Pain Free Birth

#33 | Birth Can Be Amazing & You Are Elastigirl with Brandyn Gipe

Right after high school, Brandyn witnessed a dear friend having excruciating menstrual cycles. After being prayed over by a team member in ministry school, her friend no longer experienced pain during her cycles! This was when Brandyn's eyes were open to the possibility that we don't have to experience pain and birth can be amazing. This was a very special episode to chat about as Karen and Brandyn shared so many similarities between their births.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
Praying to release pain
What a "free pregnancy" is like
"Do I have to go to the bathroom or am I in labor?"
Instant pain relief: the double hip squeeze
How to release tightness in your perineum
Instinctually knowing the "right" and "wrong" birthing positions
MORE ABOUT BRANDYN GIPE:
Wife to Steven, mom to Quinn, dog mom of 3, and currently serving as the communications director at New Day for Children (a faith-based non-profit that supports kids recovered from trafficking in America) in the Shasta County, CA and the surrounding area. Brandyn loves Jesus, fun, adventure and exploring the world. Steven and Brandyn dream of one day starting a home for minor boys recovered from trafficking here in the USA.
Instagram: @brandynpruettgipe
Website
CONNECT WITH KAREN:
Stay in the loop with Pain Free Birth and become an Insider HERE! Thanks for listening! Get 10% off the Pain Free Birth E-Course HERE!
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#32 | Impactful Movement & Mobility: The Key To A Pain Free Pregnancy with Gina Conley

In this episode, Gina Conley shares how impactful movement could be supportive for a strong and pain free pregnancy as an industry-leading perinatal fitness provider. What if the answer to a pain free pregnancy and birth was simply understanding the difference in mobility throughout our pregnancies and how we can support our body by moving optimally. I'm sure you've heard of kegels... think of that as step one. Kegels should not be your only form of movement to prepare for birth. Find out what Gina recommends you do in today's episode!
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
Using fitness to mentally & physically prepare for birth
What you should do beyond kegels to lengthen & stretch the pelvic floor
Mitigating a tight pelvic floor from traditional weightlifting
Using movement to support your labor process
The outdated fear surrounding exercise during pregnancy
MORE ABOUT GINA CONLEY:
Gina Conley is the founder of MamasteFit—a perinatal fitness training facility located in North Carolina. MamasteFit offers in-person and online pre/postnatal fitness training programs. Gina has her masters in exercise science and is a seasoned birth doula. She combines her expertise as both a perinatal fitness trainer and birth professional to provide full spectrum support from conception, birth, and recovery in the postpartum. Gina is the author of Training for Two, a book that explains how to use prenatal fitness to support a strong and pain free pregnancy, as you prepare for birth.
Instagram: @mamastefit
The MamasteFit Podcast
Website
PROGRAM: 40-Week Prenatal Fitness Program
PROGRAM: 40-Week Mini Prenatal Fitness Program
💳📕 PREORDER: Training for Two: Safe & Smart Prenatal Exercises for a Smoother Pregnancy, Easier Birth, and Healthier
CONNECT WITH KAREN:
Stay in the loop with Pain Free Birth and become an Insider HERE! Thanks for listening! Get 10% off the Pain Free Birth E-Course HERE!
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#31 | An Accidentally Unassisted & Pain Free Precipitous Twin Birth with Emma Brake

In this episode, Emma shares her amazingly unexpected, yet so magical precipitous twin birth. Fascinated by birth by baby number two, Emma had done a lot of research and precipitous births had never stood out to her... that was until the twins came along. Her instincts were on fire. From the midwife being minutes away, husband nearly passing out, and babies coming quick enough she almost forgot to undress?! This birth story is one to remember.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
Previous hospital births versus a twin home birth
Feeling contractions! Time for some hot tea? Nope!
Husband's hilarious reaction to a precipitous 34-minute labor & birth
The overwhelm that can come with a birth of this nature
MORE ABOUT EMMA BRAKE:
Emma is a young wife and mother of five. She grew up a missionary kid, marrying her high school sweetheart, a handsome Marine, at 18, and in the following seven years, five sweet little wildlings joined their family! Their youngest three were born at home, including most recently her twins, a precipitous, accidentally unassisted homebirth. It was all rather exciting and very, very messy! These days she's blessed to spend her days at home wrestling what feels like 764 toddlers, telling her husband not to buy it at the store because she can make it at home, and fumbling her way through homesteading, endless home projects, and raising five free range kiddos to love Jesus.
Instagram: @thisredeemedmama
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Website
CONNECT WITH KAREN:
Stay in the loop with Pain Free Birth and become an Insider HERE! Thanks for listening! Get 10% off the Pain Free Birth E-Course HERE!
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#30 | Whitney’s Deeply Spiritual & Pain Free Hospital Birth: Trusting Her Body & Ignoring Nurse’s Urge to ”PUSH!”

In this episode, Whitney Baggett shares how about becoming a first-time mom, trusting your intuition, and the challenges of falling out of your mental zone in the hospital. As a new mom, Whitney questioned whether she was really in labor or if she was just having contractions. Tune in to hear the interesting story and timeline Whitney gave from the moment she experienced this "back cramping" to the minute she was wheeled into the hospital with shocking news!
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
How Whitney's singing career helped during labor
Faith impacting labor and feeling so deeply spiritual
Going from feeling scared about birth to feeling empowered
Laboring at home, being transported to the hospital, and having to tune out the noise in the L&D room
MORE ABOUT WHITNEY BAGGETT:
Whitney is a singer & songwriter and CEO of VOW Creative, a video production and social media marketing company. Whitney also runs an inspirational blog called, Vehicle of Wisdom, where she writes about deepening faith and offers bits of wisdom she’s learned along the way.
Instagram: @whitneyvowcreative & @vowtobecreative
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Twitter
Website
CONNECT WITH KAREN:
Stay in the loop with Pain Free Birth and become an Insider HERE! Thanks for listening! Get 10% off the Pain Free Birth E-Course HERE!
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#29 | Special Episode: Karen’s 3 Birth Stories & Shifting From Pain To Pain Free In One Contraction

**Hey mamas, this episode was recorded with different equipment so please don’t mind the audio, we understand it can be frustrating, but we’ll be back to normal quality next week**
This episode is quite different as Karen is actually the one being interviewed by the host of the Holy Confident Birth Podcast, Eve O'Brien. Check out the Holy Confident Birth Instagram here.
We hope you enjoy this perspective shift as Karen shares her journey with her own pain free births, how she got into this industry, and how she changed the course of her first birth from painful to pain free in the span of just one contraction! In this episode, Karen describes how a pain free birth doesn’t mean you don’t experience hurt or intensity rather you get to enjoy your birth and feel full feelings of ecstasy as Karen has with her own three births.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
What led me down the path of pain free births
Trusting my body & putting my faith in God that He created my body to birth without pain
The individual nuances of each of my three, pain free home births
How I was able to switch my birth from painful to pain free in just one contraction
Allowing myself to fall into a deep state of consciousness to tune into my body
Learning the difference between forceful pushing & physiologically pushing baby out
Realizing my first birth experience is what catapulted me into becoming a doula
Experiencing a true bliss, ecstasy, and an intense rush of natural drugs during birth
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
FREE MASTERCLASS {FOR A LIMITED TIME}: Unlocking A Pain Free Birth Masterclass
In this masterclass, with over 10 years of experience supporting women as a doula and childbirth educator, Karen is sharing her best secrets and techniques to help you experience a pain-free, joyful birth. Learn practical ways you can partner with your body to overcome pain and step into an ecstatic, transformational birth. You do not want to miss this powerful masterclass - currently FREE for a limited time.

#28 | How Pregnancy Contributes To Oral Health: Cavities, Gingivitis, and Root Canals From A Holistic Health Standpoint with Dr. Michelle Jorgensen, D...

We are so excited to welcome holistic health advocate and dentist, Dr. Michelle Jorgensen on the podcast today! Through her years of general and cosmetic dentistry, she never questioned anything ⎯ until Dr. Michelle was so sick she could hardly hold a dental instrument. Dr. Michelle experienced severe mercury poisoning that opened up an entirely different can of worms within the dental industry. Tune in to hear how Dr. Michelle found out about her toxicity, how it affected her fertility, what she incorporates in her dental practice today, and what you can do to save your oral health.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
How Dr. Michelle stopped practicing general dentistry
Mercury poisoning: How it affects dentists and patients
How mercury affects fertility: Dr. Michelle's own fertility struggles
Difference between holistic, functional, biological, and biomimetic dentists
What's the right decision: Root canal versus tooth extraction
The problem with fluoride: The three big strikes on the body
Hidden infection: Why root canals may not be the best option
Specifically how pregnancy contributes to oral health
How the mouth is a dashboard for the body: Warning lights in the mouth
MORE ABOUT DR. MICHELLE:
Dr. Michelle Jorgensen, DDS, , TNC, CNAS, is a renowned holistic dentist, author of five books, and a holistic health advocate. Her transformative journey began when mercury exposure from traditional dentistry made her seriously ill. She evolved into a Board-Certified Naturopath and Therapeutic Nutritional Counselor, seamlessly integrating medicine and dentistry.
For a decade, Dr. Jorgensen has been a pioneer in Functional Integrative dentistry through her Total Care Dental and Wellness Way, attracting patients from all corners of the globe. Beyond her dental practice, she's the founder of Living Well with Dr. Michelle, teaching essential life skills, with a charitable arm, the Living Well Today Foundation, supporting those in need. A busy mother of four, she is passionate about teaching and helping others and is a sought- after podcast guest, known for her knack in simplifying crucial topics and providing practical, real-world solutions for listeners.
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Website
Living Well Shop 💵 Save 10% on all Living Well products with code: PAINFREEBIRTH
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Dr. Michelle's Dentist Directory
IAOMT.org
IABDM.org
Toothpillow

#27 | Mom Of 8 Has First Home-Birth Experience: 6 Hospital Births Later She Had A Magical Twin Home-Birth Despite Having A Breech Baby with Jill Reitz

Jill is a joyful warrior as a mom of 8 beautiful babies including newborn twins who just successfully had her first home birth. Yes, Jill had six traditional births with a regular OB team in the hospital before her OB unfortunately passed away and she had to look elsewhere for the upcoming birth of her twins, Ruth and Samuel. She felt God calling her to have a home birth, but her husband Joe wasn't initially supportive. After a lot of prayer and giving it to the Lord, Jill & Joe had a beautiful home birth with the support of her birthing team! She had Ruth at 7 pounds 2 ounces and Samuel at 7 pounds 15 ounces! Despite Samuel being breech, Jill's team had the expertise to handle things with ease and keep a peaceful environment for the birthing mama. Join us today as Jill shares more about her magical experience giving birth at home to twins.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
The feeling Jill couldn't shake that led to her having her 7th birth, but 1st home birth
Drowning out the noise to have a birth Jill dreamed of
Home-birth hesitant husbands turned to the most supportive teammate during birth
Measuring 52 weeks at 37 weeks pregnant
Switching OB's at 34 weeks pregnant
In denial about being in active labor even after Jill's water broke
The feeling of finding out Baby B is breech seconds before delivery
Two thick, healthy, and pulsating umbilical cords
Anterior placenta semi-fused together for one big, healthy placenta
MORE ABOUT JILL:
Wife to Joe Reitz (former NFL player) Momma of 8 including newborn twins, oldest almost 13, 11, 9, 7, 5 and 3. Former collegiate Division 1 runner. Faithful Catholic. Resides in North suburb of Indianapolis. Huge lover and encourager of natural, physiological birth and all things motherhood, wifehood and family life!
Follow Jill on Instagram
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Pain Free Birth Course

#26 | Laboring A Posterior Baby With A Compound Arm Presentation Completely Unmedicated & Pain Free with Dr. Emily Gardner

Today we are joined by Emily Gardner, a first-time mom, who actually didn't want children prior to getting married due to the painful and traumatic experiences she'd heard of. Now, she is a happy mama of an 8-week old baby boy named Finnigan. She tells us all about how she found Karen on Instagram, how she adopted her determined pain-free-birth mindset, and what her labor experience was like inside a traditional hospital. No spoilers, but her labor & delivery came with a few surprises that resulted in a longer labor, yet still absolutely pain free. Emily said, "the IV line was probably the most painful part of the whole experience."
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
Emily's pure determination & dedication to have a pain free birth
Completely shutting away any negativity around pregnancy, labor, and birth
Diving deep into Emily's spirituality helped ease her mind: "God has me. I am safe."
Taking on random home improvement projects right before labor
Emily's water broke without any contractions so they made their way to the hospital
Hospital honoring Emily's wishes of having an unmedicated birth and assigning her a midwife as her OB was out of town
Back laboring for quite a while and actively pushing for three hours
Different positions & getting in the water to speed up labor
Birthing a posterior baby with a compound arm presentation
MORE ABOUT EMILY:
Emily is a first-time mom (besides her two adorable fur babies) who lives in a small town in New York with her husband, Samuel, who doubles as her business partner. She attended University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and graduated with a degree in Biology/Pre-Medicine. Dr. Emily then made the long trip to Iowa and received her chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic. She was able to study under amazing sports doctors and learn a lot of therapies that she implements at her clinic back home in New York! Emily is full of gratitude to be finding her way in her new role as mom.
Follow Emily on Instagram
Emily's Chiropractic Clinic Website
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Pain Free Birth Course
Birth Partner Bootcamp

#25 | A Sacred & Speedy 6-Minute Unmedicated Hospital Birth Of An 11-Pound Baby with Jilda Connell

If you have been on the fence about having an unmedicated birth, especially if you've had medicated births in the past, this story is going to be so inspiring to you. Whether you're currently planning a hospital birth or you simply want to hear an encouraging birth story Jilda is here to share her transformational story with us. After having two medicated hospital births that left her traumatized with epidurals gone wrong, she decided that her third birth was going to be unmedicated in the hospital. In most parts of the United States, that is unheard of! Tune in as Jilda shares her she determined her birth plan, if the hospital staff honored her plan, and the peaceful environment she was blessed to give birth in.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
Jilda's experience of medicated versus unmedicated births
Uncovering the misconception of how complicated inductions can be
An induction, three failed epidurals & NICU stay with her first baby
An elective induction & failed epidural with her second baby
Creating a solid birth plan & switching birth teams for her third birth
How to advocate for yourself in the hospital
Affirmations & support for other moms desiring a natural birth
MORE ABOUT JILDA:
Jilda is a proud mother of three hailing from New Jersey. Her journey is all about empowering women, especially postpartum moms, through fitness. With years of dedication as a fitness instructor, Jilda's had the honor of transforming lives through group exercise, advocating for self-care and holistic health. Currently pursuing her doula license, her passion for nutrition during and after pregnancy drives her forward. Amidst the ebb and flow of motherhood, Jilda's resilience has soared while exercising her body and spirit through every one of her pregnancies. With her heart ablaze, she seeks to be a guiding light of support and positive change in every life she encounters.
Follow Jilda on Instagram: @jacked.withjil
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Pain Free Birth Course

#24 | ”You Don’t Have Low Milk Supply, You Have A Bad Latch” Essential Steps To Breastfeeding Success & Dyad Hot Takes with Trisha Ludwig, CNM IBCLC

Trisha, an amazing woman who has extensive knowledge, experience, and expertise with being a nurse midwife and IBCLC joins Karen on the podcast today! After virtually meeting on the Down To Birth podcast that Trisha co-hosts, Karen was eager to dive deeper into the conversation around breastfeeding and problems that can arise with each dyad. Trisha shares her unintentional, unattended birth as well as dives into the specifics of the difference between IBCLC's and LC's, her education & experience, as well as a lot of the problems and easy fixes that can be made to solve current problems like painful latches, low-milk supply, and even postpartum anxiety and depression! Join us as we uncover all these dyad hot takes!
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
Trisha birthing and unintentionally catching her third baby ALONE because it happened so fast and unattended
How birth can affect how a baby breastfeeds
Baby's natural instincts to latch & breast crawling
The most common problems with breastfeeding dyads
The most common interferences with breastfeeding
Trisha's number one tip for supporting breastfeeding mothers
MORE ABOUT TRISHA:
Trisha Ludwig is a Yale educated Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She has experience as a homebirth midwife, is a holistic women’s gynecologic health practitioner, and has fifteen plus years working as an IBCLC (and works privately providing both in-person and virtual appointments anywhere in the world). She is also a podcaster and the co-host of the globally known birth podcast Down to Birth Show. She is a mother of three children all birthed at home.
Follow Trisha on Instagram: @trishaoludwig
Follow Down To Birth on Instagram: @downtobirthshow
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Pain Free Birth Course: https://painfreebirth.com/pain-free-birth/
Down To Birth Podcast Episode 208: Achieving A Pain Free Birth with Karen Welton: https://www.downtobirthshow.com/208-achieving-a-pain-free-birth-with-karen-welton-painfreebirth/