Most women hear one story about birth, and it's usually the fear-based one.

This week we sit down with Kayla Blocher, a Certified Professional Midwife in Hillsdale County, Michigan — for the kind of conversation about home birth, midwifery care, and postpartum recovery you wish your older sister had had with you years ago.

Kayla walks us through what a CPM actually does (and how it's different from a doula or a nurse-midwife), why her prenatal appointments are an hour long, and what postpartum rest actually looks like when you take it seriously.

She also gets honest about why tearing during birth isn't something to be afraid of, why she waits a full hour before cutting the cord, and why she prays with the women in her care when they're open to it.

In this episode:

• The difference between a CPM, a CNM, and a doula —  ...