440: An Expat Planning a Home Birth in Ireland with Katie McCormick (DIAH Classic)

We’re back with another special series, diving into one powerful theme at the heart of home birth journeys. This time: First Time Birth Stories. This episode is part two of our conversation with Christie Andersen, our first-time mom planning her home birth while her husband Ryan had been stationed in Korea throughout the whole pregnancy. And a lot has changed since our last conversation! For one, we had a baby! Little Charlotte has since stepped on the scene, and we get to hear all about her grand entrance. Christie shares Ryan’s homecoming, anxiety around whether or not she’d actually go into labor while he was home, and how she dealt with the pressure of all the calls and texts inquiring as to baby’s arrival. We get to hear the whole process, as it’s still fresh in her mind (Charlotte is just 2 weeks old now! They welcomed their baby girl into the world from the comfort of their home along with Christie’s mother, a close friend, a midwife, a doula and 2 midwife assistants (quite the full house, which we can relate to!). One of my favorite takeaways from Christie’s story is “be open, go with the flow.” It sounds simple, but it’s incredibly profound and relevant when it comes to birthing babies. Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your first-time, one-time order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Aug 26min

We’re back with another special series, diving into one powerful theme at the heart of home birth journeys. This time: First Time Birth Stories. What does it look like to fully trust your instincts and choose a new birth path halfway through pregnancy — while your partner is deployed across the world? In this episode we're talking with Christie Andersen about her home birth. Christie was pregnant at the time of our recording, just days away from giving birth. We were incredibly excited that Christie wanted to share her homebirth story with us and let us into her experience as a soon-to-be-mom. On top of all of that magic, Christie was excitedly awaiting the return of her husband, who was on active duty and heading back home that very evening. This is a great story because it’s ongoing. Christie Andersen is pregnant - in fact just a couple of days away from her due date at the time of this interview. So this is our first “before and after” style interview where we’re talking to a mom who is actively planning and preparing for her home birth (her first!). Christie’s husband Ryan was deployed right after they found out they were pregnant. Christie originally intended for a hospital birth but decided to make the switch around 20 weeks, in a bold move to follow her heart and trust her body. Even though he’s been thousand of miles away for the entire pregnancy, Ryan has been fully supportive of Christie in her process of transitioning to home birth planning and was traveling home for the birth at the exact moment we were chatting with Christie on the phone for our interview. So already Christie’s story is an amazing one - planning a home birth and also representing the community of women and families who experience pregnancies and births often without spouses or other family present because of active military duty. We’re so honored to share her journey and excited to bring you the rest in part 2! Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your first-time, one-time order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Aug 28min

We’re back with another special series, diving into one powerful theme at the heart of home birth journeys. This time: First Time Birth Stories. What if your surprise pregnancy at 38 turned into the most empowering experience of your life? In this episode we're talking with Tammy Williams. Tammy is a 38 year old first time mom who chose to have her baby at home. She is an amazing momma who approached her home birth without fear, and had a magic experience. If Tammy could, she would shout from every rooftop about how awesome her home birth experience was and how every woman can give birth without fear. Since finding every rooftop would take some time, having her on our “podcast rooftop” will suffice for now. Unsure of whether or not she’d be able to get pregnant, Tammy had a surprise first pregnancy at 38. In a circumstance where many women might find themselves fearful and worried about the risks, Tammy powered up and she and her partner David decided on home birth after a close friend who was also pregnant at the same time shared her intentions of having a home birth. Overwhelmed with emotion in an amazing way, Tammy sought out empowering information and resources with the support of her midwives that she selected from a nearby birthing center. Tammy is a powerful example of knowing her body and trusting the inner voice. To her, home birth is such an important opportunity to strengthen all aspect of your life from your relationship to your partner to how you raise your children. And through the course of her journey, she has actually inspired, influenced and encouraged other women and families in their home birth experiences as a resource and friend. “I truly believe that by sharing these stories we can educate women about the importance of birthing without fear and helping to change the stigma around home birth,” says Tammy. Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your first-time, one-time order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Aug 55min

We’re back with another special series, diving into one powerful theme at the heart of home birth journeys. This time: First Time Birth Stories. What if your path to a first-time home birth started with loss, moved through doubt, and ended in triumph? In this moving birth story, we talk with Caryn Ragin — military wife, new mama, and fierce advocate for her body and her baby. After experiencing a miscarriage overseas and feeling unseen and dismissed by the medical system, Caryn knew she wanted something different when she became pregnant again. Her journey led her to a midwife who believed in her, and to a birth experience grounded in faith, power, and trust. From navigating pregnancy after loss and overcoming cholestasis to laboring in a birth pool surrounded by her husband's photography and custom affirmations, Caryn shares how she reclaimed her birth on her own terms — and welcomed her baby girl into the world with strength and grace. Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your first-time, one-time order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Aug 53min

Ever wondered how to include your older kids in your home birth in a way that’s empowering, fun, and not scary? In this episode, we’re sharing creative tips from real home birth families on how they prepared their children to be present for the birth of a sibling. From animal birth videos and “growling games” to plain talk about body parts and backup plans for midnight labors—this one’s packed with heart and humor. Whether you’re planning to have your little ones right there or just want the option open, this convo will help you feel more confident and connected as a family. If you had your children present at your home birth, and have any additional advice for fellow listeners, we'd love to hear it! You can reach out to us at ⁠hello@diahpodcast.com⁠. Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your first-time, one-time order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

26 Aug 18min

In today's episode we're talking to mama Emily Lucchino about giving birth at a birth center, being a natural mama, and how chiropractic practices factored into her prenatal care. Meet Emily, chiropractor, doula-in-training, mama to Ava Grace, wife to Joe, and lover of all things natural. Emily grew up on a farm and familiar with what it’s like to live off the land. She shares that when they weren’t feeling well in her home, they used hand-picked herbs, flowers and other natural remedies for healing. It makes sense that Emily was drawn to school for chiropractic care, being in alignment (pun intended!) with natural healthcare and living. Her husband Joe had a more modern upbringing. So when it came time to decide what to do when they became pregnant, it was a big test of their marriage. To set the scene, Emily and Joe got pregnant just after getting married, at the same time their careers were taking off. So here they are with multiple new life experiences and figuring out how to navigate it all. They asked themselves, “are we ready for this?!” Emily originally wanted a home birth. After some discussion and compromising with Joe, they decided on a birthing center. Emily takes us through the process of this decision, along with some of the deep self-work she did while pregnant. She’s excited to share her story because it’s an opportunity to re-write the script of what you typically hear around birth. And she also answers the million dollar question for us - Will they do a home birth for baby number 2?! Links From The Episode: The Midwife Center for Birth & Women's Health⁠ in Pittsburg, PA Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your first-time, one-time order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19 Aug 44min

In this episode we're talking about mommy guilt, comparison and shame. We're kicking off a brand new series on the Doing It At Home podcast. Normally we talk about home birth, healthy pregnancy, and share home birth stories. But we also want to bring conversations about new parenthood because that's extremely relevant to many of our listeners (and also to ourselves).  On episode 45 Matthew and I interviewed new mom Monica Smith, and me and Monica really hit it off. So much so that we started having weekly phone calls where we opened up to one another about the challenges we were facing in new motherhood. The conversations were so honest and raw that we decided to record them for you all, because we know we're not the only ones with these feelings. So what you're hearing is a recorded conversation between Monica and myself. There is no structure to the call, we're simply sharing from our hearts how we're feeling in the moment. In this episode we talk about mommy guilt, comparison and shame. Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your first-time, one-time order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Aug 20min

In this episode, we’re chatting with Kim Newing - a teacher, intuitive coach and creator of hypnotic meditations for women who want more from their lives. I found Kim from a Facebook post of a video of her home birth (link to video is in our show notes on our website). This video brought me to tears and I knew we had to have her on the show. The video was the home birth of her third daughter, Harper. Kim is mother to two other girls, Charlotte and Page. Kim, her husband Jess and their girls live in Brisbane, Australia (if you haven’t noticed, we’ve had quite a few amazing interviews with women from Australia - it’s rising steadily to the top of our list of places we need to visit!). Kim was a life coach for 11 years, and then her business took a slightly different trajectory after experiencing a miscarriage. Since then, she’s found a way to acknowledge the divine synchronistic events of life, and to birth something beautiful from the experience. Then, Mama Goddess was born! Mama Goddess is Kim’s movement - a way to address the lack of nurturing many women have towards themselves. It’s also an awakening for women to love and honor themselves. Kim’s goal is to help women feel whole and empowered in the preparation and experience of birth. To do this, she has just launched her Sacred Birthing Program, an audio series for conscious women to want to experience a “divine and empowered birthing experience.” In this program, Kim is there with you to say, “I see you and I know what you’re capable of.” Kim is really about the spirituality of birth, and her experiences and knowledge are so valuable and we’re grateful to share it with our listeners. Links From The Episode: ⁠Kim's Website⁠ ⁠Sacred Birthing Course⁠ ⁠ Kim's incredible home birth video⁠ Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://needed.sjv.io/XY3903 - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order More From Doing It At Home: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/doingitathome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 Aug 35min