Today we’d like to introduce you to Katelyn Fusco.
Hi Katelyn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Truly, it all began when I was a fresh college graduate. A colleague of mine mentioned the fact that she’d given birth in a tub, and I was fascinated! “Without pain medication?” I decided that if she did it and loved the experience, there was no reason that I couldn’t when the time came, too. Several years later, my paths crossed with a midwife, and I realized that my heart’s desire was to serve mothers in this realm. After witnessing my first homebirth, I was hooked! I trained as a midwife for several years, including throughout my own first pregnancy. Once my baby became a toddler, I realized it was time for me to switch directions and bring my attention to caring for her (which began to feel impossible while also being on call for births).
After a year of focusing on raising my daughter, my heart ached to serve mothers again in some capacity. I felt spiritually called to begin my podcast, Happy Homebirth. The podcast aired in January of 2019, when I was several months pregnant with my second child.
After my second daughter’s birth, I knew that I had even more to give homebirth mothers. I decided to create educational tools that would not only help them to give birth at home, but to walk into motherhood feeling confident, capable, and intuitive. The majority of my time is now spent coaching intimate group cohorts during pregnancy with this very goal.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it has not! Owning an online business when you absolutely abhor technology is ironic to say the least. I know little beyond turning the computer off and back on if there’s a problem, so I’ve been stretched again and again as I’ve learned new programs and implemented a new curriculum.
I also spent so much time working for free. I created a platform with my podcast, but I didn’t truly begin selling a product until a year and a half after the podcast launched. And of course, actually creating profit took even longer. I’m incredibly grateful for the support of my husband, my parents and my in-laws for helping me care for our children for quite some time while I brought home pennies! They understood the long-term vision and were willing to sacrifice for me so that I could provide value to mothers.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Happy Homebirth?
Happy Homebirth exists to support, educate and encourage mothers in all things related to homebirth and the transition into motherhood. What began as a small, unknown podcast quickly grew into a trusted brand known for serving a very niche, underserved group of women choosing to give birth outside of the hospital system. The podcast, which has over 200 episodes of encouraging birth stories and expert interviews, is nearing 1 million downloads! Beyond this free resource full of rich content, Katelyn coaches intimate cohorts of aligned homebirth mothers to achieve the empowering birthing experience of their dreams by deprogramming the mainstream mistrust of birth, reconnecting with their intuitive feminine wisdom, and relaxing into the birthing process through her program, The Homebirth Collective.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Oh, yes! For two years, I sold a low-priced childbirth education program. It was of great quality, and special because it was created specifically for homebirth mothers. However, I felt that there was so much missing from the experience of childbirth education as a whole. Where most classes were teaching mothers simply how to cope through labor in hopes of avoiding pain, I realized that the experience of entering into motherhood is so much weightier and more beautiful than simply “getting through labor.” I decided to create a group coaching program 10x the cost of the initial cost of my own previous program, where we focus on childbirth as a rite of passage. We lean heavily into self-knowledge and reconnection to the intuition, along with the importance of the community aspect of pregnancy. Making this massive change in my business felt TERRIFYING at the time. “What if people laugh at me? What if they don’t see the value?” I knew that I wanted to change the meaning of preparation for birth, but I knew I was going out on a very high limb to do it. The beautiful truth was that the program was received incredibly well, and has been adored by the mothers who have participated. I’m so grateful that I didn’t choose to shy away simply because it was risky.
Pricing:
- $2900: The Homebirth Collective
- $497: Happy Homebirth Academy
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/happyhomebirthpodcast
Image Credits
Leslie Lowe of Green & Grey Photography
