Episode Details

In this special solo episode, Ashley walks through everything that led up to Stellan’s birth, from the journal entry she wrote to him on his due date to the moment her water broke twenty minutes later, through two and a half hours of the most intense and fast labor she could have imagined, to catching him in her own bedroom with Brandon by her side and her midwife barely making it through the door. It is exactly the kind of first-time home birth story Ashley wished she could have found when she was pregnant and searching for proof that it was possible.

Ashley also shares the moments she almost talked herself out of trusting her body, what the OB who told her she was high-risk and that her cervix might not open got completely wrong, and what her midwife team said after the birth that made her cry in the best possible way. She talks about castor oil induction, the fetal ejection reflex, why the shakes after birth might be the body’s way of releasing stored trauma, and what valerian did for her in the golden hour. She also gives a quick update on life with Stellan three weeks in, where she is spending time on Substack, and what is coming on the podcast while she continues her maternity leave.

This episode is for every woman who has been told her body might not be able to do this. Ashley’s story is proof that it might surprise you.

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Ashley’s Substack with full birth story, photos, and motherhood content: Awakening Spaces on Substack
• Karen Welton Pain Free Birth courses and podcast
• Zara D’Cotta, The Healthy Home guest episodes: 
  • EP56: Better Buildings Start with People: Building Science and Industry Culture with Mark Wille of The Build Show
  • EP57: Soul-Led Architecture: Designing Healthy Homes from the Inside Out with Jo Gillies of Archisoul
  • EP58: Dancing Raven: Building a Healthy Vacation Rental in the Sonoran Desert with Ray Clamons
• Castor oil USP for labor induction (pharmaceutical grade, not the same as castor oil packs)
• Amniotic fluid pH test strips
• Valerian for post-birth shakes
• Organic cotton postpartum diapers (link to be included in show notes)
• Awakening Spaces email: hello@awakeningspaces.com
• Brownell Landrum wishing episode of The Awakening Spaces Podcast

CONNECT WITH ASHLEY
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Ashley helps you renovate and build healthier homes to prevent future health issues from arising from your environment. Whether you’re searching for a new home, assessing concerns with your current one, or embarking on a renovation or new build, Awakening Spaces can guide you every step of the way.

Ashley brings her background in Building Biology and Building Science and years of hands-on experience helping families build and renovate homes to prevent mold, chemical exposure, and EMFs in their living spaces. If you’re looking to build or renovate a new home, Ashley has courses to empower you and one-on-one offerings to guide you through the whole process so you can avoid costl