What if a beautiful birth isn't about getting a particular outcome, but about how supported, safe and connected you feel through whatever unfolds?
In this episode, I'm joined by Nadine Richardson, a mother, doula, birth educator and the founder of She Births, a holistic, evidence-based childbirth education program that has supported tens of thousands of families over more than two decades. Years ago, Nadine invited me onto her podcast to talk about birth trauma, so it felt full circle to turn the microphone around and hear her story.
Nadine shares how her own birth more than 24 years ago left her with questions no one could answer, and how a later miscarriage set her on the path to becoming a doula. What started as a class in her lounge room grew into SheBirths, a program she built from observation and intuition years before research confirmed its core elements were evidence-based. Her new book, SheBirths: Your Practical Guide to a Beautiful Birth, brings that work together, from the nervous system and matrescence to practical tools for labor.
We also talk about rising induction and cesarean rates, why so much birth trauma is preventable, and the harmful idea that a difficult birth means you weren't spiritual enough or didn't prepare enough.
In this episode, we also talk about:
- Why around 70% of birth trauma is preventable, and why it comes from how women are treated rather than what happens to them
- Nadine's three elements of a beautiful birth: intentions based on your values, a physical goal, and feeling safe and respected
- Why partners need the whole toolkit, from breath and massage to acupressure and hypnosis
- The connection between sexuality, pleasure and birth
- Matrescence, slowing down in pregnancy, and why our culture struggles to honor new mothers
This conversation is a reminder that we can't control which cards birth will deal us. What we can do is prepare broadly, stay connected to what matters to us, and keep asking: do I feel safe and respected here?
Connect with Nadine:
Website: https://shebirths.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shebirths/
Book: She Births: Your Practical Guide to a Beautiful Birth (available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Waterstones)
Connect with Lesha:
Website: https://www.leshanelson.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesha__nelson/
Link discussed during the show: Elizabeth Sankey's documentary Witches (2024), which explores postpartum anxiety, depression and psychosis through the history of the witch trials: https://youtu.be/_qwx5350Bj8?si=mwMzZMUjXb3wd4XKhttps://youtu.be/_qwx5350Bj8?si=mwMzZMUjXb3wd4XK
