Sarah Schmid is a medical doctor, author, and mother of ten children. Nine of her children, including a set of twins, were born in planned unassisted home births. For many years, she has been active online in various ways on the topics of self-responsible pregnancy and autonomous childbirth. She has written several books on the subject, the best known of which is “Freebirth – Self-directed Pregnancy and Birth” Other key areas of her work include traditional nutrition, gut health, and dental h...
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Sarah Schmid is a medical doctor, author, and mother of ten children. Nine of her children, including a set of twins, were born in planned unassisted home births. For many years, she has been active online in various ways on the topics of self-responsible pregnancy and autonomous childbirth. She has written several books on the subject, the best known of which is “Freebirth – Self-directed Pregnancy and Birth” Other key areas of her work include traditional nutrition, gut health, and dental h...
Sarah Schmid is a medical doctor, author, and mother of ten children. Nine of her children, including a set of twins, were born in planned unassisted home births. For many years, she has been active online in various ways on the topics of self-responsible pregnancy and autonomous childbirth. She has written several books on the subject, the best known of which is “Freebirth – Self-directed Pregnancy and Birth” Other key areas of her work include traditional nutrition, gut health, and dental h...
What if we learnt that our menstrual cycles were a tool for growth. It is something that makes us women special and powerful. If we are looking at helping women see the Shakti or the power in themselves, the road begins at Menarche. I have been meaning to have an episode on this topic and keenly follow the work of elder home birth Midwife of 30 years, Jane Hardwicke. She is a grandmother , teacher, writer and educator in the realms of menarche, childbirth and menopause. She ...
There was a news article recently that said India’s fertility rate is down , First dip in two years. Generally , we are all observing a rise in the need for fertility as well. More and more IVF clinics and centers are coming along. When we think of supporting our conception or having a baby, we think the medical route, tests , pills and hormonal therapies, what if there was an alternative pathway, efficient and workable for couples , an area they can explore. That's the focu...
This is the story of Kriti's Labor and Birth and how they made the decisions moving through each phase. The highlight of the story is 'Self direction' . It is not important where you really birth, what is important at the core of it all is how 'self directed' a family is in their birth choices. Kriti and Ashish are a grounded couple who take time to decide what is good for them, they listen in and are great examples of strength, inner strength. There is vulnerability and charm in their story....
Kriti and Ashish left behind a city life to build a farm and live in a remote village - all because it meant a slower life of connection. "We would not have had a baby had we been in the city", Kriti says and then goes on to share how living with nature, they started craving to have a third energy in her own words in the world around them. In this episode, Kriti also shares how the collective women echoed a sense of strength in birth but when she went the regular route of going to a doc...
Postnatal Depression - My experience... This is a Retake of the first episode of Birth Agni, postpartum depression, because it is an important discussion area. It’s me, vulnerable, traumatised by the Birth experience , cornered in the family power dynamics and sleep deprived. I share what my own experience in this episode along with Symptoms of Postnatal Depression as different from Postpartum Blues.Ways you can recognise itWhat helped me heal from itWhat should Father/Family/Partners d...
Fear and birth—two words that often get tangled together. Katharine Graves, an internationally recognised hypnobirthing expert and trainer , founder of KGhypnobirthing takes us through the grounding methods in hypnobirthing and working with fear in Birth. We discuss: Overcoming fear in BirthDiscerning Fear from IntuitionWater Birth and the role of mind in BirthWeather all fear can be wiped out before Birth About the Guest: Katharine Graves is an internationally recognised exp...
Nutan L Pandit has been teaching birth preparation since 1978. Back then, the Indian birth scene was very different. Nutan aunty gave birth using breathwork taught by a foreigner — so calmly, in fact, that the nurses were shocked she was already pushing while chatting! This was in Mumbai, with no ultrasounds, and one baby in face presentation. Her doctor, Dr. Jay Dhurandar, was part of a system that wasn’t yet afraid of birth the way it often is today. This episode dives into the massive chan...
Choosing the right doula, midwife, or birthkeeper for your birth journey is more than just credentials and experience — it’s about alignment. In this episode, we walk you through a heart-centered approach to choosing your birth team. We start with a self-inquiry activity to help you tune into what you truly need and desire as the first step before drafting your questions. Then, we’ll guide you through sample questions to ask during interviews (yes, interviews!) . Think of it as creating your ...
VBACs are often dreaded in the medical system. Birth Centers are open to supporting them. This story is about a successful VBAC in a birth center, yes, but its not just that. It is about a woman trying to find her way back to herself, back to her Birth wisdom and her empowered self. It is also about how she feels she was treated during the experience. There is another very strong yet subtle emotional conflict that is happening and that is about a quest to have 'A Kind of Birth' be...
Once a Cesarean , always a Cesarean - you must have also heard this common notion. Fortunately, this is far from truth. Yet , So many women feel cornered and helpless when they become pregnant again, like the decision has already been made for them. In this episode, we’re getting real about that phrase and why it’s not the whole story. We get into the actual evidence and physiology behind uterine rupture — what it is, how likely it is (with facts, not fear), and why it’s als...
A Listener reached out sharing her regret over taking Progestrone the first time around, reason Age 35+ Women are given progestrone in Pregnancy routinely for the following reasons: Bleeding in Current PregnancyHistory of Miscarriage Age - 35+ In this episode, we discuss Are all these reasons legitimate to use progestrone - a steroid hormone preventively in Pregnancy?Are there any side effects you should know of?Step by Step sample of my guidance to my parents when they come w...
The Embedded Gift of Pain Relief is the name I have given to the very foundation you need first in your laboring journey, without which no pain relief technique works efficiently. And this has come from experience. When I started out as a childbirth educator, the techniques I taught fell flat for some women because this very foundation was missing. Soon after, I started my training as a traditional birthkeeper/midwife and supported women birthing outside the system. This taught me what w...
Painless delivery’ sounds reassuring, but it’s often misleading. The truth is what’s sold as painless birth is often false advertising. Parents are rarely told about the downsides, or how numbing all sensation can actually interfere with birth. In this episode, we talk about Why no epidural takes away all pain, The downsides you’re rarely told about, and Why pain in childbirth has a purpose. How numbing everything can sometimes work against you,How asking the right questi...
What’s really driving birth practices in India today? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the Indian medical system—where convenience often takes priority over physiology, and where C-sections are rising not always because of necessity, but because they fit better into hospital schedules. We also explore how the ancient wisdom of our traditional dais—the original birth workers—is being ignored in the new midwifery models, and what that says about who gets to define "modern" care. Thi...
Ultrasounds have become a routine part of modern pregnancy care — but how much do we really know about their origins, benefits, risks, and accuracy? We’ve all been told that ultrasounds are just a normal part of pregnancy — a way to “see the baby” and make sure everything’s okay. But have you ever wondered where this practice actually came from, what it’s truly meant for, and whether it’s always as harmless as it seems? This episode is for every parent who wants to understand what’s being don...
Shilpi was guided into a home birth through various channels — one of them being how the medical system was too keen to label hers as a geriatric pregnancy and potentially schedule her into a surgery. Often, women over 35 are labelled as geriatric — meaning care for old people in the medical system. This brackets them into care meant for the elderly, including the approach of looking at everything through a high-risk lens. This often complicates pregnancy more than it is complicated in itself...
In this episode, we discuss one of the most commonly used—and misused—reasons for cesarean in India: Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD), or the claim that a woman’s pelvis is “too small” for her baby’s head. We dig into: What CPD actually is (and what it isn’t)Why true CPD is extremely rare—yet so frequently citedHow fetal position, mobility in labor, and hospital timelines all impact diagnosisThe danger of using estimated baby weight or maternal size to justify early surgeryWhat women can ask...
It’s all too common—women being rushed into surgery at the very sight or even assumption of meconium in conventional hospital settings. Add to that the pressure many women face to deliver before 40 weeks, based on general risks that may not even apply to them personally. In today’s episode, we’re sitting down with Dr. Vijaya Krishnan, Certified Professional Midwife and founder of Sanctum Natural Birth Center, a pioneering autonomous midwifery-led birth center in India. With over 18 years of e...
Postpartum in India is celebrated in rituals, gatherings and expectations—but what about the actual needs of a new mother? In this episode, I unpack 5 ways Indian women can experience a gentler, more supported postpartum phase—especially in the midst of complex family dynamics. From the emotional toll of unsolicited advice to the silent pressure to perform as a "good bahu," we explore how the early days after birth can feel more like a test than a time for healing. We also talk about the vita...
Sarah Schmid is a medical doctor, author, and mother of ten children. Nine of her children, including a set of twins, were born in planned unassisted home births. For many years, she has been active online in various ways on the topics of self-responsible pregnancy and autonomous childbirth. She has written several books on the subject, the best known of which is “Freebirth – Self-directed Pregnancy and Birth” Other key areas of her work include traditional nutrition, gut health, and dental h...
