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  • Answers from the Hearth: Boundaries in Postpartum

    Answers from the Hearth: Boundaries in Postpartum
    2026/05/27
    You may have many people in your life who are very excited to meet and love on your baby, or who want to support you after your birth. This is a great problem to have, right? But maybe you feel overwhelmed, crowded, or smothered by it. Maybe some of the people who are eager to get into your postpartum space bring up feelings of discomfort or resistance: having them there just doesn't feel good in your body, even though they're very nice and/or related to you. Do they have a right to be there anyway? Are you obligated to tell your parents the moment the baby comes out? Is it necessary to allow your in-laws to visit and "meet the baby" within 24 hours? Should you allow others to hold the baby that first week? In this episode we explore the concerns and tensions that many mothers (and fathers) experience about how to include loved ones in the earliest days of their baby's lives, what it looks like to honor the critical time period of the first week of a baby's life when the mother and baby are a dyad, and how to lovingly and clearly set boundaries or establish expectations with both healthy and unhealthy people. Mentioned in this Episode:Nils Bergman's work on the importance of continuous skin-to-skin contactHearthmother Journey Connect:Email us to say hi: ⁠hello@hearthmotherministries.com⁠Put in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: ⁠Fill out the form⁠Apply to tell your birth story on the podcast: ⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast : Guest Application⁠Hang out with us and other Holy Wild Women in our private community (off Facebook): ⁠Rooted in Eden PMA⁠Become a holy, wild birthkeeper with us inside ⁠Hearthmother Journey⁠From Lauren:⁠Instagram⁠Midwifery consults: Email ⁠rootedinedenpma@gmail.com⁠From Brooke:⁠Instagram⁠⁠Trust God, Trust Birth Workshop⁠ - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)⁠Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop ⁠- a 3-part video series delivered to your inbox⁠Embrace Birth Journey ⁠- comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation (courses + private community)⁠Sister Birth: The Podcast⁠ - short, beautifully scripted episode to encourage your along the wayIntro and Outra Music Credit -Betty Dear By ⁠Blue Dot Sessions⁠ is licensed under a ⁠Creative Commons License⁠.
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    32 分
  • Answers From the Hearth :: Planning a Home Birth When Family is Unsupportive

    Answers From the Hearth :: Planning a Home Birth When Family is Unsupportive
    2026/05/20

    What do you do when the people you love don’t support your decision to have a homebirth? In this episode, we’re talking through one of the most common and emotionally loaded questions we hear from families: “How do I handle the disapproval?”

    Whether it’s a parent, friend, pastor, sibling, or someone from your community, navigating outside opinions during pregnancy can bring up fear, people-pleasing, insecurity, grief, and even old wounds we didn’t realize were still there. We talk honestly about what these conversations can reveal inside of us, how to discern when to engage versus when to hold privacy, and what healthy boundaries can actually look like in real life.

    We also unpack how every relationship requires a different approach. A concerned mother may need a different response than a judgmental acquaintance. Some conversations may call for gentleness and reassurance, while others may require firm boundaries and less access altogether.

    And perhaps most importantly, we remind listeners of something that can feel incredibly freeing: you are not obligated to disclose your birth plans to anyone.

    We hope it leaves you feeling grounded, empowered, and reminded that discernment, wisdom, and privacy are not secrecy or selfishness.


    Mentioned in this Episode:

    • We talk about HUSBANDS being resistant to home birth in this episode: Home Birth Hesitant Husbands by Holy Wild Birth

    • Home Birth Safety resource roll: Home Birth Safety

    Connect:

    • Email us to say hi: hello@hearthmotherministries.com

    • Put in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: Fill out the form

    • Apply to tell your birth story on the podcast: Holy Wild Birth Podcast : Guest Application

    • Hang out with us and other Holy Wild Women in our private community (off Facebook): Rooted in Eden PMA

    • Become a holy, wild birthkeeper with us inside Hearthmother Journey

    From Lauren:

    • Instagram

    • Midwifery consults: Email rootedinedenpma@gmail.com

    From Brooke:

    • Instagram

    • Trust God, Trust Birth Workshop - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)

    • Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop - a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inbox

    • Embrace Birth Journey - comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation (courses + private community)

    • Sister Birth: The Podcast - short, beautifully scripted episode to encourage your along the way

    Intro and Outra Music Credit -
    Betty Dear By Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
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    29 分
  • Tesia & David :: He Is With You

    Tesia & David :: He Is With You
    2026/05/15
    Pregnancy has a way of stripping everything down to what’s real. In this episode, we sit with a Tesia's story of radical dependence on the Lord through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. From shopping for a midwife before conception to receiving unexpected prophetic words, navigating housing chaos while heavily pregnant, and wrestling with the physical cost of carrying and birthing a baby, this conversation is honest & deeply hope-filled.We talk about seeing God’s hand in the details. The premature congratulations that foreshadowed pregnancy before she even knew. Praying for guidance toward birth resources and watching doors open one by one. Feeling profoundly seen by the Lord through the provision of baby supplies at just the right moments and the surprising ways He continued speaking throughout pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.This episode also holds space for the harder parts of the journey & the struggle of feeling physically limited and disconnected from your own body. Nausea that lasted through the entirety of labor, the emotional weight of changing a birth team late in pregnancy, delayed placenta delivery, moments of fear that led to a 911 call that ultimately wasn’t needed, and the sacred tension between intervention and listening for the Lord’s direction in the moment.We also talk about:doing evangelism outreaches during the first trimesterhome buying and renovation disasters in late pregnancya truly iconic pregnancy diet of milk, potstickers, donuts, and protein shakesprophetic imagery surrounding Mary and Joseph and how it shaped their perspective on birtha very fast pushing stage where the midwife barely made it in timeusing saline and cayenne with the umbilical cordrepurposing birth affirmations and Scripture during postpartum survivalthe raw honesty of postpartum strugglesand the deep significance behind their daughter’s nameThis conversation is a reminder that birth stories are rarely neat or polished. Sometimes they are messy, exhausting, holy, funny, frightening, and full of unexpected grace all at once.Links:I'll Praise You In This StormHow to get in touch with Tesia and David:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifereallyisbeautyfull?igsh=eHI0ZXg5eHl5dXd2Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/share/18XKb4Foea/YouTube:https://youtube.com/@lifeisbeauty-full?si=Z78M1ZP8aBRngpXANYC Missions Trip:https://www.jesuslovesnyc.org/Connect:Email us to say hi: hello@hearthmotherministries.comPut in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: Fill out the formApply to tell your birth story on the podcast: Holy Wild Birth Podcast : Guest ApplicationHang out with us and other Holy Wild Women in our private community (off Facebook): Rooted in Eden PMABecome a holy, wild birthkeeper with us inside Hearthmother JourneyFrom Lauren:InstagramMidwifery consults: Email rootedinedenpma@gmail.comFrom Brooke:InstagramTrust God, Trust Birth Workshop - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop - a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inboxEmbrace Birth Journey - comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation (courses + private community)Sister Birth: The Podcast - short, beautifully scripted episode to encourage your along the wayIntro and Outra Music Credit -Betty Dear By Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Creative Commons License. BIRTH STORY DISCLAIMER:The choices, beliefs, and opinions of the mamas sharing their stories are as individual as the storyteller herself and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or recommended choices of Lauren and/or Brooke.
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    1 時間 19 分
  • Cup of Tea:: Beautiful Things In the Waiting

    Cup of Tea:: Beautiful Things In the Waiting
    2026/05/06
    This week feels a little like sitting around the table with friends. We’re catching up on what’s unfolding behind the scenes, reflecting on the beauty of April births, and talking honestly about seasons of waiting that don’t look the way we thought they would.In this episode, we talk about the beginning of HMU through two very different lenses: Lauren stepping into it from the teacher side, and Brooke entering it first as a student. We share what it’s been like watching this community grow, the heart behind it, and the ways God continues to shape all of us through the process.We also recap Brooke’s birthday beauty-sharing dinner and retreat — the conversations, the connection, the rest, and why creating intentional spaces for women to gather matters so deeply to us. We reflect on some of the beautiful births Brooke attended throughout April and the reminders they carried about surrender, strength, family, and the sacredness woven throughout ordinary moments.And finally, Lauren shares about “letting the ground rest.” About being in a season of waiting she would not have chosen, and how difficult it can be when life feels slower than we hoped for. She shares what it’s looked like to sit in the unknown, release control, and slowly realize that rest, hiddenness, and waiting are not wasted seasons. Sometimes the ground has to be still before something new can grow.Show Links:Let the Ground Rest - Chris Renzema Our community (please join & share something that you've found beauty in for our birthdays!)Connect:Email us to say hi: hello@hearthmotherministries.comPut in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: Fill out the formApply to tell your birth story on the podcast: Holy Wild Birth Podcast : Guest ApplicationHang out with us and other Holy Wild Women in our private community (off Facebook): Rooted in Eden PMABecome a holy, wild birthkeeper with us inside Hearthmother JourneyFrom Lauren:InstagramMidwifery consults: Email rootedinedenpma@gmail.comFrom Brooke:InstagramTrust God, Trust Birth Workshop - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop - a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inboxEmbrace Birth Journey - comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation (courses + private community)Sister Birth: The Podcast - short, beautifully scripted episode to encourage your along the wayIntro and Outra Music Credit -Betty Dear By Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Creative Commons
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    1 時間 1 分
  • Answers From the Hearth :: Kids At Birth

    Answers From the Hearth :: Kids At Birth
    2026/04/22

    In this episode, we sit down and talk through what it actually looks like to have kids present at a home birth. We share honestly about the nerves, the beauty, and all the unknowns that can come with it. From how we can prepare our children ahead of time, to having the right support in place during labor, this conversation really leans into being both intentional and flexible.

    We talk about how kids often come into birth with curiosity more than fear, and how our role is less about controlling their experience and more about creating a calm, safe space where they can observe, ask questions, and even participate in small ways if they want to. We also talk about letting go of perfect expectations and trusting that everyone will find their place in the moment.

    At the heart of it, this episode is about inviting our children into something that’s deeply normal and deeply sacred. It’s about the long-term impact of letting them witness birth, not as something scary or hidden, but as a natural part of family life and care.

    Connect:

    • Email us to say hi: hello@hearthmotherministries.com

    • Put in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: Fill out the form

    • Apply to tell your birth story on the podcast: Holy Wild Birth Podcast : Guest Application

    • Hang out with us and other Holy Wild Women in our private community (off Facebook): Rooted in Eden PMA

    • Become a holy, wild birthkeeper with us inside Hearthmother Journey

    From Lauren:

    • Instagram

    • Midwifery consults: Email rootedinedenpma@gmail.com

    From Brooke:

    • Instagram

    • Trust God, Trust Birth Workshop - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)

    • Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop - a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inbox

    • Embrace Birth Journey - comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation (courses + private community)

    • Sister Birth: The Podcast - short, beautifully scripted episode to encourage your along the way

    Intro and Outra Music Credit -
    Betty Dear By Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
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    21 分
  • Answers from the Hearth: Husbands Role In Homebirth

    Answers from the Hearth: Husbands Role In Homebirth
    2026/04/15

    In our first Q&A episode , we’re talking about the powerful, grounding role dads can play during a home birth. From emotional support to practical help, husbands aren’t just “in the room”.

    We cover:

    • How dads can prepare ahead of time
    • Simple but meaningful ways to support mom during labor
    • What to expect when things get intense or unpredictable
    • The emotional impact this moment can have on partners too

    Connect:

    • Email us to say hi: hello@hearthmotherministries.com

    • Put in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: Fill out the form

    • Apply to tell your birth story on the podcast: Holy Wild Birth Podcast : Guest Application

    • Hang out with us and other Holy Wild Women in our private community (off Facebook): Rooted in Eden PMA

    • Become a holy, wild birthkeeper with us inside Hearthmother Journey

    From Lauren:

    • Instagram

    • Midwifery consults: Email rootedinedenpma@gmail.com

    From Brooke:

    • Instagram

    • Trust God, Trust Birth Workshop - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)

    • Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop - a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inbox

    • Embrace Birth Journey - comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation (courses + private community)

    • Sister Birth: The Podcast - short, beautifully scripted episode to encourage your along the way

    Intro and Outra Music Credit -
    Betty Dear By Blue Dot Sessions is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

    BIRTH STORY DISCLAIMER:

    The choices, beliefs, and opinions of the mamas sharing their stories are as individual as the storyteller herself and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or recommended choices of Lauren and/or Brooke.
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    17 分
  • Preface To A New Mini Series

    Preface To A New Mini Series
    2026/04/13

    Welcome to our new mini series — think of this like voice texts you’d send your best friend.

    Short, honest, and unfiltered… these episodes are where we answer your questions in real time, share what’s actually going on behind the scenes, and talk through things the way we would if we were sitting on the couch together.

    Just real conversations about birth, motherhood, faith, and everything in between — the things you’re wondering, the things you’re walking through, and the things people don’t always say out loud.

    Some episodes will be light and chatty, some might go deeper, but all of them are meant to feel like you’re in the conversation with us.

    So send in your questions, listen in while you fold laundry or drive around with your kids, and come hang out with us for a few minutes at a time.
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    3 分
  • Placenta Consumption: An Evolution of Conviction and Practice

    Placenta Consumption: An Evolution of Conviction and Practice
    2026/04/08
    This is one of those topics that can feel a little uncomfortable, but also really important to think through.consuming the placenta after birth has become pretty normalized in natural birth spaces. It’s often framed as instinctual, nourishing, even necessary for recovery. We’ve both had our own journeys with this. Asking, “Is this actually how the body was designed to function?”A lot of the arguments for it sound really convincing. Mammals do it, blood loss during birth, iron replenishment. Then there’s hormone balancing. The idea is that consuming the placenta helps smooth out the hormonal drop after birth. But that drop is part of the design. It signals the body to shift into postpartum mode. Reintroducing those hormones may actually interfere with that process instead of supporting it.There’s also the claim that it helps prevent postpartum mood disorders. That’s a powerful pull, but the research is mixed and largely anecdotal. Postpartum mental health is influenced by so many factors that it’s not something one practice can reliably control.Something we both experienced, before we could fully explain it, was just a sense of hesitation. That feeling of, “I’m not sure about this.” And sometimes your body is picking up on something before your mind has words for it.For us, this ultimately came down to alignment—physiologically, nutritionally, and spiritually.We aren’t just like other mammals or animals. We uniquely bear God’s image. The postpartum hormone shift is intentional, not something to override. Animals consume the placenta largely for survival reasons, which doesn’t apply to us. And scripturally, the only reference to anything like this is in a context of desperation, not wisdom.There’s also the reality that the placenta acts as a filter during pregnancy, holding onto substances from the environment. That’s something to consider in today’s world.The needs behind this are real—women need support after birth. But there are ways to meet those needs that work with the body: nutrient-dense foods for iron, rest and adequate nourishment for hormones, and strong support systems for mental health.At the end of the day, this isn’t about fear or judgment. It’s about slowing down, asking better questions, and making decisions from a place of clarity—not pressure.Eating the placenta after birth carries no health benefits, new study finds SHOW NOTES:The Sanctifed Womb article: Why You Might Want to Think Twice About Consuming the Placenta Postpartum as an Orthodox Christian — The Sanctified WombPlacenta is a dumping ground for genetic defectshttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03345-1Deuteronomy 28 Christian Standard BibleIn Search of Human Placentophagy: A Cross-Cultural Survey of Human Placenta Consumption, Disposal Practices, and Cultural BeliefsEating the placenta after birth carries no health benefits, new study findsConnect with the Holy Wild Birth team:Email us to say hi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠holywildbirth@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Put in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Fill out the form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply to tell your birth story on the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast : Guest Application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hang out with us and other Holy Wild Women in our FREE, private community (off Facebook):⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hearthmother Ministries Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a holy, wild birthkeeper with us this fall inside ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hearthmother Journey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠From Lauren:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Midwifery consults: Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rootedinedenpma@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠From Brooke:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trust God, Trust Birth Workshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inbox⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Embrace Birth Journey ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation (courses + private community)
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    47 分