Happy Homebirth

Katelyn Fusco
  • 4.9 (575)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

The Happy Homebirth podcast is your source for positive natural childbirth stories, and your community of support, education and encouragement in all things homebirth and motherhood.

  1. 2d ago

    Ep 331: From Cesarean Grief to a Healing Homebirth

    What happens when the birth you prayed for…doesn’t happen? And how do you move forward when the thing you prepared for so carefully ends in grief, disappointment, and questions you never expected to ask?   This week, we're speaking with Raylee, a homeschool mother of two from Texas who is passionate about Montessori education, physiological birth, and intentional motherhood. Raylee grew up in a large homeschooling family and witnessed homebirth from a young age, which shaped the way she viewed birth long before becoming a mother herself.   Episode roundup:   First… I think this episode speaks so deeply to the grief that can come when birth doesn’t unfold the way we hoped. Raylee prepared intensely for her first birth. She studied. She visualized. She cared for herself well. And yet—her birth ended in a way she never expected. I know that many mothers understand that kind of heartbreak. When your expectations and your reality feel worlds apart. But what moved me most was hearing how her perspective was renewed over time—not minimizing the pain, not pretending it was easy—but Raylee found profound meaning and growth within her experience and decided to take responsibility for her journey.  This intentional step out of victimhood catalyzed a huge spiritual change in her life.  One she wouldn’t take back even if she could. Next… I kept thinking about the difference between control and prepared surrender. With her first birth, Raylee described feeling very certain about how things would go. And after that experience, she entered her second pregnancy differently. She still prepared, she was still intentional, but her edges truly softened in a noticeable way.   Raylee was less attached to perfection and far more open-handed. Surrender does not guarantee a certain outcome—but it changes the way we move through the experience itself, however it unfolds.   And finally… Raylee’s second birth was such a beautiful picture of trust– and it was revealed slowly. Over days of early labor, Over intentional healing work, prayer. And through choosing to believe her body was capable again. I loved hearing her describe labor as intense… but not frightening. Powerful… but not pathological. Which is a huge distinction: Physiological birth is not necessarily painless. But it also does not have to feel traumatic. And when women are supported, uninterrupted, nourished, and safe… the body often knows exactly what to do.     Links:   Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90 “Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”   Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)   Youtube Episode Link: https://youtu.be/FSypyheqzoY

    57 min

  2. Jun 15

    Ep 330: Why This Labor Nurse Chose Homebirth

    What happens when the person working inside the hospital system… still chooses homebirth for herself? And… what does it look like when years of witnessing birth— the beauty of it, the interventions, the emergencies, the physiology— leads someone not further from instinctive birth… but deeper into trust? This week, we're joined by Alehson Treadwell, a labor and delivery nurse, IBCLC, and mother of three, whose personal birth experiences evolved alongside her years caring for women inside of the hospital system.   Episode Roundup:    First… I think her story is such a powerful reminder that knowledge does not have to create fear. Alehson has spent over sixteen years working as a labor and delivery nurse. She has seen complications. She has seen intervention. She knows the hospital system deeply. And yet—rather than moving further away from physiological birth, she moved into it. Sometimes understanding physiology more deeply actually increases trust in the body—not decreases it.   Next, I love the progression we hear across her births. Her first birth held anxiety, timelines, and the pressure of approaching forty-two weeks. Her second birth was fast and overwhelming in a completely different way– But by her third birth, we hear a mother who has settled into pregnancy, labor and trusting herself more thoroughly.  I especially loved hearing how specific she became in prayer during that final pregnancy. She prayed for the right people to be there, to be present, and to have peace. And finally… This conversation around postpartum nourishment is so important. Alehson spoke candidly about postpartum anxiety, depletion, low ferritin, and the connection between nourishment and mental health.  The truth is we cannot separate the physical from the emotional. What happens in the body can impact the emotional, and vice versa.  Which means that rest matters.Minerals.  Water.  Warm nourishing food.  It’s foundational.   Links:   Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90 “Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”   Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)   Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)   Youtube Episode Link: https://youtu.be/TXEaxJEg1-I

    49 min

  3. Jun 8

    Ep 329: This Story Does Not Belong to Fear: Lydia's Homebirth Story

    Can hope return after something painful changes the way you experience motherhood?   This week, we're speaking with Lydia Ashford, a flower farmer, worship leader, wife, and mother of two daughters born at home on the Northern California coast. Lydia and her family live and work together on a flower farm with her parents and sisters, raising babies alongside one another in a deeply connected community. In this conversation, Lydia shares the beautiful homebirth of her first daughter—but also the traumatic postpartum complications that followed– and the transformational healing that slowly took place after.   Episode Roundup:   1. “Postpartum is porous.” Lydia described postpartum as “spongy”—that everything spoken over a mother during that season goes straight to the heart. YES. The postpartum period is incredibly vulnerable. The voices around a mother matter. The support, the encouragement, it is all so critical. And hearing how her midwife, her mother, her husband, and her community continually spoke hope over her while she struggled with breastfeeding… it’s such a powerful reminder that support can completely shape a postpartum experience. 2. I was deeply moved by Lydia’s honesty about fear after trauma, because it’s such a common experience.   Sure, not everyone has experienced sepsis or emergency surgery postpartum, but many mothers have walked through complicated births or postpartum seasons that left them afraid to do it again. And I loved hearing how Lydia described God slowly transforming fear into hope—not all at once… over time.   Through prayer walks, community, stories, scripture, and through intimate moments of healing.   3. This line Lydia shared just got me at my core: “I will not nurse fear. I will nurse hope.” What a powerful renewing of her mind.  She intentionally refused to let fear become the center of the story. Wow, doesn’t  that apply so far beyond birth? What are we feeding? What are we nurturing? What are we allowing to shape the atmosphere of our homes, our motherhood, our hearts? Lydia’s story is such a beautiful reminder that healing does not always mean the absence of difficulty.  Healing is allowing hope to return.   Links:   Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90 “Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”   Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)   Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)   Youtube Episode Link: https://youtu.be/_zhc9aKXtME

    1h 23m

  4. Jun 1

    Ep 328: One Contraction at a Time: Faith's 47 Hour Homebirth

    Have you ever reached the point in labor—or honestly, in life—where you truly didn’t think you could keep going?   This week, we're speaking with Faith Robinson, a stay-at-home mom from Kansas City, wife to her husband of three years, and mother to baby Ezekiel. Faith grew up around birth through her mother’s work as a doula, but despite always wanting an unmedicated birth, she initially viewed birth primarily as a medical event. That slowly began to change after witnessing a peaceful birth as a teenager—and eventually led her and her husband to prayerfully pursue homebirth for their own family. In this episode, Faith shares her pregnancy journey, navigating back pain from previous spinal injuries, concerns about preeclampsia symptoms late in pregnancy, and the emotional challenge of going well past her due date. And then came the loooong labor.  You’re going to love hearing her perseverance.   Episode Roundup:  1. I keep thinking about the importance of support. Not just during birth itself—but throughout pregnancy too. Faith described so many moments where she felt deeply cared for by her midwives. They listened to her concerns, helped her navigate anxiety, supported her through physical discomfort, and treated her as a whole person rather than just managing symptoms. That kind of care changes the way women experience pregnancy and birth.   2. This story is such a reminder that labor does not always unfold quickly or neatly. Forty-seven hours is a long time. And I appreciated Faith’s honesty about how difficult that became mentally. The discouragement after learning she was still only two centimeters after hours of strong contractions… the exhaustion… the moments of saying, “I don’t want to do this anymore.” I think many women need to hear stories like this because sometimes physiological birth is portrayed as effortless if you just “trust enough” or if you do the precise right things to prepare.  But birth is intense, so trusting birth doesn’t mean pretending it’s always easy. Sometimes trust looks like continuing one contraction at a time.   3. I was so moved by the way Faith described the Lord meeting her during labor. The difficulty was not removed.  The pain was not instantly ended. But He gave her exactly what she needed for the next step. A moment of encouragement. A reminder that she was safe. The strength to continue. Truth be told, I think that mirrors motherhood so often too, at least for me. We’re not always given the full picture ahead of time.  But grace does meet us where we are. Ps. Shout out to Faith’s mom Kim. You’re the best, love you girl.   Links:   Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90 “Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”   Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)   Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)   Youtube Episode Link: https://youtu.be/PFkl9gpM_k8

    54 min

  5. May 25

    Ep 327: Rebuilding a Family Legacy Through Birth and Parenthood

    What does it look like to re-build a family legacy?  And how do birth, motherhood, healing, and even hardship become part of that restoration? Gabrielle Manier is a wife, homeschool mother of four, homemaker, gardener, and passionate homebirth mother living in Michigan with her husband Dustin and their children. Since her first appearance on the podcast, their family has welcomed two more babies while continuing to walk through healing from a difficult past marked by addiction, homelessness, and generational brokenness.   Episode Roundup: 1. The idea of rebuilding. Gabrielle and her husband came from incredibly difficult backgrounds, and yet the way they are intentionally building their family now—with faith, purpose, nourishment, connection, and presence—it’s such a reminder that generational patterns do not have to continue forever. Healing, change, renewal really is possible.   2. I loved hearing how intentionally Gabrielle prepared for postpartum this time. So many mothers focus all of their energy on birth preparation, but postpartum can feel deeply vulnerable if we don’t also prepare to be cared for afterward. And hearing how her mother came to help… how they restored their relationship… how she hired postpartum support… how her husband stepped in so fully… It’s such a picture of what women were always meant to experience after birth: Care and space to heal.   3. Another part of Gabrielle’s story that really stayed with me was the way she navigated her son’s clubfoot diagnosis. An unexpected diagnosis in pregnancy can bring so many emotions. Fear, confusion, and a sense of pressure to make quick decisions and “do something”. What I appreciated so much was hearing Gabrielle approach the experience in sugh a grounded, thoughtful,  prayerful way. She didn’t ignore reality, but she refused to allow fear to overtake the beauty of her experience of pregnancy and motherhood. I think many women need to hear that it is possible to walk through unexpected circumstances while still remaining connected and even joyful. And Gabrielle’s experience is such a reminder that a diagnosis does not change the value, beauty, or purpose of a child. Sometimes it’s these very moments that invite families deeper into trust, advocacy, and dependence on God in ways they never expected.   4. I was so moved by Gabrielle’s description of birth as exhilarating. Not that it was painless or easy, but because she experienced birth as something full of purpose, connection, and joy. There can be intensity and peace at the same time. Difficulty and beauty in the same breath.  That’s exhilarating.   5. I so appreciated Gabrielle’s honesty about fear and anxiety. I think that sometimes women may hear peaceful birth stories and assume those mothers never struggle with fear, confusion or anxiety. But that’s not what Gabrielle described–  She described continually bringing those fears before the Lord… and continuing to move forward in faith.   Links:   Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90 “Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”   Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)   Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)   Youtube Episode | https://youtu.be/0upk9wjTHz0

    1h 1m

  6. May 18

    Ep 326: Trusting God with Her Baby's Life: Sarah's Micro Preemie Birth

    We all know that life is unpredictable in many ways, but when you’re experiencing extreme unpredictability in the midst of your pregnancy, how do you imagine you’d feel?  Would ‘peaceful’ be the first word that comes to mind?   This week, we’re speaking with Sarah, mother to two babies– Timothy and Lydia.  We’ll hear Sarah’s extremely difficult experience during her most recent pregnancy and birth of a micro preemie, but take heart– you will leave this story feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and beauty for having heard it.     Sarah does an incredible job of summing up the amazing points of her story at the end, so we won’t have a typical episode roundup.   Links:   Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90 “Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”   Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)   Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

    1h 18m

  7. May 11

    Ep 325: From Infertility to Birth in her Own Home

    Coincidences– How many of them can you experience before you stop thinking they’re coincidences and start realizing that they are a beautiful divine gift?   This week, we're speaking with Kaylee, a mother of 3 living in Athens, Georgia.  Kaylee and her husband experienced struggles with infertility before becoming pregnant, and they are now in the process of raising the large family they always dreamed of.  We’ll hear how a “high risk” hospital-birthing mother found herself at home with her most recent baby.   Episode Roundup:   After IVF treatment, Will and Kaylee found out that they had 5 embryos.  They felt strongly in their hearts that it was their responsibility to do their part to bring all 5 of those beautiful babies into the world.  I love their heart on this, and it was so sweet to hear Kaylee’s forethought about these precious little souls, even as she prepared for her first hospital birth.  She wanted to take care of herself and learn as much about birth as she could so that she could have vaginal births– knowing that she would be planning to become pregnant at least 4 more times.  I love their tender forethought and the way this family has made their babies such a priority.   Next, as her third pregnancy progressed, Kaylee noticed her heart being drawn toward homebirth.  She was pulled to listen to mostly homebirth stories, even though she was planning a hospital birth at the time– she felt a sense of curiosity and even desire, despite the fact that she thought homebirth was just out of reach for her.  I love hearing this intuitive nudge that pushed her to begin preparing for the type of birth that she would eventually have, before she even agreed to go that route! And this leads to my final thought, which was just so potent throughout Kaylee’s story.  Coincidences.  Or are they?  Kaylee would certainly not call them mere coincidences.  No, she sees them as gifts from a loving Father who was holding her and caring for her from the very beginning.  My goodness, the beauty of this and all of the answered prayers.  Her midwife having been the nurse that made the difference in her first son’s birth, her requests for a short labor, her desire to give birth at midnight— and then her trust that it would happen.  Kaylee’s story is full of examples of childlike faith being met with Fatherly love and compassion.  She is held– and so are you.  If you ever want to talk more about relationship with this incredible Unconditional Love, please send me an email at katelyn@myhappyhomebirth.com.   Links:   Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90 “Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”   Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)   Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

    1 hr

  8. May 4

    Ep 324: From Monitoring to Trusting: A Nurse’s Birth Transformation

    What happens when you know too much about birth… and you’re experiencing pregnancy and birth for yourself?   This week's episode, I’m joined by Emily—a labor and delivery nurse who found herself navigating pregnancy and birth as both a provider and a patient.   We talk about how working inside the hospital shaped her first birth… what shifted in her mindset the second time around… and how she ultimately chose a homebirth rooted in surrender.   Episode Roundup:   First—this idea of knowing too much: how too much information can sometimes lead us to questioning ourselves, our bodies and our instincts– information overload can create fear instead of clarity.  I love how Emily was so aware of this– how what she’d seen and experienced at work actually needed to be balanced with nervous system regulation, surrender, and leaning into her own intuition.  During postpartum with her first baby, Emily felt like she missed much of the experience because it seemed impossible to turn her brain off and simply trust.  But that first experience transformed how she would interact with pregnancy, birth and motherhood from then on. Second—the shift from control into surrender… not just in birth, but in motherhood as a whole.  What a learning curve it is to go from taking care of only your own needs to the needs of others.  As Emily said, she had to reorient herself to life now that she was a care provider– no longer could she simply bop off and workout on a whim or head to the grocery store alone.  Even her ability to regulate her nervous system after her second child had to shift– It wouldn’t be 30 minutes on the couch with her warm cup of tea, but instead breathing exercises while she rocked and nursed her baby.  Our willingness to be flexible and do things differently– to be creative– is a gift to both ourselves and our babies. And finally—birth can shape the way we step into motherhood… Emily went from anxiety and overthinking in her first pregnancy and birth… into presence, peace, and confidence during her homebirth, and the impact has continued far beyond.   Links:   Redeem ™ |  https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90 “Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”   Restorative Roots  | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)   Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

    57 min
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4.9
out of 5
575 Ratings

About

The Happy Homebirth podcast is your source for positive natural childbirth stories, and your community of support, education and encouragement in all things homebirth and motherhood.

Information

  • Creator
    Katelyn Fusco
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    331
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Happy Homebirth

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