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The Happy Homebirth podcast is your source for positive natural childbirth stories, and your community of support, education and encouragement in all things homebirth and motherhood.
Episodes
3 days ago
3 days ago
Breech birth is supposed to be rare, right? How would you feel if you had more breech babies than head down babies?!
This week we’re speaking to Stephanie Kase, who has had twice as many breech babies as she’s had cephalic presentations! Stephanie is mama to 3 under 3, wife, and online business coach from Greenville, SC. She's married to her husband, Michael, of 7 years with 3 girls - twin toddlers and a baby girl. She's a huge believer in trusting your God-given intuition in birth.
Episode Roundup:
1. I can’t help but start with Stephanie’s mindset. Wow. As soon as she heard that she was pregnant with twins, her reaction was delight. Her first thought wasn’t, “oh my goodness, how are we going to do this?” but instead, “oh my goodness, what a blessing.” This could be seen throughout her story– Even when she shared about her experience with the NICU and the obvious difficulty that had to have come from having her plans change and giving birth in the hospital, and then spending weeks at that hospital….. It’s very clear to me that Stephanie has taken these experiences and learned to look at them with positive eyes– quickly pulling out the goodness in how things unfolded, even while acknowledging the areas that she wouldn’t have chosen for herself by any means.
I feel this is so worth highlighting. Truly, it can be the easier route to see all of the things that didn’t happen the way we expected and then find ourselves hanging in that upset place for days, months, years, even decades. There is something so powerful in being able to take our story, see it for what it truly is: The good parts, the hard parts– acknowledge them all! And then choose the way we are going to interact with that event. Sometimes this requires help and support. But when we are able to genuinely process our births– and many other intense situations– we are able to accept them, see the good parts, perhaps even focus on those, and move on in our lives even more empowered, more confident, and filled with more gratitude. Stephanie really embodies this, and I hope you were as encouraged by that as I was.
2. And next, I love the way Stephanie thoughtfully interacted with her birthing choices. For example, she could have been convinced by the first doctor she spoke with at the hospital who told her she would need a cesarean. Instead, she and her midwife sought another provider. Another example could be seen in her second birthing experience, where she knew that she didn’t want to be checked. She knew that there was no information at that time that she would gain from a vaginal exam that would change anything about her plans of how she would give birth. This resulted in a beautiful breech birth with no need to transport into the hospital. Education combined with intuition– wow, it’s a powerful thing, my friends, and it serves us so well not only during birth, but throughout the whole of motherhood.
Links:
Monday Jun 16, 2025
Monday Jun 16, 2025
If you had a pretty good experience in the hospital with your first baby, what’s the point of changing things up with subsequent births?
Today we’re speaking with Kylie, who is living the dream as a stay at home mom of 3. She is married to her husband of 10.5 years, Tim and they live in Franklin, TN. They are passionate about embracing the adventure of life wherever it takes them and celebrating both the little things and big things in life! Kylie is a self-proclaimed birth junkie and could talk all things birth with you all day if you'd let her, which we did in this episode, and you are going to love the conversation that came from this.
Episode Roundup:
- I loved the flexibility Kylie and Tim allowed to have their minds changed. Before becoming pregnant, Kylie believed that she would most certainly give birth in the hospital with an epidural. But as the reality of pregnancy hit, Kylie was open to the experiences of the friends around her that had positive things to say about giving birth unmedicated. Instead of shutting down, Kylie listened and was open to reconsidering her desires. This is half the battle, my friends- allowing our minds to think, “But what if things could be different…”
- It was so special to hear the beautiful way that prayers were answered throughout Kylie’s births, but the moment that stands out to me the most happened in her second birth. When Kylie and Tim didn’t know what to pray, they just asked the Lord to do what was best in terms of timing. The fact that their oldest daughter was asleep for the birth but woke up directly after was so beyond what could be considered a coincidence, right?! That’s not something she did! And yet here she was, awake and able to immediately meet her new little sister in the height of the experience.
- And finally, I want to touch on something so beautiful that Kylie shared. She mentioned the importance of intuition– listening to your intuition, hearing the Holy Spirit guiding you and acting in that faith… I just wanted to share how special it is that Kylie journals so much, because she has the evidence of this relationship. She has the evidence of her intuition being correct again and again. I cannot tell you how much I have loved keeping a journal this last year to be able to look back on situations and see exactly what I was processing in the moment, and then to see how those events unfolded or resolved or were transformed. To have all of these special, specific accounts… It’s beautiful. That’s where the Lord meets me- in my journaling. That’s where I hear Him guiding me, and I have these beautiful records to reflect on and even share with others. I feel like this message is for someone specific listening to this episode. Get the journal!
Links:
Monday Jun 09, 2025
Monday Jun 09, 2025
What is the balance when it comes to preparing for our birth, but also holding it all with an open hand, knowing that outside factors can contribute to our experience?
Sara West and her husband Andrew live on Florida's sunny Space Coast with their four children. Her passions include writing, singing, drawing, and crocheting, though she has a little less time for those things while starting her homeschooling journey and bringing up toddlers! She hopes to one day finish a novel... or at least get a Substack up and running.
Episode Roundup:
- I love how Sara chose to grow with new information. She didn’t hold onto her past ways of doing things, and she also didn’t punish herself for not knowing what she didn’t know. She simply gained the new information and put it into action for herself and her family. No blaming, no shaming, just growth.
- I also appreciate Sara’s perspective how she wanted to enter her birthing experience. She didn’t feel like she had to control everything, and in fact, she was very aware that she could not. She simply took control of the areas that she could, and then held the rest with an open hand and mind. She was comfortable with the idea that she couldn’t predict every little detail, and that she would be willing to make the decisions that made sense in the moment.
- And finally, just– how beautiful is it to hear a mother experience their first unmedicated birth and think at the end, “That was easy!” What a joy to see just how wonderfully we are made, and how beautifully birth was designed. Whether you come to the end of labor thinking, “that was easy” or “that was intense,” my prayer is that you feel a sense of deep strength at what you’ve been designed to do. You were made with intention and love, as is your baby. I want you to feel flooded with that knowing as you bring your baby into your arms.
Links:
Monday Jun 02, 2025
Monday Jun 02, 2025
You’re either for something or you’re against it, right? Like, you either love ultrasounds or you don’t. Or you want testing done or you don’t….. Or… gasp, could there be more to it than right or wrong?
This week we’re speaking to Taylor Shaffer: a wife, mother of two beautiful girls, holistic doula and online educator. She is passionate about nourishment, holistic living and taking radical responsibility for your health and birth choices. She serves women locally in Upstate SC through her doula agency, Nested & Nourished, as well as online through her Holistic Mama Pregnancy & Birth Course, virtual doula support offerings, podcast titled Holistic Pregnancy, and more.
Episode Roundup:
If there’s one word that demands your attention in this episode, I hope it’s “intuition”. Taylor’s decisions were not informed by sheer logic or dogma. No, the seat of her decisionmaking came from a deeper source. From what I believe to be Holy Spirit guided intuition.
Intuition. That inner knowing that often times goes against your expectations. Taylor isn’t a huge fan of ultrasounds for herself, but she sensed that an ultrasound is what she needed. This ended up providing her with the information she used to support her body and baby through gestational diabetes. And again, we see this intuition work in the complete OPPOSITE direction at the end of pregnancy, where Taylor felt that she shouldn’t have a scan. Looking back, she knows that this prevented her from unnecessary fear regarding her baby’s weight. I love how this example unfolded. We take the same topic: Ultrasounds and apply intuition to them in two different directions. That, my friends, is what it looks like to listen to your intuition.
Next, I want to remind you of just how deeply our emotions are connected to labor and birth. Taylor needed to take her baby into her arms, hold her, and grieve the change that was coming. Yes, of course, adding a new baby is a massive blessing to a family! But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a sense of pain at the leaving behind of the old ways. Honoring this feeling is exactly what led Taylor deeper into labor. Feel those feelings and don’t be afraid of them.
And finally, Taylor’s love for birthwork came from her own experiences. She realized that she had something to offer other mothers, other families after having her first daughter. She decided to seek out a way to be both the mother that she desired to be, and to also build a thriving business at the same time. Sounds impossible, right? But Taylor is doing it, very successfully I might add! Her online business, her doula agency… It's incredible! Taylor sought education from someone who values family, business AND birthwork. She found a coach who wouldn’t tell her to push aside family for money, but who would encourage her to and teach her to make a way for both.
Links:
Kyleigh’s Workshop Sign Up
Dr. Rachel Reed- Gestational Diabetes Review Article
Dr Sara Wickham- Gestational Diabetes Article
Tags: gestational diabetes, big baby
Monday May 26, 2025
Monday May 26, 2025
A shocking medical diagnosis is never easy to grapple with– but what happens when it comes in the middle of your pregnancy?
This week we’re speaking to Chloe, a wife and mother to two precious little boys. Chloe’s story will have you on the edge of your seat, but it will also instill a level of beauty beyond my ability to express in this little intro, so let’s not waste any time and jump right in.
Episode Roundup:
- If something is going on in your pregnancy that you feel unsure of, even if your care provider thinks it’s a variation of normal, follow your intuition. Chloe’s scenario was so hard because her friend had experienced a very difficult pregnancy and her midwife thought that this was simply a tough pregnancy– so even though Chloe felt that she was dying each day, she didn’t know what to do. It wasn’t until someone else with medical background laid eyes on her and said, “Hey, this doesn’t seem right” that she and Brandon sought more medical attention. I am just so grateful that they were able to receive the care that they needed.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. Late in her pregnancy when Chloe felt that homebirth was the right option for her, she could have just given up after the first midwife said “no.” She recalls thinking, “Oh,great I’m going to be known as that crazy girl who had brain surgery” but honestly, who cares? She had the sense that homebirth was the right call, and she went after it. And wow, didn’t that pay off?
- Finally, let’s end here: This event that Chloe experienced– it wasn’t good. It’s not good that it happened, and there’s no delight in the suffering that she experienced. But what’s amazing is the ability for something so un-good to be used for such extraordinary good. For Chloe to come to the other side and say, “Through this, I learned just how good God is…” You can’t make that up. Chloe’s story is a story of hope, and a blessing to all who hear it.
Links:
Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
Dads- how does the idea of your wife giving birth make you feel? Does the idea immediately excite you, or does it put a level of fear on you– do you wonder how you can protect her and your baby? Do you feel out of control?
This week, all the way to episode 276, we are doing something new. We are hearing a homebirth story completely from the perspective of the father. Today we’re speaking to Dustin Garrett, a husband, father to two, and new to the club- homebirth dad!
Episode roundup:
- Dustin’s story is so vulnerable, and I feel so certain that with a listenership this large, there are a number of you who can relate to his experience with abortion and the potential pain that has stayed with you for years. Dustin realized at some point that he was not truly accepting all of the Grace and forgiveness available to him– that he felt like he needed to experience continual punishment, and that maybe he and his wife would never be able to have kids– maybe that was his punishment. But at some point it became clear, when Jesus died on the cross, he died for every single one of Dustin’s sins, and every single one of yours. He came to give us freedom, and our job? Our job is to receive it.
- Next, I love how honestly Dustin shared what I know many fathers to feel- the sense that they want to take care of their wife, their baby. The reason that birth often makes men feel uncomfortable is the glaring reality that, “Wow, actually I don’t have control here.” And boy, that uncomfortable feeling, if you’re honest with yourself, might turn to the realization that, “Oh, wow. I guess I don’t actually have control over a lot of events and situations around me.” To release control, while it can be so difficult, is one of the most beautiful things we can do as humans.
- And finally, I just love the joy that Dustin expressed as he caught his daughter in his own arms. As he saw her look at him while between worlds, really. Both in, and out. To imagine this happening, all while his son is singing “Jesus loves me” in the next room… it’s just beautiful. And healing for the entire family.
Links:
Monday May 12, 2025
Monday May 12, 2025
When a midwife gives birth to her first baby, she’ll know exactly what to expect, right?
This week we’re speaking with Leigha Fairchild, a midwife who serves mamas and families in the Kansas City area. She became a midwife while living in the Philippines and serving at a low resource birth center for two and half years. Yet her even greater role is that of wife to her husband Cody, and mother to her 3 beautiful children, with another one on the way.
Episode Roundup:
- Ask questions of your care provider up front. Don’t get taken off guard when you realize there are issues at 40 weeks. If you feel like you don’t know what questions are important to ask, I believe that spending time listening to the stories of others can help you articulate what’s important to you. Figure out what is important to you– this is critical. That way, when you are interviewing your midwife, you can assess whether or not the two of you are a good fit for one another. I do have a questionnaire inside of my birth courses to help with this.
- Every birth is different. Isn’t it incredible to realize just how individual each experience is? Here’s Leigha, a midwife who has attended numerous births, and she is not immune to the fact that each labor is unknown before it happens. To enter our birthing experience with open hands and an open mind is a beautiful approach, especially if we’ve prepared ourselves well beforehand.
- And finally, I loved how Leigha shared this: God gives you the strength you need when you need it. At one point, Leigha wished she could just KNOW how things were going to unfold. To know how much longer it would be before giving birth. And while she didn’t get that, she did learn that The Lord is faithful to provide the strength you need when you need it. Is that message for you this week? I feel so strongly that there’s someone out there who needs to hear this. I don’t know what season you’re in, it’s probably not birth related at all. But something is going on in your life that feels insurmountable and you just want to know when it’s going to be done. My friend, He loves you. I pray you feel the Lord wrapping you up in the warmest, most comforting hug right now. I pray you feel him imbuing His strength upon you right now. You are not alone.
Links:
Monday May 05, 2025
Monday May 05, 2025
Is it really safe to have hopes and desires for your birth? What if you plan but things don’t unfold the way you’d wanted?
This week we’re speaking to Lindsey Fuller, a homemaker and former registered nurse living in Tampa, Florida. She is married to her husband John and they have 3 wonderful kids. She loves spending her days devoted to raising her children and supporting her husband in his medical practice.
Episode Roundup
- Reject the naysayers. Prepare fully for the birth you desire. Don’t fall into the trap of fearing “failure” so much that you don’t commit to preparation. Of course birth can go a million different ways, but when you do what you can on your end to prepare, you’ll be served and more ready for however it all unfolds.
- Surrender your birth. Once you’ve prepared, it’s time to surrender. The beautiful gift of birth is that no matter what, it can be a teacher. It can provide you with the most valuable lessons. It’s so much less about the specific events that happen to you and so much more about how you are able to process and integrate those events into your motherhood experience.
- And finally, I just want to emphasize something that happened to Lindsey. In her most recent birth, she experienced a pivotal moment. She realized that she was holding onto control in areas that she’d never noticed before. Not only in birth, but in life. This birth– this very moment in birth, gave her an opportunity to break down an entire stronghold in her life– it allowed her to rewire a part of her brain. This, my friends is the beauty that is held in the birthing process. This is what I mean when I say that yes, homebirth is great, but it’s not the whole story. Homebirth is the car that can drive you to a destination of new revelation, just like it did with Lindsey.
Links:
Monday Apr 28, 2025
Monday Apr 28, 2025
Have you ever found yourself clinging so tightly to something- only to realize that it wasn’t serving you the way you once thought it would?
Today we’re speaking with Carey Glenn, a Certified Professional Midwife who is keenly aware of the traps of dogma in all areas of the birthing world. Often times we’re so able to see what’s “wrong” in the hospital system, but do we ever stop and look at our own choices and question why we’re making the decisions that we’re making?
This episode is such a delightful conversation for both mothers and midwives, and I know that you’re going to gain beautiful insight on what it’s like to walk a balanced path– whatever that looks like for you.
Episode Roundup:
- I love Carey’s well-rounded approach. In the years that I’ve been involved in birth, I’ve certainly seen strong, dogmatic camps. You HAVE to give birth in the hospital- it’s the only way! You HAVE to have a nurse midwife, it’s the only way! You HAVE to have a freebirth– it’s the only way! My friends, let’s make space for nuance. When we cling to ideology instead of intuition, it’s easy to become confused and honestly, manipulated.
- Next, the importance of care providers choosing to heal. This is huge. Midwives, are you processing your trauma? Do you feel that you have the resources to do so? Seek support. Seek community. Please do not isolate yourself– this work is heavy, but beautiful. Finding healing can help you prevent burnout and allow you to care for your clients as fresh individuals without carrying in the baggage of previous experiences along with your midwifery bag into the birthing space.
- Finally, you’ve got to check out Carey’s drumming tracks. They are so beautiful, so enjoyable, and so likely what I’ll be listening to the next time I give birth.
Rooted Birth Rhythms by Sacred Heart Beats:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1K898fhwDdVUj2oEqSouME?si=XJZSdO32T0iB2S0zCfaCFw
Links:
Monday Apr 21, 2025
Monday Apr 21, 2025
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.
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