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Doing It Different


Jun 16, 2020

Decisions around birth are highly personal for each family and each birth. While many choose to give birth in a hospital, others are seeking an alternative.

Today, Allison Evans, cofounder of Branch Basics, joins us to talk about why she chose home birth for both of her daughters. We discuss her PCOS and chronic pain healing journey and how it helped her prepare for pregnancy, the specific reasons a hospital birth didn’t feel right for her, and the two stories of how she brought her children into this world. 

Allison gives pointers to other mothers seeking a holistic pregnancy and sheds valuable light on the preparation, mindset, and beauty of her two amazing home birth experiences.

Enjoy!

Episode Highlights: 

  • 5:24 PCOS + Chronic Pain: Allison’s wellness journey
  • 7:29 The changes Allison made that led to major transformation in her health
  • 10:30 Resources on home birth safety and outcomes
  • 11:47 How chronic pain was actually a blessing for preparing for conception
  • 14:57 Allison’s advice for what to do pre-pregnancy to get your body ready
  • 16:22 Pregnancy highs and lows and why you can’t compare your pregnancy to anyone else’s
  • 19:40 The initial stages of considering a home birth and why Allison decided she wanted a midwife
  • 22:52 Hospital vs no hospital? Why you might choose one over the other 
  • 23:50 What you may not know about water births and why they’re safer than you might think
  • 26:07 The most common reason birthing women need medical interventions
  • 28:07 Delayed umbilical cord clamping - why this was one of the big reasons why Allison decided to have a home birth
  • 31:10 The importance of surrounding yourself with positive birth stories
  • 32:20 Allison’s home birth story #1: Birthing at the in-law’s house
  • 36:28 The thing that helped most with giving birth to baby 1
  • 40:39 Busting myths about what home birth actually looks like
  • 42:00 What Allison put in her smoothies to increase her low Hemoglobin levels
  • 44:45 Changes Allison made to her home birth set up for baby 2
  • 47:30 Home birth story #2: A Mother’s Instinct
  • 52:00 Two things that may have contributed to Allison’s quick labors
  • 54:08 Advice for women considering a home birth

Links and Resources: 

Guest Bio:

Allison Evans is a co-founder of Branch Basics and lives in Texas. After experiencing a health crisis during her junior year of college and traveling to specialists across the country to seek relief from chronic pain and motor impairments, Allison finally experienced true healing after moving to the Hill Country to live with her aunt, Marilee Nelson. By removing all toxic chemicals from her environment and eating real, whole foods, Allison’s symptoms completely disappeared. Her healing journey inspired her to co-found Branch Basics to help others experience how to truly thrive in their health. Allison enjoys researching all things holistic parenting, finding clean brands to use and recommend, and helping others navigate their health journeys. She also loves taking walks with her husband and teaching her two daughters Sloane and Frances to eat healthily and appreciate nature!