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Show Notes:

[0:39] Our Reviewer of the Week, simply_sabrina_, said "I just LOVE this podcast. I found you just by searching pregnancy podcasts as I am currently almost 20 weeks pregnant with our rainbow baby. I’m naturally anxious and my ways to cope are often educating myself via reading or listening to podcasts. Finding this has been a lifesaver and has actually made me more comfortable with doing a natural delivery and standing in my decision. Even getting hubs into listening too! Going to be signing up for the birth course soon. Can’t wait!! And also thank you for creating this podcast!"

I love that you can just pop this in and feel good about whatever kind of birth you want to have. I will say it's been really interesting over the years to watch women feel empowered behind whatever decision they choose to make.

[2:32] I want to talk about birth control options. It is going to be one of those controversial topics, right? Is this something I take for...

Show Notes:

[2:13] Our Reviewer of the Week is MurphyMLW: "So happy to have found this podcast! I found My Essential Birth at the end of my first trimester. We had hired a doula very early on and was so grateful to have the resources to be able to do so. However, being a military family I think My Essential Birth is awesome for anyone who may not have those resources readily available."

[3:57] Our guest, Grace, is a birth and postpartum doula in Canada. She became a doula about a year and a half ago. She supports families from home births to planned C-sections to epidurals. She does baby wearing education, childbirth education, and truly just found her passion!

[4:56] Grace got into doula work after hiring a doula for herself around 38 weeks pregnant. Her doula encouraged her to take some training and become a doula. She put herself out there and went from having one birth a month to being completely booked out!

[9:03] Grace's first birth experience was in a hospital...

Show Notes:

[2:01] Our Reviewer of the Week is JackieP2022, and she says, "I absolutely love this podcast and literally recommend it to every single pregnant woman I see and to friends and family who are starting their pregnancy journey! I truly believe knowledge is power especially in a world where women tend to have to advocate a little harder than we’d like. I have a 16-month old and my husband and I are starting our journey of adding another babe so naturally I need to re-listen and listen to all the new episodes. Words can’t describe how much I love the podcast - keep doing what you’re doing and know your work is SO appreciated.

[3:05] Today's podcast episode is actually based off of some questions that I've gotten recently on Instagram. Our topic has to do with being pregnant over the age of 35, which is considered "advanced maternal age." 

[3:48] One of our moms asked us "Do you have any thoughts on NSTs, which those are non stress tests for low...

Show Notes:

[2:09] Our Reviewer of the Week, lakakrndus, said, "I loved all of the positive birth stories! I love all the information Stephanie gives and she helped me make informed decisions for my own birth. I was able to become confident and have the unmedicated birth I dreamed of. The weeks before I listened to all of the birth stories over and over to help me dispel some of my fears." Thank you so much for leaving that review, and I'm excited because today I have another birth story for you. So if you are somebody that follows along and you love these birth stories, get ready for another one.

[2:36] Our guest is Lisa Thrower, a mama of two girls. They enjoy camping, gardening, experimenting with new sourdough recipes!

[3:40] Lisa walks us through her pregnancy experience. She had morning sickness during the first trimester. With her second birth, she had gestational diabetes and had to manage her diabetes. 

[5:00] She had a group of midwives versus an...

Show Notes:

[2:25] Our Reviewer of the Week, _smileyriley_, said "This podcast was one of the most fantastic resources throughout my entire pregnancy and helped me feel very prepared and informed ahead of my birth this past spring. I had a spectacular birth experience and was able to navigate conversations with my providers confidently to ensure that my baby and I were safe but that my preferences and values were adhered to and respected. I showed this podcast to my doula and will continue telling friends and family about it any chance I get!"

[4:05] This week's episode is going to be really helpful for moms who are currently pregnant and/or immediately postpartum! This is one of those episodes that you can listen to again and again, and then tuck away for when you need it.

[6:57] We're going to start with what to expect when you get home. We've covered what happens immediately postpartum to your body before! See episodes below. Remember when you get...

Show Notes:

[2:10] Our Reviewer of the Week, courtmess412, said "I went through and hit “play next” on all the episodes I didn’t want to miss at 38 weeks pregnant (when I realized the books I picked out were never going to get read). I had to be induced but had the confidence to ask for the least [amount of] interventions (so my waters were broken instead of Pitocin given right away). I advocated to walk around and get in the tub and ended up delivering baby without medication (and not even realizing I was about to do it ). This podcast gave me the confidence to believe in myself! Thank you!!!"

Quick Tip If you've purchased the My Essential Birth Course and haven't had a chance to start yet, just listen to it like it's a podcast! You can go back and watch the videos to tie all the information together. Listen and re-listen to get the information and understand. It gives you that confidence and will make you more empowered. You're going to understand...

Show Notes:

[2:24] Our Reviewer of the Week, katekast425, said "Pregnant with my second baby and I’m on round 2 of binging every episode because I find them so educational and empowering! Anytime anyone tells me they are expecting I immediately suggest this podcast and birthing course because I know they made all the difference in my first labor."

[3:09] Our guest this week is Kyleigh Banks, a mama, birth doula, creator of Autonomy Mommy, podcast Host of the Birthworker Podcast, and self-proclaimed birth nerd. She loves challenging anything status quo when it comes to birth. Anytime that there are good conversations regarding birth, the benefit is always that you guys who are listening get to take all of that in and do what you will with the information.

[5:05] Prior to getting pregnant, Kyleigh had never heard the word "doula" and heard it for the first time on a birth podcast on the Birth Hour. She knew that becoming a doula was everything she wanted when it...

Show Notes:

[2:13] Our Reviewer of the Week is Cllaaaiiiirrrrreeeeee, and she said, "I think I found you while listening to all the Lily Nichols podcasts interviews I could find! Between you and Lily… I have all the pregnancy info I could ever want! I had hypertension and a 38 week induction last labor that ended in a c section (ugh) and am doing all I can to prevent hypertension the next go around (God willing!). Thankful for this podcast to keep me company on my daily thee mile walks! You are knowledgeable, concise, and frankly entertaining. Keep up the good work and know that you are changing lives!!!"

 [03:16] When it comes to sleep, I've had a couple of sleep topics on here before. I love giving all the information and hearing the different sides, different perspectives, and just having good information for you guys to be able to listen, to work through, and do what's right for you. 

Lauren Weber is a three-time certified pediatric sleep specialist. She has...

Show Notes:

[2:18] This week's Reviewer of the Week is klsid86, and she said: "The Best Birth Podcast! I’ve listened to hundreds if not thousands of hours of birth podcasts in the past 5 years. I’m pregnant with my second and a self-confessed birth nerd. I only recently found this podcast, and I have to say it’s quickly become my favorite. A great mix of information and humor. I appreciate every episode!"

[3:08] - Mark and Laura Rowdon have been married for four and a half years and have been living in Japan for the past year. They currently serve as missionaries working at an English conversation school. They had first son two months ago so the birth story is fresh in their minds! They started taking the My Essential Birth Course halfway through the pregnancy.

[4:58] Laura had a smooth pregnancy experience overall. Because they were in Japan, things were just different culturally, and Laura wanted to give birth at a birth center...

Show Notes:

[0:21] Our Reviewer of the Week, kpalsson, says, "I found this podcast about a week ago and have not stopped binging episodes. I really love the positive birth stories! It seems most of my friends have traumatizing birth experiences, normally ending in an emergency C-section. Since before getting pregnant, my husband and I have discussed working towards an unmedicated hospital birth. I’m now 23 weeks pregnant and feeling more confident than ever that we can do this! Thanks for giving an amazing resource of knowledge and positivity!"

I think it's really important that you have positive places, spaces, and people around you as you prepare for your birth so that you can be excited, confident, and ready for this experience, rather than fearing it or being really concerned about what is to come.

[4:31] This week's topic is about what it looks like if you don't have the best support. Which can range from people who are close to you that don't...