Speaker 0
Into the wild, I'm going into the wild, I am. It's been a wild freedom child since I left my roots back home. Into the wild I'm good. Into the wild I am. It's been a wild freedom's child since I left my roots back home.
Speaker 1
Welcome to the Free Birth Society podcast. This is a radical space for women who are ready to celebrate their autonomous choices in birth, motherhood, and beyond. Together, we'll learn about wild birth through personal narrative, we'll explore the politics of birth, and we'll analyze everything that relates to our lives as women from a feminist perspective. Here's your host, Emilee Saldaya.
Speaker 0
It's been a wild freedom check since I've left my rules back home.
Speaker 2
Hello, women. It is with great excitement today that I open up this episode letting you all know that the matriarch rising tickets for this summer over summer solstice twenty twenty four are officially live and available to purchase by the public. So please go ahead and grab your ticket, grab your add ons. Please know that we always sell out, so do not wait if you are one of the many women planning your year to come. Be in a women only, women exclusive space with us in the Blue Ridge Mountains on my very, very special land. Come. Matriarch rising festival dot com. Can't wait to see who comes this year. It is our fourth year. It'll be the full moon on the summer solstice. You can check out the first wave of our lineup on the website and just, yeah, feeling so much excitement. Okay. So with that, I'm gonna shift over to letting you know about Noelle. Noelle is my guest today. She is gorgeously brilliant and oh so bright, super inspiring. I had originally had around to talk about nutrition. And to my sheer delight, I find out during the episode that Noelle actually free birthed both of her children. She speaks about moving out of depletion and disease by learning to put herself first, and crazy idea, listen to her body, giving it what it needs. So by cultivating inner strength through nourishment and true health, Noelle learns how to fully trust her body and free birth her babies, which are both born in their amniotic sacs, at home, in peace. We go over the radical shifts that take place when mothers move out of martyrdom and into centering themselves, what it looks like, and the harmony that can be cultivated in your relationships when you're grounded and calm. Sometimes it really is as simple as learning to eat breakfast. Alright. Enjoy, and don't forget, go over to matriarch rising festival dot com and grab your tickets. Right. Welcome to the show, Noelle.
Speaker 3
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2
So I'm just totally delighted to find out something I didn't even know. I thought I was gonna have you on to talk about nourishment and food and nose to tail, nutrition and all of this, which, of course, we should get into, but I'm also discovering that you just so happened to free birth to both your children.
Speaker 3
Yes. Yeah. It's, the I it's funny because I didn't actually with my son, I didn't know anything about the free birth society, and I didn't find out about it until, like, maybe mid pregnancy with my with my second. Like, I didn't know there was this entire giant community of women doing that. You know? So that's that's an amazing discovery.
Speaker 2
That's amazing. Well and it really goes to show that free birth is it's just available for anyone who wants it. You know? And it is it's some of my favorite stories now of women who, in their own ways, not with this platform, find out about it because it really, in my opinion, like, validates that it's within us and that it's it's a very, like, true rite of passage for us.
Speaker 3
Yes. Absolutely. Because I think that there's a lot of talk about free birth kind of becoming, like, trendy, which is interesting. It's like, that's just
Speaker 4
Let's go. For.
Speaker 3
Yeah. Right? But, I I think that so many women are really drawn to the idea of birthing alone by themselves because it's just your innate ability to do that. And I I think a lot of women come to that point when they are fully nourished, and especially for me that that's something that, I discovered within myself.
Speaker 2
Interesting. Okay. Yeah. Say more about that, and that can go go into, your first birth.
Speaker 3
Yeah. So I my background is as a holistic nutritionist, specializing in Ayurvedic medicine. So I'm Ayurvedic practitioner, as well as studying, biological nutrition and physiology. So I've kind of tied all these things together to create, what I practice today. But prior to being a mom, I had a brick and mortar practice. Like, I was seeing clients, and that's what I was doing. And now I just pretty much teach for free on my platform. And, my husband and I have courses together, and then we have our beauty care and supplement line where we sell products. But, primarily, I'm just sharing the information that I've learned all, you know, all these years, to help women. And, you know, for me, the goal is to help women thrive in motherhood, thrive throughout their pregnancies and postpartum, and just be able to, grow healthy beings and be healthy themselves and be the container for their entire families. And Mhmm. That really does start with, your mindset and your body and your nourishment around there. And so for me, I was, like, already very much in the alternative space. Like, I knew I was gonna home birth when I was in, like, high school. I was like, I'm totally I like that. That's what I'm doing. But I didn't know I was going to free birth for sure. Even when I got pregnant with my son, that was something that, I didn't know, like, was a thing. You know? I I had to actually, like, look up laws about whether or not like, I didn't know that. I knew the physiology of birth, but I didn't know, like, you know, logistically, like, what did people do in that situation? You know? So I did a little bit of research, and, my husband and I met with one midwife when I was pregnant with my first. And she didn't know as much about physiology or the physiology of birth as we did, and I was like
Speaker 4
Stop it. Yeah. And I we we
Speaker 3
just kinda left the meeting, and I was like, I don't know what we're gonna do. Like, I I don't wanna hire her. Like, I don't want her present at my birth. Like, I think that things might go wrong if she's there. And, you know, we sat with that a little bit. And then I finally, one day, was just like, I just wanna have the baby, like, just me and you, like, by ourselves. Like, can we just do that?
Speaker 4
And my husband was like,
Speaker 3
yes, sir. Like, that's fine. And, and that's kind of how I, like, stepped into, like, free birthing was really just out of the desire to have my birth just go as I wanted it to and not have anyone interfere with it.
Speaker 2
So how did you already know that truth?
Speaker 3
Well, so my health history is very extensive. When I was and that's how I got into health in general, Ayurvedic medicine, and nutrition. Essentially, I was really sick when I was in high school. I was a teen, and, I experienced a lot of medical malpractice. So I knew that I did not want to birth in the system. I didn't want to be in the system, that, my experience was not rare. And so for me, it was like, let like, I'm definitely not gonna be a part of this. Like, that is terrifying to me, and I didn't want my children to be exposed to that. And that really got me on, like, this path to being more sovereign, like, wanting us to, like, grow our own food and have a homestead and and do things on our own because I was afraid of the system. And now I've kind of, like, confronted that and come to terms with it that I do see a place for modern medicine, but I don't personally, for me, see a place in birth for for that. Mhmm. But, yeah, that's that's pretty much how I I came to the conclusion that I was gonna home birth. And then the free birthing was just like, this is expensive to pay somebody just to stand there
Speaker 4
and do something. And and
Speaker 3
I didn't I didn't feel like it was going to be worth it, you know, in the long run. And then after experiencing my first rebirth, like, I was like, this is insane. Like, I I can't believe I even thought of doing it a different way.
Speaker 4
Right.
Speaker 2
You know?
Speaker 3
And and, So how
Speaker 2
did you contend with the classic, like, what if something goes wrong? And, you know, do I really know enough as a first time mom to navigate, you know, totally unfamiliar terrain? And, you know, did you have a wild pregnancy? You know, were you did you not engage in the system at all with your first pregnancy?
Speaker 3
So with my first pregnancy, I had one sonogram at twenty weeks, and I didn't have an OB or anything. I just I just had one. And then other than that, I didn't do anything else. But And why did you I I don't know why I and, you know, at the time, it was just like I feel like I should maybe, like, see the baby. You know? Like, maybe I should, you know, have this experience. And looking back on it, I probably wouldn't have done it. Like, with my daughter, I didn't have, like, any sort of I mean, I didn't really do I didn't do any testing with my son other than the one sonogram. I didn't have anything with her either. And that was, like, a fully, like, wild pregnancy, I would say, because, you know, it was just a pregnancy test then. Let's trust that this is Alright.
Speaker 2
See what happens. You know,
Speaker 3
see what happens sort of thing. But, with my son, I I did not tell anyone that I was gonna free birth. I actually, like, lied to everyone. Once I figured that I was going to free birth, I was just like, yeah. We have a midwife. Like, I'm gonna do a home birth. I mean, even my parents, I was just like, I have a midwife. Like but they they said that they knew that I was obviously not telling them something because I, like, didn't know the last name of the lady that, like I said, I have. Like, there are certain things
Speaker 2
You're not a good liar.
Speaker 4
Yeah. I'm not a good liar. I
Speaker 3
was just like, yay. You're like, it's
Speaker 2
Jane Smith.
Speaker 4
Yeah. Like,
Speaker 3
you know? But I I really just, like, I I tested the waters. You know? Like, I tested it, and I I when I said I was gonna home birth and when I was sharing that I was going to home birth, I just kind of felt out, like, can people handle this idea of rebirth right now? And I didn't feel like they could. And to me, it was like, this is my life. Like, this is my body, my baby, our family that we're creating, and it's my responsibility to protect us. And I just felt like I didn't owe anyone anything. And they could have their questions, and I didn't need to answer. And I didn't. And I'm so, so happy that that's the way that it went because I really kind of tucked into this, like, cocoon of bubbling becoming a mother. You know? And I it paid off for us. You know? I I did protect us, and and I was able to just have this completely sovereign, wild birth. And then afterwards, be like, yeah. Like, I birthed them with him by myself. You know? And everyone's like, what? You know? Totally shocked by it. But then with my second, obviously, everyone knew that I was gonna free birth.
Speaker 2
Everyone knew that, like, I have about it Yeah.
Speaker 3
With the second? Yeah. So with my second although I did have a lot of questions online, like, oh, are you going to free birth? Are you gonna do this? Are you gonna do that? And, I didn't announce I was pregnant until I was, like, seven months pregnant. Like, I kind of waited a long time because I just didn't want the questions. I didn't want all this, you know, pressure to be something when I really you know, your focus needs to be on growing human inside of you. So but I did afterwards tell my birth story, and, I since everyone in my family knew I was gonna do a free birth, and they and I already did with with my son. It was kind of a it was a cool thing because I now I had support. You know, they, like, totally trusted in my ability, and that was a really good feeling. Like, being able to, like, let my parents in on the joy of, like Mhmm. The power inside of me and and my body was was really special.
Speaker 2
Yeah. I see that trend a lot that women who do choose it for their first will withhold that information, lie, cocoon. And then there's this almost, like, you know, unspoken, like, now that they've proven to society, to their families, to themselves, then there's this, like, permission to really own it in the second. That seems like a pretty, understandable and common trajectory.
Speaker 3
Yeah. Yeah. It felt, for me, like, the safest route to go. I Mhmm. You know, I I didn't I didn't want to spend, like, my energy, teaching other people in my life, like, why I was doing what I was doing. And if because if they were interested in physiological birth, they would go out and read it themselves. You know? So I didn't feel like I needed to be responsible for that.
Speaker 4
Mm-mm.
Speaker 3
And and even now, I don't you know, when people are like, you do that? Like, that's crazy. I'm just like, yeah. Well, I mean, you could read a book too, and you could probably do it if you wanted to.
Speaker 2
Yeah. And, like, is it as crazy as going to systems of abuse where your baby will be medically kidnapped and shot up against your awareness and I mean, like, is it crazy?
Speaker 3
Yeah. Right.
Speaker 2
Okay. So so tell me a little bit more around before you get into your first birth story. It's just so cool to meet women who decide this just fully within themselves. Like, I'm I'm assuming that you didn't know anyone who had done this. You didn't really have, like, the language for it. It was just a very
Speaker 3
Yeah. I I vividly remember the moment that I decided that that was, like, what we're gonna do. My husband and I were, like, sitting in the bath together, like, facing each other, and I just was like, I know that, like, part of my purpose in life is to birth babies. Like, I know my body. Like, this is what I'm made for. It just I had such a strong feeling, and I still do. Like, I want a huge family. I want to birth so many times. You know? It's just something that I feel you know, it it's like drinking water to me. Like, I I know that I need it. I know I need to do this. And, I don't maybe the feeling wouldn't have been as strong if my experience within the medical system wasn't so horrible. Totally. Maybe I would've it would've taken me a little bit to get to that point. But, just looking at birth for, like, what it is and, like, I say this, and I know it makes people like, that's not true, but birthing is like pooping. It's like you bought your body just does it. Like, you don't need to do anything. It just does it. And because I I, you know, I know the body, I was just fully confident that that I've got this. You know? Like, I don't need to interfere with with anything. And
Speaker 2
I mean, you're very correct. It is very similar to pooping. It requires a very similar hormonal matrix to be intact to successfully go through both experiences. It's it's not as romantic, but it's Yeah. It's quite similar. And, yeah, I appreciate the the clarity and confidence that's emerging out of your your experience in your teens and and how closely related it is when when we step into our own embodied health, right, and our own knowing that for many women comes from first being really betrayed by outsourcing, right, to the allopathic model or to whatever. And so in that embodiment of knowing ourselves and having clarity in the relationship with ourselves, it becomes really obvious. Like, free birth becomes an extension of just what we know to be true about ourselves and our capacity and ability.
Speaker 3
Yes. Absolutely. I it just it felt like the most, natural decision to make. Like, I remember when I decided it, like, such a weight just releasing from me. I was like, oh, yes. This is the right thing because I've now fully, like, dropped into the space that I need to be for birthing. You know? Before that, I I felt like a little bit I was like, oh, this woman's gonna be there? Like, who is this lady? You know? And and, of course, there's other and and some people love to have midwives, and I just I'm not that way. Like, even for my second birth, I was like, I need to be alone alone. Like, everyone just leave me be. You know? So it just it felt like it clicked as soon as I decided that. It felt such like yeah. A a primal instinct also, like, kicked in with me where I I felt like that was, like, my first decision as a a new mom. And, you know, I was like, wow. I'm doing the right thing. You know?
Speaker 2
I mean, I think you're really speaking to a very healed, intact, healed part of you that is truly able to source from your own internal resources. Because, really, in a lot of ways, that is kind of how I would describe free birth, you know, is is the willingness, ability, and interest to, like you said, just have everyone leave me alone and just, you know, drop in, do what you need to do. And I wanna be careful here because there's nothing wrong with not wanting to do that. It's fine. I don't care. Like, you should birth however you should birth with wherever you're at. It's not a hierarchy, but it is a different state of consciousness. There is a state of consciousness that that you either exist in or choose to step into when you choose to source entirely from within yourself and within your family, your marriage, you know, and it is different when you choose to hire authority in birth, a professional. It's not less than. It's not any of that. And people really cannot hear me when I say that. Yeah. Even though I really sincerely mean it, it's just a different paradigm. It's a different consciousness.
Speaker 3
Yeah. It's such a it's such a different feeling. And, for me, on my own healing journey, that was like it was like an explosion inside of me. You know? It really showed me, all the work that I had been doing. Mhmm. And, like, how well it sort of paid off because I was able to be in that space and make that decision and then and then go through it. Like, my body was just fully nourished doing all of it, and it just it has only set me up for such, an empowered motherhood since then. You know, it really, changed me in a huge way where I went from even the little parts of me that maybe weren't so healed and maybe I was, like, a little insecure about, it just mended all of that because I realized, like, actually, I'm much greater than this. Like, I I was selling myself short, and, like, I just I just did this. You know? I I just kept repeating that.
Speaker 4
Like, I just did this. You know?
Speaker 3
And I think that it is the most, empowering healing ever, and it's healing on so many levels. It's just an incredible, way to heal too. And it does come from a place of, you know, nourishing your body and nourishing your mind and feeling, like, centered in yourself and believing in yourself. I think that a lot of women, you know, that I speak to that don't choose a path of rebirth, which is completely fine, I I think that they're maybe not there yet too, you know, within themselves and and reaching that state of, awareness in their body and connectedness to their body. But I do believe everyone can be there. And, you know, there's so many facets and ways you can can get there.
Speaker 2
Mhmm. Yeah. Alright. So if if you feel ready to tell us about your first
Speaker 4
first. Sorry. Go ahead.
Speaker 3
So my husband and I were living in a little rental home at the time. The bathtub was super tiny. I did not have a birthing tub, but I knew I wanted to, like, be in the water. I really should have planned bed because the tub probably would have been super nice. But I started going into labor around eleven AM, and my contractions were really mild. Like, I would say that equal to, like, period cramps I had, like, in high school that were, like, bad. You know? And, I just started puttering, like, around the house and getting things together. We did, like, a a lotus birth of the placenta. So we I had, like, that kit all set up and the bed set up. And, I pretty much went throughout the day, which now I know was, like, active labor. I didn't have my water never broke. My son and my daughter actually were born in the sack. So I never I've never experienced water breaking. It's a very it's a very interesting thing to have two babies not
Speaker 2
know what
Speaker 3
that feels like. So, you know, it was basically into the evening time where my contractions were getting to the point where, like, I really need the center and and breathe through them. So we filled up the bathtub, and I pretty much, like, labored in the tub, like, on my knees, on my back a little bit, like, trying to find a comfortable position. And my active like, really strong active labor was only thirty minutes before. Yeah. I had a very strict person with it. Woah.
Speaker 4
With my
Speaker 3
with my first. Yeah. So, and I was really able to just breathe through every contraction, and, you know, we're pretty much in silence the whole time. My husband really just kinda held the space for me, like, trying to figure out, like, okay. Do you want me here? Do you want me to do this? And then at one point, I was like, I just need to, like, squat, like, in like, this tub is not big enough for my body, like, what I need to do. So I was, like, squatting kind of my legs in the tub, my butt on the side of the tub. And that's when I felt down, and I could feel, the sack. And I and I told him, I was like I was like, you need to catch him because I need to relax my body right now. I was like, he is coming. Like, this next contraction is he's gonna be coming. And, I just felt like the ring of fire that everyone talks about and, you know, this wave of of heat flow through my body, and he just floated through the water, like, in his sack, and my husband just caught him. Yeah. It was, like, just a very
Speaker 0
Woah. What a
Speaker 2
cool story. Yeah. So did did you have to did the sack pop in the water, or did
Speaker 4
you have to pop
Speaker 3
in the water. Yeah. So it popped when, like, my husband, like, put his hands on it, so then it popped. And, and he brought him out of the water, and then I I turned around and I sat down. He placed him on me. And it was such a I wrote this card to my son for his first birthday about his birth. And, it was such a wild thing because, like, our lives had just changed, like, insanely, but, like, nothing there was nothing around. You know? Like, it was silence. It was just us in this space. Like, no one knew that anything happened, and that's such a different experience. Like, usually, there's commotion and, like, noise and all this stuff, and we were just completely peace and sigh silence. You know? It was it was really, really beautiful. And then, you know, we just, like, started our lives as our family. I I my placenta came right out after that. I showered off, and we went into bed, and then it was, like, postpartum period. It was just so uneventful. You know? It was just like, oh, I
Speaker 4
just went to the bathroom. I had
Speaker 3
a baby. And it it's funny because my husband would joke about that prior to my giving birth, and he'd be like, I just feel like one day you're gonna come out and
Speaker 4
be like,
Speaker 3
the baby's here and, like, show me.
Speaker 2
You also had a lot of willingness whether conscious or not to let it be simple. Right? Even in choosing free birth. I mean, women still will do their damnedest to dramatize a free birth if that's what they're committed to. Yeah. But when you're really committed to simple and you're really, worked out of how to have that, Of course. Yeah. Right?
Speaker 3
Yeah. I I you know, it's it's funny because I I'll see people who have, like, the tub and the candles and the music, and I'm like, that is awesome. Like, I want I want that. And then when I'm in it,
Speaker 4
it's like, I don't have any of this. Mhmm. You know, for me,
Speaker 3
it was like, you know, the the cleanup of the birth is everything is
Speaker 4
in the tub, went down to drain, and you tell us. Amazing.
Speaker 2
Yeah. That's very chill. Well, also, you had a quick birth, which is amazing. Like, when you have a long birth, you're gonna use every inch of your home just to shake up. You know?
Speaker 3
Yes. Yes. And with my daughter, it was it was different. My my birth was actually still like, my active labor was still it was two hours, which is still very short in, like, the scheme of of birthing.
Speaker 2
Sure.
Speaker 3
But sort of the same atmosphere in terms of of the birth. I birthed in our our home, in a same a similar sized tub, actually, which I did that. This time, I was like, I'm gonna get a tub, and then I and then I did not. But I mostly just, like For
Speaker 4
that third baby. Totally getting a tub, though.
Speaker 3
But I mostly just labored in there in the in the shower with the hot water, but my contractions were I was roaring through them. Like, to bring her earth side was way more challenging for me than my son. My son is just like, he's there. And I, you know, it was it was easy. But I feel that with my daughter, you know, I, as a woman and becoming a mother to a woman, I really had to face a lot of myself and those contractions were part of that. Like, I I watched my life. Like, I watched my relationships, like, as I roared through those contractions. And, I watched my relationship with my mother. Like, I in, you know, inside, like, spoke to her and and released, you know, any, resistance there too. And, yeah, I was my husband was like, this is different. Like and I was like, you need to leave because I cannot not, like, scream right now. Like, this I need to scream, and I need to be alone because this baby is coming out differently. Like, this is not the same sort of feeling at all. And, and I really did roar through all those contractions. And I ended up getting out of the tub and, sitting on the toilet. And he came in. My husband was, like, outside playing with my son, so I pretty much labored by myself. And and, he came in. He's like, you don't burst on the toilet. Did you clean the toilet? And I was like, yes.
Speaker 4
I did clean the toilet. I was like,
Speaker 2
I'm not gonna burst.
Speaker 3
I know.
Speaker 4
I was like, I'm also not gonna burst. Yeah. I was like, please be quiet now.
Speaker 2
You know how many babies are born into the toilet?
Speaker 3
I know. I was like I was like, no. Yeah.
Speaker 2
And so then did you or did you shut up?
Speaker 3
So I I felt down and I felt I felt the sack again. And I was like, I guess, like, my water's just never gonna break. I'm just gonna have babies in sacks. So I got off the toilet, and I was on my knees. And, yeah, she came right out into my arms, and no one was in the room. It was just me. Yeah. And then my husk because my husband went outside to go back to my son was playing in the front yard and, you know, and then he came he was coming back and forth to check on me. You know? But, yeah. As soon as he went out the door, she came earth side, and then he came back in, like, a minute later, and and he heard the cry. And I was sitting there with her in my hands, and, I just looked him in the eye. And I was like, I did it by myself. Like, to me, catching her was, like, really, like, by myself. Like, no one was in there.
Speaker 4
Mhmm.
Speaker 3
It was just me and her, and, that was the most, oh my gosh, the most incredible feeling of my entire life. And, like, I can't wait to tell her how she entered the world and how it was just, like, me and her, you know, and just that connection. And, and it's interesting because my my son has such an affinity for my husband. Like, he is such a papa's boy, and I do think it makes a difference, like, who catches the baby in that moment. I don't know. I mean, maybe that's just my experience.
Speaker 2
Well, then what does it mean for my baby that just fell on the floor? No.
Speaker 4
No. No one thought
Speaker 2
it was
Speaker 4
I mean yeah. I maybe it's not anything.
Speaker 2
Well, we like you know, we're humans. We love stories. We love to Yes. We're my mentor says we're meaning makers.
Speaker 3
Yeah. That's right.
Speaker 2
We love to make meaning, and it's so fun. Right. Like, why not? You know? So okay. So I would just wanna visualize this for a second. So she's coming out, you said, in the call again. And so Yeah. You're on your hands and knees. And then do you just, like, kick back to get her from the front?
Speaker 3
Yeah. I caught her from the front. And so I sort of, like, pushed back, and I was, like, still like, I was, like, on my heels, you know, and they were out. And, and as she was coming out, I, like, burst the sack with me with my hands by grabbing her. Mhmm. And yeah. And then and then as soon as my husband came in and he saw her, like, my placenta just, like, fell out. Like, it was so fast. I was like, woah. That was because with my son, I kinda like to push. You know? Just fell right out. He had the bowl and everything ready, and and he's like, okay. And then my son came in within a couple seconds, and he was like, I wanna give that little baby my dump truck.
Speaker 4
Like, he he was so, so sweet. He came in with gifts.
Speaker 3
Yeah. And, then we I was, like, a little bit cold. So we got into the hot bathtub, and then my son got into it with me, and then he helped her for the first time. And, we run, our business. We have, like, our workshop on our property. And my husband, like, we we got back. We got in the bed. You know? Everything was, like, pretty much set up, and my son was with me and then had my daughter. He's like, yeah. I have to go back to the workshop. I have to, like, put some orders out.
Speaker 4
I was like, okay. And that was, like, my first moment of, like, oh my god. I just
Speaker 2
let my husband leave me alone with my children for, like, three months.
Speaker 4
Oh, really? No. No. No. I might be anxiety.
Speaker 3
No. Yeah. And then
Speaker 2
I was just like, I have to go work at, like, what, an hour postpartum?
Speaker 3
Yeah. Probably, like, probably, like, thirty days.
Speaker 2
He just needed to, like,
Speaker 4
just take a minute, probably.
Speaker 3
You know, it's funny because when I hear him talk about me to other people and talk about birthing and stuff, he has such, like, a wonderful view of me. And he's just like, no. I'll just does that stuff. Like, she's just that she's just capable of it. You know? And I was joking with a friend. I was like, yeah. He just left me after my babies. And he's like, no. I didn't. I just knew that you were fine, and you had it. Like, you were you were okay. And he's right, though, because that is my personality and that is, like, my capability. Like, I'm very much, like, I'm I'm good. Like, I don't you know? I'm full. And when I need support, I really, like, speak it and say it. You know? And then for the next, basically, two months, I stayed in bed. And that's
Speaker 2
Amazing. So,
Speaker 3
you know, that was I and I did the same with my with my son too, but, you know, it's different when you have Mhmm. Another child to, like, care for.
Speaker 2
Wait.
Speaker 3
Yeah. Just totally different. So we had
Speaker 2
no mom. You actually need to commit I mean, I say need. Like, women should do whatever they want, but it's not it it is because it's more challenging, I think the idea is to commit to that restful postpartum even more. Like, first baby, you're young. It's fine. Third baby, fourth baby, fifth baby, like, we're talking about the health of your pelvic floor for when you're fifty, sixty, seventy, you know, with every postpartum, what we do and how we allow it to, yeah, rec prepare, recover.
Speaker 3
Absolutely. And I think probably for my next birth and postpartum, I will hire, like, a postpartum doula. My mother stayed with us, but I think she would need more help, like and because I need someone to to care for me while she cares for my children. You know? And and I do think women really need a lot of support postpartum. It's not just a, oh, okay. You stop bleeding. You're good. You know? Like, that's not the case. Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2
Feels so I mean, is there a deeper nourishment than having a a network of your family and community fill all the little holes in your in your household that you don't have to fill. It just feels so good.
Speaker 3
Absolutely. And I I just I know what a difference it makes because, you know, at four months postpartum, like, my energy was just back to where I was before. Like, my body I mean, it just nourishing my body and doing it correctly and resting and, like, truly not pushing myself and just allowing my body to heal was just such a gift. And now at eight months postpartum, I'm like,
Speaker 4
I'm ready for another baby. Let's go. You know? Like, my
Speaker 3
body my body is just feeling so good, and I don't feel that, exhaustion that so many women go through. And when I hear stories, which I do every day, it's it's painful. It's painful to think of that. I I feel for for women who go through a traumatic birth and then a traumatic postpartum. It's just Domino. Oh, man. Yeah.
Speaker 2
I mean, the the birth in the system is set up to create trauma at every step. Right? Yes. So when what we see in the free birth world is what I would call the biological design that women emerge from their births wanting more kids
Speaker 4
Yeah.
Speaker 2
Right, feeling good. And there is there's definitely a relationship between how well supported they are in their postpartum to how their mental health is, you know, at three, four, five, six months postpartum. Of course. So I'd like to shift into nourishment and your work and what you teach about and how this all interplays with motherhood. Like, I could prompt you with stuff, but I also feel like you could kinda just Yeah. Riff.
Speaker 3
Yeah.
Speaker 4
You
Speaker 3
know, I I always remind my community that a fully nourished mother is a fully nourished family. What you do for yourself trickles down into your family. So you truly do need to, you know, fill your cup, take care of your body. This culture around moms just eating scraps from their children's plates and not truly slowing down to actually feed themselves is not serving anyone, and I'm basically the counter of that. For me, I, you know, I teach about physiology. I teach about, Ayurvedic medicine, the practices of Eastern medicine, and how you can apply it to your more modern day life. And, you know, my primary focus is on women doing nourishing activity. It absolutely has a trickling down effect. You know? When a mother skips breakfast and her stress hormones are incredibly high, her mood is going to be in stable, that's going to affect her children, her reactivity to her children, her ability to handle, upsets throughout the day with household upsets, whether it's, you know, something just not going as planned or your child needing more from you. The basis of everything I teach is really this holistic, and I say whole, like, you know, everything combined, view of the body and your mind and your lifestyle and how you need to weave this nourishment throughout all of it. Nourishing activities, a nourishing routine, nourishing foods, and that looks a lot like slowing down and being, aware and purposeful with your choices. We are in a culture where women just rush through everything. I need to rush through this. I need to rush through that and that and that and that. And, it's just depleting. It's straining on the nervous system. It's depleting to our mineral stores, which we give to our children anyways. You know? We lose ten percent of our mineral stores with every birth. So if you think about that, your thyroid and your minerals are the spark plugs to your entire metabolic system. If you are completely strained on your mineral stores, your life is going to be strained. Your mind is not gonna work correctly. You're not gonna be sharp. You're not gonna be able to handle, basic everyday things. You know? Like, my son wanting to go ride his bike and, you know, whatever the case may be, I could easily respond in a reactive manner, or I can help him. And I can be centered, and I can be the teacher that he needs me to be. You know? And it really comes down to, how we treat ourselves. And how we treat ourselves is also an example for our children. I grew up with my mom, eating Tostitos and drinking Diet Coke and, like, skipping meals like crazy. I
Speaker 2
So you don't do that? Yeah.
Speaker 3
Yeah. I I really modeled my, idea of health from my dad, actually. But that's because I was on the similar routine as him. Like, waking with the sun was always my I naturally just really enjoyed that.
Speaker 4
Mhmm.
Speaker 3
And he was very into health. He was an athlete, and he you know, when I was in high school, he had, like, his oatmeal in the morning and his green tea and his lemon water. Like, he was doing a lot of things that today, you know, everyone does for their health. And, and so I had a really good example in that way. But I did watch how, my mom's diet affected her mentally and emotionally and her ability to handle us and our problems and and really support us. And now she's come a very long way from that and eats and completely nourishes her body. And and interestingly enough, it's it's something that we we talk about often because, you know, now with my children, she if if my son is is like, I don't I don't feel like eating breakfast. You know? My mom is able to communicate. Hey. Actually, you know, I I did that for a very long time, and these are all the things that happened to me. And, you know, I this is how I feel when I eat breakfast. And don't you wanna play and do all these things? And, yeah.
Speaker 2
So what is what is nourishment look like to you and for you?
Speaker 3
For me, it's nutrient dense foods. So not consuming empty calories, whether it be from, like, health foods or not. I think there's, this idea that to be healthy, you must, like, drink green juices and eat salads and have quinoa and, you know, whatever. You have the raw have a raw diet, you know, all these different things. And, I look at food from for its nutrient density, its quality, and its bioavailability for the human body. So for me, I'm composing my meals around what does my body need? How can I nourish my body more? Am I lacking fat? Am I lacking protein? Am I lacking carbohydrates? Where where do I need to, make this plate more well rounded that it's going to suit me and then serve my family? What kind of micronutrients is my body missing? Is it copper? Is it iron? You know, I'm I'm looking at all of those different things. And that's really why I teach a lot about nutrition, a lot about, what's in food, like, what's in an individual type
Speaker 2
of food. Know?
Speaker 3
Yeah. And, like, how your body actually uses that, what it's for.
Speaker 4
Mhmm.
Speaker 3
Because it really does make a difference. When you start to educate yourself about that information, you can easily make a decision on, like, what to eat. Food is not just like, oh, I'm I'm just gonna eat because I have to eat. You know? You eat to really, have a a purpose for your body, have a you know, it's going to add to your life. And, of course, you there's we'll go from there. You can have your doughnut if you want your doughnut. You you know? And and there's ways to have foods like that that like, I eat sweets all the time. I I'm always making brownies and cookies and sourdough things, and, I do think that there's there's also room for that. But the idea is to, set the foundation
Speaker 4
Mhmm.
Speaker 3
With those nutrient dense foods that your body could actually use.
Speaker 4
Mhmm.
Speaker 3
You know, so often women, cut calories That's another thing that I stress so much. It's like, you cannot survive on fifteen hundred calories. I don't care what who you are. That is not it's not possible. You can't. You know? Not as a woman who has birthed a child. That is
Speaker 2
not Without a great cost.
Speaker 3
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah. You might you might be still standing, but, Right.
Speaker 4
But we're not feeling?
Speaker 3
How are you doing? You know? How are your relationships going? How's how are you how are you how are you sleeping? You know? How are you pooping? How's all that going for you? It it's all it really does affect you, and women really do need upwards of two thousand calories of nutrient dense foods a day in order to have sustained energy, in order to have, a high functioning metabolic system, and a relaxed nervous system. Mhmm. And I don't think people will often connect the dots between, like, what they've eaten during the day and, like, how they are, like, feeling and reacting even in their own thoughts. Like, oh, I'm being very reactive right now. That is strange. What did I
Speaker 4
need? The other the
Speaker 2
other day, I interviewed Jessica Ash.
Speaker 3
Mhmm.
Speaker 2
And she said something that really I mean, it's sad. It made me laugh though because it's it's so interesting. But she was like, you know you know those women that will be on restrictive diets and they're, like, always irritated and they're just, like, in, like, a low level state of rage. And she was like, they're starving.
Speaker 4
Yes. Like,
Speaker 2
oh, shit. I never really because I know women like that. I never really considered that that, like, they're famished.
Speaker 3
Yes. I mean, if you think about it, like, if you sit down to, like, a good warm meal that's, like, salted properly and you get, like, you know, all the satin, the protein, the carbs, like, all in one meal, like, how that grounds your body. Like, how stable do you feel? Like, you could you know, you can continue on with your day. It's just it's so, so, so important to to nourish your body to put all of that, first, especially in your birthing and mother years. Like, I do not know how women make it off of scraps. I I just I could not, you know, I could not function. I'd be a reactive mess. Right. Well, a
Speaker 2
lot of people are. Yeah. I mean, this goes back to what we were saying earlier around when when we if we learn how to source from within, then we can begin the internal discovery process and internal dialogue of what feels good, what what, you know, what might I want because so many of us, and I totally relate to this, just like wanna be told. Like, just give me what you eat, give me how you work out, tell me exactly what you do, and I would really prefer to just put that framework on my life, but it's bullshit. It's not a sustainable option. There isn't any shortcuts with birth, with mothering, with with health, you know, that it is it's really are we willing to learn because it does take time, especially if you're thirty five and you've you haven't learned how to internally source your own approval, your own sense of security, your own sense of safety, like, some really basic shit that most people, haven't consciously, skillfully learned how to generate yet. You know? So it'll take some time, but are you willing to discover what food feels good? And do we even know like, so many women will be like, what even does that mean? Like, what even is nourishment? Because we're so fucked up from fad diet culture and restrictive eating and don't have grains and everything is bad and this idea of, you know, raw milk and fresh sourdough and, you know, lots of of meat and dairy and all of this stuff that, you know, we're, like, indoctrinated to as little girls think that that stuff is, like, gonna make us fat.
Speaker 3
Yeah. Yeah. It's, yeah. There's a there's a whole, I mean, that is basically everything I experienced growing up was Mhmm. Don't don't eat any of those foods. And
Speaker 2
Don't eat, actually. Just don't eat.
Speaker 3
Yeah. Just, like, just just try not to eat and then, like, continue to live, though, but don't eat.
Speaker 2
Don't eat, but also smile.
Speaker 4
Yeah. Like, to just smile too, though. Yeah.
Speaker 3
I know. And, and it I really attempt to, share inspiration for meals and foods, but I stress so much that, you know, although our physiology is the same in that way that we, you know, we need these things, we're predisposed to different imbalances, different diseases in the body. We live different in different environments and have different lifestyles and interests. And so you really have to take that information and apply it to yourself. So it's not as easy as, like, just tell me what to eat, you know, but you I can't. You know? I can't tell you what to eat because I don't know you, and you need to know you. So you need to take responsibility and apply this information to yourself. And I don't think, I don't think it's taught enough and early enough that these things are important. You know, we're my husband and I were chatting last night about how most women don't even know how their cycles work. They don't even know their different phases of their cycles, and how that affects, you know, their their family, their relationships, like, the decisions that they're that they're making and the food that they need to eat. And this should be, like, basic knowledge that we're teaching our kids. You know, men and and women need to know this, because then we can actually, like, live in harmony. We can we can function together. People are often surprised at, like, how well my husband and I communicate and, like, have our relationship and and this and that. And I'm like, well, we we're fed, so there's that. But we also know how to, respond to each other and what's going on in our bodies. Mhmm. You know what
Speaker 2
I mean? Literate. You're actually literate. And when two people are literate and they like each other, the potential of that is really exciting.
Speaker 3
Yes. It's really exciting. And that's my that's my goal and my hope is to is to show women. Well, one, you can you can do it because I did it, and I didn't come from a place of this. Like, I created this. You know? I I came from all sorts of ailments. Yeah.
Speaker 4
You
Speaker 3
know, I I came from a place of you know, when I was twelve, I had a kidney disorder. I was homeschooled part time not by choice, but but by force because I couldn't physically go to school. I had Hashimoto's and PCOS and
Speaker 4
Oh my god.
Speaker 3
I had cancer and I had all these different things that before I was twenty one, you know. And and for me, when I decided to go to school for Arabic medicine, I was I just had turned eighteen. I was the youngest person in my school. No one was, like, interested in my age. And during that time now, it's definitely, like, become, like, a bigger thing, which is really cool. But I just knew that this is this is not like living. I I'm not gonna live if this is how life is gonna go. You know? And, I wish there was somebody out there that was, like, telling me all the information I know now. Mhmm. So I could've, you know, bypassed a lot of of hurt and a lot of, stress. So that's my hope for for women is that they see what life can be like if you if you do these things for yourself, if you set if you lay that foundation out, if you put some time and energy into learning about your body and then applying that knowledge to your life, and then how well you can really show up in motherhood and how well you can birth if you if you want to, you know, free birth and, you know, how well you're stable your marriage can be too. Right. And all these things, like, it really affects the whole cosmo of your of your entire life, your Mhmm. The how well your body is functioning.
Speaker 2
There's a lot of, you know, psychological and cultural, you know, stuff to this outside of food too that's just, like, most of us, I feel like I could be wrong, but from what I have tracked, most of us grew up with really that martyr mom persona. You know, that's very Christian, very, serve everyone except you, moms last, but there's also this, like, heroism to it, you know, and it's very, there's pride within the martyr persona that just isn't interesting to me at all as the center of my family and as the, yeah, like, the the the the center of my family. I I don't Yeah. I don't understand it, and I I feel so just amazed that I could learn myself out of these things that were shown, not just from my maternal line, but also society. Right? Yeah. And I think there is something happening that I see paired very much with the free birth world where women are starting to really realize that it's, like, pretty cool to love yourself and to, like, take care of yourself and to eat and to say no. And, you know, these, like Yeah. Things that feel real, real, real basic. But like you said, you know, like, get fed. Like, let's let's start with just, like, eat. See who you are when you're genuinely fed, when you know that that is is happening, because Jessica Ash was saying this too that that you'll be a completely different person. If you are currently malnourished without even realizing it, who you will be nourished and the caliber of your life, the consciousness you will exist in is going to be so different. And I look at women that I know who are nourished in in in all the ways, and there's such a radiance and a creativity and this kind of, like, infinite capacity thing happening where we're just scaling and scaling and scaling and holding and holding and holding, but it's really radical to do it from a state of fullness and wellness versus depletion and martyrdom.
Speaker 3
Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. I couldn't agree more with that. And I and it really does start with just making the decision to be like, hey. You know what? I actually I need to eat this meal right now for me. And if I don't, no one is going to be served. You know? And just
Speaker 2
eats until I'm done.
Speaker 3
You know, for me, it was I came from the fry prior to pregnancy and prior to mother, like, a very nourished state. You know? I've been doing this work for a very long time. But becoming a mother, you're faced with a lot more challenges. You give up so much of your self determination. It is the most selfless job in the entire world. And it was, an interesting thing for me to, kind of navigate without becoming a martyr, you know, and and truly, like, living the work that I was that I was preaching. And there are so many moments where, you know, I'm still nursing my son. He's almost three and a half. So there are moments where we've explained to him, like, no. Mama needs to eat right now. She can't nurse right now because in order to make the milk, I need to eat my food. So I need to finish my dinner, and it needs to be calm because this is going to affect my digestion, which is going to affect the way that I absorb my food and my nervous system. And if my I'm stressed, then I'm going to have stress hormones in my milk, and then your tummy is gonna hurt. You know? We really go into, like, the physiology for my son, so he's, like, totally aware of, hey. You know what? Actually, I need to care about my parents. Because if I don't care about my parents and their time and their space and their energy, they're not gonna be able to care for me. And, and now at three and a half, like, he's just so understanding of of all the things that we have, like, said to him and taught him, like, you know, over the past couple of years.
Speaker 2
So screaming so screaming, it's not all about you. It's not attractive. But I will often default too.
Speaker 3
Okay?
Speaker 4
Yeah.
Speaker 2
So you've got a eight month old, three and a half year old. You want all the babies. You have a cow. You just moved to this cool new big property. Yeah. You're crushing it.
Speaker 3
We've got some sheep. We've got dogs. My dog just have puppies. We've got ducks and chickens. Yeah. We're, we're trying to really you know, our original goal is, like, let's live off grid, and maybe that will be for us when our children are a little bit older. But, something we realized at our previous home, which we were, like, a little bit more removed from society there, is that, you know, our children need communication. They need people. They need life. And, we need to figure out a way that we can still, like, remain in our values and work towards our goals while, he's they're able to socialize and meet people. And so, yeah, that's that's been the place where we've been at and kind of our
Speaker 2
Mhmm.
Speaker 3
The whole reason for for moving and leaving where we where we were that we loved so much. But, yeah, it's I I whenever my mom would come to visit me, she's like, woah. You do so much in a day. I'm like, yo, it's insane what you can get done when, like, you you're you ate breakfast and you, you know, didn't live off of black coffee all day.
Speaker 2
That is so funny and so true.
Speaker 3
Yeah. You know, there's a there's a huge culture online of just, like, let's starve ourselves, and then let's drink wine later. And I'm just And then let's
Speaker 2
see who we are at fifty.
Speaker 3
Yeah. No. I'm I'm a very, grounded and and calm person because of the choices that I've
Speaker 4
Of course.
Speaker 3
Made in terms of, you know, choosing myself essentially, choosing choosing to nourish my body because I can see how that can affect everyone else. And I hope more women do begin to see the value in that. You know? I know that there's a lot of discomfort that comes with, nourishing your body. Because if you have been starving and there's many reasons why you've you may have been doing that, you know, your body is gonna look different. Mhmm. Your body's gonna look different when you start to nourish it. It's going to look different through that transition. Yeah. And that's kind of somewhat hard to to go through. But when your body starts to balance out and then you're at a state where, like, it's fully just working, your organs are doing what they're supposed to be doing, it feels so different. You know? Getting past that uncomfortability is is so worth it.
Speaker 2
Mhmm. Beautiful. So in in closing, what what is your like, how can women find you, and what what do what is your work online? You mentioned you have courses, and what are your other offerings that women can engage in?
Speaker 3
Yeah. So my health and I, we created a couple of online courses. We have a digestion course, a weight loss course, which is really just more or less a a trail off of our thyroid course, which is what I would recommend for most women who are prepping for pregnancy, maybe if they're pregnant. Like, that's because your your thyroid is, you know, the center of essentially your entire health system, it's really important to to work on that. And then we have our beauty care products. We have some, facial care things and then, metabolic supplements. So that part of our our line has expanded quite a bit. And our company is called Forever Healthy LLC. And you can find us on Instagram or on on the web. And then my page is noelle covry on Instagram. And so I I just share free information every day. I have thousands and thousands of of free content in my highlights, like hours hours worth. Like, you could make a couple of courses out of that. And I always tell people, like, there's so many topics in there, and it's I mean, it is the most in-depth information you'll probably
Speaker 4
read. Beautiful.
Speaker 3
So, it's all right there on my page. And and that's pretty much what we're offering now. We are working on a pregnancy and post partum course, but because of the season of life that we're in, it's probably gonna take us a while. So that'll be announced later on when I when I get to it.
Speaker 2
Beautiful. Awesome. Okay. Well, I'm gonna put you on the spot and say, we would love to have you come to MRF if it's in your flow and you're only a couple hours away. So
Speaker 3
Yes. I I really had wanted to make it this past year, but being like you know, for me, like, six months postpartum is still, like I'm, like, still in, like, the the thick of it and everything, but, I would love to come for next year. We'll be very close by, and it would be wonderful to also, bring my kids.
Speaker 4
Mhmm. Yeah.
Speaker 2
And to meet so many, like, minded women.
Speaker 3
Yes. Yeah. And I I loved finding your space because after I you know, free birth, I was like, okay. Am I the only one that's doing this? Like, because I also we really like to talk
Speaker 4
to people about this. Yeah.
Speaker 3
You know? And, finding that there's just such, like, a massive shift happening. Like, I've been able to connect with a lot of women, online because of your page and just, like, finding people that, like, you know, resonate with me. And I think that that's just amazing, and and we need that. We need that, especially, when we're when we're shifting in such a dramatic way. You know? Like, to shift from this more allopathic medical system to this sovereign way of of living and birthing and mothering. It's like you need your people.
Speaker 2
Exactly. And, I mean, that really is at the heart of the matriarch rising festival is it's like it's all these women who in their own you know, maybe they have communities, but maybe they don't. And they're all coming together under these shared values of free birth and sovereign living and health and nourishment. And it is really like people women just kinda walk around like, woah. Like, this is a it's like a it's like a conscious women's summer camp. Yeah. It's so fun. That's awesome. Well, thank you so much for your time. It was super fun to get
Speaker 3
to know you. Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2
I hope you enjoyed the show today. You can support this podcast by donating to it on free birth society dot com and leaving an awesome review on whatever platform you listen on. The more reviews, the more visibility the show gets, so let's spread the word of Sovereign Birth. We've always got a lot going on at Free Birth Society, and you can find out about all of it at free birth society dot com, at free birth society on Instagram, and opt in to my newsletter below in the show notes. We offer courses on free birth, authentic midwifery, and the blood mysteries, as well as one on one coaching, in person retreats, and, of course, our annual women's festival. Our exclusive vetted private membership is definitely something to check out if you're looking for a community of wise sisters. Together, we rise. We must speak our stories, claim our lives, and support one another. This is the living revolution, and I am so grateful to be in it with all of you. I'll leave you with our epic free birth society theme song, Wild Woman by Aruba Red.
Speaker 5
I honor you for the wisdom you held, the ancient traditions of plant medicine and womb magic. I feel the spirit of the ancestors as I place my hands upon my belly. This sacred portal will be honored, eons upon light beams of survival, withstanding the eradication of our power by design. I will not allow the separation of our young to be forced upon me. My sisters will no longer birth in captivity. The picket line we define from burning our wild women to paralyzing us and drugging our babes. Strapped down in a clinical white bed, drying up the milk from our breasts, keep your needles. My family will never again be doomed to chase those dragons all your poison. We reject your fear. We choose love. Everything with intention. Death, ascension. I will fly and bring her back from the star.
Speaker 6
Wild woman, she still lives in Sahar. Wild woman, from you, I will not hide. They could not bend
