meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Free Birth Society

10: Double the Responsibility: Birthing Twins in Sovereignty

Free Birth Society

Emilee Saldaya

Society & Culture, Self-improvement, Education, Arts

4.61.2K Ratings

🗓️ 3 October 2025

⏱️ 84 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What happens when you choose a normal birth with twins?



In this episode, I speak with Nicole, a mother from South Africa now living in the U.S., who chose sovereignty in one of the most medicalized and “high-risk” experiences imaginable: an identical twin pregnancy. From the very beginning, she was met with fear-based narratives—warnings of stillbirth, premature labor, and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. But after enduring traumatic experiences in hospitals and with midwives, Nicole knew she would not birth her twins within the system.


Instead, she underwent a profound process of deconditioning and committed to trusting her body. With the steady support of her husband, a Radical Birth Keeper graduate, and a community of women walking this same path, Nicole carried her twins to 40 weeks and welcomed them at home, in embodied sovereignty.


Nicole shares the raw reality of holding responsibility for twins outside the system: the constant conversations about risk, the deep conviction it took to turn away completely, and the profound freedom of reclaiming birth on her own terms.


Inside this episode:


  • What Nicole witnessed in the hospital that made her vow never to return
  • How she carried her twins to full term, trusting her body’s wisdom
  • The support she found in a community of sovereign mothers
  • What labor with twins looked like at home
  • The double standard of blame when outcomes differ at home versus in the hospital
  • The freedom and healing that come with birthing twins in sovereignty


Timestamps:


[00:00] Introduction

[02:59] Two miscarriages and lack of support and answers from the medical system

[07:05] Receiving news of a third unviable pregnancy and deciding not to take the pill

[09:02] Discovering that the medical system was wrong about her third pregnancy, and that her baby was alive and healthy in her womb

[11:19] Birthing her first son in a birthing center with a midwife, forced interventions, a fourth degree tear, and newborn separation

[21:36] Postpartum hospital trauma, overreactions and threats

[25:15] Another miscarriage and humiliating hospital treatment

[32:13] Finding out she was pregnant with twins, midwife refusing to provide care, and choosing freebirth

[1:00:00] Freebirthing her twins at home with her husband and birth attendant present


If you want to connect more with Nicole, follow her on Instagram.


Find more from Emilee on Instagram, YouTube and the Free Birth Society website.


Disclaimer: Free Birth Society, LLC of North Carolina shares personal and educational stories and experiences related to freebirth and holistic care. This content is not medical advice, and we are not a licensed midwifery practice. Testimonials reflect individual experiences; results may vary. For services or scheduling, contact [email protected]. See full disclaimer at freebirthsociety.com/youtubeterms.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

A day postpartum with my son, we saw his breathing start to go really fast. We had called the

0:06.1

midwife and she said, go to the hospital. That was just a nightmare. When we wanted to transfer him,

0:11.1

the nurse was like, if you leave, your baby is going to die. The hospital system is based on liability.

0:19.0

There's so much to this that has nothing to do with you and your baby.

0:23.2

We got pregnant again.

0:24.6

That's when we found out we had twins.

0:27.6

When we told to say that we have twins with the midwives,

0:31.6

they were like, we can't see you because you have twins.

0:34.6

We find underground midwives or ones with surgeon certifications.

0:38.3

After I had met them, I was like, okay, that's it.

0:42.3

We are now going all in with the free birth route.

0:45.3

Obviously, the medical paramed is an epic cult,

0:47.3

but midwives aren't exempt from that.

0:49.3

They're totally a part of it.

0:51.3

Hi, women, before we dive in today, I need to name something important.

0:58.6

This episode, along with all episodes that you will hear until our winter break in mid-December

1:04.9

was recorded before my birth prior to mid-August.

1:10.2

Since then, our family has walked through the unimaginable.

1:14.5

Our son was stillborn, and we are in deep mourning.

1:21.2

As the show's air, you'll hear and see me pregnant, which now feels incredibly painful and weird,

1:29.2

given that you are holding the sacred knowledge of what came after.

1:34.9

So please forgive the dissonance.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Emilee Saldaya, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Emilee Saldaya and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.