In this remastered episode, I sit down with Jess Shine, former labor and delivery nurse, mother of four, freebirther, and Director of Programs at The Matrona. Jess shares the story of how her entire understanding of birth unraveled as she moved through four radically different births and witnessed the realities of the hospital system from the inside.
She speaks candidly about her traumatic first birth, the awakening that came through her second, and the professional fallout that occurred after she honored a laboring woman’s request not to be checked. That rupture became the doorway into freebirth, sovereignty, and reclaiming birth as a sacred, undisturbed rite.
Jess also describes the energetic difference between birthing at home and inside a hospital, what her hands felt as her son navigated the pelvis, and why she ultimately walked away from hospital birthwork altogether.
Inside this episode:
The unspoken trauma fathers carry
How hospital culture shapes “safety”
Why VBAC fear is manufactured
The myth of the mandatory policy
Medical coercion and consent
How Jess reclaimed birth through freebirth
The moment she knew she could never return to the system
Her work today within The Matrona
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WAYS TO WALK THIS PATH WITH ME
The Wise Woman: A Path to Remembrance
A six chapter journey into lineage healing, feminine embodiment, rites of passage, sensual reclamation, and returning to your deepest truth.
Details at emilygracenixon.com
Beyond a Doula
Spiritual, instinctual, physiological birth support in Southern Maine and worldwide.
So You Want a Home Birth
A comprehensive self paced guide for women choosing natural undisturbed birth.
Community
Monthly Women’s Circle and Perinatal Village Circle in Southern Maine.
Website: www.emilygracenixon.com
Instagram: @embodiedwomenswisdom
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Music: The Ancients (feat. Loga Ramin Torkian) by Azam Ali
Disclaimer:
The information and resources provided by me are not intended to constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice or a Mother’s intuition. Instead, all information provided is intended for education purposes only. My advice is not to be seen as medical diagnosis or to treat any medical illness or condition of Mother or baby/fetus.
Keywords: natural birth, home birth, freebirth, physiological birth, birth stories, postpartum healing, women’s circles, rites of passage, womb wisdom, feminine embodiment, sisterhood, conscious conception, birth trauma healing, matrescence, menopause, first-time mom birth story, VBAC, spirit baby.