Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy

You leave your prenatal appointment and get in your car. And something just feels off.
You are confused. Unsettled. 

Maybe a little worried about your body or your baby. And you spend the whole drive home trying to figure out what just happened in there and what you are supposed to do about it.
In this episode, I am walking you through exactly what to do when something does not feel right with your provider.

Whether it is an induction conversation that caught you completely off guard, a big baby warning that sent you straight to Google, or a provider you are just not sure about anymore. 

And I am being really honest in this one, too, because I have nodded and smiled my way out of appointments that did not feel right, gotten in my car, and completely lost it. I was a doula. I knew better. And I still did it. 😅
Oh, and this one is only about 15 minutes. No excuse not to listen before your next appointment. 😊
Here are some highlights from the episode:
Why most mamas leave their prenatal appointments confused rather than angry, and why that is actually the harder place to be
The most common scenarios that catch pregnant mamas completely off guard — from induction conversations to big baby warnings to ultrasound readings that send you into full panic mode
The questions that get you the information you actually need, without being confrontational or difficult
The most common reaction mamas have in these moments and why nodding and smiling and leaving feeling terrible is something so many of us have done
What to do when you ask all the questions and you still disagree, three options that can genuinely solve things
What you are really looking for in a provider is a partnership, how to know if you have it and what to do if you do not
Why one disagreement does not necessarily mean you need a new provider, and when it does
How setting up the right birth team early means you can walk into labor focused and calm instead of dreading what is coming
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >> 
On Apple Podcasts
Find “Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy” podcast
Select “Ratings and Reviews”
Click the stars!
Select “Write a Review” and tell us what was the most amazing, comforting, eye-opening thing that you loved! 
On Spotify
Find "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" podcast
Click the 3 dots "..."
Select "Rate podcast"
Click the stars and write a quick review!
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show titles
Let's Connect!

Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected]. 
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!

What would you do if you were deep in labor and someone walked in and said it was time to talk about Pitocin, breaking your water, or maybe even a cesarean?
I am you through the exact moment that catches most mamas completely off guard in the birth room (myself included, and I share about it), and the three questions that can slow everything down, get you the information you actually need, and help you make decisions from a place of confidence instead of fear.
With my first baby, I was told we needed an emergency cesarean. And even in that moment of urgency, I wish I had known what I am sharing in this episode.
That there is almost always time to ask questions. That a recommendation is not a requirement. That I had more say than I realized.
This is the episode I wish every pregnant mama could hear before she ever walks into the birth room. It is not about being difficult or argumentative, it is about knowing how to gather information and make the best decision for you and your baby no matter what comes up during labor. I promise this will be an episode you will want to save and jot notes down from.
Share it with your birth partner and listen together if you can!
Here are some highlights from the episode:
Why the toughest moment in labor is often not the intensity of the contractions and how to be ready for it
The one thing you can do when a recommendation comes up that immediately gives you more control
The thoughts that run through every mama's mind when a big decision lands mid-labor and why you are not alone
Question #1 to ask your provider the moment a recommendation comes up, and what the answer tells you
Question #2 that opens up a conversation most providers are not going to have with you unless you ask
Question #3 that turns a blanket recommendation into something specific to you and your situation
Why making decisions from confidence instead of fear has a real physiological effect on your labor
How to make sure your birth partner knows all three questions before you go into labor
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >> 
On Apple Podcasts
Find “Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy” podcast
Select “Ratings and Reviews”
Click the stars!
Select “Write a Review” and tell us what was the most amazing, comforting, eye-opening thing that you loved! 
On Spotify
Find "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" podcast
Click the 3 dots "..."
Select "Rate podcast"
Click the stars and write a quick review!
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show titles
Let's Connect!

Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected]. 
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!

What if understanding your menstrual cycle could completely change the way you prepare for pregnancy and transform how you feel in your body every single month?
I sat down with Nora DeBora, functional fertility coach, holistic nutritionist, fertility awareness practitioner, and host of the Ultimate Pregnancy Prep Podcast, to talk about everything from eating for your cycle and seed cycling to gut health, hormone testing, and the fertility information most conventional providers are simply not sharing with their patients. 
Whether you are trying to conceive, currently pregnant, or just want to understand your hormones better, this conversation is one I know you are going to come back to again and again.
I honestly took mental notes the entire time we were recording this one...and wrote some down when I got to listen again! 😉  Nora has this incredible way of making really complex information feel totally doable and accessible, and she is so passionate about helping women become truly body literate so they can advocate for themselves, support their fertility, and feel their best no matter where they are in their journey. 
I just know you are going to love her as much as I do. Grab a notebook for this one, you are going to want it! 
Here are some highlights from the episode:
What your menstrual cycle is actually telling you about your health and how to read the signs
The four phases of the cycle, what your hormones are doing in each one, and what symptoms are normal versus red flags
How to eat for the follicular and luteal phases to support your estrogen, progesterone, and egg health
Seed cycling. What it is, how to do it, and why Nora says it is one of the simplest places to start
The three tests Nora runs first with every fertility client, and what they find that conventional medicine misses
The gut health and hormone connection that could be the missing piece for so many women
What biofilm is and why antibiotics alone often cannot clear a chronic infection like recurring UTIs or BV
Four practical things every woman can do right now if she is thinking about getting pregnant
Safe doses of CoQ10 and NAC and why Nora takes them herself even when she is not trying to conceive
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >> 
On Apple Podcasts
Find “Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy” podcast
Select “Ratings and Reviews”
Click the stars!
Select “Write a Review” and tell us what was the most amazing, comforting, eye-opening thing that you loved! 
On Spotify
Find "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" podcast
Click the 3 dots "..."
Select "Rate podcast"
Click the stars and write a quick review!
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show titles
Let's Connect!

Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected]. 
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!

Birth doesn't always go the way you planned, but preparation never goes to waste.
In this encouraging birth story, My Essential Birth Mama Mary Richardson shares her journey from planning a home birth to an unexpected hospital transfer, a Pitocin induction she never saw coming, and over 24 hours of unmedicated labor that pushed her further than she ever thought she could go.

From the daily prep she did throughout pregnancy, to the moment everything shifted at 41 weeks and three days, to delivering a 9lb 12oz baby boy, I just know you are going to love Mary and everything she shares in this episode. ❤️ 
What I love most about Mary's story is not just what happened, it's how she handled it. 

She is honest about the hard parts, gracious about the things she would do differently, and so genuinely encouraging to every mama who is doing all the things and wondering if it will matter when birth surprises her. It absolutely does. 

This episode is proof of that. I promise you do not want to miss this one, in fact, save it and come back to it as you get closer to your birth!
Here are some highlights from the episode:
How Mary navigated... nausea, sciatica, white coat syndrome, and a GBS positive result throughout her pregnancy
The provider switch she made at 20 weeks and why finding the right support changed everything for her
The daily habits and preparation that carried her through 24+ hours of unmedicated labor
What happened at her 41 week ultrasound and how she and her husband navigated the decision to transfer
What unmedicated labor through a Pitocin induction actually felt like — and the coping strategies that helped most
The moment during transition in the bathtub that she says was one of her favorites
Her third degree tear recovery and the holistic healing tips that actually made a difference
Her honest breastfeeding journey from those first hours to four months in
Her most powerful advice for both moms and dads going into birth
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >> 
On Apple Podcasts
Find “Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy” podcast
Select “Ratings and Reviews”
Click the stars!
Select “Write a Review” and tell us what was the most amazing, comforting, eye-opening thing that you loved! 
On Spotify
Find "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" podcast
Click the 3 dots "..."
Select "Rate podcast"
Click the stars and write a quick review!
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show titles
Let's Connect!

Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected]. 
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!

Is Tylenol really safe during pregnancy? Does it cause Autism? What about vaccines? And are you getting the nutrients your baby's brain actually needs?
What if the most important health decisions you make during pregnancy are the ones nobody told you to think about?
In this incredible & informational episode, I sit down with Dr. Ari Calhoun, naturopathic doctor, mama of two, and founder of Wholesome Brain Medicine.
We're diving into the hot topics moms are actively Googling but rarely getting straight answers on: the Tylenol and autism connection, vaccines during pregnancy, and the specific nutrients that shape your baby's developing brain from the very beginning.
Dr. Ari has a gift for giving you the real information without the fear spiral, and I think you're going to walk away from this episode feeling informed, empowered (and a little relieved!).
Here's some highlights from the episode:
The Tylenol and autism connection — what the current research actually shows and why some babies may be more vulnerable than others
How to think through pregnancy vaccines (Tdap, RSV, and flu) individually instead of treating it as a simple yes or no decision
The prenatal nutrients most providers aren't talking about, and why the form matters just as much as the dose
Why your microbiome during pregnancy could shape your child's long-term health in ways that might surprise you
The golden window around birth that most moms don't know exists and how to protect it
SSRIs, antibiotics, and birth plans through the lens of neurodevelopment
How to hold risk and peace at the same time, and make confident decisions even when there's no perfect answer

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting advice, dismissed by a provider, or just wanted someone to talk to you like an informed adult, this is that episode. 
Dr. Ari reminds us that you don't have to know everything to do right by your baby. 
You just have to care enough to ask the questions. And if you're listening to this? You already do. 
Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >> 
On Apple Podcasts
Find “Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy” podcast
Select “Ratings and Reviews”
Click the stars!
Select “Write a Review” and tell us what was the most amazing, comforting, eye-opening thing that you loved! 
On Spotify
Find "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" podcast
Click the 3 dots "..."
Select "Rate podcast"
Click the stars and write a quick review!
FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!
Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:
On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show titles
Let's Connect!

Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises
Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: [email protected]. 
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!