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
Contact info for a pediatric dentist that specializes in tongue and lip tie
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.
Rayna was pregnant in 2021, and as a medical health professional working in a hospital she had to endure the unrelenting workplace stress of the Delta wave of covid. On top of that, it wasn’t the easiest pregnancy due to severe migraines and iron deficiency anemia both starting in her second trimester. After a few provider changes, Rayna finally settled on using a home birth midwife because it seemed to be the right choice to address her hesitance towards the hospital setting and what she perceived as the over-medicalization of laboring women and birth.
At 41 weeks, Rayna received a healthy baby born after 20 hours of labor at home. However, she had a dangerous, unexpected complication. Although Rayna had ended up not loving her home birth midwife throughout her prenatal appointments, her provider really came through during this moment and handled the complication with unexpected confidence. As a result, Rayna did not have to transfer to the hospital and her birth story ended on a good note. Rayna plans to have a home birth again in the future.
Rayna Gardner Bio
Rayna grew up in the Raleigh, NC area. After going to college in Asheville, Rayna worked around the USA as a zookeeper for 6 years before deciding on a career change. After going back to school, where she also met her husband, Rayna has found her true calling as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. She now works in a hospital laboratory analyzing specimens and providing diagnostic testing. Rayna and her husband currently live on the Space Coast of Florida with their two dogs and their toddler
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.
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.
After a surprise, but wanted, pregnancy, Jessica dove into the birth world in preparation for a home birth with her first baby. Despite her best efforts, her pregnancy was marked with many difficulties including multiple bleeds, polyhydramnios, an irritable uterus and a preterm labor scare at 29 weeks. Jessica ended up having an unplanned hospital birth when her daughter arrived a month early on Christmas Day 2021. She managed to fight for the unmedicated birth she desperately desired, but felt very disempowered by how she was treated by certain hospital staff. Her daugher Poppy was born, but surprised everyone with unexpected health complications that resulted in a 6 week NICU stay full of uncertainty. Jessica also suffered from a major obstetric hemorrhage and vaginal wall tear during the birth.
Jessica and her husband Mark did everything they could to be there for Poppy as they waited to learn what her life might look like. After the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people around the world, Poppy went from an unresponsive, floppy baby with no suck, swallow or gag reflex, to latching at 5 weeks and being sent home as a healthy baby with no tubes at 6 weeks old! Jessica’s postpartum involved a very difficult breastfeeding journey where they overcame weeks of tube feeding, oral ties and low supply to nurse successfully for 13 months. She has also spent the last two years doing everything she can to heal her perception of what birth can be and to overcome the trauma of Poppy’s delivery and newborn days.
Jessica Reynolds-Corden Bio
Jessica is a wife, mama, and lover of Meg Ryan movies and oat milk lattes. Originally from Hershey, PA, she now lives just outside of London with her British husband, Mark and daughter, Poppy. Jessica is passionate about real food and also chocolate, about full bellies and easy cooking, about endometriosis and how to flourish with an illness. As a stay-at-home, work-from-home mom she shares all of it over on instagram, along with life in the messy middle of motherhood. Connect with her on Instagram: @jessicaeatsrealfood or her website: www.jessicaeatsrealfood.com
Resources
From NICU to Nursing: Breastfeeding after a feeding tube, delayed latch, oral ties and low supply.
Have you ever wondered whether your baby will inherit your partner’s eye color, or if their hair will be curly or straight, or maybe they will prefer sweet food over salty? Enter BabyPeek, the revolutionary genetic test that unveils your baby’s potential traits as early as 10 weeks gestation.
With BabyPeek, you can discover 12 distinctive traits before they’re born, from the color of their eyes to whether they’ll have a sweet tooth. For example, you might learn that your baby has a 72% chance of dark brown hair, 18% chance of dark blonde hair, and 11% chance of black hair… or that your baby has just a 12% chance of thinking cilantro tastes like soap!
What sets BabyPeek apart is that it’s the first and only genetic test of its kind, brought to you by BillionToOne’s cutting-edge technology and backed by extensive research. BabyPeek is available exclusively as an add-on to Unity Complete, a routinely offered first trimester prenatal test that screens for genetic disorders. Unity is the only version of this test that sequences your baby’s DNA directly from one maternal blood sample taken at your doctor’s office. BabyPeek uses that same sample and cutting-edge technology to give you a fun sneak peek into your baby’s genetic makeup before birth—for the first time ever.
Visit babypeek.com/birthhour now to request access and learn more about how BabyPeek is transforming the way we connect with our little ones even before they arrive.
Labor began on a Sunday, contractions intensified and after over an hour of consistent contractions, Jeannette and her husband began their journey to hospital. Jeannette labored in triage for 7ish hours before getting formally admitted to labor and delivery. This would be the hardest part of labor for Jeannette as those contractions intensified and she was required to stay in the hospital bed in a small room that did not have a mobile monitor she could wear to monitor both contractions and baby’s heartbeat to roam freely. Handling the contractions bed bound were challenging and intense. Jeannette was determined to handle them utilizing all of her learned coping skills. Once she was dilated close to a 4, she was finally formally admitted. She utilized hydrotherapy, aromatherapy, practiced breathing, meditations, and visualizations strategies during labor with her husband as her birthing support partner. She struggled to progress after nearly 16 hours of labor. At this point, she felt discouraged and weary. At the 16th hour mark, she consented to the epidural, hoping it could be successfully placed despite having a lower lumbar scoliosis diagnosis. The epidural was successfully placed and after consenting to the breaking of her water and support of pitocin, she progressed to full effacement and dilation after about 2 hours and then began pushing. She pushed for 40 minutes and soon welcomed her son, Lucas Cole into the world, weighing 7 lb 15 oz and 20 inches long on Tuesday evening, February 28th, 2023. The “second birth” or birth of her placenta was traumatic for Jeannette as it resulted in post delivery placental abruption due to undiagnosed marginal cord insertion. The midwife and nursing staff worked to retrieve and piece together all of her placenta to ensure nothing was retained and would cause further complications or surgery. The placental root was abnormally thin and looped as opposed to being centered with a strong root, despite this miss, Lucas grew healthily throughout the pregnancy and was born without any complications. Jeannette shares her story in hopes to bring awareness to often missed placental abnormalities in pregnancy such as marginal cord insertion and its impacts on pregnancy and birth.
Jeannette Chase Bio
Jeannette is a first time mom living in Virginia Beach, Virginia with her high school sweetheart now husband, Hudson, and their 11 month old baby boy, Lucas. They love living near the beach and getting outside together as a family. Jeannette works in the public school system and provides speech-language therapy to young children and Hudson is a geospatial engineer. Jeannette has a private instagram you can reach her under the name of jeannette.m.chase.
Resources
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth: Birth Stories Portion
Meditation Mama on Spotify for pregnancy, postpartum, motherhood, etc.
The Birth Hour Podcast: Immerse yourself in Uplifting Birth stories, familiarize yourself with things you are curious or concerned about.
Online Birth course and breastfeeding courses: Injoy Health Education.
Local IBCLC for breastfeeding support.
Aeroflow Breastpumps
Today’s episode is sponsored by Aeroflow Breastpumps. Aeroflow has helped millions of new and expecting parents discover the breastfeeding and postpartum essentials covered by their insurance including breast pumps, maternity compression, and lactation education & support.
They take care of everything – including all paperwork, working with your insurance company, and explaining your options to get these free essentials shipped straight to your door. Aeroflow offers all major breast pump brands including Medela, Spectra, Motif, Lansinoh, Ameda, Elvie, Willow and more.
All you have to do is go to the Aeroflow Breastpumps website and fill out their free and easy Qualify Through Insurance form. Be sure to go to aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour so they will know we sent you! Bonus — use the promo code “BIRTHHOUR15” in their online shop for 15% off all supplies and accessories.
