8: From Thyroid Cancer in the Medical System to Birthing Outside of It

8: From Thyroid Cancer in the Medical System to Birthing Outside of It

Author: Emilee Saldaya September 18, 2025 Duration: 1:03:08

What happens when cancer treatment becomes the greatest catalyst for sovereignty?



In this episode, I speak with Jocelyn, a Tennessee mother who walked away from conventional medicine after surviving thyroid cancer and having her thyroid removed at 25 years old.


That experience changed everything. Jocelyn made a vow: never again would she hand her body over to the system. She carried that fierce sovereignty into motherhood, choosing to walk the sovereign path in her pregnancy and birth.


She speaks to the comfort of finding the perfect sovereign birth witness and how being around animal birth her whole life helped her understand what she needed to do.


Inside this episode:


  • How surviving thyroid cancer led Jocelyn to question everything she’d been taught
  • The moment in the hospital that made her vow never to surrender her body again
  • What a wild pregnancy looked like day-to-day, with no tests, scans, or appointments
  • What it takes to hold the line with family and community when your choices challenge the norm


Timestamps:


[00:00] Introduction

[03:23] Facing thyroid cancer and the trauma of a life-threatening hospital experience

[11:25] Regrets about rushed surgery instead of looking into alternative treatments

[29:41] Disappointment with midwives leading to the discovery of freebirth

[37:52] Finding trust and support through The Lighthouse and connecting with a birth keeper

[41:03] Jocelyn’s freebirth story


Resources Mentioned:


Veda Revival | Website

The Complete Guide to Freebirth | Course

The Lighthouse | Website


Find more from Emilee on Instagram, YouTube and the Free Birth Society website.


Disclaimer: Free Birth Society, LLC of North Carolina shares personal and educational stories and experiences related to freebirth and holistic care. This content is not medical advice, and we are not a licensed midwifery practice. Testimonials reflect individual experiences; results may vary. For services or scheduling, contact info@freebirthsociety.com. See full disclaimer at freebirthsociety.com/youtubeterms.


Emilee Saldaya hosts Free Birth Society, a podcast that delves into the profound and personal choice of freebirth. This is not a discussion about home birth with professional support, but an intimate exploration of childbirth that unfolds without midwives, doulas, or medical intervention, guided solely by the birthing person and their family. Through conversations with wild women from around the globe, each episode presents a raw and unfiltered narrative, focusing on the lived experiences, the emotional landscapes, and the deep, often unspoken trust in the body's innate wisdom. These stories are honest, sometimes gripping, and frequently transformative, challenging mainstream perceptions of safety and authority. The dialogue within this podcast serves as both education and a form of self-improvement, examining the reclaiming of autonomy and the reconnection to ancestral knowledge. Listeners will hear not just the mechanics of unassisted birth, but the philosophical and personal journeys that lead individuals to this path. Emilee, as founder and guide, facilitates these discussions with a clear, grounded presence, allowing the complexity and beauty of each story to resonate. This podcast is for those curious about the edges of conventional maternity care, seeking to understand a paradigm where birth is treated as a private, powerful, and physiological event rather than a medical procedure. The Free Birth Society podcast creates a space for these rarely heard voices, offering a tapestry of experiences that are, above all, true to themselves.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Free Birth Society
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