Ep 257: From Questioning Yourself to Questioning the Birth System with McKenzie Ulmer

Ep 257: From Questioning Yourself to Questioning the Birth System with McKenzie Ulmer

Author: Katelyn Fusco November 20, 2023 Duration: 1:40:29
What does it look like to take charge of your birth experience after a previously disempowering one?   This week, we'll be speaking with McKenzie, a mother to two children and student from The Homebirth Collective--with two very different pregnancy and birth stories. We'll learn how McKenzie's first pregnancy and birth laid a groundwork for questioning herself, yet how that's absolutely not the end of her story-- and what she did to change her experience of pregnancy, birth and motherhood.   Episode Roundup   The way that we feel about ourselves and our experience in pregnancy is extremely related to our birth experience, our postpartum and our motherhood journey. McKenzie's pregnancy with her daughter Cora involved care providers who left her feeling uncertain about herself, her decisions, her ability to give birth and mother her baby.... all of this dynamic was already in play before she even headed to the hospital to have her baby. When the nurse asked, "do you want to try to push?" Her mind immediately began to question, "Well, should I? Surely someone should tell me..." This type of care is so common, and I truly believe that it leads so many mothers to question themselves on all kinds of matters when the truth is that YOU KNOW. You know your body and baby more than anyone else ever could. You are not a small piece of this puzzle... you ARE the puzzle. When McKenzie switched to homebirth and midwife-attended care with her second child, she began to truly embody this reality, which led to starkly different choices, feelings, and experiences. She shared how because of where she is mentally and in her heart, she's able to navigate through the challenges of motherhood with more grace, ease and fluidity than ever before. It's amazing to hear such an undeniable change.     This Week's Sponsors:Araza Beauty: Code HOMEBIRTH for 15% off Informed Pregnancy+   Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy Code PODCAST for 10% off

Hosted by Katelyn Fusco, Happy Homebirth creates a genuine space for conversations that go far beyond the simple how-to of having a baby at home. This podcast centers on the real, unfiltered narratives of people who have experienced natural childbirth, primarily in their own homes. You’ll hear directly from mothers as they recount the intensity, joy, and transformative power of their journeys, alongside the perspectives of midwives and other care providers who support them. While the tone is often uplifting and engaging, these discussions don’t shy away from the raw and challenging moments, offering a fully rounded picture of what homebirth can entail. It’s about building a supportive community through shared stories, where education and encouragement are woven into every episode. Tuning in means connecting with a resource that honors the entire spectrum of motherhood, from pregnancy and birth to parenting and personal health, all while exploring the intersections of family life and personal well-being. For anyone curious, planning, or simply seeking honest dialogue about this profound life experience, this podcast serves as a valuable and comforting companion.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Happy Homebirth
Podcast Episodes
Ep 328: One Contraction at a Time: Faith's 47 Hour Homebirth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:58
Have you ever reached the point in labor—or honestly, in life—where you truly didn’t think you could keep going? This week, we're speaking with Faith Robinson, a stay-at-home mom from Kansas City, wife to her husband of…
Ep 327: Rebuilding a Family Legacy Through Birth and Parenthood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:30
What does it look like to re-build a family legacy? And how do birth, motherhood, healing, and even hardship become part of that restoration? Gabrielle Manier is a wife, homeschool mother of four, homemaker, gardener, an…
Ep 326: Trusting God with Her Baby's Life: Sarah's Micro Preemie Birth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:14
We all know that life is unpredictable in many ways, but when you’re experiencing extreme unpredictability in the midst of your pregnancy, how do you imagine you’d feel? Would ‘peaceful’ be the first word that comes to m…
Ep 325: From Infertility to Birth in her Own Home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:03
Coincidences– How many of them can you experience before you stop thinking they’re coincidences and start realizing that they are a beautiful divine gift? This week, we're speaking with Kaylee, a mother of 3 living in At…
Ep 324: From Monitoring to Trusting: A Nurse’s Birth Transformation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:41
What happens when you know too much about birth… and you’re experiencing pregnancy and birth for yourself? This week's episode, I’m joined by Emily—a labor and delivery nurse who found herself navigating pregnancy and bi…
Ep 323: How One Mother Reclaimed Trust in Birth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:38
What happens when your first experience of birth leaves you shaken… and the providers you’re supposed to trust tell you not to try again? Where do you go from there? Sarah Marie is the owner of Entering Motherhood, a wif…
Ep 320: A Mobile Birth: Twins Born Precipitously! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:28
You’ve done it- you’ve decided to give birth at home, and NOTHING is going to stop you, right? This week we’re speaking to Heather Whitehead, a mother to 5 living in East Tennessee. We’ll hear how Heather and her husband…
Ep 319: What Are You Creating? A Birth and Motherhood Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:54
Pregnancy is the height of creativity– you are literally creating a brand new human… from scratch? But have you noticed that sometimes the creativity of pregnancy moves into other aspects of your life? This week, we’e sp…