The Birth Hour

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The Birth Hour

The Birth Hour is a birth stories podcast designed to support you through pregnancy as you prepare to give birth.

Listen to new birth stories every week and join our evidence-based inclusive online childbirth course at thebirthhour.com/course! The Birth Hour helps expecting and new parents understand their birthing options through authentic birth stories so they are informed and empowered going into pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

05/11/2025

When their son was 16 months old, Olivia and her husband Isaac went back to the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) for a third frozen embryo transfer with two of their son’s biological siblings, embryos they had adopted through the NEDC. Olivia had symptoms very early on this time, and they were excited to learn they were pregnant with one of the transferred embryos. After a physically and emotionally difficult pregnancy, their daughter was born. Almost immediately, Olivia regretted asking for an epidural and hoped to be able to experience another birth.

When their daughter was 18 months old, Olivia and Isaac were shocked to discover that they were pregnant, naturally for the first time ever. Olivia found a doula to help support her and her husband during the birth, as her husband was in very poor health. She was able to have the pain medication free birth of her dreams with the most incredible support system for their third baby, second son, and first biological child.

Listen to the full story in any podcast app episode 1016!

29/10/2025

After nearly two weeks of prodromal labor and multiple trips to L&D, Chanarah felt her first real contraction the night before her birthday during a staycation her husband planned at the Four Seasons. Her due date was April 25th, but by Sunday night, labor truly began. After being sent home again with a morphine shot for rest, contractions quickly intensified, and she returned to the hospital four hours later at six centimeters. Her baby’s sunny-side-up position explained the long early labor, and after just 45 minutes of pushing, Chanarah delivered vaginally. Though her epidural barely worked and there were tense moments with her heart rate dropping and the NICU on standby, both she and her baby were healthy—ending a long, emotional journey with joy and relief.

Listen to the full episode in any podcast app 🎧

17/10/2025

After what began as a textbook pregnancy, Traci’s life took a terrifying turn when she developed postpartum preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome shortly after giving birth to her daughter. What followed was a traumatic stay in the maternal ICU, while her newborn spent days in the NICU fighting to get strong enough to come home.

That experience changed Traci’s life forever. She now works closely with the Preeclampsia Foundation to raise awareness about the warning signs of preeclampsia and to advocate for better maternal care and postpartum education. Her mission is to use storytelling and her media platform to help other women recognize their symptoms, trust their instincts, and speak up when something doesn’t feel right.

Through vulnerability, humor, and heart, Traci continues to inspire audiences showing that even in the scariest chapters of motherhood, there is resilience, purpose, and community waiting on the other side

Listen to the full story in any podcast app (episode 1013) 🎧

15/10/2025

New birth story podcast episode 🎧

Mariam’s first birth was an unexpected pregnancy that resulted in a traumatic cesesrean birth experience. She entered the pregnancy knowing the basics and soon realized pregnancy was more than just going to the doctor. There were many teachable moments such as preterm bleeding, thalassemia, failed glucose test, horrible restless leg syndrome, iron anemia etc. Despite the cesarean being non emergent, it was a catalyst that helped fuel Mariam’s desire to learn more about birth, pregnancy and postpartum because she knew she wanted to have more children and desired a more positive birth experience.

Mariam’s second birth was a redemptive HBAC. She never imagined ever having a homebirth but after learning her options were limited between the hospital and home due to state legislation, home was the best option for her! Her homebirth experience was a mentally challenging 24 hour labor that resulted in her being able to achieve not only her goal of a vaginal birth but also the opportunity to hold her baby as soon as he was born. It was a birth experience that made her feel complete and a reminder that everything happens for a reason.

listen to the full story in any podcast app ✨

08/10/2025

New birth story podcast episode ✨

At 39 weeks and 3 days pregnant, Caitlin experienced an intense and unexpected birth with her second child. After weeks of prodromal labour and feeling like she was going to be pregnant forever, labour began dramatically when her water broke around 2:30 a.m.

Despite initial advice from her midwife to rest, contractions started fast and furious. About an hour later in the shower, Caitlin experienced three surprisingly intense contractions, signally that things were happening a lot faster than expected.
When the midwife arrived, Caitlin was already fully dilated and it was discovered that Juniper was not head-down as expected, necessitating an immediate hospital transfer. This was scary and devastating news to Caitlin who was planning another homebirth.

After a harrowing ambulance ride, with contractions coming every minute and Caitlin’s body attempting to deliver the baby, they arrived at a small cottage hospital. This began a chaotic string of unwanted interventions. It was quickly determined that Juniper was in a footling breech presentation and Caitlin was quickly rushed into the OR for an emergency c-section under general anesthetic.

listen to the full episode in your favorite podcast app 🎧

03/10/2025

New birth story podcast episode 🎧

At 26 weeks, she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and made the empowering decision to manage it with diet and exercise. When her care team recommended induction at 39+1, she went in prepared to birth without pain meds.

After a slow start with natural methods and a Foley bulb, contractions kicked in fast. She labored in the tub, repeating “My body, my pain” through each wave. With her husband and doula by her side, and just 55 seconds of pushing, baby August Elton arrived—healthy, calm, and so loved. 💙

Listen to the full episode in your favorite podcast app!

01/10/2025

New birth story podcast Episode ✨

From a 1lb preemie born at 26 weeks to a VBAC to spontaneous TRIPLETS — Samantha’s path to motherhood has been anything but ordinary. She’s faced preeclampsia, emergency surgeries, postpartum complications, and multiple NICU stays… and came through it all with five beautiful, thriving children under the age of five. 💛

Now, she’s using her story to uplift and support other moms — creating space for women to be seen, heard, and empowered through every stage of pregnancy and motherhood.

Listen in any podcast app 🎧

26/09/2025

New birth story podcast episode ✨

Anna’s journey to motherhood was anything but simple. After years of fertility struggles, failed IUIs, and even being told she was “too thin” for treatment, she conceived naturally while waiting to start IVF.

Her first birth brought trauma—an unmedicated labor in a hospital unprepared to support her choices, an episiotomy without consent, and a 4th-degree tear. Still, she fell in love instantly with her baby, who went on to nurse for nearly 3 years.

Her second birth was faster, but left her feeling powerless again, and her baby struggled with undiagnosed ties and milk/soy protein intolerance. Just as things improved, Anna lost her husband to cancer before their son’s first birthday.

Years later, remarried, she cautiously tried again. This time she found the right midwife, supportive care, and healing. After weeks of prodromal labor, she birthed her son on hands and knees, with no pushing—her body simply did the work. Though he needed brief breathing support, Anna’s instinct and connection kept them together.

Her third postpartum was filled with peace, empowerment, and love—the ending she had long hoped for.

Listen to the full story in your favorite podcast app! 🎧

24/09/2025

New birth story podcast episode 🎧

After enjoying 10 full years as a married couple, Haley and her spouse were excited to add a baby to complete their family. Haley had a relatively uneventful pregnancy with no medical complications and worked with a Midwife practice at a local major Boston area hospital. After a couple days of early labor, things eventually picked up and she and her spouse headed to the hospital, meeting their doula there a few hours later. After laboring in the tub for many hours and pushing for about 40 minutes, her son was born! Postpartum was both wonderful and challenging with breastfeeding going well but sleep feeling elusive. Haley is so grateful for her 26 weeks of PAID leave through the great state of MA and PFML and is enjoying her almost 6 months of bonding time with her baby.

Listen to the full story in any podcast app ✨

17/09/2025

New birth story podcast episode 🎧

Sara got pregnant with her first child in January, 2020. Having listened to the Birth Hour, she felt confident choosing a birth center in Middle Tennessee. She describes that birth experience as peaceful, in spite of mixed feelings about the midwives and a very brief shoulder dystocia.

Sara’s second pregnancy was an ectopic pregnancy. It was misdiagnosed as a miscarriage and ended in a ruptured tube at 11 weeks. She tells about her experience with secondary infertility, pursuing natural treatments. She also shares her favorite simple tips on how she handled the stress and intense emotions of trying to conceive/pregnancy after traumatic loss.

Sara ends with the beautiful story of the redemptive, dream home birth of her rainbow baby. That pregnancy presented its own unique challenges, including a chorionic bump in the first trimester. She experienced postpartum bliss. Her desire in sharing her story is to bring hope to other moms who have experienced trauma, loss, or pregnancy complications.

Listen to the full story in any podcast app ✨

15/09/2025

10 years of The Birth Hour today! I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for our community who’ve shared birth stories, tuned in, supported us on Patreon, and joined our online childbirth course. A decade ago, I had no idea where this journey would take us, but from that first recording, I knew it was something special. 💓

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