Podcast Golden Hour Birth

Part 1 of 2. Join hosts Liz and Natalie in this heartfelt episode of the Golden Hour birth podcast as they invite Natalie's husband, Sam, to share his perspective on their children's births. From the excitement and magic of their first child to the unexpected news of their second pregnancy, Sam candidly reflects on the rollercoaster of emotions he …

Heather shares the stories of her three births. Her first and third pregnancies included managing gestational diabetes. Her second postpartum experience was met with postpartum anxiety as she discovered her daughter had a dairy intolerance and Heather became fixated on what she was consuming. Her third baby also ended up having a dairy intolerance …

Maya from the Bay Area joins us on this episode to share the birth of her 2 daughters. Maya knew she always wanted to be a mother. She didn’t expect it to be so difficult to get pregnant but once she got there, the pregnancy went well. At 33 weeks, she experienced contractions and bleeding. She went into the hospital and they gave her medicine to s…

New to The Golden Hour Birth Podcast? Start here to enjoy a few clips from Season 1 and to hear from us about what this podcast is all about. We are two average Midwest moms having authentic conversations surrounding birth stories. We’re here to laugh with you, cry with you, and hold space for you while normalizing all of the unknowns that have cau…

Today’s episode features Kaitlin, a mom of three, a doula, and the founder of BeHerVillage. Two days postpartum, Kaitlin found herself in her son’s nursery struggling to get herself and her son ready for the first pediatrician appointment. It was then that she realized postpartum moms needed SUPPORT over expensive baby gifts. From there she founded…

*Trigger Warning* : This story contains a maternal and fetal near-miss. This is part 3 of 3. In this episode, we continue Nicolette's story of her experience with a splenic artery aneurysm during her second labor. Nicolette shares the challenges she faced during the delivery and the aftermath of the emergency surgery she underwent. Nicolette also o…

In honor of Disability Book Week, today's mini episode features Karley, a previous guest on the podcast and newly published author! Disability Book Week, held on April 23-29 each year, invites individuals all over the world to become more inclusive with what they read by reading a book that features a main character with a disability. Karley's seco…

*Trigger Warning* : This story contains a maternal and fetal near-miss. This is part 2 of 3. Welcome back to the Golden Hour Birth Podcast! In this episode, we continue our conversation with Nicolette as she shares the second part of her powerful birth story. In this candid and deeply personal interview, Nicolette opens up about her experience with…

*Trigger Warning* : This story contains a maternal and fetal near-miss. This is part 1 of 3. Nicolette, a Labor & Delivery Nurse, from Virginia shares her first and second birth stories. Ten years ago, she had her first child. When she was 6 months old, she decided to become a L&D nurse. Ten years later, she and her husband decided to have another …

Mindy Duff from Iowa joins us on this week's episode to share her three births. She is the host of the podcast, Up-level Your Life with Mindy, as well as a speaker, certified holistic health and nutrition coach and a published author. Her mission is to help individuals uncover their best selves through the power of self-care and self-love. Mindy's …

Join our co-host Natalie as she shares her second birth story with her daughter! Her pregnancy brought first trimester nausea, some depression, and a breech presentation at 34 weeks. Her last few weeks including trying everything to get the baby to flip, and her whole household sick the entire month of her due date! She opted for augmentation after…

Kaitlyn from St. Louis joins us on the podcast to share part 2 of her birth story! Kaitlyn and her husband Matt met in Kindergarten and started dating in college. Matt proposed to Kaitlyn 10 days before she was set to start her Nurse Anesthetists Program. They started trying in 2020 to conceive and found out they were pregnant fairly quickly. Pregn…

Kaitlyn from St. Louis joins us on the podcast to share her birth story! Kailtyn and her husband Matt met in Kindergarten and started dating in college. Matt proposed to Kaitlyn 10 days before she was set to start her Nurse Anesthetists Program. They started trying in 2020 to conceive and found out they were pregnant fairly quickly. Pregnancy was f…

Lindsey from St. Louis joins us in sharing her triumphs and tribulations to starting a family. Her and husband knew they always wanted a family when they both grew up with multiple siblings. They started trying and quickly got pregnant. These two pregnancies both were miscarriages followed by D&C’s. After these two miscarriages they asked for addit…

In this episode, we hear the inspiring story of Melisha, a mother who has given birth three times and also gone through an adoption journey. Melisha shares her experience of navigating motherhood and wellness, and how it has led her to become an advocate for others. Melisha always knew that she wanted to have natural births. She felt strongly about…

Rianna from Texas joined us on the podcast this week sharing her four birth stories. Her four kids range in ages from 18 to 4. She had her first son in a hospital and ate an apple while she filled out paperwork while in labor, and met her delivery doctor in the elevator. When her son was around 2 he was diagnosed with lead poisoning which led Riann…

This is part 2 of Kelly Stary's birth story. In part 1 Kelly told us about her prolonged pushing leading to an emergency c-section. She developed an infection during all of this and continued to be in immense pain. When she was released form the hospital on pain meds, she was in and out of consciousness if she was late on her meds by even 10 minute…

This is Part 1 of 2. Kelly was living in the Czech Republic for four years, where she met her now husband with a plan to return to the states and start traveling out west and around South America. Right before they headed back to the US, Kelly found out she was pregnant! They decided to move back to Kelly’s hometown of St. Louis and reassess their …

Katie Wood, a pharmacist and fertility coach, shares her birth story on this episode! After coming off of birth control for 13 years Katie and her husband struggled to get pregnant and received no nutritional or supportive advice from her OB or midwife. She decided to start acupuncture and 3-4 months later she conceived her daughter. Her pregnancy …

This is part 2 of Bonnie's birth story. Bonnie didn't feel well for a few days and thought she was just experiencing heartburn. She started to think something was not normal and couldn't sleep due to the pain in her chest. She went to the hospital and found out she had HELLP (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets) Syndrome, which is a…

This is part 1 of 2. Bonnie joins us today to share the story of her daughter, Sabrina! Bonnie and her husband met in college and married in 2018. They decided to start trying to start a family around 2020. When they went in for their “confirmation” appointment, they were met with the news of a miscarriage and decided to move forward with a D&C. Th…

Join us this week as we chat about the stigma behind "Breast is Best." Liz and Natalie share their own experience with the trials, tribulations, and beloved PIVOTS to ensure their children were meeting their goals and growth through nutrition. There can be so much stigma on mothers and parents regarding the way they choose to feed their children an…

Tia from North Carolina joins us on this week's episode as she shares the birth stories of her two children, now 19 and 13 years old! She always wanted to be a mother and after finding out she was pregnant, she remembers thinking her life has officially changed forever. Tia had wanted to be a midwife at that time in her life so she was very prepare…

Many parents experience mild mood changes during pregnancy and after giving birth. 15-20% of those experience more significant symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. It's estimated that up to 50% of those experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety never get a formal diagnoses or seek treatment. One reason for this may be not having knowledge of …

Carly from Philly joins us on the podcast today! Carly found out she was pregnant around 8 weeks with her first while she was finishing up Grad School & her student teaching. When she went to the hospital to have her first baby she waited in a wheelchair in the hall until being told what to do next in triage and finally was sent up to delivery. She…

We put together a few of our favorite resources to share with our listeners today! Check a few of them out below! Listen to the show for the rest! Business of Being Born- documentary on Amazon at the time of writing this. Read the description here. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth- book found at most bookstores. Amazon link here. Safe Sleep Group on F…

Georgia & her husband, VJ, met in college and married in November 2019. They had plans to travel for a bit but after the world shut down 4 months after their wedding, they decided to start a family. She took a test one morning, threw it away, and came home later to find the slightest positive. She sent VJ out for more tests to confirm - they were h…

Amy from Montana shares her pregnancy and birth stories from her three sons. She was a Med Surg nurse to Labor & Delivery nurse, and now a Massage Therapist, primarily focusing on Prenatal and Cranial-Sacral work on babies, and a childbirth educator. Amy became pregnant with her first baby at the age of 23 (10 years ago). She had no idea what pregn…

Body image is a hard topic for nearly everyone. 20-40% of women struggle with body image, and 10-30% of men. These statistics rise with pregnancy. More than 40% of women say there is some sort of dissatisfaction with their appearance during or after pregnancy. Liz and Natalie share their own experience with body image before, during, and after preg…

Part two of Katie's Birth Stories. On this episode, Katie tells us about her third “grand finale” pregnancy and baby. She had just gone through a termination for medical reasons, a second trimester loss, a pandemic, on top of her best friend’s diagnosis with terminal cancer. She again battled with high blood pressure readings and had to stay a week…

Katie from Long Island shares her journey to motherhood this week! Katie and her husband decided to start a family and quickly got pregnant after she believed it would be a longer road as it was for her mother. Her daughter Harper was born via emergency c-section after being diagnosed with preeclampsia. For her second birth, she hoped for a VBAC an…

Join Natalie and Liz as they discuss their experiences with postpartum anxiety in this mini episode! Postpartum anxiety is not as talked about as postpartum depression but is very common. It is estimated that 1 in 5 women has postpartum anxiety. Symptoms of postpartum anxiety are constant or near-constant worry, feelings of dread about things you f…

*CONTENT WARNING* : This episode includes discussions of Perinatal Anxiety and Mood Disorders, including scary intrusive thoughts and thoughts of suicide. Jenn and her husband were married in 2018, and knew they wanted to start a family soon after. In 2020, they became pregnant and were very excited to embark on this journey of parenthood together!…

Alissa joins us for Part 2 of her birth story, with her second son. At five months postpartum, her friend suspected she was pregnant. After much hesitation due to her periods being off track since having her first child, she took a pregnancy test and it was positive! She was shocked due to her infertility issues with her first but couldn’t imagine …

Alissa shares her first birth story of her son, born in November 2019. Her partner and her decided to stop taking any precautions after their May 2018 wedding. She believed she would come home with a honeymoon baby, but that did not happen. Being the planner she is, she quickly turned to tracking her cycle with 7 months of negative pregnancy tests.…

Join us for a bonus episode where we chat with Eleni after the show about some of the struggles of motherhood, bodily functions, the love of parenthood, not comparing babies or self, and more! Our mission is to provide a safe space for mamas to share their stories, struggles, and triumphs, and that looks differently for everyone! Connect with Eleni…

Eleni shares her birth story of her beautiful boy Walter “Wally”! Eleni shares her process of having a gut feeling that she was pregnant and taking a test while she was running her dog walking business. It was a very welcomed surprise by herself, her boyfriend, and their families! Pregnancy was positive overall besides one intense day of very sensi…

We continue our chat with Emma Ginder in this episode about her journey to becoming a midwife. She shares how her passion for supporting birthing people and their partners transpires through her doula and midwifery care. While she is more active in the actual birth, she knows her years of doula work runs deep and helps her continue to stay passiona…

This week we chat with Emma Ginder, a local doula in the area and Natalie's own doula for her first son! Emma is one of the most compassionate and knowledgeable doulas we have met. Emma opens up to us about her journey to becoming a doula, and how her motherhood journey has been impacted and influenced by being a doula. We dive deep into the state …

Alissa Alter aka “The Amy Poehler of vaginas” shares the second half of her story. Alissa suffered from a 4th degree tear (an extensive tear that goes from the vagina to the rectum). She had an extremely tough postpartum not only physically but emotionally and mentally as well. She was very disappointed in the lack of support and education on how t…

Alissa Alter aka “The Amy Poehler of vaginas” joins us this episode to tell us all about her birth and journey to working as a women's health expert and motherhood advocate, with a side of humor. This is part 1 of 2. Alissa found herself stuck in a bad marriage and an unfulfilling career when she decided she was done suffering in silence. She began…

Karley joins Liz and Natalie today to share her stories of her two births and navigating life with a medically-complex child. Karley and her husband knew they wanted to have children while they were young. Karleys first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage while she was living away from family and friends finding it difficult to navigate. Her second pr…

Kelli joins us this week to share her story of her two cesarean births. She had an unexpected and difficult first pregnancy that culminated with an unplanned cesarean birth. Kelli was induced but did not progress. After being told about her narrow pelvic inlet and how difficult a vaginal birth would be, a c-section was offered. Kelli felt helpless …

On today's episode our guest Brie shares her birth story of her 10 month old son, Dax! Brie believed she was always going to be fun Aunt B and never believed children were in the cards for her. In early 2021, after experiencing some menopause signs, Brie made an appointment with her OBGYN for what she kept hearing as her “confirmation appointment”.…

On this episode of the Golden Hour Birth Podcast, we welcome an Atlanta mom of 2, Christina! Christina and her husband got married 9 years ago and essentially created a trip list before trying for a baby. After a fairly easy pregnancy, Christina was met with a difficult postpartum. She struggled with setting boundaries and hosted family immediately…

Erin shares her story of her three pregnancies and births. Erin had pretty easy pregnancies after suffering a miscarriage first. She loved being pregnant with all three boys! Her first pregnancy was a hospital induction that went smoothly although pushing proved difficult. Her second birth was quicker with knowing how to push this time around. Her …

Hannah joins us to share the story of her second birth which was wildly different from her first. Hannah had a fairly easy pregnancy again except that she was GBS positive with a suspected penicillin allergy. After advocating for herself, she finally found an allergist to help her. She was all set for another birth at the Birth Center when she went…

Katie shares her journey to motherhood while navigating anxiety and depression during her pregnancy and postpartum. Physically, she had a positive pregnancy with some round ligament pain and swelling. Katie struggled mentally with anxiety during pregnancy. She was nervous to speak up about it but her husband supported her throughout the pregnancy. …

Hannah had a smooth pregnancy besides nausea during the first trimester and restless leg syndrome in the third. She switched providers midway after learning that her OB wouldn't accept birth plans. She switched care to a midwifery team at a birthing center. She experienced prodromal labor for a few weeks before her real labor started. She labored a…

Join Liz and Natalie for this special episode where we rage about Roe v. Wade. On this Independence Day 2022, we aren't feeling very independent at all. We can't celebrate when women's liberty has been lost. The Supreme Court overturned a 49-year-old precedent that secured the right to an abortion. We are angry, we are sad, we are pissed off. We ar…