The Women's Village

The HORMONE Chat with Dr. Beatty; Understanding Them Changes Everything

In this episode of The Women’s Village podcast, Morgan sits down with hormone specialist and doctor of nursing practice, Dr. Presten Beatty, to talk about something so many women are quietly struggling with: feeling “off,” exhausted, anxious, flat, or unlike themselves—and being told over and over that “everything looks normal.” Dr. Beatty shares how he moved from traditional primary care into hormone-focused care after watching patients’ lives change when their hormones were actually addressed, and he breaks down what hormones really are, what they do in the body, and why imbalances can be so hard to recognize and treat. You’ll hear a grounded, practical conversation about the messy middle between “your labs are fine” and “I don’t feel fine,” including the limits of standard lab ranges, why perimenopause and postpartum can feel so destabilizing, and when it might be time to get your hormones checked. Morgan and Dr. Beatty also dive into the non-negotiables that make hormone therapy work better—like strength training and real sleep hygiene—and why lifestyle and hormones are partners, not either/or. This episode is part hormone 101, part validation, and part gentle nudge to stop white-knuckling your way through feeling miserable. If you’re tired of feeling unlike yourself, wondering if it’s “just your hormones,” or you’re curious whether hormone therapy could be worth exploring, this episode will help you feel more informed and less alone. CHECK OUT DR. BEATTY HERE BY CLICKING THIS LINK [https://thebirthvillage.org/provider/presten-beatty/] If you thought of a friend, client, or loved one while listening—especially someone who keeps being told “everything is fine” but feels anything but—send this episode their way. Sometimes the first step toward feeling better is simply knowing there are more options and someone who will really listen. CHECK OUT THE VILLAGE: ⁠⁠⁠https://thebirthvillage.org/⁠⁠⁠ [https://thebirthvillage.org/] Follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/] ⁠⁠@thebirthvillagepodcast⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/]⁠⁠⁠@thebirthvillage_⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillage_/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@embro_wellness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/embro_wellness/] Join the new Facebook group to connect with other women, ask questions, and get real recommendations from the community, as well as from trusted providers in The Village network. ⁠⁠FACEBOOK GROUP⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Bw7v5TTcz/] Special thanks to Jives for our music and Hailey Gafa Art for our beautiful album cover.

Avoiding Tearing in Birth: Support, Not Perfection

Induced, Informed, and Supported: Kayla’s VBA2C Journey

In this episode of The Birth Village Podcast, Morgan sits down with mom of three, Kayla Cannon, to walk through her powerful journey to a VBAC after two C-sections (VBA2C). Kayla shares how preeclampsia, an undiagnosed kidney disease, and high-risk pregnancies shaped her first two births, and why she became so determined to experience a vaginal birth the third time around. This conversation is raw, honest, and full of the little details that so many women will recognize from their own stories. You’ll hear how Kayla went from feeling uneducated and swept along by the “cascade of interventions” in her earlier births to feeling informed, supported, and truly heard as she prepared for a VBA2C. She talks about the emotional whiplash of changing providers mid-pregnancy, advocating for a gentler induction, navigating a complicated relationship with her care team, and leaning hard on her doula and chiropractor for both physical relief and emotional courage. Kayla doesn’t shy away from the hard parts—especially her difficult tear and long postpartum healing—but she also shares the deep joy of finally pushing her baby out herself and how that experience changed how she sees her own strength. We dive into: * Kayla’s first birth at 37 weeks with preeclampsia, an induction that escalated to an emergency C-section, and the fear and trauma of her first ever surgery. * Her second pregnancy and repeat C-section: why she felt pressured into an early epidural and surgery, how anxiety and a lack of education played into her decisions, and what made that recovery surprisingly smoother. * What shifted in her third pregnancy: lifting weights, taking her health seriously, listening to VBAC stories, and becoming passionate about having a VBA2C—even in the context of kidney disease and high-risk care. * Risking out of home birth care at 25 weeks, transferring to a local OB practice, and the emotional rollercoaster of clashing with providers while still needing their help to safely induce. * How she found her doula Eli and chiropractor Dr. Walter Staley through The Birth Village, and why those two supports felt absolutely essential to her confidence, coping, and baby’s positioning. * The details of her slow, low-dose Pitocin induction, laboring in the tub, finally asking for an epidural, and the relief and shock of hearing she was complete at 10 centimeters. * Pushing on her back, catching her own baby, and the intense contrast between the beauty of her VBAC birth and the reality of a significant internal tear and long, painful postpartum healing. * The honest truth about recovery: comparing C-section vs. VBAC healing in her body, what she wishes she might have tried differently, and how long it really took to feel like herself again. * Kayla’s heartfelt advice for VBAC hopefuls: educate yourself, confront the fear of uterine rupture with facts, advocate fiercely for your preferences, and surround yourself with a team who believes in you. * Why she says hiring a doula was “worth every penny,” how chiropractic care supported both pain relief and baby’s position, and why she would still recommend VBAC—if it’s what you truly want. Kayla’s story is a reminder that birth is both beautiful and brutally honest—and that having the right support, information, and community can change everything. It’s also a testament to how much it means when another woman says, “I did this, and you can too.” CHECK OUT THE VILLAGE: ⁠⁠⁠https://thebirthvillage.org/⁠⁠⁠ [https://thebirthvillage.org/] Follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/] ⁠⁠@thebirthvillagepodcast⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/]⁠⁠⁠@thebirthvillage_⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillage_/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@embro_wellness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/embro_wellness/] Join the new Facebook group to connect with other women, ask questions, and get real recommendations from the community, as well as from trusted providers in The Village network. ⁠⁠FACEBOOK GROUP⁠⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Bw7v5TTcz/] Special thanks to Jives for our music and Hailey Gafa Art for our beautiful album cover.

Nurse-Family Partnership: FREE Pregnancy & Postpartum Support

In this episode of The Birth Village Podcast, Morgan and Trisha sit down with nurses Melissa Webb and Laura Tritle to talk about Nurse-Family Partnership, a free, evidence-based nurse home-visiting program for first-time moms in Washington and Iron Counties. The conversation dives into how long-term, relationship-based support from pregnancy through age two can change the trajectory of a family’s life—emotionally, medically, and even financially—by giving parents education, resources, and a trusted person to call. You’ll hear how Melissa and Laura bring decades of experience in labor and delivery, pediatrics, NICU, ER, and childbirth education into cozy, real-life visits that happen where parents feel most comfortable—often right in their own homes. They share what makes this program so unique: it’s client-led, nonjudgmental, and deeply focused on helping parents find their voice, advocate for themselves, and feel confident in caring for their babies and themselves. We dive into: * Who Melissa and Laura are, their backgrounds in nursing and birth work, and why they’re so passionate about walking with families long-term. * What Nurse-Family Partnership actually is, how it works nationally, and how the new Southern Utah pilot is set up for first-time moms in Washington and Iron Counties. * What visits look like in real life: how often nurses come during pregnancy and postpartum, where you can meet, and how flexible and individualized the schedule really is. * How the program supports all birth choices and provider types—hospital, out-of-hospital, OBs, midwives, doulas—by helping parents prepare for appointments, ask questions, and advocate for the kind of care and birth they want. * How nurses gently bring up things like safe sleep, food security, mental health, or developmental concerns without judgment, and how they connect families to other community resources when needed. * Why those first six weeks postpartum are such a focus, and how regular check-ins can make a huge difference for maternal mental health, feeding, sleep, and overall adjustment. * How Nurse-Family Partnership fits within Prevent Child Abuse Utah’s broader home-visiting programs (like Parents as Teachers, SafeCare, and STEP), including support for families with children up to age nine. * What it looks like to teach parents to do developmental screenings and use simple, everyday activities to support their baby’s growth and milestones. * The long-term research behind Nurse-Family Partnership showing better school readiness, more stability, and improved outcomes for both moms and kids years down the road. * The importance of real, in-person connection and community for new parents—and how programs like this, along with The Birth Village, help rebuild that “village” so families don’t feel alone. If you are interested in this program, here is the contact information for Melissa and Laura as well as a link to the facebook page they mentioned! Laura Tritle: EMAIL: ltritle@pcautah.org PHONE: 435-301-2943 Melissa Webb: EMAIL: mwebb@pcautah.org PHONE: 435-383-1464 FACEBOOK: Prevent Child Abuse Utah - Southern Utah This episode is an invitation to share this resource with the new parents in your life—because sometimes the most loving thing you can do is say, “Hey, I heard about this program, and I think it could be really good for you.” CHECK OUT THE VILLAGE: ⁠⁠https://thebirthvillage.org/⁠⁠ [https://thebirthvillage.org/] Follow us on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/] ⁠@thebirthvillagepodcast⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/] ⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/]⁠⁠@thebirthvillage_⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillage_/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@embro_wellness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/embro_wellness/] Join the new Facebook group to connect with other women, ask questions, and get real recommendations from the community, as well as from trusted providers in The Village network. ⁠FACEBOOK GROUP⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Bw7v5TTcz/] Special thanks to Jives for our music and Hailey Gafa Art for our beautiful album cover.

Where Do I Even Start?? How To Find The Right Provider

In this episode of The Birth Village Podcast, Morgan and Trisha talk about how to ask for help, get the support you really need, and find providers who actually align with your values and goals—especially around pregnancy and birth, but also for women’s health in general. Whether you’re navigating a UTI, a high-risk pregnancy, or just trying to choose between an OB, midwife, or doula, this conversation is all about tuning into what you want and building a care team that feels right for you. We dive into: * Why the first question isn’t “Who should I see?” but “What do I want?” when it comes to birth, care style, and interventions * The difference between holistic and medical approaches (from UTIs to birth) and how to decide which route fits your situation and comfort level * What “dual care” looks like (seeing both an OB and a home birth midwife) and how it can give you the best of both worlds in pregnancy support * What it actually feels like to see a home birth midwife vs a standard OB office—and why the environment and relationship matter so much * Why it’s okay (and smart) to interview providers, bring questions, and even switch providers late in pregnancy if something doesn’t feel right * How to listen to your intuition, notice red flags, and pay attention to whether a provider genuinely seems interested in you as a person * Building a birth and wellness “team” (OB, midwife, doula, chiropractor, pelvic floor therapist, etc.) that supports your values, not just your symptoms * Using community—friends, local Facebook groups, and shared stories—to get real-world recommendations and clarity about what you want * Giving yourself permission to seek second opinions, explore options outside your immediate area (like telehealth), and stop settling for care that doesn’t feel good This episode is an encouragement to advocate for yourself, ask lots of questions, and remember that you are hiring your providers—they work for you, and you’re allowed to find a better fit if something feels off. You deserve care that is respectful, relational, and aligned with the kind of birth and life you’re trying to create. CHECK OUT THE VILLAGE: ⁠https://thebirthvillage.org/⁠ [https://thebirthvillage.org/] Follow us on Instagram:⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/] @thebirthvillagepodcast [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/] ⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillagepodcast/]⁠@thebirthvillage_⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thebirthvillage_/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@embro_wellness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/embro_wellness/] Join the new Facebook group to connect with other women, ask questions, and get real recommendations from the community, as well as from trusted providers in The Village network. FACEBOOK GROUP [https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Bw7v5TTcz/] Special thanks to Jives for our music and Hailey Gafa Art for our beautiful album cover.