Death of the Maiden: Raquel’s Journey into Motherhood at 41

Death of the Maiden: Raquel’s Journey into Motherhood at 41

Author: Emilee Saldaya December 5, 2025 Duration: 1:05:02

This week, Emilee is joined by Raquel, who shares her extraordinary first pregnancy and sovereign birth at the age of 41.


Raquel speaks candidly about the profound transitions she navigated during this time. The death of her mother, leaving her job, moving homes, and entering into the work of congruency, boundaries, and privacy. Choosing a wild pregnancy, she hired a Radical Birth Keeper graduate to hold space as she walked this sacred path.


She opens up about the challenges she faced postpartum with nursing and her child’s tongue tie, reflecting on what she might do differently now. And she speaks with clarity about her sense of completion after one child, naming that she does not desire more.

This conversation carries the archetype of the death of the maiden, a story of initiation, sovereignty, and the power of claiming motherhood on one’s own terms.


Donate to the podcast here.


If you want to connect with Raquel, follow her on Instagram here and you can find her website here.


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
Podcast Episodes
6: Unpacking Birth Certificates with Veda Ray [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:12
What if the birth certificate was never for your baby—but a tool of control used by the state?In this episode, I sit down with Veda Ray, a freebirthing mother of two, who chose to walk a path most women never even consid…
5: She Freebirthed In The Middle Of The Ukraine/Russia War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:18
What would you do if you had to give birth in the middle of a war? In this episode, I sit down with Natalia, a Ukrainian mother of two, to hear her incredible story of freebirthing her second child during the 2022 Russia…
4: From Single Mother to Sovereign Birth Keeper: Mimilia’s 4 Births [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:45
How deep can birth take you when you fully surrender to the mystery?In this episode, I sit down with Mimilia—mother of four and a recent graduate of our MatriBirth Mentor Institute. Her story is a breathtaking journey…
3: She Fired Her Obstetrician At 36 Weeks Pregnant And Freebirthed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:07
In this episode, I’m joined by Ash Anderson, mother of three and recent graduate of The MatriBirth Mentor Institute. After a traumatic induction with her first baby, Ash was certain she was done having children. But what…
A Raw and Personal Third 40-Week Wrap Up with Jonny & Emilee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:16:56
What do you do when you're in the middle of your third pregnancy and a hate group forms to threaten your life?In this Season 9 premier, I sit down with my husband—and third-time guest—Jonny, for a raw and real 40-week wr…
“I Will Walk in the Creek Again” with Sister MorningStar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:07:50
To close this season, I wanted to bring you a guest whose presence and legacy transcend words, so I invited back the legendary elder midwife, @sistermorningstar.In this powerful and intimate conversation, Sister MorningS…
The Altar of Birth: Me, God, and My Baby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:11
Today, I welcome Kiana—a devoted woman, mother, and former student midwife (turned MMI graduate!) who chose to walk away from the captivity of the system and return to the wild. Living off-grid in a yurt she built with h…
Breaking Free: A Nurse’s Radical Turn to Freebirth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:21
In this powerful episode, I’m joined by MatriBirth Mentor Institute student, Darrah, who shares her transformational journey—from working within the medical system as a nurse to reclaiming her autonomy as a freebirthing,…
A Lesbian Freebirth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:49
I have Anna on the pod today telling the story of her two births with her wife by her side. Anna describes the complexity of navigating postpartum when her wife wanted to be included in the lactation process. Anna goes o…