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Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy
Birth is amazing, beautiful, wonderful . . . and it can throw you for a loop! Despite our very best birth “plans,” we can find ourselves taking some twist and turns during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum that we don’t expect. Enter the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!
Hey mama! My name is Stephanie, and I’m a mom of three boys, and two girls, a professional doula, childbirth educator, and the creator of the Online Birth Course - My Essential Birth www.myessentialbirth.com.
I love to help mothers just like you feel empowered and confident during pregnancy, birth, and into motherhood by taking my years of knowledge and personal/professional experience in the birth world and breaking down complex birth topics to make preparing for labor & birth a breeze!
Every week, you’ll hear from myself & other women ready to share their knowledge with other pregnant moms about pregnancy and birth topics that will have you feeling knowledgeable and in the driver’s seat of your best birth experience.
Your best birth starts here >>>> www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Episodes
349 episodes
Birth Story: Pitocin Induction, 24 Hours of Unmedicated Labor & a 9lb 12oz Baby — Mary Richardson's Story
Birth doesn't always go the way you planned, but preparation never goes to waste.In this encouraging birth story, My Essential Birth Mama Mary Richardson shares her journey from planning a home birth to an unexpected hospital tran...
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Tylenol, Vaccines & Autism: What Every Pregnant Mom Needs to Know with Dr. Ari Calhoun
Is Tylenol really safe during pregnancy? Does it cause Autism? What about vaccines? And are you getting the nutrients your baby's brain actually needs?What if the most important health decisions you make during pregn...
Birth Story: When Birth Brings Both Loss and Healing | Sarah’s Story
What would you do if the pregnancy you carefully prepared for suddenly took an unexpected turn?In this powerful and deeply meaningful birth story, My Essential Birth Mama, Sarah, joins me to share the journey of her second pregnan...
Birth Story: Early Labor, Life Flight Refusal & a 32-Week Baby Who Stunned His Nurses with Christa & Morgan
In this incredible birth story, My Essential Birth parents Christa and Morgan take us through one of the most incredible journeys I have ever had the honor of sharing on this podcast. From a heartbreaking miscarriage to livin...
3 Birth Plan Mistakes That Lead to Regret (And What to Do Instead)
What if the birth plan you worked so hard on… actually set you up for disappointment?Most moms spend hours researching, Googling templates, and checking every box, and still walk away from birth feeling blindsided...
Before You Say Yes to an Induction, Ask These 3 Questions
What would you do if your doctor mentioned induction at what felt like a totally routine appointment, and suddenly you were nodding along to something you weren't even sure you agreed to?In this week's episode, I'm walking ...
Placenta Encapsulation: Should You Eat Your Placenta? Benefits, Risks & Postpartum Recovery w/Dr. Sophia Johnson
Some moms swear placenta pills changed their postpartum recovery…others say they did nothing. So what’s actually true?Today I'm sitting down with Dr. Sophia Johnson. She's a physician, researcher, and author who spent a decade st...
Birth Story: Her Husband Caught the Baby Before His Coffee Was Ready - Veronica's Home Birth
What would you do if your baby came so fast… your husband hadn't even had his morning coffee yet?Veronica planned a home birth... she just didn't plan for it to look like this: her husband catching their daughter in their bedroom, the mi...
Reclaim Your Birth: Sovereignty, Intuition & the Dad's Surprising Role with Midwife, Catalina Clark
What if the most powerful voice in your birth room isn't the doctor's — it's your husband's?In this episode, I sit down with Catalina Clark, a licensed home birth midwife in Sonoma, California, who has spent 11 years at the crossroads of...
Hospital Birth: The System is Broken, Not You
Over the years, birth has slowly shifted from a natural, woman-centered experience to something much more medicalized — and most pregnant moms have no idea why.In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how modern maternity care...
Birth Story: "Any Woman Who Wants an Unmedicated Birth Absolutely Can" w/Haley Sampson
What does it look like when a pelvic floor physical therapist uses everything she knows — plus the My Essential Birth course — to prepare for her own unmedicated birth? It looks like THIS episode.Haley Sampson is a labor of love kind of ...
What No One Told You About Fertility & Gestational Diabetes w/ Dr. Kiltz
Is everything we’ve been told about fat… wrong?In this episode, I sit down with Reproductive Endocrinologist & Fertility Specialist, Dr. Robert Kiltz, founder of CNY Fertility, to talk about infertility, gestational diabetes, insulin...
VBAC Success Story w/ Sarah Agus-Bina
If you're aiming for a VBAC this pregnancy, this one is for you mama!I had a wonderful conversation with My Essential Birth Mama, Sarah. She shares how she navigated pregnancy, labor, and birth with confidence — even when things di...
Early Brain Development in Pregnancy with Neuroscientist, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum
"It's our birthright to be deeply connected to our babies and to grow from it." - Dr. KirshenbaumWhat if the most important thing you could do for your baby’s brain… isn’t something you buy, schedule, or optimize — but in the way you
Top 16 Birth Myths from 1940's to Today
“Don’t lift your arms over your head.”“First babies always come late.”“Hospital birth is the only safe option.”If you’re pregnant, you may have already heard at least one of these — maybe from a well-meaning family membe...
From Fight Camp to Birth: How a Pro Fighter Prepared for Labor w/Madie Meacham
I never thought I would hear birth compared to fighting… but honestly, it might be one of my favorite analogies ever.In this episode, I’m joined by Madie — a professional fighter, dog trainer, and mom — who shares how she approached preg...
Pregnancy Nausea? Do THIS Before Medication
If you’re pregnant right now, chances are your mornings—or really, your entire day—feel like a constant battle with nausea. 🤢 And that means this episode is 100% for you!In this episode, we uncover the real reasons pregnancy...
Choosing ONE Word or Intention for Your Birth Experience
Choosing one word may seem simple, but it can completely transform the way you experience pregnancy and birth.In this episode, I share how selecting a single intention or birth word can help you focus your energy, calm your nervou...
REBROADCAST: Birth Story: Unmedicated Birth Story of Embracing the Beauty of Natural Childbirth with Morgan Adams
What would you do if your labor moved so fast… you barely made it to the hospital?This birth story is our most downloaded episode of the entire year! In this powerful birth story, My Essential Birth Course student Morgan Adam...
From Hospital to Birth Center: An Empowering Second Birth Story w/Rebekah Foderaro
What happens when the birth you thought you’d have turns into something even more powerful?In this incredible unmedicated birth story, My Essential Birth Mama Rebekah Foderaro shares her journey from planning a hospital birth to...
10 Contractions & a Toilet Baby: Positive Home Birth Story w/Ashley & Bryan Worley
Can you imagine having only about 10 contractions and your baby being born?! This is seriously the BEST birth story!In this unforgettable (and honestly unbelievable) birth story, My Essential Birth students Ashley & Bryan W...
Home Birth Story: Prayer, Prenatal Depression, & the Best Birth Story w/Kaitlyn & Kale Hallman
This birth story is such a beautiful reminder that preparation, prayer, and unwavering partner support can truly transform the labor experience. In this episode, Kaitlyn and her husband Kale share their faith-filled home birt...
From Induction Plans to Roadside Baby: Birth Story w/MEB Mama, Karlen Barr
What would you do if your baby came so fast… there was no time to make it to the hospital?In this unforgettable, heart-melting birth story, My Essential Birth Mama Karlen shares her journey with us through a challenging pregnancy,...
I Love My Baby… AND I’m Struggling | Why This Is NORMAL in Motherhood with Dr. Margo Lowy
“I love my baby… AND I’m struggling.” If you’ve ever thought that and immediately felt guilt, shame, or fear that something was wrong—you are not alone.In this deeply moving and much-needed episode, I sit down with
9lb 12oz Baby Home Birth — No Cervical Checks, No Stitches, Taylor's AMAZING Birth Story
If you’ve ever wondered what a peaceful, physiological, deeply empowering home birth can look like — especially with a big baby — this episode will become your new obsession.Today, Taylor Ward walks us t...