The Ordinary Doula Podcast

Angie Rosier

Welcome to The Ordinary Doula Podcast with Angie Rosier, hosted by Birth Learning. We help folks prepare for labor and birth with expertise coming from 20 years of experience in a busy doula practice, helping thousands of people prepare for labor, providing essential knowledge and tools for positive and empowering birth experiences.

  1. 4D AGO

    E103: A Series of 19 Unmedicated Births

    Send us a text Nineteen cousins, all born without medication, and not a single birth story was copy-pasted. Angie opens up about how a simple desire for unmedicated labor grew into a family pattern shaped by childbirth education, midwifery care, and steady partner support. What started as a personal preference became a repeatable approach: learn the physiology, choose a team aligned with your goals, and keep the plan flexible enough to adapt in real time. We walk through three sisters-in-law with very different personalities who arrived at similar choices for their own reasons. One expected an epidural and induction because “that’s what everyone does,” then flipped after a powerful class and a supportive doula. Another navigated six births, including a surprise “caboose” during COVID and one labor that needed a small Pitocin boost. A third moved from hospital to birth center to home, even welcoming an 11‑pound baby, while her partner became an effective, hands-on advocate. Across these stories, midwives, education, and continuous support show up as quiet levers that change outcomes without heavy-handed rules. The goal isn’t a gold star for going unmedicated. It’s informed choice, compassionate care, and a team that knows when to wait, when to move, and when to use tools thoughtfully. Angie shares candid reflections, practical insights for selecting providers and classes, and a grounded reminder that empowerment comes from consent and preparation, not perfection. You’ll leave with concrete ideas for aligning your birth plan with the right setting and people, plus renewed confidence that partners and doulas can make the room feel safer, calmer, and more human. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with someone preparing for birth, and leave a review telling us what part shifted your thinking. Visit our website, here: https://birthlearning.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Birth Learning Follow us on Instagram at @birthlearning Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier Music: Michael Hicks Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    14 min
  2. DEC 12

    E102: Sacred Birth International with Anna Lundqvist

    Send us a text What if birth is a rite of passage, not a procedure? Angie sits down with Swedish mentor and former midwife Anna Lundqvist to explore how intuition, preparation, and grounded advocacy can transform pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Anna traces her path from Australia’s home birth culture in Byron Bay—where physiological birth and birth centers were the norm—to the painful decision to leave hospital practice after witnessing obstetric violence. When her Australian credential wasn’t recognized back home in Sweden, she stepped fully into education and mentorship, founding Sacred Birth International to support families and train a new kind of birth worker. We dive into practical ways parents can build inner authority: understanding physiology, clarifying values, practicing consent and refusal, and learning to filter outside advice through personal intuition. Anna explains why “you birth the way you live,” showing how daily habits of presence, breath, and boundaries translate directly into the labor room. For professionals, she outlines the Sacred Birth Worker Mentorship, a comprehensive program that blends deep inner work with clinical awareness—covering variations of normal, trauma-aware care, hospital navigation, and advocacy that is calm, clear, and effective. Along the way, we talk about the power of community debriefs to prevent burnout, the role of sacred space in any setting, and the quiet beauty of a home birth where attendants step back and a family leads. Whether you’re preparing to give birth or to support it, you’ll leave with language, tools, and confidence to protect physiological birth, honor consent, and keep the mother at the center. If this conversation resonated, share it with a friend, subscribe for future episodes, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your voice helps keep this work visible and strong. Visit our website, here: https://birthlearning.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Birth Learning Follow us on Instagram at @birthlearning Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier Music: Michael Hicks Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    39 min
  3. DEC 5

    E101: Babies Scheduled My Week

    Send us a text The calendar looks like dropped spaghetti, but every twist tells a story. We walk you through two real weeks of on-call life as a doula and lactation consultant—spontaneous labors that stall and surge, VBAC momentum at 3 a.m., and the quiet, steady work of helping a four-day-old learn to feed. It’s part logistics, part heart, and fully devoted to helping families feel informed, supported, and seen. We start with a long Monday labor that resets midstream, the kind of day where patience matters more than numbers on a cervix check. From there, text threads turn into a nighttime return and a calm delivery. The next sunrise brings home visits: a determined parent with a fussy latch, prenatal sessions shuffled when membranes start leaking, and a VBAC that takes off after an epidural with only low-dose Pitocin. You’ll hear a candid look at a breech external cephalic version—three careful attempts, no turn, and a doctor who keeps options open. Between hospital corridors and car rides, we dive into real feeding fixes: structured schedules for sleepy newborns, weight checks that guide adjustments, storage plans for oversupply, and practical techniques that protect nipples and confidence. The pace ramps at the hospital, where a dozen bedside consults and dozens of follow-up calls compress common early hurdles into clear steps: skin-to-skin, responsive feeding, asymmetrical latch, and data you can trust from diapers to grams. Then a curveball: a first-time parent who’s suddenly eight and a half centimeters after a day of apple picking, a long overnight, and a cesarean chosen with care when instruments won’t help. Through it all, life keeps moving—kids’ concerts, workshops, and a 50th anniversary that somehow stays untouched by the pager. The through line is simple: show up, listen well, adapt, and celebrate every small win that moves a family forward. If you value honest birth stories, evidence-based breastfeeding support, and the human side of hospital care, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s expecting, and leave a review with the moment that stayed with you most—we read every word and it helps others find the show. Visit our website, here: https://birthlearning.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Birth Learning Follow us on Instagram at @birthlearning Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier Music: Michael Hicks Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    23 min
  4. NOV 28

    E100: A Conversation with My Four Daughters

    Send us a text A hundred episodes felt like the right moment to gather around the kitchen table and pull back the curtain on what it’s like to grow up with a doula mom. Angie sits down with her four daughters for an honest, funny, and moving conversation about family culture, witnessing a home water birth, and how open dialogue turned birth from something to fear into something to understand. If you’ve ever wondered how advocacy actually plays out in labor, or what kids absorb when birth is normalized at home, this one hits close. We talk about the on‑call lifestyle and the teamwork it demanded—older siblings stepping up, dad filling the gaps, and a community ready to drive, cook, and cheer. The daughters describe how using clear language for bodies and birth gave them confidence to support friends, ask better questions, and process hard birth stories with empathy. They share vivid details from their brother’s birth, from quiet living room light to the rush of first moments, plus the often overlooked truth that immediate postpartum procedures can feel tougher than the last contractions. The conversation also looks forward: unmedicated birth goals, skin‑to‑skin, breastfeeding, and the crucial role of well‑prepared partners who can advocate when words are hard to find. We tackle social media myths, dwindling birth rates, and the narrative that motherhood is only sacrifice. Instead, we offer a grounded perspective: informed choice, compassionate support, and flexible plans can transform experiences in hospitals, birth centers, or at home. Along the way, there’s humor—uterus mugs and an unforgettable frozen placenta—because normalization thrives on warmth as much as facts. If you care about birth, postpartum support, or simply want to hear how family culture shapes health literacy, press play. Then share this episode with someone who needs a reframed, hopeful take on labor. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what’s one belief about birth you’d like to rethink? Visit our website, here: https://birthlearning.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Birth Learning Follow us on Instagram at @birthlearning Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier Music: Michael Hicks Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    43 min
  5. NOV 21

    E99: Embrace The Wabi-Sabi Of Birth

    Send us a text Birth rarely reads the script we write for it—and that can be a source of strength rather than stress. We dig into the wabi-sabi mindset, a Japanese aesthetic that celebrates imperfection and impermanence, and translate it into a practical philosophy for labor, delivery, and the tender days that follow. With two decades of doula experience, we share grounded stories and simple tools that help you hold your plan with care while staying responsive when the path turns. You’ll hear how one client progressed beautifully before meeting an unplanned cesarean with grace, and how another moved from long, uneven early labor to a swift, powerful finish after a spontaneous release of membranes. We unpack why satisfaction in birth hinges less on a single outcome and more on agency, informed consent, compassionate support, and the freedom to adapt. If you’re preparing for a VBAC, considering pain relief options, or crafting a low-intervention plan, you’ll learn how to create layered preferences that travel with you through induction, epidural, or surgery without losing your values. We also widen the lens to postpartum and feeding, where “good enough” often beats “perfect.” Expect practical language for asking better questions, building option sets for different scenarios, and staying connected to your body, your baby, and your team. By embracing the beautifully crooked seams of your story, you protect your energy, reduce disappointment, and make more space for awe. If this conversation helps you breathe a little easier about what’s ahead, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s preparing for birth, and leave a review to help others find us. Your story matters—and it can be powerful even when it’s a little wabi-sabi. Visit our website, here: https://birthlearning.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Birth Learning Follow us on Instagram at @birthlearning Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier Music: Michael Hicks Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    18 min
  6. NOV 14

    E98: Fueling A Healthy Pregnancy

    Send us a text Building a baby is the most intense construction project your body will ever take on, and it runs twenty-four seven. Angie shares a practical, judgment-free roadmap for fueling that work with simple foods, steady hydration, and small habits that add up—so you feel better now, support efficient labor, and heal faster afterward. We break down realistic protein goals and easy ways to reach them without relying only on meat—think eggs, beans, Greek yogurt, tofu, edamame, nuts, and fish. You’ll learn why blood sugar stability matters for contraction strength, how electrolytes help your uterus function like the powerful muscle it is, and where a smart prenatal vitamin fits alongside a colorful, varied diet. We also talk through the messy realities: nausea, smell aversions, tiny stomach space, and the days when oatmeal and popsicles are all you can manage. You’ll walk away with snack pairings that actually work, hydration tricks that stick, and ideas for preparing freezer-friendly meals that can be eaten one-handed at 2 a.m. As labor approaches, we outline light, nutrient-dense options for early labor and cool, refreshing choices for active labor—frozen grapes, smoothies, broth, and electrolyte sips. Then we carry the plan into postpartum with soups, stews, casseroles, overnight oats, and protein-forward snacks that rebuild you while you care for your newborn. Through it all, the message is simple: perfection isn’t required. Small, consistent choices—more protein, better hydration, a bit of fiber, a pinch of electrolytes—create real momentum for a healthier pregnancy, steadier labor, and smoother recovery. If this conversation helps you feel more prepared and less overwhelmed, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s expecting, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Your stories and tips make this community stronger—what snack or hydration trick has helped you most? Visit our website, here: https://birthlearning.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Birth Learning Follow us on Instagram at @birthlearning Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier Music: Michael Hicks Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    21 min
  7. NOV 7

    E97: 23 Lessons From 23 Years Of Birth Work

    Send us a text Birth rarely follows a script, but patterns emerge when you’ve walked alongside thousands of families. Angie marks her 23rd year as a doula by distilling 23 honest lessons about labor, from the mental game that steadies you through transition to the quiet power of movement, nutrition, and a supportive team. This isn’t glossy advice—it’s grounded insight on what actually helps in the room: how partners can turn knowledge into comfort, why birthplace culture affects your options, and how a clear set of priorities functions better than a rigid plan. We dive into the realities of long inductions and lightning-fast second births, exploring how to prepare for both the marathon and the sprint. Angie unpacks the midwifery model and provider fit, explaining where physiology thrives and when medical expertise is essential. You’ll hear why prenatal education often does the heavy lifting, how strategic position changes may prevent some cesareans, and what chiropractic care can contribute to pelvic balance and comfort. Just as important, we shine a light on postpartum—a phase that deserves real planning for recovery, feeding, sleep, and mental health. Breastfeeding support, often underused and misunderstood, gets candid attention, along with practical ways to find help covered by insurance. Through it all runs a core message: trust the process, shape your preparation, and let your story unfold with your values at the center. If you’re building your birth plan, considering a midwife, or simply looking for an empowering, evidence-aligned approach to labor and postpartum, these lessons offer clarity and calm. If this conversation supports your journey, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s expecting, and leave a quick review to help more families find it. What’s one priority you’ll put at the top of your birth plan? Visit our website, here: https://birthlearning.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Birth Learning Follow us on Instagram at @birthlearning Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier Music: Michael Hicks Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    19 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Ordinary Doula Podcast with Angie Rosier, hosted by Birth Learning. We help folks prepare for labor and birth with expertise coming from 20 years of experience in a busy doula practice, helping thousands of people prepare for labor, providing essential knowledge and tools for positive and empowering birth experiences.