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Send us Fan Mail Shandi returns to share how her second baby, Athea, arrived at home in Trenton, Maine in a water birth that unfolds so quickly her midwife is only in the house for about 45 minutes before birth.  The calm part isn’t that nothing happens, it’s that the right support shows up at the right time, and she feels safe enough to focus. Getting there was a winding road.  We talk about pregnancy after miscarriage, the fear that follows early losses, and why she chooses an early ultrasound for peace of mind even though she prefers a low-intervention approach. Shandi also shares a truly unexpected detour: severe abdominal pain, an ER visit, a CT scan during pregnancy, and emergency surgery for a rupturing appendix, followed by an ICU stay and weeks of antibiotics.  It’s a vivid look at how quickly “normal pregnancy” can change, and how important it is to have both medical back-up and strong community care. Then we move into the home birth details: laboring through the night, getting into the tub, deep vocal coping, and a brief moment of sticky shoulders handled calmly by experienced certified professional midwives Julie Havener and Rachel Jean Cohen.  We also dig into postpartum care at home, delayed cord cutting, intense afterbirth contractions, and the reality of postpartum anxiety and mom guilt even when you’re thrilled with the birth. If you’re curious about home birth in Maine, midwifery care, water birth, or navigating pregnancy after loss, press play. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more families can find these stories. Listen to MyMaine Birth Episode 72 to hear Shandi share her first birth story  Connect with Shandi's midwife Julie Havener by sending an email to [email protected]  Connect with Julie on Instagram @juliehavenerdesigns  Connect with Shandi's midwife Rachel Jean Cohen through her website ElementalMidwifery.com  Conect with Rachel on Facebook   If you'd like to join the community of Maine moms sharing birth stories on the podcast you can fill out the form on my website    Or you can also always message me over on instagram @mymainebirth  Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

Send us Fan Mail Choosing pregnancy care can feel like picking from a narrow menu, especially in Maine where hospital options are limited and so many OB units have closed in recent years.  This birth story highlights why many families search for out-of-hospital care that still feels safe, evidence-informed, and close to emergency backup.  Asha describes how one early prenatal appointment left her discouraged, with BMI-based assumptions and talk of induction before any real medical indicators showed up.  That experience pushed her toward a freestanding birth center in Bangor, Holly No. 7.  She shares the impact of hour-long midwifery prenatal visits, being treated like a whole family (not a chart), and how support, nutrition, and trust shape a healthy pregnancy.  We also dig into practical realities: paying out of pocket, working with a billing advocate for insurance reimbursement, and why ultrasound pricing can look wildly different outside the hospital system. At Holly No. 7, she describes moving between shower, bed, tub, and finally a birth stool for pushing, with midwives offering guidance that never felt coercive.  She catches her own baby, then heads home the same night, stopping for French fries on the way.  Postpartum, she emphasizes planning: meal support, paid leave, the 5-5-5 rest method, breastfeeding troubleshooting, sitz baths, and seeking care when healing problems persist.  As we close, Asha shares her path into full spectrum doula work and birth advocacy, tying the entire experience back to the importance of informed choice, consent, and compassionate maternity care. Connect with Asha's midwives at HollyNo7.com Connect with Asha for Postpartum Doula Support  If you'd like to join the community of Maine moms sharing birth stories on the podcast you can fill out the form on my website    Or you can also always message me over on instagram @mymainebirth  Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

Send us Fan Mail She walks out of a prenatal appointment, looks back over her shoulder, and feels it in her bones: I’m not going back in there.  That single moment of clarity becomes the start of a completely different path, one that ends with a powerful, fast, and deeply present home birth in Maine. In this episode I'm joined by Jessica, who tells the full story behind choosing home birth after starting care at a local hospital, including the appointment that pushed her to trust her intuition, how she knew she was low risk, and why having a real backup plan mattered.  We talk about finding her team at Sacopee Midwives, meeting the legendary Brenda, and what it feels like to be supported without being pressured.  Jessica also shares practical pregnancy insights, like how protein first thing in the morning helped shift her brutal nausea, and why keeping things simple made pregnancy feel more manageable. Then we get into the birth story: chiropractic care, acupuncture, a long walk, “cute” early contractions that suddenly turn into undeniable labor, and a rapid four hour timeline from water breaking to baby in arms.  She describes the raw reality of coping at home, how plans for the birth tub and perfect ambiance fell away, and what helped her stay grounded as pushing arrived quickly.  We also cover delayed cord clamping, postpartum bleeding and how her midwife team handled it all right at home, and the honest postpartum stretch of hormone drops, surrender, and breastfeeding being harder than she expected. Connect with Jessica's midwives at SacopeeMidwives.org If you'd like to join the community of Maine moms sharing birth stories on the podcast you can fill out the form on my website    Or you can also always message me over on instagram @mymainebirth  Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

Send us Fan Mail Megan’s story highlights how modern home birth in Maine can look when a family blends deep trust in physiology with practical support.   After a hospital birth and an accidental unassisted birth from precipitous labor, she enters her third pregnancy knowing she wants a home birth but unsure about the right level of help.  She wrestles with modern freebirth culture and the pressure to do it “all on your own,” then lands on a choice that feels grounded: a home birth midwife for clinical skill if necessary and a doula for steady emotional care.  The big takeaway for anyone researching birth options is clear: autonomy is not a trend, it is a practice, and your support team should match your values, your risk comfort, and your lived history. Megan shared her first two birth stories back in Episode 15 of MyMaine Birth, so if you're interested in listening to her first two birth stories, you can check that out here Megan's midwife mentioned in this episode is Leslie Walters of Water of Life Midwifery If you'd like to join the community of Maine moms sharing birth stories on the podcast you can fill out the form on my website   or you can also always message me over on instagram @mymainebirth  Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

Send us Fan Mail Choosing a home birth for a first baby can feel bold, especially if you come from a family that is involved in the Western medical system.  In this episode I sit down with Anna as she shares her candid Maine home birth story that moves from a pandemic-era relocation to a fast, intense labor in a cabin birth tub.  We talk about the surprising ways birth can feel mystical and medical at the same time, plus the hard-earned postpartum lessons about sleep, feeding anxiety, and learning your baby over time. We discuss: • Moving from remote Alaska back to Maine for support and logistics • Choosing a home birth midwife who feels meticulous and risk aware • Staying flexible and resisting a rigid birth plan • Early labor that arrives intense and progresses quickly • Relief in the birth tub, then rapid transition  • Fully dilated without an urge to push and the “hand” vision that creates connection • Baby born above water and an out-of-body first meeting • Postpartum hemorrhage handled quickly at home with skilled support • Placenta prints, community care, and the bliss of the first 24 hours • The grind of the first six months, sleep deprivation, and breastfeeding stress • Letting go of the myth of instant intuition and building trust over time You can find more about Anna's midwife Tiffany Carter Skillings by clicking here and visiting  her website TwoRiversLactation.com If you'd like to join the community of Maine moms sharing birth stories on the podcast you can fill out the form on my website   or you can also always message me over on instagram @mymainebirth  Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

Send us Fan Mail This week I chat with my friend Krista about her two cesarean birth stories in Florida and the choices that helped her feel steady through major curveballs. This conversation is packed with relatable, practical insight for anyone searching for positive cesarean birth stories.    Krista describes the mental shift from early pregnancy fear to learning how to make informed decisions, ask questions, and stay grounded even when the plan changes fast.  Her story widens into a bold life change: moving from Florida to Maine, homeschooling, and restoring the Bar Harbor Lobster Pound near Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island.  Krista and her family rebuilt a closed, rundown restaurant while raising little kids, even living in an RV during a busy season. They designed the space around real family needs: room to run, lawn games, easy parking, and a relaxed atmosphere so parents can actually enjoy a meal.  It’s an inspiring blueprint for work life balance, and it circles back to the core message: you can make choices that fit your body, your baby, and your life, even when the path isn’t what you expected. You can find the Bar Harbor Lobster Pound by visiting it, the address is: 414 ME-3, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 BarHarborLobsterPound Bar Harbor Lobster Pound on Instagram Bar Harbor Lobster Pound on Facebook Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Mary from Mainely Babywearing joins me to share her Maine birth story and everyting she's learned about the beauty and practicality of babywearing.   We talk about how baby wearing supports bonding, helps regulate baby's nervous system, makes daily life with a newborn more manageable, and why following your instincts to keep your baby close can feel so right - even when the pediatrician might tell us the opposite... Mary offers gentle, real-world tips for new moms who are curious about baby wearing, whether you're just starting out or looking for ways to make it part of your everyday rhythm.   if you've ever wondered about holding your baby more, thought about whether trusting your gut was the right thing, or finding tools that make the early days feel connected instead of overwhelming, this conversation is for you.   You can connect with Mary through her website MainelyBabywearing.com Connect with Mary on Instagram Connect with Mary on Facebook Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

Send us Fan Mail Katie’s experience at Maine Medical Center in Portland is packed with practical insight. She shares how an endometriosis diagnosis and surgery right before trying for a baby shaped her mindset, and why she chose InterMed for prenatal care while still prioritizing an unmedicated birth.  Her planning style is research-heavy: she listened to countless birth podcasts to understand interventions like induction or vacuum assistance, and build confidence for shared decision-making. The core theme is not rigidly sticking to the birth plan, but informed flexibility with a clear preference for staying in control of her body.    Katie shares the details about her two unmedicated birth stories at Maine Medical Center in Portland, including how doula support changes the tone in the room.  We also dig into postpartum life, feeding and sleep realities, and the mindset shift from trying to do everything alone to trusting your instincts and leaning on your village.  We close with some grounded parenting advice for new moms: trust yourself, avoid comparison culture on social media, and remember every phase changes quickly, especially when you keep getting outside with kids, a mission she now shares through her Instagram guide, Maine Mom Compass. You can connect with Katie via her instagram    @MaineMomCompass  The Doula that Katie used was through Maine Doulas and you can find them  online at    mainedoulas.com  Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

Send us Fan Mail Emily joins me to share how a positive pregnancy test on a trip to Greece turns into a pregnancy full of big decisions, including letting go of a home birth dream because of a medical complication and choosing the kind of support that actually feels right. We talk about switching providers twice, moving from OB care to the Mercy midwives late in pregnancy, and why listening to your inner voice matters in prenatal care. Emily breaks down what she notices in appointments that helps her build trust: time, warmth, real answers, and a team that supports autonomy and minimal intervention.  If you’re searching for a Maine birth story, a Portland, Maine hospital birth that feels more like home, or guidance on advocating for yourself, her experience offers a grounded roadmap. Emily also shares the emotional side: body anxiety near the end, going inward socially, and the surprisingly powerful reset that comes from joy, nature, and rest.  Then we walk through her 33-hour labor, living 45 minutes from the hospital, the tricky timing decisions, and the moment everything shifts once she is admitted.  With her doula, a calm nurse, and a trusted midwife, she uses position work, hot water, and the birth tub for an unmedicated water birth, followed a sweet postpartum stay with breastfeeding support. If you’ve been craving more positive birth stories without the fluff, this one delivers.  Subscribe to My Maine Birth, share this episode with a pregnant friend, and leave a review so more families can find these stories. Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

Send us Fan Mail Birth can change in a second, and sometimes the part that lingers is not just what happened, but what you did not get to feel or remember.  Teal joins me for a vulnerable, detailed conversation about her first birth in April 2020, when early-pandemic uncertainty collides with a frightening labor complication and an emergency C-section.  She shares what it was like to be rushed into surgery, how an unexpected spinal block response triggered panic and loss of control, and why those moments can leave real birth trauma even when everyone is ultimately safe. We also talk about the long tail of postpartum recovery after a cesarean: intense pain, returning to the hospital with a high fever, IV antibiotics for a postpartum uterine infection, and mastitis layered on top of breastfeeding challenges and isolation.  Teal names the hard feelings many parents keep private, including struggling to connect, carrying grief about how birth “should have” gone, and realizing how profoundly sleep deprivation can impact postpartum mental health and family life. Then we move into her second pregnancy, her hope for a VBAC, and the respectful decision-making that leads to a planned C-section that feels completely different. With time to advocate, meet the anesthesia team, and prepare emotionally, Teal experiences more presence, connection, and immediate bonding, even while holding space for disappointment.  We close with practical, honest advice about postpartum support, accepting help, considering a doula, and why talking about your birth story can be healing. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more parents can find these stories.   Teal is a baby and toddler sleep coach, you can learn more about her services  at RootsofReverie.com  You can find teal on instagram @rootsofreverie Bubbles and Bean, Teal's children's conignment shop in Camden, Maine  Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

Send us Fan Mail A birth can look “low risk” right up until the second it doesn’t, and Emma’s story makes that reality impossible to ignore. She joins us to share her three births in Maine: her first two were at  Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, then a planned home birth that became urgent in a way no checklist could predict. We talk through inductions, Pitocin contractions, epidurals, and how hospital monitoring can limit movement and coping tools like water.  Then we shift into what changed for Emma when she chose relationship-based midwifery care and prepared for a home birth about 30 minutes from the nearest hospital.  Her perspective is honest and practical: informed consent, trust, and a clear transfer plan matter as much as the vibe of the room. The heart of the conversation is her third birth, where start stop labor patterns, a cervical lip, shoulder dystocia, and a cord complication lead to a baby born not breathing with no heartbeat.  Emma explains how her experienced, trained midwives immediately began neonatal resuscitation, called 911, and worked seamlessly with EMTs, leading to a positive and healthy outcome.  We also cover postpartum hemorrhage, low iron recovery, emotional processing, and her passion for prenatal nutrition, postpartum fitness, and pelvic floor health.    Emma has just started hosting Mommy and Me strength training classes at Miller fitness in Newport, Maine - and you can connect with her via her instagram @EmmaGriffinFitness    Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca

Send us Fan Mail This conversation draws a sharp line between the idea of free birth and the brand and ideology of Free Birth Society, described by a former inner circle member as a high control group. Serendipiti explains how constant content, binge listening to the curated podcast stories, and a tight private membership can gradually reshape beliefs about maternity care, medical risk, and even personal identity.  The key warning is not about birth choices alone, but about control.  Serendipiti describes censorship inside the membership, shaming around transfers or even positive medical experiences, and how extreme anecdotes can become “proof” that overrides basic safety planning. We discuss the Journey Moon case, the role of NDAs and platform shifts, and what it was like to participate in The Guardian’s reporting and The Birthkeepers podcast as the broader picture became clearer. The heart of the conversation is discernment: how to support birth autonomy and informed consent without handing your mind to a high control group. If you have ever wondered whether a community is empowering you or isolating you, this is for you. Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society  The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death  Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we talk with Nikki about her pivot from Free Birth Society circles and birth keeping back into a hands-on midwifery apprenticeship as she works toward CPM licensure.   Nikki Shared her two free birth stories and her experience with the Radical Birth Keeper School and the MatriBirth Midwifery Institute back in episode 122 of MyMaine Birth, you can find that episode HERE Connect With Nikki at BornFreeFamily.com Check out Nikki's Child Birth Education Course called - Knowledge is Power Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society  The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death  Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

Send us Fan Mail In today's episode we hold space for Katie Spinks as she shares the traumatic birth of her daughter Jolene, including a Pitocin induction that ends in uterine rupture, delayed care, and a devastating HIE diagnosis.  From there, we zoom out to the bigger questions: what informed consent should actually sound like in hospital birth, why birth plans can be used against mothers, and how hospital policy gets treated like law. We also explore how trauma can push families toward home birth or free birth, and where a search for autonomy can slide into rigid ideology.  Katie is blunt about what she wishes she’d known before agreeing to the Pitocin induction, and why asking “what are the risks, benefits, and alternatives?” is not being difficult, it’s basic safety. We close with Jolene’s ongoing journey, including intensive therapy and experimental stem cell treatments in Mexico, and what progress can look like when you’re fighting for every gain.   If this conversation changes how you prepare, how you consent, or how you advocate, please subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more families can find it. You can connect with Katie Spinks on Facebook HERE You can connect with Katie Spinks on Instagram HERE  Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society  The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death  Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers

Send us Fan Mail Freebirth and unassisted birth are getting more attention for a reason, and the most useful place to start is not with outrage but with curiosity.  When families move away from hospital birth, it often has less to do with rejecting modern medicine and more to do with a loss of trust after feeling unheard, touched without true consent, or treated as “room two” instead of a person.  This episode explores the gap between being kept safe by technology and feeling safe in care, a difference that can shape labor progress, trauma, and long-term wellbeing. Dr. Nathan Riley describes his evolution from conventionally trained OBGYN to a more holistic approach that values the “art of doing nothing” when nothing is needed.  He challenges routine interventions that become automatic through protocols, like time-based cervical exams, and asks a simple clinical question: if we remove an intervention, do outcomes worsen?  That evidence-minded approach collides with a system that often trains physicians to be “captain of the ship,” prioritizing a live mother and live baby while discounting lived experience. The episode argues that over-standardization can erase relationship-based care, even though childbirth usually happens without emergency and thrives with calm, privacy, and dignity. Listeners hear a nuanced view: choosing free birth can be a form of radical responsibility, but it should be grounded in honest counseling about what can go wrong, what skills matter, and what support systems exist if plans change. Along with the rest of the episodes this week, this conversation also separates the idea of free birth from the ideology promoted by the Free Birth Society.  The idea centers on non-interference, self-trust, and accepting uncertainty. The ideology critique is sharper: selling certainty, dismissing real complications like hemorrhage, shaming families who choose midwives or hospitals, and creating an echo chamber that replaces community support with blame when outcomes are bad.  That distinction matters for public discourse, because media narratives can lump all out-of-hospital birth together, increasing pressure on skilled midwives and reinforcing a false binary of “hospital equals safe” and “home equals reckless.” You can connect with Dr. Nathan Riley at BornFreeMethod.com  Born Free Method with Nathan Riley, MD, Sara Rosser, CPM,  is a comprehensive program  for soon-to-be parents (and birthworkers) who want to feel empowered, confident, and informed about their fertility, pregnancy and childbirth journeys. Connect on Instagram @NathanRileyOBGYN Free Birth Discussion with Nathan Riley, MD, FACOG  - an important discussion from April 2025 Additional Resources: MyMaineBirth.com Closing song by Kate Sutherland.  You can find Kate's community songs and deep nature connection work online at KateSutherland.ca The Guardian Article - Title: Infludencer's made millions pushing 'wild' births - now the free birth society is linked to baby deaths around the world The Guardian Article - Title: She was like a deer in the headlights': How unskilled radical birthkeepers took hold in Canada The Guardian Article - Title: Five Key Findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society  The Guardian Article - Title: Friday Briefing: How the free birth society's philosophy contributed to a preventable death  Interview - Exposed: the business linked to baby deaths around the world The Guardian Podcast - the BirthKeepers