Ep 340: Freebirth Story: What Changed Between Her First Birth and Her Third

Ep 340: Freebirth Story: What Changed Between Her First Birth and Her Third

Author: Katelyn Fusco August 24, 2026 Duration: 1:00:33
What if you could do all of it right– read every book, listen to every episode, interview the midwife, make the plan… and still walk into your birth completely unprepared?   Emily Swann is a wife to John, a mama of three, and the woman behind For the Love of Breastfeeding, where she teaches a bodywork course for babies and toddlers and runs a six-month program for mothers called Guided and Grounded. She's a nurse, an IBCLC, and holds a master's degree in public health and nutrition. She also binge listened to every episode of this podcast before her first baby was born.   In this episode, Emily shares three births that look nothing alike. Her first: a planned homebirth that became four days of labor, a house full of onlookers, and a transfer to the hospital. Her second: a baby born at 35 weeks after eleven days of an unexplained 105 degree fever, followed by the NICU and a readmission– and a mother who protected breastfeeding through all of it. Her third: a baby born at home, unassisted and en caul, on the evening she cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner in labor.   We talk about the difference between being informed and being formed, about drama versus transformation, about where a woman's authority goes when she hands it off, and about why the magnifying glass in the lactation world is pointed at babies instead of mothers.   Bonus episode this week: Katelyn's solo episode, Why More Research Isn't Making You Feel Ready, releases Wednesday 8/26 and picks up exactly where Emily's first birth leaves off.   Links: FREE Peaceful Birth Reset: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/birthreset Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/wholemotherhomebirth (use code PODCAST for 10% off) Youtube Episode Link: https://youtu.be/9QcQb_Sg7Qc?si=bp9JQG4yJPGeqey0 Learn more about Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/happyhomebirth Bonus solo episode (releases 8/26): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-341-why-more-research-isnt-making-you-feel-ready/id1446934537?i=1000785946382 Emily's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theloveofbreastfeeding For the Love of Breastfeeding: https://www.theloveofbreastfeeding.com/      

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: 50

Happy Homebirth
Podcast Episodes
Ep 299: The Birth That Rewrote Her Story: Alicia’s VBAC at Home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:43
What do you do when an OB refuses to support your VBAC, and then no other local OBs will take you on as a patient because they don’t accept transfers from other OBs? Where do you go? This week we’re speaking to Alicia Do…
Ep 298: Entering Motherhood with Homebirth and Storytelling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:04
Hey there Happy Homebirthers, I’ve got a fun little treat for you for this week. Instead of our usual interview setup, I wanted to share a podcast that I was on recently. My friend Sarah at Entering Motherhood recently h…
Ep 297: From Darkness to Sunrise: A Freebirthed First Baby [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:26
If you choose to have a freebirth, you must be some kind of fearless superwoman, right? This week we’re speaking to Charissa Blair. Charissa is wife to Adam and mother to her freebirthed first baby, Leviticus, with a sec…
Ep 295: When Prayer and Mental Preparation Lead to a Dream Birth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:45
How would it feel to be supported in your pregnancy and birth by the women of your family? This week we are speaking to Miriam McCuiston, a stay at home mom to her daughter Zoe. She is married to her husband and best fri…
Ep 294: The Root Cause of Your Painful Pregnancy Symptoms [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:59
Raise your hand if you’ve experienced a symptom or two in pregnancy that you wish you could get to the root of and heal. Food aversions? Morning sickness? Full on Hyperemisis Gravidarum? This week we are speaking to Jes…