#69 | Birth in War Zones and Triplet Home Birth with Kristine Lauria
What if the “impossible” was actually possible?In this jaw-dropping episode, Karen sits down with midwife Kristine Lauria, a global midwifery director with more than 30 years of experience, to unpack the viral story of a home birth triplet delivery.Kristine has attended over 5,000 births worldwide — from refugee camps in South Sudan with Doctors Without Borders to high-risk deliveries in the U.S. — and she brings an unmatched perspective on what physiological birth can truly look like.Tune in to hear:The incredible story of Amber’s viral home birth with tripletsWhat actually happens in a breech extraction (and why it was needed in this case)How Kristine stayed calm in an emergency and why that saved a lifeWhy the role of a good midwife often means having the skill to do nothingThe difference between scary and traumatic births — and how a mother’s experience matters just as much as the outcomeWhat Kristine has learned from thousands of births in hospitals, homes, and disaster zones around the worldWhy hospital cesarean rates don’t compare to what’s possible when birth is left undisturbedThe spiritual and emotional side of birth that modern maternity care often overlooksConnect with Kristine: @globalmidwife64 @allowedtobirthConnect with Karen:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirthInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMSApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731Website - https://painfreebirth.com/Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in
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#68 | From Two C-Sections to a Pain-Free Home Birth
What happens when you’ve been told your body “can’t” birth vaginally… and then God writes a different story?In this episode, Karen sits down with Audrey Stinson, a mom of four, who went from believing she would never experience a vaginal birth to having not one, but two redemptive home births—the last being completely pain-free.Audrey vulnerably shares her journey through two cesareans, the heartbreak of feeling her body was “broken,” and the desperate prayers that led her to invite God fully into her birth story. With the support of her doula, a faith-filled mindset shift, and leaning deeply on God’s presence, Audrey discovered strength, redemption, and joy in birth that she never imagined possible.Tune in to hear:The limiting beliefs that often follow cesarean birth—and how faith can rewrite themHow prayer and preparation paved the way for a redemptive VBAC at homeThe integral role a doula played in supporting Audrey and empowering her husbandThe difference between “intensity” and “pain” in laborHow inviting God into every part of pregnancy and birth can transform the experienceAudrey’s pain-free birth story with her fourth baby and how she walked away with an even deeper faithJoin the Doula Mastermind: https://painfreebirth.com/doula-mastermind/Connect with Audrey:IG: @faithful.laborConnect with Karen:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirthInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMSApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731Website - https://painfreebirth.com/Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in
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#67 | What Every New Doula Needs to Know About Supporting Birth
In this episode, Karen sits down with Kendall Pattillo — a mom of two (with one on the way!), wife, follower of Christ, and graduate of the Pain Free Birth Doula Mastermind. Although she’s just beginning her doula career, Kendall has already supported a variety of powerful births: VBACs, hospital births, birth center births, and home births.Whether you’re a new doula searching for wisdom, a mom preparing for birth, or a partner curious about how doulas support families, this episode is full of encouragement, practical insights, and inspiration.Tune in to hear:Kendall’s calling into birth work and how God opened the doors for herThe powerful VBAC story she supported at her very first birth as a doulaWhy doulas are both servants and shields in the birth spacePractical doula tips — knee pads, birth stools, showers, and headphonesHow doulas enhance a partner’s role instead of replacing itLessons on presence, boundaries, and avoiding burnout as a new doulaThe confidence and tools Kendall gained through the Pain Free Birth Doula MastermindJoin the Doula Mastermind: https://painfreebirth.com/doula-mastermind/Connect with Kendall:IG: @everedendoulaservices @kendallpattilloWebsite: https://everedendoulaservices.com/Connect with Karen:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirthInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMSApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731Website - https://painfreebirth.com/Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in
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#66 | How to Protect Your Birth Experience in the Hospital: Tools Every Mom Needs to Know
What if walking into a hospital birth didn’t mean giving up your voice?In this powerful conversation, Meredith and Alicia from Intentional Birth share how to advocate for yourself in a hospital setting so you feel respected, informed, and truly in charge of your birth. From simple language shifts to knowing your legal rights, you’ll walk away with practical tools you—and your partner—can use to create a positive, empowering experience, no matter what unfolds.Tune in to hear:Why birth trauma is often less about what happened and more about how you were treatedThe difference between hospital policy and patient consent (and why policy does not override your rights)A simple 3-step framework (OWN IT) to decline procedures without confrontationThe role of your partner as the guardian of the birth—and how they can protect your spaceKey phrases that change the room instantly: “We do need her consent” and “Please document that I am declining ___”How to use the chain of command if you’re not being heard (charge nurse → nurse manager → house supervisor)“Secret menu” options in the hospital most families don’t know they can requestA real-life VBAC story where intentional advocacy led to a hospital water birth, minimal interventions, and an unhurried third stageJoin the Doula Mastermind: https://painfreebirth.com/doula-mastermind/Resources mentioned:5% discount on the Advocacy Trainings: Code: PAINFREEBIRTHIG: @intentional.birthWebsite: www.intentionalbirth.coConnect with Karen:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirthInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMSApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731Website - https://painfreebirth.com/Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in
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#65 | The Red Tent & the Sacred Calling of Doula Work
Have you ever felt a little nudge that maybe you were meant to support women in birth? Maybe you’re the one who stays up late watching birth videos, fascinated by how God designed the body, secretly dreaming of being in the room one day. If so, this episode was made for you.In today’s conversation, Karen pulls back the curtain on the realities of birth work — the beauty, the challenges, and the sacred calling of becoming a doula. She shares the struggles many doulas face, from burnout and being on-call to working in hospital systems that don’t always support women’s physiology. And she reminds us why women supporting women through life’s biggest transitions is not only historical, but biblical.Tune in to hear:Why the average doula career lasts only two years — and how to prevent burnoutThe surprising origin story of doulas and how their presence was “accidentally discovered” to improve birth outcomesThe missing rituals of modern maternity care — and why women are crying out for community againThe biggest challenges doulas face today (on-call life, finding clients, hospital politics, and more)What it truly means to protect a woman’s physiology, her power, and her voice in laborHow the vision of the Red Tent is reviving sacred sisterhood for doulas and birth workersJoin the Doula Mastermind: https://painfreebirth.com/doula-mastermind/Connect with Karen:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/painfreebirthInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/painfreebirth/Spotify Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/5zEiKMIHFewZeVdzfBSEMSApple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/pain-free-birth/id1696179731Website - https://painfreebirth.com/Email List https://pain-free-birth.mykajabi.com/website-opt-in
In the Pain Free Birth Podcast, your host, Karen Welton, invites you to discover the truth about how God brilliantly designed the female body for birth. Karen is a certified doula, childbirth educator, and coach who teaches women all around the world how to give birth without pain and fear through her online courses and content.In this show, we geek out about the hormonal physiology of birth, supernatural childbirth, bliss and ecstasy in labor, pregnancy, postpartum, motherhood, and everything in between! Karen interviews women around the world who share their *jaw-dropping* stories of birth at home, in the hospital, and even in the car! She interviews midwives, doctors, and experts in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum to share their unique perspectives. We’ve been taught to view birth as scary and traumatic or an “emergency waiting to happen.” In this show, you will discover a whole new perspective of what’s possible in birth.
South Africa