Chatty Doulas

The secret is out! On this episode of Chatty Doulas, we are celebrating a very special announcement—our very own Emily is pregnant and navigating her first trimester!
Join the doulas for a real, unfiltered conversation on how to actually survive those early weeks of pregnancy. We dive deep into:
The Sharing Dilemma: Deciding when, how, and who to tell about your pregnancy (and why telling complete strangers at Walmart is totally valid).
Early Signs & Symptoms: Managing extreme fatigue, electrical-feeling cramps, midnight snacks for morning sickness, and 40-second middle-of-the-night bathroom trips.
Building Your Care Team: Navigating the 8-to-12-week wait for your first OB/midwife appointment, alternative options, and using doulas, pelvic floor PTs, and community groups early on.
First Trimester Realities: Practicing self-compassion, letting go of fitness expectations, dealing with food/smell aversions, and myth-busting coffee, sushi, and prenatal vitamins.
Whether you're peeing on a dollar-store stick, trying to tame first-trimester anxiety, or just here to celebrate with us, grab a cup of NORA tea and tune in!

In this episode of Chatty Doulas, Taylor shares her journey through a sudden, last-minute induction after developing gestational hypertension. Originally planning a water birth, she walks us through her rapid unmedicated labor, an unexpected emergency D&C due to a retained placenta, and her ongoing postpartum recovery with pelvic organ prolapse.
It’s a deeply honest conversation on the value of processing intrusive thoughts, and finding true empowerment when birth doesn't go according to plan.

In this episode of Chatty Doulas, we sit down with Elisha Hanshue of Sagebrush Doula in Denver for a deep dive into all things placenta.
Whether you’re curious about placenta encapsulation or wondering what actually happens to your organ after birth, Elisha breaks down the science, spirituality, and practical benefits of honoring the placenta.
What We Cover in This Episode:
Placenta 101: How the placenta develops, how it functions as a protective filter.
Encapsulation Explained: The differences between the Traditional Chinese Method (steamed with lemon and ginger) and the Raw method for energy, hormone regulation, and postpartum mental health.
Tinctures, Art, and Keepsakes: How placenta tinctures offer lifelong shelf-life benefits (even into perimenopause!) and creative ways to honor your organ through detailed prints, umbilical cord keepsakes, and amniotic sac art.
Hospital Protocols & Advocacy: Navigating hospital pushbacks, pathology hand-offs, and understanding true contraindications like chorio or infection versus Group B strep or meconium.
Connect with Elisha:
Business: Sagebrush Doula (Denver, CO) https://www.sagebrushdenverdoula.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagebrush.doula
Services: Birth & Postpartum Doula Care, Placenta Encapsulation, Placenta Art & Keepsakes

Soly and Emily sit down for a candid chat about what it really takes to uproot your life and rebuild an established doula business in a brand-new city. Drawing from Emily's recent move from Denver to Florida, they share practical advice on researching local hospital cultures, networking in a new town, diversifying your services, and utilizing backup doulas to ease the transition.
Whether you are planning a move soon or just looking to get your birth business out of a rut, this episode is a quick blueprint for finding your footing and cultivating a supportive local community from scratch.

Welcome back to another episode of Chatty Doulas! In today’s episode, we sit down with Sam Chapman, a birth and postpartum doula, placenta encapsulator, and the founder of Baby Lotus Doulas LLC.
Sam brings an incredibly unique, well-rounded perspective to the birth world. Having worked for years as a medical assistant in a major Denver OBGYN hospital department, she understands the inner workings of the clinical system—but she also knows exactly where the gaps lie when it comes to emotional and mental parental support.
In this raw and deeply vulnerable conversation, we dive into:
The Clinical vs. Holistic Perspective: How Sam uses her medical assistant background to act as an "interpreter" for families navigating complex medical terminology and hospital systems.
Deconstructing the C-Section Shame Cycle: Sam shares her personal experiences navigating both a "picture-perfect" teen vaginal birth and an emergency cesarean 11 years later. We have an honest, necessary conversation about whether the birth community unintentionally contributes to a stigma around cesareans, and how to normalize pivots during labor.
Trauma-Informed Care: Practical strategies for supporting clients carrying past birth or sexual trauma, including mental preparation, handling disassociation, and setting boundaries on "game day."
The Postpartum Reality Check: A transparent look at postpartum depression, identity shifts (from a teen mom to a stay-at-home mom of three during COVID), and the critical importance of setting up operational support like meal trains and partner communication before you are "100 feet under."
Whether you are an expecting parent, a fellow birth worker, or just looking for real, unfiltered stories about the strength of the birthing body and mind, this episode is packed with invaluable insight.
Connect with Sam:
Website: www.babylotusdoulas.com
Instagram/Socials: @samchapman2019

In this incredibly special episode, our host Soly opens up about their personal journey into motherhood by sharing her raw, beautiful, and unfiltered birth story. Joining us is a very special guest—Soly's doula, Whitney.
Together, Soly and Whitney recap the physical and emotional highs and lows of labor, offering a unique dual perspective on the experience. They discuss the vital role of continuous labor support, how they navigated unexpected pivots during delivery, and the profound bond formed between a birthing parent and their care team. Whether you are expecting, a parent yourself, or simply love an inspiring birth journey, this episode offers an intimate look at the power of informed support and the strength of the birthing body.

In this episode, we sit down with Katie Cameron (they/them), a non-binary Baby and Me yoga teacher based in Denver, for a deep, vulnerable, and beautifully nuanced conversation about the queer pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience.
Katie opens up about the realities of navigating a heavily gendered birth culture as a non-binary person, the power of letting go in the birth space, and the complex internal landscape of severe postpartum anxiety and matrescence. We also dive into actionable advice for birth workers looking to elevate their care from a standard "assembly line" to truly individualized, gender-affirming support.
Key Topics Discussed:
Navigating the Birth Space: Katie’s journey interviewing 15+ doulas and the reality of dealing with misgendering during labor.
The Power of Language: Moving away from default terms like "Mama" and exploring how inclusive phrases like birthing person, nursing, and chest feeding expand the space for everyone without taking away from anyone.
Postpartum & Matrescence: Navigating severe postpartum anxiety/rage, and processing the profound identity shift of becoming a parent.
Raising Kids Beyond the Binary: How both Soli and Katie approach gender expression, curiosity, and pronoun usage with their toddlers.
Scope of Practice for Birth Workers: Why it is okay (and respectful) to decline a client if you lack the proper training, and how to actively seek out queer-centered support education.
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
Lily Dwyer Begg Yoga (Prenatal/Postpartum Yoga Teacher Training)
Moss the Doula (Gender-affirming care training for birth workers)
Birth Advocacy Doula Trainings (BADT) (Inclusive doula and childbirth education)
Connect with Katie:
Instagram: @yogawithkatiecam
Website: katiecameronyoga.com (Check out their Somatic Expression classes!)

Welcome back to Chatty Doulas! In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Katrina Carrera, a perinatal psychologist and founder of Lotus Perinatal.
Inspired by her own mother's unacknowledged postpartum depression, Dr. Katrina filled the maternal mental health gaps in her clinical training to focus on "cycle breakers." We dive into what it really looks like to navigate the profound identity shifts of becoming a parent while intentionally healing generational trauma.
In this episode, we chat about:
Real-World Cycle Breaking: The intense, beautiful work of re-parenting yourself while practicing radical self-compassion.
The Dual Nature of Identity Shifts: Embracing the unique postpartum experience where immense joy coexists with real grief for your past self.
Patrescence (Fatherhood) Matters: Spotting the actual biological and hormonal shifts fathers experience as they transition into parenthood.
How Partners Can Truly Hold Space: Shifting away from the pressure to fix problems and learning how to just sit together inside the emotional discomfort.
Connect with Dr. Katrina:
Website: Find virtual support, classes, and her curated list of books and podcasts at lotusperinatal.com. Reach Dr. Katrina directly at https://lotusperinatal.clientsecure.me 
Social Media: Connect with her directly on Instagram @Dr.KatrinaCarrera. Or on Facebook
Resources Mentioned: Postpartum Support International (PSI) and the Gottman Institute’s Bringing Baby Home program.Don't forget to rate, review, and hit Subscribe so you never miss an episode with us!

Welcome back to Chatty Doulas! In this episode, we sit down with Haley McNabb, a seasoned birth doula, doula trainer, and mom of two.
 
As birth workers, we are exposed to the ultimate highs of birth, but we are also front-row witnesses to secondary trauma and profound loss. Haley dives deep into what it truly means to hold these massive emotional waves without letting them swallow you whole.
 
In this episode, we chat about:
The Energetic Toll of Birth: Balancing the oxytocin-filled highs with the heavy somatic baggage of unreleased secondary trauma.
 
Micro-Rituals for the 3:00 AM Reset: Simple, intentional ways to shed a birth experience and return your nervous system to homeostasis before walking through your own front door.
 
Holding Space in Discomfort: How to anchor yourself in moments of crisis, eliminate empty reassurance, and "doula yourself" when the room turns sideways.
 
Connect with Haley:
Instagram: Follow her journey and training opportunities at @soulbabybirthing.
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Welcome back to Chatty Doulas! In this episode, we sit down with Liz Foster of Love in Motion—a Denver-based doula, placenta encapsulator, and childbirth educator.
Liz opens up about her journey from a traumatic emergency C-section under general anesthesia to a triumphant, unmedicated VBAC. Now, she uses her experience to help other families debunk fears, navigate the medical system, and claim their own redemptive birth stories.
Quick Takeaways:
Debunking the VBAC Myth: Looking at the actual data behind uterine rupture (less than 1%) and why "once a C-section, always a C-section" is outdated.
Friendly vs. Tolerant Providers: How to spot the red flags in a provider's policy and why you have the absolute right to switch care teams at any point.
Redefining a "Good" Birth: Why even a repeat C-section can feel redemptive if it's a calm, respected choice with time to process, rather than a rushed emergency.
Connect with Liz: Find her VBAC handouts and natural induction tips at loveinmotion.net or on Instagram @lizfosterdoula.
Resources Mentioned: The VBAC Link, Evidence Based Birth, and ICAN.
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