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PODCAST

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy

My Essential Birth

Birth is amazing, beautiful, wonderful . . . and it can throw you for a loop! Despite our very best birth “plans,” we can find ourselves taking some twist and turns during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum that we don’t expect. Enter the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast!Hey mama! My name is Stephanie, and I’m a mom of three boys, and two girls, a professional doula, childbirth educator, and the creator of the Online Birth Course - My Essential Birth www.myessentialbirth.com.I love to help

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

48:07

Why "At Least You Have a Healthy Baby" Isn't Enough...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/10/07

Your birth doesn't have to look dramatic from the outside for it to have affected you deeply.You can have a "textbook" birth and healthy baby and still walk away replaying it at 2am, feeling like something wasn't right, like nobody was really listening to you.And if that's you, you are not being dramatic, and you are not ungrateful. You're human.I sat down with Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett — a health psychologist and board-certified lactation consultant who has spent

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43:33

Birth Story: Unmedicated, Hospital Birth with Sally...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/09/30

Some stories are too tender and too good to leave sitting in the archives, and Sally's is one of them. Sally shares her unmedicated hospital birth, and she does it gracefully, while her sweet grandpa had passed away just days before she went into labor. Her story is a powerful picture of the goodness of God woven through both grief and joy, all in the same week.We talk about how giving birth brought her and her husband closer than ever, and the little things she brought to the hospital that

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43:24

Are You Pushing Wrong? What Your Pelvic Floor REALLY...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/09/24

What if the way you’re told to push during birth isn’t actually the whole story? And what if leaking, pelvic pain, painful sex, or feeling like your body just never fully recovered after having a baby aren’t things you simply have to live with?In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Sara Reardon, aka The Vagina Whisperer — a board-certified pelvic floor therapist with 20 years of experience — to talk about the part of your body that plays a HUGE role in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery, but

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43:53

Birth Story: What If I Can’t Handle Labor? How Mental...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/09/16

I love a good birth story, but this one has a little something extra. Taryn's not just telling you what happened, she's showing you how much the mental side of birth really matters AND what she did to prepare - which is the most valuable part!She'd gone into her first two births thinking "I'm tough, I've got this," and learned the hard way that toughness isn't the same as being prepared. (join the club 😉)So the third time, she did it differently. I first

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42:23

Preeclampsia, Protein & What Your Early Labs Are...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/09/10

Sarah's whole world is focused on YOU — the mama. Because here's the truth we talked about: your baby can be healthy and you can still be sick. And nobody's really watching for that.Sarah Thompson is a functional medicine provider who specializes in maternity care. And here's the thing that makes her work so different: most prenatal care is focused on your baby. We got into the stuff I think every pregnant mama deserves to understand, especially the things that are often

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44:43

Birth Story: Not Asking for Permission & Preparing...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/09/03

This first aired in March 2023 and became one of my most downloaded birth stories. Once you hear Jo's "ask forgiveness, not permission" approach, you'll understand exactly why. Jo Gibson is an army wife. Her closest family lives nine hours away. Her insurance meant she had to give birth in a hospital, with a rotating team of midwives she'd never met before — and no real option to switch providers.On paper, that's a tough setup for the unmedicated birth she wanted. But

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57:08

Vaccines: What Every Mother Needs to Know

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/08/27

🗝️ From The Vault: I first shared this one about a year ago. I still get comments on it and I think it may be one of my most favorite conversations about true consent - no matter the topic! I guess it helps that this one is a hot topic 😜 but it still stands!!You've probably had this moment: You're sitting in a provider's office, pregnant belly in front of you, when someone says, "This is what you'll get at your next appointment." No conversation. If your stomach has

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44:16

Unmedicated Birth: How to Have an Induction Without...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/08/19

🗝️ From The Vault!Every so often there is an episode I just cannot let sit in the archives, and this is one of them. It first aired in April 2022, and it is such a good one to bring back — because here is what I keep noticing: inductions are getting offered more and more, for more and more reasons.Which is exactly why I tell every mom to understand what it would be like if an induction could happen, even if the goal is to not have one. That way, if it comes up, you are ready instead of

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31:45

Prodromal Labor: How to Survive the Mental & Physical...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/08/12

I first aired this one back in July 2023 and it became one of the most downloaded episodes I have ever put out. Prodromal labor is one of those topics almost nobody talks about, until you are the one lying awake at 2am wondering if THIS is finally it. So I pulled it out of the vault and dusted it off, because if you are anywhere near the end of your pregnancy, you are going to want this one in your back pocket. ❤️Can we talk about the most emotionally confusing part of late pregnancy for a second

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39:21

From the Vault Birth Story: Unmedicated Hospital...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/08/06

This episode first aired back in August 2023 and it went on to become one of the most downloaded birth stories I have ever put out. So I'm bringing it back! Whether this is your first time hearing Jamie's story or you are coming back around again, I think you are going to love it. ❤️Jamie Peterson always knew she wanted to at least TRY for an unmedicated birth. She gathered all the information she could, took the My Essential Birth course with her husband, saw a Webster certified

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32:01

The Vault: Getting Ready for Birth & What Most People...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/07/30

This one first aired back in November 2025 and you guys loved it. It ended up being one of the most downloaded episodes I have ever done.So I am bringing it back out of the vault because it's just too good to let it sit there! This is the stuff nobody really tells you about getting ready for birth. The things I wish I had known before my first baby. So whether you are hearing it for the first time or coming back around again, grab a notebook and settle in. I think you are going to love it

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21:11

The Vault Essentials: 3 Birth Plan Mistakes That Lead...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/07/22

Back by popular demand, this is one of 2026's most-listened episodes. If you're building your birth plan right now, grab your notebook and tune in, mama! What if the birth plan you worked so hard on… actually set you up for disappointment?Most moms spend hours researching, Googling templates, and checking every box, and still walk away from birth feeling blindsided, unprepared, or like the whole experience just happened around them. And it's not their fault. It's because nobody

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52:57

Rebroadcast - Unmedicated Birth: How To Prepare If...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/07/15

This is a rebroadcast of one of our most loved episodes — whether you are listening for the first time or coming back for another listen, I know you are going to get something out of it. Enjoy! ❤️I have three babies I gave birth to and two girls who made me a mama in a different way — and all three times I gave birth I was planning to go unmedicated.It only happened once.And it was not because my body failed me. It was because I did not have the tools I needed and I did not know then what I know

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47:45

Elimination Communication: Going Diaper Free From...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/07/09

What if your baby has been trying to tell you they need to go to the bathroom this whole time, and you just did not know how to listen?Before disposable diapers existed, 92% of American babies were out of diapers by 18 months. Today our average is three years old. And according to my guest today — that shift had nothing to do with biology and everything to do with marketing.Andrea Olson is the author of Go Diaper Free, the world's leading educator on elimination communication, and a mama of six

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71:26

Your Legal Rights in the Birth Room with Attorney...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/07/01

Signing the general consent form when you walk into the hospital does not mean you have agreed to everything that follows. Not the Pitocin. Not the vaginal exam. Not the electronic fetal monitor. Not the cesarean. Not the hospital policy. Every single one of those still requires your informed consent.I had the privlege of sitting down with Hermine Hayes-Klein, an attorney who has spent 25 years specializing in women's rights in pregnancy and childbirth. She moved to the Netherlands while

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41:40

The Truth About Gestational Diabetes Testing,...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/06/24

Gestational diabetes is one of those topics that every pregnant mama needs to understand way before she ever gets to that 28 week test, whether she thinks it applies to her or not. And I could not be more excited about who I brought in to talk about it today.Bonnie and Karina are midwives in Davis County Utah and two of my favorite people in the birth world. I met them early in my birth work journey and I have never stopped being grateful for it. Bonnie has a background in nutrition and has been in

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43:43

Tongue Ties, Breastfeeding & Baby Development:...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/06/17

Is your baby fussy, clicking while nursing, struggling with tummy time, or just not quite seeming like themselves, and nobody can give you a straight answer about why?In this episode, I sit down with Michelle Emanuel, pediatric occupational therapist, board-certified lactation consultant, and one of the leading experts in tongue tie and oral function, and we take a deep dive into all things tongue-tie.Because tongue tie is not just about nursing pain or a string under the tongue. It is connected to

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52:28

Birth Story: A Birth Center Water Birth & Letting Her...

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/06/10

After giving birth at 28 weeks with her first baby, Kyla knew that this pregnancy was going to look different. She was intentional about every decision: her providers, her preparation, her birth space, and her mindset going in. And when the time came, all of that work showed up in the most beautiful and amazing way. Kyla woke up one morning at 39 weeks with a belly that looked completely different. Contractions started mid-morning and she basically ignored them for most of the day. By 9pm she and

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18:23

Can You Say No to Your Doctor During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/06/03

You leave your prenatal appointment and get in your car. And something just feels off.You are confused. Unsettled. Maybe a little worried about your body or your baby. And you spend the whole drive home trying to figure out what just happened in there and what you are supposed to do about it.In this episode, I am walking you through exactly what to do when something does not feel right with your provider.Whether it is an induction conversation that caught you completely off guard, a big baby warning

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17:50

Before You Say Yes In Labor, Ask These Three Questions

Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy ·

2026/05/27

What would you do if you were deep in labor and someone walked in and said it was time to talk about Pitocin, breaking your water, or maybe even a cesarean?I am you through the exact moment that catches most mamas completely off guard in the birth room (myself included, and I share about it), and the three questions that can slow everything down, get you the information you actually need, and help you make decisions from a place of confidence instead of fear.With my first baby, I was told we needed

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