Pain Free Birth

#86 | From Fear to Power: How Trusting Her Body Changed Everything in Birth with Polina Westcott

What happens when a woman stops outsourcing her intuition and starts trusting her body?In this episode, Karen sits down with Polina Westcott, creator of Sensible Mama, to share two transformative home birth stories that radically changed the way Polina views birth, fear, pain, and personal authority.Polina opens up about her first pregnancy, where everything seemed medically “normal” until routine testing suddenly turned her pregnancy into a problem to be managed. When questioning protocols led to pushback from her providers, Polina made the bold decision to fire her OB team at eight months pregnant and pivot to a home birth. What followed was a long, challenging, and deeply empowering first labor that revealed strength she never knew she had.Her second birth could not have been more different. She shares how mindset, education, and surrender completely transformed how her body responded to contractions and labor progression. This episode dives deep into birth autonomy, informed consent, intuition, and the mind-body connection in labor. Tune in to hear:Why Polina chose to fire her OB team late in pregnancyHow questioning medical authority led her to reclaim birth autonomyWhat really happens during transition and why many women want to “tap out”The doula moment that changed everything during her first laborHow mindset radically altered her second birth experienceWhat fetal ejection reflex actually feels like in real lifeWhy trusting intuition protected her during the third stage of laborHow fear, resistance, and control affect labor progressionWhy birth can be an initiation into motherhood, strength, and self-trustConnect with Polina:Www.sensiblemama.comhttps://www.youtube.com/@sensible_mamaIG: @sensible_mamaCONNECT WITH KAREN:Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HEREInstagramFacebookYouTube

#85 | How Nervous System Regulation Shapes Pregnancy, Birth, and Healing with Dr. Scherina Alli

What if pain, stress, and even birth trauma weren’t things your body needed to “push through”, but signals your nervous system was asking for safety?In this powerful and deeply grounding episode, Karen sits down with Dr. Scherina Alli, a network spinal chiropractor specializing in nervous system regulation, somatic respiratory integration, and care for pregnant women, babies, and children.Together, they explore how the body holds emotional stress, why babies are communicating far more than we realize, and how nervous system regulation can transform pregnancy, birth, postpartum healing, and even fertility. Dr. Scherina also shares her own beautiful home birth story. One rooted in trust, presence, and deep connection with her body offering a refreshing and empowering perspective on what birth can be when women feel safe, supported, and embodied.Tune in to hear:How the nervous system stores emotional stress and trauma in the bodyWhy “colic” is often a sign of nervous system dysregulation, not a diagnosisThe difference between traditional chiropractic care and network spinal careHow babies communicate stress, tension, and discomfort without wordsWhy babies don’t “grow out of” nervous system stress How pregnancy and birth experiences shape a baby’s lifelong nervous system blueprintThe role of breath, movement, and pelvic mobility in preparing for birthHow unprocessed emotions can impact pregnancy, fertility, and laborDr. Scherina’s calm, fast, and deeply present home birth storyWhy presence (not avoidance) is the key to an empowered birth experienceHow women can rebuild trust in their bodies after trauma or infertilitySimple ways to recognize stress versus safety in your own nervous systemCONNECT WITH DR SCHERINA:Follow Dr. Scherina on Instagram: @drscherinaWebsite: drscherina.comNetwork Spinal Chiropractor Directory: https://www.drscherina.com/directoryPX Docs Directory for neurologically focused prenatal and pediatric chiropractors: https://pxdocs.com/px-docs/CONNECT WITH KAREN:Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HEREInstagramFacebookYouTube

#84 | She Fired Her OB and Delivered Mono-Di Twins Pain-Free at Home

In this of the Pain Free Birth podcast, Karen Welton sits down with Anastasia Malyk, a mother of four, to share one of the most jaw-dropping birth stories you will ever hear.After experiencing two prior free births, Anastasia found herself unexpectedly pregnant with mono-di identical twins just seven months postpartum. What followed was a journey marked by medical pressure, fear-based recommendations, spiritual surrender, and unwavering trust in God’s design for her body.This episode is a bold testimony of faith, bodily wisdom, and the importance of advocacy in pregnancy and birth. It is especially encouraging for twin moms, women navigating medical pressure, and anyone seeking reassurance that physiological birth is possible, even when circumstances seem stacked against you. In this episode, you’ll hear:What led Anastasia to choose free birth for her first two babiesHow she navigated fear and faith after learning she was pregnant with twinsWhy she fired her OB after being pressured into a cesareanWhat it was like carrying twins past 41 weeksHow labor progressed so quickly she didn’t believe it was realWhat it felt like to birth twins with no pushing and no painHow faith shaped every decision throughout pregnancy and birthEncouragement for twin moms who desire a natural or physiological birthConnect with Anastasia:IG: Anastasiamalyk_TikTok: @anachenkoCONNECT WITH KAREN:Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HEREInstagramFacebookYouTube

#83 | Labor Doesn't Happen to Us, it Happens for Us: Shifting Your Mindset for a Joy-Filled Birth

What happens when you stop fighting labor and start working with your body? In today’s episode of the Pain Free Birth Podcast, Karen sits down with Mallory Ryan, a mom of two who shares her deeply transformative birth experiences. Mallory walks listeners through her first unmedicated birth at a birth center and her second, rapid home birth that she describes as joyful, empowering, and profoundly connected to God’s design for birth.Whether you are pregnant, preparing for birth, or simply curious about physiological birth and faith-filled preparation, this episode will leave you feeling encouraged, informed, and inspired to trust your body and God’s design.Tune in to hear:Why Mallory chose unmedicated birth for both of her babiesHow learning the physiology of birth helped reduce fear and painThe role mindset and relaxation play in labor intensityWhy fast labors are not always more painfulHow choosing joy impacts oxytocin and birth progressWhat a “butter birth” is and how surrender changes pushingHow faith influenced Mallory’s confidence during laborThe difference between pain and suffering in childbirthWhy birth is not something happening to you, but within youHow empowering births shape confidence in motherhood and postpartumCONNECT WITH KAREN:Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HEREGrab Karen's Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE. This course is for any woman experiencing trauma in the body. If you're ready to release it, this course is for you. InstagramFacebookYouTube

Best of: The Power Of Christian Hypnobirthing with Tara Menzies

While Tara was blacking out from pain, losing hope, and believing she didn't have enough faith for a pain free pregnancy, she experienced a deeply spiritual experience that led her to creating the first of its kind, her own app, for Christian Hypnobirthing. Tune in to find out how drastically different Tara's births were with and without the power of hypnobirthing, how our thoughts and emotions can imprint on our babies brains, and how you can use hypnobirthing beyond labor!EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:How Tara started Christian HypnobirthingDealing with coercion and losing faith in Tara's first birthHow hypnobirthing transformed Tara's second birthCultivating peace throughout your pregnancyUsing hypnobirthing beyond pregnancyCombining faith with neuroscience and how our babies brains are wired MORE ABOUT TARA MENZIES:Tara Menzies is the creator of the Christian Hypnobirthing app and the Faith-Filled Childbirth Course. She created the app in early 2018 after the birth of her first son, because she wanted to combine traditional hypnobirthing techniques (breathing and visualisation exercises, positive affirmations etc) with the incredible love, strength and support that come from our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit, to help expecting mamas feel confident relaxed and connected to God throughout their births. The Christian Hypnobirthing app has since become one of the most highly rated hypnobirthing apps worldwide, and has helped tens of thousands of women have more relaxed, confident and faith-filled birth experiences.Instagram: @christianhypnobirthingChristian Hypnobirthing WebsiteCONNECT WITH KAREN:Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HEREGrab Karen's Healing Birth Trauma Course HERE. This course is for any woman experiencing trauma in the body. If you're ready to release it, this course is for you. InstagramFacebookYouTube