This week, Nikki sits down with Amy Silva, a birth doula of seven years, founder of the Collaborative Doula Collective, and a fierce advocate for collaboration over competition in the doula community. After losing her mom to suicide just six months before her first pregnancy, Amy knew she wanted to support women who didn't have that mother figure—or any support system—through one of life's most transformative experiences.

Together, they unpack what it really means to hire a doula, why asking about bias is crucial, and how to prepare for birth scenarios you hope never happen (but need to plan for anyway). Amy shares her journey from the ER trauma room to the birth room, why informed consent isn't practiced enough, and how hard birth experiences shouldn't be worn as badges of honor. This conversation is vulnerable, empowering, and a masterclass in holding space.

Amy shares:

• Why she became a doula after losing her mom to suicide 6 months before getting pregnant
• "Birth and death are two sides of the same coin"—doulas need to support both
• The most important question: What is your doula's bias?
• Birth preferences vs. birth plans—run through scenarios so you're not blindsided
• Emergency C-section: who goes in the OR with you—partner or doula?
• Why doulas sometimes undervalue themselves
• "Get comfortable being uncomfortable"—it's okay not to have all the answers
• The doula scam: a woman faked pregnancies/losses and traumatized 50+ doulas
• C-sections aren't "the easy way out"—major surgery doesn't make you less than
• Hard birth experiences as badges of honor = unprocessed trauma seeking validation
• The Collaborative Doula Collective: 52+ doulas ending competition and supporting each other

Ways to Connect with Amy:

Amy's Insta | Collaborative Doula Conference Insta | Collaborative Doula Collective Insta | Web

This week, Nikki sits down with Lauren Fleming, founder of Hem Support and a fierce advocate for pelvic health and patient autonomy. After being blindsided by a cystocele diagnosis at 6 weeks postpartum—and dismissed by her provider—Lauren couldn't stop thinking: why aren't we educating women about this, and why don't better support options exist? So she built them herself.

Together, they unpack the reality of prolapse (50% of women will experience it), the psychological weight of feeling "broken" postpartum, and why the lack of pelvic health education is unacceptable. Lauren shares her journey from corporate project manager to garment founder, navigating a second pregnancy with prolapse, and why support garments shouldn't make you feel worse. This conversation is vulnerable, validating, and empowering.

Lauren shares:

• Being dismissed at her 6-week appointment despite bringing photos—"it's just your tissues"
• The mental load: "Every single movement, you have that feeling—it's so front of mind"
• 50% of women will develop prolapse (we're bipeds—gravity isn't our friend)
• "Can I even have kids again?"—the fear that comes with zero information
• Why existing garments had thick elastic, butt straps, and Velcro that tore her clothes
• Her planned home birth with baby #2 and what she did differently
• 50% of women doing "Kegels" are actually bearing down
• Generational silence: "My aunt had that, but we never talked about it"
• Why hard births shouldn't be badges of honor—trauma needs validation, not repetition

Ways to Connect with Lauren: Instagram: @laurensavagefleming Website: hemsupportwear.com

This week, Nikki sits down with HeHe Stewart, a leading childbirth educator and doula based in Boston, Massachusetts, who has supported over 2,000 families in the last decade. HeHe is known for her fierce advocacy around informed consent, reducing unnecessary interventions, and ensuring patient autonomy—all while her husband works as a physician in the ER, giving her a unique insider perspective on the American hospital system.

Together, they unpack the reality of hospital birth culture, why the system isn't designed to support laboring women, and how to advocate for yourself without apology. HeHe shares practical scripts for setting boundaries with providers, why hospital childbirth classes often teach compliance over options, and how to avoid the kind of birth trauma that ripples through your entire postpartum experience. Recorded when HeHe was 37 weeks pregnant with her first baby, this conversation is both deeply personal and powerfully educational.

HeHe shares:

• Why the hospital system is designed for compliance, not support—and the only person happy in the equation is the system itself
• "You can't make a wrong choice if you don't know all your options"—powerful reframe for releasing mom guilt about past births
• Why hospital-sponsored childbirth classes teach you to be a "good compliant patient" instead of an informed decision-maker
• Practical advocacy scripts including "No thanks" as a full sentence and how to request a different provider mid-labor
• The ripple effect of birth trauma on mental health, parent-child bonding, and your entire family ecosystem
• Her own comprehensive birth planning approach: birth plan, C-section plan, transfer plan, and even an ICU plan
• Evidence-based practices vs. hospital policies: eating in labor, breaking waters, suspected big baby inductions, and more
• Why flexibility (not rigidity) is the key to avoiding compounded trauma in birth

Ways to Connect with HeHe: Instagram | Web