In this last episode of the podcast I share with you my postpartum experience with my son born in June 2023. I talk about how I prepared for it, who I invited into my space and what it did for me. Send me a DM on Instagram with the word "Prepped" to receive my "Prepped for Postpartum" ebook https://www.instagram.com/mothers_transition/ The Nest doulas https://www.doulacollective.fi/

In this episode I share with you the birth story of my son who was born in June 2023. I also share the news that my family and I are moving to The Netherlands and that this episode will be coming to an end. These episodes will always be available for listeners so you can keep recommending them as well as the other Nest Doulas. www.doulacollective.fi is where you can find more info about our Nest Doulas. www.motherstransition.com is where you can continue to follow my work as well...

On this episode I will be wrapping up the podcast for a few months as I go on my maternity leave. I share with you what I have been doing in the past few weeks to prepare for birth and postpartum as well as what I am hoping to feel and do in the last weeks of my pregnancy. The future of the podcast still remains unclear to me but I will be popping in and out, maybe surprising you with an episode here or there before I make any official announcements as to how it will continue. I want to thank...

On this episode of the podcast, I'm sharing with you Alma's birth story. In this episode Alma shares her challenging experience of dealing with a late diagnosis of preeclampsia which led into an induction and then to a cesarean birth. Alma so vulnerably shares how one of her biggest fears was having a cesarean and how throughout her pregnancy she didn't really deal with that fear. She also talked about the disappointing and difficult experience she had after the surgery where she was in the...

Welcome to this episode of the podcast where we dive into Maria's birth stories. A first birth story which left Maria feeling broken and traumatized followed by a healing and empowering experience of birth with her second child. Maria talks about the importance of good support in healing from birth trauma as well as recognizing it as such in the first place. This episode is for anyone who has had a challenging first birth experience and maybe wants to hear that it's possible to birth with...

On this episode of the podcast I chat with Linda Tötterman, a midwife working at Lohja hospital. Linda used to work at Naistenkilinikka before Lohja and we got to chatting about some of the differences between these two hospitals. We touched upon the capacity, the amount of midwives there, the general approach and atmosphere, and much more. Linda shared her passion for physiologic birth and talked as well about the challenges that a midwife might experience due to the lack of continuity of...

Today's episode is all about water birth! Johanna Honkanen has been working as a midwife for 17 years. She has been in the hospital and now has her own private practice. She is one of the leading midwives in Finland about childbirth and has been involved in writing the water birth guidelines and recommendations that are used in hospitals all around Finland. She also trains midwives and doctors in hospitals around Finland to be able to support water birth better. In this episode you will find...

On today's episode you will hear another wonderful birth story from Mai who shares about the birth of her first daughter. We also got a bit into the birth of her second son and how those two were a bit different and of course connected. Mai talked about the importance of preparation and having a support person such as a doula for herself and for her partner just as much if not even more. We talked about the importance of the birth team and the atmosphere of the birthing room. Mai shared how...

Welcome to this episode of the podcast - a solo episode with your host Danielle Bensky. Today I share with you my feelings and thoughts about becoming a mom of two. In the moment of this recording I am 2 months away from giving birth and I wanted to share from the place that I am in right now just as I stand in front of the big unknown and this transitional moment. Listen to find out about my excitement, sadness, grief, anxiety. Find out what I'm hoping to use as my tools to support myself...

On this episode my guest is Georg Macharey - a perinatologist working in the delivery ward of Naistenklinikka. Georg has written his PhD on the topic of breech presentation and is one of the experts in this field in Finland. In today's episode Georg explains the different breech positions that exist and their implications for the birth as well as how the position is discovered. We spoke about what makes vaginal breech birth different from cephalic and what are some criteria that the hospital...

This episode of the podcast is all about the pelvic floor or as we've been calling it on the episode - the pelvic trampoline. Listen in to find out why my guest Mari Camut prefers this imagery to more accurately represent what this area of our body is all about. Mari talked a lot about what can happen to the pelvic floor or trampoline through the pregnancy and after birth. She also explained why having a check up with a physiotherapist can be so important and where to even find one here in...

Welcome to today's episode where you'll hear another birth story. This time it's from a second time mother who talks so beautifully about getting ready for labor using hypnobirthing, and learning to trust herself through understanding what it is she wants. Ana shared how relaxed she got in labor using hypnobirthing to the point that her husband thought that labor had actually stopped. Listen in to hear Ana's experience with being 10cm dilated and yet not ready to push and how this was...

Welcome to this episode with Saskia who shared the birth story of her third child. Saskia gives us her experience of the challenges she faced as well as the non linear progression of her fast birth. Listen in to find out about some upcoming events this month of March 2023 and sign up with the links in the show notes! Topics:  Saskia's third birth mental challenges during pregnancy  a birth initiated by balloon induction and membrane rupture a fast labor  going from 5cm to pushing...

Welcome to the 45th episode of the podcast and to our one year anniversary! This is such a wonderful milestone of creating content for you that is relevant and helpful in navigating your way through giving birth in Finland, especially as a foreigner. Thank you for being with me on this journey and for coming back each week to listen to these episodes! On the podcast today, I have Anayte on to talk about her birth story which was also attended by her Nest doula Rosalia. Anayte shared how,...

On this episode of the podcast you will hear a birth story from the perspective of the partner! How did he experience the birth of his daughter, what effect did having a birth doula have on his experience and what are some things that were really touching and challenging for him. Johannes and his wife had Chloe (from The Nest) as their birth doula. You can find more information about Chloe in the show notes. Join Johannes and I as we explore the birth of his daughter. This episode will give...

On this episode we will hear Amelia's birth story of her son Phoenix. Together with Amelia, I have on the episode her birth doula Rosalia from whom you will find out how Amelia prepared for birth and what happened in the labor as well as in the moments after.  Amelia's story is an unmedicated vaginal birth at Jorvi hospital with so many wonderful details from the car ride to the hospital to her baby's first poop while being born.  Join us on this episode to hear what birthing in Finland was...

On this episode of the podcast I welcome Inka and Laura who work at a charity called  Äimä. This is a charity aimed at dealing with perinatal mental health challenges while looking at the entire family unit as well as how to make change on a national political level. We talked about the kind of mental health challenges that the charity supports as well as how they are involved in making national impact. Laura talked about the challenges that face women when they try to receive help from the...

On this episode of the podcast Soňa Jány-Louhivori explains the importance of caring for your birth scars. We dive into the emotions that our scars carry and how those emotions can be different depending on the birth story we experienced. Soňa shared her own story of healing her scar and how she noticed what she calls the "chaining effect" in which one scar can have a direct influence on other body areas. Soňa also explained how one can do their own scar massage and invites our listeners to a...

On this episode of the podcast Rosalia and I speak about pregnancy loss. We touched on the emotional experience of families who are going through this, what are their needs and how a person like a bereavement doula can meet those needs. We talked about the terminology and the importance of the words we use, as well as the statistics on pregnancy loss. I had a real aha moment towards the end of the episode related to the experience of trying to conceive again following a loss. We finished the...

Welcome back to this episode of the podcast with Laura Laitala, organizer and instructor at the Loru Leikkipuisto inside Oodi. Laura came on the podcast to introduce the concept of Leikkipuistos (playgrounds) to any foreign parent who doesn't know it. We spoke about the history of the playgrounds, what you can find there, why the instructors could be a great person of contact to have for any family issues or challenges, and why the playground itself is such a fantastic place for families to...

Welcome to episode 38 of the podcast and the second episode in my mini-series of solo episodes about postpartum. This episode is dedicated to newborn mother and newborn baby needs and expectations. I'll be explaining what new mothers need and what is found across several traditions and cultures that is in common to postpartum care. You'll find out how you can plan your postpartum around those needs and why that can make a great foundation to a postpartum plan. The second part of the episode...

In this episode of the podcast I talk about using mindfulness in parenting. This is the third and last episode in my mini-series of solo episodes that have focused on postpartum and parenting. Mindfulness has been a big teacher in my mothering and I love sharing that with other parents! I spoke about what mindfulness could look like at the different stages and phases of parenthood and how we could put them into practice. I shared about how my baby's sleep was a big opportunity for me to...

Happy New Year to those listening just as this episode airs. We are just a few days into 2023 and that marks 1 year since I started working on this podcast full time. To mark this beautiful celebration I'm coming out with a mini series of 3 solo episodes dedicated to postpartum preparation and expectations. Think of it like your mini course with me on how to get ready for postpartum. This first episode will be all about preparing for postpartum in pregnancy where I'll be explaining about what...

On this week's episode we're having Anna Perälä back on the show to talk about her other passion - homeopathy. Anna is a homeopathic birth doula who introduces us to the world of homeopathy. In this episode we debunk some myths about this healing modality and I have to say that it made me curious! Anna explained the basics and origins, the importance of looking and treating the person as a whole, as well as how it can support each stage of the parenting journey from conception through to the...