Big Birth Junkie
39 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 57 ratingsBirth. It is everywhere. Literally. Every day with each birth there are new stories to be told, wisdom to be shared and knowledge to be learned. Elizabeth Bachner sees birth in a unique way: As life lessons that help us grow as spiritual beings having human experiences. Childbirth is her prose, her jam, and her calling. We are your safe space for the sharing of those experiences from all different perspectives and many walks of life.
Through curious conversation and storytelling, there is always something new to learn about how amazing we are as humans in body, mind, and spirit!. BBJ is packed with practical advice and helpful tips. We will discuss not only the joys and triumphs, but we go there - towards the challenges to learn how they were navigated so you can learn how resilient and strong we are.
We talk with the pregnant person, their partner(s), the doula, midwives, OBs, and grandparents - anyone who was part of the birth! We will cover it all - pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.
Join us to not only listen and be inspired but to feed your mind, open your heart and let your inner Birth Junkie out!!
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Episodes
38 • Jeni & Monique IUI Conception, Planned Birth Center Birth, Unmedicated Vaginal Breech Birth
April 16, 2019 19:00 - 1 hour - 41.5 MBThis is a fun podcast for me because I have been on (literally) the whole journey with Jeni and Monique. I supported them with their conception and then they chose to birth with the GraceFull Midwives to have an unmedicated out of hospital birth. Their plans changed when they found out their child was breech; but, we are very lucky in Los Angeles because we have an amazing doctor in town who will support unmedicated vaginal breech births in the hospital. This podcast is choc-o-bloc filled ...
37 • Becky Vroom - Resilience & Strength: Modified Bedrest, Prodromal Labor, Hospital Midwife Unmedicated Birth, Cervical Tear & Postpartum Hemorrhage
April 02, 2019 19:00 - 1 hour - 36.4 MBBecky is an active and healthy person, so she assumed pregnancy and birth would come easily to her. Instead, she was met with many complications and challenges that forced her to slow down and take it easy as she was on modified bed rest and medicated until she made it to 36 weeks. Becky experienced prodromal labor and daily contractions for the last 8 weeks of her pregnancy. When her son was finally born at 39 weeks, he came very quickly. In the immediate post-partum at the hospital, s...
36 • Jamie Batten: 3 babies, 3 pregnancies and 3 very different postpartums. Hyperemisis, Formula Feeding, Breastfeeding, Induction, Water Birth, Hospital Birth, Testicular Tortion
March 19, 2019 19:00 - 2 hours - 83.3 MB“There are all different normals”. That basically sums up the 3 very different pregnancies, births and post partum period for Jamie Batten. We cover a lot of ground on this epic (in length) podcast: induction, pitocin, epidural, bed rest, early labor, OP (Back Labor), formula feeding, cutting of the cord on the perinium, reastfeeding for 2 years, hyperemisis, placenta previa, birth center, waterbirth, testicular torition and trusting your care provider. There is SO much growth, and lea...
35 • Amy Meyers: Mother of 3, Pitocin Inductions, Epidurals, Waterbirth, Homebirth, Post Partum Depression`
March 12, 2019 07:00 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBAmy lives in Utah with her husband and is the mother of 3 children (all under the age of 3!). The first two were born in the hospital and both were pitocin inductions with an epidural - the first at the suggestion of her doctor the second at her request. Looking back Amy realized there was trauma and a lot of feelings that were not validated, which lead her to do her research and start to becoming informed about her choices when she became pregnant with her third child. There was a lot of he...
34 • Faith Freeman : Eldest of 10 Children, Homebirth Midwife, Birth of her First Child at Home
March 05, 2019 20:00 - 1 hour - 38.6 MBFaith is the eldest of 10 children, 7 of whom were born at home. When she became pregnant with her daughter Kiss, she had an idea of what to expect, but it did not prepare her fully for her own homebirth journey. We chat about birthing babies in Oklahoma as a midwife, expectations vs reality in birth and what it is like to grow up where low-risk births at home are normalized. _________ For more information about me, Elizabeth Bachner, go to GraceFull.com or follow us: @gracefullbirth or ...
33 • Jessica Hooper: IUGR, Induction, Healing Shame, Loosing Control of Your "Plan"
February 26, 2019 20:00 - 1 hour - 29.9 MBThis is not only the story of an unexpected diagnosis of IUGR and the need for a hospital induction but also how Jessica's past history influenced her current thinking. Jessica was holding on to a lot of shame and polarised thinking that showed up to be healed so she could step fully into the role of motherhood. ______ For more information about our guest, Jessica Hooper and her events go to: @stuffjesslikes or @onthefence.life me, Eizabeth Bachner, go to GraceFull.com or follow us: @gr...
32 • Danielle Bigby: Birth Center Birth, Postpartum Struggles & Healing Bullimia
February 19, 2019 20:00 - 1 hour - 33.1 MBDanielle's journey to becoming a mother taught her things she never expected. She left her home in Miami to move to Los Angeles and found a new strength she did not know she had for the unmedicated birth of her daughter Samaya at GraceFull's Birthing Center. That is where she thought the lessons would end, but they kept going. Becoming a mother brought a new drive to heal herself. As a former Bullimic, during her challenging postpartum adjustment, her loneliness and laziness drove ...
31 • Sera Bonds: Birthing Oversees in Israel
February 12, 2019 08:00 - 1 hour - 39.1 MBSera and Adam took the time to talk with me about what it is like birthing overseas as foreigners in a foreign land. _________ Sera Bonds is a midwife, doula, activist and Founder of Circle of Health International (COHI). You can currently find her in Austin, TX where works as a @Carriagehousebirth doula and Childbirth Educator. Also, Sera is a kick ass activist who is a really great speaker. For more information about Sera, or to book her as a speaker or teacher worldwide, check her out ...
30 • Tessa & Chase Benz: 2 Home Births, Parent 2 Children, Post Partum Challenges, Becoming a Father, Learning How to Ask for Help
February 05, 2019 20:00 - 1 hour - 53.9 MBTessa always knew she wanted a homebirth and it took some time for Chase to get on board with the process, but once he got educated and started to understand the difference between low and high risk pregnancy he was 100% on commited. _________ If you wanna reach out to Tessa and Chase please do so! They love to talk about birth and their children! Tessa is a Birth Doula and Birth Photographer serving families in the Los Angeles area. You can visit her website at http://truemotherhood....
29 • Jana & Mark Roemer : Burning Man, Home birth. PostPartum & Healing Past Taumas
January 29, 2019 20:00 - 1 hour - 44.7 MBJana and Mark Roemer share their story of love, burning man and a father’s healing through the journey of parenting their son Freddie. We do a deep dive into conception, a homebirth, postpartum challenges and the healing traumas. "Having a little boy allowed me to parent the little boy in myself." This episode is filled with a lot of wisdom! _________ For more information to go: GraceFull or follow us: @gracefullbirth or our guests: @jana_roemer or @mindful_mamas __________ Check...
28 • Melissa Hemphill LIVE at BIRTHFIT 2018 Summit in Austin, TX
January 22, 2019 20:00 - 47 minutes - 27.3 MBMelissa Hemphill is a BIRTHFIT Coach Director, and Air Force Officer, Biology Instructor, CrossFit Coach, Mind Body Nutrition Coach, wife, and mom to 3 children (with a 4th born on 1/14/19). She shares with us the stories of her conceptions, births and insightful musings around birth while being in the military. _________ For more information to go: GraceFull or follow us: @gracefullbirth or our guest: @coachbirthfit __________ Check out BIRTHFIT for safe, strong and educational videos...
27 • Amy Dannheim LIVE from The Broken Shaker in Miami - BONUS: Discussion About Strong Abs & Possibly Preventing a Cesarean Birth
January 15, 2019 20:00 - 57 minutes - 32.9 MBThis is the first time that Amy has shared her birth journey and is doing so in front of a live audience in Miami. Amy teaches yoga and prepared for a homebirth that led to a hospital transport and a cesarean section. Please stick around for the BONUS: Behind the Scenes (we recorded this bit after the live episode) where we talk in detail about the discussion that is not happening - but needs to happen - about how strong ab muscles (dancers, pilates, yoginis) can hinder the cardinal moveme...
26 • Alex Winkelman : Homebirth Transport with a C-Section
January 08, 2019 20:00 - 1 hour - 37.9 MBFor more information to go: GraceFull or follow us: @gracefullbirth or our guest: @HelloMyTribe __________ This episode is sponsored by GraceFull where you can find BBJ's host Elizabeth's free ebook Birth Planning: All the Questions to Ask and all kinds of educational videos including Childbirth Education, Advanced Doula Trainings and Lactation Support. Go to GraceFull to download the ebook for free. If you live in Los Angeles, check out GraceFull's midwives for home births, water birth, ...
25 • Cara, Dawn, Jim & Paul - Modern Day Intentional Family, 2 Dads, 2 Mothers and 1 Child, Conception, HIV, Insemination and Homebirth
January 01, 2019 20:00 - 1 hour - 63.7 MBA man, a woman, a white picket fence and 2.3 children is the fantasy that I was raised on and has been long gone in many cultures for a while. Families come in all shapes and sizes and this family is one of my favorites. Hudson has 2 moms and 2 dads: Cara his biological mommy, Jim his biological daddy, Dawn his Momma, and Paul his, well, his Paul! This is a story of conception (and it is quite the interesting one because Jim is HIV positive), birth, communication, mutual respect, family ...
24 • Jenny Silva and her Mother Maria Silva LIVE at PCMA: Judy Chicago Special Series - Intergenerational Birthing, Mexican Traditions, Homebirth, Grandmother’s Perspective and Birthing 11 Children
December 25, 2018 08:00 - 1 hour - 40.5 MBJenny Silva is a local doula who holds within her in the ancient wisdom passed down to her by her ancestors. It was an honor to share sacred space (or what I like to call ceremony) with her and her mother, Maria Silva, inside the Judy Chicago Birth Stories exhibition in Pasadena, CA in September of 2018. In this episode we go deep into quite a few places around childbirth. We talk about Jenny's 4 births and her mother, Maria's 11 births. They share with us some of their traditional wisdom...
23 • Arista Ilona - Unplanned pregnancy, never wanted children, homebirth transport, cesarean birth and co-parenting
December 18, 2018 08:00 - 1 hour - 44.8 MBAfter embracing an unplanned pregnancy Arista Ilona moved forward preparing for her dream homebirth. After she transported to a hospital she had an unexpected c-section. Leading up to motherhood, Arista Ilona endured years of emotional trauma, a lack of self-love, judgment, and depression. Her birthing journey transformed into a profound healing journey in which she shares her wisdom as a mother, mentor and post partum doula. _________ For more information on me or todays guest, to go: Gr...
22 • Sam Huggins - Conception, 2 Births, Going from 1 to 2 children, Precipitous Labor, Doulas & Postpartum Challenges
December 11, 2018 08:00 - 1 hour - 41.4 MBThis is a special podacst for me because you really get a peak into my world and listen to what happens when a group of doulas and birth junkies get together to listen to a birth story and share wisdom. In sharing the stories of both of Sam’s kids we delve into a lot of wisdom around water breaking, the fear of going past 42 weeks, homebirthing, doula support, what happen when a birth goes REALLY fast and some real truths about the post partum period. A big heartfelt thankyou to my dou...
21 • Jennica Schwartzman & Family - HVBAC (Home Vaginal Birth After a Cesarean) of her 2nd Child
December 05, 2018 02:52 - 1 hour - 46.9 MBThis is a story of renewed faith. It is about believing in one's body and asking for support. Despite being told by traditional OBs that there was only a 13% chance of having a homebirth after her first cesarean, Jennica chose to invest in herself financially, mentally, physically and emotionally to make make sure she had what she needed to safely birth her second child (who, BTW, was 9 pounds 12 oz at birth!) at home. In this podcast, we will not only hear mom’s perspective, but we also...
20 • Lauren Archer: Gestational Diabetes, Vegan Diet, Natural Induction, Possibly Transport & Homebirth
November 27, 2018 08:00 - 1 hour - 39.5 MBLauren Archer, who you may know as the vagina behind the policy changes for IG and FB around showing vaginal births, shares her journey into becoming a mother that has quite a few twists and turns before she learns the ultimate lesson, “Your body won’t give you anything you can’t handle.” _________ For more information to go: GraceFull or follow us: @gracefullbirth or our guest: @loveofalittleone __________ Thank you to our sponsor BEB Organic, a natural, vegan certified, NICU approved...
19 • Amber Lestrange - Home Waterbirth, Ectopic Pregnancy, Postpartum Thoughts & Healing of Hormonal Imbalances
November 20, 2018 20:00 - 1 hour - 31.2 MBToday we are talking with We are going to talk with one half of the podcast & blog The Mother Loving Future and GraceFull Mama Amber Lestrange. We recorded this podcast live at an event with did with Hatch Collection and covered a lot of ground. We chat about her “sexy” conception for her first child, her home waterbirth at her Venice cottage, her view on her postpartum journey and what she would change, and her current health challenges - she has had two miscarriages and one an ectopic preg...
18 • Lorena Garcia LIVE in Phoenix - Two Miscarriages from MTHFR, Birthing & Post Partum Stories
November 13, 2018 20:00 - 44 minutes - 25.7 MBLorena Garcia was born and raised in Mexico City and comes from a culture that revolves around community and family. Lorena shares with us her full journey into parenthood - from the heartbreak of her first two miscarriages to finding joy and ease through her postpartum choices. Lorena's postpartum experiences combined with her deep Mexican heritage (that put emphasis on taking care of the new mother is a priority) became the impetus for becoming a "mompreneur" and creating Majka, whole...
17 • Dee Poku - Birthing in Manhattan and Parenting Wisdom
November 06, 2018 20:00 - 1 hour - 30.6 MBDee Poku who is a British New Yorker by way of Ghana. Dee is the Co-Founder and CEO of WIE (Women Inspiration and Enterprise), a leadership network whose mission is to support women in their career ambitions by providing real world learning via unique access to established business leaders. She is also the founder of The Other Festival, a new platform designed to showcase female makers and creators. Dee and I sat down to talk about birthing in New York City - which can be a bit different...
16 • Mara Hoffman: Twin Loss, Bed Rest & Birth (The Judy Chicago Series)
October 30, 2018 19:00 - 56 minutes - 32.3 MBTRIGGER WARNING * we talk about prenatal loss * Known for her world-renowned fashion line Mara Hoffman is an activist, mother, and visionary. In this beautiful episode, we sit down to talk about her journey through IVF, conceiving twins, and facing loss. She bravely dives into her experience with total honesty holding a conversation on the humanity of our experience in the womb and the beautiful complexity of facing the light and the shadows. This is a special edition of Big Birth Junkie...
15 • MINISODE: The Judy Chicago Series: Maternity Clothing and Working Mothers - Ariane Goldman
October 25, 2018 19:00 - 28 minutes - 16.2 MBWelcome to a special Mini-Sode with Ariane Goldman, the creator and CEO of the maternity fashion line HATCH. We get into the nitty-gritty of maternity fashion as we discuss the history of maternity clothing, her inspiration for starting her collection, the evolution of the pregnant body and what it is like to be both a mother and the CEO of a company. This is a special edition of Big Birth Junkie that coincides with the artwork of Judy Chicago's Birth Project Born Again Series at the Pasad...
14 • Genevive Slonim - Birthing in Foreign Land (The Birth of her First Child)
October 23, 2018 19:00 - 1 hour - 51 MBGenevive has been deeply active in peace activism and social justice work for over 20 years. 10 years ago she found herself pregnant in a foreign country with no community. It was through the birth of her first child that she found what was to become her platform and passion: Birth of a Mama. _________ For more information to go: GraceFull or follow us: @gracefullbirth or our guest: @birthofamama on IG and FB. __________ We want to give a HUGE thanks to our sponsors, without whom y...
13 • Katie Vigos - An Unmediated Hosptial Birth & A Bliss-filled Home Birth
October 16, 2018 19:00 - 1 hour - 40.4 MBKatie Vigos is a Registered Nurse and mother of three boys in Los Angeles, California who is best known for her popular IG feed Empowered Birth Project which led the way to allow for #uncensoredchildbirth photos on both IG and FB. Her first son was born in a hospital in 2007. While she was able to experience an unmedicated, vaginal birth without complications, she felt unsupported by the staff and pressured to accept interventions she didn't need. She was fortunate to have her husband's co...
12 • Lindsey Bliss and her doula Sam Huggins - Home Birth of baby #7
October 09, 2018 19:00 - 1 hour - 43.6 MBLindsey Bliss has devoted her life to all things birth, as both a mother, doula and the Co-Director of Carriage House Birth, a Brooklyn-based doula collective. Lindsey’s own path to motherhood has been filled with twists and turns she never could have imagined, and today she will share with us the journey of her 4th pregnancy and 7th child (yes, that is right, she has 7 children) Olympia Pearl with a conversation with her Birth Doula (who also happens to be her Co-Director at CHB and bestie)...
11 • The Judy Chicago Series: A Conversation with the Artist Judy Chicago
October 02, 2018 19:00 - 34 minutes - 19.6 MBWhen I was first asked to be a part of this special series of birth art for the Pasadena Museum, I had no idea who Judy Chicago was. I just said "yes" because I'm a birth junkie who wants to see more images of people giving birth to help humanize the experience of childbirth. I was honored to speak with Judy to learn more about her inspirations and process for this special series. This is a special edition of Big Birth Junkie that coincides with the artwork of Judy Chicago's Birth Proje...
10 • Hannah Roloson and her sister Kamala: Birthing in Community, Turning a Breech Baby (The Judy Chicago Series)
September 25, 2018 19:00 - 56 minutes - 32.6 MBHannah and Kamala grew up in a community where childbirth was celebrated and an inclusive community event. When Hannah got pregnant there was no doubt in her mind that her family would be there for the big day. Not only do we get to hear the story of two home water births, but its a treat to hear sisters share their perspective on the same experiences. This is a special edition of Big Birth Junkie that coincides with the artwork of Judy Chicago's Birth Project Born Again Series at the Pasa...
9 • Erin Battles: Birth Center Transport, Breastfeeding Challenges (The Judy Chicago Series_
September 18, 2018 19:00 - 1 hour - 36.4 MBBefore Erin gave birth to her son, she didn’t spend a lot of time worrying about breastfeeding. Once he was born, however, they experienced their share of difficulties. She and her son had a long labor, and her milk took a long time to come in, after days of a mysterious fever. When it did come in, only one side was producing due to leftover scar tissue from a 15-year old piercing, and one bad latch resulted in painful blisters which made breastfeeding impossible for a week. Low supply meant...
8 • Faith Hitchon : Being a Single Mother (The Judy Chicago Series)
September 11, 2018 19:00 - 1 hour - 36.9 MBFaith Hitchon shares with us her pregnancy, labor and postpartum journey. And specifically the day she became a single mama. Please note, we have a *trigger warning* in this podcast with information on how you can skip over the section that talks about the physical abuse Faith endured. This is a special edition of Big Birth Junkie that coincides with the artwork of Judy Chicago's Birth Project Born Again Series at the Pasadena Museum and relates to her piece: Creation Scroll. __...
7 • Renee Watkins : Loving Your Stretch Marks (The Judy Chicago Series)
September 04, 2018 19:00 - 1 hour - 31 MBRenee first noticed she had stretch marks when she was 14 and remembers thinking “Does this mean I’m ugly? Are people going to think I’m ugly?” After the birth of her children, she was ashamed, embarrassed, and often felt that she had ruined herself because of her loose skin and stretch marks. It was her Auntie Loody and her friends who gave her the courage to accept her baby marks. Renne and I talked quite a bit over the phone (and please accept my apologies for a sometimes challenging ...
6 • Sarranya Chinna: Birthing in India, Csection, Family (The Judy Chicago Series)
August 28, 2018 19:00 - 54 minutes - 31.1 MBSarranya is from India and lives in a joint family that includes not only her husband and children but also her In-laws and the family elders. There is a lot of community support when a woman gets pregnant in India. On the one hand, it is helpful and on the other, it can be frustrating. We talk about what it is like to birth in India, being induced for low fluids, communal living, the postpartum experience, and breastfeeding. This is a special edition of Big Birth Junkie that coincides wit...
5 • Natalie Raymond : Never Wanting Children & Getting Your Tubes Tied (The Judy Chicago Series)
August 21, 2018 19:00 - 1 hour - 35.5 MBNatalie always knew that she never wanted to be a mom. Every year since she was a teenager she asked her doctors to have her tubes tied. Natalie and I explore the societal pressure placed on women to have a baby, the ticking of the biological clock and the clarity of knowing that motherhood is not a path she wants to take. This is a special edition of Big Birth Junkie that coincides with the artwork of Judy Chicago's Birth Project Born Again Series at the Pasadena Museum and relates to he...
4 • Rhonda Edelstein: Water Breaking (The Judy Chicago Series)
August 14, 2018 19:00 - 1 hour - 34.8 MBRhonda is the mother of two beautiful children, both of whom were born at the hospital. There was an expectation on the 2nd birth, because of the ease of her first birth. But, as it happens, she had two very different births with both her children with two very different versions of the water breaking. This is a special edition of Big Birth Junkie that coincides with the artwork of Judy Chicago's Birth Project Born Again Series at the Pasadena Museum and relates to her piece: Hatching the...
3 • Kelly & Jason McKnight: Baby Crowning at the Hospital (The Judy Chicago Series)
August 07, 2018 19:00 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MBWhen Kelly gave birth to her 3rd child in the hospital she kept saying, "I need to push!" but was dismissed by the nurse. She was blessed to have her mom in the room who took control because Kelly's son was right there, crowning, between her legs. Kelly is another person of color who was not seen or heard in the hospital. Join us as we talk to Kelly and her husband Jason about childbirth, trusting your body and the huge problem in America for women of color: Not being seen and heard! This...
2 • Melissa and Travis Fischer : 4 children, 4 different births including 2 Adoptions (The Judy Chicago Series)
July 31, 2018 19:00 - 1 hour - 35.8 MBMelissa and Travis Fischer reshape my perception of adoption as they share the stories of how their children entered into their family - two of whom are biological and two of whom were adopted - all four of which are very loved. This is a special edition of Big Birth Junkie that coincides with the artwork of Judy Chicago's Birth Project Born Again Series at the Pasadena Museum and relates to her piece: Birth Trinity _________ For more information to go: GraceFull or follow us: @grac...
1 • Natalie (Mimi) Dohler : 4 Births 4 Different Ways, Birth Tear & Episiotomy (The Judy Chicago Series)
July 24, 2018 19:00 - 1 hour - 35 MBSo many people think that the birth of each of their babes will be just like the first one. Not true. Mimi shares the birth stories for all 4 of her children, all of whom have very different beginnings. We are going to hear a full range of stories that include spontaneous labor, medical inductions, tearing, episiotomies, pitocin, epidurals and au natural. This is a special edition of Big Birth Junkie that coincides with the artwork of Judy Chicago's Birth Project Born Again Series at the P...
Welcome to Big Birth Junkie - Elizabeth Bachner
May 25, 2018 07:00 - 7 minutes - 4.06 MBDreams. Yes, literal dreams. That is how I became a midwife. In this intro podcast, I share with you my story on how I became a midwife and my intention for this podcast. Within this podcast I am hoping you find inspiration to know that you have choices, the courage to start asking questions about birthing & parenting and the truth on how innately strong you are. Big Birth Junkie is the sharing of stories, wisdom, and journies so that you can be seen and heard. ______ For more informatio...