Best René Brooks Podcasts (2025)

1
An Expensive Toaster Oven, A New Debate!, Tony’s Return (with Brooke Dillman and Jeff Drake) 1:36:48

1d ago1:36:48

1:36:48

Brooke Dillman and Jeff Drake are here and they have a new debate to add to their pantheon of debates. It involves tuna salad. Also we go deep on toaster ovens because Jeff owns the Lamborghini of toaster ovens. Tony Thaxton is back and we learn a little something about men’s haircare. Plus we did a round of Just Me Or Everyone, HGFY and Podcast Pa…

1
Daniel and Alison (The Challenge Before Us) 1:10:09

4d ago1:10:09

1:10:09

We’re back from Hawaii and there’s a challenge before Daniel and me. And it’s not Sudoku which, btw, I don’t understand exactly how to play. Sitting around in a wet bathing suit didn’t do my vagina any favors and Daniel is pissed about “sammiches.” We have a JMOE about desert islands and we need to know why these rich people are building bunkers. W…

1
Second generation homebirth, first time mum has a homebirth || Amy's birth of Elliot at home (Queensland) 1:23:35

4d ago1:23:35

1:23:35

This is the 71st episode and is shared by Amy living on Turrbul & Yugara country in QLD. As you’ll hear more of in this episode, Amy herself is a fraternal twin and was born at home many moons ago. So in a way, she was born to homebirth! Which she did and shares in this episode, with the birth story of her first baby, Elliot. Amy shares with us her…

1
Listen Now: Happier with Gretchen Rubin 36:39

6d ago36:39

36:39

We’re turning our feed over to one of our favorite podcasts: Happier with Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen is HAPPIER, and she wants you to be happier too. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before gets more personal than ever as she brings her practical, manageable advice about happiness and good habits to this lively, thou…

1
Hawaiian Snack Chat, Cool Ass Birds, A Couples Massage 53:35

8d ago53:35

53:35

We’ve got a breaking cool ass bird update and Daniel and I were massaged within an inch of our lives. But in a good way. While said massaging was happening I noticed what I was most content thinking about it it isn’t great. Plus a Hawaiian Snack Chat featuring fruits! Get yourself some new ARIYNBF merch here: https://alison-rosen-shop.fourthwall.co…

1
Daniel and Alison (Big Al in Kauai) 1:00:35

11d ago1:00:35

1:00:35

Is Big Al setting a trap for Daniel with the questions she’s asking? Elliot feels bad about my neck and I might be over Farmers Markets. Daniel saw a cool ass bird and we were talked into calling security about a blister. Also I have some words for the ukulele situation I witnessed. Get yourself some new ARIYNBF merch here: https://alison-rosen-sho…

1
Vintage Clothing, Fish Tacos, Getting The Ick 1:22:06

15d ago1:22:06

1:22:06

Jeff Fox joins us and then Daniel leaves us. But he comes back! I tried to take advantage of Burbank’s robust vintage clothing options and it did not go well. Also I need to give an update on the estate sale/auction situation. We take some listener calls and I read some iTunes Comments of the Week. And we revisit our signature segment that we can n…

1
Riki Lindhome (Encore!) 1:27:51

18d ago1:27:51

1:27:51

Revisiting a very early episode this week! Original description: On the fourth episode of Alison Rosen Is Your New Best Friend, actress, comedian, member of funny musical duo Garfunkel and Oates and fellow podcast host Riki Lindhome joins the show to talk about relationships, Valentine’s Day, the Nuvaring, the way you have to do fun stuff like go o…

1
Homebirth after caesarean transfer (repeat caesarean), the benefits of private midwifery when things don't go as planned || Haley's birth of Remy (New South Wales) 1:26:45

18d ago1:26:45

1:26:45

This is the 70th birth story and it’s shared by Haley mum of 2 living on Awabakal country. After a traumatic first caesarean with her first baby Nora, Haley eventually chose to hire a private midwife and plan her homebirth and vaginal birth after caesarean with baby Remy. Haley shares her pregnancy journey, her labour at home and ultimately the dec…

1
How does homebirth work in Aotearoa/New Zealand? || Chatting with community midwife 'Renee' 1:15:25

21d ago1:15:25

1:15:25

This episode is a part of the homebirth around the World Series. In this episode, I chat with Renee, a community midwife or a ‘LMC’ on the North Island of Aotearoa ‘New Zealand’. I was really excited to chat with Renee as New Zealand is often looked up to in terms of its midwifery care and homebirth access. Renee shares her journey to becoming a mi…

1
Monte Carlo Regressions, Fosse Fingers, Labubus (with Renee Colvert) 1:54:03

22d ago1:54:03

1:54:03

Renee Colvert is here and she is jazzed about musicals! She gives us a Tonys preview and Jeff Fox explains what he’ll be doing during said show. Daniel claims I am a secret perfectionist and I need to say something about caricatures. Also we can’t stand Carrie and Aidan and I’m bringing back our signature segment that we can never remember the name…

1
Daniel and Alison (Daniel Xavier Fartigus Quantz and the Tyranny of the Tanned) 1:27:36

25d ago1:27:36

1:27:36

We discuss unconventional middle names, Daniel’s really nice compliment, the curious case of some of the items sold at my parents’ estate sale ending up with a listener, the nubbin on the end of my new pen, Jai Alai, the sport that correlates to the person with the least to say, an armed forces tangent, Daniel’s self-tanner journey and so much more…

1
Betty’s Famous Friends, Excessive Clothing Tags, HGFY 1:26:18

29d ago1:26:18

1:26:18

Taylor Williamson and his chick magnet Betty are here and Betty hobnobbed with some famous celebs at a party recently. We all have a lot of HGFYs to share and Jeff Fox and I recall the whole Kevin Smith/Adam Carolla incident. Specifically we recall Smith’s use of a certain word but we each interpret it differently. Daniel and I went to the Jackalop…

1
S9 E2 Gentle Sleep Support with Sierra Brooks 45:15

1M ago45:15

45:15

Join us as we explore gentle sleep support—for both parents and babies—with Sierra Brooks, CAPPA Certified Postpartum Doula, Gentle Sleep Coach, and Certified Lactation Counselor. In this episode, Sierra shares insights into how helping parents understand the biological needs of their babies, and how to accommodate those needs while getting enough …

1
Daniel and Alison (Alison’s Love Notes… To Herself) 1:25:23

1M ago1:25:23

1:25:23

Did you know I used to write motivational notes to myself and THEY WERE FOUND? Daniel tries to reframe but no luck. I keep wondering if I’ve delivered a couple overdue apologies and we need to get to the bottom of a couple of Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber lyrics. We also discuss vengeance, haircuts, the smell emanating from the turtle tank, farmhous…

1
Freebirth as a first time mum, mothering and saying goodbye to your maiden self, and post partum challenges || Brooke's birth of Mana-Kai at home (New South Wales) 1:11:59

1M ago1:11:59

1:11:59

Episode 69 is shared by Brooke, a first time mum who chose to freebirth her first baby, Mana-kai. Brooke talks us through her pregnancy, her reflections on mothering and grieving her maiden self and then her very cosy birth of Mana-kai, labouring without electricity due to power outages for much of her labour. She also shares her post partum journe…

1
Positive publicly funded homebirth, mental health (ADHD, Autism, Anxiety), IVF & culturally safe maternity care || Genna's birth of Freddie at home (Victoria) 1:17:19

2M ago1:17:19

1:17:19

Episode 68 is shared by Genna who lives on Wurunderji land. After Genna’s IVF journey, she chose to have a homebirth with her first baby, Freddie through the publicly funded homebirth program. She also shares how invaluable midwifery care was during her pregnancy, labour, birth and post partum experience, especially in the context of her significan…

1
How does homebirth work in England? || Chatting with independent midwife 'Lucy' about homebirth, the NHS, and regulations. 1:00:45

2M ago1:00:45

1:00:45

This is the first episode of Homebirth Around The World. A series where I chat with homebirth midwives and they share how homebirth works in their area. From cost, culture, insurance, becoming a homebirth midwife and working as one, this series aims to try and dy-mystify homebirth and raise awareness for homebirth. In this episode, I chat with Lucy…

1
Two homebirths and two different experiences - PFHB & private midwifery, episiotomy, waterbirth || Amy's birth of Ezra (2021) & Ryder (2024) at home (Queensland) 1:22:33

2M ago1:22:33

1:22:33

Episode 67 is shared by Amy who lives on Gubbi Gubbi country in Queensland. Amy shares her two homebirth stories, which includes one in a publicly funded hospital homebirth program and then her second with a private midwife. We chat about her experiences with both models, her episiotomy and then her fear around tearing, her desire for a water birth…

1
S9 E1 Preparing for Low-Intervention Birth with Sarah, the “Labor Junkie RN” 1:03:49

2M ago1:03:49

1:03:49

Sarah —better known as the “Labor Junkie RN”— is a practicing high-risk labor nurse, social media influencer, and mom of three. You may have seen her on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook sharing evidence-based insights on pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She often ends reels with “For more information on pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum, give m…

1
The roller coaster of publicly funded homebirth, unassisted birth (freebirth), thrush, GBS infection, cervical ectropion, second time mum || Tegan's birth of Remi at home (Queensland) 1:28:49

2M ago1:28:49

1:28:49

Episode 66 shared by Tegan in Queensland. This episode unfortunately, is a roller coaster & I’m so grateful to Tegan for sharing her story. It’s difficult to summarise Tegan’s story into a quick intro, but how’s this - after being accepted and excluded from the local publicly funded program MULTIPLE times in her pregnancy with her second baby, Tega…

1
Finding and choosing homebirth as a first time mum & breastfeeding challenges (severe tongue tie) || Meg's birth of Dylan at home (New South Wales) 1:38:38

3M ago1:38:38

1:38:38

This is episode 65 and it’s shared by Meg in NSW who shares her experience being a first time mum who chose to have a homebirth. She shares her journey to finding homebirth, her pregnancy journey, the birth of her baby girl Dylan & then her post partum experience including post partum hameomorrahe and breastfeeding difficulties influenced by a seve…

1
2 homebirths - homebirth after 42 weeks, ECV for breech baby, the power of positive birth, accidental freebirth || Amber's birth of Delilah (2022) & Bette (2024) at home (Victoria) 1:13:48

3M ago1:13:48

1:13:48

Episode 64 is shared by Amber who is a mum to two homebirth babies. Today she shares the fantastic story of the birth of Delilah at 42 + 5 weeks at home, and then the birth of Bette, who was a planned homebirth with midwives, but ended up being an accidental freebirth at home as the midwives didn’t make it in time! We also chat about family centred…

1
Choosing homebirth after pregnancy loss of MCMA twins + traumatic induction, pregnancy anxiety, ECV for breech || Alice's birth of Vinny at home (Queensland) 1:18:51

4M ago1:18:51

1:18:51

Episode 63 is shared by the amazing Alice. Alice is the creator of Halo Mumma, which is a free website resource to support those on their pregnancy after loss journey. Alice herself today shares the loss of her twins Ayla and Millie, and the trauma which this created, not just from the pregnancy, but the induction of labour, post partum, and includ…

1
Homebirth after 42 weeks, the pros and cons of publicly funded homebirth, 3 planned homebirths || Mel's birth of Oscar, Zara & Archie (New South Wales) 1:40:19

4M ago1:40:19

1:40:19

This is the 62nd episode and it’s shared by mum of 3, Mel from Newcastle who shares her incredible stories with having 2 babies after 42 weeks and planning 3 home births through the publicly funded system. Mel chose to have a publicly funded homebirth with her first baby, but at 42 weeks, she was coerced into an induction due to the criteria of the…

1
Planned homebirth, FTM, & long labour, turned positive transfer to hospital birth, PFHB || Emma's birth of Lua (Victoria) 1:12:02

5M ago1:12:02

1:12:02

In episode 61, I chat with Emma who is a student nurse and midwife who shares her positive homebirth turned hospital birth story. After labouring for well over 20 hours at home, Emma was forced to come to terms with transferring to hospital. We chat about her experience of a publicly funded (ie. free) homebirth program, having a doula, her long lab…

1
From 'woo woo' to choosing homebirth twice, homebirth after significant tearing || Racheal's birth of Paddy (2018) and Johnny (2022) at home (Victoria) 1:49:26

5M ago1:49:26

1:49:26

This is the 60th birth at home story! And it shared by Racheal in Victoria, mum to 2 babies both born at home. Growing up Rachael, alike many people, thought homebirth was a bit ‘woo woo’. Meeting her home birthed husband, now paramedic, they began on a homebirth journey for their 2 babies, choosing private midwifery care. We also chat about the em…

1
Dad's experience supporting homebirth after cesarean (HBAC) || Cian's experience supporting birth at home (Queensland) 34:04

5M ago34:04

34:04

This is another partner episode in the partners supporting birth at home series. Today Cian, dad to 2 girls, shares his experience witnessing two very different births, a c-section and then a homebirth after caesarean. As with all the partner episodes be sure to share them, as we reflect in this episode, they are powerful and play an important role…

1
Midwife has 3 homebirths - publicly funded and private homebirth & homebirth away from home || Sahara's birth of Van (2020), Chet (2022) & Wren (2024) at home (Victoria) 1:36:35

6M ago1:36:35

1:36:35

In episode 59, Sahara a midwife and IBCLC shares her 3 homebirth stories. Sahara shares her journey to finding homebirth and choosing to become a midwife. We then hear about her experience in a publicly funded homebirth program during the start of COVID 19 in Melbourne and the challenges she faced — she then shares her two home births under the car…

1
Midwife chooses homebirth & long labour affter 2 quick labours! || Sam's birth of Abby (2014) & Tessa (2016) at home (Western Australia) 1:10:47

6M ago1:10:47

1:10:47

Episode 58 is shared by Sam from WA. She is a midwife of 13 years, who has recently become endorsed and is working privately. She is mum to 3 children, 2 of which were born at home. Today she shares her story of finding homebirth and eventually having 2 of her own homebirths. She shares her birth stories and we chat parenthood along the way. Resour…

1
Freebirth as a first time mum || Monique's birth of Jonathan at home (New South Wales) 1:14:17

7M ago1:14:17

1:14:17

This is birth story 57, and it is shared by Monique from the Northern Beaches in Sydney. She shares her freebirth story with her first baby, Jonathan or Jojo. Monique’s normal boring freebirth story is so interesting given her own birth imprint includes both her and her brother being born via c-section. It’s a beautiful story and lovely to listen t…

1
S8 E7 Dialogue in Action: How Disruption in Current Norms Can Lead to Meaningful Change With Dr. Renée Canady 51:33

7M ago51:33

51:33

Too many moms and babies are dying in the US! Many of those tragedies are avoidable. We have seen this problem, talked about the problem, and yet, the problem still exists. Poor outcomes can happen because of lack of respect and not listening to what is being said by the patient, especially BIPOC patients. Today we are speaking to Dr. Renée Canady,…

1
Planned homebirth turned positive non-emergency hospital transfer story || Emily's birth of Benson (Queensland) 1:01:46

7M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

In episode 56, Emily, an emergency nurse who chose to homebirth with her first baby 'Benson' shares her unexpected, non-emergency transfer to hospital story. Emily shares her pregnancy journey, her labour at home, and her decision to transfer into hospital, where she had a very positive experience in birthing Benson in an assisted vaginal birth, su…

1
Homebirthing 4.5kg (HBAC) 'Brontë' after c-section under general anaesthetic & PTSD diagnosis || Emilie's birth of Brontë at home (Victoria) 1:34:53

8M ago1:34:53

1:34:53

Episode 55 is shared by Emilie who is a Melbourne based doula, and HBAC mama who today shares her two extremely different experiences. She birthed her first baby Reuben under general anesthic during COVID in the UK, an experience which she soon after recieved a PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) diagnosis from. Following moving to Australia, Emi…

1
S8 E6: Expert Insights: Latest Updates on Gestational Diabetes with Lily Nichols, RDN 56:40

8M ago56:40

56:40

Gestational diabetes changes the direction of many women’s pregnancies. Once the determination is made, things are not so straightforward after that. In this podcast we will explore how the path to birth changes once a diagnosis is made and what women can do to have a birth with as few complications as possible. We also look at what women can do to…

1
VBAC in the car & breech freebirth + bicornuate uterus || Brenda's birth of Hudson (2022) and Holden (2024) at home & in the car (New York, USA) 1:32:26

8M ago1:32:26

1:32:26

Episode 54 - Today we hear from Brenda in New York. Brenda’s first baby Harper was in a breech position and although she initially planned to have a homebirth, she ended up agreeing to a c-section. Her next baby Hudson was head down and born on the way to the hospital in the car, an incredible VBAC story, and for her third baby Holden, he remained …

1
First time dad supporting homebirth || Tom's experience supporting birth at home (South Australia) 29:36

8M ago29:36

29:36

In this episode of Partner's Supporting Homebirth, Tom from South Australia shares his experience supporting his wife Chloe (Episode 39) during the home birth of their daughter Matilda. Tom shares his initial fears and biases about home birth, the research he conducted, and the preparations they made leading up to the birth. He recounts the rapid p…

1
Homebirth after a positive hospital birth, alpha-thalassemia, long placenta birth & impact of COVID restrictions || Joey's birth of Avery at home (Australian Capital Territory) 1:55:38

9M ago1:55:38

1:55:38

This is episode 53, and today we hear from Joey in Canberra. Joey is a physio and mum to two boys, Bellamy who she very almost had a homebirth with and Avery, who she did birth at home. Joey shares with us her journey with Bellamy and we reflect on why she chose homebirth, even having had what she describes as a positive hospital birth. We also cha…

1
#24 - Kids on The Ballot 43:02

9M ago43:02

43:02

In this episode, hosts Bruce Lesley and Messellech Looby chat about the the importance of children’s issues in the upcoming election. Despite children making up over 20% of the population, children’s issues are often overlooked and ignored in policymaking. Lesley and Looby outline some of the major disparities in policies between the candidates, pa…

1
S8E5: Comforting Mothers Who Have Experienced Infant Loss with Elizabeth O’Donnell of Aaliyah in Action 38:31

9M ago38:31

38:31

When a mother has the devastating experience of leaving the hospital without a baby and perhaps only a memory box, many in our society expect them to get on with living and go back to their normal life. But their life is changed forever, and many don’t recognize or acknowledge that. Today we will hear the story of grief, anger, a battle, and finall…

1
#23 - The Importance of the First 1000 Days, with Miriam Calderón 47:18

9M ago47:18

47:18

In this episode, hosts Bruce Lesley and Messellech Looby chat with Miriam Calderón, Chief Policy Officer of Zero to Three. Miriam has dedicated her life to ensuring that all children have access to essential resources such as child care, nutrition programs, and maternal health services. In today’s episode, Miriam addresses the importance of the fir…

1
S8 E4: The Latest in Treating Substance Use in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding With Dr. Kaylin Klie, MD, MA of UCHealth 1:06:24

10M ago1:06:24

1:06:24

Join us for the latest information on perinatal addiction. We will explore the most commonly used substances that affect the lives of families and their babies during pregnancy and postpartum. We also discuss the new legislation in some states that has changed the way that parents with substance use issues are treated. Since it’s been proven that p…

1
SECOND LOOK: Who’s for Kids, and Who’s Just Kidding? with Celinda Lake 59:10

10M ago59:10

59:10

In this episode, our hosts Bruce Lesley and Messellech “Selley” Looby chat with pollster and political strategist Celinda Lake. Lake is President and Founder of Lake Research Partners, a national public opinion and political strategy research firm. Lake walks our hosts through public polling that shows voters strongly favor investing in children an…

1
SECOND LOOK: Prioritizing Kids in Politics with Dr. Annie Andrews and Renee Harvey of Their Future. Our Vote PAC. 50:05

10M ago50:05

50:05

We are past Labor Day and just 62 days from the 2024 election and children are on the ballot. We wanted to bring back this very relevant podcast for a SECOND LOOK. In this episode, our hosts Bruce Lesley and Messellech “Selley” Looby chat with pediatrician and former congressional candidate Dr. Annie Andrews and political strategist Renee Harvey ab…

1
Choosing homebirth after abortion and misscarriage, anxiety, having a PPH & secondary PPH and bicornuate uterus and why homebirth is amazing || Sam's birth of Archie at home (New South Wales) 2:42:22

10M ago2:42:22

2:42:22

Epsiode 52 is shared by Sam from NSW who tells her huge vulnerable, honest, and beautiful story of how her homebirth baby boy, Archie came to be. Sam’s story starts in her 20’s where, alike many women, she chose to have an abortion, partly influenced by her birth imprint. Some years later, when the timing was better, she was excited to become pregn…

1
Season 8 Episode 3: Mama Bird: Serving the Community Through Compassionate Doula Services 44:28

10M ago44:28

44:28

Mama Bird Doula Services' mission is to improve the maternal health outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) and their babies in their community. They believe that all birthing persons and their families should feel Safe, Seen, and Heard. Through lived experience, the founder of Mama Bird, Birdie Johnson, came to understand…

1
Homebirth at 17 years old & becoming a homebirth midwife - chatting with Abbey the midwife from Western Australia 34:02

10M ago34:02

34:02

In this month midwife story episode, I chat with the amazing Abbey who is a midwife in Western Australia. The story to how Abbey found homebirth for her own 2 children is amazing, and as she goes on, you can tell, she was destined to be a homebirth midwife. She shares her journey to midwifery and homebirth midwifery. What a special story, I felt so…

1
The cascade of interventions with the hospital birth of Matilda (2020), choosing freebirth with Edith (2022) and the planned freebirth turned hospital transfer birth of Angus (2024) + GDM & 2-vessel umbilical ... 1:20:14

10M ago1:20:14

1:20:14

In episode 51, Jess from the Northern Territory shares the births of Matilda (hospital), Edith (freebirth) and Angus (freebirth > hospital transfer). After years of trying, Jess finally became pregnant through IVF with her 1st baby Matilda, and gave birth in 2020 with little insight into the medicalisation of birth. For her second baby, Edith howev…

1
Homebirth dad of 4 babies born at home shares his experience || Dan's experience supporting birth at home (Queensland) 24:41

11M ago24:41

24:41

This is another episode in the partners supporting birth at home series, and today Dan, husband of Rosie who shared her birth at home stories in episode 43, shares his experience. As dad to 4 baby’s all born at home, it was great to get some insight into his thoughts about preparing and supporting a birth at home. As with all the partner episodes, …

1
#22 - Children Are Not Little Adults with Dr. Glenn Flores 56:40

11M ago56:40

56:40

In this episode, hosts Bruce Lesley and Messellech Looby chat with Dr. Glenn Flores, Professor and Chair of Pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Glenn Flores explains that the most important lesson in child health research and policy is that children are not little adults - they have vastly different anatomy and phys…

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