Jenna discusses the parallel experiences of pregnancy and a pandemic - and the feelings of living through both at the same time. She shares her journey of choosing her birthing team and eventually a birth center setting, her physiologic and fast birthing story and lastly the surprise of suffering from anxiety turned insomnia in the weeks and months after giving birth.

Episode 23: JENNA

Samara is a 42-year-old mother of 4, yoga instructor and Zumba teacher. She gave birth to all of her children at home with her youngest just 9 months ago. In addition to co-managed care with an OB-GYN and her midwife, Samara’s trust in her body’s strength, wisdom and capabilities trumped all concerns she heard around pregnancy over 35. However, like every birthing story, there’s a turn in ‘ the labyrinth’ one doesn’t expect and even for a seasoned mama, Samara ultimately had to do what every birthing person has to do — surrender to the journey.

Episode 24: SAMARA

As I prepare to welcome my second child into this world, this episode feels especially appropriate and a good one to temporarily sign off with. Renee Morrison, a mother to two beautiful children earth side, entrepreneur, and creator shares her birthing stories – one at a birth center and one at home. Get ready for a rich and inspiring 2-hour journey as we speak about birthing life, loss, grief, and gratitude and how all of it has informed the personal work Renee does within herself and thus the way she mothers and nurtures her children and family.

Episode 25: RENEE

Alexis is a mother of three and a psychotherapist specializing in the prenatal and postpartum transition into parenthood. In this episode, she shares her transformative experience of becoming a parent for the first time. We explore the common yet unexpectedly difficult feelings around caring for a child and the resulting growth from surrendering to what is needed. Also, Alexis always knew she wanted a home birth but was met with strong resistance from her parents and her partner, especially for her first child. But after two positive hospital births with midwives, Alexis finally had the home birth she always wanted.

Episode 8: ALEXIS

Milk Trails is a podcast dedicated to the out-of-hospital birth experience. Sharing stories can help reduce fear and misunderstanding around childbirth. 
 
In each episode, I interview home birth and birth center folks about their experiences including the choices they made leading them to an out-of-hospital birth, how they prepared, fears they worked through and of course how the birth went. 

By exploring birth in settings that allow birthing people to feel safe and that support the un-medicated birth process can help illustrate the scope of what ‘normal’ birth can look like – which can educate and empower expectant families during their birth experience whether at home, birth center or hospital.

Episode 8: ALEXIS

Milk Trails Podcast

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