With her first birth Maryanne went in with an attitude of fully trusting the hospital system. She ended up having him during the first day of covid lockdown in Illinois, and having numerous unnecessary interventions that left her broken. She then suffered an early miscarriage between her two births. With her second, she did lots of research about birth and ended up having an incredibly empowering birth where she was able to advocate for herself and ended up having an unmedicated birth. She has always been fully trusting of science and medications and it was so illuminating when she started doing her own research into birth practices and the number of unnecessary interventions that are used. Maryanne also comes from the South Indian cultural background and she felt a lot of criticism when she told people that she wanted an unmediated birth (including her husband). In her culture doulas aren’t commonly used but her experience using a doula was amazing.
Maryanne John Bio
Maryanne lives in the suburbs of Chicago Illinois with her husband and her two sons Elijah (4 years old) and Dominic (1 year old). She is originally from Australia and moved to the States after getting married. Connect with her on Instagram at @mazzy02
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Mountain Meadow Herbs
Today’s episode is sponsored by Mountain Meadow Herbs. Help prepare your body for birth with their leading herbal birth prep supplement called Gentle Birth. Gentle Birth is a midwife approved, time-tested liquid herbal formula that more than 100,000 women have chosen to help prepare their bodies for birth. Gentle Birth is a perfect blend of herbs formulated with the wisdom of Amish midwifery, like red raspberry leaf, milk thistle, wild yam root, and nine more thoughtfully blended herbs known to help lessen labor pains, improve uterine muscle tone, manage bleeding, and even ease you and baby into nursing by reducing postpartum letdown.
Trusted for over 20 years and earning thousands of rave reviews and testimonials from midwives and mothers alike, Gentle Birth is Mountain Meadow Herbs signature product. But they also have a full range of herbal remedies for all your family’s needs, from infants to adults of all ages. Find out more at mmmherbs.com and take advantage of this special offer by using code BIRTHHOUR for 10% off and free shipping on your first order.
After a traumatic and eye opening missed miscarriage with their first pregnancy, Sean and Brianna managed to get pregnant again. Brianna quickly found that pregnancy after loss is its own unique journey filled with underlying grief, anxiety, and insecurity. They chose to go the hospital route finding great care at a local OB. Knowing that brith is very hard to plan and predict, Brianna prepared for every possible outcome, but she knew she wanted an unmediated birth. She spent much of her pregnancy doing everything she could to give her body the best chance at success. Partway through the pregnancy they discovered a 7cm+ ovarian cyst and that her placenta was anterior with Marginal Cord Insertion. This prompted the need for several growth scans in the following months to ensure that the baby was growing appropriately. Brianna also had Covid during her third trimester which added to her already overly abundant fears. Thankfully the MCI did not end up having much of an impact so the pregnancy was allowed to play out without intervention. After several weeks of many Braxton hicks and off and on labor, they decided to schedule an induction for 40 weeks and 5 days. In the early morning of the day of her induction, Brianna woke to her water braking and contractions began in full force. Six hours later Marcus was born. Although it did not go perfectly to plan, Brianna had the empowering unmedicated hospital birth she wanted. For Brianna, navigating the postpartum period proved challenging, yet it paled in comparison to the physical and emotional pain she endured while recovering from her loss. Cradling her healthy baby in her arms, made everything better.
Brianna Voron Bio
Brianna is an artist and woodworker based in Phoenix, Arizona. She lives with her husband Sean and their 5 month old son Marcus. She believes in a deep connection between life and art. She is in awe of her body’s ability to nurture and create life, and now draws much of her creative energy from her identity as a mother artist. Connect with her on her instagram: @briannavoron and visit her website to view her work: www.briannavoron.com.
This episode was sponsored by Motif Medical. Motif designs insurance-eligible products for busy moms. With a focus on innovation and empowerment, Motif’s line of breast pumps and maternity compression garments are sophisticated, yet discreet, and made to support mothers as they navigate new motherhood. Discover why moms are reporting more milk in less time with the Luna breast pump, and see how you can get it covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour.
Katy’s journey to motherhood was fraught with heartache, marked by four miscarriages before Jack’s birth—a journey colored by fear and trauma. Diagnosed with preeclampsia at 36 weeks in the first pregnancy she’d carried to term, the terror was palpable, affirming her darkest fears about what she believed were her body’s failures. In the week before her induction, Katy turned to her greatest strengths: research and advocacy. Armed with knowledge and a newfound sense of empowerment, she faced her 37-week induction with a trust in herself and her body she’d never felt before with pregnancy. The 12-hour labor, guided by an incredibly supportive nurse, concluded with a powerful affirmation as Jack entered the world: “I hope you know that you did this,” her nurse told her. “Your knowledge and advocacy is the reason he made it here so fast.”
Four and a half years later, Branham’s birth story unfolded differently. Without the familiar storm of preeclampsia, Katy was plagued by a different kind of anxiety. Fearing the doctors were missing something that would harm her baby, Katy was unable to believe her body was a safe place for Branham after 37 weeks. She underwent a semi-elective 39-week induction, and the fast-paced, four-hour labor was far from the relief it might seem, leaving her feeling unprepared and vulnerable. This experience underscored a crucial lesson she now shares passionately: the importance of preparing for every birth, including the birth you don’t want, and advocating for yourself relentlessly. This has become a cornerstone of Katy’s advocacy in all realms of motherhood–teaching moms to embrace the unpredictable nature of motherhood with knowledge and courage, while always staying true to their own desires.
Katy Huie Harrison, PhD Bio
Katy is not just an author but a crusader, redefining motherhood’s narrative after a decade of academic study and personal challenges, including recurrent pregnancy loss and severe postpartum anxiety. This journey led her from academia to founding Undefining Motherhood, a movement against the centuries-old, unrealistic expectations placed on mothers. With a suite of resources—her engaging website, insightful newsletters, transformative books and planners, and an engaging new podcast—Katy champions a new era for moms, focusing on real change and empowerment.
Her innovative pregnancy planner, Expecting & Organized, has already shifted over 20,000 families’ journeys, earning acclaim as an Etsy Bestseller and one of Amazon’s Top Picks in 2024. Anticipation is building for her upcoming release, The Postpartum Playbook.
Featured in places like CNN’s Headline News, Romper, and Wondermind, Katy brings light to the often-shadowed realities of parenting. She fosters a space where moms at all stages feel acknowledged and understood. Follow her journey and transformative advice on Instagram at @undefiningmotherhood and dive deeper into her conversations on the Undefining Motherhood podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Undefining Motherhood creates resources to support moms during all stages of pregnancy, including the weeks & months after birth. It’s your home for judgment-free information…so you can take care of baby and yourself, mama. Their Expecting & Organized Planner provides tools for pregnancy, sure–but it’s also about caring for yourself during those for the days, weeks, and months after birth. Check it out at undefiningmotherhood.com to join the more than 20k moms raving about how they now feel relaxed, confident, and prepared. Get 10% off with code BIRTHHOUR. And be sure to check out the new Undefining Motherhood podcast for your weekly dose of mom support.
Sarah’s first labor was over 24 hours long with extreme nausea, an early urge to push, a transfer from birth center to L&D during transition, long pushing stage, and delivery with nuchal hand. After experiencing PPD and PPA, Sarah found help
and connection within her community. A miscarriage at the end of the first trimester while alone out-of-town and poor hospital care followed. After conceiving again, Sarah worked to prepare for another long labor and challenging postpartum. Surprisingly, Sarah’s second labor was a fast and furious precipitous labor, where she ultimately delivered her baby by herself while her husband pulled up to the birth center entrance.
Sarah McGuirk Bio
Sarah lives in St. Louis, MO, with her husband, two daughters, and rescue pit mix dog. Sarah is back in school working to become a board certified music therapist after a decade working as a freelance collaborative pianist and music educator.
Today’s episode is sponsored by Redd Remedies. Redd Remedies has strong roots in the natural product industry and crafts Master Herbalist formulated supplements from premium ingredients, ensuring natural and effective solutions for life’s physical and emotional challenges. Peaceful Mama, one of their star products, provides stress support to all moms, including pregnant and nursing women!
To learn more about Peaceful Mama, Rhythm and Flo, and Redd Remedies and to view testimonials, head to www.reddremedies.com and use code BIRTHHOUR at checkout to get 20% off any 2 or more items.
Jada had fairly uneventful births with her first two sons aside from suffering from hyperemesis for the entirety of those pregnancies. She then had a surprise third pregnancy which ended in a missed miscarriage. Shortly after, she had another surprise pregnancy which resulted in her third son. Jada and her husband thought they were done having kids, but soon realized that their family didn’t feel quite complete.
The path to four children was not easy. Despite becoming pregnant fairly easily, Jada suffered 3 miscarriages in a row. After going through a bout of secondary infertility, they finally became pregnant with their fourth boy. At this point, she was considered advanced maternal age and was later diagnosed with gestational diabetes for the first time, all of which required additional monitoring. She eventually gave birth to a 9lb, 3 oz boy to complete their family.
Jada Walker Bio
Jada Walker is a wife to Brandon, and mom to 4 boys aged 15, 6, 4 and 5 months. She is an attorney in the greater Seattle area. Her instagram handle is JaLeCa.
Today’s episode is sponsored by Redd Remedies. Redd Remedies has strong roots in the natural product industry and crafts Master Herbalist formulated supplements from premium ingredients, ensuring natural and effective solutions for life’s physical and emotional challenges. Peaceful Mama, one of their star products, provides stress support to all moms, including pregnant and nursing women!
To learn more about Peaceful Mama, Rhythm and Flo, and Redd Remedies and to view testimonials, head to www.reddremedies.com and use code BIRTHHOUR at checkout to get 20% off any 2 or more items. And be sure to head over th @thebirthhour on Instagram to enter a giveaway!
Kelly’s first pregnancy in 2017 sadly ended in a missed miscarriage at 8 weeks. Her second pregnancy almost 8 months later was also a missed miscarriage, ending in a blighted ovum at 7 weeks in early 2018. After a round of genetic testing that came back completely normal, her OB determined the back to back miscarriages to be a fluke, and 6 weeks later she became pregnant with their first daughter. At 26 weeks pregnant, Kelly was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, but through diet and exercise was able to stay low risk and to have the unmedicated hospital delivery she’d hoped for following a membrane sweep at 39 weeks.
Her second baby was also born at 39 weeks, 2 and a half years later at the same hospital during the height of covid restrictions and only 56 minutes after arriving at her hospital room. For her third pregnancy, she decided to switch to a home birth hybrid model of care where she saw both her home birth midwife team and a hospital based midwife practice during her pregnancy. Besides an ER visit to treat acute urinary retention at 15 weeks, she enjoyed a textbook pregnancy. And after weeks of prodromal labor and even a full false alarm, she welcomed their third daughter earth side by way of a dreamy water birth at almost 41 weeks pregnant, 2 years and 1 week exactly after their second baby was born.
Kelly Martin Bio
Kelly and her husband Chad live outside of Atlanta, GA with their 3 daughters Charlotte (almost 5), Claire (2 and a half), and Mabel (almost 7 months old). Kelly is a full time mom to their 3 girls and also works remotely as director of business operations for a boutique marketing agency in Atlanta. She also professionally plans Disney vacations for nearly 100 families each year. In her spare time, she loves baking cookies, singing, yoga and pilates, reading, and girls nights. She and her husband are huge Atlanta Braves fans and love going out for tacos. You can find her on instagram @martinmagicmaker and can message with her on facebook as well.
Today’s episode is sponsored by SNP Therapeutics, makers of the Genate Test. Based on over 16 million dollars in NIH grants, and more than 30 years of nutrition and genetic research, SNP Therapeutics is leading the charge in the field of prenatal, precision-nutrition genetic testing.
SNP Therapeutics is committed to providing accurate and usable information to help mothers provide the best possible nutrition to their babies through The Genate Test: a prenatal, precision-nutrition, genetic test that offers personalized dietary adjustments and supplement recommendations based on your DNA.
You can rest easy knowing that your prenatal nutrition has been optimized by tailoring it to your genetic code. Find peace of mind about your prenatal nutrition with the Genate Test by SNP Therapeutics. Learn more at genate.com and Use code BIRTHHOUR15 for 15% off your order.
