The Breath & Birth Co Podcast
Welcome to The Breath & Birth Co Podcast — a space for mindful preparation and grounded transformation through pregnancy, birth, and beyond.
Hosted by Vanessa Bauman, Certified Birth Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Prenatal Yoga, Breathwork, and Meditation Teacher, this podcast bridges evidence-based education with intuitive wisdom to help you feel informed, empowered, and at peace throughout your journey.
Each episode invites you to pause, breathe, and learn through guided meditations, expert interviews, and real birth stories that nurture your mind-body connection and strengthen your confidence.
Whether you’re preparing for your first birth, planning a VBAC, or seeking a calmer start to parenthood, you’ll find tools, stories, and support to help you cultivate calm, confidence, and connection every step of the way.
(Educational content only; not a substitute for medical advice. Visit breathandbirthco.com/disclaimer for full details.)
Keywords:
- pregnancy podcast
- prenatal education
- childbirth education
- evidence-based birth
- doula tips
- birth stories
- pregnancy meditation
- prenatal yoga
- mindfulness for pregnancy
- labor preparation
- birth plan support
- calm birth techniques
- cesarean birth preparation
- hospital birth advocacy
- breathing exercises for labor
- relaxation for pregnancy
- postpartum recovery tips
- mind-body connection
- birth confidence
- pregnancy affirmations
The Breath & Birth Co Podcast
24. Your Birth, Your Options: True Self-Advocacy through Childbirth Education with Birth Doula & Childbirth Educator Kelli Blinn (World Doula Week 2025)
In this World Doula Week 2025 episode of the Breath and Birth co podcast, Vanessa welcomes Kelli Blinn, an experienced birth doula and childbirth educator from Columbus, Ohio. Kelli shares her journey into birth work, inspired by her childhood fascination with the pregnant body and childbirth. They discuss the differences between home births and hospital births, emphasizing the importance of advocacy, education, and personalized care in the childbirth process. Kelli highlights the significance of mental health support, the role of partners, and introduces her new self-paced online childbirth education course. The episode underscores the value of being informed and prepared, advocating for oneself, and the profound transformation that childbirth entails for both the birthing person and their partners. Tune in for a rich discussion aimed at empowering and supporting expectant families through their unique birth journeys.
- 00:00 Introduction to the Breath and Birth Co Podcast
- 00:52 Meet Kelli Blin: Experienced Doula and Educator
- 01:15 Kelli's Journey into Birth Work
- 05:00 Home Birth vs. Hospital Birth: A Doula's Perspective
- 09:39 Misconceptions About Pregnancy and Postpartum
- 18:03 The Role of Advocacy in the Perinatal Process
- 29:26 Private Educators vs. Hospital Childbirth Education
- 29:54 The Importance of Childbirth Education
- 31:19 Birth Trauma and the Role of Education
- 32:06 Empowering Birth Experiences
- 35:14 Introducing Your Birth, Your Options, Kelli Blinn’s Online Self-Paced Childbirth Education Course (available now!)
- 39:56 Practical Tips for an Empowered Birth
- 42:55 Support for Partners During Birth
- 47:12 The Role of a Doula and Partner Involvement
- 52:30 Staying Passionate and Motivated in Birth Work
- 55:50 Closing Remarks and Encouragement
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As a reminder, the content discussed on this show is not medical advice. For more information, please see Disclaimer here.