132: World Doula Week 2018: Serving and Advocating for Women in Pregnancy and Birth with Sharon Randolph

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: Kim's Website Sacred Birthing Course Kim's incredible home birth video The Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

9 Maj 201736min

In this episode, we’re talking with Catherine about her home birth. Catherine is a spunky, energetic mom of 2 from Canada. You can feel her enthusiasm through the speakers. Her lively nature and passionate storytelling captivates you. Catherine has a the perspective of hospital birth and a home birth. Cool fact: she got to use the same midwife for both births! And we’re honored to share that our show helped influence and support Catherine and her husband Carmen (who wasn’t so convinced to start off with) to choose a home birth. Their preparation process involved a lot of trust-building with the intention to protect the reverence of the birth experience. Isn’t that beautiful? And get this - Catherine and Carmen strategically chose not to tell anyone of their intentions to home birth. So everyone found out after baby arrived! We find this to be totally badass - being bold and true to yourself and going about things the way that resonates most with you. Catherine talks about how her home birth gave her the opportunity to open up and surrender more than she had in her first birth. Quotable from Catherine, “birth is reflective of your life.” Listen to how Catherine did what she calls “conquering pushing,” what it feels like to have a bowling ball between your butt and vagina (yes, we’re getting real, folks), and how your home birth can have lots of sandwiches. Links: Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Sponsors Check out www.homesweethomebirth.com/loveyourbirth to learn about Anne Margolis's amazing birth course for having the most exquisite birth experience of your life! It's called "Love Your Birth" and you can use the code DIAHOME to get $20 off. (Code applies only to course, not to course + call bundle). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 Maj 20171h 13min

In today’s episode we’re talking with Natalie Bancroft and Laura Fifield, two amazing women who are linked with a quite famous recent birth story. You see Natalie, a birth photographer and doula as well as a mama of 3, gave birth to her third baby earlier this year at home. And baby Simon weighed 11 lbs. 2 oz!!! And Laura, Natalie’s friend, birth photographer and mama of 2, was there to document the experience. Some of the amazing photos from the birth, namely one that features Natalie holding her newly birthed bundle of adorable squish with this elated, shocked, goddess-like expression of “wow!” has been featured far and wide. Publications like Today Show, Hello Giggles and even People have featured the image on their sites.  We were so grateful and excited to speak with these awesome women. They share insights from the birth photography community, which is small in their city of Spokane, WA. We get to hear about some of the memorable births they’ve been able to document. Natalie talks about her journey to home birth, having her first in a hospital, and deciding that she wanted a different experience for future births. Her second was a beautiful home birth, and she knew she’d have another one for her third. It wasn’t long into the pregnancy that she realized baby number 3 was going to be larger than the others. Natalie’s belly was so much larger, in fact, that they went for an ultrasound towards the end of the pregnancy to find out if she was having twins! Turns out, she wasn’t. This baby was just that big. When birthing time came around, everyone was prepared and peaceful. And the whole experience was only about 4 hours! Both these women are total rockstars and inspiration for the birthing community. We’re honored to have them join the DIAH podcast and share a story that has reached so many. Enjoy! Links: Natalie's birth photography website Natalie's Instagram Laura's birth photography website Laura's Instagram Spokane River Midwifes Childbirth Without Fear Ina May's Guide To Childbirth Natalie & Laura in Today Natalie & Laura in Hello Giggles Natalie & Laura in People Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 Maj 201755min

In today's episode we're commenting on a few recent news articles that center around home birth. The first comes from Huffington Post (now HuffPost) and is titled "Home Births Safe For Most Woman, But Not All, Says New Study". The second is an article from AL.com and is called "House approves Bill to allow midwives to legally practice in Alabama". Both of these articles speak to the progress being made for the home birth community, both online and locally.  In the first article, the author Chloe Tejada cites a study that finds that home birth is safe for most women. We had a reaction of "Duh!", but that's not the point. The point is that a major media outlet is reporting something positive about home birth! That's a huge step forward for the homebirth community as a whole. The article goes on to state things that are probably not surprising to most: in women who are low risk, and even some who in the past have been deemed moderate risk (like over 35 years of age, have had a previous cesarean), can have favorable outcomes with a home birth. The study referenced in the article also makes the point that women are allowed to decide where they want to give birth, which we absolutely loved. So overall, we give this article two thumbs up for presenting the idea that out-of-hospital birth may be a viable option for people who may not have considered it before.  The second article reports on news out of the state of Alabama. Recently, the House in Alabama approved a bill to allow midwives to practice legally in the state. Up until then, it was illegal for a midwife to help families choosing home birth. If you chose a home birth in Alabama then you were, essentially, on your own in terms of having a certified professional on hand. A mom we recently interviewed for the show shared how this law had impacted her home birth. She and her husband chose to do a free birth because of the law prohibiting midwives from attending. So you can see how big of a deal it is that Alabama has passed this bill. The bill still needs to go through the Senate before it can become law, but this is a huge step forward for the state of Alabama. We're extremely excited for the home birth community in Alabama. Links: Home Births Safe For Most Woman, But Not All, Says New Study House approves Bill to allow midwives to legally practice in Alabama Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 Apr 201720min

In this episode we’re talking with Katie Holman about her two home births at The Farm (yes that The Farm...the one founded by Ina May Gaskin). Meet Katie. She lives outside of Nashville with her husband, Jimmy and her two sons Cash and Elon. Katie is our first DIAH mom to have a birth story from The Farm! If you’re not familiar with The Farm, prepare to get acquainted. Founded in 1970 by a group of powerful and conscious people, looking to return the natural and sacred act of birth to the family, and have it in an environment that supported women and families. Ina May Gaskin, a juggernaut in the natural birth, home birth and midwifery world, was a founding member. Most anyone who explores natural or home birth has heard of Ina May Gaskin and has been influenced by her work and her writings. Back to Katie. Katie had watched The Business of Being Born documentary and read Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. The message of Ina May really resonated with Katie, and that lead her to the decision to have both of her children at The Farm. Katie and her husband drove 2 hours to get to The Farm for both births...and while she was in labor, by the way. What a woman! She talks about how having her boys in this home type of atmosphere changed her life. One of my favorite things Katie said, “Birth is not something that happens to you, it’s something you get to experience.” So listen in on what it’s like to have a birth at the world-famous Farm. There’s also conversation around placenta planting and placenta encapsulation. Another fun fact about Katie that just has to be mentioned: her great-grandmother had 17 babies at home! Seems like mama power is in the genes! Links: The Business Of Being Born Ina May Gaskin The Farm Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 Apr 201752min

In today’s episode we speak with Dr. Sarah Buckley on the science of natural and undisturbed birth. Dr. Buckley is the author of the best selling book Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering, the author the report Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing, and all around natural childbirth expert. We are honored and grateful to have Dr. Sarah Buckley join us on the Doing It At Home Podcast for many reasons. To start, her book "Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor's Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices" was a huge influence on us during our pregnancy. Sarah (our Sarah...Sarah Bivens that is) started reading Dr. Buckley's book while we were still planning for a birth with an OBGYN in a hospital. We learned about Dr. Buckley from her appearances in a DVD series called "Happy Healthy Child" (another resource we highly recommend and link to in the show notes.) Dr. Buckley's extensive research and evidence based information on pregnancy and birth, along with her own accounts of her 4 home births left quite the impression on us. It got the wheels turning and prompted us to think about the elements we wanted in our birth. Overtime we found that the best way to experience all of that would be at home. So we're very grateful to Dr. Buckley and the work that she does, because it's like she's been a part of our journey. Dr. Buckley integrates what would seem like differing philosophies at first glance: in the mindset of a medical background, training, practice and care, and natural, holistic, unassisted, physiological birth. Dr. Buckley talks about physiological birth as the type of birth that's in alignment with how the body is designed to work. And low tech models of care support this process. Home birth is an ideal situation to allow for this. We also talk about the core requirements for birth and what a woman needs to feel private, safe and unobserved. And if you didn't know or fully understand the hormonal cocktail that a woman experienced in natural birth, you will by the end of this episode. Want to know what ecstatic birth is? Listen to this episode. One of the key takeaways here is the potential to reclaim power in the experience of birth. That with a healing birth, we can heal the earth! Links from this episode: SarahBuckley.com Sarah Buckley on Facebook HappyHealthyChild.com Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor's Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices by Sarah Buckley Hormonal Physiology Of Childbearing (report) Pain In Labor (ebook) Ecstatic Birth (ebook) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

23 Apr 201749min

In today's episode we're talking to mama, Monica Smith. Monica and her husband Matt welcomed their son Rocky into the world 7 months ago, and they’re such a beautiful family (pictures on our website confirm this so check those out). Both chiropractors, Monica and Matt are used to environments that support home birth and back it up with the philosophy of trusting the body and its amazing ability to heal. Monica is a well of knowledge. She’s also incredibly insightful. Her perspectives on the body, women and birth are enough to get you pumped up and inspired to take on the world! We cover all kinds of topics like tiny house (she and Matt lived in a 275 sq. ft. home for a period of time!) and simplified living, which has transferred over into their parenting styles. We explore what happens when your birth vision does not match up with the actual experience (and how that can be a great thing). Monica also went 42 weeks and 6 days into her pregnancy! Holy mama, right?! Not to mention, she ties in the value of chiropractic care for pregnancy and preparing for home birth (we utilized chiropractic care in our pregnancy and highly recommend it). Monica embodies pregnant intuition - listening to your body, and then using that to influence other areas of your life. And can birth actually be a mirror for who you are in your life? Find out in our interview! Links: Monica's Chiropractic Practice: Rev Optimal Living Birth Wellness Center Birthing From Within The book "Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience The Natural Power Of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation" Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19 Apr 201740min

In today's episode we're reading a truly amazing listener email from Brianna. Now, Brianna is a totally badass mama (which you'll hear in the episode). She had planned to birth her daughter in a birth pool at a birthing center, but after pushing for literally the entire night with no real horizon in sight, they decided to transfer her to a hospital, and that's where the story really picks up! Brianna connected with us on Instagram (which you can do @diahpodcast), and emailed me a detailed account of her amazing birth story. I read and re-read her story because it was just too inspiring. As you'll hear, Brianna is a really courageous and strong woman who was determined to bring her baby into the world.   If you would like to email your birth story to us, either to read on the podcast or simply to share it, we'd love to receive it! You can email us at hello [at] diahpodcast [dot] com. You can also reach us on Instagram at @diahpodcast. Links: Our new "Doing It At Home" book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

14 Apr 201724min