Happy Homebirth

How do you feel about the specifics of your upcoming birth? Are you clinging to particular desires and feeling like things MUST happen a certain way for you to feel successful? Or do you feel the peace of flexibility?

This week, we're speaking with Pamela, a homeschooling mother of 3 precious kiddos, who decided to give birth at home with her third child. Throughout the end of her pregnancy and labor, Pamela went on a journey of learning that she wasn’t in control of every event that happened, but she was able to surrender— and through the process of surrender she found something even better than certainty- she found freedom.

 

Episode Roundup:

First, I love the fact that Pamela was being encouraged by the young mothers around her– in her community group, and then within her family.  The women in Pamela’s circle gave her a new perspective of what birth could be like– and what she could be capable of!  When you share your experiences with others, who knows who you will influence and how that could change their trajectory.  How beautiful to simply share your story.

Next, I cannot–not comment on Pamela’s perspective.  While she did have ideas of what she wanted her birth to be like– in the water, untouched– She allowed herself the freedom to change her mind as her birth unfolded. She was not a victim of birth, even with its changes.  Instead she acknowledges the part that she played: She chose to change her mind.  We cannot control numerous aspects of our births, but we can control our perspective.  And when you pair a healthy perspective with the lesson of surrender, oh my, that’s how mothers transform.

And finally–Beauty and Tragedy exist simultaneously. At the same time that Pam was approaching birth, there was tremendous flooding and loss in her region of Texas. And then her grandfather broke his hip the day before labor. Life is being lost, pain is being experienced, and at the very same time beauty is being created. New life is being freshly breathed. The clear truth is that there is beauty, even in the hardest of times.

Links:

 

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

 

Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

 

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/presale (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Have you ever done everything right…and still watched things unfold in a way you never expected?

This week I’m joined by Daryl Hogan — a nurse, nursing professor, wife, and new mama — who navigated a laundry list of unexpected aspects of pregnancy that she certainly wouldn’t have excitedly chosen…. And yet her story doesn’t end in suffering, but in a powerful, physiologic homebirth that left her standing in awe of what her body had carried her through.

 

Episode Roundup:

 

First — preparation does not guarantee ease.

Daryl did the research.
She changed her products.
She tracked her cycles.
She took the supplements.
She prepared her body thoughtfully.

And still she experienced hyperemesis.
Still she lost weight.
And still she battled prenatal depression.

But she endured.  She continued, and while her preparation did not prevent suffering —
It did equip her to endure it.

Second — the humility of needing help.

As a nurse, Daryl understood the medical system.
She works in the hospital.
She knows the language.

But during her pregnancy, she found herself needing the IV fluids, the medication.
Needing support beyond what she had hoped for.

And I love the way she processed that.

She asked herself:
“Would I shame another woman for this?”

Of course not.

And so she chose to release the shame.

My friends, sometimes trusting God also looks like accepting the help He places in front of you.

Third — the power of relational care.

Did you hear the contrast between her midwife and her OB?

Long appointments.
Text messages.
Honesty.
Consultation.
Home visits.

Versus…

Cold. Rushed. Directive.

Care changes experience.

Not just outcomes — experience.

And finally — redemption through birth.

After months of vomiting.
Crying.
Exhaustion and
Fear.

Her labor came.

She drove home from the birth center on all fours in the back seat — because her body told her to.

And she birthed her baby at home.

Oh my goodness, the triumph in that!  

Not because it was pain-free or especially easy, but because she endured. She trusted. She surrendered.

And what strikes me most is this —
she didn’t just get a baby at the end.

She got awe: 

Awe of her body.
Awe of the design.
Awe of the way suffering can shape strength.

So if you are in a season where you are doing your best just to make it through
Whether that’s in pregnancy, motherhood, or another aspect of your life —


 

Links:

 

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

 

Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

 

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/presale (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Have you ever wondered how much the environment and the people around you shape the way birth unfolds?

 

Hey there Happy Homebirthers, and welcome to episode 314 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast.  I’m your host Katelyn Fusco and today, we’re speaking with Caroline Hendel, a mother from France whose story beautifully illustrates the difference between being managed through birth vs. being trusted in it.

Caroline shares two very different experiences: her first birth in a hospital after being transferred due to concerns about her baby’s size, and her second—an intentional home birth of an eleven-pound baby, surrounded by a team who provided a sense of belief, calm, and support.

This conversation touches on big babies, cultural differences in birth care, choosing your team wisely, and what it truly means to feel safe in birth.

 

First, I’m struck by how clearly her experiences show that big babies are not the problem—fear is. Over and over again, we see that when providers don’t trust mothers, size becomes a liability. But when belief is present, the body often does exactly what it was designed to do.

Second, Caroline’s story highlights how important it is to choose your team carefully—and to change course when something doesn’t feel right. Trusting your intuition doesn’t mean rejecting care; it means seeking the right care.

And finally, I love her reflection on how birth intensity can be a bridge into motherhood. For Caroline, her second birth gave her something her first did not— she was able to experience the fullness and intensity of the act of bringing forth her baby, which was exactly what she wanted as she re-entered the fullness and intensity of motherhood. If you’re preparing for birth, I pray this story reminds you that you deserve belief, support, and peace—no matter the size of your baby.

 

Links:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5yY5p5Wm6Y

 

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

 

Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

 

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/presale (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Have you ever noticed how each birth teaches us something different—no matter how many times we’ve done this before?

 

Today, I’m welcoming back a dear friend of the show, Madeline Murray—midwife, mother of four, and someone whose story has unfolded alongside this podcast over the years.

Madeline has been here before to share her first and second homebirths, and today she’s bringing us into her third and fourth. Two births that took place in very different seasons of life, and yet both marked by growth, presence, and a deepening sense of trust.

 

Episode Roundup:

First, I’m struck by how much presence mattered in these later births. Madeline talks about the difference between surviving a birth and actually participating in it—and that distinction feels so important. Sometimes peace doesn’t come from changing the circumstances, but from being able to stay with yourself through them.

Second, I love her honesty about how seasons of life affect birth. Giving birth while navigating business ownership, older children, and a body that’s changed with time looks different than it did before—and that doesn’t make it lesser. In many ways, it makes it richer. There’s wisdom there. There’s perspective.

And finally, Madeline’s story reminds us that even when we’re experienced—even when we’ve attended births or lived inside this world for years—birth still has something to teach us. It continues to shape us, humble us, and invite us into deeper trust.

So wherever you are on your own journey—first baby or fourth—may this story remind you that growth doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like calm. Sometimes it looks like confidence. Sometimes it looks like finally feeling at home in your body.

 

Links:

 

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

 

Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

 

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/presale (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Which is more important when it comes to birth: preparation or intuition?

In this week’s episode, we’re hearing from Kaylee Matthews, a first-time mom from the mountains of Southern California whose story is a reminder that intuition and preparation can coexist beautifully with surrender.

Before she even met her husband, Kaylee was learning the fertility-awareness method, studying midwifery podcasts, and building an understanding of her body. So when she and her husband conceived—on their very first try—she felt both prepared and grounded.

Her pregnancy unfolded with ease until an unexpected “high-risk” label and pressure from hospital providers tested her confidence. Leaning on research, prayer, and intuition, Kaylee chose to continue midwifery care, learning firsthand the value of informed decision-making and peace over fear.

When labor finally began at 40 weeks + 6 days, it moved from calm to intense quickly—so quickly that her earlier intuition proved true: her midwife nearly missed the birth. What followed was a long, determined labor that called for patience, movement, and deep trust.

Kaylee’s story highlights the balance between preparation and surrender—the way knowledge can empower us, but peace is what carries us through.

First, knowledge really is power—but trust and peace are even greater powers. Kaylee studied, planned, and prepared for this birth. But when things went off-script, she leaned not on fear or outside pressure, but on the peace and confidence she had in her body as it did exactly what it was designed to do.

Second, I love how her preparation allowed her husband to step confidently into birth, too. From the packet of questions at their first appointment to the way he supported her through every phase, their teamwork is a picture of partnership in birth, and the way that birth can truly bring couples together as they enter or re-enter parenthood. 

And finally, Kaylee’s intuition was spot-on. Even when it didn’t make logical sense—like feeling her midwife might miss the birth—she honored that God-given intuitive thought and made space for it. What a reminder that we are so connected to our Creator, and when it’s intuition, that knowing you feel isn’t scary, it’s simply confident.

Here’s to quiet confidence, to listening inward, and to letting birth be the teacher it’s meant to be.

 

Links:

 

Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

 

Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

 

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/presale (use code PODCAST for 10% off)