7: Quitting Corporate America to Begin Again: Divorce, Freebirth, and Off-Grid Life
Free Birth SocietyShow Notes
What happens when you walk away from everything and find your own path to motherhood?
In this episode, we hear from Julia, a Montana mother of two who walked away from the corporate grind, sold her home, and set out on a radically different path to motherhood, one rooted in sovereignty, sisterhood, and self-trust.
Julia shares how her first wild pregnancy unfolded while traveling the West Coast in a trailer, living off-grid in national forests, and finding community through The Lighthouse membership. With a deeply ingrained medical upbringing, Julia had to unravel layers of programming to reclaim birth on her terms.
She tells the raw and beautiful stories of birthing her babies on raw land in the Montana winter, catching her first baby unexpectedly with bath towels and a shoelace, and welcoming her second in a fast, intuitive birth in the same off-grid trailer. From navigating boundaries with family to tandem nursing and raising her children outside the system, Julia’s story is a powerful testament to the courage it takes to live differently.
What You’ll Hear:
How a divorce became the catalyst for questioning everything she thought she knew Why she sold everything and set out on the road with their RV A story of freedom that comes from leaving behind medical management and social expectations Why her first freebirth became the most magical experience of her life How living in the Natural Forest system rewired her mind and reawakened her intuition The lessons from two very different freebirths Her advice for anyone considering stepping away from responsibilities during their first pregnancy
Timestamps:
[00:00] Introduction [00:51] From medical conditioning to embracing freebirth and body autonomy [10:31] Leaving corporate life behind to travel in an RV and begin a wild pregnancy on the road [30:23] First freebirth story in a winterized RV with unexpected postpartum challenges [45:57] Second freebirth story with a toddler sleeping nearby and a smooth postpartum experience [01:01:10] Postpartum recovery challenges, household dynamics, and lessons for next time
You can connect with Julia on her homestead Instagram page here.
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.
More from Free Birth Society
Gabrielle shares her two unassisted births, from a casual, confident mountain birth to an intense hot tub labor, and what trusting her body's natural rhythm taught her both times. Along the way, she talks about building a real women's circle, the kind that shows up with groceries and childcare, not just encouragement. This one is for anyone questioning mainstream birth norms and curious about what becomes possible when a woman stops managing her body and starts trusting it.
Jenna McConkey shares the intimate story of her freebirth after miscarriage and years of inner work. Jenna speaks on trust, surrender, the illusion of safety, and the subconscious beliefs that surfaced during her labor.
Two babies. Two free births. Two radically different initiations into motherhood. Liv shares the extraordinary story of trusting her body, her intuition, and her children to guide how she gave birth and built her family.
The difference between a managed birth and a truly lived one can change everything. Gracie shares how a pregnancy that began with fear, false alarms, and a medical system that never seemed to stop escalating led her to question what she was actually consenting to - and what women lose when they hand over their authority. From a terrifying early call about spina bifida markers that turned out to be wrong, to a midwife who opened labor with criticism instead of care, Gracie’s first birth exposes how easily pregnant women can be steered, managed, and emotionally destabilized. But her second pregnancy and freebirth tell a radically different story.
Freebirth is not just about where you give birth; it can expose everything happening in your marriage, your nervous system, and your deepest beliefs about what you think you deserve. Erin shares two raw, unforgettable freebirths in upstate New York, and the second one includes a moment most couples would never survive on camera. While she is actively laboring, her husband says he wants a divorce.