Built To Birth Podcast

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast
✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast
✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/
🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

This episode of the Built To Birth Podcast is a deep dive into the challenges of conception and the journey of seeking alternative care. The holistic approach to health and the empowerment gained through knowledge are key takeaways from the conversation. The conversation covers Marilyn's fertility journey, PCOS/PMOS, empowered decision-making, and the preparation for birth. It also delves into the realistic expectations for birth and the support received during the process. The conversation delves into the journey of home birth, highlighting the challenges, decisions, and experiences involved. It emphasizes the importance of support, empowerment, and informed decision-making throughout the labor process. The role of midwives, the significance of rest, and the unique experiences of labor and pushing are explored, culminating in the final stages of labor and the birth of the baby. The conversation delves into the themes of surrender and stewardship, highlighting the importance of embracing the things we cannot control while taking responsibility for what we can. It also emphasizes the impact of supportive care teams in the journey of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, showcasing the value of having a team of trusted individuals to provide care and guidance.

Takeaways
Holistic approach to health
Empowerment through knowledge
Empowered decision-making in fertility journey
Authority in birth space
Realistic expectations for birth
Support and preparation for birth
Home birth experiences and the unique challenges and decisions involved
The importance of support and empowerment during labor Surrender and Stewardship
The Power of Supportive Care Teams

In this incredible natural birth story on the Built To Birth Podcast, first-time mom Alisha shares how she unexpectedly went into labor while hours away from her midwives—and ultimately gave birth to her breech baby on the side of the road next to a river.

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast
✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast
✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/
🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

📹 Watch Alicia's Birth Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUbOutQIVS4

After her water broke, labor progressed quickly. What started as a drive back toward her birth team turned into the realization that they weren't going to make it. Alisha and her husband pulled off the highway, found a place near a river, and prepared to meet their baby without their midwives physically there.
Then came another surprise: their baby was breech.

Alisha shares what it was like to realize her baby was coming butt-first, how she stayed calm and trusted her body through an unexpected breech birth, and how her husband and midwife supported her as everything unfolded.

We also talk about how Alisha prepared during pregnancy, the mindset and coping techniques she used during labor, and how that preparation helped her surrender when her birth looked nothing like what she had planned.

This is an unforgettable story about natural childbirth, unmedicated birth, breech birth, precipitous labor, free birth, trusting your body, and navigating the unexpected during birth.
If you're pregnant, preparing for a natural birth, or simply love hearing empowering and positive birth stories, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

In this Built To Birth Podcast episode: natural birth story, breech birth, unmedicated birth, first-time mom birth story, free birth, unexpected birth, childbirth preparation, birth mindset, precipitous labor, natural childbirth, and positive birth stories.

What happens when a first-time mom arrives at the hospital 5 centimeters dilated—and everyone thinks she still has hours to go? In this positive birth story, Kat shares how she prepared for an unmedicated natural birth, stayed calm through labor, advocated for the birth she wanted, and then progressed much faster than anyone expected.

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast
✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast
✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/
🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

Kat began pregnancy feeling fearful about what pregnancy and childbirth might be like. But as she learned more about labor and delivery, natural childbirth, birth preparation, and the mental side of giving birth, that fear began turning into excitement and confidence. She and her husband prepared together using Built To Birth, learning not only what to expect during labor but how he could support her, advocate for her wishes, and remain a calm presence throughout birth.

Once admitted, Kat was 5 centimeters dilated with contractions less than two minutes apart. As a first-time mom, everyone expected she still had a while to go—but her body had other plans.
In this episode, Bridget and Kat talk about natural birth, unmedicated labor, positive hospital birth, birth preparation, cervical dilation, pushing, birth partners, advocating for yourself during labor, overcoming fear of childbirth, and trusting your body during birth.
Kat’s story is an encouraging reminder that birth doesn't always follow a predictable timeline—and that education, preparation, support, and confidence can make a meaningful difference in how you experience it.
In this episode:
Preparing for an unmedicated natural birth
Overcoming fear of childbirth through education
Early labor as a first-time mom
Laboring at home before going to the hospital
Laboring in the hospital parking lot
Arriving at 5 cm dilated
Why cervical dilation doesn't predict when your baby will arrive
Having a supportive birth partner
Advocating for your birth preferences in the hospital
Being offered an epidural during an unmedicated birth
Going from 5 cm to 10 cm much faster than expected
Being told not to push while waiting for the doctor
Pushing and experiencing a second-degree tear
Kat's positive hospital birth experience
Why she's already excited to give birth again

Follow the Built To Birth Podcast for more positive birth stories, natural birth stories, pregnancy education, childbirth preparation, labor and delivery experiences, postpartum conversations, and empowering stories from real moms.

What if you’re terrified of giving birth but desperately want a positive, empowering birth experience?
In this episode of the Built to Birth Podcast, Bridget sits down with Annaliese to share her journey through pregnancy, miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, fear of childbirth, and two empowering, positive natural birth experiences.

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast
✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast
✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/
🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

Before becoming a mom, Annaliese was afraid of pregnancy and birth. After an unexpected pregnancy ended in miscarriage, becoming pregnant again brought both excitement and anxiety. She began intentionally preparing for birth through education, positive birth stories, breathing techniques, and learning how to trust her body.
That preparation ultimately led to an unmedicated birth center birth with her first baby—and an experience that completely changed the way she viewed childbirth.
During her next pregnancy, however, a new fear emerged: an overwhelming anxiety that something would happen to her baby during birth. Annaliese shares how she navigated those fears through prayer, positive affirmations, birth education, and intentionally filling her mind with encouraging birth stories.
Her second labor then unfolded incredibly quickly, leading to a fast water birth at a birth center and an intense first few moments after her baby was born.
Annaliese and Bridget talk honestly about pregnancy anxiety, pregnancy after miscarriage, overcoming fear of birth, natural childbirth, unmedicated labor, water birth, birth center birth, breathing techniques for labor, doulas, midwifery care, partner support, and preparing mentally for childbirth.
If you’re pregnant and feeling scared or overwhelmed by birth, Annaliese’s story is a beautiful reminder of how much can change when fear is met with education, preparation, support, and trust.

In this episode:
Overcoming fear of pregnancy and childbirth
Pregnancy after miscarriage and navigating anxiety
Preparing for a positive birth experience
Breathing techniques for labor
Annaliese’s first unmedicated birth center birth
Giving birth in an upright position
Preparing for a second natural birth
Her incredibly fast second labor
Her birth center water birth
When her baby needed help immediately after birth
How her midwives responded
The role of a doula and supportive husband
Why positive birth stories can matter during pregnancy
Using birth education to replace fear with confidence

Childhood friends reconnect to share a positive birth story. Bethanie's journey from pregnancy to labor and delivery is filled with challenges and triumphs, highlighting the importance of preparation, support, and endurance. Bethanie shares her challenging yet empowering birth story, from a long labor to delivering her doctor's biggest vaginal delivery ever. Her experience highlights the mental and physical strength required for childbirth, as well as the importance of support and preparation.

✅ The Built To Birth Class - https://builttobirth.com/?el=podcast
✅ Free Mini Birth Class - https://www.builttobirth.com/free-mini-birth-class/?el=podcast
✅ Free Week-By-Week Pregnancy Guide - https://www.builttobirth.com/week-by-week-pregnancy/?el=podcast

🌱 The Holistic Womanhood Course - https://holisticwomanhood.com/
🩸 Free 'Heal Your Menstrual Cycle' Workshop - https://holisticwomanhood.com/period-register

Takeaways
Childhood friends reconnect after years, sharing a powerful birth story.
Preparation, support, and endurance play a crucial role in the journey from pregnancy to labor and delivery. Mental and physical preparation are crucial for childbirth.
Support from a partner and healthcare provider is essential during labor.
The experience of childbirth, though challenging, is incredibly empowering and worth it.

Chapters
00:00 Reconnecting with Childhood Friend
03:35 Pregnancy and Motherhood
12:06 Preparing for Birth
16:11 Onset of Labor
20:47 Challenges and Endurance in Labor
27:17 The Challenge of a Long Labor
28:11 The Intensity of Pushing
30:22 The Impact of a Big Baby
43:01 The Journey of Recovery
52:15 Reflections and Encouragement