Homebirth is great, but if you do happen to have an emergency at home, you’ll always wish you were at the hospital, right?

This week we’re speaking with Kennedy Voetberg. At 18, Kennedy became fascinated by the birthing process and underwent training to become a certified birth doula. Almost a decade later, Kennedy is married to her husband, Deter, and together they have 3 children with their fourth on the way. She is grateful to say that she birthed all three of their children at home, and today we will hear specifically how her first birth unfolded.

Epsiode Roundup:

1. First of all, I wish that every teenager felt the excitement to give birth that Kennedy did at 18. What a blessing to have such a positive outlook well before she even met her husband and decided to begin having children. So many girls grow up with minimal understanding of birth, and often the stories they have heard are not examples of the brilliance of how the female body was created to bring forth life. I pray that we as mothers are able to provide to our children a new outlook on pregnancy and birth– that we can use our own stories, however they unfold, to encourage our girls and excite them about what they have to look forward to. What a gift it is to be able to grow, birth, nourish and care for our babies.
2. Next, what a special connection. Kennedy had become fascinated with physiological birth and knew that whenever she gave birth, she wanted it to be at home– and she married a man who himself was born at home. That, my friends, is what they call a match made in heaven.
3. And finally, let’s tie this up with the beginning of our episode. Homebirth sounds great unless there’s an emergency… But for Kennedy, homebirth was great, even with an emergent situation, and in fact, the way that her emergent situation was handled brought Kennedy even more confidence in the process of giving birth at home. When her baby needed support breathing, Kennedy and her midwife worked together to begin stimulating her baby, and her midwife was able to provide a full resuscitation when it became necessary. Remember. There are no guarantees in life– not in the hospital, not at home, but we can do our part by surrounding ourselves with a supportive team, by preparing our hearts and our bodies, and by leaning on The Lord and his goodness in all situations.

Links:

Redeem ™ | https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

How would it feel to be supported in your pregnancy and birth by the women of your family?

This week we are speaking to Miriam McCuiston, a stay at home mom to her daughter Zoe. She is married to her husband and best friend, Kyle. Miriam is learning all new things about being a homemaker and mama, and as we’ll hear in her story, she has women around her who are deeply encouraging her and cheering her on.

Episode Roundup:

1. First of all, it was so clear to me from the very beginning this them of feminine care in Miriam’s story. From her group of women praying over her on Thanksgiving, to her mother and sister in law supporting her and sharing with her their own birthing experiences….. Her sisters coming over to clean hear home for her… my goodness. That alone was beautiful to hear. But, wow. The way that Miriam’s sister played such an integral part in the birthing process just blew me away. How she came over and talked with her, told her stories and shared about her day, provided counter pressure, and then moaned with her through contractions to keep her grounded. I just felt chills the whole time. I pray this relationship over my own daughters, my goodness. And it didn’t stop there. Her mother came over to help during the first few days, and her mother in law brought them warm meals… this is what it looks like to be surrounded by women. This is what compassionate care looks like. This is the goal.
2. And next, I want to take a moment to focus on the point of Miriam’s labor that stood out so strongly to me. She’s in the birth pool, likely going through transition, where she begins to feel like she just can’t do it. What does Miriam do? She calls out to her creator. She knows that He hears her. She asks for his strength. She reaches out to Jesus– physically reaches out to Him, and she feels the love of the father wrapping around her and providing her with the strength she needs to complete her task. Jesus is in the room, my friends. He’s Emmanuel, God with Us. Call to him. Expect him to answer. He is there. He can strengthen you, whatever your birth is looking like. He can strengthen you NOW, in whatever situation you are in. He’s right here, just as Miriam sensed and experienced. There’s nothing greater.

Links:

Redeem ™ | https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

Pelvic Floor Freedom | https://www.intelligentmovementlab.com/pelvic-floor-freedom

Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

Youtube | https://youtu.be/Nb4moaQP-uA

Raise your hand if you’ve experienced a symptom or two in pregnancy that you wish you could get to the root of and heal. Food aversions? Morning sickness? Full on Hyperemisis Gravidarum?

This week we are speaking to Jes Reynolds, a holistic health practitioner and founder of The Wellness Element, where she guides mothers to protect the health and wellbeing of children by reclaiming their intuition and sovereignty in pregnancy and motherhood.

After healing herself from autoimmune illness and reversing her own hyperemesis gravidarum, Jes now supports women worldwide through her signature course, Healing HG Blueprint.

Her work weaves together biology, nutrition, detox and ancestral wisdom to address the root causes of pregnancy complications.

She is passionate about transforming the cultural narrative of pregnancy—from one marked by fear and medical control to one of initiation, power, and remembrance.

Through education, advocacy, and community, Jes equips women to fiercely safeguard their children’s health from preconception through postpartum.

Episode Roundup:

1. Jes mentioned the importance of listening to your intuition, especially during pregnancy. Pregnancy is THE time to interact with our intuition and gain an understanding of what it feels like to be in tune, especially if we haven’t had many opportunities to exercise this kind of practice before.
2. At the same time, Jes’ story also shares the reality that even when we are listening to our intuition and following its guidance, there can be other factors at play that can deeply influence our experience, particularly our care provider. Jes knew what she wanted for her pregnancy and birth, but her midwife was not on the same page, which led to Jes trying to advocate for herself while also trying to recover immediately postpartum. As Jes attested, this is NOT the situation you want to find yourself in postpartum, or any time in your care. Not only do you need to know what you stand for, but finding a care provider who will support you in that, is key.
3. And finally, I love how Jes approaches health by looking at the “issue” or “symptoms” with different lenses, seeing where those lenses intersect, and beginning there. Trauma, illness, nutritional depletion, trapped emotions– they can all be factors. When we can remove some of the biggest pieces, oftentimes the rest begins to fall into place.

Links:

Redeem ™ | https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/the_wellness_element/