions about consent and experience 

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com 

Closing Song by Kate Sutherland.  Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work can be found here at KateSutherland.ca

In this episode we discuss: 

• Trigger warning for discussion of traumatic birth and maternal death
• childhood medical experiences that train compliance and silence intuition
• prenatal care without real informed consent
• fear based hospital child birth education classes
• a first hospital birth shaped by interventions, coercion, and postpartum separation
• postpartum struggles, sleep training pressure, and a threat from a pediatrician that changed everything
• home birth in Maine during reports of maternal deaths at a local hospital
• why undisturbed labor and birth matters and how coached pushing can derail the process
• My positive experience inside the Birthworker.com community and The Beauty in Birth, birth photography online community and courses.
• My experience in the freebirth society's MMI program
• what I learned from Whapio about understanding everything

Additional Resources:

MyMaineBirth.com 

Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work can be found here at KateSutherland.ca

Matt Nichols shares his wife's Heather's story from August 2013

Remembering Heather Ann Nichols ❤️

The Guardian Article #1 regarding Free Birth Society titled "Influencers made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world

The Guardian  Podcast - The BirthKeepers 

Addelaide Meadow - YouTube Video, Woman's Care: How good care paves the way for bad care 

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• medically managed breech pregnancy care and a C-section experience
• processing disconnection after birth and rebuilding bonding through breastfeeding
• planning a hospital VBAC with a doula and staying hoe longer in labor
• how hospital coaching and limited options shape pushing autonomy ( or lack thereof..)
• hospital water labor without water birth and the exhaustion of advocating mid-contraction
• informed consent concerns around Pitocin for placenta delivery
• postpartum recovery realities including rest, meal support and co-sleeping
• choosing a Maine home birth midwife and feeling equal in care
• peaceful family centered home birth where Dad caught the baby just after they made the first call to their midwife to let her know labor was happening
• delayed cord clamping, cord cutting as a family and nursing
• how respectful care and feeling seen can prevent birth trauma
• ….and a whole lot more!

You can find Kelly on Instagarm @Cardinal.birth.movement

Stick around for the end - there are some little changes you'll notice coming to the podcast and one of those is the closing - this is the first episode featuring a beautiful new closing song "Walk of the Wild Ones" by Kate Sutherland. 

You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at katesutherland.ca

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine
• Hannah's Three Birth Stories  - from a COVID-era hospital birth with the midwives at Maine General in Augusta, to two powerful home water births with care from her loving midwives from MotherSeed Midwifery - we talk through fear, logistics, postpartum anxiety, and what it looks like to "lean in and let go" when life with babies gets loud and messy.
• We get into how birth shapes your confidence, your marriage, and your mental health
• ….and a whole lot more!

Hannah's Midwives - MotherSeed Midwifery 

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Choosing the midwifery team at the hospital in Ellsworth amid MDI OB unit closure and high costs of home birth midwifery services
• supplementing, acupuncture, and anemia infusions
• securing the FreshTest and challenging default policies
• home blood pressure data to counter white coat anxiety
• declining non-evidence-based interventions
• managing SPD, prodromal labor, and position work
• hospital admission on her terms and consent-first care
• hands and knees VBAC, minimal intervention, quick pushing time
• placenta choices, cord timing limits, cutting the cord herself
• postpartum tissue passage, prolapse scare, pelvic floor therapy
• tongue and lip ties, pumping rhythm, and donor milk
• holding grief and joy, practicing intuition, and trusting herself 
• doula support 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com 

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• home birth in Maine
• finding a midwife after moving up the coast
• pregnancy while finishing a home build in winter
• early labor signs that felt like prodromal labor
• practical setup at home for birth
• water breaking on the toilet and rapid progress
• surprise freebirth - fetal ejection reflex leading to a surprise catch by Dad guided by a calm midwife's assistant, just before their midwife arrived
• placenta delivery without the planned Pitocin
• calmer postpartum through intentional planning 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine
• Midwifery care in Maine
• The benefits of working with home birth midwives and a supportive OB
• late-pregnancy bleed, monitoring, and reassurance
• labor beginning at work and rallying the team
• rapid active labor, meconium, and watchful midwifery care
• birth by the Christmas tree, delayed cord clamping, minimal tears
• postpartum at home, follow-up visits, and sibling bonding
• birth photography as a way to help piece back your memory of your birth story and gain clarity over your experience 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Show Resources

Olivia's Midwifery Team - MotherSeed Midwifery 

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In Episode 145 Hannah is here to share her three births that move from a long induction and cesarean to an empowered VBAC and then to a breath-led hospital birth with a midwife where Hannah catches her own baby.  Along the way, we unpack postpartum mental health, provider choice, and practical tools that support healing.

In this episode, we discuss:

• first birth at 40+5 induction leading to cesarean and a hard postpartum
• postpartum rage, SSRI choice and learning limits
• discovering VBAC resources and switching to supportive care
• second pregnancy with doula, pitocin use in labor and then the use of an epidural as a tool to relax, leading to a successful VBAC
• golden hour, smoother recovery, clearer roles at home
• surprise third pregnancy and choosing nurse midwifery care
• late-term estimates challenged by hands on assessment
• spontaneous labor, movement, and breath-led pushing
• catching baby, immediate latch, 24-hour discharge
• postpartum setup with meals, and rest
• takeaways on mindset, provider fit, and asking for help

Show Notes

Some things Hannah thought of after recording this podcast that she also wanted to share was that during her third pregnancy she fell in love with breathwork.  Two of her friends recently became Breathwork instructors.  Their retreat gave her the time to focus on her birth intentions and mindset.  Her friend Amanda Delorme of  Pearl Holistic Health and she shared her birth stories in episode 79.  

Pearl Holistic Health - Connect with Amanda

Hear Amanda's Episode from Pearl Holistic Health with MyMaine Birth  Here 

Hannah's Doula for her second birth and first VBAC was Ariel Bernstein, you can connect with her on instagram @themidwifeariel  

Hear Ariel's First Episode with MyMaine Birth Here

Hear Ariel's Second Episode with MyMaine Birth Here

Hannah's Doula for her third birth and second VBAC was Corrine Morse 

Morse Doula Birth Coaching 

If you want to chat with Hannah more about her birth experiences, you can email her hannahgharding@gmail.com   or you can connect with her over on Instagram @h_g_harding

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Ivy, a labor and delivery nurse shares four births that shaped her faith in her body and her care team, from a cleft diagnosis and cesarean to a healing VBAC and a swift boy-girl twin birth with a footling breech catch from her supportive doctor. We unpack preparation, provider choice, and how calm leadership keeps complex births safe and human.

In this episode, we discuss:

• cleft lip and palate found at 20 weeks, early planning and support
• first labor to cesarean after long pushing
• switching providers to pursue VBAC for her second birth 
• the value of laboring down and movement, for a healing VBAC
• discovering di-di twins 
• OR based twin delivery with Baby A born head down and Baby B born footling breech with the calm support of Dr. Claire Faggons 
• Immediate skin to skin, both babies born happy and healthy were able to remain on Ivy's chest after birth.   
• Postpartum village: meals, childcare and rest for recovery
• tandem breastfeeding logistics, nutrition, clogged duct awareness
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

In this Episode I'm joined by Alannah and her husband Cam as he shares how a traumatic hospital birth shaped their early parenthood. They then trace the long road to a calm, unassisted twin home birth where Cam caught both babies, including their daughter who was  breech.   The conversation turns to consent, repair, and what real partner support looks like before, during, and after birth.

In this episode we discuss:

• first birth expectations shaped by TV and hospital classes
• separation after birth and lack of consent or clarity
• retained placenta discovery and D&C under anesthesia
• processing avoidance versus vocal processing in partnership
• the weight of unsupported postpartum and surface help
• how birth work reframed hospital versus home risk
• deciding on a freebirth with twins under Maine law
• practical prep: roles, kids, tub, temperature, photography
• catching Baby A, double nuchal cord resolved by Cam
• Baby B breech with cord entanglement calmly untangled also by Cam
• Receiving the Light -  Holding the Charge - and the journey of transformation

Show Resources - 

Connect with Alannah  on Instagram or Facebook @BirthBodyPhotography

Or visit her website  BirthBodyPhotography.com

Connect with Alannah's husband Cam if you're looking for any exterior home services in the August, Maine area through his website  Finn Property Services

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Twin Home birth in Maine - *after the new 2020 Midwifery Licensure Laws and Restrictions
• Twin reveal at ten weeks and immediate loss of her dream home birth being supported by her loving midwife 
• finding voice through birth photography and witnessing a free birth
• exploring options across state lines and with traveling support
• fast labor timeline with Baby A’s water birth at 36 plus 4
• Baby B footling breech, arms up, sunny side up, calm problem solving
• placentas in a bowl, delayed cord separation, family first moments
• managing blood loss, nutrition, and rest at home
• breastfeeding twins reality, tandem starts, nine months in
• advice on autonomy, intuition, and questioning norms
• Midwifery laws  and restrictions in Maine
• ….and a whole lot more!

Show Resources - 

You can connect with Alannah on Facebook or Instagram @BirthBodyPhotography or you can visit her website   BirthBodyPhotography.com 

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

In this episode Alannah shares her first three birth stories—one traumatic hospital birth marked by separation and silence, a fast unmedicated second that rebuilt trust, and a pandemic‑era third where advocacy met policy. The theme is voice: consent, clear communication, and support change outcomes and memories.

• membrane sweep at 40 weeks and unintended cascade
• birth plan ignored and epidural regret
• hemorrhage managed with poor consent and separation of baby
• rebuilding trust with a new team and doula
• fast second labor, physiologic pushing, golden hour protected
• pandemic policies, water labor, and the emergency button
• postpartum anxiety, under‑support, sleep, and nourishment

Show Resources

Find Alannah Finn and the services she offers at  BirthBodyPhotography.com

Find Alannah's Husband and the services he offers in the greater Augusta Maine area over at  FinnPropertyServices.com

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com 

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Whapio's approach to birth as a presence of reassurance and a fountain of information 
• All about the Monitricé  
• Midwifery care and doula support
• ….and a whole lot more!

Show Resources

Connect with Whapio and her incredible Programs at   TheMatrona.com

Find Details about the Matrona Monitricé program   HERE

Find Details about the 2026 Matrona Birthkeeper Cohort HERE 

Find Details about The Matrona Holistic Doula and Birth Mentorship Program HERE

Find Details about the Matrona Breathing and Bleeding, The Quantum Approach HERE

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Natalie's two Maine birth stories 
• The fine line between tuning into your intuition and navigating fear and anxiety throughout your pregnancy and birth 
• Midwifery care in Maine
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine, and why Danika made this decision for her first birth experience
• Midwifery care and doula support
• How Danika navigated some health scares during her pregnancy
• Rewriting a traumatic legacy through a redemptive home birth 
• The importance of getting a second opinion if you receive concerning results from an ultrasound late in pregnancy - and what Danika did
• ….and a whole lot more!

The place Danika went for her second opinion ultrasound which contrary to the first ultrasound results - revealed that everything was completely fine - was done at Assurance Ultrasound in Auburn.    

If something doesn't feel right to you - consider getting a second opinion. 

AssuranceUltrasound.com

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Miranda returns to share her third birth story, check out episode 18 of MyMaine Birth to hear the first part of her story
• What happens when your baby doesn't pass a bio physical profile at 42 weeks gestation
• Choosing Hospital Induction with Autonomy 
• Midwifery care in Maine
• A Waldo Hospital Birth Story in Belfast, Maine
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you're ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine
• Melanie returns to share her story of a peaceful and uncomplicated home birth after healing from a traumatic first birth experience.  You can listen to Episode 69 of MyMaine Birth to hear Melanie's first birth story.  
• Midwifery care and the importance of putting a lot of thought into choosing your birth team
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Cathy's Second Birth Story, an unplanned Freebirth on her way from Lubec to Ellsworth Hospital
• Hear Cathy's First Birth Story recorded when she was 37 weeks pregnnat  in Episode 121 of MyMaine Birth
• The benefits of doula support 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Molly's second birth story - check out episode 17 of MyMaine Birth to hear the first part of her story! 
• Mercy Hospital Birth Story
• The perks of being pregnant during the summer in Maine 
• Midwifery care from nurse midwives 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com 

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Mercy Hospital Birth Story
• The mind games and manipulation around the term "hospital policy"...  spoiler - its not the law, and you can always just say "No" if you want to 
• Midwifery care and doula support
• The dangers of disturbing the natural altered brainwave states of birth 
• The challenges associated with pushing against the tide and the dangers of disturbing the natural physiology of the birth process, Kia's experience with a vaccum assisted birth 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing - check out my comprehensive child birth education course MyAutonomous Birth 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Kelli's three Maine birth stories
• Home birth in Maine
• The evolution from hospital to home birth 
• Midwifery care and doula support
• ….and a whole lot more!

Links Mentioned in the Show  -

Connect with Kelli 

Earth Spiral Apothecary

Earth Spiral Community Site 

Connect with Kelli's Midwife, Gayle Eckey 

Gayle Eckey, CPM 

You can also find her on instagram @gayle_eckey_cpm

Connect with Kelli's doula Emily Nixon (and  definitely check out her podcast and women's circles too!)

Embodied Women's Wisdom

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course!

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Nya's views on birth growing up and how they have changed since decompressing from this manipulative and controlling community 
• What lead Nya to the freebirth society community 
• The Free Birth Society Scam exposed 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com 

If you're ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -  CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Hannah's 5 year fertility journey
• Home Birth in Maine
• Midwifery care and doula support
• A 6 day NICU stay for meconium aspiration 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine
• The benefits of choosing your own path in pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and early parenting 
• Undisturbed birth 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine
• Navigating a transfer to the hospital from a planned home birth and a beautiful example of the way midwives and hospital doctor's can  work together.  
• Midwifery care and doula support
• The challenges of a long and difficult fertility journey 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Choosing Home birth in Maine
• Midwifery care with Sacopee Midwives 
• Doula support and Birth Photography experience with MyMaine Birth
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine with midwifery care and support from Sacopee Midwives
• Devon's thoughts on The Birth Portal Experience with Dr. Emily Wilson and the importance of preparing your mindset for birth
• The challenges of navigating a complicated tear after a beautiful  home birth and Devon's experience transfering to Biddeford hospital for a repair
• ….and a whole lot more!

Devon shared her first birth story on episode 41 of the podcast so definitely go check that out to hear her full story

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Victoria's positive freebirth story
• Her experience with the freebirth society's matribirth midwifery institute 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Molly's Two Hospital Birth Stories on Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts 
• Her Journey through the Radical Birthkeeper School
• The Beautiful Freebirth of her third baby
• Molly's experience with the FreeBirth Society's MatriBirth Midwifery Institute... errr MatriBirth Mentor Institute.. 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com 

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Keely's first two home births 
• The complications that lead to her birthing her third baby in a hospital
• Finding natural healing outside of the western medical system 
• The home birth's of Keely's fourth and fifth babies 
• Thoughts behind Keely's decision to leave the MatriBirth Midwifery Institute after having paid so much money for it
• All about Keely's sixth and current pregnancy journey - and her decision to choose an unassisted birth plan amidst all of the freebirth drama 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com 

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Nikki's Two Freebirth Stories on her land in New Hampshire 
• Her views on birth growing up and what lead her to the Free Birth Society and their programs
• What lead Nikki to create her own child birth education course 
• How she realized that the MatriBirth Midwifery Institute was a Complete Scam and which program would have likely been a better fit if she could do it over again 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Visit Nikki's website BornFreeFamily.com 

For anyone seeking a true authentic midwifery school - check out Whapio and the Matrona 

And of course check out the Reddit Thread to hear real women sharing their experiences with the freebirth society 

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

MyMaineBirth.com 

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider. Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• A Birth Center Birth at Women's First in Machias, Maine
• The thought process of choosing care outside of the hospital's OB services
• Midwifery care and doula support
• All about Cathy's current pregnancy 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Birth stories at EMMC in Bangor, Maine 
• The special perks and unique challenges of growing a family with multiple young children.  
• ….and a whole lot more!

To connect with Kelli you can find her on Instagram HERE or you can visit her website www.dailydenly.com 

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Rachel's Two Birth experiences at EMMC in Bangor, Maine
• The cerclage procedure  
• The emotional toll of having a baby in the NICU and navigating postpartum 
• When your doula is a midwife - and how supportive that can be for women's birth experiences 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Cesarean birth in Maine at MDI Hospital and EMMC in Bangor
• The lack of resources for pregnant women in Downeast Maine
• The troublesome dogma around pregnancy, birth and postpartum perpetuated by many women who have taken popular courses by the Freebirth Society 
• The benefits of Doula support 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

Visit my website MyMaine Birth

If you're ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Birth at Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine
• The benefits of upright birthing and what Theresa thought about my favorite tool in my doula bag - The Birth Sling
• Midwifery care and doula support
• Birth Photography in Maine
• The importance of maintaining a warrior mentality throughout life
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Chelsea's two home birth stories as well as two miscarriage experiences 
• Midwifery care 
• How birth photography can help you process your experience
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Four EMMC Bangor, Maine birth stories
• The importance of choosing support you align with
• Nurse Midwifery care at a hospital
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Gina's first birth story in Virginia, a planned home birth which shifted to a hospital birth and a cesarean due to pre-eclampsia
• Gina's second birth in Maine, originally a planned home birth which also shifted to a hospital birth due to pre-eclampsia  
• Gina's powerful VBAC story with support from her midwife and the staff at EMMC, in Bangor Maine 
• The power of maintaining autonomy when plans shift, and the lasting impact that can have on women's experiences

If you are interested in working with me, I offer Birth Photography and Doula support to families across Maine.  You can find out more about my packages by visiting my website www.mymainebirth.com 

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine
• Midwifery care in Maine
• The importance of trusting yourself 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider. Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Hospital Birth Story at Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine
• The reasons Mikayla chose an unassisted birth with her second child 
• Mikayla's Unassisted Maine Birth Story 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Cesarean birth at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor,  Maine
• Navigating pregnancy care when your hospital of choice closes
• Obstetric Care in Maine 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Four Maine Hospital Birth Stories
• Domestic Violence and how Kay handled her situation 
• Obstetric Care at Southern Maine Hospitals 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Domestic Violence Resources:

Caring Unlimited

Through These Doors

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Breech birth options 
• Cesarean Birth in Maine at Northern Light EMMC in Bangor, and also at MDI Hosptial 
• Doula support in Maine
• Meaghan's journey to specializing in Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy 
• ….and a whole lot more!

You can find more about Dr. Meaghan Staples by visiting her website   https://www.refinephysicaltherapy.com/

You can also Connect with Dr. Meag over on Instagram or Facebook, her handle is  @refine.physicaltherapy  

Dr. Meag offers complimentary consultation calls for anyone who is interested in her services.  Send her an email to set up a free call with her  info@refinephysicaltherapy.com 

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where or how you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine
• Midwifery care and doula support
• How regulations can affect birth autonomy
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider. Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine Birth Story  
• Midwifery care and doula support
• The difficulties of processing a precipitous birth experience
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Two EMMC Bangor, Maine Birth Stories
• The importance of Trusting your Intuition
• Last minute change in birth plans for her second birth due to HELLP Syndrome
• Why everyone's birth choices should be respected
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

In this episode, we discuss:

• Molly's two EMMC Bangor, Maine Birth Stories 
• The experience of carrying twins and dealing with other's opinions and fears
• Midwifery care in the hospital 
• The great mystery of all birth stories, and the benefits of ditching preconceived notions 
• How the cascade of interventions can interfere with a natural labor and birth 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -

CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• EMMC Bangor, Maine Birth Story
• The predictable path of birth in the system 
• Postpartum support 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Kimberly's first birth story at PenBay Medical Center in Rockport, Maine
• The decision to choose home birth.
• Midwifery care in Maine
• The power that comes from being an active participant in your own birth experience, rather than just being told what to do. 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

If you’re wanting a little more support as you prepare for an autonomous birth…  Enrollment is now OPEN for the next round of the  MyAutonomous Birth Cohort, a guided child birth education for moms who don’t want to be told what to do!  

We’ll take time to get to know each other in a variety of ways throughout the program…  Including: 

• live support from our private community of like minded mothers 
• weekly birth coaching over zoom as you work through the material
• special guest speaker workshops as you integrate and prepare for your birth
• Virtual women’s circle’s 

Click HERE for all of the details!

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• EMMC Bangor Maine Birth Story 
• Midwifery care in a hospital setting
• The struggles with care providers in JulieAnne's current pregnancy as Inland Hospital in Waterville closes.  
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

If you’re wanting a little more support as you prepare for an autonomous birth…  Enrollment is now OPEN for the next round of the  MyAutonomous Birth Cohort, a guided child birth education for moms who don’t want to be told what to do!  

We’ll take time to get to know each other in a variety of ways throughout the program…  Including: 

• live support from our private community of like minded mothers 
• weekly birth coaching over zoom as you work through the material
• special guest speaker workshops as you integrate and prepare for your birth
• Virtual women’s circle’s 

Click HERE for all of the details!

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine
• The challenges of surrendering during pregnancy, labor and birth. 
• Wild Pregnancy, and Free Birth in Maine
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

If you’re wanting a little more support as you prepare for an autonomous birth…  Enrollment is now OPEN for the next round of the  MyAutonomous Birth Cohort, a guided child birth education for moms who don’t want to be told what to do!  

We’ll take time to get to know each other in a variety of ways throughout the program…  Including: 

• live support from our private community of like minded mothers 
• weekly birth coaching over zoom as you work through the material
• special guest speaker workshops as you integrate and prepare for your birth
• Virtual women’s circle’s             Click HERE for all of the details!
  
  Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 
  
  
  

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine
• The decision to birth without any medical assistance
• What she did to prepare for this type of birth experience
• The joy of birthing in your full power, and without anyone telling you what to do
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

If you’re wanting a little more support as you prepare for an autonomous birth…  Enrollment is now OPEN for the next round of the  MyAutonomous Birth Cohort, a guided child birth education for moms who don’t want to be told what to do!  

We’ll take time to get to know each other in a variety of ways throughout the program…  Including: 

• live support from our private community of like minded mothers 
• weekly birth coaching over zoom as you work through the material
• special guest speaker workshops as you integrate and prepare for your birth
• Virtual women’s circle’s 

Click HERE for all of the details!

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Nicole shared her story with me just one week postpartum, and the joy and awe are very fresh for her in this episode!  You won't want to miss it. 

If you're interested in birth photography and doula support for your upcoming birth, head over to my website https://www.mymainebirth.com

Send me a message to inquire about your due date!

Thank you again for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave me a review!

Season 2 is coming to an end with this episode but stay tuned for Season 3 coming in January 2025!

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Unassisted Home birth in Maine
• Having trust and patience in the physiological process of birth
• Midwifery care and sovereign birth support options 
• The decision to go to the hospital when her water broke and meconium presented to check on her baby, and her subsequent decision to sign AMA papers and leave after she discovered her baby was doing just fine.
• Her Free Birth in the arms of her husband later that night 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

If you’re wanting a little more support as you prepare for an autonomous birth…  Enrollment is now OPEN for the next round of the  MyAutonomous Birth Cohort, a guided child birth education for moms who don’t want to be told what to do!  

We’ll take time to get to know each other in a variety of ways throughout the program…  Including: 

• live support from our private community of like minded mothers 
• weekly birth coaching over zoom as you work through the material
• special guest speaker workshops as you integrate and prepare for your birth
• Virtual women’s circle’s 

Click HERE for all of the details!

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

What if you could embrace the idea of birth as a transformational power rather than a medical event?  Join me as Kiley, a returning guest, shares her third birth story, filled with intuition, and power.

To hear the first part of Kiley's story, check out Episode 28 of MyMaine Birth. 

If you're interested in birth photography or doula support for your upcoming birth, head over to my website https://www.mymainebirth.com  

Send me a message to inquire about your due date.

Thank you for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave me a review!  

Season 2 is coming to an end with Episode 100 but stay tuned for Season 3 coming in January 2025! 

 Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Home birth in Maine
• Rendalyn shares her two birth stories, the first was a birth center birth in another state, followed by her powerful Maine Free Birth story
• Rendaly shares about her miscarriage between her two birth stories 
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

If you’re wanting a little more support as you prepare for an autonomous birth…  Enrollment is now OPEN for the next round of the  MyAutonomous Birth Cohort, a guided child birth education for moms who don’t want to be told what to do!  

We’ll take time to get to know each other in a variety of ways throughout the program…  Including: 

• live support from our private community of like minded mothers 
• weekly birth coaching over zoom as you work through the material
• special guest speaker workshops as you integrate and prepare for your birth
• Virtual women’s circle’s 

Click HERE for all of the details!

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

If you're interested in birth photography or doula support for your upcoming birth, head over to my website https://www.mymainebirth.com 
Shot me a message to inquire about your due date.  

Thank you for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Season 2 is coming to an end with Episode 100 but stay tuned for Season 3 coming in January! 

Imagine being told you might never have children at a young age, and then you grow up and find yourself pregnant. This is the raw and inspiring journey of Desiree, who, against odds, embarked on the path to motherhood. Join us as Desiree shares the rollercoaster of emotions and the unwavering support she received from her partner, James, her mother, and the incredible team at Northern Lights Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine, as she navigated a high-risk pregnancy with remarkable resilience.

Throughout her pregnancy, Desiree faced significant challenges, including a subchorionic hematoma that threatened to derail her hopes of carrying her baby to term. She candidly accounts these daunting moments, balanced with the exceptional care and reassurance offered by her medical providers. We also explore how Desiree prepared for childbirth utilizing hypnobirthing techniques, building her confidence and overcoming fears as she anticipated the arrival of her daughter, Ivy.

But the journey never ends with birth. Desiree emphasizes the transformative power of postpartum support and community resources, such as Birth Roots classes and The Postpartum Project, which aim to provide invaluable assistance to new mothers. Through her story, Desiree highlights the importance of advocating for your wishes, finding your voice as a parent, and the crucial role of a support system in creating a positive parenting experience. Whether you're a parent, expecting, or simply moved by stories of resilience, this episode offers heartfelt insights and invaluable resources for navigating the journey of parenthood.

If you're looking to connect with The Postpartum Project you can find them on facebook or instagram https://www.instagram.com/_thepostpartumproject/
You can head to their website by clicking here https://postpartumproject.me/
Email - info@postpartumproject.me

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state's biggest hospitals to birth center births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

If you're interested in birth photography or doula support for your upcoming birth, head over to my website https://www.mymainebirth.com and send me a message to inqure about your due date.

Thank you for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!  

I'll see you back here again, next week.  

Leah's story is one of resilience, courage, and the power of hope as she navigates what she was told was a high-risk pregnancy. 

Despite being told from a young ages that she might not conceive due to PCOS, after a recent gastric sleeve surgery, Leah found herself expecting. 

Join me in this episode as she shares her experience of feeling forced to deliver at Maine Medical Center, confronting past traumas associated with this hospital, and the difficult choices faced when your birth plan is no longer your own.

Leah's childbirth journey takes a dramatic turn when her newborn, starts experiencing seizures just hours after being born.  Leah details the emotional and physical toll of navigating the NICU and the medical interventions, including phenobarbital  to sedate her newborn and try to stop the seizures. 

This episode paints a vivid picture of the harrowing hours spent watching over her newborn, the anxiety of seeing her connected to monitors, and the incredible fortitude of a mother fighting for her child's well-being amidst the uncertainty of perinatal strokes and the unknown potential for long-term implications.

Amidst the chaos, Leah found solace and strength at the Ronald McDonald House, allowing her to be near her daughter during her hospital stay.  Through her candor about postpartum anxiety and proactive steps in seeking therapies for her daughter, Leah's journey offers a powerful testament to maternal strength.

Her story encourages a conversation about the necessity of medical interventions, and whether or not her daughters seizures were caused by the induction medications themselves, or the aggressive use of the forceps during delivery.


 

MyMaine Birth, a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state’s biggest hospitals to Birth Center Births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

If you're interested in Birth Photography or Doula Support for your upcoming birth, head over to my website https://www.mymainebirth.com

Don't miss - Birth Plan Essentials, a FREE workshop where I help you create your own personalized birth plan, hosted at the Old Town Public Library from 11am - noon on  November 23, and December 14.  You can register HERE   https://mymainebirth.myflodesk.com/birthplanessentials

Don't miss - Birth Bliss: Embracing Knowledge as Power for Your Natural Birth, enrollment is now OPEN for this 3 part, in-person comprehensive natural childbirth education course hosted by myself and fellow childbirth educator Katie Stroud.
   
Birth Bliss is designed to guide you in claiming your power on your birth journey, you'll develop a deep understanding of birth physiology, variations of normal and true emergencies, as well as techniques for relaxation and navigating and eliminating fears.  Learn about how to create your optimal support team, set up for a blissful postpartum, breastfeeding, early mothering... and so much more! 

Whether you are birthing at a Hospital, a birth center, or at home - Birth Bliss is designed to support you every step of the way! 

Birth Bliss is hosted at Mainely Succulents in Orono on October 27, November 3, and November 10th from 9am - 11am.  At the end of our last class you'll create a succu

Have you ever questioned the conventional norms of childbirth and wondered about embracing a more natural approach?

Join me in this episode as we reconnect with Katie Stroud, my dear friend, inspiring fellow childbirth educator, and co-creatrix of Birth Bliss.   

Katie shares her transformative journey, influenced by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it led her to explore the philosophy of sovereign birth during her second pregnancy and now again in her current pregnancy.

Together, we introduce our exciting new collaboration, Birth Bliss, a comprehensive childbirth education course designed to guide you on your journey to pursuing a natural and undisturbed birth experience, regardless of the setting.

This episode, and our Birth Bliss course, isn't just about the mechanics of childbirth; it’s a deep exploration of the emotional and physical journey that comes with it.

Whether you're about to have your first child or are on a subsequent pregnancy, our conversation and our Birth Bliss Childbirth Education Course offers valuable perspectives and heartfelt encouragement for those considering a natural birth approach.

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of familes and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state's biggest hospitals to birth center births, and home births - every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth - these episodes are for you.

Thank you again for listening, don't forget to subscribe and leave me a review - and I'll see you back here again next week!

Enrollment for Birth Bliss is Now OPEN - Save Your Spot & Embrace Knowledge as Power for Your Natural Birth

October 27, November 2, and November 10
9am - 11am

Lead by Childbirth Educators Katie Stroud and Angela Laferriere
Location: Mainely Succulents, Orono Maine
Register: HERE


Birth Plan Essentials - A FREE Workshop where I walk you through all of the intracacies of creating your own personalized Birth Plan.

October 12, November 23, & December 14  from 11am - Noon
Location: Old Town Public Library

Register: HERE

Bekah's story is an emotional journey of unexpected challenges and resilience, tracing her path from a bustling life in California to her new beginnings in Maine.

After meeting her fiancé, Logan, Becca shares the ebbs and flows of her pregnancy, including her initial birthing plans and the eventual decision to deliver at Maine General Hospital.

Bekah's experience takes an intense turn at 39 weeks when a scheduled appointment revealed preeclampsia, leading to an unplanned labor induction. She candidly discusses the highs and lows of this unexpected path, including opting for an epidural and facing moments of insensitivity from medical staff.

The story continues into the postpartum phase, where Becca confronts birth trauma, breastfeeding struggles, and the emotional intricacies of early parenthood.

Her reflections offer heartfelt advice for new parents, emphasizing the importance of trusting one's instincts and ensuring open communication with healthcare providers. Tune in for a story that is both a testament to resilience and a source of guidance for those embarking on their own birthing journeys.

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state's biggest hospitals to birth center births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you. 

Thank you for listening, don't forget to subscribe and leave me a review - and I'll see you back here again next week!

To sign up for a Birth Healing Session with me click HERE

Enrollment for Birth Bliss is now OPEN - Save Your Spot & Embrace Knowledge as Power For Your Natural Birth

October 27, November 2, & November 10 from 9am - 11am
Lead by Childbirth Educators Katie Stroud and Angela Laferriere
Location:  Mainely Succulents in Orono, Maine


Birth Plan Essentials - A FREE Workshop where I walk you through all of the intracacies of creating your own personalized Birth Plan.

October 12, November 23, & December 14  from 11am - Noon
Location: Old Town Public Library
RSVP to Birth Plan Essentials FREE Workshop by clicking HERE

And Click HERE for instant access to MyAutonomous Birth the comprehensive online, self-paced, child birth education course that I created specifically for mom's who  don't want to be told what to do.  If this is you, and you are desiring a hands off hospital birth, powerful birth center birth, or even a birth with a homebirth midwife, this course is for you!  

Join me in Episode 93 of MyMaine Birth  as Emily shares her raw and emotional story of navigating motherhood with her boyfriend Curtis.  Discover how she found out she was pregnant while on birth control and the prenatal care she received from Intermed in Portland, Maine.  Emily’s narrative takes a dramatic shift at the 36th week with concerns over preeclampsia, leading to an unplanned induction immediately following her 37 week appointment at Maine Medical Center. 

Through her experiences, Emily underscores the crucial need for being informed and proactive about medical decisions during pregnancy. 

Emily’s labor and delivery journey is a testament to resilience amidst adversity. Learn about the early labor coping techniques like warm water and breathing, the decision to opt for an epidural after over 24 hours of intense Pitocin contractions, and the emotional rollercoaster of having her baby’s heart rate plummet several times after medication was started to induce labor early.  Emily vividly recounts the harrowing moments of her son, Lincoln, being born blue and unresponsive, which was handled by immediately cutting the cord and removing her baby to the NICU.   Emily also shares about Curtis's unwavering support and the profound emotional impact of her initial separation from Lincoln which highlights the stark realities of childbirth complications during highly managed birth experiences, and their long-lasting effects.

After facing a traumatic birth, Emily’s path to healing was paved with sleepless nights, anxiety, and significant challenges such as a car accident that exacerbated her struggles.  Therapy became a beacon of hope, helping her process the trauma and regain her emotional footing.  Emily candidly discusses the importance of validating one’s emotions, seeking community support, and trusting maternal instincts. 

Join me for an episode filled with heartache, hope, and practical wisdom for navigating the complexities of pregnancy and childbirth.

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state’s biggest hospitals to Birth Center Births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

Thank you for tuning in and listening, don't forget to subscribe and leave me a review - and I'll see you back here again next week!


To sign up for a Birth Healing Session with me click HERE


Enrollment for Birth Bliss is now OPEN  - Save Your Spot today to Embrace Knowledge as Power for Your Natural Birth
October 27, November 3, November 10 from 9am - 11am 
Lead By ChildBirth Educators Katie Stroud and Angela Laferriere
Hosted at Mainely Succulents in Orono, Maine


Birth Plan Essentials - a FREE workshop where I walk you through all of the intricacies of creating your own personalized Birth Plan
October 14, November 23, December 14  11am - Noon
Lead by Angela Laferriere
Hosted at the Old Town Public Library
RSVP to Birth Plan Essentials HERE


And click HERE for MyAutonomousBirth the comprehensive online child birth education course that I designed specifically for mom's who don't want to be told what to do.  If you are desiring a Hands Off Hospital Birth - prepare yourself for that, with MyAutonomous Birth.   This is a work at you

Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE

Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth?  You’re in the right place! 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Maine Medical Center Portland, Maine Birth Story
• Christi shares about her experience working with me as her birth photographer
• The importance of being informed and confident in your birth decisions
• Doula support in Maine
• ….and a whole lot more!

Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…

If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby…  regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off  the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course! 

If you’re wanting a little more support as you prepare for an autonomous birth…  Enrollment is now OPEN for the next round of the  MyAutonomous Birth Cohort, a guided child birth education for moms who don’t want to be told what to do!  

We’ll take time to get to know each other in a variety of ways throughout the program…  Including: 

• live support from our private community of like minded mothers 
• weekly birth coaching over zoom as you work through the material
• special guest speaker workshops as you integrate and prepare for your birth
• Virtual women’s circle’s 

Click HERE for all of the details!

Not sure where to start?  I’ve got you covered!  Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider.   Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider. 

Welcome to Episode 91 of MyMaine Birth, I can’t believe we’re almost at 100 episodes!  Thank you so much to all of you who have supported me through this really incredible journey of collecting and publishing Birth Stories from across Maine and to all of you who have offered to share your own birth story on the podcast, it literally wouldn’t be possible without you... so Thank You!   

For those of you who might not know, all of my guests on the podcast also receive a gift certificate for a family photo session with me, it is good for a family adventure photo session on the session day of your choice - I host session days for my podcast guests at iconic locations across Maine in the spring, summer and fall.  This gift certificate covers the session fee completely and includes 5 of your favorite digital images from the session.  I still have some openings for this fall, if you have been a guest on the podcast and haven’t chosen your date yet or if you have any interest in sharing your birth story, there’s still time to get in and claim your incredible fall photo session. 

If you’re interested in sharing your birth story on the podcast, fill out the form on the podcast page over on my website  https://www.mymainebirth.com/mymainebirth

Have you ever faced the whirlwind of emotions that come with pregnancy during a pandemic? In this episode Faith share's her intimate journey through prenatal care at Coastal Women's Healthcare in Scarborough. From the solitude of attending appointments alone to the tough decision to decline the COVID vaccine despite medical advice, this episode is a heartfelt reflection on the empowerment that comes with making informed choices for the wellbeing of yourself and your baby.

Faith's story is one of meticulous planning and proactive care, despite the hurdles posed by COVID-19. She opens up about her preconception efforts, detailed cycle tracking, and the pressures surrounding the COVID vaccine. Her experiences offer valuable lessons and a sense of camaraderie for expectant mothers and those on the journey to parenthood. Faith's narrative is a testament to the resilience and strength of mothers navigating pregnancy during uncertain times.

She recounts the physical and emotional rollercoaster of being induced at nearly 42 weeks.  From the initial hesitation to the relief of a smooth delivery, her story captures the highs and lows of childbirth and the postpartum journey. Her husband Patrick's unwavering support, from nutritious meals to nighttime feedings, played a critical role in easing postpartum challenges, especially with anxiety. She offer's heartfelt advice to new and expecting parents on trusting their instincts and finding joy in the unique path of parenthood.

You can connect with Faith on instagram to follow along and learn about kid friendly adventures in Central Maine   https://www.instagram.com/meblueberriesforlucy/

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state's biggest hospitals to Birth Center Births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you're a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you. 

If you're interested in Doula Support or Birth Photography for your upcoming Birth, head over to my website to inquire about your due date.
https://www.mymainebirth.com

You can also connect with me on Instagram by clicking HERE - https://www.instagram.com/mymainebirth

Birth Plan Essentials - September 21,

Unlock the secrets to better pelvic health with Dr. Emily Wilson of Pelvic Wisdom Physical Therapy.  Emily shares her compelling journey into pelvic floor therapy, starting from an unexpected discovery during her education, to becoming a passionate advocate for personalized care. Learn about the transformative power of pelvic floor therapy, especially during pregnancy, conception, and postpartum care, and how it can radically improve your well-being.

Discover why Emily emphasizes the importance of relaxation and breath work in preparing your pelvic floor for labor. She explains how stress and tension in the sacrum and pelvic floor can lead to discomfort, and how personalized assessments can make all the difference.  Emily also sheds light on postpartum healing practices, including the closing of the bones ceremony and methods to address diastasis recti.  Get practical advice and holistic support tips that can help new mothers feel balanced and comfortable in their bodies again.

Finally, explore the deep impact of birth trauma and the importance of healing for the entire family. Emily offers insightful techniques like meditative practices and scar tissue work to help mothers reclaim and rewrite their birth stories. Learn about the hands-on, patient-centered services provided by Dr. Wilson at Pelvic Wisdom Physical Therapy and find out how to connect with her for future classes focused on embodiment and pleasure as medicine. Whether in-person or virtual, her holistic approach blends energetic and somatic trauma work with physical therapy for comprehensive care.

You can connect with Dr. Emily Wilson through her website by clicking here:   https://www.pelvicwisdom.com/

Or over on Instagram by clicking here:   https://www.instagram.com/pelvic_wisdom/?hl=en

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state's biggest hospitals to Birth Center Births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you're a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.  

If you're interested in Doula Support or Birth Photography for your upcoming Birth, head over to my website to inquire about your due date.

https://www.mymainebirth.com

You can also message me over on instagram by clicking here:  https://www.instagram.com/mymainebirth

Birth Plan Essentials - September 21, 2024  11am- noon - Join me for a Free Workshop, hosted each month for the rest of this year at the Old Town Public Library.  

In this workshop we dive into the intricacies of creating your own personalized birth plan, and how to navigate the decision making process with confidence and clarity.  

We cover ALL of your options including - general labor options, variations of normal, induction and augmentation options, comfort measures and medical pain relief options that may be available to you, the second stage and pushing options, the third stage and immediate postpartum options, uncommon labor complications and so, so much more...  I literally cover every single thing that could come up for you, so don't miss out!

I plan to host these for free once a month until the end of this year at the Old Town Public Library.  The next one is on Saturday September 21, from 11am to noon.

As a special gift, you'll receive a complimentary template to help you craft your ideal birth plan - whether you're planning to birth in the hospital, at a birth center or even at home - having a birth plan in place can help

Join me as we uncover the emotional rollercoaster of twin pregnancies and an unexpected, and coerced C-section.  Crystal opens up about her scheduled C-section, exposing the fears and confusion that led to her decision and expressing her regret over not being fully informed. Her honest account highlights the critical need for thorough childbirth education and unwavering support during these pivotal moments.

Crystal Chapman brings us into her life-changing journey of an unexpected twin pregnancy when she was 20 years old, recounting the myriad of emotions from the first ultrasound to the preterm birth of her twins at 34 weeks. Her story sheds light on the often-overlooked, and in some cases pharmaceutically induced, mental health challenges that arise during such times and the profound impact of preterm labor. Listen as she navigates the trials of NICU stays, postpartum health battles, and the relentless task of managing neonatal care for her preemies.

This episode doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities: the emotional toll of NICU stays, the physical recovery from C-sections performed at a teaching hospital, and the mental exhaustion that accompanies such trials. Crystal's experiences underscore the importance of informed decision-making, robust support systems, and the incredible strength required to face unexpected medical hurdles in motherhood. Tune in to hear her powerful narrative and the valuable lessons she's learned on her path to recovery and resilience.

Crystal is also a photographer based out of Newry, Maine.  Her business is Evergreen Imagery Me, she loves photographing maternity, lifestyle newborn and family photography in the beautiful mountains in western Maine.  You can connect with her by clicking here https://www.instagram.com/evergreen.imagery.me/ 

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state’s biggest hospitals to Birth Center Births, and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.

If you're interested in Doula support or Birth Photography for your upcoming birth, head over to my website head over to my website to inquire about your due date. 
https://www.mymainebirth.com 

You can also message me over on instagram by clicking here: https://www.instagram.com/mymainebirth/

I want to share about a free workshop I’m hosting called Birth Plan Essentials   In this workshop we're going to be diving into the intricacies of creating your own personalized birth plan, and how to navigate the decision making process with confidence and clarity.  
We will cover ALL of your options including - general labor options, variations of normal, induction and augmentation options, comfort measures and medical pain relief, the second stage and pushing options, the third stage and immediate postpartum options, the breakdown on all of the newborn tests and procedures, the cesarean options, uncommon labor complications and so, so much more… we literally cover every single thing that could come up for you, so don’t miss out… 

I’m going to be hosting these for free each month until the end of the year at the Old Town Public Library.   The next one is on Saturday September 21, from 11am to noon.   

As a special gift, you’ll receive a complimentary template to help you craft your ideal birth plan - whether you’re planning to birth in the hospital , at a birth center, or even at home - ensuring that your wishes are clearly communicated to your birth team and healthcare providers.  

By attending this class y

Katie's path to motherhood is fraught with heartache and hope, from the devastating loss of her first pregnancy at 16.5 weeks to enduring four more miscarriages before successfully carrying her daughter, Fiona. She shares the emotional turmoil of each loss and the daunting task of finding the right OB-GYN in Maine, shedding light on the importance of patient advocacy and support in navigating high-risk pregnancies. Her story is a testament to the strength and perseverance required to face such trials and emerge with a family of four children.

Katie discusses the psychological hurdles of surpassing previous loss milestones, the pressures of medical interventions, and the surprise of a naturally onset labor despite planned inductions. Her candid recollections of labor pains on Pitocin, the challenges of birthing plans, and the joy of finally holding her newborns highlight the raw and transformative experience of childbirth. 

Join me in celebrating Katie's journey and the lessons she imparts on finding strength and support in the face of adversity.

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state's biggest hospitals to birth center births and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.  

Are you interested in Doula Support or Birth Photography for your upcoming birth?  Head over to my website to inqure about your due date.  

https://www.mymainebirth.com

Thank you again for tuning in and I look forward to bring you more amazing birth stories.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave me a review and I'll see you back here again next week!

What would you do if faced with the terrifying possibility of your unborn child having severe brain and heart conditions? Capri's harrowing yet inspiring journey through her pregnancy with her son, Bellamy, offers a profound lesson in the power of intuition and the importance of seeking second opinions.

Despite being advised to consider a medical abortion by a genetic counselor, Capri chose to trust her instincts.

Tune in to hear how Bellamy defied the odds, being born without the initially diagnosed brain condition and overcoming significant medical challenges, including open-heart surgery at just three months old.

This episode chronicles the arrival of Bellamy, the emotional rollercoaster of NICU life, and the strength and resilience required to navigate parenting a child with serious health conditions. Capri share's invaluable advice on advocating for your child's healthcare and the importance of cherishing every family moment.

Their story also highlights the critical support provided by the Ronald McDonald House during their journey. Join us for an episode filled with heartfelt moments and empowering insights that will leave you inspired by Capri's courage and unwavering love for her son.

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of familes and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state's biggest hospitals to birth center births and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you. 

Are you interested in Doula Support or Birth Photography for your upcoming birth?  Head over to my website to inqure about your due date.

https://www.mymainebirth.com

Thank you again for tuning in and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review and I'll see you back here again, next week!  

How do you navigate childbirth when your intuition clashes with medical advice? Join us as we welcome Cashlyn, a resilient mother of four, whose powerful experiences in advocating for natural birth methods will leave you inspired. Hear about her memorable encounter with a doctor who resembled the Monopoly man, and how her midwife’s support guided her through challenging decisions. Cashlyn’s vivid storytelling brings to life the swift hospital births of her three daughters and the enchanting home birth of her son, all while celebrating the joy of growing a family close in age to their cousins.

Journey with us through the unexpected hurdles of Cashlyn’s fourth pregnancy during 2020, a year marked by personal loss and global upheaval. As an herbalist and naturopath, Cashlyn reflects on the emotional impact of losing a beloved pet, and how folklore provided comfort amidst grief. Her resilience shines through as she navigates restrictive hospital policies and stands firm against the pressure to induce labor, emphasizing the critical role of self-advocacy in childbirth. Through her experiences, we gain insight into the resolve it takes to pursue natural birthing methods within a medicalized system.

Experience the transformative power of home birth and the profound journey of self-discovery that accompanies it. Cashlyn shares intimate moments from her home water birth, recounting the meticulous preparations and the unexpected challenges of labor. The discussion extends to the benefits of hypnobirthing and managing Lyme disease, encouraging listeners to visualize a positive birth experience and create personalized healing schedules. This episode is a heartfelt tribute to trust, intuition, and the diverse experiences of motherhood.

Leah shares her two birth experiences at Houlton Regional Hospital.  Her first pregnancy journey is marked by a 19-hour labor, complications, and a severe tear that required reconstructive surgery. Leah also bravely recounts the terrifying postpartum period, where blood clots led to a prolonged hospital stay and intensive treatment. Her narrative highlights the raw and often unforeseen challenges of childbirth in a hospital setting, and the strength required to overcome them.

In the second part of the episode, Leah opens up about her twin pregnancy, which brought its own series of trials.   When her water broke at 38 weeks, she was not able to make it back to Bangor where she had planned on delivering, and instead took an Ambulance to Houlton Regional Hospital.  Upon arrival the staff noted that they "felt body parts" and needed to "move quickly"  so instead of letting the babies emerge naturally as they were already in the process of doing, she was rushed into the operating room where her twins were delivered via c-section under general anesthesia.  In this event one of the twins had ingested too much anesthesia and needed to be flown to the NICU in Bangor at  EMMC.  All of this was followed by a traumatic postpartum recovery involving a painful infection and a grapefruit-sized hematoma. Leah’s story is a profound exploration of maternal strength, detailing the physical and emotional hurdles she faced while recovering and adapting to life with her newborn twins. Listen in for an honest and moving conversation about the realities of Hospital childbirth. 

Occasionally on the podcast we hear powerful stories that shed light on the challenges, the unexpected turns, and the emotional aftermath of a birth story that does not go as you imagined it would.  I believe it's important to create a safe space for these narratives, to raise awareness about the benefits of undisturbed birth, and to support those who have gone through difficult birth experiences.

To all the pregnant mothers listening, I encourage you to assess your emotional readiness for today's episode.  If hearing stories of birth trauma is not what you need at the moment... please skip this episode and the next one..  and join me again in episode 86 for an empowering birth story. 

For those who have recently experienced birth trauma yourself, I want you to know that you are not alone.  I see you, I hear you, and I am here to support you. 

I offer a virtual service designed specifically for mothers who need to process their birth stories. 

My Birth Debrief Sessions over zoom provide a safe and confidential space to explore your emotions, find healing, and work through any lingering feelings of disappointment, fear, or grief. 

I am an experienced birth professional and I am ready to listen, offer guidance, and help you navigate the complexities of your birth experience.  If you're interested in scheduling a Birth Debrief Session click HERE

or head over to my website  https://www.mymainebirth.com  

Remember, your story matters, and I'm here to support you every step of the way.  Together we can heal, grow, and find strength in our shared experiences.

Thank you for joining me today on MyMaine Birth and remember to take care of yourself and each other.  And as always, let's keep the conversation going!  You can always message me over on social media, you can find me on Facebook and Instagram @mymainebirth 

In this episode, Jessica joins me today to share her candid and powerful birth story from Northern Lights Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

Jessica opens up about discovering her pregnancy during 2020, the struggles of being labeled as a high-risk pregnancy due to being overweight, and the cascade of pregnancy interventions that she was faced with as a result.  Jessica began experiencing some blood pressure issues during the last month of her pregnancy, and with that reasoning she was scheduled for an induction at 38 weeks. 

She recalls that the whole pregnancy was "not great, but that was when things started getting even worse, it was when I went in for my induction".   She describes her induction which ended in a cesarean that she was not numb for.  She also shares about her experience with a very serious complication two days postpartum.   Jessica's account paints a vivid picture of her journey, offering a raw and honest look into her birth experience. 

The conversation doesn't end at birth. Jessica bravely shares the emotional and physical aftermath of her traumatic experience, discussing her struggle with PTSD and the additional hurdles she faced when she was denied a hysterectomy due to her age. 

Jessica emphasizes the crucial role of therapy and a supportive network in her healing process. This episode is a poignant reminder of the resilience required to navigate birth trauma and the importance of understanding and support in postpartum recovery.

Join us for a heartfelt discussion that sheds light on the mental and physical hurdles mothers face, and the importance of a compassionate community in overcoming them.

Occasionally on the podcast we hear powerful stories that shed light on the challenges, the unexpected turns, and the emotional aftermath of a birth story that does not go as you imagined it would.  I believe it's important to create a safe space for these narratives, to raise awareness about the benefits of undisturbed birth, and to support those who have gone through difficult birth experiences.

To all the pregnant mothers listening, I encourage you to assess your emotional readiness for today's episode.  If hearing stories of birth trauma is not what you need at the moment... please skip this episode and the next one..  and join me again in episode 86 for an empowering birth story. 

For those who have recently experienced birth trauma yourself, I want you to know that you are not alone.  I see you, I hear you, and I am here to support you. 

I offer a virtual service designed specifically for mothers who need to process their birth stories. 

My Birth Debrief Sessions over zoom provide a safe and confidential space to explore your emotions, find healing, and work through any lingering feelings of disappointment, fear, or grief. 

I am an experienced birth professional and I am ready to listen, offer guidance, and help you navigate the complexities of your birth experience.  If you're interested in scheduling a Birth Debrief Session click HERE
or head over to my website for all the details.  https://www.mymainebirth.com

Remember, your story matters, and I'm here to support you every step of the way.  Together we can heal, grow, and find strength in our shared experiences. 

Thank you for joining me today on MyMaine Birth and remember to take care of yourself and each other.  And as always, let's keep the conversation going!  You can always message me over on social media, you can find me on Facebook and Instagram @mymainebirth 

Join me this week for an eye-opening episode where Mari shares her deeply personal journey, from the shock of discovering she was pregnant just before an IUD insertion appointment, to the intense birth of her daughter, Violet, at Northern Lights Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.  Mari opens up about her initial anxieties, her connection with the midwives at Belfast Women's Health, and the heart-wrenching decision to transfer to a high-risk facility due to gestational diabetes. Her story is a testament to the resilience and strength required to navigate the unpredictable nature of childbirth.

Mari candidly recounts the intense labor pains after the medications were given to start her labor, the relief brought by an epidural, being on her back the entire time, and then the shift to an unplanned C-section. The episode highlights the emotional and physical strain, including a postpartum hemorrhage.  

Through her challenging postpartum recovery, Mari shares invaluable advice for new parents, emphasizing self-advocacy, the importance of rest, and the support of loved ones. This episode is a compelling listen for families navigating the hospital system.  

MyMaine Birth is a space where we share the real life stories of families and their unique birth experiences in the beautiful state of Maine.  From our state's biggest hospitals to birth center births and home births, every birth story deserves to be heard and celebrated.  Whether you are a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.  

Are you interested in Doula Support or Birth Photography for your upcoming Maine birth?  Head over to my website or shoot me a DM to inquire about your due date.  

https://www.mymainebirth.com

I am about fully booked for 2024 and early 2025, but occasionally have last minute openings so please reach out if you are interested in adding my support to your birth plan.  

Thank you again for tuning in, and I look forward to bringing you more amazing birth stories.  Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review! 

I'll see you back here again next week!