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.


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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
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