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Hey friend,

It’s been a while since we’ve talked. I mean really talked. Like heart-to-heart, me to you, real talk that isn't me teaching you something about birth.

I know it hasn't necessarily been a while since you received an email from me, but yet, it has been a while since you’ve received an email from me. You know what I mean?

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You see, I haven’t really shown up with my own voice for what feels like an eternity.

Today I am going to share a story with you that is raw and honest. My hope is that by sharing it with you, it will not only open the door for a more personal relationship, but that you’ll also give me some grace as things continue to shift and change around here.

This past January, I thought I would take 2025 by storm. I thought that 2025 was going to be my year. I was going to be consistent, show up every day, and produce the content that truly lights me up.

The last podcast episode that I published even mentioned that a new year's resolution of mine was going to be to be really consistent in showing up for my audience. Turns out that didn't happen... because I was drowning.

People always see the glamorous side of things and never really the pitfalls... but this year... I felt like I was in a minefield.

Between my daughter aging-out of early intervention but not qualifying for hardly any services at the school district, deciding to continue homeschooling the boys again for the second year in a row, my husband changing jobs, and us finally having the heartbreaking conversation that we were actually done having babies - I felt like my whole word was flipping onto it's head.

Many things in my business took a backseat to keep my life afloat, including some of my favorite pieces of my business ...engaging with and connecting with all of you.

After a few months of settling into life in 2025 with all of the changes that were happening all at once, it seemed like things were starting to settle in their places and I was getting ready to return to what I love most- this. Supporting mothers online.
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...Except that was short-lived.

Because there was a big hiccup that none of us predicted.

I was pregnant.

It was an unexpected blessing that we quickly became very attached to and wanted to protect. So we kept it a secret and I stayed on a little bit of a hiatus so that I could focus inwardly and spend more time with my family.

I quit my job.

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Oops. Did I skip a few chapters? Delete a few paragraphs?

No. It really was that sudden. Out of absolutely nowhere, I decided I was done. Done working bedside at the hospital. Done with 12 hr shifts. Done with participating in the parts of hospital birth that made me sick to my stomach. I just kept the change going and let Jesus take the wheel because we all know it was completely out of my control.

Turns out I was still burning the candle at both ends and had very little support. Which means handling life at home was a priority over life online - so much so that life online almost ceased to exist altogether.

But I didn't mind. I knew that as soon as I told my close friends and family about our pregnancy, I would be able to tell the world, get back to me again, and feel like I could be honest with my content again.

But that never happened. I miscarried at 13 weeks...again. I'm honestly still kind of shocked that it all happened, and it wasn't just a bad dream

But here is where I tell you about how it somehow motivated me to get back doing what I love... because nothing is guaranteed.

As I healed in more ways than one, I was working behind the scenes again. I whipped out my old, dusty laptop and started to create again.

It was time to dream about what I really wanted and why I started this business to begin with.

To help moms feel good in their motherhood journey. To help moms feel less alone, less scared, and more empowered as the mother they know they were created to be. THIS is the purpose of A Life In Labor.

I had to ask myself, how does what I’m currently doing IMPACT more women? Is it really the catalyst for bringing about the change I wanted to see in the world?

I knew something had to change.

So during this time where I pressed pause and stepped back, I gave myself space to rethink how I wanted to show up.

✨ And that brings me here.

Because today, I feel more aligned and excited than I have in a long time. I’ve been creating behind the scenes, pulling together everything I’ve made over the years—from birth prep to postpartum support to newborn care—and finally, it’s all in one place.

Through this process, I came up with a new mission:

I want to help 1000 women achieve the pregnancy, birth or postpartum experience that they dreamt of in 2025. You may be thinking that that's a lot of women to try to reach in 2025 when it's already August. Right? But A Life In Labor was created during nap times, built on the dreams of a first-time mom who just wanted to help one mom out there who might just maybe read what I wrote. If I can build a business during nap time, I can do anything.

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Gosh, if only I had known way back then the TENS OF THOUSANDS of women and families I would impact on this journey.

I guess I just needed the reminder that I started this business because motherhood is hard. I started typing because I just wanted to make ONE mother feel less alone and more capable.

...And that's exactly what I did. Over and over and over again.

I can't let a hard year and another tragic loss stop me from the mission I've been on to touch the lives of women just like me who just need another mom to say, "I get it. Let me help".

Now, I have a plan. I have a plan I am excited about and a plan that is going to propel me into the year I envisioned 8 months ago when all I saw was the potential I had to impact more women.

​I built an online shop. ​

This isn’t just a shop—it’s the fresh start I’ve been craving. It’s my way of making everything I’ve built for you easier to find, easier to use, and easier to lean on as you walk through pregnancy, birth, and new motherhood.

And honestly? It feels like coming home.

When I first started A Life In Labor, my mission was simple: to support moms through one of the most transformative seasons of their lives. Over the years, that mission hasn’t changed—it’s only deepened. I’ve seen firsthand (both as a nurse and as a mom myself) how much strength, resilience, and beauty there is in this journey. And I want every mom to feel supported with the tools, knowledge, and encouragement she deserves.

That’s what this shop represents.

And because you’ve been here with me—through the quiet seasons and the loud ones—I want you to be the very first to see it.

There's a new UNDER $10 section (planners, templates, etc.)

And a new COURSES section with everything marked down.

There is a space for pregnancy & birth, breastfeeding, and baby-care. There are resources for my unmedicated birth moms and my C-section moms. It's all there.

I would love for you check it out... now. I'm marking everything in the shop down 20% with the code NEWERA20.

​Click here to see everything.​

Hope you love it!

~Heather

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This Week:

5 Reasons You Should Store Breastmilk As A Stay At Home Mom This week on the podcast, we are chatting about whether or not you need to pump if you don't plan on going back to work after baby. We'll also talk about what you can do with stored breastmilk when you don't have any planned time away from baby. Listen 🎧

The Unmedicated Birth Playbook Your step-by-step guide to navigating a low intervention birth—so you can feel confident, prepared, and in control every step of the way. Inside, you’ll find practical strategies for coping with contractions, mindset shifts that actually work, and proven techniques to help you stay calm and strong when it matters most. Check it out ♡

Next Steps:

Have a better birth. One without suffering. One that you can feel good about before, during, and after your birth. Check out the birth course

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Do you have breastfeeding goals? Let me share with you all of the tips, tricks, hacks, and strategies the help you meet all of your breastfeeding and pumping goals. Check out the breastfeeding course