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When a woman gives birth, it’s not just a baby that’s born… a mother is born too. 

For some women, this transition can be challenging, confusing, and even traumatic. But today’s podcast guest, Pam England, has a message of hope. She says birth can also be an incredible journey of self-discovery and healing — even if it wasn’t the birth you dreamed of. And in this powerful conversation, she’s sharing the tools, techniques and stories that can transform your experience of birth and trigger profound healing…

Pam England is a former nurse-midwife who practiced in hospital, birth center, and home birth settings. After giving birth to her first baby, she experienced emotional birth trauma but could not find a counselor or support group that could listen to her birth story and guide her through the pain and confusion. 

This was the catalyst that led her to create the Birthing From Within approach, followed by the Birth Story Medicine method in 2006. Since then, Pam has also completed a Masters in Psych Counseling, written a number of books (including Birthing From Within and Ancient Map for Modern Birth) and now teaches others how to become birth story mentors to empower mothers from all walks of life.

There are epic and surprising takeaways for EVERYONE in this episode — whether you’ve already given birth (even if it was decades ago), you want to have children in the future, or even if you simply want to learn how to better support and understand the women in your life. 

So if you want to deepen your understanding of the inner terrain of childbearing, prioritize the emotional and physical health of both mother and baby, and reframe your entire perception of this powerful rite of passage, then pop in those earbuds… this episode is for you.

In this episode we chat about: 

• Pam’s story and the life-altering question that changed everything (06:41)
• The importance of having a birthing mentor (and how to find the right one for you) (08:05)
• How to release fear before birth (11:30)
• How to overcome birth fear without a mentor (16:14)
• Pam’s step-by-step method to mentor women through their fears (17:32)
• Tracing back the seeds of birth trauma — where does it come from? (21:08)
• Her unique process to stimulate healing and recovery (25:01)
• Why talking about your birth experience with the right people matters (29:24)
• How art leads to self-discovery and self-awareness (33:22)
• Why a holistic approach to childbirth is so important (35:32)
• Why cesarean deliveries shouldn’t be judged or feared (38:18)
• The First Birth Story Process and how it works (40:59)
• How to look at birth as a heroic journey (45:11)
• The labyrinth analogy (and how this can transform your personal experience) (46:52)

Episode resources: 

• Inanna’s Descent (website)
• Birthing From Within by Pam England (Amazon)
• Ancient Map for Modern Birth by Pam England (Amazon)
• Labyrinth of Birth by Pam England (Amazon)
• Journeys on Mind Mountain by G. Bluestone (Amazon)
• Pam’s Blog (blog)

Thank you so much for listening to this episode. I’m so honored that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could take 2 minutes to leave me a 5-star review in iTunes or on your podcast app, that way we can inspire even more people together.

P.S. Please seek advice from a qualified holistic practitioner before starting any new health practice.

P.P.S. If you’re looking for a high-impact marketing opportunity for your business and are interested in becoming a sponsor for The Melissa Ambrosini Show podcast, please email pr@melissaambrosini.com for more information.