Happy Homebirth

• Ep 272: When Ultimate Surrender Leads to Ultimate Redemption

  How would you feel if everyone around you, including the medical staff you’ve met with, says you shouldn’t have another baby– but you and your spouse suddenly feel very strongly that you’re being called to…. Have another baby?  What would you do?    This week we’re speaking to Jess, a mother who had to make this difficult sounding decision.  Should we grow our family in the face of adversity? You’re going to love this story, I just know it.   Episode Roundup: So if you listened to my re-introduction story, you’ll notice that the exact same themes that I spoke about– About hearing God’s voice and leaning into what he’s saying even when it sounds, frankly, illogical– were present here in Jess’s story.  She and her husband Grant both felt and overwhelming peace and need to have their third child, despite their well-meaning community’s pleas for them to reconsider.  I find so much comfort in this ability to hear something clearly coming from somewhere outside of yourself, and to put your faith in what you are sensing.  This is so deeply connected to intuition.  Mothers KNOW what to do– whether that’s the intuitive knowledge that everything is okay and they’re doing exactly what they need to be doing even when the situation looks questionable, OR when things seem fine, but a mother knows something is not fine and needs more attention.  What a beautiful gift. Next, let’s talk about the healing power of birth– Birth can bring healing beyond just yourself or your spouse.  In this story, we hear how Jess’s third birth acted as a soothing balm to their oldest daughter, Willow, who had experienced such pain during the traumatic hospital stay and birth of her baby brother.   And that point brings me to my last point.  We were designed to heal.  We were designed to heal both physically, and emotionally.  How beautiful is it to hear this story– were Jess’s body, which was spoken over so negatively– that it wouldn’t be able to have a healthy pregnancy and birth again, that it was incapable of the pregnancy and labor processes— it healed and it experienced new life.  Along with physical healing, Jess and her entire family experienced emotional and spiritual healing.  How amazing that we have been designed with so many opportunities to grow, to rewire, to renew our thoughts.  This family did just that, and what a joy it was to listen to how it unfolded.  Okay, my friends.  Let that one reverberate in your mind over the next week.  How beautiful.  That’s all I’ve got for you today, and I’ll see you back here next week.   Links: Samaritan Ministries Happy Homebirth Academy Interview Application

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• Ep 271: Giving Birth in a Midwife Desert

  Let’s say you want a midwife.   You’re desperate to give birth at home, and you’re ready to throw your money at the woman willing to attend your birth.  What happens when you can’t find anyone to come?    This week we’re speaking with Caroline and Alex, who are the parents of a beautiful family of 4 little ones (now growing #5).  This episode was recorded in November or December of 2023, I believe, but it never got a chance to air because of my sense that it was immediately time to close the podcast.  BUT… this story is just so good, you have to hear it.  With the updates we’ve made to the podcast and our desire to focus more on one story per interview, this episode has been edited to focus on their most recent pregnancy and birth.    Episode Roundup:   I want to take a moment to emphasize just how difficult it must have felt for Caroline and Alex to so desperately want a midwife and a homebirth, and yet to not be able to find anyone to provide care.  The reality is that there are large pockets of area throughout the country and, gosh, certainly globally, where there is lack of maternal care.  You don’t have 1,000 options. You’ve barely got any options.  I love the way that this couple chose to face this situation with a sense of openness and trust.  Caroline sensed that the Lord was calling them into giving birth unattended, and she trusted.  And what’s more, the Lord worked it out to where Alex was able to be comfortable and confident, too.  This  I also appreciate how this was not taken lightly.  There was preparation, mentally, spiritually, and in Alex’s case, even physically.  He was able to receive hands on training from their former midwife! What a gift. I want to touch on pain and the desire to have a pain-free birth.  Listen, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that desire! I love it, and I know that it’s so possible!! But I also think there is so much beauty and strength that comes from having a birth that’s challenging.  That’s not pain-free.  That’s intense and animalistic.  Motherhood is intense.  Motherhood is challenging.  Motherhood causes you to be in it for the long haul, even when you’re exhausted.  Which brings me to my final little point– Caroline mentioned how Alex saying “it’s so cute” was like her little cup of water in the marathon- the bit of hydration she needed to make it to the finish line.  How special are those moments– those moments we make with our spouse or our birth team– those intimate little sayings, touches, glances, that give us the strength we need when we needed it.  What a blessing.  And what a blessing this story was.     Links Happy Homebirth Academy

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• Ep 270: First Time Homebirther and Hospice Nurse Shares Paralles of Welcoming Life and Concluding It

  We love talking about homebirth here, right?  I mean, it’s kind of our thing.  But what about the other end of the life spectrum.  What about death?     This week, we are speaking with Mariah Lassiter, a a Hospice Registered Nurse who had her first baby at home..  As she has supported patients in her career, Mariah has begun to recognize how many similarities there are in the birthing and dying processes, and how both do not have to be viewed as scary, and in fact can be beautiful.  We’ll hear her incredible birth story with her first child, and then dive into what she’s learned in her time as a hospice nurse.   Episode roundup Let’s start by connecting with our educational tidbit: Not all first births are long!  If you’re experiencing the intensity that Mariah described, do not be afraid to reach out to your midwife.  Part of her job is checking on you, so don’t worry about “calling her too early.” If you’re worried, her support can be extremely helpful. Intuition is everything.  Mariah felt that she needed to give birth at home throughout her pregnancy, and with the quickness of her birth, the reality of that truth became very clear.  Listen to your intuition.  If you feel like you don’t have intuition or don’t know how to tap into it, pregnancy is the most perfect time to tap in.  Turn off your phone, turn off your screens, heck, turn off this podcast and focus inward.  You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn and feel. Finally, our bodies know how to be born, they know how to give birth, and they know how to die.  It’s really quite freeing to see the similarities in these experiences, and to trust that they were created this way with purpose.  If you’re looking for an amazing, grounding, life-altering perspective on dying, I cannot recommend the book Imagine Heaven enough.  Wow.  I read this book on Near Death Experiences last year, and the amount of peace and beauty that it brought to my life was just incredible and unexpected.  You are beautifully designed and deeply loved.   Links Samaritan Ministries Imagine Heaven Book Happy Homebirth Academy  

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• Ep 269: A (Re)Introduction: My Story and What’s Next with Happy Homebirth

  In this episode we'll discuss My origin story How Happy Homebirth was created Why I stepped back from the podcast and business in Jan 24 Why we're back, and most importantly, where we are going!   Links Samaritan Ministries Jamie Winship 4 Part Series Bob Hamp Freedom Series Imagine Heaven Book Happy Homebirth Academy

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• Ep 268: Emotional and Physical Healing From a Hospital Transport, and a Healing Second Birth with Michelle Varela

  When things go unexpectedly during your first birth, how do you plan for a second birth with the hope and expectation that they'll go better?   This week, we are speaking with Michelle Varela. Michelle is one of those rare and amazing women who knew that she wanted to give birth at home from a very young age. So when her first birth took an unexpected turn, it was confusing and disappointing, and there were certainly questions as to how things would be handled next time.   Episode Roundup:   The importance of our care providers. They make a huge difference. How things unfold does depend greatly on that. But the second thing that's on my mind is just how incredible the body is, how beautifully designed it was and is, how beautifully designed it is to heal itself. While Michelle struggled with a 4th degree tear during her 1st birthing experience, she did not let that come in her way in terms of her second birth experience, and thank goodness that she didn't even know that other people might say, oh, that's too dangerous. She just did what she knew was best for her body, and what ended up happening was a beautiful birth with zero tearing.  Our bodies are so incredible. They're so incredible at healing. They're so resilient. So if you have found yourself in a place where you've given birth before and it didn't go the way that you wanted, desired, expected, or planned, Know this. Your body is resilient. Your mind is resilient. Your heart is resilient, and next time it can be different just like it was for Michelle. Last thing before I jump off, I did wanna share that Michelle's husband actually works with mothers postpartum. He helps with things like diastasis recti, pelvic floor dysfunction, and just overall achieving of physical goals. Instagram: @codylanecollins     

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