We love talking about homebirth here, right?  I mean, it’s kind of our thing.  But what about the other end of the life spectrum.  What about death?     This week, we are speaking with Mariah Lassiter, a a Hospice Registered Nurse who had her first baby at home..  As she has supported patients in her career, Mariah has begun to recognize how many similarities there are in the birthing and dying processes, and how both do not have to be viewed as scary, and in fact can be beautiful.  We’ll hear her incredible birth story with her first child, and then dive into what she’s learned in her time as a hospice nurse.   Episode roundup Let’s start by connecting with our educational tidbit: Not all first births are long!  If you’re experiencing the intensity that Mariah described, do not be afraid to reach out to your midwife.  Part of her job is checking on you, so don’t worry about “calling her too early.” If you’re worried, her support can be extremely helpful. Intuition is everything.  Mariah felt that she needed to give birth at home throughout her pregnancy, and with the quickness of her birth, the reality of that truth became very clear.  Listen to your intuition.  If you feel like you don’t have intuition or don’t know how to tap into it, pregnancy is the most perfect time to tap in.  Turn off your phone, turn off your screens, heck, turn off this podcast and focus inward.  You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn and feel. Finally, our bodies know how to be born, they know how to give birth, and they know how to die.  It’s really quite freeing to see the similarities in these experiences, and to trust that they were created this way with purpose.  If you’re looking for an amazing, grounding, life-altering perspective on dying, I cannot recommend the book Imagine Heaven enough.  Wow.  I read this book on Near Death Experiences last year, and the amount of peace and beauty that it brought to my life was just incredible and unexpected.  You are beautifully designed and deeply loved.   Links Samaritan Ministries Imagine Heaven Book Happy Homebirth Academy Youtube Link