The Birth Education Center

02/19/2026

𝟬𝟵𝟰: 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗶𝗸𝗶: 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗗𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀”⁣
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I’m excited for you to meet Niki, a doula in Houston I’ve known for about three years. Our work together has always centered on 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸—𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.⁣
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Niki is an amazing person who doesn’t give up even though it looks easier to throw in the towel. Niki shares her experience with a clique-ish professional scene that has made networking and consistent client flow difficult. This is a common theme with doulas all over the country. We change this by 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 and we change it up! If you are feeling that way - I guarantee there are others. ⁣
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We talk about what to do when business feels stuck—why you have to go where the people are (yes, even Facebook groups), how to get clear on your ideal client through an “avatar” exercise, and 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 when things don’t go your way. We also talk about seasons of rest, and trusting the cycle of life instead of living in “hurry, hurry, panic.” ⁣
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If you’re a newer doula feeling isolated, struggling to find referrals, or wondering if you’re cut out for this, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀, get clearer about who you’re here to serve, and keep moving forward—one step at a time.⁣
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𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀!⁣
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02/17/2026

𝟬𝟵𝟯: 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘆, 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻⁣
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Today’s show kicks off the Legacy Mentor Series with Roberta Frank, a trailblazing midwife whose impact on my life is indescribable. It is an honor getting to share many of my mentors who have passed on their love, time and advice over the years that I have been in birth work. I credit these people for helping to create the Birth Education Center and all that it has offered. ⁣
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In this episode, we discuss the transformative power of birth, the wisdom of midwifery, and the importance of respecting a woman's natural ability to give birth. And once again, Roberta passes on her observations and wisdom from a lifetime of witnessing birth come into the world.⁣
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Roberta shares her journey from experiencing a traumatic hospital birth to becoming a pioneering midwife, founding the first state-licensed and longest running birth center in California. Best Start Birth Center just recently closed after being in business over 35 years. ⁣
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We discuss the innate knowledge women possess, the critical role of support and respect in the birthing process, and how birth can be a profound healer of past traumas. This conversation is filled with practical advice for families and birth workers, and a powerful message about 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵.⁣
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𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀!⁣
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02/17/2026

02/17/2026

𝟬𝟵𝟯: 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘆, 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻⁣
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This show begins our Legacy Mentor Series with midwife, Roberta Frank. It is an honor getting to share many of my mentors who have passed on their love, time and advice over the years that I have been in birth work. I credit these people for helping to create the Birth Education Center and all that it has offered. ⁣
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I feel it can be such a missed opportunity to not re-thank and acknowledge those special people who have impacted your life. I think with birth, so many people pass through a mentor’s door over the years and the impact has been felt, but having a baby and jumping into a whole new life, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻.⁣
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Roberta was the first person who allowed me to see that I was actually an autonomous human. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, it was me that made all the choices and I only had to check in with my intuition to feel if the choice was right for me. THAT was a whole new concept that took months to really sink in.⁣
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I had lived my life for others and never questioned what I had been told or any of the rules set down for me. If it wasn’t for our quiet conversations during prenatal visits that got me thinking about myself and how I wanted my birth to go and how I wanted to parent - 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.⁣
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𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 who made an impact on your life - they may not hear it as often as you think.⁣
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𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀!⁣
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02/08/2026

𝟬𝟵𝟮: 𝗔 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗻𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵:𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆⁣
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Some women have a smooth labor - even though that’s not what TV and movies portray.⁣
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Taylor’s was longer than she expected 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. Do we ever hear people say that about their labor? Do we have too many expectations of what labor “should” be so it keeps us from just being present to what is happening in the moment?⁣
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Not all birth meets our expectations but if we were to drop those - how good could it be? Doing labor and birth are a monumental feat. Something we have never done but the ancestors in our genes have done over and over and over. There is wisdom there - we need to learn how to trust it.⁣
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Education can unlock that by 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 it takes to give birth.⁣
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𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀!⁣
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02/05/2026

𝟬𝟵𝟮: 𝗔 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗻𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵:𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆⁣
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In today's episode, we welcome the home birth story of John and Taylor.⁣
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Taylor and John took Hypnobirthing at the center and John got the full exposure to what birth could actually look like. Taylor saw something about home birth in High School and the idea stuck! Her “crunchy lifestyle” choices shaped her birth plan and helped her find a midwife. ⁣
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John opens up about 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 with his role as they navigated their birth journey together. He admits he’s NOT the crunchy one in this relationship. ⁣
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With a baby who showed up early and took his time getting here- it was all about preparation and support and having the right midwife and doula for them. ⁣
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This episode highlights the profound beauty and natural pacing of birthing at home. The “𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺” model of birth is a key factor in this being so amazing for this family's experience.⁣
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𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀!⁣
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12/16/2025

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This beauty came to class with her mama. Mama told us that she loves to be worn in a baby carrier. Yay for baby carriers!!! My 4th baby was worn constantly by me, dad AND his sisters! (He didn’t take a single step on his own until he was 15 months old 😆.)⁣
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I’m all for baby wearing - but, when a baby doesn’t get enough opportunity to move her body freely - whatever the cause - she can become ‘stuck’ with limited range of motion in her arms and legs (she hasn’t had enough opportunity to express her reflexes and general movements and to integrate those into intentional movement). ⁣
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Watch her right arm, in particular - she holds it bent and close to her body. You will also see her express her landau reflex and she actually does very well with that by integrating it, pretty quickly after expression. ⁣
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All she needs is a little fascia release work on that right side (including intercostals) and she’ll be able to extend it so she can support her torso. You might want to watch this reel twice though, because she is the cutest thing EVER! Let’s Help the Babies!⁣
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12/11/2025

𝟬𝟵𝟭: 𝗗𝗿. 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀⁣
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Welcome back to part two with more education prep on things to think about for Postpartum. ⁣
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Today with Dr. Morgan, we're diving deep into a few things people miss when planning for postpartum life. We're covering the reality of hormone shifts, breastfeeding challenges, and mental health issues like baby blues and postpartum anxiety. She does not miss the importance of proper nutrition and rest and also shares how her husband handles his role during postpartum after each baby. The partner conversations and prep are not to be missed!⁣
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Dr. Morgan shares personal experiences and practical advice on how to navigate this intense period, adding in the support systems and resources that can make a world of difference. ⁣
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Whether you're expecting or recently had a baby, this episode is packed with candid, real-talk advice aimed at preparing and empowering you for the postpartum journey. We want you to go in with what will be the best advice tailored just for your family. Hopefully this show will open up great conversations for you and your support team. ⁣
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You can reach Dr. Morgan MacDermott at MilkMedicine.com. Her podcast with co host Dr. Leah is Healthy As A Mother, and can be found wherever you get your podcasts!⁣
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Here’s the episode Morgan mentioned where she interviewed her husband! ⁣
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#63: Role Changes and Expectations within Fatherhood with Wes MacDermott⁣
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https://open.spotify.com/episode/2U6BRfxgtIP5bJjQWKD4KZ?si=9c5e07ddec634fab⁣
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𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗖𝗘𝗦:⁣
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LAB LIST: CBC, CMP, ferritin, total iron, TIBC, iron saturation, TSH, free T3, free T4, total T3, total T4, TPO and TG antibodies, vitamin D3⁣
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𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱: https://thisisneeded.com/?irpid=1111115&pwc=true⁣
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https://www.themilkmoon.com/products/restorativetonic⁣
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Postpartum Herbs: https://www.wishgardenherbs.com/collections/postpartum?tw_source=google⁣
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𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀!⁣
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healthyasamotherpodcast

12/06/2025

𝟬𝟵𝟬: 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗿. 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗼𝘁𝘁⁣

⁣One of the things I love the most about Dr. Morgan is that she doesn’t sugar coat things AND always goes back to the root of how things have always worked–just like in Naturopathy! If we want to find out 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 - 𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 and see her design.⁣

⁣Sure - do we have things in modern day that work and help us raise and feed our children? Yes and some of them are lifesavers. And when things are off track, sometimes we can look back at what has worked since the beginning of time, add some modern science explanation as to why it’s worked, and rethink what we are doing.⁣

⁣You can reach Dr. Morgan MacDermott at 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗸𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲.𝗰𝗼𝗺. Her podcast with co host Dr. Leah is 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘀 𝗔 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, and can be found wherever you get your podcasts!⁣

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https://milkmedicine.com/pregnancycall/

https://www.karingforpostpartum.com/breastfeeding-course

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀!⁣

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12/04/2025

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Here’s another long reel for you! Baby L came to see me right before his oral tie release procedure. ⁣
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During the protocol, when he was working on his right side, he was expressing a lot of tension and restriction from occiput to toes and you will see that, clearly, in this video. ⁣
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Watch as I stay at his left occiput/temporal area while he works through his tension. After a still-point, he begins to work on his left side and you will see his legs completely relax and rest on the blanket (completely different tone than he had on the other side). I asked mom how he nursed on her right breast and she said “So well Completely different than how he nurses on the left side.” ⁣
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You will hear this often - that baby will feed better on one side and will prefer one breast over the other. ⁣
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I have more video from this session that I’ll post next week! I’ll give you an update on how he’s doing post-release too! Let’s Help the Babies!⁣
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12/04/2025

𝟬𝟵𝟬: 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗿. 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗼𝘁𝘁⁣
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In this episode, I am having Dr. Morgan back to really share as much info as possible 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 and moving for all things Breastfeeding!⁣
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I think what I have been 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄hen it comes to breastfeeding preparedness. Parents are so focused on labor and delivery education that they skip breastfeeding due to time constraints or simply feeling like the education is not important. After all - haven’t we been breastfeeding for thousands of years? How hard could it be?⁣
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Dr. Morgan Macdermott, is a naturopathic medical doctor specializing in perinatal women’s health. There is so much to talk about when it comes to the importance of 𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗬 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and support. We cover common pitfalls new parents face, the significance of having a lactation consultant, and practical tips for breastfeeding success. ⁣
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This is the first part of our two-part series, with the second part focusing on postpartum recovery and ongoing motherhood support. Dr. Morgan shares invaluable insights and real-life experiences to help get some terminology into your head and hopefully you will 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 so they can be ahead of the game!⁣
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⁣You can reach Dr. Morgan MacDermott at 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗸𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲.𝗰𝗼𝗺. Her podcast with co host Dr. Leah is 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘀 𝗔 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, and can be found wherever you get your podcasts!⁣
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https://milkmedicine.com/pregnancycall/⁣
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https://www.karingforpostpartum.com/breastfeeding-course⁣
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𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀!⁣
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