Birth Kweens
140 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 480 ratingsBirth Kweens is a wildly honest and fun dive into all things natural-pregnancy, birth, postpartum and women's health related. It's hosted by two Birth Kweens and friends: Karly Nuttall, a licensed midwife of 15 years, and Ali Feroah, a birth and postpartum doula of 7 years. Listen along on Thursdays as we share fun birth stories and dish out top notch info about our favorite subjects to help you realistically prepare for birth, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, baby care and women's health in natural ways!
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Ep 40: Surviving Postpartum with Multiples with Ashley Stetson, CD(DONA)
June 14, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 135 MBAshley Stetson, CD(DONA) joins us on the podcast again, this time to discuss navigating the infant stage with multiples. Ashley is a Certified Birth Doula, San Diego HypnoBirthing Educator, and Doula Match Facilitator at the Birth Education Center of San Diego. She became a mother to spontaneous triplets in 2011. Their birth inspired her to join the childbirth community and help families achieve the birth experiences they deserve. She is a highly trained doula with much experience in high ri...
Ep 39: Breastfeeding Basics: How to Set Yourself Up For Success with Robin Kaplan, M.Ed., IBCLC
June 07, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 127 MBRobin Kaplan, M.Ed., IBCLC is a lactation consultant in San Diego, CA. She launched the San Diego Breastfeeding Center in 2009 and has recently published her first book, Latch: A Handbook for Breastfeeding with Confidence at Every Stage. Robin was kind enough to sit down with the Birth Kweens to discuss breastfeeding. Here’s an overview of what’s covered in this episode: A bit about Robin’s background and how she became a lactation consultant Info about Robin’s non-profit, the San Diego B...
Ep 38: Big Babies & Backseat Deliveries: Jessica's Birth Stories
May 31, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 133 MBJessica Yahfoufi shares her two birth stories with us on this episode of Birth Kweens. Jessica lives in San Diego with her husband and their kids. She gave birth to their daughter Francesca in a hospital-based birth center in January 2015. Their son Leo was born in September 2017 in the backseat of the car after a fast and furious 2 hour labor. Jessica shares candidly about the intensity and beauty of natural birth, the challenges of transitioning into the role of a stay-at-home mom, and how...
Ep 37: Birthing Multiples with Ashley Stetson, CD(DONA)
May 24, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 173 MBThis episode is all about being pregnancy and birth with multiples! Our guest Ashley Stetson is a Certified Birth Doula, San Diego HypnoBirthing Educator, and Doula Match Facilitator at the Birth Education Center of San Diego. She became a mother to spontaneous triplets in 2011. Their birth inspired her to join the childbirth community and help families achieve the birth experiences they deserve. She is a highly trained doula with much experience in high risk pregnancy, multiples pregnancies...
Ep 36: Postpartum Healing Rituals with Tema Mercado, LM, CPM
May 17, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 142 MBIn this episode of Birth Kweens, Tema Mercado, LM, CPM talks to the Kweens about postpartum healing rituals. Tema is a Xicana mother of five children, wife, and licensed midwife. She has dedicated the past 18 years of her life to serving women in various capacities – Gang Intervention Specialist, Sexual Assault Counselor, Perinatal Health Educator, Teen Parent Advocate, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor and Birth Doula. After being a doula for some time, Tema came to a crossroads. Being a doula m...
Ep 35: V Steams: A Spa Day for Your Vagina! with Keli Garza, Founder of Steamy Chick
May 10, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 128 MBKeli Garza of Steamy Chick joins the Birth Kweens to discuss vaginal steaming! Keli has a master’s degree in International Development. When she founded the company Steamy Chick--the largest distributor of vaginal steam supplies in the United States--she began to work with her customers to research their results with vaginal steaming. Having recorded over seven hundred case studies, Keli holds the only known research database on vaginal steaming. Learning from her customers’ experiences, she...
Ep 34: Motherhood, Birth Work, & Embracing the Beautiful Chaos with Lindsey Bliss, Birth Doula & Co-Director at Carriage House Birth
May 03, 2018 10:00 - 55 minutes - 107 MBThis episode of Birth Kweens features Lindsey Bliss of Carriage House Birth. Lindsey is a doula, mom of 7 (including TWO sets of twins!), co-director of Carriage House Birth, and author of the amazing new book The Doula’s Guide to Empowering Your Birth. Here’s what she and the Kweens talked about in this episode: A brief overview of Lindsey’s first few births and how her experiences led her to become a birth worker How she manages being a mom to 7 and an active birth worker (spoiler alert...
Ep 33: Infertility, Motherhood, & Becoming a Birth Worker with Care Messer, CHT, CHBE, CD(DONA)
April 26, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 128 MBIn this episode of Birth Kweens, Care Messer shares about her journey to becoming a mom, a path that included struggles with infertility, adoption, having an unmedicated birth center birth, and eventually becoming a birth worker herself. Care is the founder of The Birth Education Center in San Diego, CA. When Care discovered HypnoBirthing for the birth of her daughter in 2008, it changed her life’s path. Care believes that babies can experience a birth day that is magical, loving, and gentle...
Ep 32: Prolapse, Pee Pants & Other Pelvic Floor Problems with Dr. Jaime Goldman, DPT, RYT, Doula
April 19, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 116 MBKarly and Ali talk with Dr. Jaime Goldman of Luna Physical Therapy about pelvic floor health before, during, and after pregnancy. Jaime is a licensed women’s health physical therapist specializing in pregnancy, postpartum, and pelvic floor health. She has been practicing physical therapy for 10 years, as well as being a yoga instructor and birth doula. Healing her own birth-related injuries and returning to exercise following the births of her daughters is what led Dr. Goldman to pursue her ...
Ep 31: Fertility Awareness Education & Body Literacy with Vienna Farlow, The Cuntsultant
April 12, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 119 MBIn this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, Karly and Ali talk with Vienna Farlow (aka – The Cuntsultant) about general body literacy and the Justisse Method of fertility awareness. Vienna is a vagina enthusiast, advocate, and student. The Cuntsultant is the culmination of her lifelong pursuit to learn as much as possible about the vagina and the people who have them -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She strongly believes that all female bodied people should be empowered to know ...
Ep 30: All About VBACs
April 05, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 116 MBIn this episode of Birth Kweens, Karly and Ali take a deep dive into the hot topic of VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean). There’s a lot of misinformation floating around about VBACs, but lucky for you the kweens are here to clear things up with lots of evidence-based information and practical insight! Here’s an overview of what’s covered in this episode: What it means to have a VBAC and why they’re such a hot topic in the birth world The most recent data on the cesarean rate in the USA ...
Ep 29: Birth Stories with Heather Laird
March 29, 2018 10:00 - 58 minutes - 112 MBIn this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, mom Heather Laird shares her birth experiences with Karly and Ali. Heather is a wife, mom to two baby kweens (3 year old son, Emmett, and 3 month old daughter, Hazel), and all-around rad lady from San Diego. Ali had the honor of being Heather’s doula for both births, which were two very different experiences. Heather shares about what her first pregnancy was like (easy!), what kind of birth she was planning (an unmedicated birth center birth), and...
Ep 28: The Beast of Hormonal Birth Control with Holly Grigg-Spall
March 22, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 129 MBIn this episode, Karly and Ali chat with Holly Grigg-Spall about hormonal birth control. Holly is the author of "Sweetening the Pill: Or How We Got Hooked On Hormonal Birth Control". She is consulting producer on a documentary inspired by her book, directed by Abby Epstein and executive produced by Ricki Lake. Holly is also currently an ambassador for the Daysy fertility tracker and a marketing consultant for several women's health-centric companies. She has a ton of knowledge about the pitf...
Ep 27: Acupuncture, Birth Stories & Authentic Living with Jamie Boyd, L.Ac.
March 15, 2018 10:00 - 1 hour - 131 MBIn this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, Karly and Ali talk with Jamie Boyd, L.Ac. about her work as an acupuncturist, her training in midwifery, and her own birth experiences. Jamie is the proud mother to two radiant girls in San Diego, CA. She has been a licensed acupuncturist with a Master’s of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine since 2006. She started her journey with women’s health in 2002 as a homebirth midwife assistant for Catherine Chichakian LM, CPM. While working as an a...
Ep 26: Comfort Measures for Labor & Birth
March 08, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 139 MBKarly and Ali get down to the nitty gritty details of coping with the pain of labor and birth. They explain why it’s essential for every birthing person to learn about non-medical coping techniques (even if they plan to use pain medication during their birth) and they review the best tools and techniques for pain management. Here’s an overview of everything that’s covered in this episode: The reasons why it is SO important to know a variety of non-medical pain management coping techniques, ...
Ep 25: Cannabis in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding with Heather Thompson
March 05, 2018 11:00 - 42 minutes - 79.7 MBIn this episode, Karly interviews Heather Thompson of Elephant Circle, a birth justice organization in Colorado. Heather is a molecular and cellular biologist, clinical researcher, birthworker and queer parent. She has worked on issues related to reproductive health for more than 25 years, advocating for equity, access and autonomy in childbirth. Currently she is the Deputy Director of Elephant Circle, a birth justice organization where she gets to combine her background in increasing acces...
Ep 24: Exercise for Pregnant & Postpartum Kweens with Colleen Flaherty, NSCA-CSCS
March 01, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 121 MBThe Birth Kweens sit down with Colleen Flaherty, NSCA-CSCS of Prokreate to discuss healthy movement in pregnancy and the postpartum period. Colleen is a strength coach for women during pre-conception, pregnancy, and postpartum as well as an educator for trainers and health professionals. She’s incredibly knowledgeable about women’s health and fitness, specifically how a woman’s fitness needs change during the childbearing cycle. Here’s an overview of what’s discussed in this episode: Collee...
Ep 23: Julia's Birth Stories
February 22, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 121 MBIn this episode of Birth Kweens, Karly and Ali talk with the lovely Julia Evans about her two births. Julia had her first baby, Ollie, in an out-of-hospital birth center, and her second baby, Edie, was born at home. Karly was lucky enough to be present at both births, once as the birth assistant and once as the midwife. Ali and Karly talk with Julia about what it was like to have two unmedicated births, what made her choose a home birth the second time around, and what it’s like to reflect b...
Ep 22: PCOS: My Ovaries are a Mess! with Amy Medling
February 15, 2018 11:00 - 58 minutes - 111 MBOn this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, Karly and Ali talk with Amy Medling, the PCOS Diva. Amy is a certified health coach who specializes in working with women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS, who are frustrated and have lost all hope when the only solution their doctors offer is to lose weight, take a pill, and live with their symptoms. In response, Amy founded PCOS Diva and developed a proven protocol of supplements, diet, and lifestyle programs that offer women tools to h...
Ep 21: Elimination Communication: When Tiny Humans Use the Toilet
February 08, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 121 MBIn this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, Karly and Ali sit down with Monet Combs to discuss elimination communication (EC). Monet is a doula and certified Go Diaper Free coach in San Diego, CA. She has both personal and professional experience with EC and she shares her infinite wisdom with the Kweens! Here’s an overview of what you’ll hear about in this episode: What exactly is elimination communication? How to decide whether EC is right for your family Common misconceptions about ...
Ep 20: Menstruation Conversation with Nicole Jardim
February 01, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 119 MBThis episode of Birth Kweens features the amazing Nicole Jardim, The Period Girl! Nicole is a Certified Women’s Health Coach and the creator of Fix Your Period which is a series of programs that empower women to reclaim their hormone health using a method that combines simplicity and sass. Her incredible work has impacted the lives of thousands of women around the world in effectively addressing issues like PMS, PCOS, infertility, amenorrhea, and many more. Nicole is also the co-host of The ...
Ep 19: The Birth of Tabitha
January 25, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 132 MBIn this episode of Birth Kweens, Karly and Ali talk with Genavie and Colt Stevens about the birth of their 6th child, Tabitha. Karly was lucky enough to be the midwife for their home birth and Ali has a great time interviewing the three of them about Tabitha’s birth. The highlights of this episode include: A quick overview of Genavie’s first 5 births, which included 4 medicated vaginal deliveries and 1 emergency cesarean What it was like to recover (both physically and emotionally) from t...
Ep 18: The Glamorous Life of a Birth Worker
January 18, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 119 MBThere are so many amazing things about being a birth worker – supporting strong women as they work hard to birth their babies, witnessing families be born, the list goes on and on! But there’s another side of the story that isn’t talked about as much… the less-than-glamorous parts of the job. In this episode of the Birth Kweens, Karly and Ali tell some of their best stories about the most challenging and exhausting parts of their jobs and what they do to stay healthy, happy, and relatively s...
Ep 17: Postpartum Healing & the Fourth Trimester with Kimberly Johnson
January 11, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 119 MBKarly and Ali talk with the incredible Kimberly Johnson about the importance of women being nurtured and supported throughout the ‘fourth trimester’, or the postpartum period. Kimberly is a Sexological Bodyworker, Somatic Experiencing trauma resolution practitioner, birth doula, and single mom who specializes in helping women prepare for birth, recover from birth injuries and birth trauma, and heal from sexual trauma. She is the founder of Magamama.com, an international holistic women’s hea...
Ep 16: Postpartum Sex & Fertility
January 04, 2018 11:00 - 54 minutes - 102 MBIn this week’s episode of Birth Kweens, Karly and Ali get into the nitty gritty details of postpartum sex and fertility – YAS KWEEN! Here’s a list of the specific things that the gals cover in this episode: How tearing during birth can impact postpartum sex The details about perineal massage during pregnancy – does it really help prevent tearing and is it worth the time/energy/lubricant that it requires?! When it’s safe to resume sex after giving birth and the risks associated with havi...
Ep 15: Birth Story with Monica (pt. II)
December 29, 2017 11:00 - 1 hour - 131 MBIn part two of Monica’s birth story, she talks about the birth of her son, Murphy. The pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences were completely different with Murphy than they were with Betsy and she explains why. Here are a few high points from this episode: The breastfeeding challenges and postpartum anxiety she dealt with after her first birth and how those experiences informed her postpartum expectations for baby #2 What bonding with her new babies looked like and how “baby bliss”...
Ep 14: Birth Story with Monica (pt. I)
December 28, 2017 11:00 - 1 hour - 123 MBIn this episode, Karly and Ali sit down with Monica, Ali’s best friend/N.O.K. (Number One Kween), to hear about the birth of her first child, Betsy. This birth did not go as planned and involved a lot of surrender, acceptance, and flexbility. Monica reflects beautifully on the steps she and her husband took to prepare for Betsy’s birth and what it was like to walk through labor, delivery, and the early postpartum period. Here are some of the specific points that Monica includes in Betsy’s bi...
Ep 13: Induction: An Eviction Notice for Your Uterus
December 21, 2017 11:00 - 1 hour - 141 MBThis week on Birth Kweens, Karly and Ali dive into one of the most relevant topics for birthing families today: INDUCTION! Here’s an overview of what we covered in this episode: What exactly IS an induction?! The questionable reasons that are often used to justify [medically unnecessary] inductions, including suspected big baby, advanced maternal age, diet-controlled gestational diabetes, scheduling preferences (aka – my doctor is working tomorrow/my mom is coming into town/etc.), and pro...
Ep 12: Interview with Sera Bonds of Circle of Health International
December 18, 2017 11:00 - 52 minutes - 85.9 MBIn this special bonus episode of Birth Kweens, Karly and Ali talk with Sera Bonds, the founder and CEO of the incredible aid organization Circle of Health International. Sera is an activist committed to working towards balancing the scales of access, equity, and availability in women's reproductive healthcare. She has training in midwifery, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Women's Studies, and a Masters Degree in Public Health. The Birth Kweens had her on the show to talk about the amazing work ...
Ep 11: Fertility and TTC with Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP
December 14, 2017 11:00 - 1 hour - 99.1 MBIn this episode, Ali and Karly talk with the wonderful Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP about fertility issues and using Chinese medicine to support people who are trying to conceive. Bridgit practiced Chinese medicine for 13 years and is a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner. She became passionate about women’s health and fertility after her own difficult postpartum period. She currently runs an online women’s health community called Women’s Wellness Collaborative and has her ow...
Ep 10: Cervical Dysplasia with Dr. Elizabeth Winter
December 07, 2017 11:00 - 57 minutes - 109 MBThis week on the Birth Kweens podcast, Dr. Elizabeth Winter joins Karly and Ali to talk about cervical dysplasia. Dr. Winter is naturopathic doctor in San Diego, CA who specializes in women’s health and pediatrics. She is extremely knowledgeable about cervical dysplasia and offers a wealth of information about alternative treatment methods. Here’s what you will learn about in this episode: What is cervical dysplasia and how is it diagnosed The connections and differences between cervical ...
Ep 9: The Gross Out Episode
November 30, 2017 11:00 - 44 minutes - 85.4 MBIn this week’s episode of Birth Kweens, Karly and Ali dive into the gross parts of being a birth worker. After doing this job for a number of years, they both have PLENTY of stories about the hilarious and disgusting things that happen at births. A few of the high points include what it’s like to have someone’s water break into your shoes, how your hands smell after wearing latex gloves while being submerged in a birth tub for hours on end, and a detailed look into Ali’s post-birth sanitatio...
Ep 8: Healing From a Cesarean with Ryan Lee, L.Ac.
November 23, 2017 13:00 - 1 hour - 116 MBIn this week's episode of Birth Kweens, Karly and Ali talk with acupuncturist and massage therapist Ryan Lee about healing from a cesarean birth. Ryan has lots of experience with scar tissue remediation so Karly and Ali interview him about the impacts of c-section scar tissue and ways to heal from a surgical birth. Here’s an overview of the high points of this episode: What is scar tissue and why can it be harmful The abnormal lines of pull that result from cesarean scars and the impact o...
Ep 7: Making Peace with Cesareans
November 16, 2017 13:00 - 52 minutes - 101 MBIn this week’s episode of Birth Kweens, Karly and Ali discuss cesarean births. The Kweens explain the practical ins and outs of c-sections (how the surgery usually goes, what you can expect your partner’s role to be, etc.). They also delve into some of the emotional/mental aspect of this kind of birth. In the Kweens’ humble opinion, the natural birth community doesn’t do a very good job of preparing women for necessary, unplanned cesareans and oftentimes the result is unnecessary birth traum...
Ep 6: The Postpartum Period: When Everyone is Wearing a Diaper!
November 13, 2017 13:00 - 1 hour - 130 MBIn the final episode in our series on preparing for your birth, we go over how to prepare for the postpartum period and what to expect once your baby is outside of your body! Here’s what we covered: What’s normal and what’s not when it comes to postpartum bleeding Perineal care, especially if you required stitches The best natural and conventional methods to use for pain management What a peri bottle is and why you need one Postpartum belly issues and remedies including belly ...
Ep 5: Cutting the Sh*t: How and Why to Set Realistic Expectations for Labor and Birth
November 12, 2017 13:00 - 46 minutes - 88.7 MBToday is the fourth episode in our series on preparing for birth, and we’re talking about the importance of having realistic expectations for labor and birth. The goal of this episode is to reduce the trauma and shame that often results from unmet birth expectations and to show you that there’s no wrong way to have a baby! Here’s what we talked about: The downsides of the natural birth movement, and why you should never feel shame or disappointment about your body or your birth The diff...
Ep 4: Prenatal Nutrition (Pt II): Why GMOs and White Drugs Are off the Menu!
November 11, 2017 13:00 - 46 minutes - 87.5 MBIn this episode, we continue our discussion of prenatal nutrition. Today we focus more on what NOT to do and things to avoid. (If you’re looking for info on what you SHOULD eat, check out Episode #3!) Here’s what we talked about today: The many benefits of fish oil to you and your baby, plus how much to take during each trimester of pregnancy Concerns about caffeine and coffee before and during pregnancy The top foods to definitely avoid during pregnancy and why The listeria bacteri...
Ep 3: Prenatal Nutrition (Pt I): What Pregnant Kweens SHOULD Be Eating!
November 10, 2017 13:00 - 48 minutes - 91.9 MBIn this episode, we continue our series on preparing for your birth and cover all things related to prenatal nutrition. Here’s what we talked about: Why nutrition during pregnancy is so important Exactly what supplements every pregnant woman should be taking (plus clarification on taking Folate vs. Folic Acid during pregnancy) The two probiotic strains you should be looking for to help prevent GBS infection and decrease risks to your baby Why water is so important during pregnancy a...
Ep 2: Choosing Your Birth Team
November 09, 2017 13:00 - 46 minutes - 88.8 MBIn the first official episode of Birth Kweens, we’re talking about picking your birth team. This episode kicks off our five-part series that’s all about preparing for your birth. In this episode we talked about: Why picking the right birth team is so important. The four main reasons you should NOT just pick any random doctor/midwife to be your care provider. Where to start and exactly what to consider when looking for a care provider who will be a good fit for you and your family. The...
Ep 1: Welcome to the Birth Kweens Podcast
October 19, 2017 04:12 - 10 minutes - 20.9 MBHosts Ali Feroah and Karly Nuttall introduce themselves, the Birth Kweens podcast, and talk about how they became birth workers. --- The Birth Kweens get down to the nitty gritty of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and women’s health. For more from us, visit birthkweens.com. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions, and feedback.