The Push Guide

Shaun Gillespie has been a birth coach 8 times and each time been the pillar of support to his wife Liz. He shares how he supported her through each process, what worked for them and provides an insight into how he felt through the process. 

Baby Chick founder Nina Spears shares a wealth of information on selecting a midwife, why child birth classes are important, what to expect from a doula - all told from her perspective as a new mom.

Executive director of international midwife assist; Jennifer Braun, shares what it’s like to serve women in places like Uganda where expecting moms are lacking even the basics for a healthy birth. 

We speak to Scarlet Paolicchi, founder of Family Focus Blog about her own birth experience - a footling breech home birth. She talks about choosing her midwife, preparation and how she had to wait a whole hour before she could push her baby out!

From tips on coping with pain and nausea during labor, to what to expect postpartum when you have a home birth - Jennifer Green has your questions answered!

We hear from seasoned Labor and Delivery Nurse Karen Rudy about having a baby in the hospital from the admission process through to those precious hours after your baby is born. 

We hear from Sara Lamm co-director of the film Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives and gain a unique insight into The Farm community and the world famous midwife Ina May Gaskin.

We discuss the concept of fear in the framework of parenting and how fear can play a large role in the decisions you make as a newly expectant mom. We also make suggestions for coping with fear and forming good habits to help you worry less.

Homebirth midwife Cheryl Furer explains the training and education that a midwife undergoes and provides tips on staying comfortable during labor and releasing tension - including the power of the vibrator!

Susie is a mom of one talks us through her labor experience which took over 70 hours! She ultimately had to make the difficult decision to head to the hospital but managed to stay positive throughout the whole experience even when she pushed for 5 hours!

Stephanie Rosenbaum is a stay at home mom of two. Stephanie has experienced both a positive hospital birth under the care of midwives and a great home birth. She talks about the differences between her two experiences, her fear of being induced, how she coped with labor contractions and her perception of pain.  

Candace McCollett had planned to give her baby up for adoption. However she was contacted by a midwife who felt that a home birth would allow Candace to connect with her birthing process and therefore connect with her baby - it worked!  She talks about how she went from being a single mom on assistance to building and running her own successful business as a doula and her surprise pregnancy after a vasectomy. We also touch upon placenta encapsulation and the importance of labor support such as doulas.

Ayme Olivero is a busy mom to two boys. She talks about her first birth in which she was left with a 3rd degree tear and a lengthy postpartum recovery and how she had to work incredibly hard with her second birth to control the pushing process. She explains how she managed to stay in control of her body and how great she felt afterwards!

Kim Osterholzer is a home birth midwife who has attended over 500 births. She takes us through the options available to women considering a home birth, addresses safety concerns, describes who is and isn’t a good candidate for home birth all the while drawing on stories of the women  who she now shares an irreplaceable bond with.

Liz Gillespie is mother to 8 children. She talks about her labor experiences, her reasons for having natural births and how that was made possible by the immense support of her birthing coach - her husband. She shares practical advice for dealing with labor pain and tips on how to have a successful empowering birth experience.