The Ordinary Doula Podcast

Angie Rosier
  • 5.0 (9)
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  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

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

    E122: Your Body and Your Baby Communicate Through Hormones In Labor

    Send us Fan Mail Birth can look like a simple sequence of contractions and dilation, but underneath it all is a powerful hormone conversation between parent and baby. We pull back the curtain on the hormone dance of birth, focusing on oxytocin and cortisol, plus the adrenaline surge that shows up when labor gets real. With two bodies working as one system, the chemistry matters, and it explains so much about why labor can feel smooth one moment and overwhelming the next.  We talk through what oxytocin actually does in physiologic labor, why it supports effective contractions, and why it thrives in conditions that many laboring people crave: privacy, calm, dim lighting, and emotionally safe support. Then we reframe cortisol as more than “just stress,” looking at how a normal rise helps both parent and baby prepare for the intensity of transition, pushing, and the first moments after birth. We also touch on how Pitocin differs from brain-released oxytocin and how interventions and interruptions can affect the body’s natural rhythm.  From there, we connect the dots to the birth environment as a real third factor in the room. Feeling watched, unsafe, or unheard can elevate stress and make it harder for oxytocin to build, while respectful words, steady reassurance, and supportive touch can help the body keep working. After birth, we highlight why skin to skin, eye contact, and early feeding are more than “nice extras” and how they help regulate temperature, heart rate, and bonding.  If you’re preparing for labor, supporting a loved one, or working in birth spaces, this is a practical, science-grounded guide to protecting emotional safety and supporting the physiology of birth. Subscribe for more evidence-informed birth education, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find the support they deserve. Visit our website, here: https://hatchednlatched.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Hatched & Latched Follow us on Instagram at @hatchenlatched Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier  Music: Michael Hicks  Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood  Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    23 min
  2. E121: Mother’s Day: Childbirth Changes You Even When No One Sees It

    MAY 10

    E121: Mother’s Day: Childbirth Changes You Even When No One Sees It

    Send us Fan Mail Strength doesn’t always look like a highlight reel. Sometimes it looks like breathing through one more contraction, waiting through uncertainty, feeding a newborn on no sleep, or walking into the NICU with a body that’s still healing and a heart that’s carrying more than anyone can see. With Mother’s Day close by, we reflect on the deep, often invisible power of childbearing and motherhood. We talk about the kind of strength that isn’t loud or performative, but steady, grounded, and life-changing. From the slow build of pregnancy and the massive physiological work of growing a human, to the vulnerability of trusting providers and making decisions mid-labor, we name the everyday courage that deserves real respect. We also share two recent VBAC stories that couldn’t be more different: one fast and intense, one long and gritty, both requiring adaptability, patience, and support. Along the way, we hold space for the reality of infertility, IVF, and miscarriage, and what it means to try again after fear. Then we shift to postpartum recovery and identity, including the honest worry many first-time parents carry: “I don’t want to lose myself.” If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “strong enough,” let this be a reminder that strength has many forms and you don’t have to do it all alone. Subscribe for more grounded birth education, share this with someone who needs encouragement, and leave a review so more families can find us. Visit our website, here: https://hatchednlatched.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Hatched & Latched Follow us on Instagram at @hatchenlatched Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier  Music: Michael Hicks  Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood  Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    23 min
  3. E120: What If Messy Breastfeeding Is Normal

    MAY 1

    E120: What If Messy Breastfeeding Is Normal

    Send us Fan Mail Breastfeeding can look like a sunlit photo shoot online and feel like a complicated midnight puzzle in real life. We’re naming that gap without shame. If you’ve ever wondered why it isn’t coming “naturally,” why your baby pops on and off, why you’re stuck in endless cluster feeding, or why you’re Googling in the dark with tears on your face, you’re not alone and you’re not doing it wrong. We dig into why so many parents in the United States don’t grow up seeing much breastfeeding in everyday life, then get hit with pristine marketing images and highlight reels during pregnancy. We talk about the real early breastfeeding experience: awkward positioning, the learning curve of latch, sore or cracked nipples, fear about milk supply, and the relentless pressure of keeping a newborn thriving. I also share real client stories, including what it can look like months in when someone is still working incredibly hard, juggling pumping, topping off with bottles, and finding a sustainable combo feeding rhythm. We also unpack the confusion that comes from conflicting advice from TikTok, family, pediatric providers, and lactation support, plus the expectations trap of comparing yourself to “freezer full of milk” content. The takeaway is simple and freeing: hard does not mean failed. Breastfeeding is a skill, every baby is different, and any amount of breast milk is a meaningful gift. If you’re struggling, ask for help early and keep what supports you. Subscribe for more real-world birth and postpartum guidance, share this with a friend who needs a little grace today, and leave a review so more parents can find the support they deserve. What part of breastfeeding feels hardest right now? Visit our website, here: https://hatchednlatched.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Hatched & Latched Follow us on Instagram at @hatchenlatched Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier  Music: Michael Hicks  Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood  Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    21 min

  4. APR 24

    E119: My Birth Stories Part 2

    Send us Fan Mail Water breaks at 7:30 a.m. and you think, “Lunch time baby.” Then the hours crawl by, your house is spotless, everyone is waiting, and you start doing the mental math of a possible transfer. I’m Angie Roger, and I’m finishing my personal birth stories with the two home births that reshaped my understanding of what support really means, especially when life is already full of kids, work, and big feelings. I share what it was like to move from hospital births to a planned home birth with a conservative, experienced midwife and a clear Plan B at a nearby hospital midwifery group I trust. You’ll hear about the emotional weight of miscarriage, the surprise of secondary infertility, and how years of attending births as a doula changed what I wanted for my own care team. I also read from my journal of my final pregnancy and labor, including the stop start rhythm after my water broke, the relief of the birth tub, and the moment intensity got so real my brain reached for “an epidural” even though I was at home. We talk postpartum too, because the baby may be out, but real life is still right there: hungry kids, exhaustion, and the difference practical help can make. If you’re building a birth plan, considering home birth or water birth, or searching for honest perspective on unmedicated birth, midwifery care, and postpartum support, this story is for you. If it resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s expecting, and leave a review so more families can find the show. Visit our website, here: https://hatchednlatched.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Hatched & Latched Follow us on Instagram at @hatchenlatched Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier  Music: Michael Hicks  Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood  Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    47 min

  5. APR 17

    E118: My Birth Stories Part 1

    Send us Fan Mail Birth stories can turn into life stories fast, and I’ve realized mine explain more about my work than any resume ever could. I’m Angie Rosier, and I’m finally sharing the first three births that shaped me, not as perfect highlight reels, but as honest, complicated, empowering hospital labors that taught me what support really means. We start with my first pregnancy in the late 90s: intense nausea while working and finishing college, picking an OB for all the wrong reasons, and taking a hospital childbirth class that makes me feel strong. Then my water breaks with meconium-stained fluid, contractions ramp up, and I find myself deep in back labor, leaning hard on my husband’s counterpressure and a nurse who actually believes in unmedicated birth. I also talk about an episiotomy done without my permission, how fast labor can still feel endless, and why early breastfeeding can feel like the most helpless responsibility even when everything is technically “normal.” My second birth is slower and simmering, full of waiting, home labor, a tub that feels like magic, and that sudden shift when the waters break and transition hits like a wave. The third pregnancy brings a curveball: I discover I’m pregnant while marathon training and decide to run anyway, then go overdue and decline induction. That third, textbook nine-hour labor includes a nurse who becomes the kind of support I didn’t even know to ask for, and it leads straight to the moment someone tells me, “You should become a doula,” launching the career I never knew existed. If you care about unmedicated hospital birth, natural childbirth preparation, labor coping tools, breastfeeding realities, and what great nursing support looks like, you’ll find something here to take with you. Subscribe for the next part of the story, share this with a friend who loves birth stories, and leave a review telling me: which moment in labor do you still remember most clearly? Visit our website, here: https://hatchednlatched.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Hatched & Latched Follow us on Instagram at @hatchenlatched Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier  Music: Michael Hicks  Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood  Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    37 min

  6. APR 10

    E117: Precipitous Birth

    Send us Fan Mail Labor stories go viral when a baby is born in a car or a bathroom, but the real question is what it feels like from the inside, and what you can do to be ready if it happens to you. I’m talking about precipitous birth, also known as precipitous labor or rapid labor, where everything compresses into a short window and the body goes from “maybe” to “right now” with almost no lead time. It can be awe-inspiring, overwhelming, or both, and it deserves more nuance than “lucky you, it was fast.” I walk through what precipitous labor looks like in the moment: contractions that start strong without a slow warm-up, an early urge to push, and the way people often go deeply internal because there’s no extra bandwidth to think. We also get practical about safety, including higher chances of tearing with a rushed second stage, possible postpartum hemorrhage considerations, newborn bruising or transition, and why environment matters if the birth happens outside the planned location. You’ll hear memorable, true stories from my doula work, from twins born at home in about 45 minutes to a first-time birth so fast I’m coaching the partner by phone while I’m stuck getting my hair rinsed. I also share how families with a history of precipitous birth plan transportation, childcare, and timing, plus the “what if” planning that helps even when you can’t predict anything. We close with the emotional side: how to process a blitz birth so it lands as integrated and supported, not just chaotic. If you’re pregnant, postpartum, a doula, or a birth partner, hit play, then subscribe, share with someone who’s close to their due date, and leave a review so more families can find calm, evidence-informed birth prep. What would your plan be for a 45-minute labor? Visit our website, here: https://hatchednlatched.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Hatched & Latched Follow us on Instagram at @hatchenlatched Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier  Music: Michael Hicks  Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood  Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    31 min

  7. APR 3

    E116: Perinatal Mental Health Basics with Sadie Clark

    Send us Fan Mail The moment a baby arrives, your brain and body change fast and not always in the ways you expected. I sit down with perinatal mental health therapist Sadie Clark to name what so many parents feel but struggle to say out loud: mood shifts can start in pregnancy, the baby blues have a real timeline, and “pushing through” is not the same thing as doing well. We dig into the practical side of postpartum mental health, including how sleep deprivation affects nearly every condition, why motivation tanks when you are running on empty, and how baseline self-care like food and rest can be the most powerful first step. Sadie also shares her own experience with a breech baby and a planned C-section, plus the grief that can come when birth doesn’t match the picture you carried for months. We talk about holding two truths at once using “and” instead of “but,” so joy and disappointment can coexist without canceling each other out. Then we get specific about postpartum anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and perinatal OCD, including the “what if” spiral, the heavy “should” list, and the relationship strain that shows up when everything has to be done a certain way. If you have a history of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or OCD, Sadie explains why the postpartum window of tolerance can narrow and what to do about it. We also cover treatment options, medication fears while breastfeeding, and where to find specialized help through Postpartum Support International, the PMHC credential, and Psychology Today. If this conversation helps you feel seen, subscribe for more birth and postpartum support, share it with a parent who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find these tools. What part of postpartum mental health do you wish people talked about sooner? https://www.serenityrw.com/meet-sadie/ Visit our website, here: https://hatchednlatched.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Hatched & Latched Follow us on Instagram at @hatchenlatched Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier  Music: Michael Hicks  Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood  Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    52 min

  8. MAR 27

    E115: Essential Oils For Labor

    Send us Fan Mail Your birth room has a “vibe,” and sometimes the fastest way to change it is through something you can’t even see: scent. I’m Angie Roger, and I’m sharing a grounded, real-world take on essential oils for labor and birth. No miracle claims, no fearmongering just how I use aromatherapy as an optional comfort tool that can support relaxation, focus, and a sense of safety while you do the real work of labor. We talk about why the sense of smell is such a direct line to emotion and memory through the limbic system, and how that can matter when contractions get intense. I walk through the oils I see used most often in childbirth, including lavender for calming, citrus like lemon or orange for an energizing lift, peppermint as a go-to option for nausea, and where clary sage fits into the conversation. I also share how I handle a quick “smell test” so the laboring person stays in charge and we can pivot fast if a scent suddenly feels wrong. You’ll also hear practical tips for using essential oils safely and respectfully in shared spaces like hospitals: why I prefer a few drops on a tissue or washcloth, what to know about diffuser rules and staff sensitivities, and how scent can layer with other coping techniques like cool cloths and airflow. If you’re building your birth bag or stocking a doula kit, this gives you a simple way to plan ahead without overcomplicating it. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s preparing for birth, and leave a review with your favorite calming scent so others can try it too. Visit our website, here: https://hatchednlatched.com/ Follow us on Facebook at Hatched & Latched Follow us on Instagram at @hatchenlatched Show Credits Host: Angie Rosier  Music: Michael Hicks  Photographer: Toni Walker Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood  Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton Voiceover: Ryan Parker

    18 min
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Trailer

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Angie Rosier
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    125
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Ordinary Doula Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Ordinary Doula Podcast