S1:EP39 The Birth That Changed Everything: Trauma, Advocacy, and Surrender; With Chelsea Hollis

Welcome back to Moms With A Call, where real stories meet real faith. In this deeply honest and hope-filled conversation, McKenzie and Rebecca sit down with Chelsea Hollis, wife, mom of two (with one on the way), family photographer, educator, doula, and birth advocate, to talk about birth/postpartum trauma, surrender, advocacy, and the sacred complexity of motherhood. Chelsea shares how what began as a career in exercise science and corporate fitness slowly evolved into a calling centered around motherhood, storytelling, and supporting women through some of life’s most vulnerable moments. From family photography to birth work, her path unfolded through both purpose and pain. What began as the birth of her first son quickly became something far more complicated. After an induction for cholestasis, Chelsea experienced severe postpartum hemorrhaging, dismissed concerns, and a traumatic emergency during the height of COVID that separated her from both her husband and newborn baby. She opens up about the grief, fear, and rebuilding that followed, and how trauma eventually became an invitation into advocacy. Together, they talk about the gaps in birth education, learning to advocate for yourself inside medical systems, and why informed support can radically change the way women experience pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recovery. But this conversation also moves deeper. Into miscarriage and loss. Into motherhood after trauma. Into the tension between preparation and surrender. Into what it looks like to hold plans loosely while trusting God through outcomes you cannot control. Chelsea shares how birth itself became something deeply spiritual, revealing both vulnerability and strength, fear and faith, grief and beauty all at once. In this episode, they unpack: • Chelsea’s journey from fitness professional to photographer, doula, and educator • Birth trauma, postpartum hemorrhage, and medical dismissal • Becoming an advocate after a traumatic birth experience • Why birth education matters and how to advocate for yourself • The sacred and spiritual nature of birth • Navigating miscarriage, grief, and motherhood after loss • Balancing birth work, business, and family life • Epidurals, birth plans, and informed decision-making • Surrender, open-handed motherhood, and trusting God in uncertainty • Therapy, asking for support, and healing after hard seasons If you’ve ever felt fearful about birth… If motherhood has asked you to surrender more than you expected… If you’ve struggled to trust your body, your story, or God after disappointment… This episode is for you. Sometimes faith doesn’t look like certainty. Sometimes it looks like learning to trust God with open hands. EPISODE TIMELINE 00:31 – Meet Chelsea Hollis 01:13 – From fitness to photography 04:37 – Engagement, marriage, and big life changes 05:59 – Motherhood and the COVID pivot 07:15 – Why Chelsea became a doula 08:24 – Induction, cholestasis, and birth trauma 10:15 – Postpartum red flags and medical dismissal 12:01 – Hemorrhage, emergency D&C, and recovery 17:53 – Turning pain into advocacy 22:03 – Birth plans and self-advocacy 24:30 – Gaps in birth education 26:44 – The spiritual nature of birth 28:26 – Balancing doula work and photography 31:32 – Epidurals, options, and advocacy 35:07 – Miscarriage and grief 41:35 – Surrender in motherhood 42:48 – Hope, healing, and resources 45:02 – Closing reflections SHOW NOTES Down To Birth Podcast (with Cynthia Overgard and Trisha Ludwig) CONNECT WITH CHELSEA Instagram: @chelseaallegra TikTok: @chelsea_allegra Website: www.chelseaallegra.com CONNECT WITH MOMS WITH A CALL Join the conversation with McKenzie + Rebecca on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, & YouTube → @momswithacall Get show updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and more at www.momswithacall.com Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon. Leave a review and let us know how this episode moved you — your words mean more than you know. If you or someone you know has a story of faith, healing, or redemption that could encourage others, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to us at [email protected]. Intro + Outro Music by Jason Bowles Branding + Design by www.dvoorheisdesigns.com