00:05
Hi friends, welcome to the Pain Free Birth podcast. I'm your host, Karen Welton, a certified doula, childbirth educator and mother of three. In this space, we'll hear positive, supernatural and yes, even pain free birth stories from women just like you. We'll explore the deeply spiritual side of childbirth and how God designed women's bodies brilliantly for birth. Let's get started.
00:30
Hi, mamas. Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Ali Levine from Ali Levine Design. And she's sharing her birth stories with us today. She's had three births, one a cesarean, the next a VBAC, and then the third a home birth where I worked with her kind of behind the scenes and she took my course and all radically different. She also is an incredible expert and practitioner in breath work.
00:59
And so she has some amazing gems she's gonna share with us today that really transformed her birthing experiences. So, Ali, welcome to the show. Thank you, Karen. I'm so honored to be here with you. And I was saying before I started recording, what divine timing since you helped me last year, Abel, my son, the home birth, happened a year ago. You know, September 11th is when he was born last year. So it's so wild. Like, here we are. He just turned one.
01:26
Amazing. I love how God brings things full circle like that and just to be able to reflect on His birth a year later and tell the birth story and give glory to God and as just a testimony. What a beautiful thing. So would you tell us a little bit about where you were at with your first birth and how that all unfolded and the first and then the second and just the progression? Because obviously these are very different birthing experiences.
01:53
Absolutely. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, it's so wild now when I look back on my journey and you're like, God has such a sense of humor, man, and it's so good. And, you know, it's funny when I think back to my first birth. First off, I for those that don't know my story, I was a somebody wardrobe stylist, I was living in Hollywood at the time, I was very much in the grind. And I mentioned that because I was very on autopilot, I was not present. I was not present with my body with my pregnancy, I was very on the go. And I believe that
02:21
really had an impact on everything I went through into not making the right alliance choices when it came to my birth with my team, all the things, listening to the noise around me instead of listening to myself. And really just the trauma I went through all through, you know, from the end of, you know, the birth to the postpartum depression that then came for a year and a half later and my journey from that. But the blessing in that was that led me to so much of finding God again and my faith and moved me into a place of true presence and
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health and letting go of all the BS and my ego, which I like to say is edging God out, as surely was for me. And I really had to go on a journey. God kind of took everything away from me, for me to kind of burn it all down and let it all go, to see like, you've been in this wrapped personality of like, you don't even know who you are anymore. You've fallen into everything, you know, you've gotten into toxic situations, toxic people, toxic opportunities, and you lost sight of your faith. You lost sight of who I am. You lost sight of who you are, who I've made you to be.
03:20
And I say that because I think it took me a really long time, Karen, to even recognize that that's what was happening in the postpartum depression. Like, yes, the postpartum depression came, I believe, from the traumatic birth, absolutely, because 42 hours, you know, long story short, going from wanting a birth center birth to being transferred to a hospital to then 42 hours later into a C-section and having no clue as a new mom what that was going to look like. That was so intense all by itself. Was it emergency-cessary? Or was it like a lack of, like, a failure to progress?
03:49
Failure to progress, good question. Yeah, so basically it was never really deemed quote unquote an emergency. It was more like we're gonna let her keep going because Amelia, my first, had kept kind of coming down twice in the birth canal, but then kept shooting back up. She wasn't coming all the way through. And my midwife did come with me to the hospital, so at least she was able to help advocate and be a part of what was happening. And so she kind of let me know, hey, you can keep trying. And we've been going for a long time now. And of course there was a stubbornness in me, right?
04:19
It was a part of me that really just wanted so badly to have at least somewhat of a birth that I wanted because I wasn't having the birth center birth. I wasn't having this, you know, perfect look of what I had imagined my birth to be, what I had dreams of it to be. So there was like this letting go of that that I wasn't willing to do. So I just held on so tight and contracted my body. I'm sure now that I reflect.
04:39
Back then, I just felt like what's not happening. Now I realize what was happening. Yeah, you were gripping on tight to the holding so tight. And it creates that tension in your body. Yes. And I was not regulated, obviously. Right. Like I was a celebrity wardrobe stylist. I was on autopilot. And by the way, on that note, which I have to laugh now, but at the time I'm like, wow, it's kind of embarrassing. But I have to admit it because I'm all about being real and vulnerable. My stories. But I remember, Karen, when my clients was blowing me up during my birth and I
05:09
did not create those sacred boundaries. I did not say no. And I was responding to her on my phone during labor, like, Ali. You look back and you're like, what was I thinking? What was I thinking? What was I doing? Like that is the most sacred time of my life. And here I am trying to respond to a client who's flipping out about a dress, oh God knows what. But you know what?
05:34
And that in that moment, I feel like God was trying to show me a reflection. But once again, I was not listening. I was not seeing. I was just so tunnel vision on like, let me get this done and let me make sure this person's happy for such a people pleaser. And I was so contracted and I was so stuck. And I take full responsibility for that now because it's not on the client. It was on me to create the boundaries and to make sure I honored my sacred time. And I allowed that and I created that situation. And so fast forward, like you said, the clenching, the holding on so tight so that
06:01
42 hours later, it was like, she is not progressing. No matter what we do, they put me up to the highest pitocin, epidural after epidural. I mean, it was like so intense. I was sick. I was throwing up. Like it was horrible. And I felt like I didn't even know what it was in my body. Cause my husband, I was like, I don't feel anything. Yet I feel something. Is this my body? Like it was so bizarre. Yeah. And by then your body's not even responding to the drugs and your receptors are over-saturated and nothing, and your body goes into survival mode and just shuts down.
06:31
There's no baby coming out at that point. Exactly complete survival mode. I love it. You mentioned that because obviously with being a breathwork expert now, I talk about that all the time is like how our body goes from the parasympathetic, which is that rest and digest homeostasis that we come into this world and when we're born as babies and we're able to flow and, you know, move through versus what you just spoke to, which is our sympathetic, which is the fight, flight or freeze, which I was in.
06:57
I mean, I was in fighting for sure. And then I moved into freeze and there was no getting me out of it. Like I was stuck. Yeah. So you had this traumatic birth experience, which then led into postpartum depression, but it sounds like God used that journey that you were on to sort of reawaken yourself. So what happened next? Yes, it's so true. I really do believe that postpartum depression journey was my true awakening. Like I was saying, you know, when I went through the postpartum depression, I was like, I was
07:25
I know a lot came up bright, like new go throughs and traumatic. I realized I hadn't grieved in my grandmother's passing back in 2013. That was a huge piece of something that I, I think that's why I got so toxic honestly, and why I kind of just turned everything else off with my soul and just didn't want to feel. And I just got into grind mode. When we focus on this career and make everybody else happy, don't worry about Ali's happiness, just stay here, television, don't feel, just keep going because I was in survival mode again. I didn't want to deal with.
07:51
losing her. She was my person. That's who Amelia is named after. That was my grandmother's name. I know she's very much with me on the other side, but physically losing her was very traumatic for me and changed the trajectory of my life for quite some time. Then like you said, God so beautifully used the post-partum depression to wake me up and to bring me back to my soul and the authenticity of Ali and who I truly was in his eyes and how I was created to be. When that happened, I just
08:20
meditation and prayer and starting to do some breath work and starting to really regulate and calm that all the fear started to fall away. And all of these like limiting beliefs and blocks and stories all started to fall away. And then it was so fascinating to see as that happened. And I was searching affirmations around my body as well of like, my body is healed and my body as well, because I was in plain from all the medicine and I was
08:45
you know, so messed up from everything. And then of course the C-section scar was brutal and it took me like six weeks to even get out of bed. Like it was, it was a tough recovery, you know? And I just kept saying all these different things after of course being in some darkness for quite some months and this is now fast forward what I was doing. And as I was doing that, I started to notice my body started to shift and my body started like actually healing. And then my mind started healing and it was like.
09:10
wait a second, these practices, these things I'm doing, I'm out of the fight or flight, I'm out of fear. And I recognize like, holy crap, God heals me. Like this is like, not only like helped me to see so much in the post-partum depression, but like God literally heals me and it was such an eye-opener. And it was such an awakening of like, oh my gosh. And then these tools that God gives us, right? These affirmations, breath work, meditation, all these things that allow you
09:38
I believe to truly regulate your nervous system and come back to the authenticity of you to come back to who you are as a soul, because that's how we're created to be. And it was life changing. And then we can get into Harley's birth. Oh, wow. So you really discovered God again and discovered the breathwork practices in your healing journey in your postpartum. So how long after did you get pregnant and have your second? Yeah. So that was 2018 is when I had Amelia.
10:06
And then I went through heavy postpartum depression pretty much all through then to basically probably about a little after 2019. I remember when I had Amelia's first birthday, I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel and I got dressed and put my makeup on to feel like myself again or a new version of Ali. And I was like, oh, thank you, God, I can breathe and I can celebrate and I can feel, right? That was another thing that God really walked me through was like.
10:30
allowing myself to feel those emotions, but then also releasing them and realizing, I am not these emotions. God doesn't give these to us. These are things that are embedded in us. They're not of us. We feel them because we have to move through them to heal them, but they are not who we are at the authentic core. And so I was brought through that journey too, of like releasing all that trauma and feeling it and letting it go once and for all and allowing the healing. So then fast forward, I got pregnant with Arlene.
10:56
2020. Oh, Joy. COVID baby. Right. COVID baby is like, I mean, seriously, like, God, obviously it was like, and the next lesson is. And then like, what a test and like, he's staying in your peace to be pregnant during COVID. That was one of the worst times for pregnant women to be pregnant. So much fear, so much anxiety in the world. Like, you're isolated. I have so much compassion. I was done having babies by then. But like, oh, that's...
11:26
I released my e-course right at the start of COVID. Yes. And I actually thought, oh, I missed it. We're two weeks in. They're going to open everything back up in a week or something. And we were going to be in that for two years. That bubbles. I know. Well, and I was in California at the time. So we were talking about the fear porn. And we were locked in our home for over a year and all the things and whatever. I didn't comply. So how?
11:55
You know, and it was just like, it was insane. And you're right. It was such a test of like the fear started rushing back up to be really honest. Karen's fear was coming massively because everyone around me was like, oh my gosh, you're pregnant. What are you gonna do? Like it was like everybody around me was in my ear and I was hearing everything and feeling everything again. And I was like, oh my gosh, I just got out of postpartum depression. I finally have found a new version of me. I've been reinventing myself and on this healing journey.
12:21
And now this is happening. Like you've got to be kidding me. And honestly, I got really dark for a moment. I really lost it. And I had a major breakdown and I started praying and I started breathing and I started meditating and God told me that he would get me through to have faith that it was going to get crazy. It was going to look wild, but I was going to have my inner peace and I was going to be fine and so was my baby and I had to trust I was not given fear. And I heard it loud and clear.
12:48
Yeah. So that fear is so powerful. It's so powerful in labor, so powerful in pregnancy. And it was so overwhelming during that time. I remember I actually created like a class and I told women like, your body has not changed. Like the whole world around you has changed. It is like crazy out there. It is survival mode. It is fear. It is propaganda. It's all of this fear. But your body still works. Your body still works just like a house for thousands of years.
13:18
wanted women to know that because it was so hard to put up those like boundaries. And you almost had to create like a bubble around yourself just to keep all that fear out. And I think women pregnant women have to do that all the time anyway, because there's a generic fear of birth of childbirth. Yes. But then COVID it was like tenfold. So it was like on steroids. I mean, yeah, for sure.
13:41
It was insane. I mean, especially again in California, not if you were repetitive, but it really was because everyone around you was fear. Everything was, you know, you're not going to be able to do this. You're not going to do that. Like, you know, so long story short, like I wanted to have a be back right with Arlie. And before COVID hit, when I was first pregnant, that was like, you know, okay, no problem. Like you want to have a be back, we'll do TOELEC, trial of labor. I know for those that don't know, and you know, we'll see what happens.
14:05
And I had to advocate for that, you know, in the first place, like I had to fire my first doctor because my first doctor said, Nope, you got a C-section. So you're having that C-section. I was like, wait a second. I know for my own studies, my own healing journey, my own resources. Thank God that is not true. And 85% of women actually go through and have a VBAC. So no, you're right. They're successful. 80 to 85% are successful in their VBAC. So.
14:27
Yes, preach girl. You're like, I'm claiming that. I was like, you're fired. You know what I mean? I was like, no way. No way. And after that, like I, you know, found, you know, another doctor who finally said yes. And I remember I was crying his office and he's like, OK, you know, it's emotional. It's OK. I was like, I've been talking to like 10 people like nobody would do it. And he's like, it's not a big deal. You know, he's like, oh, you just needed somebody who would like believe in you. Yes. Yes. And I was like, OK.
14:56
So then, of course, fast forward, then we have COVID and he's like, okay, I know I told you this and I'm still gonna stick to this as best I can but I'm letting you know, policies are changing quickly, procedures are changing quickly, everything's changing quickly. I don't even know if your husband will be allowed to be here. I don't even know if this will happen. It was like, oh my God, wait, what? Everything was changing so quickly and I was so grateful that I had my practices of breath work and prayer and meditation to continue to move me through every time the fear would creep up, every time I would say, this is not gonna happen.
15:25
this is going to happen instead. It was like, no, breathe into faith, trust, regulate, and receive the word and know that you're going to be fine. And that's what I did every single day, Karen. And it was so intense sometimes where I would just get in the bath for hours, honestly, and do that and cry and just release and allow myself to move all of that out and say, fear, you are not allowed to be here. You don't live here. And I would go move back into faith, you know, and really trust. And it was, and you said it so perfectly with the sacred boundaries. I had to tell my own parents.
15:54
family and friends, like stop calling, like I love you, but stop. I'm not giving you any more updates. I'm not having this conversation anymore. I'm not feeding this energy. I'm not feeding this fear. I understand where you're at and I can appreciate it. And I know it's in love, but I can't do it because it's messing with me. It's getting into my head. It's getting into my body and I can not do it. I have to create these sacred boundaries. And I honestly, I hurt a lot of people in the sense of, you know, I hurt their egos, right? Like they didn't understand and they felt very shut out.
16:23
it was because I had to protect my peace. I had to protect myself and my baby and say, I love you, but I have to love me more and love this baby and protect my sacred bubble and make sure that everything I do is in alignment with what God is telling me to do, period.
16:49
your birth is sacred, your baby's experience, your experience of that labor and birth is sacred. And so those boundaries are sacred and people don't understand them all the time and they get offended. And you know what? That's okay. Like they'll get over it, but you're going to remember your birth for the rest of your life. And that's up to you to create those boundaries. And it could be hard to say no, it could be hard to not respond to someone who wants updates or
17:15
know, put up a boundary and say, I don't want to hear that fearful narrative or birth story, like, I'm focused on this thing. And sometimes it takes all our energy as pregnant women to stay focused on the truth and where God is aligning us and directing us and not get distracted and pulled side by side by all the fear. It takes a massive amount of mental energy just to do that. It does.
17:41
Good for you. It sounds like that was a massive learning curve for you. Massive learning curve, massive breakthrough. Which it is for a lot of women. When we cross from maiden to mother, that is, I think, one of the hardest lessons. It's like, oh, I can't say yes to everybody all the time anymore. I have to value me. And if I don't value me, I'm not, I'm not able to be there for my baby. That's not big.
18:06
That was a big lesson for me too. I'm still learning it in many ways. Oh, me too. Are you kidding? And like the people pleaser, the recovering people pleaser has to constantly let go of that and be like, no, this is your time. This is this season. This is what you're doing. Like your babies come first. You come first. Like it's so, it is. It's like in your family, so sacred, right? And I love you said that about the sacred boundaries that resonated for you. Because honestly, God told me that one night in the bath, I was just sitting and I was crying and I was releasing and God was like,
18:34
you are sacred, this baby is sacred, this portal is sacred, you must keep sacred boundaries. And I heard it loudly and I was like, okay, these are my sacred boundaries. I'm no longer going to feel guilty about telling someone no or not giving them the new due date or what's happening with this and all the things. And so fast forward, Arlie, my daughter right in 2020, you know, totally knew what was going on because
18:59
They didn't let partners in to the hospital and all the things. So I was then considering having a home birth then because I told my husband, I was like, I'm not having this baby without you. There's no way. So I started talking to midwives. I mean, I went into a little bit of fear because I was like, I'm not doing this this way. I'm going to find another way. And then meeting with different midwives and something inside my soul, God must have been putting on my spirit like, nope, you gotta go forward with what you planned. You gotta go back to the doctor you found. And I was so grateful because only when I tell this story I understand. But...
19:28
It was just like God was really saying, like, you know, you got to stick with your original plan. So I had to release all of that, release the expectations and just trust, trust. Right. Like when we put expectations on ourselves, right. With anything, but especially at birth, I've learned you create failure without it even being a failure yet, because you created something that you don't even know what it's going to be. Right. Cause we don't know that knows, but we don't know.
19:51
So we create this story and then we hold onto it so tightly, which I did in the first birth, obviously, right? So that lesson was coming back up for me for the second time of like, let go, let God. True faith is letting go and allowing and releasing. And that was a big lesson for me. And so I let go and I let God.
20:11
And I remember being just praying and saying, please let my husband be there. Please. I don't want to be alone. I know I could do it, but please just, I don't, you know, my doula was already told she was not a comms, I had hired a doula and then she was told she couldn't come, so she was virtual, you know, all the things. And it was like, please just, just allow this please. So God answered my prayers. Arlie was technically quote unquote late and I was past my 40 weeks and my doctor was like trying to induce me, trying to push me and was like, come on, especially with COVID, like, let's go, let's get you in. And I was like, no.
20:40
You promised me that you would honor my secret boundaries with this. You promised me you would let me do my whole toe-lack to make sure everything was safe. But if it was, you were going to let me go for the V-back. We're sticking with that plan. I know inductions can also take that away from my own research. And he was like, yeah, but we could do it this and then we could go slow. And I was like, I'm not doing interventions respectfully. I'm not. And I actually canceled Karen two inductions that he scheduled on me. Yes, ladies, if you don't know by now.
21:10
following me, you can cancel your induction. You cannot show up to your induction. That is a hundred percent your choice. Yes. And can I tell you like, to be really real, I felt like I was like a bad kid in school. Totally. I was in my house and I'm like, I'm going to call really late and give a message on the machine. He's like, okay. And I was like, I feel like I'm doing something wrong. Like, you know, it's like, you're so programmed. Right. We're so programmed to follow the rules.
21:34
Yes, and I was like, I remember I was like, hi, if you could just tell the doctor that I'm not coming in tonight and I'll see him in my next appointment in two days. And he's like, wait till he's gone. Like I left work. It's like six o'clock. Love it. He called me. Thank you. And he called me the next morning and he's like half laughing, half annoyed. And he's like, okay, well, apparently you're not coming in. And I was like, no, I'm not. And he's like, don't make me drive out there and get you. And I was like, I will be there when I go into labor. Trust.
22:02
And he's like, okay. So then like then he started doing, you know, the NST, of course, because I was past my time to make sure everything's good with baby, the non-stress tests, I would go in twice a week and she was great. And fluids were great. So we'd check scar. Everything was good. So he's like, all right, as much as I don't want to, I'll let you keep moving forward, keep moving forward, which I have to give him that credit because we went back and forth. There was a battle. But yeah, but you advocated for yourself. You advocated. And I love that there was a little bit of humor in it, too. Like I see you're not coming there.
22:30
because he knew like this is this is how the game works like they'll they'll sign you up for the induction though they'll they'll say it like this is happening as if they have all the power and then when they realize oh she knows she's the one in charge then they hire them there's a provider oh I have to retreat she knows she's in charge I can't force her I can't control I can't actually show up
22:53
and drag her there, but I'll joke about it. But I know as the doctor knows, like they can't do that. What are they going to do? Send the cops that arrest you and drag you away. Right. You drive up to my driveway yourself and put me in your car. Like what's happening? So he's realizing, oh darn it, she figured out she's in charge here. Oh, I guess I'll just have to go get you. Even though he knows, like, I can't do that. But then it becomes a humorous thing. And he has to work with you because you're the the client. You're in charge. You hired him.
23:23
So good for you, girl. Love it. What a great lesson in like rising up into your motherhood. Right? I'm not gonna lie. I was scared. I bet you were. I did get scared and you know, we flowed. So as I said, God has a sense of humor, man. Arlie literally came right at 42 weeks on the nose. Wow. He pulled me the next day that if she, you know, if I hadn't gone that night, he was, you know, by hell or high water, he was gonna induce me. He's like, you were at the very end.
23:52
We had gone as long as you had promised, which was fair. And he was like, I was not going to budge on that. Oh, I bet that made him super nervous. I was having, yeah, I mean, it was wild. And I had heavy prodrama labor for those that don't know what that is. Kind of like a start stop. Karen can obviously speak more to it, but it was like this constant start stop for like two and a half weeks with Harley of like, I kept thinking and then nothing would happen. Keep thinking. And it's funny now, Karen, when I think about it, I'm like, oh, probably again, because I was holding, I was tightening.
24:20
I was punching, I was fearful of what was going to happen with COVID. And so therefore she was probably trying to come, trying to come, and I just kept holding the bottle. You were going into the sympathetic nervous system and getting anxious and stressed again and that shuts down labor, which I think this happens a lot with prodromal labor. Or it could be a positional thing with baby, but very often we're so stressed, trying to get this baby to come that we actually prevent labor from starting or.
24:46
It starts, stops, starts, stops, because the baby, the body, excuse me, gets the message. It's not safe. There's danger out there. The danger we're creating the danger in our head. But the body, it doesn't matter if it's imagined or real. And there's a tiger chasing you. The body goes, oh, adrenaline. It's not safe. Shut down labor.
25:06
Right. Exactly. And I love you said that about the body because I always tell my clients like the body is the divine channel. It is the messenger. Like so whether it's real or not, like you said, like the body is receiving it. It's wise and it knows. So I'm doing it. Yep. And you can't lie to your body. It knows the truth. I love you said you can't lie to your body. I say the same thing to all my clients. I'm like, your nervous system doesn't lie. Your brain can lie. Your ego also can't lie. So whatever is coming up, that's what's going on. It knows exactly. So
25:35
You know, fast forward, you know, I'm having the prodromal labor. And, you know, honestly, I have to give credit to my husband where credit is due because I was doing so many things. I was doing acupuncture. I was doing my meditation, my breath work, all the things, practices, modalities. And I'm sure they all helped. I think the acupuncture for sure opened me up a little bit, but my husband, we went on a lot of walks at the end of my pregnancy and my husband turned to me and we were walking with Amelia and he looked at me and he said, what's the worst thing?
26:02
Maybe you need to look at it like this. He's a golfer. He's a really good golfer. And he looks at like fear really well and he looks and manages things. And he looked at me and he goes, maybe you need to look at it like this. What's the worst thing that's gonna happen? Either way, we're coming home with our baby girl and we're starting our family of four. So what's the worst thing? You wind up in another C-section. I know you don't want that, but you have our beautiful baby girl at the end of it. And I really believe Karen that that was the final release that I needed.
26:30
to hear and receive of like, my body feels safe to let this happen. And I don't even know if he realizes that he did that, but he did. And it was so powerful and so transformational because that night, so that night we had pizza and we were just dancing with Amelia like, till like, I don't know, it was probably 10 or 11 o'clock at night. Just like.
26:51
partying and just having fun. Cause it was like a kind of last hurrah, right? Like this is the final of us three. I knew either way I was going to have to get induced if it didn't happen. So it was kind of just letting it all go. Like let's just hang out. I had a tiny bit of wine. I don't drink, but I had a tiny bit of wine. I like had pizza, I danced around and I just let myself have fun. And then I laid down, I had my essential oils going. I did a little bit of breath work. I did a little bit of the, you taught me the pushing on the pressure points. Yeah. The accu.
27:19
Yeah. And I was doing that and he was doing it too on my ankles, my feet is kind of laying down and I just surrendered and I just took another deep breath and I said, I'm going to bed and I know I'm going to see my baby very, very soon. And I'm trusting, I'm trusting in my body. I'm trusting in you God to bring me my baby and I will be safe. Everything will be well, regardless of what is going on the outside world. I will be, everything will be well. And in then a few hours later, I want to say it was like, maybe like
27:48
1130 midnight, maybe even one. Thinking back, it doesn't matter, it was blur. But I remember waking up and I had this weird feeling, but I didn't think it was labor. And I was like, I'm hungry. I'm going to go downstairs and get a snack. Everybody was asleep. I went down my stairs. I started going and I'm not kidding. All of a sudden, it was so intense. It was so tight. I was like, I'm not getting a snack. Oh my goodness, what is going on? And I fell on my stairs and caught myself and was like...
28:16
started doing, trying to, you know, using my breath exercises, I'm sitting there and I'm like, this is labor. Oh my gosh, labor. I'm trying to like calm down the adrenaline and like, okay, it's okay. And I'm going to turn around. I couldn't even get up my stairs because I was so intense and it was so tight. I just started crawling very slowly up my staircase. And I just had to like surrender like through each one just using the breath and get up. So I got up and I
28:42
crawled into my bathroom and I turned on my tub and I was like, I'm going to get in the tub and leave her a little bit. And it's going to chill. I'm going to just trust and chill. I didn't want to wake my husband up, especially because of a drama had been so intense. I was like, what if it's not it? I'm just, you know, Amelia's sleeping. I'm just going to get in my tub. I texted my doula. Thank God she had her phone on and she's like, call me. Let me just hear and you just be in your zone and do your hypno birthing and be in your zone. So I had taken hypno birthing classes as well.
29:10
Okay, I get in the tub and I'm just doing my thing and she's like, okay, I'm listening. The next thing I know, I hear her yelling in my ear, Karen. She's like, it's time to go. It's time to go. And I'm like, wait, what? And I feel like I'm in a fog. And she's like, what's going on? And I'm like, what, what's going on? She's like, you're progressing. I've been timing you. You're now literally not even six minutes apart. You got to go to the hospital. You got to leave now. And I was like, I was in such a zone. You went to see how you were in the zone. I was completely breathing.
29:38
and meditating and praying and was in the bath, you know, just in the darkness with God, just being in the sacredness that I had progressed so much, I didn't even know. I was just, I was just there. Which is where you should be for labor. Yes. Except you gotta go to the hospital. Right, exactly. I was like, you gotta go to the hospital. And she's like, where's Justin? I'm like, sleeping. And she's like, get him up. And I'm like, You probably would have had a home birth if it wasn't for your doula.
30:05
Right? I thought about that. I was like, I probably totally could have done it by myself. This is what's happening. I was like, oh my gosh, so crazy. And you know, God has such a sense of humor, man. And so, you know, she's like, get him up, get him up. So I'm, you know, wait, trying to wake him up. I'm not getting out of the tub because I'm like in it. So I'm like, Justin, Justin, and he's passed out. He snores so loud, Karen. I'm like, Justin.
30:33
He's still snoring. My bathroom, by the way, is attached to my bedroom. So this man is sleeping through me moaning, groaning, like, God bless him. And I have that ability. That ability. Yeah, through anything. It's like, oh, it's just an earthquake. No big deal. Okay. I'm good. So, you know, did that too, looking at California. And so, you know, my dual gets him on the phone, long story short, she gets him up and he's like, what's going on? She's like, you
31:02
And then my neighbor doesn't pick up, you know, to come over to be with Amelia. So then my doula comes racing over to be with Amelia because she's sleeping, right? It's like four in the morning. So she's not up and she can't go with us because of COVID. So it's like, okay. So anyways, fast forward, she comes over. She kind of texts me, even though, you know, I know doula is not really supposed to do, but she kind of just makes sure I'm like, everything's looking good. And she's like, yeah, you're, you're ready to go. You're actually getting ready to transition. So like, if you start to shake and things start to pick up, just try to stay centered as you can in the car.
31:32
Which I have to be honest, once Justin got me in the truck and, you know, buckled me, laid me down, like I was having a really hard time because I was feeling the intensity. My body was shaking. I was getting cold. I was trembling like all the transition that was happening while I was in the vehicle. Oh, that's the worst. And the road, the California traffic. The ride to the hospital. It was like, oh, it was so intense. It was so intense. So you and Justin went, did your doula stay home with your daughter?
31:59
Oh yeah, my daughter stayed home with my daughter and let her sleep and she stayed home and she actually worked with me virtually, God bless her, with me at the hospital. Right, because she couldn't be there after all. It took on me and FaceTime to be part of it. So fast forward, we get there and long story short, it was like, you know, hey, throw a mask on. I'm sorry, I'm wearing a mask. It was like all the things that brought my adrenaline up, right? I was in a pretty centered place. Now you have to fight. Yeah. And then I bring that up because it's important to the story. It was like.
32:25
They were trying to shove the mask on me, bright lights, everyone's yelling, it was like chaos. And my husband was like, just get her in the room, let her calm down. And so we get in and my husband, thank God, was putting up my birth affirmation cards and my twinkle lights and making my space and lowered the lights. And he was my doula since I was allowed to have my doula. And my doctor comes in, he's like, oh, I see we're actually in labor. And I'm like, ha ha ha ha. And he's like, I swear when you called, I'm like, there's no way, I'm inducing her to Mara. There's no way she's in labor.
32:55
You are, he's like, you're at about an eight. You're like, you're there. Nice. He was probably shocked. He was shocked, he was shocked. His brain was like, what just happened? You know? And so, so anyways, so, you know, I'm laboring and the whole thing and fast forward to when it's time to push. And I finally had kind of gotten calm again. And you know, things had relaxed from all the chaos and mind you, I had a nurse who was insane. And I say that too,
33:24
She was so COVID fearful and she wouldn't help me with any comfort measures and she wouldn't even come near me because I wouldn't wear a mask and she was yelling at me and it was like, oh my gosh, lady, you're making my experience insane. And so it was like, we fired her, talk about advocating for yourself. I told my husband to get rid of her, so we fired her. I had no nurse for hours because it was COVID, so nobody was on staff. And then finally two nurse angels, honestly, came in at the end and they helped me practice for almost an hour and a half.
33:54
pushing of what to do, what to expect for what it's to look like. Because I hadn't really pushed since I had the C-section with Amelia, right? I didn't factor that in. Yeah, first birth in a sense. You know, I hadn't factored that in like, yay, the labor had progressed. I had made it through that hurdle. But then, oh wait. But then there's pushing. I haven't done the pushing. Right? We get so in our head about like, get to 10 centimeters. And then we're there and we're like, wait, now there's this whole other phase of labor. Yes.
34:19
And I don't think I was prepared for that, honestly. So it was like, oh wait, I have to do this now too. So we're pushing, we're practicing. And I was like, okay, Ali, it's go time. Okay. And it's like, all right. So luckily I wasn't on my back. I was on the bar squatting because that was how I felt most comfortable. So they did help me with that and everything. And she started coming down and everything was progressing. And then all of a sudden she got stuck. And he was like, okay.
34:47
everything's okay right now. We're just going to keep moving through. She's safe. We're just, you know, and I'm like, okay. And so, you know, he's telling me different things to do and I'm pushing down and bearing down and we're moving my legs a little bit and trying to readjust. And she's still kind of a little bit stuck. And he looks at me and he's like, all right, if this continues, I'm sorry, but you know where I'm going with this. And I was in my mind, I was like, by hell or high water, I'm not doing this. I didn't come this far for this to happen.
35:16
And I know in a part, I think back to that, I'm like, okay, it's a little bit control, but I really was just so in faith that like, no, I trusted that I could do this. I really, really could do this. And I looked at my husband and I said, I need my earbuds, please. I got to put them in my ear. I went to my breath work playlist that I had with my fear releasing meditation and affirmations and I put it in my ear and I started listening and I started praying and Karen, I swear to God to this day, I still don't know how to explain it to anybody I talked to.
35:40
When I started deeply breathing and started regulating and really calming myself, I started to feel like I was out of my body. And then next thing I knew, I was out of my body. I was seeing myself over my body. I was seeing beautiful swirls of like pink and purple and like heavenly colors. It was so... I seriously don't know how to explain it. It was so wild. It was... But I would imagine God would show you in heaven. And like it was just incredible. And I was above and I was like...
36:07
feeling that I was pushing, but I wasn't feeling that I was pushing. It was so out of body. I still just don't know how to have the words to explain it. And I hear him say like, okay, I'm going to use the vacuum to help and you're going to push. And this is it. Like, this is the last moment push. And I, as I was deeply in this trans, I remember still being anchored in to push. And next thing I knew, I'm like, okay, pray and push. And I pushed and I felt the vacuum and, and there she was. And she was on my chest and it was like, and then I was back in my body.
36:35
Like it was like, there she was. I saw her come earth side from heaven to earth. And then she was on my chest and there I was on the table. Like the, and it was like, she's here. And I was just hysterical. And my husband was like, eyes and mouth was like disbelief. Everybody was like, you know, it was like shocked and it was like nine pounds, three ounces, holy crap, here she is. So I love that you're talking about this and that you shared about that and where you went in labor, because I talk about this all the time, that women go into altered states of consciousness.
37:04
And especially in that transition and pushing phase right before baby comes out, it's a deeply spiritual experience. And I think you actually described it beautifully. Like it's all- I still don't know how to describe it, honestly. I mean, I love that you said older state of consciousness because that's exactly what breath work does for us as well. And it was like, I couldn't, I still don't have the words because it was so out of body and so transformational in that moment.
37:32
And there she was on my chest. And I was in such disbelief. My husband put it so beautifully. He looked at me and he goes, wow, from Amelia to Arlie, it was like watching postpartum depression to postpartum euphoria. Like he couldn't believe what a different woman and mother he was seeing. And Arlie latched immediately. And it was like.
37:49
And apparently, I was bleeding a ton of blood and I didn't even know because I was so euphoric. I was so in the moment of everything that was happening that it was just like, here I am with my baby and I did it and God showed up and nothing else matters. And so much so that when we rolled over into postpartum, speaking of COVID, BLM was burning down the building, literally across the way from Cedars-Sinai at the time. They came running in, locked down our room. They were like, you're gonna smell the smoke. They were like, we're locking down the hospital.
38:19
And I'm still like literally floating like, oh, I just did this and God's got me. And they're like, there's chaos everywhere. And it was like, here I am with my beautiful baby. You're still riding the birth high. The birth high, golden hour, all is well in the world. You're not taking her away from me. And it was just, it was wild. Thank God, my doctor, because everything was fine, let me leave literally that night before they locked the hospital down. So we went home and got into bed and recovered and got to be with Amelia. And that was how we started.
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you know, our next journey, but like, oh my gosh, God showed up so profoundly. Honestly, Karen, that's why I became certified as a breathwork coach, because when that happened and that was so transformational with the altered states of consciousness, with the release of fear, with the faith, everything, it was like, God woke me up so deeply through the breath that I was like, how could I not get into this work and change other women?
39:13
and mothers lives by doing this and anyone really who's willing to receive the gift of breath work because God gives us this gift within us and it's just a matter of understanding how to use it. Yeah. Oh, it's the breath of life. It's and it's how our bodies are designed. Like that's so beautiful. And I love that you touched on the euphoria of birth. Like what a 180 shift to go from like a fearful, traumatic.
39:37
cesarean postpartum depression to literally like euphoria out of body experience in your birth. How was your postpartum for this birth different? So much better. It was so much better. First off, I was healed in a couple of days and I had a second degree tear and it was like nothing. And I was walking a couple of days later. I mean, we got on.
39:57
We got on a plane less than two weeks later because we wanted to get out of California and just get away from all the COVID nonsense. And we flew to my husband's parents in Pennsylvania because COVID didn't exist there because they're in the mountains. Literally, like I got the sign off from the pediatrician of like, she's good, everything's well. And she's like, I wouldn't really recommend you do it during the night of COVID. And I was like, cool, thanks. We're gone. You're like, I'm out of here. We're out. And we flew and we got there and we were there, you know, for basically like.
40:22
two months, so long as we spent with his parents to spend time and have them meet early. And it was beautiful. And I walked through the airport, no problem. I had barely any excess bleeding. I healed in like a week. My stomach went back down immediately. It was so wild. How different. And mind you, I did have, I didn't mention this when we were telling the story, but I had a little bit of a walking of a girl, a slight little bit just to help me at the end because I was having a hard time.
40:51
And I still didn't even notice that because my body processing everything out so quickly. And I think because I was on such a high and all that had happened, my healing was incredible. I mean, my husband was like, Oh my gosh, you're barely like in bed only to like rest little bits. Like you're not struggling. Like you feel good. You're walking around your nursing, like everything, you know, Arlie latched. I was breastfeeding from that moment. Whereas Amelia didn't latch and I was over pumping and over producing for a month and a half. Like the, it was night and day.
41:20
from one to the two and then forget number three with the home birth. I mean, completely even more of a transformation, you know, like it's just, it's so wild. How much, like you said, we're divinely made to do this, yet we're programmed to believe that we're not. Yes. And that fear gets in our head. And that's why I say birth is 80% mental, 20% physical, or even higher, 90% mental, 10% physical, because it's so much about our mindset and what we believe about birth.
41:50
determines how we experience birth. And that is like an incredible example of that. So tell me about your third birth and how that was different from your others. Yeah, absolutely. So we officially connected. We had been talking a little bit, you know, in 2020 you released your e-course, but then we really connected when I was pregnant with Abel. So I was able to get your course and start working with you behind the scenes and have your support, which was by the way, game changer in my pregnancy and in my birth,
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teach so much of the mind, body, spirit, which is so, so, so important. And I learned that in Abel's birth. And so, he's now one. So it was last year when I had him, which is wild, September 11th of 2022. And there were so many things that were different. First off, just the pregnancy alone, I honored my sacred boundaries. Like I really, first off, I didn't tell really anyone I was having a home.
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birth, including my family, which again upset them, but it was necessary for me to be able to go through what I needed to go through and to keep my peace. Yup. Totally. And it was hard, not going to lie. I hear that a lot from women. But you know what? I needed to honor that. It's not their birth. And so I really didn't tell anyone. Right. Even my friends, what's your due date? What's your due date? I was like, my due month is... And they were like, what do you mean? A month is... And I was like, yup, that's all you're getting. I'm not giving details. I'm even on social media.
43:13
You know, social media when I was Amelia, I had given everybody literally play, but I play every single day, every single update. And then it was like every single opinion. And I realized that that was also massively adding to everything. So it was like, nope, this go time, it's sacred boundaries. You know, with COVID obviously, early, I didn't have to worry about social media because nobody was like, you know, speaking anything. So I was really posting. But with Able, I was like, no, I'm going to honor this. I'm not going to share this. I'll give little bits here and there. But I'm not I'm going to keep a lot to myself this time. I'm going to honor that privacy.
43:42
And so I did through the whole pregnancy and that really helped. And then, um, when prodrama labor actually did happen with him a little bit at the end, I started to really recognize again, this was me holding, this was fear. And I was able to really have the awareness. I think too, obviously then being certified as a breathwork facilitator at this point, I was able to really have the conscious awareness of like regulating my nervous system, using breathwork, as well as your exercises that you teach in your course.
44:07
to use both a combination to help me regulate, to stay out of fear and move back into faith and trust what I was going through. And that helped release the prodrama quite a bit. I will say I still did have two quick, you know, false starts so much so that my midwife came over, the whole team came, like we were sure, it was a sure thing. And I really realized in the second time it happened that it was like, I needed to release, like I really needed to let go and say,
44:34
I'm gonna trust God and I have to let go. And my doula really helped me with that. She was like, listen, you gotta process what happened with Arlie. You gotta really let all that go. Trust this is a totally new birth and all the work you've done around this and everything is going to be okay. And I know it's scary because you've never had a home birth but like, you can do this. You want this and you can do this. And so I had to really keep releasing more and more layers of fear of like what could happen, the transfer happen, right? All these things that like.
45:00
had to really let go of and let my body receive that like I was holding again and I had to be conscious of that. So, and I remember DMing you during that time. Yes, exactly. That sacred time and honoring it, you know, and then we started going out and just walking around for walks at the restaurants and just trying to get my mind off things and just having fun with the girls and my husband. And that really helped. And then finally, it was funny.
45:23
On 9-eleven I went into labor and I is this historical because I'm like, oh god is this a humor again? I jumped up and I said to my husband. There's no way I'm having a baby on 9-eleven. I'm not in labor Like there's no way there's no way and I was trying to shut it down and I even turned My heating pad up all the way to a tent and went back to bed Karen like I'll just go to sleep tomorrow I'll have the baby like I love like how you're like
45:49
trying to get it to come, then it comes. You're like, oh, it's not coming. Like, how little control over this we really have. Yeah, like, what are you doing? So anyways, clearly, God was like, no, he's coming. Right. Coming. So literally, I jump up, you know, a half hour later and I tell my husband, call my wife, call my wife. Oh, my God, these are so intense. And I get into the tub and I, you know, I do my breathing. And the reason, by the way, they were so intense that she didn't tell me till after I had able and everything, or maybe weeks later in the birth processing.
46:17
I was at a 10 from like the get go. Oh my goodness. Like she checked you and just didn't tell you. Didn't tell me because she was she was afraid of my fear, which is that I was not progressing as long, you know, with the prodrama. You know, it wasn't going to active. And she was afraid if she told me, you know, hey, this is where you're at. And if nothing was happening, it would be like fear all over again. I'm like, wait, I'm here now. Why is nothing happening? She's like, I had.
46:43
I told her husband, like everybody in the team knew, but like you didn't know. We were just like, keep doing this and keep doing that. Sometimes that's what we need as women. Like don't tell me the numbers. Don't let me focus on, you know, the clock and how long it's taking and all the... Yes, we try to like control birth and really... It's all the vanity matrix, right? This is that and it's like no, no, no, no, just trust. We get in our heads. Yeah, and really we just need to trust and let go.
47:10
and be in our body, right? And so she just kept reminding me of that, being the body, being the body. So it was like, okay. So then, you know, I, by the way, I didn't have him until, well, so I didn't have him till almost eight o'clock, like 7 58 PM central time. His head came through at 7 30, but he was turtling. And a little backstory before that, I was in the tub for walking around, I was on the ball, I was doing all the things and he just wasn't.
47:39
fully coming, but she knew I was already at a 10. So she said she knew something was going on, but she was watching and trying to make sure and everything was good with heartbeat, everything was safe with me. So she's like, okay, we're just gonna keep going. We're gonna keep allowing and seeing what's happening. And then they got me out of the tub at the end because they had put the mirror in the tub and I was almost there and I really thought I felt and I was pushing. And she was like, just push as you feel, don't push for any reason, just push when you feel it. So I was, and that's when I guess with the mirror, she could tell something was still going on. So she's like, we're getting you out of the tub.
48:08
I had to surrender that because I really wanted my tub bird. I wanted the tub bird with Amelia, I wanted the tub bird with Abel, and it wasn't happening. And so she's like, get you on the couch, get on my living room couch, get me on all fours. They turn me around. And she has me start pushing again. She uses her fingers as like forceps, pushes down. And she's like, I'm going to push and put a lot of pressure and I want you to push against them so I can see what's going on. So she starts to do that. And then that's when his head started to really emerge. And I guess that's when she saw when I...
48:36
really was pushing the turtling that was happening. So then she knew something's going on. We gotta make changes quickly. So of course I didn't know this. I didn't have any emergency feeling or anything going on or not even emergency, but that anything was happening. I just knew that he was coming and I could see his head and Justin saying he sees hair, but like nothing else is happening. So the other midwife gets the other side of me on the left-hand side and she moves my legs this way, I guess, like out, like over and she unhooks.
49:03
He was stuck. He had shoulder dystocia. So she unhooked him underneath on the left side of my leg. And then as soon as she did, they said, push again. And then he came right through and then he was there. Like she hooked his armpit. He was buckting now sitting here talking to him. Like I was holding something again without even realizing it, even though I thought I had released so much. Yes, it goes so deep, Ali. Like those things, the fear we're holding, like, and then you, like you step out and you're facing new ones. Then you step out more.
49:32
you know, outside your comfort zone, okay, now I'm gonna have a home birth now, the water birth and like, and there's just so many layers. I love that you said that. It's like, what were you holding on to? I think I was holding on to just the fear from the beginning of the first birth of like, you know, from from the C-section to Arlie getting stuck to my body can actually do this. Like, could I actually have a home birth? Like just there was so much of like, could I actually do this? Right? Like, am I really meant to do this? Am I really made?
49:59
and designed to be able to do this. And I think I just held that fear. And then of course, even though I had sacred boundaries, I was still hearing family and friends all, you know, scared for me and what if this happens and what if that happens, you know. And so even though there was release, I still had obviously so much to work through, but thank God I remember in that final moment when she was starting to unhook him, I was deeply praying and I was surrendering to God. And I said, please just bring my baby forward. Whatever I have to do in this moment now, let me surrender it all to you and let it be, and let...
50:28
my baby come through and I said that prayer and I breathed deeply and next thing I knew there he came and we didn't even know we were having a boy and it was like oh my gosh the boy. How did your midwife resolve the shoulder dystocia? You got out of the tub and did you get enhanced knees? Yeah, I was on all fours on my couch. She moved my left leg more off to the side so she could get under me more to underhook him.
50:54
once they realized that he was from the turtling that he was that he was stuck. Did she like hook his armpit or like, kind of help rotate him? I think it was to I think it was like the shoulder was like just like kind of sticky and stuck. And she got to get him out from under that. Yeah. Cause those shoulders have to rotate in order to the for the baby to come out. And if they're, that's why she got over and
51:17
Right. Yeah. Exactly. Thank God for midwives with skills that know how to resolve those things. Seriously. Yes, indeed. Because in the hospital, they would have like cranked her knees up to your head, had you push really hard. It's very abrasive and I think traumatizing. I'm sure. I said to my husband, I can imagine traumatizing in that moment. And I honestly had no clue, you know, anything until we did the birth processing six weeks later, where she was like...
51:41
Let's talk about what happened. Let's process. Let's help you. You weren't even, you know, and it was like, Oh, okay. I didn't, I mean, I knew something was going on, but I didn't, you know, they kept me so peaceful and they had some confidence in me when I was pushing that like, he's here, you can do it. A few more big pushes. You know, my husband could see him and he knew he was coming and he's like, Ali, you've got this, just a few more big pushes, you know, fewer, you know, and it was like, and there he was, you know, and it was so.
52:04
It was such a healing moment. And that's why Abel got the name Abel, because of course it's biblical, but it also means spiritual healer and breath in when you look up the word. And it was like to me, like, okay, this was such a transformational journey for me of having the home birth that I wanted, trusting in myself, trusting in God, having those sacred boundaries, and still write that last moment of fear and facing that fear and moving into faith and Him being there anyways. And it was just so magical. And so, I mean,
52:34
just transformational in my life. Oh, that's so beautiful. I love that like with every birth, there's more freedom. There's more transformation. Like even if you've had five, eight babies, like every birth is different and every birth teaches us something new about ourselves. Yes, we're reborn every time, right? We go through a rebirth. It's like you re-meet a new version of yourself and it's like, oh, who is this version and what am I meant to learn? And it's just.
53:01
It's so beautiful, it's so magical, it's so wild. And I'm so grateful. And I'm just here to say like to any mom, like whether you're having one birth, two or three, it doesn't matter. Like you could have a different birth in each experience. And if you allow yourself and you have the faith and the trust and you get the right resources and team and everything, you can do it. You're meant to, you're designed to. And I would have never believed I could have a home birth until I did. Oh.
53:26
I love that. What was your takeaway from the course I know in working with you and just, I love how you just kind of like were so open about your process. Was there anything about the course that really helped you on this journey or that like really helped, you know, transform your thinking or your, or your practically in your process? I think a few things. One, I think big time, you're the spiritual component of what you shared in the course, because you really get into that and how it is so spiritual. And I think so many courses miss that.
53:55
And I think it's really important that you tap into that because we are the portal. We are the sacred portal with God to bring our baby Earth side for the minute we conceive. So when you recognize that it's like this piece cannot be separate and also it has to all go hand in hand. And I love that you brought that together. And that was really helpful for me, especially because I'm on a deep walk with God and have such a spiritual path now. It really resonated for me with all I was going through and what I was, you know, shifting into and who I was being kind of becoming. I think also to.
54:23
the physical understanding of how the body works and how it's truly designed to birth. That was also a game changer for me understanding like this literally is how we are designed. That changed a lot in the way I perceived my body instead of looking at it as broken things I got in stock. It was like, this is how we are made. And when you release and allow the fear to be gone and have the faith and trust and actually give the body what it needs, it will do what it's meant to do because it is designed that way. So
54:52
that I would say there was a lot with your course, but those were the two things that really stuck out for me. And then of course, your breathing exercises, you have your own style. Of course, me being a breathwork facilitator, I used a little bit of mine and a little bit of yours, and the combination was beautiful. Oh, I love it. I always love hearing what like the takeaways women get from it. Yeah, that's so incredible. And for those who want to learn more about like your breathwork and what you offer, can you share about your resources?
55:18
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. So I created my own app called Breathe and Be, just B-R-E-A-T-H-E and the letter B, just all about being and your being. And you can download the app store on Google Play. You can download it for free. And then I highly recommend subscribing for all access to all the breathwork exercises, my courses in there, my challenges, my meditations, affirmations, everything I've used to move me through in the breath. And I update it every month when you're a subscriber. So you're getting all new content continuously for me, as well as community and progress tracking and messaging with me.
55:46
So I can really help you and help you move through, you know, continuously in your journey. Of course, you can work with me one-on-one. I also do breath work circles every month. So I do those online and you can join online either, you know, in person or, you know, via recording. And I recently released my new breath work challenge where I'm calling everyone in to be their best selves through the breath. So it's called the best challenge and best meaning, breathe and body surrender and transform.
56:13
So you can sign up for that and join me in that sacred container where I'm breathing with you live for 22 days and shifting you from those lower states of consciousness to higher states of consciousness because it is all possible through the breath. And yeah, I mean, I love working with women and conscious mothers and those, you know, who are going to be mothers to help them understand that this does not have to be a traumatic event. This can be so beautiful and so faithful and so led and guided when you trust in the wisdom of your body, the divine messenger and divine channel, you trust in God.
56:42
and you take this path, the opportunities for you and the, you know, expression and progression and all you go through is endless. There's so much expansion here for you if you trust in it and you let go of that fear. So, yeah. And I have a podcast that Karen was on called Awakening with Ali. So you can come and listen there. She's coming back on. So you can check it out. I'll be coming soon. Yeah, you can hear us there too.
57:05
Breathe and be, check out my socials. I know we're gonna be here in the links at Ali Levine Design and Breathe and Be Ali Levine. So you can check out all the things that I'm doing and all my offerings. And I just love, I love to help people, you know, breathe. Honestly, as someone who never regulated her nervous system to now understanding how important that is in my every single day life and what that's changed from business to mother to wife to coach, all the things that I do, the game changer. So I'm here to wake up the world with breath work.
57:32
That's amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. And I'll put all those links for you guys in the show notes so you can find Ali. Definitely go check her out and her courses and her offerings and her app. So much incredible resources for you guys there. I'm just a huge fan of Breathwork. That's why I include it in my course. And I think it's.
57:49
You know, you can, it's applicable to every area of your life, not just birth, but like, like you said, regulating your nervous system. Yes. Yeah. Motherhood, motherhood, all of it, everything regulating, like it's so important. For sleep. Yeah. I love it. And then that's all there on the app for sleep, for anxiety, for stress, for letting go of fear, for the power of you, for all of it. So
58:10
Yes. Come join the breathwork journey with me. I love to support you. And Karen, thank you so much for having me. This was such a beautiful conversation. Thank you for coming and sharing your wisdom with us. And I'd love, yeah, can't wait. Can't wait to be on your podcast again. Yes. Thank you. All right. We'll see you guys next week. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Pain-Free Birth podcast. If you were encouraged, it would mean so much if you left us a five-star review.
58:38
and share this with your community. I'd love to connect with you on Instagram at painfreebirth. To learn more about the Pain Free Birth e-course, free resources, private coaching, and upcoming events, find out more at painfreebirth.com. See you next week.
