Here we pick up from the previous episode with the grand finale of Willow & Wren's pregnancy and their birth story!

Hear about how Lauren chose her birth team, the challenges she faced physically at the end of pregnancy, and the wild ride of giving birth to them.

Remember, Embrace Birth Journey is available for $50 off using code TWINS at checkout now through Sunday 4/28 only.

CONNECT

• Email us to say hi: holywildbirth@gmail.com

• Put in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: Fill out the form

• Apply to tell your birth story on the podcast: sisterbirth.com/podcast-guest

• Join Natural Christian Home Birth (Assisted and Unassisted) - a FB community

From Lauren:

• Instagram

• Midwifery consults: Email lauren.rootedineden@gmail.com

From Brooke:

• Instagram

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop - a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inbox

• Embrace Birth Journey - comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation courses library for unassisted and midwife-attended births
  

In this very special episode, our very own Lauren Hall shares a very personal story -- the story of the birth of her twin girls, Willow and Wren on Palm Sunday 2024.

She begins at the very beginning -- even before the beginning -- by telling the story of her son Levi, the born-too-soon twin of her daughter Leela, followed by the story of the Lord opening her heart to conceiving a baby... and then eventually learning there was actually TWO babies.

Throughout it all, you'll be blown away by all the highly personal and tenderly caring ways that the Lord worked in Lauren and her family's hearts and lives.

After you finish this episode, find Part 2, available tomorrow.

This episode was recorded while Brooke (who resides in Michigan) stayed a week with Lauren (who resides in Arkansas) during her postpartum time. We don't get to record together in person very often, and it was so great!

Also: as a fun bonus, now through April 28th ONLY Embrace Birth Journey -- Brooke's comprehensive Christian home birth preparation course library -- can be snagged for $50 using the code TWINS. Go to sisterbirth.com/journey for more info and to enroll with lifetime access.

This episode with the beautiful Katherine DeGroot -- a MN mama to 4 young children all born outside the hospital -- covers not only her four birth stories (with a special emphasis on the 4th) but also went down some delightful rabbit trails, which I did NOT edit out because I believe you'll find them very worthwhile to listen to.

Some of what we covered:

• How each birth was a different “era” for her relationship and family
• Being open to life
• The foreshadowing and significant dreams she expereinced leading up to her fourth birth
• Why hard isn’t bad — not shirking away from pain
• The “cost” of castor oil use
• The fourth baby effect
• Reclaiming Big family culture for our generation
• The way that home birthing puts us on a different health trajectory
• Creating - -by design-- the childhood you want your children to have
• Reverting to Catholicism
• Radical trust in God alone for the work no one else can do for you
• The gift of birth is that it strips us down to our humanity

You can find Katie at @katherinelouisedegroot on IG or on her website.

A written version of her 4th birth story is on her blog.

Birth Story Disclaimer

The choices, beliefs and opinions of the mamas sharing their stories are as individual as the storyteller herself and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or recommended choices of Lauren and/or Brooke.

“FOOTER”

• Email us to say hi: holywildbirth@gmail.com

• Put in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: Fill out the form

• Apply to tell your birth story on the podcast: sisterbirth.com/podcast-guest

• Join Natural Christian Home Birth (Assisted and Unassisted) - a FB community

From Lauren:

• Instagram

• Midwifery consults: Email lauren.rootedineden@gmail.com

From Brooke:

• Instagram

• Trust God, Trust Birth Workshop - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop - a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inbox

• Embrace Birth Journey - comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation

In this conversation with Staci -- a midwest mom to five -- you'll hear about themes like:

• How she learned to trust herself and authentically know her own preferences
• Having a mother who bcame a midwife after she had grown up
• The slow evolution from being people who would never be crazy enough to have their babies at home to ultimately choosing unassisted birth for their fifth baby
• Her process of choosing birth attendants and a photographer for her unassisted birth
• Wrestling with God over the timing of the start of her labor and ultimately choosing a new attitude, which led to release
• The difference it makes to have no other perceived authority present during labor
• Her moment of mentally deciding -- even in the absence of some physiological signs -- that birth doesn’t need to be long and it was time to push the head out
• How God saw and honored so many of her very specific desires
• Why she believes birth like this is the birthright of every woman

You can find Staci at www.StacisHouse.com

Birth Story Disclaimer

The choices, beliefs and opinions of the mamas sharing their stories are as individual as the storyteller herself and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or recommended choices of Lauren and/or Brooke.

Connect:

• Email us to say hi: holywildbirth@gmail.com

• Put in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: Fill out the form

• Apply to tell your birth story on the podcast: sisterbirth.com/podcast-guest

• Join Natural Christian Home Birth (Assisted and Unassisted) - a FB community

From Lauren:

Instagram

Midwifery consults: Email lauren.rootedineden@gmail.com

From Brooke:

Instagram

Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop - a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inbox
Embrace Birth Journey - comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation courses library + community

In this episode we invite you to listen in on a conversation with Lauren and Kathy Bryan, The Founder and CEO of The Genesis Project.

Kathy is a respected international speaker/trainer, consultant, mentor, and author, who works tirelessly to communicate the stark truths of trafficking. She has trained thousands of professionals on how to identify and respond to those victimized by human trafficking, including medical personnel, Homeland Security, anti-trafficking organizations, and churches, to name a few.

She also happens to be Lauren's mom!

In this episode they scratch the surface on the many topics around unpacking one's trauma as preparation for birth but most importantly in order that you might walk more fully in the freedom and healing that Jesus has for you.

Mentioned in the episode:

https://www.thegenesisproject.life/

Text to give: Text4THEM to 53555

Red Flags of Sex Trafficking for Medical Professionals PDF

Book mentioned: When Survivors Give Birth by Penny Simpkin

SHOW NOTES “FOOTER”

• Email us to say hi: ⁠holywildbirth@gmail.com⁠

• Put in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: ⁠Fill out the form⁠

• Apply to tell your birth story on the podcast: ⁠sisterbirth.com/podcast-guest⁠

• Join ⁠Natural Christian Home Birth (Assisted and Unassisted)⁠ - a FB community

From Lauren:

• ⁠Instagram⁠

• Midwifery consults: Email  lauren.rootedineden@gmail.com

From Brooke:

• ⁠Instagram⁠

• ⁠Trust God, Trust Birth Workshop⁠ - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)

• ⁠Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop ⁠- a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inbox

• ⁠Embrace Birth Journey⁠ - comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation

Birth plans. You've probably been told you need one.

But we'd like to pick it up, shake it around, and see what comes out as we re-examine this now-common practice of writing hand-over birth plans to your birth team.

There are some shortcomings that we think you should know about.

But don't worry: we won't leave you hanging there. We'll also present a fresh take on how to get the clarity you need for your birth. We'll present some other words, like vision, intentions, goals, principles... and why they're more important to focus on.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Birth Plan: Does the Path Still Fit the Objective? Do the Means Still Fulfill the Purpose? on Midwifery Today
• Beyond the Birth Plan with Britta Bushnell
• A Heavenly Welcome
• Finding Your Unique Birth Approach from Brooke
• Birth Vision Worksheet from Lauren
• Hearthmother Approach to Birth :Planning"

SHOW NOTES “FOOTER”

• Email us to say hi: holywildbirth@gmail.com

• Put in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: Fill out the form

• Apply to tell your birth story on the podcast: sisterbirth.com/podcast-guest

• Join Natural Christian Home Birth (Assisted and Unassisted) - a FB community

From Lauren:

• Instagram

• Midwifery consults: Email  lauren.rootedineden@gmail.com

From Brooke:

• Instagram

• Trust God, Trust Birth Workshop - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)

• Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop - a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inbox

• Embrace Birth Journey - comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation

Was it a Free Birth, Sovereign Birth, or Unassisted Birth...? How do you identify the birth you are planning or had? Who is defining these concepts and terminology? Do these terms have owners or authorities presiding over them?

Join Brooke and Lauren as they discuss the current hot topic of defining birth terms. Prayerfully, this can be a jumping-off point to help us all come to a place of unity and mutual respect for one another as each shares her own story of the transformative experience that was her birth, whatever that might look like. Listen with an open mind and a gentle curiosity.

Be sure to get the accompanying freebie Brooke made for you! This 11-page workbook aims to help you get free from dogmatic subscription to these terms and labels and to get in touch with what matters to you in your birth plans!

From Lauren:

• ⁠Instagram⁠

• Midwifery consults: Email  lauren.rootedineden@gmail.com

From Brooke:

• ⁠Instagram⁠

• ⁠Trust God, Trust Birth Workshop⁠ - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)

• ⁠Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop ⁠- a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inbox