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Show Notes:

[1:30] Our Reviewer of the Week, AAL3!, says "I can’t recommend enough!!!  Your episodes always make me feel more calm about everything pregnancy related! I asked questions on Instagram and you made another episode about it to answer my questions. Thank you for always catering to the women you serve and ensuring we are informed about what is happening during pregnancy birth and postpartum. I always recommend your podcasts and the three exercises! I did the three exercises and had a fast labor and only pushed for 12 minutes with my first baby. Baby number 2 is due in July and hoping for a similar experience. Thank you again!"

[2:23] Disclaimer for this Episode: 

This episode with Dr. Stu is not what I imagined when I wrote the outline, and we began our conversation. I had lots of questions about home birth, VBAC, twins, and breech babies. As well as experiences in these settings with Dr. Stu being an OB who attended home births. I think it is so...

Show Notes:

[2:10] Our Reviewer of the Week, Cristina Trouy, "As a first time mom, I did so much research before we tried to conceive because I wanted to determine what kind of birth would be best for me and I wanted to prepare as best I could for pregnancy. Coming across Stephanie’s podcast was the biggest blessing! It was exactly what I needed to make an educated decision regarding what was best for me and my baby. After listening to her extensive knowledge on everything birth related, I decided that a home birth was what I wanted! I love how Stephanie takes you through the whole process of birth all the way up to what to expect postpartum. Because of this podcast, I knew how to advocate for myself, how to select a midwife, how to prepare my mind and body for birth, how to stay healthy during pregnancy…I could go on and on. She discusses almost everything you could ever need to know about birth. Because of the confidence I gained through the information in...

Show Notes:

[1:30] Our Reviewer of the Week, Amelia R. P., said: "My baby is eight months now she is beautiful thriving and wonderful!! Had a water birth can’t recommend them enough!! We had to deal with a tongue tie but as soon as that was cared for my baby was nursing well!!! Please try to get a dentist on who does those procedures it makes the biggest difference in the world!!!!!"

[2:20] Our guest is a MEB student and mama, Whitni, who jokes that if she could do pregnancy as a full time as a job, she would! She adored her pregnancy. She now has a sweet, almost one year old baby boy named, Hudson. At the time this episode was recorded, Whitni was 20 weeks pregnant with her second baby boy. She lives in the panhandle of Florida. 

[3:41] Whitni shares about her pregnancy experience. She had regular cycles and knew the day after her missed period that she was pregnant. Since they had just moved, she Googled a provider and went...

Show Notes:

[2:00] Our Reviewer of the Week is Canadiandoctormom, who says, "Thank you for the great knowledge and support! I am a family Md/OB in Canada and currently pregnant with my 3rd. Though my knowledge base from my work is obviously more than a lot of people, the personal experience is always so different! My two babies to date have been born without complications and with the help of hypnobirthing unmedicated, and I love that there is a place I can listen to positive birth stories and direct my patients if they are feeling anxious or overwhelmed or not heard! I love listening and appreciate how you give evidence based, non biased opinions. I’ve already used some of your suggestions for the exercises, essential oils, etc. Now to work on having my husband listen along as well!"

[3:49] Our birth story is from Luisa Gates who lives in Eagle Mountain, Utah with her husband and baby. 

[5:16] Luisa shares about her past pregnancy experience, which ended in...

Show Notes:

[1:38] Our Reviewer of the Week, Lbg1188, says: "I started listening when I was around 6 weeks pregnant and I cannot get enough of this podcast. I’m now 25 weeks and will be signing up for the birth course this weekend. I already feel so much more prepared and well educated about pregnancy and birth just from listening and can’t wait to start the course. I love how all the information is presented in an objective way for you to interpret and make educated decisions on your own. I HIGHLY recommend this podcast to all my pregnant friends and even anyone who is trying to become pregnant. I look forward to continuing to listen and learn!"

[2:38] Our guest this week is, Dr. Robyn Thompson, an experienced midwife, family, child and maternal health nurse MCaFHN, breastfeeding specialist and founder of The Thompson Method Breastfeeding Program. For nearly 5 decades, thousands of women and their babies have experienced the benefits of her gentle and intuitive...

Show Notes:

[2:04] Our Reviewer of the Week, ERees307, said: "This podcast was my best resource during pregnancy! I just had my first baby and before the birth I listened to every episode of this podcast! My birth preferences went out the door when my babe was diagnosed with fetal growth restriction, and I was scheduled to be induced early. This podcast gave me the strength and knowledge to stay positive and continue forward to have the most amazing natural(ish) hospital birth. Now I have a beautiful baby girl who is as healthy as can be at 1 week old. Thank you!"

[3:01] We have a birth story fromKatelynn Monty, who lives in Michigan with her husband and son, who was born October 2022.

[3:26] Katelynn shares her overall pregnancy experience and how she knew she was pregnant before she had missed her period.

[8:41] She went to a Midwife group and tried to meet as many midwives as possible. Once she found a midwife she loved, she tried to schedule all her appointments with...

Show Notes:

[1:10] This week’s reviewer of the week, hellotrb, said: “Starting listening during my first pregnancy and fell in love. Through the encouragement of this podcast, I switched my provider at 32weeks. I doubted my feeling about the previous provider, and once I switched, it was like a breath of fresh air. Now pregnant with my second kiddo and have started again to listen to this amazing podcast!”

I’m so glad you’re here and listening to this week’s birth story! There is so much to unpack and learn here!

Instead of letting birth just "happen" to you, be an active participant in it! Educate yourself, know your options, and stand up for yourself! Your baby and your body are working together to help you achieve your best birth.

[1:53] Cassidy Jacobsen introduces herself and her family. She’s been married for six years and is a mama of two! She originally lived in Utah and moved to Texas so her husband could attend medical school....

Show Notes:

[1:11] Our reviewer of the week is Madi Mackley, and she said: “I started listening to the podcast as soon as I found out I was pregnant. My goal was to give birth at the hospital with a walking epidural, and I was hoping to be induced. After listening to every episode and learning every unbiased aspect of birth, my perspective changed, and I had an unmedicated birth at a birth center at 41 weeks and 1 day! I owe it all to this podcast and the My Essential Birth course for achieving the birth I wanted! :) Just found out baby number 2 is on the way and it’s time to start listening to every episode again!

We’ve had Madi on our podcast before, and she shared her birth story! You can listen to it here! Thank you to all of those who love listening to the podcast and who have left a review!

While it's so important to be prepared for birth, labor, and delivery, at the end of the day, you need to get out of your own way! You can do all the things, but your...

We love positive birth stories here at My Essential Birth! This week, I interviewed, Stephanie Garrity, who shared about her birth experience with her rainbow baby. While the birth map she pictured for the birth of her son may not have included many of the things that brought him into her arms, she felt the birth course prepared her for all the options, which allowed her to look back at her experience in a positive light. 

Show Notes:

[1:12] The Review of the Week is from banandjdnsbaish, who says: “My new fave podcast!” She is halfway through her second pregnancy and longing for information to expand her knowledge on what she can do to have a more natural birth, no induction, no Pitocin, etc. This podcast gives her all the details! “I love it!” She recommends to moms who want to be in charge of their birth instead of letting hospitals decide how you birth.

Thank you, Carson! We are so excited for you and your second pregnancy. At My Essential...

OB’s and MD’s and Midwives, oh my! We’re going to talk about the training, certification, and background each of these providers is required to have in order to practice. Maybe you’re like me, and once upon a time, I thought OB’s were the only option when it came to a provider for your birth experience. My goal is for you to know what your options are so you can choose a provider based on the birth experience you want to achieve! 

Show Notes:

[1:12] Jguar9, our reviewer of the week, says: “So thankful! I can’t say enough positive things about this podcast! Educational, organized, captivating, empowering, charming!” She is a mama at the end of pregnancy number five and feeling equipped for labor and delivery! She is thankful to My Essential Birth for providing a much needed resource and changing other mama’s worlds and birth stories. 

Quick commercial break. Have you left us a review yet? This is the #1 way to...