This week I'm chatting with Daizjah, who shares her incredible first birth story at a military hospital.

From finding out she was pregnant just weeks before her wedding, to preparing with CrossFit up until 34 weeks, mental rehearsals, the role that faith played, and a labor playlist... to the big day—Daizjah takes us through every detail.

You're going to love this inspiring, and faith-filled birth story!

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

• 2:04 – Meet Daizjah: Military Veteran and wife to a military husband.
• 3:24 – A Natural Start: How she let her body adjust after getting off the pill (spoiler - it didn't take long 😉) and what she experienced in each trimester
• 9:00 – Military Hospital Reality: Navigating care when you don’t get to pick your provider
• 11:10 – The Doula Difference: Why hiring a doula transformed her birth experience
• 14:08 – Patience at 40+ Weeks: Staying calm without induction pressure
• 17:19 – Pregnancy Prep Essentials: Exercise, red raspberry leaf tea, chiropractor visits, stretching, and swapping her office chair for a birth ball
• 19:58 – Breathwork & Mental Prep: The one practice she says made all the difference in labor
• 21:27 – Faith in Pregnancy: How faith and a special scripture gave her courage and power from God
• 23:41 – Early Labor & First Contractions: How it all started at 2 AM and the very first thing she noticed
• 29:00 – Labor Progression at Home: Walks, stretches, spicy food, and water labor to encourage contractions...what worked best?!
• 34:00 – Hospital Arrival & Intense Labor: Laboring in the tub, the mucus plug, positioning, and working through contractions
• 37:00 – Pushing & the Birth: How she handled pushing, birthing positions, and witnessing her baby’s birth
• 46:41 – Immediate Postpartum & Skin-to-Skin: Delayed cord-clamping, getting her baby to her chest, and bonding
• 49:00 – Her Best Advice for Moms & Dads: Take a listen, it's so good!!

Whether you’re just starting your pregnancy journey or counting down the final weeks, Daizjah’s story is a powerful reminder that preparation, faith, and trusting your body can make all the difference.

If you’re ready to feel empowered, confident, and inspired for your own birth, this episode is a must-listen AND the My Essential Birth Course is your next right step!

https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted

✨ Don’t forget to FOLLOW the show so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!

Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:

• On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
• On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show title.

Let's Connect!

Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: hello@myessentialbirth.com.
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!

Join the My Essential Birth Course by October 7th and get exclusive Affirmations BONUSES:
featuring a calming Birth Affirmations Audio Track and 25 beautifully crafted, printable Birth Affirmation Cards to keep you grounded, confident, and inspired for birth.

Grab it Here: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted

Everywhere you turn, someone has an opinion about what you should eat during pregnancy, how fast you should bounce back postpartum, or the “magic foods” that will skyrocket your milk supply. But how much of it is actually true?

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Brooke Harmer— mama, nutritionist, and postpartum advocate — to answer questions like; Should I eat this? How do I increase my milk supply? How can I lose some of this baby weight? - yep, we cover it all!

Here’s What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

3:00 — Meet Brooke & Why She’s So Passionate About This Work
Her story and why nutrition is more than just food for moms.

7:05 — Pregnancy Nutrition (Without the Overwhelm)
The #1 thing to focus on that keeps it simple and stress-free.

10:32 — Eating During Labor?!
Why food is fuel — even when you’re in the thick of contractions.

17:52 — Epidural Moms, This Is for You
Spoiler: you still need to eat. Here’s why.

18:45 — Vaginal vs. Cesarean Recovery
How birth type changes what your body needs to heal.

21:27 — “Colic” Isn’t Real?
Why Brooke says colic is the IBS of baby diagnoses.

24:22 — If You’re Given Antibiotics Postpartum…
The crucial step you can’t skip for your recovery.

28:37 — The Myths That Keep Moms From Healing
Why salads and smoothies may not be the best postpartum foods.

34:07 — The Truth About Postpartum Weight Loss
Where your focus should actually be (and how to get there safely).

42:21 — How Birth Experience Affects Breastfeeding
What no one tells you about birth and milk supply.

46:29 — Boosting Milk Supply
Simple steps that actually work.

49:20 — The #1 Thing Moms Need Postpartum
Brooke’s most important advice for every mama.

Links we mentioned in the episode:

Brooke's Website: https://www.thewellnourishedmama.com

The Well Nourished Mama Membership: https://www.thewellnourishedmama.com/app

The Confident Mama Masterclass:

Get the "Rise & Birth Pack" now through October 7th when you purchase the My Essential Birth Course!

The Rise & Birth Pack comes with the full step-by-step training that’s helped thousands of mamas prepare for birth PLUS Downloadable Affirmation Audio Track & Affirmation Cards helping you rewire your thoughts and prepare for a calm, confident birth experience.

✨ Don’t forget to FOLLOW the show so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!

Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:

• On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
• On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show title.

Let's Connect!

Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: hello@myessentialbirth.com.
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!

Join the My Essential Birth Course by October 7th and get the exclusive Rise & Birth Pack (My Essential Birth Course PLUS downloadable Birth Affirmations Audio + Affirmation Cards) Grab it here: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted

If you've ever been told you have a suspected "BIG" baby, you know that the stress of hearing that statement can be overwhelming. Talks of extra ultrasounds, monitoring, induction, and even cesarean birth start becoming part of your regular office visits. You want to make the very best, and safest decisions for your baby during this pregnancy and birth, but maybe you're feeling unsure about the information or pushed into interventions you're uncomfortable with.

You're in the right place!! In this episode, I walk you through, step-by-step, exactly what having a suspected "BIG" baby means, what all of your options really are, and what you need to do to prepare yourself and your birth partner for a birth you'll love! Never fear mama. Take some nice deep breaths and get to listening. 🎧

Check out the Show Notes Here: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/blog/big-baby-the-exact-steps-to-take-right-now

Get the "Rise & Birth Pack" now through October 7th when you purchase the My Essential Birth Course!

The Rise & Birth Pack comes with the full step-by-step training that’s helped thousands of mamas prepare for birth PLUS Downloadable Affirmation Audio Track & Affirmation Cards helping you rewire your thoughts and prepare for a calm, confident birth experience.

✨ Don’t forget to FOLLOW the show so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!

Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:

• On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
• On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show title.

Let's Connect!

Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: hello@myessentialbirth.com.
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!

Join the My Essential Birth Course by October 7th and get the exclusive Rise & Birth Pack featuring a calming Birth Affirmations Audio Track and 25 beautifully crafted, printable Birth Affirmation Cards to keep you grounded, confident, and inspired for birth. Learn more: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted

Okay, Mama, this one is tender, faith-filled, and downright empowering. Rachel (mom of two under two in Michigan) brings us into her living room for an unmedicated home birth that was calm, supported, and so her.

From a late-pregnancy breech scare to a Spinning Babies breakthrough, from Olive Garden eggplant parm to a labor playlist featuring Maverick City’s “Use To This,” this story sparkles with surrender, community, and a baby girl who absolutely heard her mama’s voice in the womb.

Well Cover:

• 05:40 — Breech at 37 Weeks: Plus a quick framework for handling a late-pregnancy curveball (educate, pray/meditate, assemble team, talk to baby).
  
  
• 15:30 — How She Turned Baby Head-Down: A Spinning Babies session, chiropractic care, belly banding, and talking to her baby.
  
  
• 24:45 — Home Birth Setup That Saved Chaos: Pre-staged tub/hoses, dim lights, hot/warm towels and a husband who went on an ice run.
  
  
• 34:55 — Coping Like Intervals (Active Labor) Treat contractions as 60-second sprints, why low moo-ing works, and when to get in/out of tub.
  
  
• 47:20 — When the Water Would Not Break, To A Healthy Baby In Three Pushes: What a bulging bag of waters feels like, getting consent, why AROM sped things up, then three-push delivery and golden hour at home.

Before you go, I want to remind you that Rachel didn’t just “luck out” with a calm, empowering home birth. She trained for it. She learned how to advocate when her first birth wasn’t aligned, she knew how to talk with her midwives about breech, and she had practical tools ready for every stage of labor. That kind of confidence doesn’t just happen… It’s built.

That’s why I’m always shouting from the rooftops: a birth course changes everything.

Birth is one of the most physically intense, emotionally charged, and spiritually transformative events of your life. If you’d prep for a marathon, why wouldn’t you prep for birth?

When you join the My Essential Birth Course, you’re literally stacking your tool belt so that when the curveballs come (breech, stalled labor, induction talk, strong emotions, partner nerves), you’ve already practiced your lines, your moves, your mindset.

That’s what makes space for the magic: singing your labor song in the tub, laughing between contractions, eating yogurt in your own bed with a bran

Get the "Rise & Birth Pack" now through October 7th when you purchase the My Essential Birth Course!

The Rise & Birth Pack comes with the full step-by-step training that’s helped thousands of mamas prepare for birth PLUS Downloadable Affirmation Audio Track & Affirmation Cards helping you rewire your thoughts and prepare for a calm, confident birth experience.

✨ Don’t forget to FOLLOW the show so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!

Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:

• On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
• On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show title.

Let's Connect!

Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: hello@myessentialbirth.com.
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!

Get Started with the My Essential Birth Course for only $87! (https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted)

You’ve probably had this moment: you’re sitting in a provider’s office, pregnant belly in front of you, when someone says, “This is what you’ll get at your next appointment.” No conversation. No options. Just a directive.

If your stomach has ever dropped in that moment, wondering: “Do I even get a say here?” This episode is for you, mama.

I sat down with Alexandra Galaska, the powerhouse behind Just the Inserts, to talk about how to cut through fear, confusion, and the “this is just what we do” culture in medicine.

Alexandra’s journey began as a new mom overwhelmed by conflicting voices. What she uncovered (the actual government-issued manufacturer inserts for pharmaceuticals and vaccines) became the foundation of her mission: helping parents make truly informed decisions with confidence, not coercion.

This conversation is not about being “for” or “against” anything. It’s about equipping yourself with facts, frameworks, and questions so you can walk into your provider’s office as the CEO of your health and your child’s, not a passive spectator.

Show notes HERE!!

Links & Resources

• Follow Alexandra on Instagram: @JustTheInserts
  
  
• Find Alexandra’s FREE, no email required Course:
  Make Informed Medical Decisions
  
  
• Join me inside the My Essential Birth Course, where I’ll guide you step by step through the medical options, decisions, and preparations that lead to a birth you feel confident about and truly love.

Get the "Rise & Birth Pack" now through October 7th when you purchase the My Essential Birth Course!

The Rise & Birth Pack comes with the full step-by-step training that’s helped thousands of mamas prepare for birth PLUS Downloadable Affirmation Audio Track & Affirmation Cards helping you rewire your thoughts and prepare for a calm, confident birth experience.

✨ Don’t forget to FOLLOW the show so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!

Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:

• On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
• On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show title.

Let's Connect!

Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: hello@myessentialbirth.com.
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!

Get Started with the My Essential Birth Course for only $87! (https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted)

The first six weeks of pregnancy can feel like the longest waiting game of your life. Heck, those two weeks after you have sex may as well be a year!! Even once you’ve got the positive test, and your body is already shifting, that first prenatal appointment still doesn’t happen for weeks. Cue: late-night Googling, second-guessing every cramp or craving, and wondering what’s actually normal.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on those early weeks. From my own experiences (yes, even as a birth educator, I was up at 3 a.m. searching symptoms 🙋‍♀️) to what I see with my doula clients, I want you to feel seen, supported, and not alone in this in-between stage.

Show Notes here: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/blog/episode-313-am-i-pregnant-answers-for-the-first-6-weeks

Links Mentioned:

• 3 Exercises to Help Prepare for Your Best Birth (https://www.myessentialbirth.com/3-exercises)
• Click here for a list To Ask Your Doctor/OB Provider (https://www.myessentialbirth.com/OB)
• Click here for a list To Ask Your Midwife (https://www.myessentialbirth.com/midwife)
• Join the My Essential Birth Course for step-by-step pregnancy and birth prep (https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted)

Get the "Rise & Birth Pack" now through October 7th when you purchase the My Essential Birth Course!

The Rise & Birth Pack comes with the full step-by-step training that’s helped thousands of mamas prepare for birth PLUS Downloadable Affirmation Audio Track & Affirmation Cards helping you rewire your thoughts and prepare for a calm, confident birth experience.

✨ Don’t forget to FOLLOW the show so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!

Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:

• On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
• On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show title.

Let's Connect!

Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: hello@myessentialbirth.com.
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!

Four years of infertility.
Two failed IUIs.
A spot on the IVF waitlist.

And then… six months after shifting her food and lifestyle with PrimalBod (use code MEB100 for $100 off if you want to try it!), Dominique’s story took a turn she’ll never forget: two pink lines in an Airbnb, before a wedding, shoving the test in her husband’s face while he was still scrolling his phone. (ICONIC.)

This conversation is part raw honesty, part “wait, why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner?”, and fully a reminder that your body is powerful when you give it what it actually needs.

Dominique doesn’t hold back about the tears, the supplements, the trial-and-error, and the eventual breakthrough. And she shares the exact shifts that cleared her brain fog, steadied her energy, reduced pain, and ultimately supported fertility.

This episode is a love letter to women in the thick of the fertility journey.

Show Notes Here

✨ Links Mentioned

• Episode 268: Prenatal Nutrition: The Lies & The Truth, with Candi Frazier
  
  
• PrimalBod Program: Save $100 with code MEB100
  
  
• DM me on Instagram @myessentialbirth

And mama… If nutrition is how you build your baby, birth education is how you protect the experience of bringing them earthside. Inside The My Essential Birth Course, you’ll find evidence-based tools, confidence-building strategies, and even guidance around food + fuel for pregnancy and postpartum.

Learn more and enroll today.

Get the "Rise & Birth Pack" now through October 7th when you purchase the My Essential Birth Course!

The Rise & Birth Pack comes with the full step-by-step training that’s helped thousands of mamas prepare for birth PLUS Downloadable Affirmation Audio Track & Affirmation Cards helping you rewire your thoughts and prepare for a calm, confident birth experience.

✨ Don’t forget to FOLLOW the show so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!

Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:

• On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
• On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show title.

Let's Connect!

Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: hello@myessentialbirth.com.
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!

What happens when your due date collides with a snowstorm in Georgia?

When I first connected with Abby, I knew her birth story was going to be special, but GAH!! It’s so good and I just know it’s going to inspire every mama listening. As a first-time mom, she navigated early bloody show, a surprise snowstorm, and nearly three days of labor with an amazing, calm, grounded intuition that’s absolutely contagious.

From the nausea that knocked her off her feet in the first trimester to the “crunchy-meets-medical” compromise she and her husband made for a hospital birth with a doula, we walked through the nitty gritty of pregnancy and labor, the most common issues every couples deal with for pregnancy & birth, and the incredible birth story she gets to share with all of you. You’ll hear:

• The physical prep (yes, we’re talking deep squats in the shower and red raspberry leaf tea) and the mental prep that helped her stay strong through every stage.
  
  
• Why breaking her water (something she didn’t plan to do) ended up being the right call.
  
  
• How her husband and doula worked together with a “third-party consent” rule that kept her fully in control.
  
  
• That unforgettable moment she reached down and felt her baby’s head for the first time.
  
  
• Why she believes her unmedicated birth shaped her beautiful postpartum experience and lasting confidence as a mom.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

• The Fresh Test For 20% OFF use Coupon Code: MYESSENTIALBIRTH
• My Essential Birth Course
• My Essential Birth Postpartum Course
• My Essential Birth Instagram
• Three exercises to help prepare you for your BEST birth

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Get the "Rise & Birth Pack" now through October 7th when you purchase the My Essential Birth Course!

The Rise & Birth Pack comes with the full step-by-step training that’s helped thousands of mamas prepare for birth PLUS Downloadable Affirmation Audio Track & Affirmation Cards helping you rewire your thoughts and prepare for a calm, confident birth experience.

✨ Don’t forget to FOLLOW the show so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier!

Here’s how to do it in just 2 seconds:

• On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page.
• On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show title.

Let's Connect!

Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstarted
Email: hello@myessentialbirth.com.
Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!