Birth Warrior Podcast

Ashley is a doula, wife, and mother to three mini goddesses. Her message to women is simple but powerful, she shares: “If every woman could attain the birth knowledge I did in a few years and feel confident in their bodies, everyone would be brought into the world through freebirth.” Ashley is a birth/postpartum doula from Washington, New Jersey, who serves a tri-state region, which includes West Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York City (to western Long Island), and southern “upstate” New York (to Danbury). She also offer placenta print and encapsulation services. To book an appointment with Ashley, hire her and find out more about her offerings, you can go to her doula match site here and follow her on Instagram @trippingthruspacentime. LINKS & SHOWNOTES “Shoulder Dystocia: The Real Story” via Midwife Thinking blog Opening To The Universe, Surrendering To The Divine: Zuri’s Freebirth Story of Elijah Light and The Intersection of Psychedelics and Motherhood via Birth Warrior Podcast(Ashley’s friend she mentions in her story) 13 Moons: Epic Eduation for the Birthing Year Birth Warrior Project: 120 Day Doula Training and Transformation Indie Birth Midwifery School Jaden’s goodbye note & message: This is the last episode of “Birth Warrior Podcast” (and possibly/more then likely my last episode as the host) for the foreseeable future. It has been such an absolute honor and pleasure over the past two and a half years to sit with all of the women that have to so generously allowed me to record the stories of their most intimate, sacred moments, their vulnerable and sometimes painful truths, as well as their small and big victories, moments of raw power, and their immense joys – and, in turn, allowing me to share their stories with all of you. I have learned so much from every single woman that has been a guest, and while, during our conversations, I prefer to keep the focus mainly on them, the storyteller, each of their stories has helped foster personal growth within – as a mother, as a woman, and undoubtedly, as a midwifery student, and hopeful, aspiring midwife, as each of these conversations were a major invitation for sitting on my hands and knees, and really, deeply listening, and doing this work, it’s made me realize that at least 1/3 of a midwife’s work is listening. Thank you so much to Maryn, for inviting to host this podcast back in April 2020 (it has been truly life changing and I am so grateful to you/for you!); to Margo, because you’re just the best and I love working with you); to all of the guests, for trusting me to be the space holder for your stories; and finally, to all of the listeners for being here and supporting this work. And on a final note, here are my last parting words of wisdom I would like to leave everyone with today: you and you alone are the author of your own story. Despite whatever society, family, friends tells you about how your birth was or how it should look, that’s all on them- that’s a reflection of their story, and has no bearing on you, and do not let someone else define your story. You hold that power because you are the sacred storyteller of your own spiral path. And for all first time moms and moms to be, the best advice I ever received was to not follow anyone else’s advice on mothering (unless, of course, I asked) because the best advice comes from the voice within and your intuition, for that is the most real and true council you have. If you would like to continue to support my work and check out my offerings, you can pop over to Instagram and my handle is @thankful_earth. Thank you SO MUCH for listening! See you ’round the bend, friends!

Tiffany is an aspiring doula, mother to five children and married to her high school sweetheart of 15 years. Tiffany’s birth unraveled beautifully and showed her, yet again, that women hold so much power within them. She encourages women to let go of fear and listen to their own intuition, and to let birth guide you, for it can’t be planned. LINKS & SHOWNOTES “Taking Charge of Your Fertility (20th Anniversary Edition): The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health” by Toni Weschler Embodied Fertility: An 8 Week Journey To Sovereign Womb Power from Natalia of Sovereign Woman Care (former “Birth Warrior Podcast” guest) 13 Moons: Epic Eduation for the Birthing Year Birth Warrior Project: 120 Day Doula Training and Transformation Indie Birth Midwifery School

Having a didelphys uterus and a pattern on breech babies, Julia just wanted a straightforward home birth, but this was not in the cards as her 3rd baby presented every complication possible. Ironically, it turned out to be her easiest birth. In Julia’s own words “Humans plan and God laughs. Trust him and everything will be perfect.” LINKS & SHOWNOTES Brave The World (Julia’s blog site and shop) “Cord Prolapse: what do midwives do?” via Breech Birth Network Breech Without Borders Uterus Didelphys/Double Uterus (definition) via Mayo Clinic True Knot explanation via YouTube 13 Moons: Epic Eduation for the Birthing Year Birth Warrior Project: 120 Day Doula Training and Transformation Indie Birth Midwifery School

With her history as a gymnast, dancer/mover, and body worker, Heather assumed she had the tools for trusting/following her body’s lead during birth…that was until she hit deeply embedded triggers from her history of child abuse that illuminated a messy entanglement of wounds and conditioning left by patriarchal and paternalistic systems. With a nearly 70 hour labor that ended in cesarean with her first babe, Heather set out on a healing and redemptive journey towards earning her VBAC stripes. What unfolded was a journey through struggling to find VBAC support, navigating crises of confidence (her own and others), and ultimately fully trusting her babe, herself, and body as the holy trinity of the birth template she needed. 6 days of intermittent surges after waters released… little did Heather know this birth led to her own personal genesis. And a note to all listeners, as mentioned, this episode does discuss child and sexual abuse, so if this is a topic that may trigger something within yourself, you may chose to skip over this episode.   Also, at the very end of the episode before the outro, Heather shares a beautiful and powerful poem she wrote herself called “My Mighty Womb.” So if you’re still with us, please listen on after our conversation for that. LINKS & SHOWNOTES 13 Moons: Epic Eduation for the Birthing Year Birth Warrior Project: 120 Day Doula Training and Transformation Indie Birth Midwifery School

Kara is a homeschool teacher, nature lover, amateur baker, bookworm, and mama of five incredible children. She shares that starting a family has shaped her in many ways, and one of the most significant was the discovery that she has a serious passion for birth. Kara’s own birth experiences were transformative, and she hopes to be a positive influence to women who are embarking on this same incredible journey. LINKS & SHOWNOTES “The Wisdom of Physiological Pushing” by Emma Tillman “The Anterior Cervical Lip: How to Ruin a Perfectly Good Birth” by Rachel Reed via Midwife Thinking blog How To Keep “The State” Out of Your Vagina via Taking Back Birth Informative article on cleft lip and palate via Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Cleft Mom Support Group on Facebook “How To Manage High Lipase Breastmilk” via Birthing Balance blog Creating the Space: How To Manifest an Undisturbed Third Stage 13 Moons: Epic Eduation for the Birthing Year Birth Warrior Project: 120 Day Doula Training and Transformation Indie Birth Midwifery School

Hailey Kirksey is a 28 year old Arkansas native, married, and a mother of two young children; holding a Master of Liberal Arts degree in English Literature, she is currently writing a novel while living as a full-time “stay-at-home-mom.” With the hope of inspiring other birthing women, Hailey will be juxtaposing the stories of her two home births in under two years, the second of which allowed her to come fully into her power as a woman. The ultimate message of her story is this: whether we have one birth or more than one, birth can give us the greatest opportunity to discover our true strength as women. LINKS & SHOWNOTES “Where Have All the Midwives Gone?” by Phyllis L. Brodsky, RNC, MS – article from The Journal of Perinatal Medicine via National Library of Medicine/PubMed “Pregnancy, Birth, and the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States” by Robbie Davis Floyd, Kim Gutschow & David Schwartz via Medical Anthropology Can an ovulation test detect pregnancy? by Steve Silvestro, MD and Nancy LaChance, BSN, RN (blog post) via ro health guide “The Infantilization of Women During Pregnancy and Childbirth” by Kristin Nero (blog post) via indiebirth.org “Exposing The Postpartum Hemorrhage Deception” via Taking Back Birth Recognizing and Handling the Rare Complication of Postpartum Hemorrhage 13 Moons: Epic Eduation for the Birthing Year Birth Warrior Project: 120 Day Doula Training and Transformation Indie Birth Midwifery School

Zuri is a home birthing, homeschooling mama of two, holistic childbirth educator, and ceremonialist. The free-birth story of her second baby, Elijah Light, is one of deep primordial intuition, spirit baby communication, and unwavering trust. Zuri hopes that her story inspires women to radically trust the wisdom that lies within, and to tune into the mystical intelligence our spirit babies have to offer. Zuri is also passionate about de-stigmatizing the use of ancestral plant and fungi medicines for women in all phases of motherhood, which she shares a bit about towards the end of this episode. PLEASE NOTE:The breadth of this topic is vast, and while in no way will our talk touch upon every side tangent and nuance that this subject can spiral into and out from, what we do discuss are psychedelic and entheogens, namely psilocybin mushrooms, as a tool for postpartum integration, the difference between micro and macro dosing, and the traditional use of these medicines in the pharmacopeia of the womb continuum and beyond. What this talk is not doing is offering or recommending medical advice, promoting the use of illicit substances nor any illegal activities, and all of the comments and opinions are solely of me, Jaden Graham, and my guest, Zuri Snow, and are not those of the Indie Birth Private Contract Association, nor Maryn Green or Margo Blackstone, and any of their affiliates. Simply, this conversation, like every episode before it, is storytelling at its most basic core. And also similar to past episodes, if you hear something that resonates with you, I implore you to explore on your own and apply what you learn to your own subjective reality, and that which doesn’t resonate, to leave here in this space. While acceptance and policy in regards to psilocybin seem to be shifting in a positive, forward direction in some places across the world, I still fully acknowledge the taboo nature of this topic, in general and especially its intersection with motherhood, which I personally believe is a byproduct of both the erasure of Indigenous traditions and wisdom, America’s toxic so-called “War on Drugs,” and the decades long stigmatization of these ancient, mycelial technologies by the global, patriarchal over culture. So, I am inviting all listeners, and especially those who have little to zero experiences with psilocybin mushrooms or other entheogenic plants, to keep an open mind, an open heart, and if you want to explore this topic further, below is a list of resources. Thank you. -“Entheogenic Earth Medicine Assisted Motherhood” E-Book by Mikaela de la Myco “Mushrooms and Parenting: A Talk With Psilocybin Friendly Families” by Mikaela de la Myco (blog post) The Mama Psychedelia Podcast “Postpartum, Psychedelics, and Sexual Healing: A Journey of Rituals” by Michah Stover via Women on Psychedelics “Mushrooms and Menstruation” by Michah Stover via Women on Psychedelics Plant Parenthood -Microdosing Mini Guide by @microdosingmom “How to Microdose Psilocybin According to Paul Stamets: The Stamets Stack” by James Hallifax via Psychedelic Spotlight “Microdosing Protocols: Microdosing Everyday Vs. Every Other Day” by Danielle Simone Brand via Double Blind Magazine Jaden’s personal note: While I believe it is important to be discerning in using colonial tools such as research studies to quantify and “measure” something that is so beyond our scope of intellectual understanding, and is also so profoundly unique onto the individual (in the cases of experiences – IE: naming what something is or isn’t, should or shouldn’t be, taking credit and claiming “discovery” for something Indigenous peoples have known for millenia, and the rigid and controlled structure of the nature of these studie.. re: being in a cold, sterile room and being watched vs being in a community setting and/or in nature), I can at least be grateful to various organizations such as MAPS and John Hopkins for their published works in studies of entheogens and psychedelics as medicine to help treat and heal post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and various other ailments. Here are a selection of links and articles on said subject matter from both organizations, as well as media articles on these organizations achievements in entheogenic and psychedelic research: John Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research “Psychedelic Treatment with Psilocybin Relieves Major Depression, Study Shows” via John Hopkins Medicine “Psilocybin, The Active Ingredient in Magic Mushrooms, Makes Scientific Gains” by Joseph Guzman via The Hill “The clinical pharmacology of and potential therapeutic applications of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltriptamine (5-MeO-DMT)” by Reckweg et al. via Journal of Neurochemistry MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) LSD-Assisted Therapy Related to Life Threatening Illness (LDA1) MAPS Podcast OTHER LINKS & SHOWNOTES “How I Rewired My Brain To Remove Pain From My Birth Experience” via Taking Back Birth 13 Moons: Epic Eduation for the Birthing Year Birth Warrior Project: 120 Day Doula Training and Transformation Indie Birth Midwifery School

Sam is a prenatal yoga teacher, doula, and mother of two boys, presently residing on the Kentucky River. Sam’s birth taught her that, to truly be free, to know and to trust herself, is to know how to manage her energetic state and create the energy that she wanted within herself and project that out in to the world. The message she wishes to share with women is that having a powerful birth does not mean having no support. You can totally be in your power while still choosing to be supported by amazing women, who trust and have your back. Sam is a doula who serves the central Kentucky region (Lexington, Louisville, and Berea), and offers 1-2 birth clients a month, as well as virtual doula support for preconception, miscarriage/loss, and postpartum. To find out more about Sam’s offerings, please visit her website, The Red Thread , or follow her on Instagram at @wildyogimama and @theredthread_ky. LINKS & SHOW NOTES 13 Moons: Epic Eduation for the Birthing Year Birth Warrior Project: 120 Day Doula Training and Transformation Indie Birth Midwifery School

Skye is a somewhat transient hippie but mostly just, in her own words, an “ordinary woman,” who hopes her birth story will inspire others to trust their intuition surrounding their births, even (or perhaps, especially) when it may not be what they had originally planned for. She shares the message that unassisted birth is possible, natural, and magical, and that women are not only capable but truly deserve to feel empowered by their own birth experiences. LINKS & SHOW NOTES The Rebozo: Cultural Backgrounds How to DIY a Birth Rope for OMP Pelvic Mobility Protocols to practice during Pregnancy and to utilise during Labor and Birth “Setting Healthy Boundaries While Pregnant” by Carley Schweet Zuri Snow’s Instagram account @mamabearth Zuri Snow is a traditional midwifery student and holistic childbirth doula and educator that serves the Atlanta area and is Skye’s close friend, who is mentioned a few times in the podcast. Zuri is also a future guest of “Birth Warrior Podcast.” Episode coming soon! 13 Moons: Epic Eduation for the Birthing Year Birth Warrior Project: 120 Day Doula Training and Transformation Indie Birth Midwifery School

Amanda Alappat is a homebirth mother of two, a preconception to postpartum coach, birth doula and facilitator of women’s circles, retreats and programs. Though she experienced two very different births, she’s come to learn that how you birth truly does matter and that each experience is an opportunity to step into and own our fullest power and potential. She is passionate about helping women take radical responsibility around their choices and become the experts and authority over their experiences. LINKS & SHOW NOTES Birth Warrior Podcast submissions link Amanda’s website Follow Amanda on Instagram PubMed article on transient tachypnea 13 Moons: Epic Eduation for the Birthing Year Birth Warrior Project: 120 Day Doula Training and Transformation Indie Birth Midwifery School