Best Military Birth Resource Network And Postpartum Coalition Podcasts (2025)

1
68. Navy Spouse Reyna Talks Overseas Medevac To Give Birth, Postpartum Emergency Surgery, and Return to Japan with a Newborn 34:21

Play Pause

28d ago34:21

34:21

In today’s episode we’re hearing from Reyna, who is a Navy Spouse. Reyna shares the birth story of her second child, who was born at the very end of 2019. Reyna and her family PCS’ed overseas when she was 6 months pregnant, only to find out almost immediately that she’d be sent back to the states to give birth. Reyna had a planned c-section and the…

1
67. Navy ER Nurse Hannah Talks Hospital Delivery with Birth Injury Followed by Empowering Accidental Unassisted Homebirth 43:50

1M ago43:50

43:50

In today’s episode, I’m speaking Hannah who is Active Duty in the Navy as an ER nurse. Her first birth took place at the MTF where she worked, and it was a very long experience which ended with a forceps delivery resulting in a birth injury that took nearly a year to be resolved. Her second experience was totally different, and ended up being an ac…

1
66. Navy Lt Samantha McLaughlin Talks Experiencing PPROM as an Active Duty L&D Nurse with NICU Stay 47:37

1M ago47:37

47:37

In today’s episode I’m speaking with LT Samantha Mclaughlin, who’s Active Duty. LT Mclaughlin shares the birth story of her daughter who was born just shy of 33 weeks, after her water broke at 31 weeks. At the time, Samantha was working as a Labor & Delivery Nurse in 29 Palms, but because there was no NICU there they had to be transferred to anothe…

1
65. Melissa Talks Natural Hospital Birth With Hypnobirthing While on Active Duty In the Coast Guard 35:05

2M ago35:05

35:05

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Melissa, who is Active Duty in the Coast Guard. Melissa mostly focuses on her third birth experience, which was a natural birth through a midwife clinic out in town. She had had epidural births with her prior two and wanted to try something different this time so she dove into hypnobirthing and really prepared f…

1
64. Navy Spouse Ebony Talks On-Base Home Birth With Deployed Spouse, Hypnobirthing, and the Importance of Community Support 45:01

2M ago45:01

45:01

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Navy Spouse Ebony. Ebony is a homeschooling mom of five kids, and she and her family are currently stationed in Stuttgart. In this episode Ebony shares the birth story of her third child, who was born at home on base in Yokosuka Japan, while her husband was deployed. Ebony had a wonderful team around her and descri…

1
63. Coast Guard Spouse and Physical Therapist Jen Talks Long Birth Out In Town During COVID, Cross Country PCS With a Newborn, and Honing In Professionally on Pelvic Floor PT 42:13

2M ago42:13

42:13

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Dr. Jen Bertoluzzi who is a Coast Guard Spouse and Physical Therapist with a focus on pelvic floor PT. Jen’s birth experiences begin with a miscarriage that happened right at tbeginning of the COVID 19 lockdowns. They got pregnant again, and Jen gave birth out in town with a team that was not very supportive of …

1
62. Navy Spouse Alice's Birth Center to Hospital Birth Story, and Why Agency in Birth Choices Matters 35:04

2M ago35:04

35:04

Alice is a Navy Spouse who is originally from the UK, where she worked as a licensed midwife. She joins Military Birth Talk today to share the story of her pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience with her first daughter. She had originally planned for a low intervention birth center birth, and ended up transferring to the hospital when her labo…

1
61. Army Captain Jessica Cooper Talks Long Induction, Geo-Baching, Postpartum Recovery While in PME 51:16

3M ago51:16

51:16

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Captain Jessica Cooper, who is a medical service officer serving in the Army. During Jessica’s pregnancy she saw midwives through the community hospital on Fort Campbell, and she had a really positive experience there. She ended up being induced when her baby started having heart decelerations during a 40 week …

1
60. Space Force Spouse Genesis Talks Genetic Testing During Pregnancy With Abnormal Findings, Induction, and C-Section Birth Story 47:19

3M ago47:19

47:19

In today’s episode, Space Force spouse Genesis shares her pregnancy and birth story with her son. During her pregnancy, she opted to do genetic testing, which revealed that her son was at risk of being diagnosed with a chromosome abnormality. It was a bumpy road to understand the results and get more information, and the experience made it really h…

1
59. Amber Talks Mental Health Challenges During Pregnancy While on Active Duty, Two C-Sections, and The Grief of Getting Out 42:58

3M ago42:58

42:58

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Amber who was active duty in the air force for 4 years, before getting out after the birth of her second child. She had a very challenging first pregnancy with her son, which included a lot of mental health challenges which were really hard to navigate on top of being active duty and living far away from family…

1
58. Retired Navy OB Dr. John Richard Talks 24 Years in Navy Obstetrics 55:31

3M ago55:31

55:31

In today's episode, we're joined by Dr. John Richard who served 24 years as an OB in the Navy. During our conversation he shares his perspective on a whole range of issues including military medicine as a whole, staffing issues, how rank impacts pregnancy care for service members, and he also answered some follower questions. Please be aware that o…

1
57. Air Force Spouse Courtney Talks Two C-Sections at the Same MTF, Military Resources for Families During Deployments, and Setting Your Expectations as a Military Spouse 38:39

3M ago38:39

38:39

In today’s episode, I’m talking with Air Force Spouse Courtney. Courtney shares her two c-section birth stories, which both took place at the same military treatment facility in Florida. Courtney’s husband deployed shortly after both births, but she had great support from visiting family, and her husband’s squadron who brought over lots of deliciou…

1
56. Dual-Mil Navy Couple Tiana and Myer Talk Birth Stories, Family Care Plans, Career Sacrifices, and the "Secret Society" of Fathers in the Navy 55:51

4M ago55:51

55:51

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Myer & Tiana Krah who were both Active Duty in the Navy, and are both now retired. They have four little boys, including a set of twins, so we hear about Tiana’s C-section, then her VBAC, and then the birth of her twins which was also a military hospital VBAC. They talk about navigating deployments, overseas or…

1
55. Navy Spouse Sarah Talks Eclamptic Seizure While Solo Parenting, NICU Experience, and Leaning On Your Community 35:25

4M ago35:25

35:25

In today’s episode, we’re hearing from Navy Spouse Sarah, who tells the story of her third pregnancy and birth. When Sarah was 28 weeks pregnant, she was in the car with her other two kids when she had an eclamptic seizure. Her husband, a submarine officer in the Navy, was underway at the time and rushed back after receiving an American Red Cross m…

1
54. Navy Pilot Jacque Talks Pregnancy Loss, Homebirth, and the Importance of Not "Outsourcing Your Power" During Pregnancy 52:24

4M ago52:24

52:24

In the first episode of Season 4 of Military Birth Talk, Lieutenant Jacqueline McCrory shares her journey through pregnancies and births as an active duty Navy pilot. Jackie recounts meeting her husband at the Naval Academy, their careers as pilots, and managing dual military duties while starting a family. She discusses the challenges of multiple …

1
53. Annie Talks Life As a Military Midwife Plus Her Own Birth Stories Including Hospital Births, Home Births, and a C-Section 51:45

6M ago51:45

51:45

In this episode of Military Birth Talk, we're speaking with LCDR Anne Laird, who was active duty in the navy for 12 years and now serves in the reserves as a midwife. Annie shares her extensive experiences both as a military midwife and as a mother of five, who has had pretty much every type of birth you could think of from a hospital birth with an…

1
52. EmilieAn Talks Three Births and Eleven Miscarriages As A Military Spouse, Finding Her Niche In the Doula World, and Why Military Families Are So Special 50:51

6M ago50:51

50:51

In this episode of Military Birth Talk, EmilieAn shares her experiences as a military spouse, mother, and doula. Her first child was born the day after 9/11. After that birth, she suffered 11 miscarriages, 9 of which she managed at home and 2 of which required D&Cs while her family was PCSing. She then went on to have two more babies. She’s now bee…

1
51. Coast Guard Spouse Michelle Talks Gestational Trophoblastic Disease, Two Birth Stories, and Hysterectomy 33:26

6M ago33:26

33:26

In this episode of Military Birth Talk, Michelle shares her experiences with gestational trophoblastic disease, a rare form of cancer which was discovered following the miscarriage of her first pregnancy, and required multiple DNCs and chemotherapy. Following her diagnosis, Michelle went on to have two children, and then had a hysterectomy after he…

1
50. Air Force Spouse Molly Talks Pregnancy Experience at First Duty Station, Off Base Birth Story, and Navigating Postpartum Depression While Learning Life as a New Military Spouse 37:59

6M ago37:59

37:59

Today's guest Molly shares her experiences as a new military spouse and mother. Molly discusses the challenges and positives of her husband's Air Force duty station at Scott Air Force Base, her pregnancy and birth journey with an off-base OB in Missouri, and coping with the distance from family. She talks about leveraging a doula for support, the h…

1
49. Airman Brawnlyn Talks Infertility Challenges and Working with the Air Force to Create Change, How Medical Racism Impacts Maternity Care, Accidental Homebirth following a Precipitous Labor, and the ... 46:01

7M ago46:01

46:01

Brawnlyn is Active Duty serving in the Air Force. Prior to the birth of her daughter, Brawnlyn and her husband battled infertility, an experience which led her to begin working with the Air Force’s Women's Initiatives Team to improve infertility care and options for service members. When she got pregnant with her daughter, despite having a hospital…

1
47. Colonel Melissa Dombrock Talks Overseas Births, Navigating Pregnancy and Postpartum As a Flying Squadron Commander, and the State of Women's Healthcare in the Military 1:05:04

7M ago1:05:04

1:05:04

Colonel Melissa Dombrock has served in the Air Force for almost 20 years, and is currently stationed overseas in Germany. Melissa shares her two birth stories, the first of which happened in the Army hospital and then the second was an accidental unassisted homebirth. We talk about her experience over time as an aviator rising through the ranks and…

1
46. Advocacy Talk: MBRNPC's Samantha Sliney on Breastmilk Transport Entitlement and How Making Pregnancy a Qualifying Life Event Could Significantly Improve Birth Choice for Service Women 39:31

7M ago39:31

39:31

In today's episode we hear from MBRNPC Board Member Samantha C. Arrington Sliney, Esq, who transitioned off of Active Duty after 10 years of service and now serves in the Air National Guard. Samantha's legislative advocacy work was born through the Air Force's Women's Initiatives Team where she currently serves as Co-Chair. Samantha provides severa…

1
45. Airman Klarissa Talks UK Birth Story: Emergency C-Section, Exclusive Pumping, Parenting In a Dual-Mil Family, and How the Womens Initiatives Team is Tackling Retention 42:03

7M ago42:03

42:03

In this episode, I’m speaking with Klarissa who’s Active Duty in the Air Force and shares the birth of her son who was born in the UK this past summer. Klarissa’s prenatal care was offered in groups, which she really enjoyed. She ended up having an emergency C-section, and then she also experienced a postpartum hemmorage and had to have a blood tra…

1
44. Army Spouse Kristal's Birth Stories, with Conversation on How Her Medical Background Impacted Her Experience, East Asian Postpartum Cultural Practices, and the Importance of Holistic Family Care 55:39

7M ago55:39

55:39

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Kristal Lau who is an Army spouse sharing two birth stories. Kristal’s first birth story took place in Alabama and her second was born OCONUS in Wiesbaden Germany. So two totally different settings and it was really interesting to hear the differences in some of the culture norms between the two, and then w…

1
43. Jazmon's Births While on Active Duty in the Air Force, Dual Mil Dynamics, Lack of Postpartum Support and Career Impact 33:00

8M ago33:00

33:00

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Jazmon, who serves in the Air Force, as does her husband. She mostly focuses on her first birth story which took place while her family was stationed at Cannon Air Force base, which was located two hours from the closest hopsital with OB care. So Jazmon shares how that incredibly long commute impacted her pregna…

1
42. Satin's Hospital Birth Story: Beautiful pregnancy despite lack of family support, followed by hospital birth and experience of medical racism during postpartum care 55:24

8M ago55:24

55:24

In today’s episode I’m joined by Satin, who is an Army spouse, and she’ll be sharing the birth story of her son who was born at a hospital out in town in Oklahoma. Satin shares about the birth itself but also talks a lot about the lack of family support during her pregnancy, due to being stationed far away from community, and how that impacted her.…

1
41. Navy Spouse Kara's Hospital and Home Birth Stories 49:45

8M ago49:45

49:45

Today I’m speaking with Kara who shares her two birth stories as a Navy Spouse. Her first birth was a hospital birth and her second was a home birth. She talks about the way her lived experience as a military spouse impacted her pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, including how moving multiple times affected her options and her access to support post…

1
40. Marianna's Traumatic Military Hospital Birth follow by "Night and Day" Experience Out In Town 45:34

8M ago45:34

45:34

Marianna served 10 years in the air national guard and shares her two birth stories. When describing her first birth, she says that "everything that could have gone wrong did," and despite the birth taking place at the hospital where she was serving as a nurse, it ended up being a pretty traumatic experience for both her and her husband. Her next b…

1
39. Zatha's Birth Center Birth Story Followed by Wild Pregnancy and Free Birth OCONUS 1:01:12

9M ago1:01:12

1:01:12

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Zatha who was Active Duty in the Marine Corps for her first birth, and then got out before her second birth. Even though she was Active Duty her first birth took place at a birth center due to low staffing at the military hospital where they were stationed, and then her second birth was a free birth at their ho…

1
38. Amber's Birth and Postpartum Stories: Active duty in the Air Force, dual-military dynamics, and juggling it all with four kids 34:06

9M ago34:06

34:06

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Amber who's had four children while on Active Duty in a dual-military family. She talks about the differences between her first and her most recent births, how unit culture plays a key role in balancing work and family, and how she and her spouse make it all happen! Tune in wherever you get your podcasts. Follow al…

1
37. Active Duty Airman Emily's Birth Story: Balancing Work as a Missile Launch Officer, Pregnancy, and Postpartum Experiences 33:55

9M ago33:55

33:55

Today we're hearing from Captain Emily Foreman, and Active Duty Airman, who shares her pregnancy and postpartum story as an ICBM missile launch officer. Emily shares some unique perspectives about pregnancy in her specific field, managing postpartum while frequently being "deployed in place," and how to ask for help when you need it. Follow along w…

1
36. BONUS EPISODE: Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (DMER) and Its Impact on Military Members and Spouses 39:02

9M ago39:02

39:02

Join us today for a roundtable discussion about Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex, or DMER. We hear from Dr. Krystal Lau (military spouse) and Tiffany Jordan (retired airman), about their personal experiences with DMER, and learn about the science behind the phenomenon. We also talk about how this experience uniquely impacts military connected people.…

1
35. Air National Guardsman Cassie's Birth Story: Dual-Military Obligations, DMER, and PMDD 40:49

9M ago40:49

40:49

In today's episode, we're hearing from Cassie who gave birth while with the Air National Guard. Cassie is an a dual-mil relationship, and had her first baby while her husband was away on training, and joining the birth via FaceTime. Her postpartum experience included challenges like DMER and PMDD, and she shares how that impacted her mental health …

1
Your favorite military birth podcast returns next week! 2:04

10M ago2:04

2:04

Military Birth Talk will be back with Season 3 next week! This season will bring more birth stories from service members and military spouses, plus roundtable discussions, updates on advocacy work, policy conversations, and more. Join us on August 29th and find a new episode in your favorite podcast app every Thursday. Follow along with Military Bi…

1
34. Marilyn's Marine Corps Birth Stories: MTF Inductions for Pre-Eclampsia, Plus Juggling Motherhood and Mission Readiness, and the Importance of Setting the Example 39:06

12M ago39:06

39:06

Episode Sponsor: The Breastfeeding Shop Website: www.thebreastfeedingshop.com IG: @thebreastfeedingshop FB: www.facebook.com/thebreastfeedingshop In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Marilyn who shares two birth and postpartum stories while serving as an Active Duty Marine. Both of Marilyn’s births took place at Military Treatment Facilities, one …

1
33. Navy Veteran and Marine Corps Spouse Audrey's Hypnobirthing Birth Story 41:32

12M ago41:32

41:32

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Audrey who was Active Duty in the Navy before retiring and is now a Marine Corps Spouse. Today she’ll be sharing her second birth story which was a hypnobirthing birth, and she really focuses on the support that her doula provided during the pregnancy while her husband was deployed. Thankfully he returned about a w…

1
32. Tabitha's Marine Corps Birth Stories: stigmas around pregnancy for junior Marines, multiple organ prolapse, and the importance of postpartum care for service members 56:32

1y ago56:32

56:32

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Tabitha who shares three birth stories while on Active Duty in the Marine Corps, and one after she got out through the VA. Her first birth was at a military hospital and she discusses the stigmatizing experience she had being pregnant as a junior Marine living in the barracks. The subsequent three births took pl…

1
31. Army Reservist Dr. Olymphia O'Neale-White on PCOS and Navigating Pregnancy Loss as a Service Member 44:35

1y ago44:35

44:35

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Olymphia O’Neale White, who serves as an Army reservist as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in perinatal mental health. Dr. O shares her experience with PCOS, a condition which contributed to fertility challenges, and then a silent miscarriage which was discovered at 16 weeks, and managed with…

1
30. USMC Spouse Bailee's C-Section and VBAC Stories, Plus Reflections on Life and Parenting as a Military Spouse 43:19

1y ago43:19

43:19

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Bailee, a Marine Corps spouse. Bailee’s husband was in a training and was unable to attend their first child’s birth, which was an induction that ended in a c-section. For Bailee’s second birth experience she wanted a different experience so she researched more about birth options, got a doula, and prepared for…

1
29. Navy Spouse Bethel's Birth Stories: Hypnobirthing at Yokosuka MTF, Deployment at 5 Days Postpartum, Solo PCS Back Stateside, and Perinatal Mental Health Conversation 47:57

1y ago47:57

47:57

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Bethel, a Navy Spouse, and one half of the Salty Milspouse podcast. Bethel shares two birth stories, which both took place at at the Naval Hospital in Yokosuka Japan using hypnobirthing. She talks about the incredible village that supported her when her husband deployed at 5 days postpartum, how her mental heal…

1
28. Marine Corps Spouse Amanda: Four Birth Stories As a Type 1 Diabetic 45:04

1y ago45:04

45:04

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Amanda, a Marine Corps Spouse. Amanda shares 4 birth stories, two vaginal births, a C-section, and a VBAC. Some of the births took place on base and some were out in town. She also talks about getting diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and how that impacted her pregnancies and deliveries. She’s now working on her d…

1
27. Army Spouse Julie's Birth Story: Navigating infertility as a military member, plus working to decrease barriers to care 41:21

1y ago41:21

41:21

This week is National Infertility Awareness week. In today’s episode I’m speaking with Julie, an Army spouse who shares her experience navigating infertility, and then also one birth story. She also talks about her work advocating for TRICARE members to have insurance coverage for fertility treatments, and her experience founding a nonprofit called…

1
26. Hannah's Navy Birth Story: Dual Mil, MTF Birth, with Postpartum Sepsis Diagnosis and A Challenging Return to Work 1:02:32

1y ago1:02:32

1:02:32

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Hannah, who is Active Duty in the Navy. Hannah shares her MTF birth story, and her experience being diagnosed with sepsis in the days following her birth, as the result of a UTI that turned into a kidney infection. She also talks about the experience of being one of the only new moms in her command in recent yea…

1
25. Air Force Spouse Victoria: Transfer from Okinawa to San Diego at 34 Weeks, C-Section, and Return to Island 31:36

1y ago31:36

31:36

In today’s episode, we’re hearing from Victoria, an Air Force spouse currently living in Okinawa Japan. Victoria learned at her 34 week appointment that she would have to leave the island to give birth, and was sent to San Diego to have her baby. She shares that birth story and talks about the logistics of being sent off island so late in her pregn…

1
24. Air Force Spouse Nicole: Traumatic Birth in German Hospital, C17 Transport CONUS, and Infant Death from Multiple CCHDs 1:07:05

1y ago1:07:05

1:07:05

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Nicole, an Air Force spouse who shares one birth story, which took place at a German hospital on the economy. She had a traumatic birthing experience there, which was further magnified by the subsequent confirmation of several critical diagnoses for her son, Owen, suspected conditions which had only been uncove…

1
23. Air Force JAG Sam: Three MTF birth stories, plus treating tongue/lip ties and breastfeeding advocacy 53:03

1y ago53:03

53:03

In today’s episode, we hear from Sam, who’s an Active Duty JAG Attorney serving in the Air Force. Sam shares her three birth stories, which all took place at the same military treatment facility. We also talk about their experience working through Tricare to manage lip and tongue ties with their three kids, Sam’s advocacy work to support breastfeed…

1
22. Coast Guard Spouse Nicole's Homebirth Story, and the Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy 46:16

1y ago46:16

46:16

In today's episode, I'm speaking with Nicole, a Coast Guard spouse who is a chiropractor currently stationed and working in North Carolina. Nicole shares her home birth story, and then we talk about the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy, and how her identity as a military spouse has evolved through her birthing experience and her profe…

1
21. Shanon and Matthew's Homebirth Story: Retired dual-military with surprise EAS, and the "partner's purpose" 48:25

1y ago48:25

48:25

In today’s episode, I’m joined by husband and wife team Shanon and Matthew Morris, both retired service members, Shanon from the Navy and Matthew from the Marine Corps. Shanon and Matthew share the story of their daughter’s birth, including some of the logistics around how they navigated their healthcare since Matthew’s service ended earlier than e…

1
20. Jessica's Air Force Birth Story: Full-Term Stillbirth and Navigating the Military After Child Loss 40:20

1y ago40:20

40:20

In todays episode, I’m joined by Jessica. Jessica experienced a full term still birth while serving on active duty with the Air Force, and she shares that story with us today. In addition to hearing about that pregnancy and the loss of her and her husband’s first daughter, we’ll also hear about Jessica’s subsequent pregnancies and how her care was …

1
19. Alexa's Navy Birth Story: OCONUS Pregnancy and Birth with Supportive Military Community 34:13

1+ y ago34:13

34:13

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Alexa who shares her experience of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum while stationed overseas in Japan. Alexa served 7 years in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and is now a Navy spouse. She talks about receiving support from a fertility clinic out in town and then experiencing a miscarriage at 12 weeks. She then sha…