Doing It At Home: Our Home Birth Podcast

Why do a small percentage of planned home births transfer to the hospital?  There are a number of reasons. Today’s conversation is with our friend Anne Margolis, a certified nurse midwife and a powerhouse in the birth world. She has personally helped usher in over 1000 babies into the world. We’ve had her on the show a few times now and it’s always magical to speak with her, because she ends up blowing our minds in some way when it comes to birth. We also discuss the importance of preparation for your home birth, particularly when it comes to preparing your mindset. The typical Western culture and approach to birth is very counterproductive to the experience of laboring and birthing a baby. So we talk about how we can minimize the “googling” and the overanalyzing that keeps us stuck in our heads, out of our bodies and in a fearful place. We also highly recommend that you follow Anne and check out all of her amazing resources for birthing people and parents.  Things we talk about in this episode: home birth to

How do you build trust for the birth experience? This entire episode encapsulates and embodies this question. Heather and Chris join us to share their birth journey of their daughter Eliana. Heather was born at home, so having a home birth herself was something she always wanted. We walk through the process of Chris preparing and supporting the experience. Also how they assembled their team and how important it was for them to have a team they could trust and count on. Then the details of the birth itself, with an unexpected postpartum transfer that went much smoother than anticipated.  Things we talk about in this episode: Business of Being Born, birth plan, birth team pain management or comfort measures, intimacy in labor and birth, Spinning Babies, meconium in waters, postpartum transfer Resources that were helpful for Heather and Chris: Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth “Pushed” by Jennifer Block “Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering” by Sarah Buckley Baby’s experience of birth and tools for healing by Karen St

Did you hold onto any shame from your birth or postpartum experience? In today’s episode, our guest Dorit Palvanov is setting an example on how to let that go. She shares details of her 3 birth stories: from hospital to home to back to hospital. Dorit walks us through the processes and the ups and downs throughout her journey to motherhood. From interventions and a dissociated feeling with her first to primal sensations with her second and finally orgasmic energy around her third. Dorit brings her high energy and candor to her stories, and we know that so many mothers and families will benefit from hearing them. Click the links below to learn more about Dorit, listen to her podcast and connect with her. Links: Dorit’s website: https://doritpalvanov.com/ Dorit’s masterclass: www.doritpalvanov.com/energy-masterclass 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:

How do we make birth better? Today we’re chatting with one of the country’s top leaders addressing this question, and not just addressing it, but matching his conviction with his actions. They say don’t meet your heroes...but I don’t think they included “birth heroes” in there. Because you should definitely meet those people! Dr. Stu Fischbein joins us at Doing It At Home for a powerful conversation on his history in the birth world, shifting from hospital care to now working with midwives to support families in home births, specifically with the variations of normal of breech and twin births.  Dr. Stu has nearly 30 years in the game and is full of passion. Chatting with him was invigorating and certainly added fuel to our flame for the work we do here and our desire to keep flooding the birth world with empowering and educational conversations. After we talked about his years of experience and perspective on breech and twin home births, he answered some of our community members’ questions. This is a must lis

In this episode, Matthew and Sarah chat with sisters Jenny and Wendy, creators of Pure Motherhood, a company that provides education, products, support and empowerment for moms and moms-to-be. We talk about how to mentally pivot when things don’t go the way you might have planned for in your birth. Some of the biggest “what if’s” and concerns around potential plan changes for home birth center around: Change of care provider Elements of the labor and/or birth being different than how you envisioned Transfer to the hospital either before or after birth Jenny is a childbirth educator and has experience with an unplanned cesarean birth and a planned HBAC (home birth after cesarean) that resulted in a hospital transfer for a cesarean birth. Wendy’s background is in creating holistic products to help mothers during pregnancy and postpartum. She had a planned home birth that resulted in a hospital transfer for a cesarean birth. Both women can certainly speak to what it’s like to pivot when things don’t go the w

Can you still have a home birth with gestational diabetes? This question comes up often in the community. Today’s birth story is an example of an answer in the affirmative. Crystal Boymistruk joins us to share her birth story of her second child, daughter Mila. After a hospital birth with her son Niko, Crystal wanted something different for her next birth. Her husband Rob was on board, and they moved forward. Crystal had a gestational diabetes diagnosis in her first pregnancy, so she wasn’t shocked when it came up again. She talks about her experience with it and how she managed it and addressed the fears and concerns that can come up with the diagnosis and potentials of risking out of a home birth. Also with being 37, Crystal received the “advanced maternal age” label as well. Despite all these factors, Crystal intended for a total physiological birth without interventions. Listen in and check out the video version of our interview on our YouTube channel. Things we talk about in this episode: gestational dia

How do you deal with the “what if” questions that can come up around any type of birth? Today’s guest Lauren shares how she and her husband Jordan navigated the “what if’s.” For one thing, it wasn’t certain that Jordan would be in town for their birth. It was also unclear if Lauren’s sister-in-law/doula would be able to attend.  And to make matters more interesting, the country went into lockdown while Lauren was in days of prodromal labor.  This story follows Lauren’s initial inspiration for home birth, to the pregnancy and planning and how the birth unfolded in the face of unusual circumstances. Things we talk about in this episode: pregnancy loss, Business of Being Born, doula care, birth during COVID times, meditation and Hypnobirthing Links: Lauren’s blog post of her birth story: https://laurenrodycheberle.com/2020/03/31/my-birth-story/ Lauren’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LaurenRodychEberle/ “Doing It At Home” book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

How can you advocate for yourself in the midst of chaos? How can you be an active participant in your birth when you feel like all of your control is being taken away? In today’s episode, we’re talking to Caitlin Thompson about her 2nd birth, a planned home birth with a last minute hospital transfer.  This is the third time we’ve had Caitlin on the podcast (links to our first two episodes are below: one covering her conception journey with her wife Shona as they went through multiple insemination attempts and how they were planning for their first birth and the second to share the details of the birth of their daughter Florence).  For the story of the birth of her second daughter Juniper, Caitlin walks us through the conception journey (taking about 8 insemination attempts) as well as the events that led to a hospital transfer when her midwife discovered that her baby was in a breech position.  We also discuss how Caitlin is processing the events of her birth and how she is healing through grief and trauma.  

What narratives are you telling yourself and buying into when it comes to pregnancy, birth and postpartum? We go through some of these in our conversation with Brooke Cates, CEO/founder of The Bloom Method, a pre and postnatal fitness method. Particularly the disempowering ones, and how we shift them into empowering ones. Phrases like: Pregnancy is miserable Birth is scary Postpartum is depressing We discuss how we can approach a transformative event like birth and add tools to our toolboxes to feel as prepared as possible. As well as how to explore our options and choose the ones that resonate most with us, even in the midst of a challenging past year in terms of the birth climate.  Things we talk about in this episode: The Bloom Method, the transformation of birth, connecting to your body, movement and fitness, preparing for home birth, knowing your options Links: First interview with Brooke on DIAH: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doing-it-at-home/id1153134918?i=1000434009741 The Bloom Method:

How do you move through and relate to a lot of the challenges that can come up when you make the switch to have a home birth? Today we have a unique episode. Our guest is Sarah Bivens! Usually acting as co-host, the roles got shifted up a bit when Matthew and Sarah decided to sit down and have Matthew interview Sarah on her pregnancy and birth experience. In this part 1, we walk through the decision to have a home birth (and how it wasn’t very plain and simple), changing care providers, addressing challenges with friends and family around the stigmas associated with home birth and some of the preparation and envisioning for the home birth experience as first time parents. Part 2 will feature the full birth story, in a different way than we have shared it before on the podcast, since in this instance Sarah is the “guest” and Matthew is the main host. Things we talk about in this episode: first time parents, switching from a hospital birth to a home birth, breaking up with an OBGYN, finding midwives, choosing b

What do you do when your care providers drop you and tell you to change your birth plan, at 35 weeks? This is the exact circumstance that Adina Rivers found herself in during her second pregnancy. Originally planning for a home birth with a midwife, Adina was now facing not only her midwife releasing her from her care, but no other midwife in her area in Bali would take her. Virtually everyone was telling her that she had to have a hospital birth.  “F*** that,” was her basic response. She told her partner Oliver, “we’re going to do it at home.” Adina walks us through her journey into birth, going back 10 years ago to the birth of her son, to how she makes her choices from her intuition and feeling. Adina’s story is one that emphasizes the opportunity we have to TRUST our bodies and birth. And how sometimes challenges and unforeseen circumstances are exactly the catalysts we need to get out of the way and let divine plans unfold.  Things we talk about in this episode: birth center birth in Berlin, Germany, fre

What happens when you were born at home, and then you grow up to realize that it’s actually not considered “normal” for most people? For Morgan Oberstein, home birth was a very normalized thing within her family. Not only was she born at home, but she and other home birth children amongst the extended family would often be at attendance for other home births within the group. In this interview, Morgan shares her own home birth journey with her daughter Brooklyn. A perinatal chiropractor, Morgan had the experience of supporting many women through their own motherhood transitions. Even with her expertise and background, Morgan still wanted to have the experience and process of being a birthing person on her own -- so that meant taking classes and educating herself as well as honoring her own unique fears and challenges. One of the largest being a limiting belief around first-time mothers choosing home birth.  Morgan tells us how she moved through going past “due date,” plus her vision for her birth and how it u

Can birth be redemptive? We often hear on the show how different birth experiences bring the opportunity to heal and take back your power.  This is an element of our conversation with Sarah Leahy. Sarah shares the varying aspects of her two birth experiences. Her first, an unplanned cesarean with multiple interventions, left her feeling like her body was broken and it had failed. Following her birth, Sarah experienced PTSD, anxiety, guilt and depression. She knew she wanted to have another baby and wanted to create a different result the next time around. So after initially planning to birth at home with a midwife, Sarah and her husband Adrian eventually opted to “do it at home” by themselves. The second birth experience was, as Sarah puts it, “a complete 180 from the first birth.” And the best description of her HBAC that we can surmise - “NORMAL.” Yes, a completely normal event, and yet incredibly powerful. Following her second birth, Sarah’s new belief around herself and her body was that it was not her th

How do you even describe the floodgate that opens the moment you meet your baby? This is a question that comes up in today’s conversation, when Rose Schieck shares details from both of her birth experiences. Plus the fact that she was born at home herself, and had witnessed her sister’s births in both center and home settings. Her first birth was in a hospital, however it felt like a home birth, with the energy and intention that Rose brought to the space, she was determined to have it match her vision.  When it came time for her second birth, she and her husband Hugo planned for a home birth.  Not only do we get birth stories in this chat but we also talk to Rose about mindfulness and how her work as a wellness coach and yogi has intersected with her birth experiences. Things we talk about in this episode: informed consent, body autonomy, birth vision, yoni steaming, yoga for birth method, sounds during labor Links: Rose’s website: www.mamastewell.com Rose’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mamastewell/

How could you possibly have a peaceful home birth during a turbulent time in your life?  Ask Michaela Sarver, because she did! In January of 2020, Michaela took custody of her sister’s 3 children, then found out she was pregnant with her second child on the day that schools closed because of COVID-19. So, there was a lot going on for her and her husband Kris. Michaela walks us through details of both of her home births, from the differences between them and the lessons learned.  Things we talk about in this episode: “Pregnant in America,” “Business of Being Born,” nonstress test, membrane sweep, going past due date, birth pool, birth during the time of COVID Links: Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diahpodcast/ Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 DIAH Merch: ttps://bit.ly/3qhwgAe DIAH Resources: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What influences your birth choices? It’s helpful to look at this, to see what matters to you when it comes to birth, and how you can create a birth environment and culture around you that supports you best. Today we’re chatting with Martina Cifiello about her birth journey. From a hospital birth with her first child to a birth center with her second to a home birth with her third, Martina walks us through the factors that inspired the changes and evolutions of her births along the way.  Martina shares how supportive and helpful her husband Simone has been over the years as well, taking a team approach to everything. And fun fact: Martina used the same midwife for her home birth that we had for our home birth, Debbie Schneider of Dawning Life Midwifery. So cool to have that connection! Things we talk about in this episode: hospital birth, birth center, water birth, Bradley Method, pelvic floor health, birth during COVID, family-centered birth Links: Martina’s Bradley Method teacher page: http://www.bradleybir

How’s our conception journey going? We answer that question in today’s episode. It’s been about 13 months since we actively began “trying” to get pregnant. There have been ups and downs. We first opened up on this topic on the podcast back in September 2020 with part 1, then followed up with a part 2 in February 2021. Now here we are in May 2021 with some new experiences and insights. From how we feel about medical interventions to changes in our bodies. Plus how you can learn from a breakdown, while in the middle of it.  Then we share how we’ll be moving forward and how our intimacy has been impacted by everything. If you haven’t listened to part 1 and 2, we definitely recommend doing so (links below! Links: Our Conception Journey Part 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-vulnerable-and-transparent-conversation-on-conception/id1153134918?i=1000491733548 Our Conception Journey Part 2: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-conception-journey-part-2-plus-how-we-handle-breakdowns/id1153134918?i=1000

What does it mean to become a student of birth? For Lauren Leduc, that was the role she took on when she planned for her home birth. “I took on pregnancy and birth like it was my major in college!” Who else can relate to that? Lauren shares her birth story of her daughter Gemma. Unsure at first if she wanted to have children, things shifted for Lauren after she turned 35. Eventually she and her husband Arthur made plans to grow the family.  Lauren walks us through some of the challenges that popped up along the way during the pregnancy, the magical birth experience and then the unplanned transfer to the hospital after birth because of complications with the placenta.  One of the big takeaways from this episode is to use your resources and go with your intuition. Things we talk about in this episode: subchorionic haematoma, progesterone, velamentous cord insertion, postpartum hospital transfer, fetal ejection reflex, D&C Links: Lauren’s website: www.Thrivewithlauren.com Lauren’s yoga studio: www.trueloveyog

Who are you going to be when birthing time comes? Today is a fun episode. Not only is it a part 2, but a highly requested one. AND we get to talk to some of our favorite people. Anthony and Erica joined us back in August 2020 to talk about their pregnancy and plans for their upcoming home birth. We’ve known them since 2013 and they’re pretty much family.  So we’re honored to pick the conversation back up from where we left off, and hear the full birth story of baby Ava. If you haven’t heard part 1 (episode no. 287), we highly recommend you do so -- the link for that will be in the show notes of this episode. Things we talk about in this episode: maternity photoshoot, moving through pain aka sensations, a high tear of the waters breaking, cervical lip, the Matrona, birth partner support Links: Part 1 of Anthony and Erica’s story: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/home-birth-story-being-very-intentional-planning-your/id1153134918?i=1000489077553 Erica’s website: https://www.ejcounselingatl.com/ Erica’s

How do you plan for a positive hospital birth experience, when you were originally intending to have a home birth? This is such a great topic to cover. For many who start out with a home birth plan, sometimes that changes for various reasons. Sarah Schade shares her story with us. From a diagnosis of an “incompetent” cervix (definitely not a term we’re fond of around here) to another diagnosis of IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction), Sarah and her husband Jeremiah went through a lot of ups and downs.  She shares all the thoughts and emotions that came up, and ultimately the arrival of her daughter Clementine.  Things we talk about in this episode: incompetent cervix, cervical cerclage, IUGR, D&C procedure for placenta removal, home birth plan, hospital birth From Sarah: “It was really difficult being labeled as “incompetent”, or “high risk”, especially because being healthy and active is something really important to me, and I never thought I would have any problems with my pregnancy, being so young and hea