Have you ever wondered how much the environment and the people around you shape the way birth unfolds?

Hey there Happy Homebirthers, and welcome to episode 314 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. I’m your host Katelyn Fusco and today, we’re speaking with Caroline Hendel, a mother from France whose story beautifully illustrates the difference between being managed through birth vs. being trusted in it.

Caroline shares two very different experiences: her first birth in a hospital after being transferred due to concerns about her baby’s size, and her second—an intentional home birth of an eleven-pound baby, surrounded by a team who provided a sense of belief, calm, and support.

This conversation touches on big babies, cultural differences in birth care, choosing your team wisely, and what it truly means to feel safe in birth.

First, I’m struck by how clearly her experiences show that big babies are not the problem—fear is. Over and over again, we see that when providers don’t trust mothers, size becomes a liability. But when belief is present, the body often does exactly what it was designed to do.

Second, Caroline’s story highlights how important it is to choose your team carefully—and to change course when something doesn’t feel right. Trusting your intuition doesn’t mean rejecting care; it means seeking the right care.

And finally, I love her reflection on how birth intensity can be a bridge into motherhood. For Caroline, her second birth gave her something her first did not— she was able to experience the fullness and intensity of the act of bringing forth her baby, which was exactly what she wanted as she re-entered the fullness and intensity of motherhood. If you’re preparing for birth, I pray this story reminds you that you deserve belief, support, and peace—no matter the size of your baby.

Links:

Redeem ™ | https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/presale (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Have you ever noticed how each birth teaches us something different—no matter how many times we’ve done this before?

Today, I’m welcoming back a dear friend of the show, Madeline Murray—midwife, mother of four, and someone whose story has unfolded alongside this podcast over the years.

Madeline has been here before to share her first and second homebirths, and today she’s bringing us into her third and fourth. Two births that took place in very different seasons of life, and yet both marked by growth, presence, and a deepening sense of trust.

Episode Roundup:

First, I’m struck by how much presence mattered in these later births. Madeline talks about the difference between surviving a birth and actually participating in it—and that distinction feels so important. Sometimes peace doesn’t come from changing the circumstances, but from being able to stay with yourself through them.

Second, I love her honesty about how seasons of life affect birth. Giving birth while navigating business ownership, older children, and a body that’s changed with time looks different than it did before—and that doesn’t make it lesser. In many ways, it makes it richer. There’s wisdom there. There’s perspective.

And finally, Madeline’s story reminds us that even when we’re experienced—even when we’ve attended births or lived inside this world for years—birth still has something to teach us. It continues to shape us, humble us, and invite us into deeper trust.

So wherever you are on your own journey—first baby or fourth—may this story remind you that growth doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like calm. Sometimes it looks like confidence. Sometimes it looks like finally feeling at home in your body.

Links:

Redeem ™ | https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/presale (use code PODCAST for 10% off)

Which is more important when it comes to birth: preparation or intuition?

In this week’s episode, we’re hearing from Kaylee Matthews, a first-time mom from the mountains of Southern California whose story is a reminder that intuition and preparation can coexist beautifully with surrender.

Before she even met her husband, Kaylee was learning the fertility-awareness method, studying midwifery podcasts, and building an understanding of her body. So when she and her husband conceived—on their very first try—she felt both prepared and grounded.

Her pregnancy unfolded with ease until an unexpected “high-risk” label and pressure from hospital providers tested her confidence. Leaning on research, prayer, and intuition, Kaylee chose to continue midwifery care, learning firsthand the value of informed decision-making and peace over fear.

When labor finally began at 40 weeks + 6 days, it moved from calm to intense quickly—so quickly that her earlier intuition proved true: her midwife nearly missed the birth. What followed was a long, determined labor that called for patience, movement, and deep trust.

Kaylee’s story highlights the balance between preparation and surrender—the way knowledge can empower us, but peace is what carries us through.

First, knowledge really is power—but trust and peace are even greater powers. Kaylee studied, planned, and prepared for this birth. But when things went off-script, she leaned not on fear or outside pressure, but on the peace and confidence she had in her body as it did exactly what it was designed to do.

Second, I love how her preparation allowed her husband to step confidently into birth, too. From the packet of questions at their first appointment to the way he supported her through every phase, their teamwork is a picture of partnership in birth, and the way that birth can truly bring couples together as they enter or re-enter parenthood.

And finally, Kaylee’s intuition was spot-on. Even when it didn’t make logical sense—like feeling her midwife might miss the birth—she honored that God-given intuitive thought and made space for it. What a reminder that we are so connected to our Creator, and when it’s intuition, that knowing you feel isn’t scary, it’s simply confident.

Here’s to quiet confidence, to listening inward, and to letting birth be the teacher it’s meant to be.

Links:

Redeem ™ | https://hubs.ly/Q03K0Dr90

“Click here to learn more about REDEEM HealthShare Ministry”

Restorative Roots | restorativeroots.com (use code HAPPYHOMEBIRTH for $20 off your first order)

Whole Mother Homebirth | https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/presale (use code PODCAST for 10% off)