Unschooled Homebirth
96 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 months ago - ★★★★ - 1 ratingWelcome to the Unschooled Homebirth podcast, where we throw away the conventional birth textbooks and talk about homebirth from the philosophy of nature, life, and deep universal truths.
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Episodes
81. Grounding for Your Pelvic Floor
December 22, 2023 08:00 - 54 minutes - 37.3 MBI have a guest wisdom holder who is bringing a unique view of the pelvic floor and how the practice of grounding can be a powerful tool for pelvic floor function. My guest here is Jenn Lormand of the duo that is Tighten Your Tinkler, two women who are authors, researchers, and moms on a mission to help people live with functional pelvic floor health whether that's after having children or any other reason a person is living with an under-functioning pelvic floor. This conversation, as you ...
80. On Fear, Courage & Finding Your Power with Brittany Wittig
June 30, 2023 07:00 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MBWelcome to the last, but far from least, of the wisdom holder episodes I have for you so far this year. I have been eager for this episode to come out for you because it is so relevant and packed with insightful information from a courage coach named Brittany Wittig. Brittany and I met in a business program we both attended and after meeting her, I was so intrigued by her work I started listening to her podcast, called Coming Out of the Spiritual Closet. Then in October 2022, she released an...
79. Yoga & More for a Functional Pelvic Floor
May 19, 2023 19:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBIn this episode, my guest, Kristen Stevens of Discover Yoga and I talk about why the pelvic floor is so important, how it's so much more than just thinking about the cervix, and we'll share a bit about a workshop we will be hosting in June of 2023. If pelvic floor health is of interest to you, find the link to register below before June 4th, 2023. This is a live workshop with real feedback and time for Q&A from Kristen and myself, and because of that, space is limited, so reserve your sp...
78. Natural Pelvic Floor & Scar Support with Pauli Hannan of Beyond the V
May 05, 2023 07:00 - 56 minutes - 38.8 MBTake a tour of the pelvic floor, learn why a reflexive pelvic floor is more important than a tight pelvic floor, and learn the first steps to increase the suppleness of scar tissue in this interview with wisdom holder Pauli Hannan, PT of @beyondthev.bypauli. This episode of the Unschooled Homebirth podcast will have you looking at your pelvic floor from a whole new perspective and Pauli has great explanations of the anatomy and physiology of our bodies. Plus, she covers a topic that few p...
77. Sacred Songs & the Magic of Music for Birth
April 13, 2023 07:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBMy dear friend Laura Otter of Birthing Mamas will be sharing stories of her forthcoming album, Birth and Beyond: Sacred Songs for Mother and Baby, she will share how this album came to be, how the songs came to her, how they are impacting the families she works with, her own birth stories and how they were the portal to the music, and how music is such an important tool for birth. If you are listening to this episode before April 25th, 2023, Laura and her team have a Kickstarter to help fun...
76. Birth Story: The Medicine of Birth & Finding Yourself
April 07, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 49.7 MBMy guest for this episode, Courtney, had two very different out-of-hospital births to share and each one brings so many lessons. Courtney's first birth is a beautiful story, that also taught her a lot about who she was, who she wanted to become, and what she needed to do to become that woman for herself, for her family, her new little daughter, and for her next birth when that time came. And between her first and second birth, she did the work and exploration and growth she needed to tra...
75. Reclaiming Functional Pelvic Floor Health with Christina Walsh of Tighten Your Tinkler
March 10, 2023 08:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBToday I have an episode to share about a topic that I know is on the minds of just about every expecting mom, and that is the pelvic floor and postpartum recovery. Christina Walsh of Tighten Your Tinkler, will share her wisdom of functional pelvic floor health. This episode is definitely for you if you want to hear about why and how to use functional movement and non-invasive techniques to experience a holistic, restorative approach to postpartum pelvic floor health. Christina will share abo...
74. Birth Story: From Hospital to Midwives to Traditional Birth Keepers
February 17, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 51.6 MBI am honored to share the birth story of one of my past students who had an extraordinary amount of growth and revelations of her own power and agency in her pregnancy and birth. This is one of those stories that really gets to the heart of the change I would love to see in our birth culture. In this story, you’ll hear my guest share: How she navigated a system where she wasn't feeling that her choices were being respected How she came to find the strength in herself to become fully awar...
73. Elemental Birth Rites with Rachael Jean
January 06, 2023 08:00 - 57 minutes - 39.2 MBI am so excited to bring you a guest expert episode today with on of my mentors in birth work, Rachael Jean of Elemental Birth Rites. This conversation was so much fun to record and I know if you've been a listener of this podcast, you are going to love what Rachael shares here. Rachael Jean is a midwife and wise woman birth keeper who offers birth teachings and awareness programs that take you inward, rather than outward. Within that context, she offers programs for families on their pr...
72. When Birth is Challenging
December 23, 2022 08:00 - 17 minutes - 12.3 MBWhat happens when birth doesn't go as you planned, when things are more challenging than you expect? As a birth worker, one of the comments I hear frequently is about a birth experience that didn't unfold smoothly, maybe there was a stall in dilation or the baby had decelerations, or maybe mom and baby experience dystocia and hard decisions have to be made, and families always want to know what they could have done differently. As the parents in that situation during labor, it's difficult to...
71. In the Name of Safety with Dr. Stu Fischbein, MD
December 09, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 52.5 MBWhen it comes to homebirth, safety is always the number one question on everyone's mind. Today, I have a wisdom holder who is no stranger to the question of safety in birth, homebirth in particular. Dr. Stuart Fischbein is an obstetrician who left the conventional medical system decades ago after being exposed to the nature of the midwifery model of care. He went on to assist families and their midwives in homebirth to create a model for families with various presentation of birth to stil...
70. Blessing of Birth & Blood
November 23, 2022 08:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBThere are probably few things, if any, that could be more of a blessing than a new baby being welcomed into the world. While we spend a lot of time focusing on what a blessing a baby is, I think it's important to remember that the experience of pregnancy and birth is seeped in blessing. I wanted to spend my time on today's episode talking about the blessing of birth, which might take, us into some interesting and unexpected places. In this episode, you will hear about: Why it's important ...
69. Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Workshop Recording
October 14, 2022 07:00 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MBTLDR: Get the full Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree. As I've probably mentioned before, one of the most common things I'm asked about is how to breathe for labor and it's always a difficult question for me to answer because, when you're in labor you should breath in the way that feels most natural to you rather than be directed by someone. The problem I've come to realize is, most people aren't breathing properly before pregnan...
68. New Paradigm for Prenatal Care
September 16, 2022 07:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBI think it's time we asked the question, how can we continue improve the state of birth and prenatal care for families? I'll start by asking you the question, who are your prenatal visits for? When you set up your visit schedule with your midwife, who was that ultimately for? You, your baby, your midwife? I know this might sound like an odd question and you may not even be sure how to answer it and that's because we need to talk about your prenatal visit schedule. After this episode, I hope ...
67. It's a Freebirth Story
August 12, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBWelcome to a birth story episode on the Unschooled Homebirth podcast. It's been awhile since we've had a birth story, but one of my students, Sarah, who is also a birth wisdom keeper herself, was so gracious to share her birth story with us and I was thrilled to bring this story on the podcast because Sarah had such a simple and straightforward birth. We don't hear a lot of simple birth stories out there today, so often there's big decisions and critical moments, and drama in birth, even i...
66. The Secret to Joyous Cervical Dilation
July 15, 2022 07:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBToday's episode is all about cervical dilation as we explore the energetics of expansion and openness, some of the most important aspects to understand for birth and a natural progression to last month's episode on transition. ______________________________ Further info & opportunities: Learn how to awaken the magic of homebirth with Circle Magic for Homebirth: A Mini-Birth Preparation Course Beyond the Ordinary. Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Online Childbirth Preparation Prog...
65. Deeper Truths of Transition
June 24, 2022 07:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBTransitions are abundant in birth in so many ways. The most obvious is the stage of the physical labor process referred to as transition, which is a stage that preoccupies many mothers in their preparation for birth. But what isn't talked about, what women aren't taught is why this is normal, why she feels this way, the significance of the intensity of what is happening here, and therefore how to be better prepared for this experience of the cycles of life. So instead many women fear transit...
64. Using Breath in Homebirth
May 27, 2022 07:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBAs May comes to an end, we are deep into spring energy, and I thought it might be time to talk the energetics of spring, of the East guiding direction, which is all about breath and all that uplifts us in life and for birth. Whether you have explored birth from the energetics of the cycle of nature or not, there is still a good chance you have at least explored the energetics of breath in regard to birth as breath and breathing patterns are one of the most commonly studied comfort techniques...
Podcast Update - Things Look a Little Different!
May 26, 2022 18:00 - 7 minutes - 5.08 MBWelcome to this quick update about the podcast. It's been a couple years since I started this podcast to create a space for sharing ideas about birth that were a little unconventional. While it has been a journey so far, I have recently been feeling called to rebrand this podcast to something that resonates more specifically with the range of concepts I talk about here, and I was struck with some inspiration for that, so what was the Journey to Homebirth podcast is now the Unschooled Homebir...
63. The Cycle of Birth
April 29, 2022 07:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBToday’s episode is all about the cycles of birth and pregnancy, and life and parenting, because living and birthing naturally, the way Nature intended, is all about bringing these cycles into your awareness on a deep level so the magic of life comes alive and can be the center of your birth. This episode will explain how the magic of circles and cycles shows up in birth and the result of forgetting this ancestral knowledge and the impact it has had on birth, even homebirth. _______________...
62. Natural Timing in Labor
March 25, 2022 07:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBTime is a complex phenomenon and may not be what you thought it was, especially when it comes to prenatal care during your pregnancy and how time relates to birth. In this episode, we will dive deep into the two types of time, linear time and elemental time, and how to understand the flow of time to support optimal prenatal care and birth as you prepare for homebirth. ______________________________ Further info & opportunities: Learn how to awaken the magic of homebirth with Circle Magic f...
61. 3 Mistakes of Homebirth Preparation
March 11, 2022 08:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBAfter over a decade of supporting families in homebirth, I can clearly say three of the most common mistakes I see made are: Thinking that gathering information is the first step Foregoing discernment when gathering information Deferring to experts or authorities And in the current birth culture we are used to, you may not even realize how much you might be doing these three things! But there are signs to recognize if or when you are making these mistakes (things like reading too many...
60. Functional Nutrition for Optimal Maternal Health
February 11, 2022 08:00 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBIn this episode with special guest author of Functional Maternity and practitioner Sarah Thompson, we talk about what functional nutrition and functional medicine are, why nutrition matters for pregnancy and for mothers and pregnancy and birth outcomes, she touches on some cultural dietary wisdom that supports maternal physiology, and we hear how Sarah breaks down nutrition into easy to follow steps for her clients, and along the way, she shares many pearls and facts and insights. It's a rea...
59. Three Resolutions to Make for Your Prenatal Care for a Better Birth Outcome
January 07, 2022 08:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBWhat happens during prenatal care doesn't stay in prenatal care, it actually follows you right into your birth and even predicts outcomes for birth. So today in the first week of 2022, let's talk about making a resolution to manage 3 aspects of your prenatal care as part your birth preparation for a better birth outcome. ______________________________ Further info & opportunities: Learn how to awaken the magic of homebirth with Circle Magic for Homebirth: A Mini-Birth Preparation Course B...
58. Bringing Nature into Natural Birth
December 17, 2021 08:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBCan you have a natural birth without really understanding nature or your connection to nature? One of the core pillars of my approach to teaching about homebirth is to help the families I work with become aware of nature's cycle and attuning to nature's rhythms and when this is done, you can start to connect your inner world with the external nature around you, and this is how holistic homebirthers are intuitively and instinctually guided through birth, physically, mentally, and spiritually....
57. Pregnancy is Not a War
December 03, 2021 08:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBWhat you hear and what you see in pregnancy and regarding birth is as important as what you eat and drink. I talk about the implications of this in the natural birth compass approach because it's so important to be aware of, and I was inspired to bring this up on today's podcast because of a story I heard by journalists who were exploring the placenta, a very noble undertaking for sure and something that deserves more praise, so I was excited to see this story, but it didn't take long before...
56. Nourishment of Gratitude for Inner Strength
November 24, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.06 MBWishing you a wonderful harvest season this November 2021 and a little offering for your soul! With love, ~Tristin ______________________________ Further info & opportunities: Learn how to awaken the magic of homebirth with Circle Magic for Homebirth: A Mini-Birth Preparation Course Beyond the Ordinary. Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Online Childbirth Preparation Program to prepare for your birth by clicking here. See our unique birth plan course Beyond the Birth Plan for Home...
55 Perspectives of Homebirth Midwifery
September 17, 2021 07:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBMidwifery is changing, and homebirth families are the first to be noticing these changes, probably because many homebirth families are looking for an unmanaged, hands off birth, but in today's midwifery culture, this is less and less common, in part because regulations, in part because we live in a fear based society when it comes to birth and death, and so we are seeing the shifts of these aspects in homebirth quite regularly now. But is there another way? That's what we're exploring today ...
55. Perspectives of Homebirth Midwifery
September 17, 2021 07:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBMidwifery is changing, and homebirth families are the first to be noticing these changes, probably because many homebirth families are looking for an unmanaged, hands off birth, but in today's midwifery culture, this is less and less common, in part because regulations, in part because we live in a fear based society when it comes to birth and death, and so we are seeing the shifts of these aspects in homebirth quite regularly now. But is there another way? That's what we're exploring today ...
54. The Key to Shifting Your Anxiety About Homebirth
September 03, 2021 07:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBWhat are anxiety and fear about, why do we have them? Do anxiety and fear play a role in our everyday life and more specifically, in natural birth? In today's episode, I want to take a deeper look into the big picture of fears and anxieties, take a look at it from a few angles, and then, I will share with you one important shift you can make to lessen your anxiety about your upcoming homebirth. ______________________________ Further info & opportunities: Learn how to awaken the magic of ...
53. When Your Midwife Fears Birth
August 20, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 52 MBThis is the birth story of a family who was shocked to discover the realities of modern day midwifery in the US, a family who gradually realized their midwife feared birth, and how they overcame so many hurdles and so much stress by hiring a family advocate and getting educated. So often, first time homebirthers go into prenatal care with an expectation, maybe a bit of a romanticized idea of what homebirth midwifery with be like, what it will feel like, and when those expectations are shat...
52. 4 Keys to Create a Calm Homebirth
August 06, 2021 07:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBMost families have a supply list for homebirth, but what isn't often discussed are non-tangible elements to create a calm environment, which I would argue are even more important than supplies because if your birth environment gets stressful, it creates a difficult situation for homebirth far beyond running out of towels. So in today's episode, I'm sharing 4 Keys you must know to create calm homebirth environment. ______________________________ Further info & opportunities: Learn how to a...
51. Childbirth Coaching Marie-Eve Postpartum
July 23, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBWelcome to a Journey to Birth coaching call. In this episode, I am thrilled to share with you Marie-Eve's birth story. If you have been following this podcast for awhile, you may remember Marie-Eve from her birth prep coaching series, four episodes we recorded together while she and her husband went through the Natural Birth Compass Program online childbirth course with me. So here we get to finally hear the birth story. As you will hear in Marie-Eve's story, much about her experience led ...
50. How to Talk to Your Family & Friends About Your Homebirth
July 02, 2021 07:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBEven though more people know about homebirth today, when your not from a family or circle of friends who have traveled that path, talking about your choice to homebirth can come with a lot of dread and frustration and leave you feeling unsupported and even judged for your choice. So what do you do when the important people in your life just don't understand why you would choose to homebirth? In this episode, I'm going to share my thoughts on how you can have better conversations with those i...
49. Asking For a Pregnant Friend with Bailey Gaddis
June 11, 2021 07:00 - 51 minutes - 35.3 MBIf you're pregnant, or when you were pregnant or breastfeeding, did you have questions that you felt were inappropriate to be asking? Or sensations in your body, or deep fears that you didn't feel comfortable discussing with anyone, so you just kept them inside? If you're human, the chances are 100% yes, you have had an experience like this going through pregnancy or birth or mothering your children. On episode #49 of the Journey to Birth podcase, we are going to peer inside why that is wit...
48. Three Common Mistakes Homebirthers Make in Birth Plans
June 04, 2021 07:00 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MBBirth plans, have you made one, not sure if you need one, have a lot questions about what the birth plan is really all about, especially when preparing for a homebirth? If you're like most inquisitive homebirthers I talk to, you have probably been looking all over for information about birth plans for homebirth and seen all the templates, and maybe even asked other expecting homebirthers whether they had one and if so, what they included or didn't include. And when it comes to birth plans ...
Three Common Mistakes Homebirthers Make in Birth Plans
June 04, 2021 07:00 - 14 minutes - 10 MBBirth plans, have you made one, not sure if you need one, have a lot questions about what the birth plan is really all about, especially when preparing for a homebirth? If you're like most inquisitive homebirthers I talk to, you have probably been looking all over for information about birth plans for homebirth and seen all the templates, and maybe even asked other expecting homebirthers whether they had one and if so, what they included or didn't include. And when it comes to birth plans ...
Holistically-minded parents and the healthy mom healthy baby paradigm
May 28, 2021 07:00 - 15 minutes - 11 MBHolistically-minded homebirth parents know that birth is about more than healthy mom healthy baby, but how often are you told that it's ok to expect more for your birth than having a "healthy" outcome, and what does that even mean anyway, who is defining healthy birth? Today's episode will discuss the many layers of birth that should go into the definition of healthy birth, but often don't and why the phrase "at least everyone is healthy" is the last thing a family who is disappointed in t...
47. Holistically-minded parents and the healthy mom healthy baby paradigm
May 28, 2021 07:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBHolistically-minded homebirth parents know that birth is about more than healthy mom healthy baby, but how often are you told that it's ok to expect more for your birth than having a "healthy" outcome, and what does that even mean anyway, who is defining healthy birth? Today's episode will discuss the many layers of birth that should go into the definition of healthy birth, but often don't and why the phrase "at least everyone is healthy" is the last thing a family who is disappointed in t...
46. Rethinking Contraction Patterns in Labor: Why Variability May Be Wise & Intelligent
January 22, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 50.4 MBWelcome to the journey to birth podcast. I have an incredible episode for you today, with my dear friend and birth professional, Becky Purpur. Becky has been surrounded by natural, normal, undisturbed birth for 30 years growing up with a mom who was a homebirth midwife. Today Becky is still very active in the realms of birth as a birth photographer, a doula, and a very wise holsitic birth constultant. I brought Becky on today to share a really interesting perspective she shared with me abou...
45. Future of Birth in 2021 and Beyond
January 08, 2021 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBAt the turn of the year and the beginning of a new astrological age, I find myself once again thinking about the future of life, humanity and of course, the future of birth. So today, picking up where we left off near the end of 2020, I thought I would share my thoughts out loud here on the Journey to Birth Podcast. So here we go to contemplate about the future and the choices that will take us there. ______________________________ Further info & opportunities: Learn how to awaken the mag...
44. Natural Birth and Technological Distractions
November 03, 2020 08:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBBirth led by nature is more than just having a natural birth, whatever that really means today - I have heard so many definitions the last few months, I doesn't even sound like a word any more! Birth lead by nature is more than avoiding interventions, in fact it has very little to do with these things, but it has everything to do with the intentionality of life. I am going to share some thoughts that might go against what is commonly accepted today, in the hopes that we will continue to bre...
43. Are Evidence Based Medicine and Research Useful for Birth?
October 27, 2020 07:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MBHow much should you use research and evidence based information to inform your birth? Is research in the realms of pregnancy and birth useful or practical? If so, how does it inform your pregnancy and birth? If not, what can you use to inform your birth? Questions of research and evidence based medicine are what's on the Journey to Birth podcast today! Link for the 2019 research article about induction of labor ______________________________ Further info & opportunities: Learn how to...
42. Childbirth Coaching with Marie-Eve Session 4
October 20, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 48.4 MBWelcome to a Journey to Birth podcast coaching session. We're back with our fourth coaching call with Marie Eve, a first time mom preparing for her first birth, which she is arranging to have at home with a midwife. This is my fourth call with Marie-Eve and likely the last call before we hear her birth story as by the time this episode airs, it will be in the window of time that Marie-Eve is expecting her little girl to make her way into the world. So in this fourth call we discuss any fin...
41. Should you have expectations for birth?
October 13, 2020 07:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBExpectations is one of those charged words, especially when it comes to birth. So often women feel they don't want to have expectations for birth because they don't want to be disappointed if their expectations aren't met. Are you one of them? This episode will explore some other perspectives of expectations, how we develop our feelings about them and how to view them in your birth preparation, should you find they are a helpful piece of your overall birth approach...hint: I think they ar...
40. Childbirth Coaching with Marie-Eve Session 3
October 06, 2020 07:00 - 1 hour - 48.6 MBWelcome to a Journey to Birth Coaching Session. On this series, I am joined by Marie-Eve, a first time mom preparing for her first birth, which she is arranging to have at home with a midwife. In the third call, Marie-Eve and I discuss a lot including: How many people she is comfortable having at her birth The difference between those annoying pregnancy calf cramps and labor cramps We review timing contractions after she watched the training video in her course How her birth partner ...
39. Have You Experienced the Nocebo Effect?
September 29, 2020 07:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBNocebo, placebo all these interesting terms we have to tell people you what your experiences are. Amongst academics, the nocebo effect is described as experiencing a negative response to a drug or treatment based on the belief that you will respond negatively. The nocebo effect in regard to pregnancy and birth is intertwined with the expectation that has been created that pregnancy and birth are medical events waiting to happen, that the normal stress of pregnancy and the physiologic adap...
38. Childbirth Coaching with Marie Eve, Session 2
September 22, 2020 07:00 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MBWelcome to a Journey to Birth Coaching Session. On this series, I am joined by Marie-Eve, a first time mom preparing for her first birth, which she is arranging to have at home with a midwife. In our second call together, Marie eve and I work through various aspects of her birth vision and how she can best prepare her birth team for how to offer the type of support that helps her the most during times of stress and we have an overview of some newborn topics like vitamin k and antibiotic o...
37. Childbirth Coaching with Marie-Eve, Session 1
September 15, 2020 07:00 - 56 minutes - 39.1 MBWelcome to a Journey to Birth Coaching Session. On this series, I am joined by Marie-Eve, a first time mom preparing for her first birth, which she is arranging to have at home with a midwife. In this first episode of her coaching series, Marie-Eve will share why she desires a homebirth, we discuss a couple questions she has about doulas and waterbirth, and then we talk about to expect as she get ready to begin her childbirth course in the coming days. As you may know, these coaching ca...
36. Yin & Yang of Birth, Exploring Starre's Birth Journey
September 08, 2020 07:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBIf you have been listening to this podcast, you have probably heard Starre's birth coaching series and ever since we did her postpartum call to process her birth story, I have wanted to distill a few things that came up during that call from her birth story, and some perspectives related to it that I would like to explore about our birth culture. So I thought I would take you on that exploration with me. So today I will dive into the yin and yang of birth you could say, how we approach bir...