Shows
Moony Birth StoriesDonna B. Part 1. | Pandemic, emergency c-section, and a very isolating postpartum experience.Donna from Saskatoon shares the story of her son. Donna’s experience was shaped by the pandemic which included a lot of uncertainty during the last half of her pregnancy. Donna’s labour progressed on its own after her water broke. Donna laboured to 10 centimeters, however during the pushing stage it was determined that she would go for an emergency c-section. Donna’s experience postpartum was difficult due to limited supports during the pandemic. Find us on Instagram: @moonybirthstoriespodcast @alivitrihShare your story:
2025-10-2940 minMoony Birth StoriesTaylor H. | Hospital birth with epidural and postpartum anxiety.On this episode of Moony Birth Stories, Ali sits down to chat with Taylor as she recounts the birth of her daughter, Vienna. Taylor had an uneventful pregnancy with an iron transfusion near the end. She had a few trips to the hospital where she was sent home at 2cm. She was then admitted, received an epidural, and laboured throughout the day. She ultimately had forceps for delivery and had a third degree tear. Taylor opens up about her experience during the postpartum period, including recovery from a third degree tear, postpartum anxiety, and a...
2025-10-2335 minMoony Birth StoriesKirbie P | Infertility, loss, and a homebirth with a midwife & doula.On today’s episode of Moony Birth Stories, I am joined by Kirbie from Saskatoon. Kirbie opens up about her journey through infertility, including over a year of trying to conceive, working closely with a fertility clinic, and experiencing multiple losses along the way. Kirbie reflects on the incredible moment she welcomed her baby at home, surrounded by unwavering support from her husband, midwife, and a doula. Find us on Instagram @moonybirthstoriespodcastShare your story: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHO2h71MgbFL8X3gniQTm5lo60tBpKIfo9p9VgZFBH3-frpw/vie...
2025-10-161h 00Moony Birth StoriesBethany V. | Mental health in pregnancy, a quick hospital birth with epidural, and perinatal mental health resources.Bethany from Saskatoon shares her story about her mental health during her pregnancy. She shares the details of her quick hospital delivery and her postpartum experience. Throughout the episode, Bethany offers valuable resources and insights for anyone navigating their own perinatal mental health journey.Resources Mother May I: https://www.mothermayi.ca/Reclaim MBK: https://reclaimsaskatoon.ca/Birth blessings: https://www.birthblessings.ca/Motherhood YXE: https://www.facebook.com/p/M...
2025-10-0830 minMoony Birth StoriesMarisa D. | A long induction, unplanned c-section, and the importance of community.On today’s episode, I sat down to chat with Marisa about her birth at the Yorkton, SK hospital. She shares her long induction process that led to her c-section. In this emotional story, Marisa goes into what her feelings were about her surgery and recounts the amazing moment of meeting her baby. She shares more about her breast feeding journey and all things postpartum. Find us on Instagram @moonybirthstoriespodcastShare your story: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHO2h71MgbFL8X3gniQTm5lo60tBpKIfo9p9VgZ...
2025-09-2936 minMoony Birth StoriesAshley N. | Positive pregnancy, hospital birth with an epidural, and the road to becoming a postpartum doula.We’re joined by Ashley from Saskatoon as she shares the story of her daughter, Isabella. Ashley opens up about her year-long journey to conception, her positive pregnancy experience, and the emotions she felt leading up to labour. She also reflects on the challenges she faced during birth and in the early days of postpartum.Through her own recovery and growth, Ashley found a new calling: supporting other parents. Her postpartum experience inspired her to become a postpartum doula, and she now looks forward to offering families in Saskatoon the care and guidance she on...
2025-09-2545 minMoony Birth StoriesWelcome back to Moony Birth Stories | New hostWelcome back!! In this short episode, meet your newest host, Ali Vitrih. Ali shares why she wanted to re-boot the podcast and what to expect from the podcast going forward. Find us on Instagram @moonybirthstoriespodcastShare your story: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHO2h71MgbFL8X3gniQTm5lo60tBpKIfo9p9VgZFBH3-frpw/viewform?usp=headerSupport the show
2025-09-2505 minMoony Birth StoriesLiz- One Hospital Labour with Pitocin and Epidural; Emergency Cesarean SectionLiz, a doula and pharmacist from Saskatoon, SK joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories to share the pregnancy and birth story of her daughter Marjorie. Liz and her partner, Pete, were able to conceive with no complications after a few months of trying and while she'd hoped for a home birth, Liz explains the factors that ended up leading her in a different direction. She opens up about her struggles with a labour experience that felt out of her control and not supported by her medical team in the ways she should've been. She talks about her...
2023-06-091h 10Moony Birth StoriesDesley- Two Homebirths with Hospital TransfersDesley from Regina, SK joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories to share her two pregnancy and birth stories. Desley and her partner Allen took two months to get pregnant with their first baby and since Desley had done some research prior to conceiving and wanted a homebirth, she knew she'd need to apply for a midwife immediately. She was able to get in with midwifery care and moved forward with her plans for a home water birth. After an enjoyable pregnancy, labour started on it's own at home. She was able to labour at home until the...
2023-01-2632 minMoony Birth StoriesHannah- One Hospital Birth with Epidural, PPD and PPAHannah, from Saskatoon, SK joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories to share the pregnancy and birth story of her son Oakland. Hannah and her husband were together for quite some time before deciding to have a baby but once they started trying, they were able to conceive right away. That first pregnancy unfortunately ended in a miscarriage and the couple conceived again later that year. The pregnancy was not enjoyable for Hannah due to being very sick and struggling with hip pain. She wasn't afraid or nervous for birth and shares the funny story of her labou...
2022-12-0946 minMoony Birth StoriesEve- One Hospital Birth with Epidural, Endometriosis, Fibroids, Newborn SeizuresI'm joined on this episode of Moony Birth Stories by Eve, from Saskatoon, SK. She shares the pregnancy and birth story of her daughter Zahra. Eve and her partner were pleasantly surprised to find out they were pregnant after four months of natural family planning and although Eve was happy to be pregnant, the pregnancy itself was challenging as she was extremely sick and struggled with nausea and vomiting. In her third trimester, it was discovered that she was very anemic and needed an iron infusion. Eve shares the details of her hospital birth with the support of an epid...
2022-11-0853 minMoony Birth StoriesKaitlyn- One Unmedicated Hospital Birth, Cervical Tear and Postpartum HemorrhageKaitlyn from Martensville, SK, shares the story of her pregnancy and birth on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. Sadly, before getting pregnant with their son Lincoln, Kaitlyn and her husband experienced a miscarriage at 8 weeks. They went on to conceive again and Kaitlyn absolutely loved being pregnant. At just over 38 weeks pregnant, labour started on it's own and Kaitlyn shares the details of how things progressed from there. After a great pregnancy and delivery, she was caught off guard when she started to hemorrhage right after birth. It was discovered that she had a tear in her cervix and w...
2022-10-0825 minMoony Birth StoriesKayla H.- Two Unmedicated Hospital Inductions with Midwife and Doula support, Perinatal Anxiety and OCDKayla from Regina, SK shares her experiences on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. Kayla and her husband took a little while to get on the same page about having children but once they decided to try, they were able to conceive quite quickly. The pregnancy went well and Kayla planned to have a hospital water birth with the support of her midwives and doula. After her due date came and went, she eventually moved forward with an induction and delivered her first son in the water, as planned, without pain medication. Kayla opens up about her significant struggles post...
2022-09-301h 02Moony Birth StoriesJennifer S.- Infertility, IVF, Vasa Previa, Scheduled Cesarean Section, NICU, Successful VBAC with EpiduralJenn, from Saskatoon, SK shares her two pregnancy and birth stories on this episode of the podcast. She opens up about her and her husband's struggles with infertility and their journey with IVF. Once Jenn was pregnant with their first daughter, it was discovered later on that she had a very rare placenta issue and would require a scheduled c-section to ensure that labour would not start on it's own. She also had gestational diabetes which she was able to manage with an appropriate diet. After deliver, they were hit with some unexpected issues that required a difficult stay in N...
2022-09-241h 34Moony Birth StoriesMeghan F.- One Unmedicated Hospital Birth with Doula Support, GBS+, NICUMeghan of Saskatoon, SK shares the pregnancy and birth story of her son Nolan on this episode. Her and her husband Mitch conceived quite quickly after only two cycles of trying and while Meghan thought she'd be very excited, she didn't initially feel that way. She talks about how her feelings evolved throughout her pregnancy and the anxiety she had surrounding birth, as well as the choice to hire a doula for birth support. Physically, Meghan also found the pregnancy to be quite difficult as she suffered with back and hip pain. A few weeks before her due date, Megh...
2022-07-2953 minMoony Birth StoriesKelli- Two Hospital Births, One Medicated and One Unmedicated, TachycardiaKelli of Shift Birth Work in Edmonton, AB joins me on this episode to share her pregnancy and birth stories. Kelli and her husband got pregnant with their first baby very quickly and had a relatively smooth pregnancy until she got a kidney infection at 32 weeks and developed irritable uterus. She was hoping for an unmedicated birth but was open to whatever she might need. Kelli shares the story of this lengthy labour and talks about some challenges she experienced postpartum. She then goes on to share the story of her second baby and the vast differences in her expe...
2022-07-2246 minMoony Birth StoriesMegan (Part 2)- 3 Hospital Births, One with Epidural and Two without, Severe PPD and Self HarmPart 2Megan moved from California to Sweden over 6 years ago to be with her husband and start a family. They were fortunate to get pregnant immediately with all three of their children but did sadly suffer two miscarriages after their first baby. Megan's first and second pregnancies were generally very good but she found her third to be a little bit more challenging. All three of her births were in hospital and while she had an epidural for the first birth, she chose to go without one for the second and third.Megan opens up abo...
2022-07-1845 minMoony Birth StoriesMegan (Part 1)- 3 Hospital Births, One with Epidural and Two without, Severe PPD and Self HarmTrigger Warning- Part one of Megan's episode describes her experience with severe postpartum depression and self-harm and can be difficult to listen to.Megan moved from California to Sweden over 6 years ago to be with her husband and start a family. They were fortunate to get pregnant immediately with all three of their children but did sadly suffer two miscarriages after their first baby. Megan's first and second pregnancies were generally very good but she found her third to be a little bit more challenging. All three of her births were in hospital and whi...
2022-07-1543 minMoony Birth StoriesDarya- Fertility Issues, Ectopic Pregnancy, One Hospital Induction with EpiduralThis episode features Darya from Saskatoon, SK. She shares the pregnancy and birth story of her 6 month old daughter, Jovie. Darya and her husband started trying to conceive in 2019 and had hoped it would be a smooth and seamless process. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned and Darya shares the details of their struggles with infertility, and a confusing experience with her first pregnancy which didn't end up being viable. She then goes on to share the story of her successful pregnancy and a smooth and positive induction in hospital. Darya did also end up having retained placenta after birth...
2022-07-0942 minMoony Birth StoriesKelsey from Hey Babe Nutrition- One Unmedicated Hospital Birth and One Planned Homebirth Turned Hospital BirthKelsey of Hey Babe Nutrition in Calgary, AB joins me on this episode to share two birth stories. Kelsey and her husband unfortunately experienced a miscarriage the first time they conceived and about one year later, got pregnant with their daughter. Kelsey struggled with nausea for the first half of the pregnancy but was excited about birth and took some empowering classes to prepare. She also hired a birth doula to support her and her partner for labour. At the end of pregnancy, more specifically on her due date, Kelsey's water broke but when nothing happened after that, they deci...
2022-07-0139 minMoony Birth StoriesKayla D.- One Hospital Induction to Cesarean Section under General Anesthesia, Gestational Hypertension, Failed Epidural, NICUKayla shares her story on this episode of the podcast. The story begins with her and her husband Jordan conceiving after about 5 months of trying. The pregnancy went generally well but she struggled with nausea and vomiting and ended up being diagnosed with Gestational Hypertension early on in the pregnancy. Although some care providers had talked about induction very early on, she was able to avoid it until the very end of her pregnancy. They did end up inducing Kayla around her due date and she goes into detail about the lengthy process which ultimately ended in a c-section and...
2022-06-191h 03Moony Birth StoriesCaitlyn D.- One Hospital Birth, Pre-term Labour, Induction, Postpartum AnxietyCaitlyn from Queensland, Australia shares the pregnancy and birth story of her daughter Sunny. Once Caitlyn and her husband started trying, she was able to get pregnant right away. After a generally good first trimester, she went on to find out she had gestational diabetes in the second trimester. At around 28 weeks, something felt wrong and Caitlyn talks about how and why she required immediate assessment and ultimately needed to be airlifted to another location and put on bedrest for several weeks. When she made it to almost 38 weeks, she started having some pain and after discovering her amniotic flui...
2022-06-1527 minMoony Birth StoriesStefanie Antunes- Doula, Educator, Three Birth StoriesStefanie Antunes from Toronto, ON joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories to share her three birth stories. When she unexpectedly got pregnant with her first baby, she didn't know much about birth and felt generally quite fearless and confident. The pregnancy went well and though her birth would have been considered straight-forward from a medical perspective, there were many things about it that ended up leaving a bad taste in her mouth. It was that experience that ultimately ignited her passion for birth support and started her down a new path. Stefanie goes on to share her...
2022-06-1529 minMoony Birth StoriesMy Copper IUD Horror StoryThis extra episode of Moony Birth Stories is definitely different from the usual content and could be consider a follow-up to my first birth story from Season 1, Episode 3. I had honestly mentally blocked this experience out for quite a while and didn't even think of it when I originally shared my story, which is wild to me since it was quite an intense period in my life. It's the story of my experience with a copper IUD and the rare extreme reaction I had to it. Unfortunately, it took several months and a lot of pain to determine the iss...
2022-06-0320 minMoony Birth StoriesJulia- Two Hospital Births; One with Epidural and One without, Gestational Hypertension, NICU, D&CJulia joins me on this episode from North Smithfield, Rhode Island to share her two birth stories. She and her husband got pregnant with their first child after about 5-6 months of trying. Julia's pregnancy wasn't too bad for her but she did struggle with some emotions during her 2nd trimester that caused her to question if she wanted to be a mother. This did passed after she found out the sex of the baby and got away for a little bit. She planned a hospital birth and was surprised when she ended up having gestational hypertension around 36 weeks and...
2022-06-021h 27Moony Birth StoriesJesslyn- Three Vaginal Births; One Planned Hospital Birth and Two Planned Homebirths (one turned to hospital induction)Jesslyn from Edmonton, AB shares her three pregnancy and birth stories on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. Her first pregnancy came as a surprise to her and her boyfriend (now husband) but they welcomed it with excitement. Jesslyn was very excited to become a mother and looked forward to having her baby, fearlessly. Under the care of an OBGYN, she delivered her first baby in hospital with an epidural and without complication. It wasn't until 8 years later that Jesslyn and her husband decided to have a second child. By this time, Jesslyn was training to be a full spect...
2022-05-3148 minMoony Birth StoriesJanelle B.- Two Unmedicated Hospital BirthsOn this episode of Moony Birth Stories, we here the two pregnancy and birth stories from Janelle of Humboldt, SK. Janelle sadly suffered a miscarriage at 11 weeks with her first pregnancy. After processing that, she was able to get pregnant again and went on to have a really great pregnancy. She LOVED being pregnant. She wasn't nervous about birth was did have fears regarding cesarean sections. Thankfully, her fears were not made reality and she was able to have an unmedicated birth in hospital after she went into labour quite early. When Janelle's first child was around a year old, s...
2022-05-2019 minMoony Birth StoriesAshlyn R.- Three Caesarean Sections, Breech, Low Fluid, Gestational DiabetesAshlyn from Grandora, SK joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories to share the pregnancy and birth stories of her three children. Ashlyn and her husband were fortunate to conceive easily for all three of their pregnancies. Ashlyn's first pregnancy was relatively easy on her and she planned to have a hospital birth since they live on an acreage. Later in this pregnancy, it was discovered that the baby was breech and folded in half. Ashlyn planned to try to deliver the baby vaginally but at the end of the pregnancy, the baby was measuring quite large and A...
2022-05-2039 minMoony Birth StoriesNat Rolland- One Unmedicated Hospital Waterbirth, Infertility, IUI, Unique Fertility TreatmentsOn this episode, Nat Rolland, owner of Altered Senses joins me all the way from Queensland, Australia to share her journey to getting pregnant and her hospital water birth. Nat didn't always want children until she found out she may not be able to have them and her perspective and feelings about it changed. Though she was able to get pregnant quite quickly, she sadly suffered a miscarriage and this was the beginning of a very unfortunate series of losses. She eventually saw an infertility specialist who offered some very unique treatments including a poppy seed oil flush, a part...
2022-05-0820 minMoony Birth StoriesAnais H.- Two Water Homebirths with MidwivesAnais from Pembroke, ON shares the stories of her two pregnancies and homebirths on this episode. Anais got pregnant for the first time after about 7 months of trying and enjoyed her pregnancy. When she was a week overdue, she started worrying about needing an induction and tried various things to get labour started. Luckily, labour ended up starting on it's own and she was able to have the homebirth she'd hoped for. She talks about her feeding difficulties as a result of her baby having severe lip and tongue ties, as well as her challenges with the phys...
2022-04-291h 12Moony Birth StoriesAlana Matus- PCOS, Ovarian Drilling, Induction, One Cesarean and Two Vaginal Births in HospitalAlana Matus from Langham, SK shares three pregnancy and birth stories on this episode. For Alana and her husband Patrick, it was a very long road to getting pregnant after fertility issues as a result of PCOS. After a couple of years of trying and several cycles on fertility drugs with no success, they were fed up and decided to focus on other things. It was at this point that they were finally able to conceive. Alana's first birth began with her water breaking but when things didn't advance much, she was induced and ultimately ended up needing an emer...
2022-04-131h 19Moony Birth StoriesJen Cox- Two C-sections, Post-procedure Internal Bleed and Hematoma, Blood Transfusion ReactionJen Cox from Ottawa, ON joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. Her and her husband were able to get pregnant with their first child quite quickly and had a generally good pregnancy. When Jen's water broke on her due date, they went to the hospital to labour and she got an epidural for pain management. After pushing for three hours with no movement, they proceeded with a c-section and recovery went well. They were, once again, able to get pregnant quickly with their second baby and though she'd hoped for a VBAC, Jen was considered high risk...
2022-04-0457 minMoony Birth StoriesMackenzie Basiove- One Hospital Induction with Epidural, Irritable Uterus, Feeding IssuesThis episode of Moony Birth Stories has Mackenzie Basiove of Saskatoon, SK sharing the pregnancy and birth story of her son. It took Mackenzie and her husband Mitch a while to get pregnant and once she did conceive, she had a challenging pregnancy that she especially noted when looking back on it. The pregnancy involved a lot of severe nausea and a diagnosis of irritable uterus. As a result of that diagnosis, she experienced contractions early on in her pregnancy and prodromal labour. She was ultimately induced and shares the details of her labour and delivery beyond that. She also g...
2022-03-2238 minMoony Birth StoriesBrooke Dixon- One Home Waterbirth with MidwifeThis pregnancy and birth story is shared by Brooke Dixon of Calgary, Alberta. Brooke and her partner Adriyel weren't actively trying for a baby when they first found out they were expecting, so they were shocked but very much happy and excited. That pregnancy unfortunately ended in an early loss and it was a very sad time for the couple. They decided to start trying, casually, by not preventing and they were able to conceive again. Brooke's pregnancy was overall good but she struggled with a lot of nausea. As birth approached, she was feeling really good about it and p...
2022-02-2542 minMoony Birth StoriesAnna Mbuyi- One Vaginal Birth in Hospital with EpiduralAnna Mbuyi from Saskatoon, SK shares her birth story on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. Anna and her partner Kent were very surprised when they found out they were pregnant as she was on birth control and they hadn't been trying. After getting over the initial shock, Anna went on to have a smooth pregnancy and was excited to meet her baby girl. She didn't have any specific hopes or plans for her birth and went into it with an open mind, trusting her body. Anna shares the details of her labour and the smooth delivery of her baby.
2022-02-1118 minMoony Birth StoriesLeah Coghlan- One Hospital Birth with Epidural and One Precipitous Road-side BirthLeah Coghlan, from Havelock, ON shares two pregnancy and birth stories on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. Leah and her husband, Evan, got pregnant with their first child after trying for three cycles. Aside from some morning sickness, Leah had a good pregnancy and was excited for the experience of labour and was hoping for an intervention-free birth. After multiple stretch and sweeps, labour started a couple of days after her due date and Leah gave birth in hospital, opting for an epidural in the end. Leah talks about her struggles with postpartum and how she worked through that...
2022-01-3036 minMoony Birth StoriesMakayla Wilson- Two Precipitous Births with Midwives; One in Hospital and One in VehicleThis episode features Makayla Wilson, from Edmonton, AB. She shares two pregnancy and birth stories. Her first pregnancy came with all of the symptoms and was a struggle for the duration. It also involved prodromal labour beginning at 33 weeks and continuing through to the end. This birth was very fast but Makayla was able to make it to the hospital in time to give birth. Her second pregnancy was more manageable as far as symptoms went and though she had prodromal labour again, it didn't start until a bit later in the pregnancy. She planned for this birth to be a ho...
2022-01-2635 minMoony Birth StoriesAbigail Barth- One Hospital Birth; Midwife Care with Emergency Transfer to OB, Episiotomy and ForcepsAbigail Barth from Calgary, AB shares her pregnancy and birth story on this episode. After initially suffering a miscarriage and processing a lot of grief, Abigail and her partner were able to get pregnant with their daughter. The pregnancy was uneventful and though Abigail felt a little bit nervous, she was generally positive about her upcoming birth and hoped to experience it unmedicated with the support of her midwives and doula. When her water broke at 3 days past her due date, it began the very long and difficult journey to meeting her baby. Abigail shares the details of what that...
2022-01-2150 minMoony Birth StoriesJordyn Broadbent- Two Hospital Births: One with Epidural and Vacuum Assistance and One UnmedicatedJordyn Broadbent from Saskatoon, SK shares her two pregnancy and birth stories on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. Jordyn and her husband, Jeff, got pregnant with their first baby on their second cycle of trying. She had a generally great pregnancy but was informed after her anatomy scan that the cord was abnormally positioned, which would require some extra monitoring. She talks about labour beginning when she was a few days overdue with her water breaking and how things progressed from there, at home and in hospital. She then goes on to talk about her second pregnancy, which was a...
2022-01-171h 13Moony Birth StoriesMy Second Birth Story- Precipitous Hospital Birth with Epidural; Postpartum AnxietyOn this episode of Moony Birth Stories, I share my most recent experience with the pregnancy and birth of our second daughter, Miloh. Andy and I were able to get pregnant after only a couple of months of trying and other than some nausea and heartburn, the pregnancy went quite smoothly. I had gone overdue with my first baby by 11 days and in hopes of avoiding a Pitocin induction, I had three membrane sweeps near the end of this pregnancy. Labour ultimately started after the third sweep when I was 4 days overdue. I share the details of how my baby...
2021-11-2744 minMoony Birth StoriesGrace Ford- One Unmedicated Hospital Birth with Doula SupportThis episode of Moony Birth Stories features Grace Ford from Edmonton, Alberta. She share the birth story of her son Rhodes. Grace and her partner Curtis were surprised to find out that they were pregnant with their "pandemic baby" as they weren't actively trying for a baby at the time. Both of them ended up contracting Covid-19 when Grace was about 10-12 weeks pregnant and they both recovered. Grace loved being pregnant and wanted to have a natural, unmedicated birth so she did a lot of research and made sure she was educated on all things birth. She was very...
2021-10-2949 minMoony Birth StoriesMaria Fradette (2nd episode)- One Home Water Birth with MidwivesMaria Fradette joins me for another episode of Moony Birth Stories to share the pregnancy and birth story of her second son, Arden. You can find her first episode with the story of her first son, Foster, on season one of the podcast. When their first son was 13 months old, Maria and her husband Lance started trying for another baby. They were able to conceive on the second cycle and Maria went on to have a smooth pregnancy. She shares the details of having the home water birth she had hoped for under the care of the same midwives who...
2021-10-2234 minMoony Birth StoriesJordan Haase- Homebirth turned Hospital Birth with Midwife, Epidural, DehydrationJordan Haase from Waterloo, Ontario shares her pregnancy and birth story on this podcast episode. Jordan and her husband had a lengthy and difficult journey getting pregnant with their daughter, involving over a year of trying and two consecutive miscarriages. When they did finally get pregnant with their daughter, Jordan went on to have a pretty great pregnancy aside from some pelvic pain issues, which were treated by a chiropractor. Under the care of a midwife, Jordan decided she'd like to have a home birth, especially due to Covid-19 restrictions as she wanted to have her mother there for the...
2021-10-0941 minMoony Birth StoriesLesha Leslie- Three Unmedicated Hospital Births, OB and Midwife Care, PICA DisorderLesha Leslie from Swan River, Manitoba, shares here three pregnancy and birth stories on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. With her first, Lesha got pregnant after 6 cycles of trying and had a smooth and easy pregnancy with just a bit of spotting early on. She also ended up having PICA disorder for this pregnancy, and both subsequent pregnancies, which is a disorder where you crave and want to eat things not normally considered food. She was excited about birth and knew she wanted to have an unmedicated birth and shares how she was able to successfully achieve that bir...
2021-10-031h 20Moony Birth StoriesAleisa Wolf- One Unmedicated Hospital Birth and One C-section while Covid Positive with no Support PersonAleisa Wolf from Saskatoon, SK shares two pregnancy and birth stories on this podcast episode. Aleisa and her husband were able to get pregnant with their first baby after a few months of trying. She dealt with some nausea and severe swelling throughout pregnancy but powered through, working at her job until very late in her pregnancy. After several weeks of false labour, her real labour started early in her 39th week and she was able to have the unmedicated birth she'd hoped for, supported by a family doctor and a doula. Aleisa also talks about the feeding issues they...
2021-09-211h 48Moony Birth StoriesJesse Bauman- Two Unmedicated Hospital Births with MidwifeJesse Bauman is a birth and postpartum doula from Calgary, Alberta who joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories to share her two pregnancy and birth stories. Her and her partner got pregnant with their first child early on in their relationship when they weren't trying but also weren't preventing. The pregnancy went quite smoothly and Jesse was monitored under the care of a midwife. She wanted a natural birth and shares the story of her swift delivery in hospital shortly before her due date. Jesse struggled with the postpartum period and her and her partner didn't end...
2021-08-101h 16Moony Birth StoriesTynnille Bouchard- Induced Vaginal Birth turned Emergency C-Section, Successful VBAC with Vacuum Support and EpisiotomyTynnille Bouchard from Brandon, Manitoba shares her two pregnancy and birth stories on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. It took her and her husband 5-6 months to get pregnant with their first daughter and while it started off as quite a smooth pregnancy, the nausea and vomiting hit by about week 6 and was consistent until week 12 when it suddenly stopped. From this point on, she struggled with severe congestion and some pelvic dysfunction. She had hoped for an unmedicated birth and had feared an induction, but ended up being induced nonetheless. After a lengthy labour and attempted interventions to d...
2021-07-301h 09Moony Birth StoriesRylee Dupuis- One Hospital Birth with OB and Epidural, One Unmedicated Hospital Water Birth with MidwifeRylee Dupuis, from Saskatoon, SK, joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories to share her two pregnancy and birth stories. Rylee and her husband were able to get pregnant quite easily by the second cycle, which was surprising to them as their doctor had told them it may be difficult to get pregnant. Her pregnancy was pretty smooth and easy but she did feel quite anxious about birth and, looking back, realizes she was uneducated on her care and birth options. Labour started on its own a few days before her due date. Her labour went quickly and...
2021-06-1441 minMoony Birth StoriesEmily Clemens- Emergency C-Section, Facial Presentation, Ovarian CystsEmily Clemens of Kitchener, Ontario joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. After finding out that she had multiple ovarian cysts, her and her husband expected it would take quite a while to get pregnant so they were pleasantly surprised when it didn't. Emily had a smooth pregnancy and labour started a bit before her due date when her water broke while dining out at a restaurant. After labouring through the night and next morning, Emily was told that the baby was presenting face-first and a c-section was recommended. She shares her experience with having a vaginal lab...
2021-05-2948 minMoony Birth StoriesTessa C- Three Unmedicated Births; Two in Hospital and One Unexpectedly at HomeThis episode features Tessa from Saskatoon, SK. She shares the pregnancy and birth stories of her three sons, all of them being conceived with ease and all exactly 22 months apart. She takes us on a wild ride with her three very different birth stories! The first birth was a bit a longer in hospital, with vacuum support and an episiotomy, the second was a precipitous birth at home, and the third was also a very quick birth as well after barely making it to the hospital. Tessa also discusses her varied postpartum experiences with each of her babies.Su...
2021-05-1240 minMoony Birth StoriesRenee Bankole- One Hospital Birth with Epidural and Vacuum; Cervix tear; Nurse Practitioner and OB CareRenee Bankole joins me as the guest on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. After getting pregnant quickly using the Fertility Awareness Method, Renee and her husband experienced an unfortunate early loss. They then went on to conceive their daughter the next month. The pregnancy was relatively smooth and easy but there was an incident around the 32 week mark where Renee got very sick and dehydrated and ended up being air-lifted to the hospital in Saskatoon. As her pregnancy progressed, she began dilating quite early at around 37 weeks pregnant, yet still managed to go overdue by a week. Renee share...
2021-05-0534 minMoony Birth StoriesKendall MacMillan- Two Pre-term Emergency C-sections, Preeclampsia, NICU, HELLP SyndromeKendall MacMillan shares her two pregnancy and birth stories on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. Kendall's first pregnancy was easy and without complication until her blood pressure registered higher than usual at around 34 or 35 weeks pregnant. This unexpected increase in her blood pressure began the whirlwind that Kendall didn't see coming. She talks about how she went from double-checking her blood pressure at a pharmacy to being admitted to the hospital and told she would have to deliver that night, resulting in a NICU stay. Years later, she got pregnant with their second child and her issues with bloo...
2021-03-2941 minMoony Birth StoriesBlair Blyth- One Vacuum-assisted Hospital Birth and One Home Birth under Care of Midwives; PPD and PTSDBlair, from Calgary, Alberta, is featured on this episode of Moony Birth Stories and shares the birth stories of her daughter Willow, and son Robson. Using the Fertility Awareness Method, her and her husband Graham were able to conceive on their first try. Blair was cared for by midwives during her pregnancy and it was, overall, pretty uneventful. She had always dreamed of a homebirth but goes on to explain why this first birth story didn't end up that way. Following this birth, she struggled with her mental health and, after seeing a psychologist, was diagnosed with PPD and PTSD...
2021-03-191h 15Moony Birth StoriesLindsay Potter- One Hospital Induction with Epidural and One Unplanned HomebirthLindsay Potter, from Kitchener, Ontario joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. Despite having quite severe PCOS, Lindsay was able to get pregnant quickly with their first child. She struggled with nausea and heartburn for a large portion of her pregnancy and when labour still hadn't started at 41 weeks and 3 days pregnant, she was induced with a Foley bulb. After several hours of no progression, she opted for an epidural and things started to progress. With their second, they'd planned to get pregnant quite quickly after having their first and were successful. This time Lindsay was VERY nauseo...
2021-02-2854 minMoony Birth StoriesJillian Ruiter-Cochrane- One Hospital Birth, Two homebirths, Midwife Support, Missed MiscarriageJillian Ruiter-Cochrane from Guelph, Ontario joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. After sadly suffering a missed miscarriage with her first pregnancy at 11 weeks, she was surprised to get pregnant again soon after. She didn't feel ready quite yet and experienced a lot of anxiety during her pregnancy after having experienced the previous loss. Jillian ended up having a relatively smooth pregnancy, supported by midwives, and though she planned a home water birth, things ended up heading in a different direction. She shares the details of this birth as well as the two successful pregnancies and home wate...
2021-02-191h 14Moony Birth StoriesMeredith de Ruiter- Fertility Issues, One Hospital Birth with Midwife, Surprise Breech with Emergency C-SectionMeredith de Ruiter, from Waterloo, Ontario, joins me on this episode to share the pregnancy and birth story of her daughter Matilda. Her and her husband struggled with infertility for a couple of years, due to a blocked tube and probable endometriosis, prior to becoming pregnant using IUI. Meredith had a pretty smooth pregnancy under the care of a midwife, aside from some severe nausea for the first half, which she ultimately took medication for. She had anticipated going overdue so was surprised when labour started naturally right around her due date and progressed swiftly. She was able to labour...
2021-02-0129 minMoony Birth StoriesMcKenzie Hodgins- Same-sex Couple with Known Sperm Donor, Two Hospital Births with EpiduralsThis episode of Moony Birth Stories feature McKenzie Hodgins from Saskatoon, SK. Her and her partner at the time, being a same-sex couple, had a few options when it came to how they'd like to have children. After considering things carefully, they decided to use sperm donated by someone very close to them. McKenzie talks about their reasons for choosing this path and how great it was for them. She shares the details of how they conceived and the pregnancies and births of two of their three daughters; both being hospital births with epidurals for pain management.Supp...
2021-01-2159 minMoony Birth StoriesKyla Cutts- One Hospital Birth with Epidural; Dietary Issues/AllergiesKyla Cutts joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories to share the story of her son Owen's birth. Kyla and her husband took about 5 months to get pregnant and she had a relatively smooth pregnancy. Being a large animal veterinarian, she struggled with her nausea at the beginning having to be around many undesirable smells. For this reason, she started medication to help with it quite early and was able to stop using it in her second trimester. When Kyla was over a week overdue, her water broke at home and it was time! She shares the detai...
2021-01-1340 minMoony Birth StoriesAnna Mosolov- One Hospital Birth, Midwife, Unplanned C-SectionThis episode features Anna Mosolov and the birth story of her son Dominic. Originally from Israel, Anna moved to Canada 11 years ago and now lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Anna and her partner were able to conceive quite quickly using Natural Cycles and during her pregnancy, she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. As labour approached, she was very fearful of the pain she might experience during birth and anxious about whether or not her mom would be able to come to Canada for the birth during the pandemic. She shares about what it was like to be pregnant and give...
2021-01-0645 minMoony Birth StoriesSerena Hamilton- One Vaginal Birth in Hospital with Midwife and Epidural; PCOSOn this episode of Moony Birth Stories, Serena Hamilton from Kelowna, British Columbia shares the pregnancy and birth story of her daughter Rhiannon. Serena had been taking the birth control pill for several years and after going off of it, things seemed normal for a few months. Soon, unfortunately, she stopped getting her period and was diagnosed with PCOS. She saw a specialist who started her on medication and monitored her with bloodwork. Over a year and a half after stopping the pill, she was finally able to get pregnant but sadly suffered two miscarriages before becoming pregnant with Rhi...
2020-11-2938 minMoony Birth StoriesKalli Redekop- One Vaginal Birth of Identical Twins in Hospital with NICU StayThis episode features Kalli Redekop from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Kalli and her husband Tim were married for several years before deciding they were ready to start trying for a baby. They ended up getting pregnant on their first cycle of trying, which surprised them, and the surprises kept coming as they then found out they were having twins, and later that the twins were identical. Kalli had an amazing pregnancy as far as symptoms and comfort went but she'd always imagined having a homebirth so it was definitely challenging to be having a "high-risk" pregnancy and accept all of the med...
2020-11-241h 28Moony Birth StoriesMaria Fradette- Unmedicated Homebirth with MidwifeThis episode of Moony Birth Stories features Maria Fradette, from Saskatoon, SK. Maria and her husband Lance conceived their son when she was in the middle of completing her Master's degree. The pregnancy came as a welcomed surprise as they hadn't necessarily been trying at the time. They had, however, known there was a chance they could get pregnant based on the method of birth control they were using. Maria had a difficult time during her first trimester when she had to immediately stop taking some medications that she had been on for some time. The adjustment was difficult but th...
2020-11-1254 minMoony Birth StoriesAbby Thomson- Two Unmedicated Homebirths with Midwives and One Hospital BirthAbby Thomson from Fredericton, New Brunswick, is featured on this episode of Moony Birth Stories. She and her husband have moved around quite a bit over the past several years as he completed medical school and began his residency. They decided to grow their family through it all and Abby shares the pregnancy and birth stories of their three children. All three were born in different places; two being at home with the support of midwives and one being in a hospital as a homebirth wasn't an option in the area they were living at the time. Abby is a pa...
2020-11-081h 43Moony Birth StoriesPARTNER PERSPECTIVE Kevan Sherwood- Extremely Premature Birth, Placenta Rupture, Long NICU StayKevan Sherwood, from Saskatoon, SK joins me for our second partner perspective episode. He and his partner Jenn were surprised to find out they were expecting as it was quite early in their relationship and they hadn't been trying at the time. It didn't take long for them to get excited and look forward to being parents. Jenn had been told early on in her pregnancy that she had a short cervix. Kevan and Jenn knew this could mean she would dilate sooner than average but they were very caught off guard when labor began when Jenn was only 25 week...
2020-11-0246 minMoony Birth StoriesKelsey Beler- Unmedicated Hospital Birth after Infertility Struggles and PCOS Diagnosis and Intro to FAM with Tarina MosleyThis episode features Kelsey Beler from Saskatoon, SK. After being diagnosed with PCOS, Kelsey and her husband Jeremy tried to conceive for almost three years before deciding to see a specialist. With the support of their specialists, fertility meds and follicle tracking they continued to try. It was near the 5 year mark of trying that they were blessed to get their first ever positive pregnancy test and go on to have a happy and healthy pregnancy and birth. For much of their journey, Kelsey followed Natural Family Planning methods to track her cycles and ovulation. Tarina Mosley, creator of Fertil...
2020-10-2937 minMoony Birth StoriesJenn Warkentin- Two Hospital Births with Epidural, Post-labour Hemorrhage with Threatened Hysterotomy, Postpartum DepressionJenn Warkentin of Spiritwood, SK, shares her two pregnancy and birth stories in this episode. Her first pregnancy was a surprise as they weren't trying at the time and she was taking the birth control pill. She had a very easy and comfortable pregnancy with no issues. At the end of her first pregnancy, she had to unexpectedly transfer to a new healthcare provider from Regina, SK, where she would be delivering. This was a family doctor who "delivers babies for fun" and turned out to be incredibly negligent and unprofessional. Jenn ended up being induced with Cervadil at 10 days...
2020-10-2541 minMoony Birth StoriesVictoria McKnight- Long Hospital Induction with EpiduralThis episode features Victoria McKnight, from Saskatoon, SK. She shares the pregnancy and birth story of her daughter Emma. Victoria was able to get pregnant very easily the first time her and her husband tried. She had a smooth and easy pregnancy but was very fearful of labour. At the end of pregnancy, her blood pressure was registering on the higher side so her healthcare provider kept an eye on it and ultimately decided to induce Victoria when she was 5 days overdue. Her induction ended up being quite a long and challenging one but she was finally able to give...
2020-10-1835 minMoony Birth StoriesRaquel Caffet- Four Hospital Births, Induction, Placental Abruption, Gestational HypertensionRaquel Caffet, from Spiritwood, Saskatchewan, joins me on this episode of Moony Birth Stories to share her four pregnancy and birth stories. Her first pregnancy was a surprise that happened early on in her relationship with her now husband. It was a smooth pregnancy but Raquel was very fearful of pain as labour approached. After reaching 10 days overdue, she was induced and delivered her first daughter after epidural complications and a long period of pushing. Baby number two was also a surprise for the couple and Raquel had another smooth pregnancy. Again, overdue, she was induced and delivered their seco...
2020-10-131h 06Moony Birth StoriesKarissa Rigatelli- Unmedicated Hospital Birth in Germany with Midwife and OB during Covid-19 PandemicThis episode is a little bit different in that it features a Canadian woman, Karissa from New Brunswick, who lives in and gave birth in Germany. Her and her husband were able to get pregnant very quickly and she had a smooth pregnancy aside from severe nausea in her first trimester. She did her research and was highly prepared for her birth experience but was surprised when she went into labour earlier than expected. Karissa was able to have the unmedicated birth she'd hoped for and found the experience to be very positive!Support the show
2020-10-0844 minMoony Birth StoriesAmanda Ellis- Low-lying Placenta, One Hospital Birth with Epidural, Baby Born with Limb DifferencesAmanda joins us for this episode of Moony Birth Stories to share the pregnancy and birth story of her son Cade. Amanda was able to get pregnant in about 6 months of trying, after having one chemical pregnancy at the 5 month mark. She struggled with constant nausea for the first trimester but it quickly subsided as she entered second trimester. She enjoyed about a month of pregnancy before being surprised after her 20 week anatomy scan with the news that there was an issue with their baby's hand. The scan showed that Cade was missing fingers on his left hand. This was...
2020-10-0146 minMoony Birth StoriesPARTNER PERSPECTIVE Rob Horsley- One Hospital Birth with Failed Epidural and Premature Twins with Difficult Pregnancy, Placental AbruptionThis is the first partner perspective episode of Moony Birth Stories! It features Rob Horsely, sharing his wife's pregnancy and birth stories of his three children from his perspective. The pregnancy with their first, Charlotte, was pretty smooth and they had a relatively uncomplicated vaginal birth in hospital but the epidural didn't work. Sadly, after their first daughter, they suffered two miscarriages before becoming pregnant with their twin sons. This pregnancy was much more challenging and they encountered a few scares along the way, including two partial placental abruptions during pregnancy. The boys, Sebastian and Connor ended up being born...
2020-09-271h 20Moony Birth StoriesLauren Golosky Meacher- Birth during Pandemic, Gestational Hypertension, Induction with one Vaginal Birth in Hospital and EpiduralLauren Golosky Meacher is featured on this episode, sharing the pregnancy and birth story for her daughter Cecelia. Lauren is from Fort McMurray, AB, and though her pregnancy was pretty "textbook" for the most part, she encountered some unique obstacles navigating pregnancy during the Covid-19 global pandemic as well as a major flood in her home city. This all resulted in less contact with her supporting doctors. She was also diagnosed with high blood pressure during pregnancy and needed to be on medication for it. Due to the high blood pressure, her doctors wanted her to be induced earlier than...
2020-09-2147 minMoony Birth StoriesJanelle Daku- Single Mom, Vaginal Birth in Hospital with Failed Epidural, Postpartum Depression and Anxiety, Introduction to Inner Shift MommaIn this episode, I speak with Janelle Daku, a postpartum and pediatric occupational therapist from Saskatoon, SK. Janelle's pregnancy was a surprise and the way she found out she was pregnant is one of the most interesting ways I've heard! Living in San Diego, California at the time of becoming pregnant, Janelle encountered some different challenges with making plans for the arrival of her baby, a daughter, Novalee. Her pregnancy itself went quite smoothly and after moving back to Canada near the end of it, labour started naturally while at home. Labour was quite quick and though Janelle made it...
2020-09-161h 18Moony Birth StoriesBrandi Jacobson Prentice- Pregnancy and Birth with Crohn’s Disease; One Scheduled C-Section and One Emergency C-Section with Twins and NICU experienceBrandi joins us on this episode of Moony Birth Stories to share pregnancy and birth stories of her first daughter, Maeva, and her twin daughters, Bailey and Ariella. Brandi has had Crohn’s Disease for many years and knew that she could have a difficult time getting pregnant. Her doctor told her she should be able to get pregnant but Brandi didn't want to get her hopes up. Luckily, she was able to get pregnant naturally without issues. Due to her Crohn’s Disease, she has a history of multiple abdominal surgeries and was told prior to getting pregnant, that any...
2020-09-121h 17Moony Birth StoriesBrittany Caffet- Two Hospital Inductions with Epidurals and an Unexpected Down Syndrome and AVSD DiagnosisThis episode features Brittany Caffet, from Warman, SK, who shares her two pregnancy and birth stories. She was able to get pregnant pretty quickly with both of her children and had relatively smooth pregnancies but experienced more nausea with her second and prodromal contractions near the end. She was 10 days overdue with her first, Elizabeth, and had more fear as she neared that birth with not knowing what to expect. She didn't feel the same fear with her second, Henry, and had a very smooth birth but was surprised with an unexpected Down Syndrome diagnosis as well as a hea...
2020-09-091h 20Moony Birth StoriesMegan Dereski- Fertility Struggles and Family Tragedy Postpartum, Two Unmedicated Hospital Births with Midwives and DoulasIn this episode, Megan Dereski shares her two pregnancy and birth stories. After several years of trying to get pregnant with her first child, she was able to conceive and had a beautiful birth. Sadly, during Megan's postpartum period, her family was struck with tragedy when they lost her sister and brother-in-law to suicide. Megan opens up about her experience coping with this massive loss during her first year with her daughter. She then talks about the contrasting experience getting pregnant with her second daughter, and another smooth and positive birth. Megan lives in Invermere, British Columbia, and is now a...
2020-08-201h 08Moony Birth Stories7 | Cassie Davis- Two Hospital Births with Epidural and SVT (Supraventricular Tachycardia) during PregnancyCassie Davis from Melfort, Saskatchewan shares her two pregnancy and birth stories. She was diagnosed with a heart condition called SVT with both pregnancies and shares what it was like navigating pregnancy and birth under those circumstances. Both births were in hospital with epidurals for pain management in an effort to keep her heart-rate down.Support the show
2020-08-1231 minMoony Birth Stories6 | Kyla Knutson- Surprise Pregnancy, Gestational Diabetes and Unmedicated Hospital Birth with a MidwifeOn this episode of Moony Birth Stories, Kyla from Brandon, Manitoba, shares the story of her surprise pregnancy with her daughter Charlie. Kyla was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and dealt with pelvic pain but still found it to be a great pregnancy. Under the care of a midwife, she was able to have the unmedicated birth she hoped for and it went even quicker than she expected!Support the show
2020-08-0755 minMoony Birth Stories5 | JeanAnne Teliske- Three Hospital Births; Two with Epidurals and One Induction without EpiduralJeanAnne, from Buck Lake, Alberta joins us for this episode to share her three birth stories! Her pregnancies were relatively smooth and comfortable and all three births were in hospital, two of them involving traveling from her small town to Edmonton, AB. Her first two births started spontaneously and she delivered with epidurals for pain management and her last pregnancy was an induction. Due to lack of availability, she delivered her third without an epidural.Support the show
2020-08-011h 17Moony Birth Stories4 | Jessica Murphy- Hospital Birth with Failed EpiduralThis episode features Jessica Murphy, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan who shares the birth story of her son Colin. She struggled with nausea throughout most of her pregnancy then had a challenging labour where her requested epidural didn't work.Support the show
2020-07-3045 minMoony Birth Stories3 | My Birth Story- Placenta Previa, Positive Induction in Hospital with EpiduralIn this episode, I share my own birth story. My name is Teagan Burke and I'm the host of Moony Birth Stories. I had Complete Placenta Previa when I was pregnant but the placenta moved in time for me to be able to have a vaginal birth. I was induced at 10 days overdue, had an extremely positive birth experience, but struggled quite a bit for the first few months postpartum.Support the show
2020-07-2743 minMoony Birth Stories2 | Kaylen Anholt- Difficult Pregnancies, Two Hospital Births with Midwives, and Postpartum AnxietyThis episode features Kaylen, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who shares her two pregnancy and birth stories. She was faced with challenging pregnancies including gestational diabetes, nausea, and pelvic pain. Both pregnancies and births were under the care of a midwife and both births were in hospital. Kaylen also opens up about her struggles with postpartum anxiety and how she got through it.Support the show
2020-07-241h 02Moony Birth StoriesIntroduction to Moony Birth StoriesThis episode is a short introduction to myself, this podcast, and how this podcast came to be. I also share a bit about the process of recording the content, what to expect from upcoming episodes, and the best way to contact me if you'd like to share your story. Thank you for listening!
2020-07-2106 minMoony Birth Stories1 | Christine Hamilton- Unmedicated Hospital Birth and Surprise Homebirth with a Midwife during PandemicThis episode features Christine, from Waterdown, Ontario, who shares her two pregnancy and birth stories. Her first birth was an unmedicated hospital birth with an O.B. and her second birth was intended to be a hospital birth with a midwife but when things picked up speed, her plans had to change.Support the show
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