Down to Birth
362 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 418 ratingsJoin Cynthia Overgard and Trisha Ludwig once per week for evidence-based straight talk on having a safe and informed birth, which starts with determining if you've hired the right provider. If we had to boil it down to a single premise, it's this: A healthy mom and baby isn't all that matters. We have more than 30 years' experience between us in midwifery, informed rights advocacy, publishing, childbirth education, postpartum support and breastfeeding, and we've personally served thousands of women and couples. Listen to the birth stories of our clients, listeners and celebrities, catch our expert-interviews, and submit your questions for our monthly Q&A episodes by calling us at 802-GET-DOWN. We're on Instagram at @downtobirthshow and also at Patreon.com/downtobirthshow, where we offer live ongoing events multiple times per month, so be sure to join our worldwide community. We are a Top .5% podcast globally with listeners in more than 80 countries every week. Become informed, empowered, and have a great time in the process. Join us and reach out any time - we love to hear from you. And as always, hear everyone, listen to yourself.
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Episodes
#97 | Amanda Pahl's Birth Stories: Four Births and a Miscarriage
May 05, 2021 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBSend us a Text Message. Amanda Pahls is a mother of four daughters, a blogger, and a home school educator with a passion for honoring women's birth experiences. She joins us on the show today to walk us thorough her first hospital birth followed by three home-births and the dramatic difference in care she received between the two. Her fifth pregnancy and most recent birth was a miscarriage, at home, which brought her a depth of grief, sadness, and even guilt that she never expected. She o...
#96 | April Q&A: A little About Us; Risks of IVF; Uterine Massage; Postpartum Essentials; Pre-term Birth; Birth Prep Tips; Low Lying Placentas
April 28, 2021 09:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBSend us a Text Message. This month's Q&A kicks off with a couple personal questions of Cynthia and Trisha about their dream travel and what they admire in themselves and in each other. After our little heart-to-heart, we get down to business discussing: Pregnancy & birth risk associated with IVF; why you don't need painful uterine massage after birth; what our "must-have" items are for new moms and baby; tips for preventing pre-term birth; tips for preparing for birth related to teas, suppl...
Ep. 95 | Birth Story Mini: Jessica's 5 Hours of Pushing Using HypnoBirthing
April 26, 2021 09:00 - 9 minutes - 6.41 MBJessica is a first-time birthing mother from Atlanta who recently attended Cynthia's HypnoBirthing class via Zoom. She and her husband had a birth that began with laughter over a misunderstanding, and ended with a 5-hour pushing stage doing HypnoBirthing deep-breathing while wearing a mask. Jessica's story emphasizes how she and her husband felt respected and supported by their hospital staff from start to finish, including an appreciation for the COVID protocols that disallowed visitors pos...
#95 | Birth Story Mini: Jessica's 5 Hours of Pushing Using HypnoBirthing
April 26, 2021 09:00 - 9 minutes - 6.41 MBSend us a Text Message. Jessica is a first-time birthing mother from Atlanta who recently attended Cynthia's HypnoBirthing class via Zoom. She and her husband had a birth that began with laughter over a misunderstanding, and ended with a 5-hour pushing stage doing HypnoBirthing deep-breathing while wearing a mask. Jessica's story emphasizes how she and her husband felt respected and supported by their hospital staff from start to finish, including an appreciation for the COVID protocols tha...
#94 | Lisa's Story of Postpartum Anxiety: The Terror of Intrusive Thoughts
April 21, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBIn this episode, Lisa shared out loud for the first time the full extent of the intrusive thoughts that have been haunting and terrifying her postpartum. When women suffer from a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder such as postpartum anxiety, depression or psychosis they can suffer from intrusive thoughts such as: fear of drowning the baby in the bath, imagining yourself or someone else dropping the baby, falling down the stairs with the baby, or even imagining yourself or someone else harmin...
#94 | The Terror of Intrusive Thoughts: Lisa's Postpartum Anxiety:
April 21, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBIn this episode, Lisa shared out loud for the first time the full extent of the intrusive thoughts that have been haunting and terrifying her postpartum. When women suffer from a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder such as postpartum anxiety, depression or psychosis they can suffer from intrusive thoughts such as: fear of drowning the baby in the bath, imagining yourself or someone else dropping the baby, falling down the stairs with the baby, or even imagining yourself or someone else harmin...
#94 | The Terror of Intrusive Thoughts: Lisa's Postpartum Anxiety
April 21, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBSend us a Text Message. In this episode, Lisa shared out loud for the first time the full extent of the intrusive thoughts that have been haunting and terrifying her postpartum. When women suffer from a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder such as postpartum anxiety, depression or psychosis they can suffer from intrusive thoughts such as: fear of drowning the baby in the bath, imagining yourself or someone else dropping the baby, falling down the stairs with the baby, or even imagining yourse...
Intuitive Eating For Pregnant & Postpartum Moms: Interview with Jaren Soloff, RD, IBCLC
April 14, 2021 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBAs a registered dietician (RD) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Jaren Soloff was inspired to create a space and program to help postpartum moms navigate eating and body image after birth. She guides her clients in the anti-diet method of "intuitive eating," which focuses on tapping into your body's signals to tell you when you are hungry and when you are not. Intuitive eating is a process of learning to trust your appetite and cravings as a means of guiding ...
#93 | Intuitive Eating For Pregnant & Postpartum Moms with Jaren Soloff, RD, IBCLC
April 14, 2021 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBSend us a Text Message. As a registered dietician (RD) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Jaren Soloff was inspired to create a space and program to help postpartum moms navigate eating and body image after birth. She guides her clients in the anti-diet method of "intuitive eating," which focuses on tapping into your body's signals to tell you when you are hungry and when you are not. Intuitive eating is a process of learning to trust your appetite and cravin...
#92 | Postpartum Mini: Rethinking Self-Care
April 12, 2021 09:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBSend us a Text Message. Most of us fall short when it comes to practicing self-care - especially postpartum moms, who are usually happy enough just to get more than 5 hours of sleep plus a shower. And when anyone tells them to go do something nice for themselves, it's always well-intended, but is it helpful when those moms think self-care means getting a professional massage, attending a live yoga class or getting a mani/pedi? In today's episode, Cynthia talks about self-care as a lifestyle...
#91 | Birth Story: How Colleen's VBAC Taught her to Trust Her Body More Than Her Provider
April 07, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBColleen always felt called to birth and was determined to have the birth of her dreams. After two miscarriages, she was so excited to give birth to her first child. When her birth resulted in a cesarean, she knew the next time around she would make sure things went differently. Despite her mother and husband resisting the idea of a VBAC she went for it anyway. At 1/2 a centimeter dilated, the hospital sent her back home while she feared her birth was going to end up with the same outcome...
#91 | Colleen's VBAC: Relying on Instinct over Provider
April 07, 2021 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBSend us a Text Message. Colleen always felt called to birth and was determined to have the birth of her dreams. After two miscarriages, she was so excited to give birth to her first child. When her birth resulted in a cesarean, she knew the next time around she would make sure things went differently. Despite her mother and husband resisting the idea of a VBAC she went for it anyway. At 1/2 a centimeter dilated, the hospital sent her back home while she feared her birth was going to end...
#90 | March Q&A: Ultrasounds; VBAC Providers; Vaginal Exams; PPD in Pregnancy; Exploring Home Birth; Distraction Techniques in Labor
March 31, 2021 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBSend us a Text Message. Our March Q&A episode is here! We begin with a discussion around the use of ultrasound measurements in pregnancy to determine your baby's size and weight at birth (hint: a baby that is measuring long is likely to be taller than average not macrosomic); we discuss when you might consider changing providers for your planned VBAC birth; can a mother experience postpartum depression (PPD) while still pregnant? What about the use of distraction techniques in labor and ho...
#89 | Birth Story Mini: Kimberly's Unplanned Home Birth
March 29, 2021 09:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBSend us a Text Message. Kimberly always wanted a home birth -- especially the second time around -- but decided to stay with the providers she liked and trusted. She began having doubts during the implementation of Covid protocols, and those doubts only grew when her doctor started talking about induction before she was at 41 weeks. But she declined the induction and implemented some natural means of induction at home, including a recipe for eggplant parmesan she got in her HypnoBirthing cl...
#88 | Jamie's Unattended Freebirth with Twins
March 24, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBSend us a Text Message. Jamie Davison Ortiz is a mother, doula, and student midwife who birthed her twins naturally during a planned freebirth with her husband and doula. For those who don’t know, a freebirth is a controversial birth movement of giving birth at home without a medical professional in attendance. Jamie’s birth wasn’t without risk and while Jamie says she has no regrets, she’s the first to say that free-birthing took years of preparation, comes with risk, and is not for every...
#87 | Postpartum Rage: The Outburst-Guilt-Shame Cycle
March 17, 2021 09:00 - 33 minutes - 23.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Postpartum rage is among the lesser known perinatal mood and anxiety disorders that can impact postpartum women and even their partners. Unfortunately, what women don’t understand is that sometimes anger comes more easily than tears, and it doesn’t mean that anything is fundamentally wrong with them or with their character; but rather, they are suffering from one particular manifestation of postpartum depression or anxiety. Postpartum rage can look like: snapping a...
#86 | Breastfeeding Mini: The Three Most Common Challenges for Breastfeeding Moms
March 15, 2021 09:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBSend us a Text Message. In today's minisode, Trisha reviews the three most common challenges that breastfeeding moms experience: Engorgement, Nipple Pain, and Supply issues. She briefly explains why they occur and offers simple steps to recognize and resolve each issue so that you may comfortably and easily continue your breastfeeding journey. See other episodes on breastfeeding: #33 | Breastfeeding Mini: Out With The Rules, In With Your Instincts #44 | Breastfeeding Mini: The First We...
#85 | Understanding Gestational Diabetes with Dietitian Leslee Flannery
March 10, 2021 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MBSend us a Text Message. Approximately 1 in 12 women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which can leave them feeling confused ashamed and overwhelmed with questions like, “Have I done something wrong? What can I eat now? Does this mean I have to be induced?” In this episode we speak with Leslee Flannery a dietitian from Ohio and founder of @gestational.diabetes.nutrition who loves supporting, educating and empowering women with gestational diabetes, because diet isn’t the only cause...
#86 | Understanding Gestational Diabetes with Dietitian Leslee Flannery
March 10, 2021 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MBApproximately 1 in 12 women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which can leave them feeling confused ashamed and overwhelmed with questions like, “Have I done something wrong? What can I eat now? Does this mean I have to be induced?” In this episode we speak with Leslee Flannery a dietitian from Ohio and founder of @gestational.diabetes.nutrition who loves supporting, educating and empowering women with gestational diabetes, because diet isn’t the only cause, and it doesn’t mean you...
#84 | Lynne's Last Minute Home Birth After Two C-Sections
March 03, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBSend us a Text Message. For Lynne, giving birth via Cesarean just didn't feel like giving birth. Learning she was pregnant with her third and having had two prior C-sections, she wanted a different experience. After meeting a friend for lunch who was planning a home birth, she got curious and started exploring options and digging into the research on VBAC. While giving birth at home felt outside her comfort zone, she planned to hire a home birth midwife to support her through the early l...
#84 | Lynne's Last Minute Home Birth After Two C-Sections
March 03, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBFor Lynne, giving birth via Cesarean just didn't feel like giving birth. Learning she was pregnant with her third and having had two prior C-sections, she wanted a different experience. After meeting a friend for lunch who was planning a home birth, she got curious and started exploring options and digging into the research on VBAC. While giving birth at home felt outside her comfort zone, she planned to hire a home birth midwife to support her through the early labor hours at home, befor...
#83 | February Q&A: Plus-Size Pregnancy; What to Wear During Birth; Waking a Sleeping Baby; Implications of a Subchorionic Hematoma; Waterbirth & Baby's First Breath; Best Times to Pump
February 24, 2021 10:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBSend us a Text Message. Our February Q&A episode is here! Today, we discuss a wide variety of topics from the influence of medical rhetoric on our decisions in pregnancy and birth to the implications of being plus-size in pregnancy to the best time to pump your breastmilk. We have a lengthy discussion on what to wear in pregnancy and seriously question why hospitals still promote the classic hospital gown for birthing?! We talk about the physiologic mechanisms that protect babies from bre...
#83 | February Q&A: Plus-Size Pregnancy; What to Wear During Birth; Waking a Sleeping Baby; Implications of a Subchorionic Hematoma; Waterbirth & Baby's First Breath; Best Times to Pump
February 24, 2021 10:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBOur February Q&A episode is here! Today, we discuss a wide variety of topics from the influence of medical rhetoric on our decisions in pregnancy and birth to the implications of being plus-size in pregnancy to the best time to pump your breastmilk. We have a lengthy discussion on what to wear in pregnancy and seriously question why hospitals still promote the classic hospital gown for birthing?! We talk about the physiologic mechanisms that protect babies from breathing under water during...
#82 | Birth Story Mini: Stefanie's Home Birth After C-Section (HBAC)
February 22, 2021 10:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBSend us a Text Message. “I would give birth like that ten more times!” In today’s mini-sode Stefanie tells her story of choosing a homebirth VBAC (HBAC) for her second birth after knowing she would absolutely not return to the hospital to have her next baby. Despite going into to labor just before 37 weeks, Stefanie was fully committed to her HBAC birth and beautifully supported by her midwives, doulas, and partner through the entire experience. * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this e...
#81 | Andrea Left the Hospital AMA (Against Medial Advice) to Avoid Induction
February 17, 2021 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBSend us a Text Message. Andrea was thirty-three years-old and experiencing a low-risk healthy pregnancy when she went in for her prenatal visit at five days past her guess date and - it just so happened - the week of Christmas and New Year's. Her OB informed her that she would need to be induced. In response to her question, "What happens if we wait for labor to begin on its own," he replied, "Your baby is going to die." A few days later, when she went in for a routine check-up, her amn...
#80 | Roundtable: Mothers Who've Miscarried
February 10, 2021 10:00 - 46 minutes - 31.7 MBSend us a Text Message. Approximately 1 in 5 known pregnancies result in miscarriage before 12 weeks, and 1 in 4 women have experienced a miscarriage in their lifetime. Despite it being a relatively common experience, it is often left unspoken of, leaving mothers heartbroken and shrouded in feelings of guilt and failure. Today, Amanda, Nicole and Meghan share their heartfelt stories, expressing the deep emotions surrounding their losses. Amanda suffered three miscarriages between the bi...
#79 | Cynthia Mini: What is Medical Rhetoric?
February 08, 2021 10:00 - 7 minutes - 5.4 MBSend us a Text Message. Medical Rhetoric involves language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but often lacks sincerity or meaningful content. How can you tell when your obstetrician or medical provider is using rhetoric to persuade, discourage or manipulate you into going along with a particular course of action without first offering you any information or data that would be useful in your decision-making? Share your stories of rhetoric with us @downtob...
#79 | Cynthia Mini: What is Medial Rhetoric?
February 08, 2021 10:00 - 7 minutes - 5.4 MBMedical Rhetoric involves language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect on its audience, but often lacks sincerity or meaningful content. How can you tell when your obstetrician or medical provider is using rhetoric to persuade, discourage or manipulate you into going along with a particular course of action without first offering you any information or data that would be useful in your decision-making? Share your stories of rhetoric with us @downtobirthshow on Instagram or ...
#78 | Christina's Run From Induction to a Home Birth with Group B Strep
February 03, 2021 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MBSend us a Text Message. When Christina showed up at the hospital with ruptured membranes and GBS+ status, the hospital informed her that she was not allowed to leave—not even to return home to get her hospital bag. According to Christina, every cell in her body told her to run. She made a few phone calls, started crying while she searched for a way out, and soon found herself driving across state lines to see a home birth midwife for another opinion. This is Christina's remarkable stor...
#78 | A Run From Induction Toward Home Birth with Group B Strep
February 03, 2021 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MBWhen Christina showed up at the hospital with ruptured membranes and GBS+ status, the hospital informed her that she was not allowed to leave—not even to return home to get her hospital bag. According to Christina, every cell in her body told her to run. She made a few phone calls, started crying while she searched for a way out, and soon found herself driving across state lines to see a home birth midwife for another opinion. This is Christina's remarkable story of following her intuit...
#78 |Birth Story: Running From Induction Toward a Last-Minute Home Birth with Group B Strep
February 03, 2021 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MBWhen Christina showed up at the hospital with ruptured membranes and GBS+ status, the hospital informed her that she was not allowed to leave—not even to return home to get her hospital bag. According to Christina, every cell in her body told her to run. She made a few phone calls, started crying while she searched for a way out, and soon found herself driving across state lines to see a home birth midwife for another opinion. This is Christina's remarkable story of following her intuit...
#77 | January Q&A: Co-sleeping; Prodromal Labor; Switching Providers; Third Babies; Conceiving While Breastfeeding; Vaginal Dryness; Baby-Led Weaning; Hep-Locks and IVs
January 27, 2021 10:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBSend us a Text Message. This month's Q&A is packed with valuable information! Check it out below: Did you Co-Sleep with your babies? I am thinking about leaving my provider. What do you recommend I say or do? Do you have any tips for prodromal labor? Is it common to have vaginal dryness while breastfeeding? Is it true that the 3rd baby can be a "wild card?" And if so, is there anything I can do? Do I need to make any changes to my breastfeeding schedule if I am trying to conceive? W...
#77 | January Q&A: Co-sleeping, Prodromal Labor, Switching Providers, Third Babies, Conceiving While Breastfeeding, Vaginal Dryness, Baby-Led Weaning, Hep-Locks and IVs
January 27, 2021 10:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBThis month's Q&A is packed with valuable information! Check it out below: Did you Co-Sleep with your babies? I am thinking about leaving my provider. What do you recommend I say or do? Do you have any tips for prodromal labor? Is it common to have vaginal dryness while breastfeeding? Is it true that the 3rd baby can be a "wild card?" And if so, is there anything I can do? Do I need to make any changes to my breastfeeding schedule if I am trying to conceive? What is baby-led weaning a...
#76 | Birth Story Mini: Tara's Empowered Birth After Late-Pregnancy Loss during Covid
January 25, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBAfter losing her first baby in utero at five months, Tara and her husband became pregnant again and quickly realized they were with a large group of rotating obstetricians who didn't feel quite right for them. After switching to a midwifery practice and preparing with HypnoBirthing, Tara had a beautiful birth amid COVID protocols, but not without some obstacles along the way, including dehydration, meconium and a hospital transfer. With the support of her husband and midwives, and getting cr...
#76 | Birth Story Mini: Tara's Empowered Birth During Covid
January 25, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBSend us a Text Message. After losing her first baby in utero at five months, Tara and her husband became pregnant again and quickly realized they were with a large group of rotating obstetricians who didn't feel quite right for them. After switching to a midwifery practice and preparing with HypnoBirthing, Tara had a beautiful birth amid COVID protocols, but not without some obstacles along the way, including dehydration, meconium and a hospital transfer. With the support of her husband and...
#75 | Fetal Monitoring and Fetal Distress with Midwife-Author Amy Romano
January 20, 2021 10:00 - 47 minutes - 32.8 MBSend us a Text Message. To monitor or not monitor: that is the question. More specifically, how to best monitor your baby in labor without causing undue worry and intervention is the question of today's episode. Author, midwife, and researcher Amy Romano MBA, MSN, CNM tells us that a large body of evidence on fetal heart rate monitoring indicates that we are likely looking for and finding problems that don't actually exist when it comes your baby's heartbeat in labor. And there is a sign...
#74 | Table For Five: Author Ted Yang Gives Voice To Fathers Who've Lost A Baby
January 13, 2021 10:00 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBSend us a Text Message. When Ted Yang learned his wife was pregnant, life felt amazing! He was married to the love of his life, had a fulfilling and lucrative career, and was expecting not one but three babies. But his world was turned upside down when he found himself facing the reality of premature birth, one infant loss, and two premature babies fighting for their lives. His experience as a loss father left him feeling alone in a society which fails to adequately support mothers of loss...
#73 | The Six Week Postpartum Visit: No, I'm Not Ready to Have Sex
January 11, 2021 10:00 - 5 minutes - 3.7 MBThe six week postpartum visit is generally the time when new moms get the green light to return to having sex, yet so many (more than 80%) are not ready to do so. In today's mini-sode Trisha digs into the meaning of the six week postpartum visit and discusses how we can do better in supporting mothers in the postpartum transition. * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please subscribe and share with your pregnant and postpartum friends. Between episo...
#73 | The Six Week Postpartum Visit: No, We're Not Ready to Have Sex
January 11, 2021 10:00 - 5 minutes - 3.7 MBThe six week postpartum visit is generally the time when new moms get the green light to return to having sex, yet so many (more than 80%) are not ready to do so. In today's mini-sode Trisha digs into the meaning of the six week postpartum visit and discusses how we can do better in supporting mothers in the postpartum transition. * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please subscribe and share with your pregnant and postpartum friends. Between episo...
#73 | Trisha Mini: The Six Week Postpartum Visit: No, I'm Not Ready to Have Sex
January 11, 2021 10:00 - 5 minutes - 3.7 MBThe six week postpartum visit is generally the time when new moms get the green light to return to having sex, yet so many (more than 80%) are not ready to do so. In today's mini-sode Trisha digs into the meaning of the six week postpartum visit and discusses how we can do better in supporting mothers in the postpartum transition. * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please subscribe and share with your pregnant and postpartum friends. Between episo...
#73 | Trisha Mini: The Six Week Postpartum Visit: No, I'm Not Ready to Have Sex
January 11, 2021 10:00 - 5 minutes - 3.7 MBSend us a Text Message. The six week postpartum visit is generally the time when new moms get the green light to return to having sex, yet so many (more than 80%) are not ready to do so. In today's mini-sode Trisha digs into the meaning of the six week postpartum visit and discusses how we can do better in supporting mothers in the postpartum transition. * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please subscribe and share with your pregnant and postpartu...
#72 | The Winding Road Through Postpartum with Claude Racine-Valinsky
January 06, 2021 10:00 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MBSend us a Text Message. You may remember professional dancer and choreographer Claude Racine-Valinsky from episode #28. Claude came back on the show today to talk about her postpartum experience – the battle she’s having with the body she’s always counted on; the resentment she feels toward the husband she adores; and the knowledge that her son’s physical and emotional wellness has not merely integrated into her life but has taken center stage. Through her forthright language and tears, wh...
#71 | December Q&A: Postpartum Hair Loss; Fear of Childbirth; Sex During Pregnancy; Postpartum Resentment; Induction for High Blood Pressure; A Mother's Stress on Baby; Co-Lactation in Same-Sex Parents
December 30, 2020 10:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBSend us a Text Message. Our last episode of 2020 is here and it's loaded with great questions! Have you wondered why so many women experience significant hair loss postpartum? How much does a mother's experience of stress impact her baby? Why do I feel so resentful toward my husband? My OB wants to induce me for a past history of high blood pressure even though my blood pressure is currently normal. What's up with my sex drive in pregnancy? And, is it possible to experience a pain free bi...
#70 | Home Birth on Little Cranberry Island Breaks 93-Year Streak
December 23, 2020 10:00 - 12 minutes - 8.86 MBSend us a Text Message. On a little island off the coast of Maine, reside only sixty-five year round residents. The last woman to give birth on the island was Erin's grandmother ninety-three years ago. On September 26th, Azalea Belle Gray was born peacefully at home with her five siblings nearby, after a long and tiring prodromal labor followed by a swift and sudden active stage. Today's home birth story is as heart-warming as it is historical and represents the profound importance of com...
#69 | Birth Story Mini: Courtney's Birth Managing Rh Incompatibility with RhoGam
December 21, 2020 15:00 - 12 minutes - 8.72 MBSend us a Text Message. In this birth story mini episode, Courtney shares the story of her second son's birth, which involved managing her pregnancy with a RhoGam shot due to her Rh incompatibility (which occurs when a mother's blood type is negative and her baby's is positive). Courtney's birth took place during the earlier part of the Covid pandemic and despite these unforeseen obstacles, particularly after having had an easy birth with her first son, her second birth went well and very ...
#69 | Birth Story Mini: Courtney's Birth Managing Rh Incompatibility with RhoGam
December 21, 2020 15:00 - 12 minutes - 8.72 MBIn this birth story mini episode, Courtney shares the story of her second son's birth, which involved managing her pregnancy with a RhoGam shot due to her Rh incompatibility (which occurs when a mother's blood type is negative and her baby's is positive). Courtney's birth took place during the earlier part of the Covid pandemic and despite these unforeseen obstacles, particularly after having had an easy birth with her first son, her second birth went well and very quickly. * * * * * * * *...
#68 | Our Five Must-Hear Episodes of 2020
December 16, 2020 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBSend us a Text Message. While we still have a few more episodes going live before the end of the year, Trisha and Cynthia spend this episode looking back at the 67 episodes published thus far in season one, since the launch of Down To Birth last New Year's. Disclaimer: One of the episodes may not be suitable for everyone, as it deals with stillbirth. But check out why we selected these as our top five, and hear snippets of the episodes through our discussion. To listen to any of our "Top ...
#67 | Leah's Birth Story: From Trauma to Triumph in Two Dramatically Different Births
December 09, 2020 10:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MBSend us a Text Message. Leah’s first-birth trauma began the moment she arrived at the hospital and continued during an unusually difficult, even dangerous postpartum recovery period. She was the last person to believe her second baby would arrive quickly, vaginally and naturally among a joyful staff of midwives and nurses. In this episode, Leah discusses the details around her first birth: What happened, how she was treated, how she regained control over her provider relationship and heale...
#67: Leah's Birth Story: From Trauma to Triumph in Two Dramatically Different Births
December 09, 2020 10:00 - 38 minutes - 26.5 MBLeah’s first-birth trauma began the moment she arrived at the hospital and continued during an unusually difficult, even dangerous postpartum recovery period. She was the last person to believe her second baby would arrive quickly, vaginally and naturally among a joyful staff of midwives and nurses. In this episode, Leah discusses the details around her first birth: What happened, how she was treated, how she regained control over her provider relationship and healed herself mentally and e...
#66 | Informed Pregnancy: Interview with Dr. Elliot Berlin
December 02, 2020 10:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBSend us a Text Message. Dr. Elliot Berlin is a chiropractor and doula who has a knack for getting babies to assume the best position for birth. He's become an integral part of the Los Angeles county natural birth community and is the host of the Informed Pregnancy Podcast. He believes every woman should have the birth they desire and provides the tools and knowledge he feels make all the difference. In this episode with Elliot, we discuss women's choices when it comes to birth, and the va...