Shows
Wise Birth RadioOur Female Instincts are Ancient and Resilient w/ Suuzi HazenDr. Suuzi Hazen is a mother, wife, farmer and founder of Mother's Best Liver Pills, the one and only handmade, non-white-label, California-sourced beef liver supplement. Suuzi is passionate about supporting women and mothers to fill their own cup, so they can enjoy life with vibrant energy and a resilient spirit. She combines her background in traditional Chinese medicine with an understanding of bioenergetic health in service of the female body. Years of farming and raising dairy goats has also brought gritty awareness of what it takes to bring forth life from the earth.We talk about:2025-03-281h 20
Wise Birth Radio#42 Enter the Void to ReceiveHonestly, this is the kind of episode you can't write a description for. Our beautiful friend Ixchel Prisma talked with us today about the depths and beauty of her second trimester loss with her spirit baby, River Nova.This story goes back at least a decade to her initial connection with a baby spirit. Ixchel has spun lead into gold, experiencing death and grief in pregnancy as a profound portal to herself. To her own growth and connection to spirit. And to a greater understanding of the workings of spirit baby connection and...2024-08-082h 10
Wise Birth Radio#41 Dad Staying Home is Not a Postpartum PlanWhen asked about their postpartum plan, so many women say "Well, my husband is taking 3 weeks off work...". While thats great (although we'd be more into all fathers being given paid paternity leave for at least a month), that alone should not be your postpartum support in an ideal situation.We talk about:How we envision the ideal postpartum time to look and feelHow sinking into this design can allow the blessing of a different time perception and brain wave state to come aboard. A delicious, relaxed, healing, state.Postpartum is designed to be slow...2024-07-1644 min
Wise Birth Radio#40 Boundary Medicine, Body Image, + Big KidsPostpartum care provider and educator, mother to 4, this postpartum was probably perfect, right? Beautifully, postpartum is an ever deepening, ever challenging, ever incredible spiral into yourself. With the opportunity for new lessons, new messages, and new challenges each time. Sara and I had a lovely walk and talk about her fourth postpartum after the birth of her son, Akiva.We talk about:She hosted her first nesting party at 36-ish weeks pregnant. (Highly recommend.)Boundary medicine in postpartum time!Yes, everyone wants to see the baby, but it’s so important for yo...2024-05-2158 min
Wise Birth Radio#39 My Bleeding Time Agreements with MyselfAgreements:- I am not obligated to do dishes- I will avoid lifting heavy things- I will be mindful of eye contact, and utilize tools of energetic protection- I will avoid heated discussion - most things that I think NEED TO BE TALKED ABOUT RIGHT NOW actually don't...- I give myself full permission to not cook if I don't feel like it- I will keep my body, especially my feet, head, and womb, warm and out of the wind. 2024-05-0845 min
Wise Birth Radio#38 Sound, Music + Frequency as Healing in Pregnancy and Birth. And Life - with Adrian DiMatteoWhat if SOUND HEALING (insert feathers and crystal bowls here) didn't have to be a big complicated thing, but was actually woven into your every day life? What if you could be constantly working with frequency and vibration as tools for health and balancing in your body, mind, and spirit?Oh wait, YOU ALREADY DO!I loved our talk with Adrian DiMatteo; musician, author, sound healer, and genuine, down to earth, hilarious, and insightful human. We explore some of the ways sound shows up in our every day lives, especially as pregnant women and mothers...2024-05-011h 06
Wise Birth Radio#37 Why I am NOT a Birth Doula (even though it seems like everyone else is)With all of the birthy support roles I am currently holding, it may be a surprise that I am not, and have no intention of being a birth doula. But once, long long ago (or at least that's how it feels!), I was! I thought that being a birth doula was path through which I wanted to serve women... at least until I started doing it. I talk about how:- The sister wound has made it's presence known in my business aspirations. I couldn't really serve women in th...2024-04-2027 min
Wise Birth Radio#36 Crossing the Threshold - Ashke and Ian's Beautiful Home Birth StoryOut lovely friends Ashke and Ian join us today from the end of their sacred window to tell us the story of their son, Cedar's birth.It is such a joy to hear their story of conscious conception, Ashke's new adventure into studying birth education with Birthing From Within, how Ian's relationship with home birth interfaced with his job as an EMT (such a special crossover), culminating in a fast and healing birth. We talk about the difference between bypassing fear and choosing to face it head on, dealing with external expectations and p...2024-04-101h 26
Wise Birth Radio# 35 Plant Empowered Woman with Aiste Maria GazdarAiste Gazdar (and her husband Joel) are wellbeing pioneers, community magnetizers, conscious entrepreneurs and full spectrum alchemists leading a movement of transforming humanity’s relationship with nature, food, and ultimately, themselves. They are authors of the innovative plant based and wellbeing book “WILD: Plant Based Recipes & Rituals to Nourish your Wild Essence”. We talk with Aiste today about what it means to slow down, and step into self responsibility and deep connection and care for our bodies. This is WAY different than any "vegan pregnancy" advice you've ever heard. Aiste's work through her offering, Plant Empowere...2024-02-291h 00
Wise Birth Radio#34 Time is Fake. Cycles and Rhythms in the Childbearing YearWe live in such a time based culture. We need numbers to validate everything. We need to "know" when babies are going to be born, when they need to nap, when we are allowed to eat our next meal. But what if this is all fake? Can we throw away the clock and just listen to the flow of our bodies? Lean in to the movements of the sun, of the seasons, of our baby's subtle (or not so subtle) communications.This reliance on clocks, dates, time, and numbers has such a profound impact on our birthing...2024-02-1649 min
Wise Birth Radio#33 Circadian Rhythms in the Childbearing Year with Nikko KennedyNikko Kennedy is a perinatal quantum biology practitioner and certified labor and postpartum doula. She has a B.S. in Biopsychology from the University of Oregon and is the creator of Brighter Days, Darker Nights, a Substack publication dedicated to promoting circadian rhythmicity and quantum wellness in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.Nikko created a discount for you lovely listeners on her Substack subscription! Use this link for 15% off. You can find her on her website, or Instagram. You can hire Nikko for virtual and in-person doula services, 1-1 coaching, and online and in-person presentations and workshops. She...2024-02-071h 10
Wise Birth Radio#32 Why I Want a Midwife (at my next birth)We've talked a lot about how modern midwifery fall short of truly supporting the physiology of birth, and honoring the sacred aspect. You can hear my personal experience of this in my birth story (and here's part 2) . It's subtle, but after Olin's birth, I know I want something different next time. So I decided to think out loud for you today: why do I still want a midwife at my future births? You'll hear about:An update - including an exploration of my own views on my worth, and how I'm shifting stories to o...2024-01-3045 min
BodhiSpeak with Jerry WalshConscious Birth and Parenting with Catskills Birth CollectiveI sat down with my good friends and community members, Sarah Philkill and Maible Coughlin, founders of Catskills Birth Collective, to discuss the hero's journey of birth and becoming a parent, parenting in community, creating community through children, societal misconceptions around childbirth, pain and intensity as doorways to bliss, and what it means to be in a conscious relationship and family
They will be offering a new course for expecting parents (which I took in 2021 and is awesome and highly recommended) and you can use this code for a discount on the program: bodhispeak
2024-01-271h 38
Wise Birth Radio#31 Connecting with the Dark Mother w/ Stacey RamsowerWe have a lovely guest today, Stacey Ramsower!Through somatics, Ayurveda, and depth psychology, Stacey helps women navigate the shadowlands of Motherhood. In this episode, we explore the archetypes of motherhood, our own personal relation with creating community and connecting with other women, and so much more.You can find more about Stacey and her work through her website, Instagram, and hear her podcast, the Sacred Body podcast.She also has a free Intro to the Dark Mother class coming up on Friday, January 26th. -------------------------- 2024-01-201h 07
Wise Birth Radio#30 Manifesting Your Ideal Postpartum TimeLearning about what optimal postpartum support looks and feels like can often leave women feeling overwhelmed and like it may be an unreachable goal. We are here today to break it down. We talk about how to logistically craft your plan, the wells of resource you can draw on that you may not have even considered, and how we structured our own postpartum support. We also go into the more energetic and emotional blocks to asking and receiving, and some things to consider as you orient yourself towards receiving with grace and gratitude. There is so much more on...2023-12-3133 min
Wise Birth Radio#29 Holding the Sacred and the Mundane - Sara’s Fourth Birth StoryWe welcome Sara’s fourth baby, her third son, into the world with the story of his birth. A beautiful simple, yet powerful and profound story. The whole family gathered around to witness the incredible power of their mama in what is both an incredibly powerful and awesome experience and at the same time the most natural, every day thing: physiological birth. The way her midwife supported her gave me chills, and I am so excited to see the lessons that unfold from this birth for Sara. Her words mean far more than this description could capture, so I’m go...2023-12-241h 03
Wise Birth Radio#28 Nourishment through a Vegetarian PregnancyWe’re diving in today on a subject we've been meaning to cover for quite some time. Join us as we go for a walk and discuss some considerations for a vegetarian pregnancy, and how Sara nourishes herself. We are coming from two different perspectives (I chose not to remain a vegetarian at around 6 months postpartum) and we recognize that this can be somewhat of a loaded topic. We hope you can remain open and committed to nourishing yourself and your child as best as you can, however that looks for you. Keep in mind that we are sharing ab...2023-12-1349 min
Wise Birth Radio# 27 I Would Choose an Elective Cesarean If...Today's intentionally provocatively named solo-cast is about... well, exactly what the title says. I had a small revelation the other day where a series of stories led me to understand the conditions under which just picking a date and having surgery instead of experiencing the mystery of birth is a more appealing option. This is not a judgement on anyone's choices, but rather my discussion with myself on that moment of intense empathy. For women who are not educated about what their body's will do in pregnancy and birth. For women who have only heard stories and narratives of...2023-12-0645 min
Wise Birth Radio#26 Is Birth the Most Painful Thing?We've been meaning to record an episode on the topic of pain, sensations, whatever you want to call it in birth for quite a while. That's often one of the first thoughts/fears that someone who has never birthed before has "but what is it going to feel like? How much is it going to hurt? Will I be able to handle it?" We share a bit about our own birth stories and how sensations changed throughout, and talk more generally about what pain is and how we choose to perceive sensations. ***We had some t...2023-11-1452 min
Wise Birth Radio#25 Your Motherhood is for You - Creating Ease and Pleasure in Postpartum and Beyond with NicoleToday is a very special episode - I got to sit down and talk with Nicole (@seedofjoy_) about... well, whatever came up! This was such a rich conversation on all the ways she knows this life can be FOR US. We talked about becoming more boundaried as a mother, how to create structure for a deeply restful, healing, and (dare we say) blissful postpartum time (this goes far beyond "freeze some soup, ask your sister in law to help with laundry"), and how to soften and open to receive every beautiful thing life is offering you. ...2023-11-091h 26
Wise Birth Radio#24 Connecting with your Innate Mother-WisdomSara is back today! We wanted to share a bit about this deep mother-wisdom that we see activate in women when they are pregnant and become mothers, and that we ourselves have experienced. You could call it mother's intuition, spidey senses, just deeply knowing and noticing her children, or a mother's ability to tune into a universal wisdom of the feminine and specifically of motherhood. You'll hear about:Little ways to practice connection to body and it's subtle messagesTaking tiny moments to check inDancing!!Honoring cues (hunger, thirst, pee, movement)Spending time with mamas y...2023-10-3029 min
Wise Birth Radio#23 Sara’s ”Please Do’s” and ”Please Don’ts” for BirthSara put together this list to get clear on her desires, values, and priorities for herself, her partner, and her midwife. Keep in mind that this is very individual, and you will probably want different things. We thought it might be helpful for people to see some things to consider discussing with a midwife in preparation for birth. Here's the list that we talk through in this episode: PLEASE DO:Speak/offer words of encouragementRemind me that there is a baby in there/to connect with the babyRemind me to be...2023-10-2547 min
Wise Birth Radio#22 Your Powerful PlacentaPlacentas!I was deep in placenta land after creating this free Powerful Placenta Guide and felt excited to record this episode on placentas. So often not thought about unless there’s a problem. Thrown away without a second thought. “Medically managed” because labor is over at that point so it doesn’t really matter how this part of the birth goes, right? Wrong! Traditional cultures have always known that placentas are magic! Both nourishing the baby inside, and spiritually protecting the baby for the rest of its life, placentas are worth h...2023-10-1048 min
Wise Birth Radio#21 A Visionary Birth Story - Deep Medicine in the Birth of MakoaToday’s episode is a special one! Sara and I are back together to interview the lovely Ixchel. We talked with her and her partner during her pregnancy back in episode 4. Now, almost 2 years after their birth, we finally recorded their incredible birth story of their firecracker son, Makoa. This is the story of the "what ifs". But not "what if something goes wrong", instead it's "what if something goes right?" What if birth can be challenging, transformative, visionary, earth, shattering, and so so beautiful? Ixchel is an amazing and powerful woman who's experience and history with inner work an...2023-09-081h 23
Wise Birth Radio#20 Birth is a (part of but not complete) Rite of PassageDid you know that birth is only one of the three parts that make up the rite of passage that is the childbearing year? When in first heard this concept spoken by Kimberly Ann Johnson in MotherCircle, I deeply knew this to be true even though I’d never heard it before. First articulated by anthropologist Arnold van Gennep in a book he published in 1908, these phases are separation, transition, and incorporation. The actual event of birth is only the transition phase of a rite of passage, and by acknowledging and consciously experiencing the separation and i...2023-08-2456 min
Wise Birth Radio#19 A Who’s Who of Birth WorkersDemystifying the nomenclature of the birth world! What is a midwife vs a doula vs a birthkeeper? Starting with obstetricians, we work our way through the “food chain” of people who attend birth; what their roles and responsibilities are; what they fundamental beliefs MAY be; and how they might practice. But don’t be fooled by labels! Each care provider comes with their own stories, backgrounds, beliefs, training, fears, and traumas that influence how they support women, meaning that just because someone is a “something-something”, doesn’t mean they will behave exactly in the way you think a “something-something” should. ...2023-08-1050 min
Wise Birth Radio#18 Basic Principles of Postpartum CookingFeeling inspired by my recent launch of a postpartum cooking service for local mamas, I wanted to share a bit today about the underlying principles of postpartum cooking. There are some basic tenants across the world to help women ground and heal in this time, and food can be such a beautiful medicine for this period. It can set the tone for the start of a nourished motherhood, and give the body all the nutrients it needs to heal. You'll hear about:The concept of convalescence - how this idea of rest and specific f...2023-04-2656 min
Wise Birth Radio#17 The Wise Woman Tradition and the Universal Mother PrinciplesWelcome to the second season of the Wise Birth Radio! I wanted to talk a bit today about some of the philosophical underpinnings of our work and philosophy here at Catskills Birth Collective. Sara and I feel really resonant with the Wise Woman model of care, as outlined by Susun Weed. I feel that wholly embodying it will be a lifelong process, but I am already grateful for the words that Susun Weed has put to this invisible, ancient tradition, to my teachers at Indie Birth and Sacred Window Studies who put this tradition in action through their work...2023-04-1152 minWise Birth Radio#16 The Best Laid Plans - How My Postpartum Looked as a First Time Mom and Student of Postpartum CareWe recorded this episode back in late summer of 2022, when I was around 8 months postpartum. It took me a loooong time to get to editing, but here it is! It was so yummy and juicy to listen through this again! I loved my postpartum time, and I love teaching women about how healing and blissful it can be. In this episode we talk through what my support looked like, what I ate (it was a lot!), and just talking though the story of this transition to motherhood. We go over some helpful tips and suggestions for your own postpartum...2023-04-0544 minWise Birth Radio#15 Poetry Series - RageI'm starting a mini series here in the podcast of poetry! For now I think it will be things I have written, but I might expand it to other people's writing as well.This is a poem I wrote to process/unravel an emotional process. Continually working with this rage has been a powerful meditation for my this past year. For more on female/mother rage, definitely read this blog post by Rachelle Garcia Seliga. Stacey Ramsower is also an amazing resource. And Stacey and Rach...2023-03-1913 minWise Birth Radio#14 The Vital Energies of Receiving in the Postpartum TimeReflecting today as I walk about the energies and practice of receiving, particularly in the postpartum. We have seen it come up again and again with women we have worked with 1:1 and classes or workshops we have taught on the postpartum time: women feel reluctant to ask for help. Creating a nourishing, expansive, blissful, supported postpartum is totally possible, AND it requires asking for help! Laundry, dishes, childcare, cooking, healing touch, or just a sister to sit with you are not luxuries! Creating a magical postpartum time is completely attainable, and for most women it requires working through their i...2023-03-0644 minWise Birth Radio#13 Olin’s Birth’s Lessons - One Year Later.Today is Olin's first birthday! In honor of the event, I talk today about a word that came up persistently throughout my pregnancy with him, and took on more subtle shades of deeper importance as I was integrating his birth story this past year:AUTONOMYI know this is a big word out there in the collective consciousness at the moment, and this episode is a short reflection on what it means to me.You'll hear about:- How his birth challenged my own perception on my ability to say no...2023-01-1239 minWise Birth Radio#12 Reflections on a Year of Big TransitionsWrapping up this year before the solstice, it's a solo-cast today with just me, Maible. I share some reflections on this past year, my transition to motherhood thus far and other changes it has cataylsed in my life. (Spoiler alert: I'm not a vegetarian any more!) This is a pretty personal and vulnerable episode, but it feels good to be sharing my story through this medium.You'll hear about:- My lifelong journey of coming home to my body- How breastfeeding made my new dietary requirements very clear- My...2022-12-1946 minWise Birth Radio#11 Birth with a Student Midwife Brain (Part 2)This is part 2 of the story of the birth of my (Maible’s) son, Olin Wren Gillespie. Attended by Sara, a midwife, a photographer, my partner, and my mother, this birth was very straight forward, down to earth, and rather humorous. He was born at home on January 11, 2022 after a 12 hour labor. In integrating the story after, I learned so much about the subtle dynamics of persuasion and experience, and why it is so important to speak your “no”, even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informat2022-10-2747 minWise Birth Radio#10 Birth with a Student Midwife Brain (Part1)This is part 1 of the story of the birth of my (Maible’s) son, Olin Wren Gillespie. Attended by Sara, a midwife, a photographer, my partner, and my mother, this birth was very straight forward, down to earth, and rather humorous. He was born at home on January 11, 2022 after a 12 hour labor. In integrating the story after, I learned so much about the subtle dynamics of persuasion and experience, and why it is so important to speak your “no”, even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal.Some things we mentioned:My favorite herbal v...2022-10-1347 minWise Birth Radio#9 Birth Story of Cielo SilverHere's part three of Sara's birth stories!A straight forward, self directed pregnancy and birth with a surprise twist at the end! We talk about her relationship with the midwives she was working with, her preference and orientation towards free birth, and the lessons this adorable babe brought with his birth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-02-031h 08Wise Birth Radio#8 Birth of Enoah AzulTune in today for the story of Sara and Z's second pregnancy and birth. Like the first, this is a unique story of birth with strong community support. This babe was born in the woods as Sara ha envisioned. We talk about what we assume about midwives, the challenges of being pregnant with a little toddler, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2022-01-1753 minWise Birth Radio#7 Birth of a New (van) HopeWe are talking today with our dear friends Stephanie and Jacob about the birth of their first baby, Forest van Hope. This is an extra special interview for us and there’s some really great gems of knowledge! Stephanie and Jacob are friends of ours who took both our birth education and our Innate Traditions Postpartum Course, and we were their for their birth!This is such a great story of how you can harness the potential of this period of growth and change to come out centered and nourished as a family. We love being able to...2021-12-281h 23Wise Birth Radio#6 Reflections from the Third TrimesterWe check in at 30 weeks of pregnancy! We love having the opportunity to talk through things with mics, it gives us the chance to go deeper into our own personal processes to bring out the gems of what is universal. We talk about how relationship balances need to shift in pregnancy, the joys of morning sickness, and what it looks like to deeply nourish your body to the best of your ability. What I Hate About Birth podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2021-12-0941 minWise Birth Radio#5 Supporting Baby‘s First BreathThis week we are processing what we learned, and what we think is important for parents to know, about baby's first breath and neonatal resuscitation. While it may sound scary, we go into the physiological process baby's lungs go through immediately after birth, how that can be disrupted, and how midwives and parents can help support it. Our favorite neonatal resuscitation resource - Karen Strange Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2021-12-0222 minWise Birth Radio#4 Journey through Conscious Conception and PregnancyWe talk today with our dear friends Jerry and Ixchel about their journey so far into their first pregnancy. We discuss their beautiful process through conscious conception and their communication with their spirit baby, and how they have moved through all the lessons of this pregnancy so far. They bring a unique and wise perspective from their diverse background of spiritual studies. Here's Jerry's Podcast, BodhiSpeak. And Ixchel's albums, Full Spectrum Medicine and Soul Codes.We also featured her recently recorded beautiful and powerful song in our closing music. Wr...2021-11-261h 25Wise Birth Radio#3 Surprise! (First Days of Pregnancy)It's just Maible here today, recording all the thoughts and feelings of my moon being a few days late.... and being pregnant! I talk about pregnancy tests, my own story around conception (nothing graphic, don't worry), and what I've already learned from this unique time and this spirit. I recorded this in the spring, so it may not be timely, but it felt relevant to share my journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2021-11-1723 minWise Birth Radio#2 The Sacred Pause (In Birth and Elsewhere)In today's episode, Sara and Maible chat about leaving space immediately after birth for both mama and baby to take a breath and integrate. Why do we rush to clean the baby off, cover it up, and get everyone snuggled away? And what would it mean to completely respect the timing of the mama to first pick up her baby? Tune in to find out! These Are My Hours Documentary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2021-11-1118 min
Wise Birth Radio#1 Community Birth of Myuna JoyWe talk today about the pregnancy and birth of Sara's first child, the bold and inimitable Myuna. We cover the beautiful story of how Sara knew a soul was coming in, her journey through pregnancy, and a unique, community supported, and powerful birth. This is only the first of three birth stories with Sara, so stay tuned!Here's the website for Rachelle Garcia Seliga at Innate Traditionshttps://www.innatetraditions.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2021-11-0357 min