Ep 278: Intuition: When You Know Deeper Than Mere Logic

Ep 278: Intuition: When You Know Deeper Than Mere Logic

Author: Katelyn Fusco June 2, 2025 Duration: 1:09:49
You’re either for something or you’re against it, right? Like, you either love ultrasounds or you don’t.  Or you want testing done or you don’t….. Or… gasp, could there be more to it than right or wrong?   This week we’re speaking to Taylor Shaffer: a wife, mother of two beautiful girls, holistic doula and online educator. She is passionate about nourishment, holistic living and taking radical responsibility for your health and birth choices. She serves women locally in Upstate SC through her doula agency, Nested & Nourished, as well as online through her Holistic Mama Pregnancy & Birth Course, virtual doula support offerings, podcast titled Holistic Pregnancy, and more.   Episode Roundup: If there’s one word that demands your attention in this episode, I hope it’s “intuition”.  Taylor’s decisions were not informed by sheer logic or dogma.  No, the seat of her decisionmaking came from a deeper source.  From what I believe to be Holy Spirit guided intuition.   Intuition.  That inner knowing that often times goes against your expectations.  Taylor isn’t a huge fan of ultrasounds for herself, but she sensed that an ultrasound is what she needed.  This ended up providing her with the information she used to support her body and baby through gestational diabetes.  And again, we see this intuition work in the complete OPPOSITE direction at the end of pregnancy, where Taylor felt that she shouldn’t have a scan.  Looking back, she knows that this prevented her from unnecessary fear regarding her baby’s weight. I love how this example unfolded.  We take the same topic: Ultrasounds and apply intuition to them in two different directions.  That, my friends, is what it looks like to listen to your intuition. Next, I want to remind you of just how deeply our emotions are connected to labor and birth.  Taylor needed to take her baby into her arms, hold her, and grieve the change that was coming. Yes, of course, adding a new baby is a massive blessing to a family! But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a sense of pain at the leaving behind of the old ways.  Honoring this feeling is exactly what led Taylor deeper into labor.  Feel those feelings and don’t be afraid of them. And finally, Taylor’s love for birthwork came from her own experiences.  She realized that she had something to offer other mothers, other families after having her first daughter.  She decided to seek out a way to be both the mother that she desired to be, and to also build a thriving business at the same time.  Sounds impossible, right?  But Taylor is doing it, very successfully I might add! Her online business, her doula agency… It's incredible! Taylor sought education from someone who values family, business AND birthwork.  She found a coach who wouldn’t tell her to push aside family for money, but who would encourage her to and teach her to make a way for both.   Links: Samaritan Ministries | samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth Happy Homebirth Academy | happyhomebirth.thrivecart.com/happy-homebirth-academy-checkout/ Interview Application | interviewwithkatelyn.my.canva.site/direct-to-landing-page Youtube | youtu.be/0yWrppdhZNs  Kyleigh’s Workshop Sign Up Lily Nichols Episode Taylor’s Instagram  Taylor’s Podcast The Glucose Revolution The Glucose Goddess IG Dr. Rachel Reed- Gestational Diabetes Review Article Dr Sara Wickham- Gestational Diabetes Article

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
Encore: Elizabeth’s Peaceful Surprise Twin Homebirth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:46
What surprised you most about your homebirth? Was it… the way you vocalized during your surges? Or maybe it was how incredibly accomplished you felt afterward? Or… was it the number of babies that you gave birth to? This…
Encore: Birth as a Rite of Passage with Dr. Rachel Reed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:07
Today's guest: Dr Rachel Reed is a midwife, academic, author, and international speaker who focuses on childbirth physiology, midwifery practice, and women's rights (and rites). She has provided midwifery care for many w…
Encore: Homebirth is a Team Sport [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:53
Show Notes: Christine and Andrew started their pregnancy journey traditionally with OB care. However, as the pregnancy progressed, they began feeling more and more frustrated about the fact that appointments were fast an…
Encore: Emily Catches Her Own Baby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:29
Did you know that you could be so intimately aware of what's going on in your labor that you could be the one to reach down and catch your own baby? I sure didn't with my first daughter, and there's absolutely no way I w…
Encore: Real Food for Pregnancy (and Postpartum!) With Lily Nichols [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:50
Pregnancy and postpartum. Many of us strive to maintain a healthy diet during these pivotal times, but what does a healthy diet look like? Should we stick to the guidelines? Enter Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE. Lily is an exper…
Encore: How Did We Get Here?! The History of U.S. Maternity Care [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:47
Have you ever been on a drive and say 15 minutes in you think to yourself, “Woah, how did I get here? You realize you’ve lost your way and you need to turn it around and go back to the start. In this week’s episode, we’l…
Encore: Leah and Her Midwife Handle a  Complication [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:38
Show Notes: Leah is a registered nurse engaged to a UFC fighter, Brandon Davis. They have just grown their family with a new baby! She had a homebirth with her first baby. When asked how she decided to have a homebirth,…
Ep 232: A Primal First Time Homebirth with Sara Middleton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:49
First births: You don't know what's going on with your body, they're long, and mothers enter them feeling uncertain and needing reassurance.... right? This week we're speaking to Sara, who lives in Travelers Rest, South…