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What if fear doesn’t have to be part of your first home birth experience? In this episode of the Pain Free Birth Podcast, Karen Welton sits down with Katie Brambila, a first-time mom and midwife-in-training, to share her incredible, God-filled home birth story. Katie brings a unique perspective to birth. Before becoming pregnant, she had already spent nearly three years in midwifery school and attended close to 100 births, most of them at home. Despite her extensive experience, Katie still had to confront common fears and stigmas surrounding first-time home birth, including the belief that first labors are always long, difficult, or destined for transfer. Throughout the conversation, Karen offers expert insight on dismantling birth fear, the importance of mental preparation, and why even highly knowledgeable women still need intentional support and mindset work in birth. Together, they normalize fear, highlight the vulnerability of labor, and encourage women to trust their bodies and God’s design for birth. Tune in to hear: Why first-time home birth fears are common and how to reframe themHow mindset and mental preparation impact the experience of laborThe role of surrender and faith in pain-free birthWhy identifying and targeting specific fears is more effective than avoiding themHow breath, prayer, and focus can change how contractions feelWhat it’s like to actively push and birth at home as a first-time momWhy support from a doula and birth team matters, even for birth professionalsConnect with Katie: IG: @katiebrambila Send her a DM & mention this episode to receive free shipping on NORA Moon Time tea blend to support your luteal and menstrual phases. CONNECT WITH KAREN: Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE Instagram Facebook YouTube

What happens when a woman stops outsourcing her intuition and starts trusting her body? In this episode, Karen sits down with Polina Westcott, creator of Sensible Mama, to share two transformative home birth stories that radically changed the way Polina views birth, fear, pain, and personal authority. Polina opens up about her first pregnancy, where everything seemed medically “normal” until routine testing suddenly turned her pregnancy into a problem to be managed. When questioning protocols led to pushback from her providers, Polina made the bold decision to fire her OB team at eight months pregnant and pivot to a home birth. What followed was a long, challenging, and deeply empowering first labor that revealed strength she never knew she had. Her second birth could not have been more different. She shares how mindset, education, and surrender completely transformed how her body responded to contractions and labor progression. This episode dives deep into birth autonomy, informed consent, intuition, and the mind-body connection in labor.  Tune in to hear: Why Polina chose to fire her OB team late in pregnancyHow questioning medical authority led her to reclaim birth autonomyWhat really happens during transition and why many women want to “tap out”The doula moment that changed everything during her first laborHow mindset radically altered her second birth experienceWhat fetal ejection reflex actually feels like in real lifeWhy trusting intuition protected her during the third stage of laborHow fear, resistance, and control affect labor progressionWhy birth can be an initiation into motherhood, strength, and self-trustConnect with Polina: Www.sensiblemama.com https://www.youtube.com/@sensible_mama IG: @sensible_mama CONNECT WITH KAREN: Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE Instagram Facebook YouTube

What if pain, stress, and even birth trauma weren’t things your body needed to “push through”, but signals your nervous system was asking for safety? In this powerful and deeply grounding episode, Karen sits down with Dr. Scherina Alli, a network spinal chiropractor specializing in nervous system regulation, somatic respiratory integration, and care for pregnant women, babies, and children. Together, they explore how the body holds emotional stress, why babies are communicating far more than we realize, and how nervous system regulation can transform pregnancy, birth, postpartum healing, and even fertility.  Dr. Scherina also shares her own beautiful home birth story. One rooted in trust, presence, and deep connection with her body offering a refreshing and empowering perspective on what birth can be when women feel safe, supported, and embodied. Tune in to hear: How the nervous system stores emotional stress and trauma in the bodyWhy “colic” is often a sign of nervous system dysregulation, not a diagnosisThe difference between traditional chiropractic care and network spinal careHow babies communicate stress, tension, and discomfort without wordsWhy babies don’t “grow out of” nervous system stress How pregnancy and birth experiences shape a baby’s lifelong nervous system blueprintThe role of breath, movement, and pelvic mobility in preparing for birthHow unprocessed emotions can impact pregnancy, fertility, and laborDr. Scherina’s calm, fast, and deeply present home birth storyWhy presence (not avoidance) is the key to an empowered birth experienceHow women can rebuild trust in their bodies after trauma or infertilitySimple ways to recognize stress versus safety in your own nervous systemCONNECT WITH DR SCHERINA: Follow Dr. Scherina on Instagram: @drscherinaWebsite: drscherina.comNetwork Spinal Chiropractor Directory: https://www.drscherina.com/directoryPX Docs Directory for neurologically focused prenatal and pediatric chiropractors: https://pxdocs.com/px-docs/CONNECT WITH KAREN: Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE Instagram Facebook YouTube

In this of the Pain Free Birth podcast, Karen Welton sits down with Anastasia Malyk, a mother of four, to share one of the most jaw-dropping birth stories you will ever hear. After experiencing two prior free births, Anastasia found herself unexpectedly pregnant with mono-di identical twins just seven months postpartum. What followed was a journey marked by medical pressure, fear-based recommendations, spiritual surrender, and unwavering trust in God’s design for her body. This episode is a bold testimony of faith, bodily wisdom, and the importance of advocacy in pregnancy and birth. It is especially encouraging for twin moms, women navigating medical pressure, and anyone seeking reassurance that physiological birth is possible, even when circumstances seem stacked against you.  In this episode, you’ll hear: What led Anastasia to choose free birth for her first two babiesHow she navigated fear and faith after learning she was pregnant with twinsWhy she fired her OB after being pressured into a cesareanWhat it was like carrying twins past 41 weeksHow labor progressed so quickly she didn’t believe it was realWhat it felt like to birth twins with no pushing and no painHow faith shaped every decision throughout pregnancy and birthEncouragement for twin moms who desire a natural or physiological birthConnect with Anastasia: IG: Anastasiamalyk_ TikTok: @anachenko CONNECT WITH KAREN: Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE Instagram Facebook YouTube

What happens when you stop fighting labor and start working with your body?  In today’s episode of the Pain Free Birth Podcast, Karen sits down with Mallory Ryan, a mom of two who shares her deeply transformative birth experiences. Mallory walks listeners through her first unmedicated birth at a birth center and her second, rapid home birth that she describes as joyful, empowering, and profoundly connected to God’s design for birth. Whether you are pregnant, preparing for birth, or simply curious about physiological birth and faith-filled preparation, this episode will leave you feeling encouraged, informed, and inspired to trust your body and God’s design. Tune in to hear: Why Mallory chose unmedicated birth for both of her babiesHow learning the physiology of birth helped reduce fear and painThe role mindset and relaxation play in labor intensityWhy fast labors are not always more painfulHow choosing joy impacts oxytocin and birth progressWhat a “butter birth” is and how surrender changes pushingHow faith influenced Mallory’s confidence during laborThe difference between pain and suffering in childbirthWhy birth is not something happening to you, but within youHow empowering births shape confidence in motherhood and postpartumCONNECT WITH KAREN: Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE Grab Karen's Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE. This course is for any woman experiencing trauma in the body. If you're ready to release it, this course is for you.  Instagram Facebook YouTube

While Tara was blacking out from pain, losing hope, and believing she didn't have enough faith for a pain free pregnancy, she experienced a deeply spiritual experience that led her to creating the first of its kind, her own app, for Christian Hypnobirthing. Tune in to find out how drastically different Tara's births were with and without the power of hypnobirthing, how our thoughts and emotions can imprint on our babies brains, and how you can use hypnobirthing beyond labor! EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: How Tara started Christian HypnobirthingDealing with coercion and losing faith in Tara's first birthHow hypnobirthing transformed Tara's second birthCultivating peace throughout your pregnancyUsing hypnobirthing beyond pregnancyCombining faith with neuroscience and how our babies brains are wired MORE ABOUT TARA MENZIES: Tara Menzies is the creator of the Christian Hypnobirthing app and the Faith-Filled Childbirth Course. She created the app in early 2018 after the birth of her first son, because she wanted to combine traditional hypnobirthing techniques (breathing and visualisation exercises, positive affirmations etc) with the incredible love, strength and support that come from our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit, to help expecting mamas feel confident relaxed and connected to God throughout their births. The Christian Hypnobirthing app has since become one of the most highly rated hypnobirthing apps worldwide, and has helped tens of thousands of women have more relaxed, confident and faith-filled birth experiences. Instagram: @christianhypnobirthing Christian Hypnobirthing Website CONNECT WITH KAREN: Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE Grab Karen's Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE. This course is for any woman experiencing trauma in the body. If you're ready to release it, this course is for you.  Instagram Facebook YouTube

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IS LIVE! https://resources.painfreebirth.com/pfb-12-days-of-christmas In this episode, Alla shares her miraculous twin home birth story - giving birth precipitously to healthy babies at 38 weeks pregnant in her bathtub and overcoming fear so she could have a supernatural birth experience through prayer and trust in God. CONNECT WITH KAREN: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/  Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS  Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731 Website - https://painfreebirth.com/ 

What if your next birth didn’t have to look anything like your last one and could actually be better? In this episode of the Pain Free Birth Podcast, Karen sits down with Blake, a mom of four who shares her incredible journey from a discouraging first C-section to three transformative home births after cesarean. Blake walks listeners through each birth from a 77-hour marathon VBAC to a three-hour birth and finally a two-hour labor where she felt completely in control. Along the way, she opens up about healing hidden birth trauma, learning to trust her body, choosing supportive providers, and experiencing the redemptive power of faith-centered birth preparation. Tune in to hear: What led Blake to her first C-section and how it impacted her confidenceHow she identified and healed birth trauma she didn’t realize she was carryingWhat it was like laboring for 77 hours during her first home birth after cesareanHow her next birth lasted just three hours with almost no pushingWhy her babies got bigger AND her births got easierThe role mindset, faith, and emotional release played in shortening laborHow choosing the right midwife changed everythingThe power of a supportive husband during home birthWhat it feels like to birth standing up and fully in controlWhy Blake believes women are not destined to repeat their birth traumaUse code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE Grab Karen's Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE. This course is for any woman experiencing trauma in the body. If you're ready to release it, this course is for you.  CONNECT WITH KAREN: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/  Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS  Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731 Website - https://painfreebirth.com/ 

What if everything we thought we knew about birth was missing the most important perspective - the baby’s? In today’s episode, Karen sits down with renowned neonatal resuscitation instructor and midwife Karen Strange, whose groundbreaking work has reshaped how more than 17,000 birth professionals understand newborns, birth physiology, and the imprinting that happens in the earliest moments of life.  With over three decades of experience, Karen Strange brings a trauma-informed, baby-centered lens to birth - one that reveals the innate blueprint inside every baby, the sequence nature designed, and what happens when it’s interrupted. Tune in to hear: The embryological blueprint and sequence every baby followsPausing at birth and honoring newborn pacingHow prenatal stress shapes a baby’s nervous systemWhy repair matters more than ruptureWhat babies remember and communicate through their bodiesHow to support newborns after a difficult birthPhysiologic transition and first breathsWhy doulas should know neonatal resuscitationThe simplicity of what saves lives in birth emergenciesTools for connecting with your baby in pregnancy and beyondAdditional resources from Karen: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UAA9yc7-JbMdO-qbYiQZl9XLn8yTmY8P?usp=sharing Website: karenstrange.com Instagram: @neonatalresuscitation Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE CONNECT WITH KAREN: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/  Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS  Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731 Website - https://painfreebirth.com/ 

What if birth wasn’t something to fear… but a place where heaven meets earth? In today’s episode, Caitlin Svoboda shares a supernatural, pain-free home birth story that will leave you breathless. In this interview, Caitlin opens up about her sixth pregnancy, her deep trust in God’s design for birth, and the unexpected spiritual encounter that forever changed how she views motherhood. From spiritual visions and the “veil of heaven” thinning, to a fast, instinct-led labor and a peaceful 10-pound baby born into her husband’s hands, Caitlin’s story is a breathtaking look at what can happen when women reclaim physiological birth and trust the God-designed hormonal blueprint of labor.  If you've ever wondered how spiritual encounters, altered states of consciousness, and the quietude phase of labor fit into the birth experience, this episode breaks it down with both awe and practicality. You’ll walk away with encouragement, revelation, and a renewed sense of what God intended birth to be. Tune in to hear: How losing a baby shaped Caitlin’s faith and future pregnanciesWhy she chose an undisturbed home birth with no medical interventionsThe moment she surrendered fully and slipped into a transcendent stateHer vivid vision of Jesus walking toward her holding an infantThe role of safety, support, and environment in physiological birthWhat the “quietude/rest-and-be-thankful” phase actually feels likeHow she gave birth to a 10-pound baby with no tearingWhy she believes this experience transformed her marriage and identityThe truth about pain in childbirth from a biblical and physiological lensConnect with Caitlin: sehlahmomservices.com IG: sehlah.motherhood.service  Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE Grab Karen's Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE. This course is for any woman experiencing trauma in the body. If you're ready to release it, this course is for you.  CONNECT WITH KAREN: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/  Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS  Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731 Website - https://painfreebirth.com/ 

What happens when a traumatic first birth becomes the catalyst for two radically pain-free, God-filled home births? Today’s episode is a powerful testimony of redemption, physiology, faith, and a mother reclaiming her God-given authority in birth.  In this conversation, Karen sits down with Sara Gilboy, a mom of three from Toronto, Canada, who experienced a deeply traumatic first home birth during COVID-complete with medical coercion, fear, hemorrhage, separation from her baby, and months of postpartum anxiety and intrusive thoughts. But Sara refused to let that be the end of her story. She returned to birth armed with knowledge, prayer, physiological understanding, and a fierce sense of ownership that transformed her next two births into supernatural, pain-free, joy-filled experiences.  Tune in to hear: How Sara's first home birth turned traumatic and why she “felt the fear through her uterus”The spiritual battle of intrusive thoughts and how she learned to take each one captiveWhy “knowledge is power” completely changed her second and third birthsHow she created two entirely pain-free births using physiology, relaxation, and faithWhat she told her midwives the second time that changed everything (“This is the birth I’m going to have…”)Her children worshipping and praying over her during laborThe moment her pelvic floor “parted like the Red Sea”How God replaced her disappointment with joy instantly during her third birthThe connection between birth trauma and postpartum mental healthWhy understanding your physiology is essential no matter where you give birthUse code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE Grab Karen's Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE. This course is for any woman experiencing trauma in the body. If you're ready to release it, this course is for you.  CONNECT WITH KAREN: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/  Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS  Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731 Website - https://painfreebirth.com/ 

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IS LIVE! https://resources.painfreebirth.com/pfb-12-days-of-christmas What if the secret to a pain-free birth isn’t found in a technique or a position… but in your ability to surrender?  In this episode, Karen sits down with Taylor Cleveland, a mom who experienced a radically pain-free second home birth after taking the Pain-Free Birth Course. Taylor opens up about her first difficult labor, the mental battle she faced, and how a simple mindset shift changed everything. She shares how learning to fully surrender physically, mentally, and spiritually led to a birth that was not only free of pain but filled with peace, presence, and divine trust. From letting go of her first birth story to feeling her pelvic floor move out of the way as her baby descended, Taylor’s testimony is a look at what’s possible when we get out of the way and allow our bodies to do what they were designed to do. Tune in to hear: The mindset shift that completely transformed Taylor’s second labor experienceWhy pain is often created by resistance and how to release itThe power of understanding what your body is doing in laborHow water, movement, and deep relaxation supported a pain-free experienceWhat it means to fully surrender to your body and to God during birthThe difference between pain and intensity in laborHow Taylor’s pain-free birth impacted her postpartum healing and her faithKaren’s breakdown of the “resistance vs. relaxation” principle that changes everythingHow surrendering control leads to trust, peace, and even a shorter laborUse code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course: https://painfreebirth.com/pain-free-birth-birth-partner-bootcamp-bundle Connect with Taylor: Moonwoven Postpartum - Ayurvedic Postpartum services Instagram: @Moonwoven.Postpartum Website: https://moonwovencare.com/  CONNECT WITH KAREN: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/  Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS  Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731 Website - https://painfreebirth.com/ 

For generations, women have been told that pain in labor is simply part of the curse and that it’s what Eve brought upon us in the Garden of Eden. But is that truly what Scripture teaches? In this episode, Karen takes a deep dive into Genesis 3:16 and the verses that have shaped our modern beliefs about birth, pain, and womanhood. You’ll learn how a single mistranslated word has influenced centuries of theology and fear surrounding birth and how reclaiming the truth of God’s design can set women free from the belief that they are destined to suffer. Karen also shares how this revelation changed her own understanding of birth, transforming her experience from fear and pain to faith and peace. If you’ve ever wrestled with the question, “Did God design birth to hurt?”, this episode will bring clarity, healing, and hope.  Tune in to hear: What Genesis 3:16 actually says about pain in childbirthWhy the Hebrew word for “pain” was mistranslated and what it truly meansHow both Adam and Eve experienced toil, not punishmentThe powerful truth that Eve was never cursedHow fear and cultural conditioning contribute to pain in laborWhy God’s design for your body is rooted in love, not sufferingHow understanding Scripture can transform your faith, your birth, and your motherhoodUse code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE Grab Karen's Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE. This course is for any woman experiencing trauma in the body. If you're ready to release it, this course is for you.  CONNECT WITH KAREN: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/  Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS  Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731 Website - https://painfreebirth.com/  Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

What if birth was never meant to be painful?  In this episode, Karen sits down with Sammy Murry, a holistic mama of three (soon to be four!) who shares how her third birth became the most peaceful, pain-free, and faith-filled experience of her life. After two beautiful but challenging labors, Sammy discovered the book Supernatural Childbirth and began to pray differently and believing that God could rewrite her birth story. She walks us through how she prepared her heart, strengthened her faith, and experienced a fast, calm home-water birth that transformed how she sees birth and God’s design for women.  Tune in to hear: How listening to positive birth stories prepared Sammy’s mind for a new kind of birthThe mindset and prayer shifts that turned fear into faithWhy what you read, watch, and listen to before birth truly mattersHow she and her husband prayed specifically for a pain-free, peaceful, daytime home-water birth—and saw every prayer answeredThe difference between “pain” and “hard physical work” in laborWhat it means to surrender control and trust God with your body and birthWhy every contraction can be worshipHow her third birth became a faith-builder for her entire familyThe simple prayer that brought her peace through postpartum  Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE Grab Karen's Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE. This course is for any woman experiencing trauma in the body. If you're ready to release it, this course is for you.  Connect with Sammy: IG: cleanlivingsammy Website: www.cleanlivingladies.com CONNECT WITH KAREN: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/  Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS  Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731 Website - https://painfreebirth.com/  Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in

What if your body was powerful enough to birth a ten-pound baby without force, fear, or tearing? In this powerful VBAC home birth story, Jenny Duke shares how she went from a planned C-section with her first baby to an unmedicated, pain-free VBAC birth of her second-a ten-pound baby born at 41 weeks and 4 days. Jenny opens up about her first pregnancy, discovering her baby was breech, and how that unexpected cesarean became a divine setup for her healing and preparation. She walks through how she rebuilt her body and confidence using pelvic floor therapy, chiropractic care, and The Pain Free Birth Course to prepare for a redemptive second birth filled with faith, surrender, and power.  Tune in to hear: How Jenny’s first breech pregnancy led to a planned C-sectionWhy her VBAC journey started before her second pregnancyHow pelvic floor therapy, chiropractic care, and faith prepared her bodyThe mindset shift that removed fear and made her birth pain-freeThe truth about pushing and why force isn’t what your body needsHow she birthed a 10-pound baby without tearing or medicationThe emotional “surrender moment” that opened her body for birthThe power of a supportive midwife who trusts physiological birthJenny’s advice for moms preparing for an unmedicated VBAC Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE CONNECT WITH KAREN: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirth  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/  Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMS  Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731 Website - https://painfreebirth.com/  Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in