Birth Journeys: Birth Stories and Birth Education for Moms & Pregnant Individuals
Are you looking for a podcast to help you feel confident in your birth experience?
Then The Birth Journeys Podcast® is for you! We share powerful and transformative birth stories that illuminate the realities of childbirth. Hosted by a labor nurse and prenatal coach who specializes in transformational coaching techniques, this podcast goes beyond traditional birth narratives to foster healing, build trust, and create transparency between birthing individuals and healthcare providers.
In each episode, we dive into essential topics like birth preparation, debunking common misconceptions, understanding hospital procedures, and promoting autonomy in the birthing process. We also bring you the wisdom and insights of experienced birth workers and medical professionals.
This is a safe and inclusive space where every birth story is valued, honored, and deserves to be heard. Join us in exploring the diverse and unique experiences of birth givers, and discover how transformational coaching can empower your own birth journey.
Contact Kelly Hof at: birthjourneysRN@gmail.com
Episodes
128 episodes
Delayed Cord Clamping Explained: Timing, Benefits & What Actually Matters
You’ve heard “30 seconds,” “a few minutes,” or “wait until it stops pulsing”… but how long should you actually delay cord clamping?In this episode, we break down what the research shows, what current guidelines from American College of O...
Mini-Episode: Why the Sounds You Make in Labor Can Change Everything
Contractions don’t just hurt—they can trigger a full-body stress response. Many moms instinctively tense up, hold their breath, or make high-pitched sounds, which can push the nervous system into fight-or-flight and make labor feel more intense...
Mini-Episode: Matresence: The Birth Of A Mother (Why Postpartum Feels So Overwhelming)
Postpartum isn’t just physical recovery after birth, it’s the beginning of becoming a mother. In this episode, we talk about what postpartum really feels like and why so many women feel overwhelmed, anxious, or unlike themselves after having a ...
Mini-Episode: Why Birth Prep & Birth Goals Are Not The Same Thing
How do you mentally prepare for labor — not just physically, but emotionally?Many pregnant women spend months creating a birth plan and learning about labor positions, breathing, and hospital policies. But one of the most importan...
Mini-Episode: Preparing Your Older Child for Labor and a New Baby
Preparing Your Older Child for Labor and a New BabyIf you're pregnant with baby number two (or more) and wondering how to prepare your older child for labor, the hospital, and life with a new sibling — this episode is for you....
Mini Episode: From Pumps To Peace: Choosing What Works For Your Baby And You
The first days of feeding a newborn can feel like a test you didn’t study for: alarms go off every two hours, pumps take over your counter, and every ounce feels like a verdict. We open up about low milk supply, the pull to “keep trying,” and t...
Mini Episode: What If Losing Control Is The First Lesson Of Motherhood
A healthy baby and a healthy mom can still leave a complicated story behind. We open the door to a birth that didn’t follow the plan: an epidural that didn’t work, Pitocin contractions that crashed like waves, and a mind trying to keep pace wit...
Hurricanes, Epidurals, And Holding On with Erin Hall
A hurricane on the horizon, contractions five minutes apart, and a quick detour through a Chick-fil-A drive-thru—Erin’s first birth story doesn’t read like any class manual. What followed was a long labor, Pitocin without pain relief when an ep...
Mini Episode: The REAL Purpose of a Birth Plan
Control doesn’t create a meaningful birth experience—clarity does. We dive into the real purpose of a birth plan and show how to turn a rigid checklist into a living compass that anchors your values, guides decisions, and strengthens partnershi...
Mini Episode - What Does Labor Actually Feel Like?
Most moms are scared of labor because no one ever explains what the sensations actually feel like. So today, we’re breaking it down — in real, simple, honest terms.In this video, we talk about: ✨...
Mini-Episode: What is Prenatal Coaching?
Birth often feels like a test you can fail, even when you and your baby are healthy. We tackle the missing support layer that changes that feeling: prenatal coaching that builds a grounded mindset, clear communication, and a flexible plan you c...
Mini Episode: You Can Fire Your OB or Midwife
Your prenatal care should feel calm, respectful, and evidence-based—yet many of us hit a point where advice from a provider doesn’t match what we’ve learned or what our gut is telling us. That moment is disorienting. We break down why it feels ...
Mini Episode: How to Interview a Doula
Birth feels different when the room feels safe. We dig into how to choose a doula by focusing on connection, clarity, and calm rather than running a rigid checklist. Instead of quizzing someone for the “right” answers, we map the questions that...
Holiday Survival For Pregnancy And Postpartum: Scripts, Exits, And Peace
The holidays ask a lot from anyone, and even more from someone navigating pregnancy or early postpartum. Between loud rooms, strong smells, and a conveyor belt of opinions about your body and your baby, your nervous system can hit overload fast...
Mini Episode: Know Your Rights In Labor
When contractions hit and the baby feels low, the last thing any parent needs is a clipboard. We walk through the legal protections that guarantee timely care under EMTALA and translate them into practical steps you can use the moment you arriv...
Mini Episode: What Does a C-Section Feel Like?
Birth can be both clinical and deeply human, and few moments capture that better than a planned C-section. I wanted to remove the mystery and the fear, so I walk you step by step through what it actually feels like—from walking into a bright, c...
What No One Tells You About Newborn Vitamin K
Making informed decisions for your newborn can feel overwhelming—especially when advice around routine procedures like the vitamin K shot seems contradictory. As a labor nurse and mom, I created this episode to cut through the noise with eviden...
Embracing the Unexpected: Alex Wachelka's Third Birth Journey
When Alex Wachelka predicted her third baby would arrive on December 15th—despite professionals insisting otherwise—her intuition was right. But the path to that moment wasn’t easy.After two very different births—one at a birth center an...
Building Your Birth Dream Team: Finding the Right Doula
Navigating the search for your perfect birth doula can feel overwhelming. How do you find someone who aligns with your vision, fits your budget, and helps you feel secure during one of life’s most vulnerable moments?Drawing from over a d...
Making a Birth Plan? Here’s What You’re Probably Missing
The birth plan has become a staple of pregnancy preparation, but most expectant parents are approaching it all wrong. What began as a revolutionary tool for restoring autonomy during the natural birth movement of the 1960s has too often devolve...
One Way or a Mother Episode 1: A New Podcast from Dr. Elliot Berlin, DC
One Way or a Mother is a new narrative podcast from Dr. Elliot Berlin, DC, host of The Informed Pregnancy Podcast. Each season is an intimate story of one woman, one pregnancy, and all of the preparations, emotions, and personal history lead...
Reimagining Postpartum Care: The 100 Weeks Project with Dr. Venice Haynes
"Congratulations, you're both alive." This shockingly low bar for maternal healthcare success reveals everything wrong with how America treats new mothers. In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Venice...
When Nurses Become Magicians: Getting Babies Unstuck with Marya Eddaifi
From personal birth trauma to revolutionary solutions for laboring mothers—this conversation with Marya Eddaifi reveals how innovative manual techniques are changing birth outcomes worldwide. Marya's journey begins with her own...
The Birth of Milk in Motion: One Mother's Journey to Help Others with Laci Tang, IBCLC
When Laci Tang experienced painful breastfeeding with her first child, she had no idea it would launch her into a career transforming how mothers receive lactation support. Her journey from anxious first-time mom to innovative IBCLC offers a mu...
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Balancing Knowledge and Intuition: Birth Insights with Dr. Elliot Berlin of Informed Pregnancy Media
Dr. Elliot Berlin transforms how we view childbirth, challenging the check-box mentality that leaves many parents feeling they've failed when birth veers from their rigid plans. Through our conversation, he introduces a revolutionary alternativ...
