Pain Free Birth

What if motherhood isn’t something you’re losing yourself in… but something you’re being reborn through?
 
We are celebrating 100 episodes of Pain Free Birth! In this episode, we are re-airing a powerful message from Karen on the transformation from maiden to mother and the sacred, often overlooked rite of passage that motherhood truly is. 
 
With Mother’s Day as the backdrop, this conversation honors both the beauty and the weight of motherhood. Karen speaks directly to the emotional, physical, and spiritual shifts women experience as they step into this role highlighting the surrender, identity shifts, and deep inner work that come with it.
 
In this episode, you’ll learn:
 Why motherhood is a sacred rite of passage, not just a life transition 
 The emotional and identity shifts that happen from maiden to mother 
 How surrender in birth mirrors surrender in motherhood 
 Why resisting the process creates more pain—and how to release control 
 The difference between masculine productivity and feminine presence 
 How cultural expectations can disconnect women from their intuition 
 Why feeling like you’ve “lost yourself” may actually be a rebirth 
 The power of embracing each season of motherhood without judgment 
 How to navigate doubt, overwhelm, and identity shifts with grace 
 A new perspective on what it means to be “doing enough” as a mother
Mothers Day Sale: Get $60 off the Pain Free Birth E-Course and get Birth Partner Bootcamp Free: https://resources.painfreebirth.com/pfb-ecourse-mothers-day-2026 
CONNECT WITH KAREN:
Submit your birth story and apply to come on the podcast
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What would you do if your dream birth plan completely fell apart… and still turned out better than you ever imagined?
In this powerful episode of the Pain-Free Birth Podcast, Karen sits down with Brie Kuikahi, who shares her incredible first birth story-a breech hospital birth during COVID that she describes as “better than I imagined” and “absolutely perfect.”
After planning for a natural birth center experience, Brie’s baby remained breech, and due to state laws, no midwives were able to support her. What followed was a journey filled with fear, surrender, and ultimately, divine alignment.
Despite every obstacle, Brie had the birth she prayed for: minimal intervention, deep connection with her husband, and a delivery that “went perfectly.”
This episode will encourage any mama navigating uncertainty, unexpected changes, or fear around birth.
 
Tune in to hear:
 What happens when your baby stays breech—and your options feel limited 
 The emotional reality of being denied support for your birth preferences 
 How Brie navigated fear, disappointment, and uncertainty during pregnancy 
 The moment everything shifted—and she found the only supportive provider 
 What it’s like to have a vaginal breech birth in a hospital setting 
 How mindset, faith, and surrender transformed her birth experience 
 Why “losing control” can actually lead to your most powerful birth 
 The role of a supportive partner during labor (and what helped most) 
 How her birth ended up being better than she ever imagined

Connect with Brie:
@Briekuikahi

CONNECT WITH KAREN:
Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE
Submit your birth story and apply to come on the podcast
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Facebook
YouTube

What if the most important factor in your birth experience isn’t where you give birth… but how safe you feel? 
In today’s episode of the Pain-Free Birth Podcast, Karen sits down with trauma healer and embodiment coach Monica Yates to unpack her powerful first-time home birth story and the mindset, preparation, and support that made it possible.
From having a husband who was initially 100% against home birth… to witnessing a complete transformation after experiencing it firsthand, this conversation dives deep into what it really takes to advocate for your birth, trust your intuition, and create an environment where your body can fully open and surrender. This episode also explores the often-overlooked connection between postpartum struggles and lack of support, and why so many women are left trying to “do it all” instead of being deeply cared for.
 
Tune in to hear:
 How Monica shifted her husband from fear to full support for home birth 
 Why feeling safe is the #1 factor in how your labor unfolds 
 What it looks like to prepare for birth like a high-performing woman 
 The mindset shift that helped her move through intense sensations without fear 
 Why she never pushed during labor and what that reveals about the body 
 The powerful role of masculine support in helping women fully surrender 
 The real reason many women struggle postpartum (and how to avoid it) 
 Why asking for help is the most important thing you can do as a new mom 
 How to proactively set yourself up for a peaceful, supported postpartum 
 The emotional and relational transformation that birth can create in your marriage 

Connect with Monica:
Feminine as F*ck Podcast: https://monicayateshealth.com/pages/feminine-as-fuck-the-podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicayateshealth/
Website: https://monicayateshealth.com/
 
Birth story on Youtube: YouTubeMy Birth Story: A Positive Unmedicated Home Birth
 
The Immersion: Somatic immersion that will guide you home to yourself through deep trauma healing and embodiment work with women IN PERSON over the course of 3 days https://monicayates.samcart.com/referral/BeBgbeVO/kiAUM0YexLSEstlR Use Code: WELCOME500 for $500 off 
 
Book: https://www.becomingherbook.com/

CONNECT WITH KAREN:
Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE
Submit your birth story and apply to come on the podcast
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Facebook
YouTube

Is home birth actually safe… or have we been asking the wrong question all along?
In this nuanced episode, Karen dives into one of the most debated topics in the birth world: home birth vs hospital birth and what’s truly the safest option. Instead of taking sides, this episode breaks down the evidence, the misconceptions, and the emotional layers behind birth choices so you can make a decision that feels aligned, informed, and confident.
You’ll learn why “safety” isn’t as black and white as we’ve been taught, how your environment impacts your body in labor, and what the research actually says about outcomes for low-risk women. Whether you're considering a home birth, planning a hospital birth, or somewhere in between, this episode will help you cut through the noise, release fear, and trust your body.
 Tune in to hear:
 Why the question “what’s the safest place to give birth?” might be misleading 
 The difference between what is safe vs what is safest for YOU
 What large-scale research (including the Lancet study) actually says about home birth safety 
 Why comfort and safety are directly connected in labor 
 The truth about interventions and over-medicalization in hospital birth 
 What really happens if something goes wrong during a home birth 
 Why a hospital transfer does NOT mean failure
 The real role of midwives and how they handle emergencies 
 The pros and limitations of birth centers (and why they aren’t necessarily “safer”) 
 How to choose the right birth environment based on your body, your needs, and your intuition 
Grab the Questions to Ask Your Birth Provider Resource: https://resources.painfreebirth.com/birth-provider-questions
CONNECT WITH KAREN:
Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE
Submit your birth story and apply to come on the podcast
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

What if birth didn’t have to be something you “push through”… but something you fully surrender to? 
In this episode of the Pain-Free Birth Podcast, Karen sits down with Zatha Aiken, a former U.S. Marine Corps Intelligence Officer turned stay-at-home mom of three, who shares her incredible journey from control, compliance, and “pushing through” to complete surrender, trust, and experiencing a pain-free birth.
After her first birth within the medical system and a second free birth, Zatha entered her third birth with a radically different mindset: instead of bracing against the sensations, she chose to fully feel them. What followed was a deeply spiritual, fully present, and pain-free birth experience that transformed not just how she views birth, but how she experiences life, emotion, and her relationship with God. 
This episode is an exploration of the fear-tension-pain cycle, the shift from masculine to feminine energy in birth, and what becomes possible when women release fear and trust their bodies as they were designed.
Tune in to hear:
 Zatha’s journey from military conditioning and compliance to full bodily autonomy 
 Why she initially saw birth as something to “push through” like any other challenge 
 The moment everything shifted from control to surrender in her third birth 
 How understanding physiology changed her entire perception of pain 
 The powerful mantra that transformed her experience: “Feel it, don’t fear it”
 Why pain in birth is often tied to fear not the sensations themselves 
 What it actually means to experience a pain-free birth (and why it’s not what you think) 
 The role of awareness, curiosity, and presence in eliminating fear during labor 
 How her birth journey mirrored a deeper spiritual healing and emotional transformation 
 Why she believes pain-free birth is possible for every woman 

CONNECT WITH KAREN:
Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERE
Submit your birth story and apply to come on the podcast
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube