Aimee shares her story of two pregnancies, two vaginal births, and two attempted home births—one of which ended in a life-altering emergency when her second daughter needed resuscitation at home before being transferred by ambulance at just 10 minutes old.

As someone who has supported countless families in birth as an L&D nurse, Aimee opens up about what it felt like to be on the other side—as the mother, not the provider. We talk about the emotional complexity of birth plans changing fast, NICU stays, trusting your instincts, navigating trauma, and finding healing while mothering little ones close in age.

This conversation is raw, honest, powerful, and one that will stay with us for a long time. 🤍

In this episode we cover:

✨ Being both a birth professional and a birth patient

✨ Two very different home birth experiences

✨ Unexpected newborn respiratory complications + NICU stays

✨ Emergency resuscitation and ambulance transfer after birth

✨ Processing trauma while entering postpartum

✨ Motherhood, perspective shifts, and healing

This episode is for the moms who know birth can be beautiful and wildly unpredictable—and for anyone who has had to rewrite their story while still finding strength in it. 🎙️🤍

Grace shares how motherhood wasn’t always something she long dreamed about—but when it came into her life, it became her greatest sense of purpose.

Her first pregnancy was filled with awe and constant reminders of the miracle of life… but also fear. What began with a terrifying misdiagnosis of an interstitial ectopic pregnancy ended with an atypical HELLP Syndrome diagnosis, leading to a long and emotional 3–4 day induction prior to 37 weeks—and ultimately, a vaginal delivery that required deep surrender.

Her second journey brought a completely different energy—more peace, more connection, and more trust in her body. This time, she experienced a full-term, 40+2 vaginal birth, feeling empowered and supported throughout.

In this episode, we talk about:

    •    Navigating pregnancies that don’t go as planned

    •    Building trust with your body through uncertainty

    •    Holding space for both fear and empowerment in birth

    •    Faith, surrender, and trusting God’s timing

    •    Nourishing yourself through every season of motherhood

Grace also opens up about how becoming a mother became an unexpected space for healing—helping her work through years of body image struggles, disordered eating, and cycles of control, and instead learning to honor and trust her body.

And a full-circle moment you won’t believe:

Grace and her husband were both surprise babies… born on the same day, in the same hospital in Roseville, just hours apart—but didn’t meet until 25 years later 🤍

Oh—and despite a 3 lb and 3 inch difference between her babies, both births came down to just a few powerful pushes.

This episode is your reminder that:

✨ You don’t have to have it all planned for it to be exactly right

✨ Your body is wise

✨ And sometimes, the most unexpected paths lead you straight into your purpose

From a first birth filled with anxiety, lack of preparation, and feeling overwhelmed… to two precipitous labors that moved faster than anyone expected — Michelle walks us through what it actually feels like when your body takes over.

We talk about:

What it’s like going into birth unprepared — and how that shaped everything after

The intensity and unpredictability of precipitous labor

Transition happening in the car (yes… really)

That “I have to poop” moment and what it actually means

The mental shift from fear → trust in your body

How experience can completely transform your birth perspective

Michelle’s second and third births happened in just a matter of hours — with pushing phases lasting only minutes — and her stories are a reminder that birth doesn’t always follow the “expected” timeline.

This episode is raw, fast-paced (just like her births), and full of those “wait… WHAT just happened?!” moments.

Whether you’re a first-time mom or preparing for another baby, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about birth, intuition, and how quickly things can change.

⸻

Takeaways:

Your first birth does not define your future births

Preparation and education can completely shift your experience

Fast labor is real — and can be intense, empowering, and a little chaotic

Your body knows what it’s doing, even when it feels overwhelming

⸻

Connect with Michelle:

Instagram: @_doulamichelle

Her story is a beautiful reminder that positive, uncomplicated hospital births exist—and they matter.

What we talk about:

•  Being newly pregnant (around 6 weeks!) and navigating early pregnancy 
•  Life as a mom to a 2-year-old while entering a new season 
•  Her first birth: an unmedicated, low-risk hospital birth at Kaiser Roseville 
•  A 13-hour labor that felt “fast and easy-ish” 
•  What made her feel safe, supported, and confident during her birth 
•  Reflecting on a birth she genuinely loved 
•  How her birth experience influenced her path into becoming a doula 
•  Supporting families now as both a mom and a birth worker 

Why this episode matters:
We hear so many intense or complicated birth stories—but this one is a breath of fresh air. Olivia’s experience shows that birth can be calm, empowering, and even joyful. And sometimes, one positive experience is all it takes to change the direction of your life.

If you’re pregnant, planning your birth, or just craving a grounded, encouraging story—this one’s for you.

🎧 Streaming on YouTube, Apple Podcasts & Spotify
 💗 New episodes every Thursday

In this episode, Allie shares what it looked like to do it anyway…

through three pregnancies, two births, and seasons that would have broken most.

We talk about:

    • Becoming a young single mom and carrying the weight of it all

    • Her first birth: a 23-hour labor, an unforgettable moment catching her own baby, and the aftermath no one prepares you for

    • Postpartum complications, including a severe kidney infection and a third-degree tear

    • The physical and emotional toll of healing while still showing up for her babies

    • Her second birth and how it differed

    • Building a business and pursuing nursing in the middle of motherhood

    • The quiet strength, resilience, and softness it takes to keep going

This episode is for the moms who didn’t have it easy…

who carried more than they should have had to…

and who showed up anyway.

Allie’s story is powerful, honest, and deeply human and a reminder that strength doesn’t always look loud… sometimes it looks like surviving, healing, and continuing forward.

During her pregnancy, she immersed herself in the work of Ina May Gaskin and other birth education, reshaping her mindset and building deep trust in her body.

She chose to birth at the California Birth Center, where her labor unfolded over 10.5 hours, including 3 hours of pushing—an experience that pushed her to her edge and showed her just how capable she is.

And what’s even more powerful… she’s choosing that same path again.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  What it looks like to fully prepare for birth mentally and emotionally
•  How studying birth transformed her experience 
•  Why she chose the California Birth Center—and why she’d choose it again 
•  Navigating a long and intense pushing phase 
•  The role of mindset, environment, and support in birth 
•  Trusting your body in a deep, embodied way 

This story is grounded, inspiring, and such a reminder that when you prepare with intention and trust your body—you can create an experience that feels truly aligned.

Go listen to Episode 34 🎙✨
 Streaming everywhere—YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Jamie opens up about becoming a mom at 19 and navigating multiple medically complex pregnancies, including inductions for hypertension and preeclampsia, a premature birth at 34 weeks, and the heartbreak of miscarriage. Through each experience, her perspective on birth, motherhood, and support continued to evolve.

We also dive into her NICU experience—what it felt like to have a baby in the NICU, the emotional highs and lows, navigating uncertainty, and how that season shaped the way she now shows up for families as a doula. She shares what support actually looks like in those moments, what she wishes more people understood, and how deeply those early days can impact a mother’s healing.

A big part of this conversation centers around postpartum mental health—how it showed up for her, what it looked like behind the scenes, and the importance of being supported, seen, and cared for in the fourth trimester. We talk about the weight many moms carry silently, and how community and intentional support can change everything.

We talk about:

What it’s like to walk through repeated high-risk pregnancies

Inductions and navigating medical decision-making

Experiencing preeclampsia and early delivery

The emotional reality of having a baby in the NICU

Postpartum mental health and navigating the fourth trimester

Holding space for loss while continuing to grow your family

How her mindset around birth shifted over time

Choosing a homebirth after hospital experiences

How her personal journey led her into birth and postpartum doula work

What kind of support actually matters most to moms in vulnerable seasons

Jamie’s story is honest, layered, and deeply grounding. This episode is for anyone who has experienced medical complexities, NICU time, postpartum struggles, loss, or is simply learning to trust themselves again

🤍 You’re not behind. You’re becoming.

🎧 Streaming on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, & Spotify

Abi shares her journey of:
 ✨ Navigating four pregnancies, including two early miscarriages
✨ Becoming a first-time mom and choosing a birth center for her first delivery
✨ Experiencing a breech baby that flipped, leading to an incredible, redemptive birth
✨ Now raising her 16-month-old while 35 weeks pregnant with baby #2

Abi walks us through what it actually looked like to choose a birth center—the fears, the decision-making, the support, and why it ended up being such a powerful experience for her.

Now, as Abi Dawson prepares for her second baby, she’s planning a home birth, bringing everything she learned from her first birth into this next chapter.

This episode is such a beautiful reminder of:
 💭 How to confidently choose the birth setting that aligns with you
 💭 The strength it takes to walk through loss and still step into motherhood
 💭 What a birth center experience really looks like
 💭 How your first birth can shape your future birth decisions

Abi Dawson keeps it open, honest, and truly “nothing off limits”—and we know so many of you will feel seen in her story.

💗 Whether you’re:

• A first-time mom exploring your birth options
• Considering a birth center vs. hospital vs. home birth
• Navigating pregnancy after loss
• Or just love hearing real, relatable birth stories

This episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now on Girly Pop Birth Talks — streaming everywhere!

Jenna shares the stories of her two positive hospital birth experiences and what it has been like preparing to welcome baby number three. From navigating pregnancy while raising little ones to trusting her body through each birth, Jenna reflects on the powerful and emotional journey of motherhood.

While her first two pregnancies came quickly, this time around Jenna and her husband spent a year and a half trying to conceive before becoming pregnant with their third baby. She opens up about the emotional side of that wait and what it felt like to finally see that positive test again.

Together, Arielle, Becca, and Jenna talk about the beauty of positive hospital birth experiences, the evolution of motherhood from baby one to baby three, and the strength women carry through every stage of growing their families.

This episode is a reminder that birth can be empowering, supported, and deeply meaningful — and that every mother’s story deserves to be shared.

In This Episode We Talk About

• Jenna’s two positive hospital birth experiences

• Preparing for baby #3

• Parenting a 6-year-old and 3.5-year-old while pregnant

• The emotional journey of trying to conceive

• How birth experiences shape motherhood

• Trusting your body through pregnancy and birth

🎧 Listen to Girly Pop Birth Talks wherever you stream podcasts.

New episodes drop every Thursday.

Haley shares the deeply personal birth story that ultimately reshaped her life and professional path.

Her son’s birth in 2020 began with intense back labor from the very start, contractions coming quickly every two minutes while dilation lagged behind. After 20 hours of labor, an epidural, and her water being broken by her doctor, Haley’s baby—who was sunny side up needed to be delivered with vacuum assistance after experiencing heart rate decelerations.

Following the birth, her baby required immediate care while Haley was stitched, and the postpartum experience continued with the discovery of a tongue tie, launching her into the complex and emotional realities of early motherhood.

Through this journey paired with the isolation and limited resources many families experienced during the 2020 pandemic Haley’s perspective on birth, postpartum care, and maternal mental health shifted profoundly.

Today, Haley uses both her professional expertise and lived experience to support families navigating the emotional layers of pregnancy, birth, miscarriage, and the postpartum transition.

In this conversation we talk about:

✨ The emotional reality of long and difficult labors

✨ Sunny-side-up babies and back labor

✨ Birth interventions and processing birth experiences

✨ The mental health impact of early postpartum challenges

✨ Navigating miscarriage conversations with compassion

✨ Why perinatal mental health support matters now more than ever

Haley reminds us that birth stories don’t just shape babies they shape mothers too.

Guest: Haley Palos, LMFT

Perinatal Mental Health Therapist

Instagram: @palospractice

With decades devoted to mothers, babies, and families, Kaleem shares the defining moments that shaped her path into midwifery from early experiences in highly medicalized birth rooms to the profound transformation she experienced witnessing connected, family-centered births.

We talk about what birth looked like decades ago, how the system has evolved, and what still needs reclaiming today. Kaleem reflects on the instinct that guides birth workers, the emotional realities of infertility and loss, and the importance of mentorship and legacy in this work.

In this episode, we explore:

✨ How one moment in a hospital room sparked a lifelong calling
✨ What birth culture used to look like and why that history matters
✨ The power of instinct, connection, and honoring the mother-baby bond
✨ Kaleem’s personal journey through infertility, miscarriage, and motherhood
✨ Why legacy birth workers matter and how their wisdom shapes the future

🌿 Learn From Kaleem

If you’re expecting, preparing for birth, or simply want education rooted in experience and intuition, Kaleem offers childbirth education through her program Natural Childbirth 101.

Her courses support families through pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum with education designed to build confidence, empowerment, and connection.

You can learn more at:
www.naturalchildbirth101.com

Kaleem’s story reminds us that birth work isn’t just a profession — it’s a calling carried across generations.

🎧 Tune in for a conversation about devotion, calling, and what it really means to live a life in birth.

Brittany shares her experience of an unmedicated hospital birth followed by a difficult postpartum season and prolapse diagnosis — a chapter that deeply impacted her physically, emotionally, and professionally. She also opens up about the grief of an early miscarriage, the long process of healing, and the redemptive power of her later home birth.

Having worked in hospital settings, including Labor & Delivery, Brittany brings a rare perspective from both sides of the room — the clinician supporting families and the mother navigating her own story in real time.

In this conversation, we explore:
 • How birth experiences influence maternal mental health
 • Navigating postpartum body changes and recovery
 • Pregnancy loss and honoring grief
 • What healing can look like after a hard start to motherhood
 • Why compassionate mental health support in the perinatal period matters so deeply

This episode is thoughtful, validating, and full of insight for anyone walking through motherhood, healing, or the desire to rewrite their story.

Follow Brittany on Instagram: @therapybybrittany

Kelci has birthed three babies.

One in a hospital room.

Two in the sacred stillness of home.

But this conversation isn’t about where she gave birth.

It’s about who she became.

She shares what early motherhood actually felt like the tenderness, the isolation, the stretching of identity. The way your world expands and narrows all at once. The quiet ache of wishing someone would say the things you were thinking but didn’t yet have language for.

There was a kind of village she longed for.

Honest. Grounded. Faith-filled.

A space where women spoke gently but truthfully about motherhood not polished, not performative just real.

And when she couldn’t find it…

She began building it.

We talk about:

– How her three births shaped her confidence

– The unseen emotional landscape of becoming a mother

– Growing into her voice instead of shrinking it

– Supporting women in birth while still learning herself

– Raising babies while creating meaningful work

– What it means to build community with intention

Kelci carries motherhood with depth and softness.

Her words feel like an exhale.

This episode is for the woman who feels the becoming happening inside her.

For the one quietly building something she once needed.

Sometimes the calling isn’t loud.

Sometimes it’s just a whisper that says,

“Be what you were looking for.”

And she did.

At just 29 years old, Ellen has already navigated pregnancy, motherhood, and unexpected challenges with incredible strength. As a middle school teacher, makeup artist, wife, and mom of two little ones, she opens up about what birth really looked like for her behind the highlight reel.

We dive into:

Her first hospital birth with an epidural that ended in a traumatic postpartum hemorrhage

What it felt like to hear her own doctors label her experience as “traumatic”

Processing fear and recovery in the early postpartum days

Her second pregnancy, complicated by preterm labor at just 32 weeks

Spending six long weeks trying to “keep baby Henry in”

The emotional rollercoaster of hospitalization, uncertainty, and resilience

Making it all the way to 38 weeks after being told delivery could be imminent

How Ellen’s perspective on birth, support, and motherhood shifted the second time around

Her doula experience and how it shaped both of her labors

And the story of how she “redeemed breastfeeding” after a difficult start

This conversation is real, relatable, and full of the kind of honesty we love on Girly Pop Birth Talks. Whether you’ve experienced birth trauma, preterm labor, or just want to feel seen in your own motherhood journey—this episode will wrap you in a big virtual hug.

As always, we’re here to remind you: every birth story matters.

Shanna walks us through her first birth at the California Birth Center, where her water broke unexpectedly while walking around Raley’s at 37+6. When labor didn’t begin on its own, she made the empowered decision to use castor oil, leading to an 8-hour labor and a calm, supported birth just days later.

Her second birth, a planned home birth through CBC, was a completely different experience — fast, intense, and almost missed. With only two hours of active labor, a water birth in the middle of the day, and a midwife arriving at 2:53 PM with baby born at 3:10 PM, this birth became a powerful lesson in trusting the body and letting go of expectations (and the timeline 😅).

Together, we talk about:

Birth center vs. home birth experiences

Fast labor and how it can surprise even experienced moms

Trusting your body when labor doesn’t follow the “rules”

How chiropractic care can support pregnancy & birth

Surrender, intuition, and body wisdom in labor

What second births teach us about control and confidence

This episode is real, grounding, and empowering — a reminder that birth doesn’t have to look one way to be powerful and that your body is always worthy of trust.

🎧 Perfect for mamas, birth workers, and anyone who loves honest birth stories that leave you feeling more confident in your body.

Justine shares her experience of seven pregnancies, including four births, three miscarriages, and one beautiful adoption, as well as giving birth in a hospital, birth center, and at home. Her story is layered with loss, trust, surrender, and the deep knowing that families are built in so many different ways.

Now a stay-at-home and homeschool mama with children ranging from newborn to 9 years old, Justine reflects on navigating big age gaps, postpartum in midlife, and learning to release control while honoring her body and intuition.

In this episode, we talk about:

What it’s like to birth in every setting

Trusting your body after pregnancy loss

The emotional journey of adoption

Parenting across wide age gaps

Letting go of the “perfect birth” story

Redefining what a family can look like

This conversation is tender, grounding, and full of wisdom for anyone walking through pregnancy, postpartum, loss, or adoption.

✨ Press play, grab a cozy drink, and come sit with us.

Amanda opens up about experiencing six pregnancies, including two living children, three chemical pregnancies, and one devastating stillbirth. She walks us through her three unplanned cesarean births, each one shaped by unique circumstances, medical complications, and emotional weight.

We talk about:

Planning a birth center birth that ended in a hospital transfer, Pitocin, and cesarean after PROM and positional challenges

Navigating preeclampsia at 39 weeks, induction, and the unimaginable discovery that her baby had passed away, followed by a cesarean and postpartum preeclampsia rehospitalization

Hoping for a VBAC after loss, only to face another cesarean due to cord complications and fetal intolerance of labor

The lasting impact of birth trauma and being treated poorly by medical providers

What it means to grieve, heal, and mother after loss

How these experiences reshape trust, advocacy, and the way we hold future pregnancies and births

This episode is tender, heavy, and incredibly important. Amanda’s story is a reminder that birth is not linear, that outcomes do not define worth, and that women deserve compassion, autonomy, and respect—always.

🤍 Content note: This episode includes discussion of pregnancy loss and stillbirth.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

💗 If this episode resonates, please share it with someone who might feel less alone because of it.

In this episode of Girly Pop Birth Talks, Becca and Arielle sit down with Valary — a 34-year-old mom of two (soon to be three), real estate pro, and woman with real stories about birth center birth and what it takes to trust your body again.

Valary shares openly about:

Birth center births what they’re really like beyond the highlight reel

Her first birth at 40+4 and the healing that followed

A second baby born mostly en caul on the due date

How previous birth experiences shaped her confidence going into baby number three

The emotional, physical, and spiritual prep for another baby while parenting little ones

Letting go of perfection and embracing real birth experiences

This conversation is grounded, honest, and full of heart perfect for anyone navigating birth expectations, healing after a challenging delivery, or preparing for another round.

🎧 Episode 22 is live now

Available on YouTube • Apple Podcasts • Spotify

Come sit with us 💗

— Becca & Arielle

with Morgan Kuppenbender

In this episode of Girly Pop Birth Talks, Becca and Arielle sit down with Morgan Kuppenbender, a mama sharing her first and only birth story—a vaginal birth that unfolded very differently than expected.

At 31, married, and balancing life as both a wedding planner and tech sales professional, Morgan opens up about her pregnancy, emergency induction, and the moments during birth that forever changed her understanding of advocacy, trust, and postpartum healing.

Together, Becca, Arielle, and Morgan explore:

    •    Experiencing an emergency induction

    •    Delivering a healthy baby boy

    •    A retained amniotic sac and postpartum hemorrhage (850 mL blood loss)

    •    The emotional and physical recovery that followed

    •    Processing birth trauma while stepping into motherhood

    •    How perspectives on control, surrender, and self-advocacy evolve after birth

This conversation is raw, grounded, and deeply validating—especially for parents whose births didn’t go according to plan but still resulted in profound growth and resilience.

Nothing is off-limits in this episode. With Becca and Arielle holding space, Morgan’s story reminds us that birth can be both beautiful and hard—and that telling our stories helps other mothers feel seen, supported, and less alone.

✨ If you’ve experienced an unexpected birth, medical intervention, or postpartum complications, this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts

YouTube • Apple Podcasts • Spotify

🎧 Listen now on

Spotify• Apple Podcasts• YouTube

This week, Becca and Arielle sit down with Kaleigh Burrage, an RRDS birth doula, as she shares her deeply personal journey through one hospital birth, two home births, and what it’s like to live and work inside the world of birth.

Kaleigh opens up about how each of her births shaped her trust in her body, her intuition, and her understanding of informed choice. We talk about navigating the hospital system, choosing home birth, and the emotional and spiritual shift that happens when you move from birthing mother to birth worker.

This episode is honest, reflective, and grounding — a beautiful conversation about sovereignty, support, and answering the call to serve families through birth.

✨ In this episode, we cover:

• Kaleigh’s first hospital birth
• Choosing home birth for her second and third babies
• How birth led her into doula work with RRDS
• What it’s really like to hold space as a birth doula
• Trusting your body and honoring intuition

🎧 Streaming on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify
New episodes drop every Thursday at 6pm.

Caitlin opens up about navigating six pregnancies, including two losses between her third and fourth babies, and how each chapter shaped the mother she is today. With children now ages 9, 7, 4, and 18 months, Caitlin reflects on how her confidence, intuition, and perspective evolved across her journeys from her early hospital experiences to finding autonomy and peace in her later births.

As a stay-at-home mom, Caitlin brings a grounded, honest, and relatable voice to this conversation. Her story is a testament to growth, resilience, and the beauty of learning to trust your body over time.

What began as a familiar, confident rhythm of physiological birth suddenly shifted into medical urgency, grief, and long-term caregiving for a medically complex child.

In this conversation, we walk through:

– Four planned home births
– A miscarriage and its emotional impact
– An emergency twin C-section
– Losing one baby at delivery
– Navigating grief while caring for a surviving newborn
– Becoming the full-time caregiver to a child with trach, vent, and g-tube needs

Her living children range from teenage years to toddlerhood, and this episode highlights what it looks like to mother across different developmental stages while holding grief, medical decisions, and everyday life.

We explore:

– The identity shift that comes when birth outcomes change drastically
– How grief and joy coexist in motherhood
– What resilience looks like beyond the romantic version of strength
– The complexities of marriage, household demands, and caregiving
– How life can redraw itself overnight

This episode gives voice to mothers navigating unexpected loss, medical complexity, and survival mode. It offers honesty without dramatizing, hope without glossing over pain, and visibility to stories often held quietly.

This one is for every mom who’s thought:
 “Why is postpartum so much harder than birth?”

We dive into:

✨ Birth Stories: 4 Easy Hospital Births
• How she intentionally planned for a big family quickly
• Why each hospital birth felt smooth, supported, and empowering
• What made her epidural experiences positive
• Her tips for creating a beautiful, calm hospital birth

✨ Postpartum: The Hardest Part
• Her experience with postpartum rage
• How rage can mask itself as irritability, overwhelm, or “snapping”
• The shame spiral so many moms experience
• How she learned to name her emotions and find support

✨ Triple Feeding + Feeding Challenges
• Surviving the exhausting nurse–pump–bottle cycle
• The mental and physical toll it took
• What she wishes she knew earlier
• Giving herself permission to rest and pivot

✨ Reconciling Easy Births + Hard Postpartum
• Identity shifts with multiple babies close together
• What changed with her fourth postpartum
• How she rebuilt confidence, capacity, and connection

💛 Big Takeaway
You can have 4 easy births… and 4 really hard postpartums. You are not alone, and you are not failing.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, & YouTube!

Katie walks us through:

💛 Baby 1 — Mollie (2020)

Induction at 40+2, a long hospital labor, vacuum delivery, tearing, and hours of pushing — ending with the unexpected discovery that Mollie was born with a lipoma (facial abnormality) in her cheek, something no one had caught prenatally. Katie shares the shock of that moment and how it shifted her entire postpartum experience and motherhood journey.

💛 Baby 2 — Heidi (2022)

Another induction, minimal epidural relief, one push, and a postpartum experience that left Katie vowing never to deliver in a hospital again — shaped heavily by feeling pressured around interventions and her family’s vaccine preferences.

💛 Baby 3 — Harrison (2023)

A spontaneous birth at California Birth Center at 41 weeks — fast, supported, and only 2.5 hours from start to finish. Katie calls this birth her “literal dream.”

💛 Baby 4 — Georgia (2025)

A 38+6 spontaneous home birth, six hours start to finish, and their first surprise gender. Big sister Mollie was determined to be in the room — and got to witness her baby sister being born.

Katie also shares how her first baby’s facial abnormality shaped her early motherhood, her fears going into future pregnancies, and the healing she found in her later births.

We explore:

✨ Choosing different birth settings for different seasons of life

✨ Rebuilding trust in your body after hard or unexpected births

This episode is raw, heartfelt, and full of insight for both new and seasoned moms.

Aria opens up about meeting her husband at 14, becoming a doula at 16, and enrolling in midwifery school at 18 all before finding herself pregnant and choosing home birth as the path that felt most aligned for her.

She shares what it was like navigating Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a kidney infection in her third trimester, and the emotional and physical toll of balancing full-time work, study, and pregnancy. Through it all, Aria’s story is one of surrender, strength, and love.

Tune in as Becca and Arielle explore her journey through motherhood, the realities of being a young birth worker, and the deep trust she built in herself to birth her sweet boy at home, surrounded in peace and support.

Cesarean • Home Birth Transfer • Birth Trauma • TFMR
with Whitney Mello, founder of The Crunchy Cottage

Hey Girly Pops 💗

You’re getting two episodes this week! Last week was a whirlwind - we had nine RRDS babies born, and on a personal note, I lost my sweetest fur-baby, Sunny Boy, which completely wrecked me. Thank you all for the love and patience as we took a moment to pause, breathe, and grieve before jumping back in.

In this week’s episode, we sit down with Whitney, a mama, business owner, and the heart behind The Crunchy Cottage - a wellness company shipping nourishing, holistic products nationwide.

Whitney shares her powerful story - getting pregnant young, finding deep love, and planning a home birth that led to an unexpected transfer and cesarean, followed by the unimaginable heartbreak of a TFMR (termination for medical reasons).

But through every layer of pain, God’s redeeming love showed up in the fire - teaching her grace, healing, and purpose on the other side of heartbreak.

✨ In this episode, we talk about:

• Navigating home birth transfer and cesarean recovery
• The emotional depth of birth trauma and TFMR
• How faith and grief can coexist
• Building The Crunchy Cottage out of pain and purpose

💗 Connect with Whitney:
Instagram: @crunchycottage_

Website: thecrunchycottage.com

🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube - and don’t forget to follow, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to be reminded that even in the fire, redemption is possible.

Abby opens her heart about her journey through multiple births — from a hospital delivery, to a birth center experience, to the homebirth that brought her full circle. But at the center of her story is her son, Daniel Lee, born with anencephaly. His brief life changed everything.

Abby shares what it was like to carry a baby she knew she would have to say goodbye to — how she prepared, grieved, and still found peace in the sacred moments they shared. Out of that heartbreak came something extraordinary: Daniel Lee’s Gift, a non-profit that helps families facing miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss by covering funeral and medical expenses.

What began as a way to honor one little boy has become a ripple of love touching families across the country. Abby’s courage and compassion show that from pain can come purpose — and that a mother’s love truly never ends.

💫 In this episode:

The emotional journey of carrying and birthing a baby with a fatal diagnosis

Finding faith and strength in the hardest goodbye

How grief became the foundation for Daniel Lee’s Gift

What it means to turn personal loss into community healing

The mission and impact of Daniel Lee’s Gift today

Reflections on motherhood, legacy, and love that lives on

🕊 About Daniel Lee’s Gift

Founded by Abby and her family in honor of their son, Daniel Lee’s Gift is a non-profit organization that provides financial support to families who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. Their mission is simple but profound: to share the burden so families can focus on healing.

Learn more, donate, or apply for support at daniel-leesgift.com

Instagram: @danielleesgift

Located in Roseville, CA — serving families nationwide.

💗 A note from Becca & Arielle

This conversation isn’t just about loss — it’s about transformation. Abby’s story reminds us that even in grief, there is grace. That love can move mountains, and that sometimes the hardest chapters of our lives become the most beautiful legacies.

Amber opens up about her miscarriage at 12 weeks, the grief that followed, and how that experience transformed the way she approaches motherhood, community, and support for other loss moms. She then walks us through her two home birth stories with her boys — raw, redemptive, and full of beauty.

Together, we explore:

• How loss reshaped Amber’s understanding of motherhood and empathy
• What healing after miscarriage looked like for her
• The transition from grief to advocacy and art through birth photography
• The power of reclaiming birth after loss

Amber’s story is a moving reminder that healing is not linear — it’s layered, sacred, and often intertwined with new beginnings.

✨ Follow Amber’s work and stunning birth imagery at @ambermoonphoto_

Alexa went into labor while her husband was on duty, and before he could make it home, their daughter had already arrived. With pure strength, faith, and the support of her birth team, Alexa brought her baby girl into the world — and her husband witnessed it all through FaceTime.

This episode is a reminder that even when birth takes an unexpected turn, it can still be filled with beauty, connection, and magic.

Tune in as Becca and Arielle talk with Alexa about:
💫 The emotions of preparing for and experiencing a VBAC
💫 What it’s like to give birth when your partner can’t be there in person
💫 Trusting your body when things move fast
💫 Finding peace and gratitude in the story you’re given

A story of faith, surrender, and love that transcended distance — this one will stay with you long after you listen.

Rebecca takes us through her experience of having her thyroid removed, how that journey shaped her, and why she chose to give birth to her first baby at a stand-alone birth center. Now expecting a baby girl, Rebecca is planning for a home birth and reflects on the lessons, courage, and trust she’s carrying into this new season of motherhood.

✨ In this episode, we talk about:

Navigating pregnancy after thyroid removal

Why a birth center was the right choice for her first baby

Preparing for a home birth the second time around

Trust, resilience, and finding confidence as a mother

Whether you’re exploring your birth options, walking through challenges in pregnancy, or simply love hearing authentic motherhood journeys, this episode will inspire and encourage you.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you tune in.

Hannah shares her inspiring path to becoming a chiropractor, building a practice dedicated to pregnancy and newborn care, and supporting families through holistic health.

We then dive deep into her own motherhood journey — choosing a home birth for her very first baby. Hannah opens up about what guided her decision, how her chiropractic expertise shaped her preparation, and what the experience taught her as both a mother and a provider.

This episode is a must-listen for first-time moms, mamas curious about home birth, or anyone exploring how chiropractic care can support pregnancy and postpartum.

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What you’ll hear in this episode:

    • Hannah’s journey to chiropractic care & opening Craft Health

    • Why she chose to specialize in pregnancy & newborns

    • How chiropractic care supports pregnancy and postpartum wellness

    • Her story of choosing a home birth as a first-time mom

    • Encouragement for new mothers navigating their own birth choices

Trisha shares her incredible journey of motherhood—five births spanning loss, stillbirth, hydrops, unmedicated and medicated deliveries, and finally, a beautiful birth center birth. Through every high and low, she followed her intuition, trusted in God, and allowed her story to unfold with grace and resilience.

But Trisha’s impact goes beyond motherhood. From a young age, she carried a deep desire to serve people and support their health. Today, she is a badass entrepreneur and founder of three wildly successful businesses—including the California Birth Center, the only free-standing birth center in the Sacramento and Placer area.

She is a fierce believer, a force to be reckoned with, and one of the most inspiring women I know. This conversation is rich with raw honesty, deep faith, and practical wisdom for mothers, entrepreneurs, and anyone navigating life’s ups and downs.

From the time she was little, Maddie was baby crazy - playing “mommy,” dreaming of her future kids, and even starting her own babysitting company, The Happy Nanny, at just 18. Specializing in overnights, multiples, and sleep training, she built a reputation early on for being wise beyond her years when it came to babies.

By 20, Maddie became a doula and officially began supporting families through birth in 2021. That same year, she and her high school sweetheart, Mason, were already building a life together—first with golden retrievers, then with the family Maddie always dreamed of.

At just 22, Maddie was pregnant with her first baby, Taytum, on the very first try. The surprise was how quickly it happened, but the dream of becoming a mother was everything she ever wanted. By 25, Maddie was holding her second baby in her arms after experiencing two powerful, unmedicated hospital births that shaped the way she supports families today.

This episode is a heart-filled journey through:
 ✨ Growing up with a passion for babies and turning it into a calling
 ✨ Building a business as a teen entrepreneur
 ✨ Navigating young motherhood and being pregnant at 22
 ✨ Experiencing two unmedicated hospital births
 ✨ How becoming a doula transformed her view of birth and postpartum
 ✨ Creating a dream life through hard work, dedication, and love

Maddie’s story is proof that when you follow your passion and stay true to your heart, the life you dreamed of can become your reality.

Kelsey opens up about the doubts she once carried even questioning if she wanted to become a mom. But as her journey unfolded, she embraced her body, leaned into trust, and gracefully birthed her two boys.

Her story is one of courage, surrender, and love a reminder that motherhood is not one-size-fits-all, and that even deep doubts can transform into profound devotion.

👉 If you’ve wrestled with fear or uncertainty about birth or motherhood, this episode will speak right to your heart.
 🌸 For resources that can help you feel more confident, visit Pain Free Birth

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share — and drop us a comment if Kelsey’s journey inspired you!

In this emotional and powerful episode, Paige shares:

Her first traumatic birth story at age 20 and how she almost didn’t make it

Her second birth 10 years later, when her baby arrived at 28 weeks

The realities of NICU life as a mom of a premature baby

How birth trauma shaped her, and the ways she’s learned to heal

Why speaking her story out loud has been her greatest tool for recovery

Paige’s honesty and vulnerability remind us of the strength it takes to survive, heal, and step into motherhood after life-altering experiences.

✨ If you’ve walked through birth trauma, NICU motherhood, or long healing journeys, this episode will meet you with hope and connection.

💖 Don’t forget to subscribe, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review it helps us reach more moms who need to hear these powerful stories.

But Arielle’s journey goes far beyond birth. Listen in as she shares her path from a typically American childhood to studying nutrition, becoming a registered dietitian specializing in eating disorders, and mastering her craft as a lactation consultant — from WIC clinics to in-home visits. Along the way, she meets her husband Kyle, and the rest is a beautiful, messy, empowering history.

 In This Episode:

• What Arielle learned from each of her three very different births
• The shift from conventional hospital care to trusting her body at home
• How her professional work with women, babies, and families shaped her own motherhood
• Balancing career, marriage, and mom life while supporting others

 Resources & Mentions:

• Midwife Shelton → Rising Tide Birth
• Acupuncture for a transverse baby in Placer County → Acu4Life Center
• Arielle’s birth videography by Kelsey Hope Photography

 Follow us for more real, raw, and beautiful motherhood stories. New episodes every Tuesday.

Not just the birth story the story before it.

The one that begins in quiet hopes, wild fears, and all the messy, magical becoming that happens along the way.

We’re talking real women, real journeys, and every kind of birth hospital inductions, home births, epidurals, the whole beautiful spectrum. No filters, no fluff.

Birth isn’t just about a baby being born.

It’s about who you become in the process.