Holistic Pregnancy

Nested & Nourished
  • 4.9 (31)
  • ALTERNATIVE HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Do you self-identify as "crunchy" or holistic? Are you into all things natural wellness, nutrition, pregnancy and birth? Do you like hearing the controversial, unpopular and sometimes "woo-woo" perspectives on these topics? If so, this is the show for you.The Holistic Pregnancy podcast is your go-to resource for all things natural pregnancy, birth, motherhood and beyond. This isn't your average, cookie-cutter "what to expect" type of advice, either. This show offers a raw and real, unfiltered perspective on taking responsibility for your health and your family. Join your host, Taylor Shaffer, and her guests as they dive deep into some of the most important topics regarding pregnancy, birth and motherhood. New episodes every Tuesday!

  1. 2D AGO

    How Pain Actually Works in Labor & Birth

    In this episode of the Holistic Pregnancy Podcast, I’m breaking down one of the most common fears around birth: pain. Instead of talking about how to avoid it, I explain how pain actually works in labor, and why understanding it can completely change the way you experience birth. I share why labor pain is different from injury pain, how the brain interprets pain through fear and expectation, and why labor pain is actually productive and purposeful. We talk about the role of the nervous system, hormones like oxytocin and endorphins, and why feeling safe matters so much during labor. This episode is for you if: You feel anxious or afraid of labor painYou want to understand what your body is actually doing during birthYou’re planning a medicated or unmedicated birth and want an informed choiceYou want to break the fear–tension–pain cycle before labor beginsThis episode is brought to you by Kindred Bravely, maternity and nursing essentials designed for real bodies and real life. Use the code NESTEDANDNOURISHED to get 15% off your order.  NEXT STEPS: >> Explore our courses >> Jump on the email list >> Access the Facebook community >> FREE nutrition guide >> Postpartum cookbooks ...And as always, please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! *Follow along on Instagram

    20 min

  2. JAN 27

    Birth Beyond Trauma | with Moran Liviani

    In this episode of the Holistic Pregnancy Podcast, Taylor is joined by Moran Liviani, a doula and childbirth educator with nearly 14 years of experience, to explore how trauma, both birth-related and non-birth-related, can shape a woman’s labor, birth, and transition into motherhood.  Moran shares her own journey through a traumatic first birth, followed by two deeply healing experiences that transformed her relationship with birth and her body. Together, Taylor and Moran discuss how unprocessed trauma, fear, and subconscious patterns often surface during labor, why birth is largely a mental and emotional experience, and how women can prepare holistically for birth, not just physically. This conversation is for anyone who: Has experienced a traumatic or disappointing birthFeels fear or anxiety around giving birth againWants to understand how trauma lives in the bodyIs preparing for birth and wants to do the deeper emotional workSupports birthing women and wants a trauma-informed lens🌿 Connect with Moran: Instagram: @2lifedoulaWebsite: www.2life.com.auBook: Birthing with Trauma and Fear: A Guide to an Empowering Birth Experience✨ Mentioned in this episode: Grab my favorite protein powder + use code TAYLORSHAFFER for 10% offNEXT STEPS: >> Explore our courses >> Jump on the email list >> Access the Facebook community >> FREE nutrition guide >> Postpartum cookbooks ...And as always, please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! *Follow along on Instagram

    1h 2m

  3. JAN 20

    Are "Low-Risk" & "Hands Off" Synonomous?

    In this episode, I’m breaking down one of the most misleading labels in modern maternity care: “low risk.” We talk about why this label often creates a false sense of safety, how it can actually lead to less support instead of more, and why being low risk doesn’t automatically protect you from unnecessary intervention. This conversation is about shifting from complacency to curiosity—so you’re not outsourcing your birth experience to a checkbox on a chart. In this episode, we cover: What “low risk” actually means in obstetrics—and what it doesn’tWhy low risk is a statistical category, not a promise of hands-off careThe difference between surveillance and support in birthHow monitoring-heavy systems quietly increase interventionThe subtle ways interventions stack without obvious emergenciesWhat truly protects physiological birth (hint: it’s not labels)Why education and preparation still matter—even when everything looks “normal”How curiosity helps prevent complacency in pregnancy and birthThis episode is sponsored by Pique Life. I share why I’ve been enjoying their Sun Goddess Matcha, including its gentle energy, L-theanine content, antioxidant support, and third-party testing for heavy metals and toxins. You can grab it here (along with any of their other amazing products) up to 20% off for life with code TAYLORSHAFFER. And if you want to learn how real decision points unfold during pregnancy and birth, so you’re not relying on labels to protect your experience, you need to enroll in the Unshakeable Birth course TODAY. Trust me on this one! NEXT STEPS: >> Explore our courses >> Jump on the email list >> Access the Facebook community >> FREE nutrition guide >> Postpartum cookbooks ...And as always, please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! *Follow along on Instagram

    10 min

  4. JAN 13

    Minerals & HTMA | with Brooke Gonseth

    In this episode of the Holistic Pregnancy Podcast, we sit down with Brooke Gonseth for a grounded, no-fluff conversation about minerals, stress, and HTMA testing—and why this matters so much in pregnancy and postpartum. Brooke shares her personal journey into the holistic space after navigating her own health challenges, what led her to mineral nutritional balancing, and how HTMA testing became such a powerful tool in her work. From there, we dig into how mineral depletion actually happens, why pregnancy and postpartum are uniquely demanding seasons, and what most women are missing when they’re told everything looks “normal.” In this episode, we cover: What HTMA testing is and what it can reveal that standard labs often missWhy minerals are foundational for pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recoveryHow stress impacts mineral absorption and nervous system regulationWhy nutrient-dense food matters just as much (if not more) than supplementsHow mineral status can influence resilience in labor and long-term recoveryWhen HTMA testing can be especially helpful—and who it’s best suited forWhy addressing root causes changes the entire health picture👉🏻 GET YOUR HTMA TEST: Use code NESTEDANDNOURISHED at checkout to get an exclusive discount on your HTMA test! All testing comes with a results call and custom protocol from Brooke. Questions before you buy a test? Book a free discovery call with Brooke first! 👉🏻 You can grab my favorite beef liver capsules, gelatin, and collagen from Perfect Supplements—these are staples I personally use and recommend for supporting mineral intake and overall nourishment. 👉🏻 For a clear, practical plan for how to actually nourish yourself during pregnancy—without diet culture or overwhelm—check out Real Food Prenatal. This course walks you through what to eat, how to support minerals through food first, and how to build a pregnancy nutrition plan that actually feels doable. [add link] NEXT STEPS: >> Explore our courses >> Jump on the email list >> Access the Facebook community >> FREE nutrition guide >> Postpartum cookbooks ...And as always, please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! *Follow along on Instagram

    59 min

  5. JAN 6

    Natural Birth vs Informed Birth

    In this episode of the Holistic Pregnancy Podcast, I unpack a distinction that doesn’t get talked about enough: the difference between wanting a natural birth and being prepared for birth. We talk about how labels and aesthetics don’t actually protect birth—and how true preparedness has far less to do with identity and far more to do with education, decision-making skills, and flexibility. This episode is an invitation to step out of birth labels and into informed readiness. What we cover: Why “natural birth” is an intention—not a strategyHow birth identity can quietly replace real preparationThe risks of outsourcing knowledge to providers, plans, or social mediaWhat informed birth actually requires in real timeWhy education supports adaptability instead of rigidityThe difference between preference-driven birth and skill-based preparednessUnshakeable Birth Course — If you want to learn about your options in pregnancy and birth, understand common interventions, and build real decision-making skills so you’re not relying on labels or luck, you can check out Unshakeable Birth. It’s a self-paced course focused on informed, grounded preparation—not rigid birth plans. NEXT STEPS: >> Explore our courses >> Jump on the email list >> Access the Facebook community >> FREE nutrition guide >> Postpartum cookbooks ...And as always, please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! *Follow along on Instagram

    9 min

  6. 12/30/2025

    The Birth You’ll Regret

    In this episode, we explore how indecision — not emergencies or complications — shapes birth outcomes more than most people realize. We talk about the difference between passive and intentional pregnancy, how “we’ll see” often defaults to institutional momentum, and why decisions are still being made even when we think we’re postponing them. We break down how small, early choices quietly compound, why regret after birth is usually about misalignment rather than pain, and how to approach decision-making with gentle urgency — without pressure or panic. We close with a reflection to help you notice where you may be delaying choices that deserve your attention now. In this episode, we cover: Passive vs intentional pregnancyHow default systems shape birth when we don’t decideWhy “we’ll see” often isn’t neutralThe role of timing in birth decisionsGentle urgency without fear or rigidityA closing reflection on postponed decisions Sponsor: Purity Coffee — tested for mold and toxins and gentle on the nervous system. Get 20% off your first order using code NESTEDANDNOURISHED. Mentioned: Nested & Nourished: The Course Collection — long-term pregnancy, birth, and postpartum education designed to support intentional decision-making over time. NEXT STEPS: >> Explore our courses >> Jump on the email list >> Access the Facebook community >> FREE nutrition guide >> Postpartum cookbooks ...And as always, please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! *Follow along on Instagram

    13 min

  7. 12/23/2025

    Storytelling & Healing Birth Trauma | with Katelyn Fusco

    In this episode of the Holistic Pregnancy Podcast, I am joined by Katelyn Fusco, host of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. Katelyn and I dive into the power of storytelling in birth and motherhood; we talk about how storytelling has always been one of the primary ways women have shared wisdom, processed experiences, and passed down knowledge—especially when it comes to birth. We explore how the stories we tell ourselves about our births shape our identity as mothers, and how consciously revisiting and reframing those stories can reconnect us to our intuition instead of keeping us stuck in fear, guilt, or doubt. We also discuss what it looks like to process birth experiences that feel heavy or unresolved, why unprocessed birth trauma matters, and how tools like EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) can support emotional healing. This conversation is for anyone who feels called to understand their birth story more deeply—not to rewrite it, but to integrate it in a way that feels grounded, honest, and empowering. NEXT STEPS: >> Explore our courses >> Jump on the email list >> Access the Facebook community >> FREE nutrition guide >> Postpartum cookbooks ...And as always, please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! *Follow along on Instagram

    1h 2m

  8. 12/16/2025

    Dealing with Opinions & Judgement

    In this episode, we talk about how to handle judgment, concern, and unsolicited opinions during pregnancy and birth. We break down why fear-based reactions happen, how to spot them quickly, and how to stop taking them personally. You’ll learn how to set firm but kind boundaries, protect your energy, and stay rooted in self-trust — even when the people around you don’t understand your choices. What We Cover Why family and friends react from fear, not factsHow to recognize fear-based comments before they shake your confidenceBoundary-setting that doesn’t require over-explainingScripts for common conversations around birth choicesSimple ways to redirect uncomfortable discussionsStaying grounded in your decisions when no one else “gets it”This episode is for any woman navigating pregnancy or birth choices that fall outside the mainstream — and learning how to hold her ground without burning bridges. NEXT STEPS: >> Explore our courses >> Jump on the email list >> Access the Facebook community >> FREE nutrition guide >> Postpartum cookbooks ...And as always, please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! *Follow along on Instagram

    15 min
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4.9
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

Do you self-identify as "crunchy" or holistic? Are you into all things natural wellness, nutrition, pregnancy and birth? Do you like hearing the controversial, unpopular and sometimes "woo-woo" perspectives on these topics? If so, this is the show for you.The Holistic Pregnancy podcast is your go-to resource for all things natural pregnancy, birth, motherhood and beyond. This isn't your average, cookie-cutter "what to expect" type of advice, either. This show offers a raw and real, unfiltered perspective on taking responsibility for your health and your family. Join your host, Taylor Shaffer, and her guests as they dive deep into some of the most important topics regarding pregnancy, birth and motherhood. New episodes every Tuesday!

Information

  • Creator
    Nested & Nourished
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Holistic Pregnancy
  • Show Website
    Holistic Pregnancy

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