Pregnancy Podcast

473 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 20 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 878 ratings

A resource to support expecting moms (and partners, too!) with evidence-based information to navigate the awesome adventure of pregnancy, birth, and being a new parent. Vanessa Merten provides evidence based info that goes way beyond the typical “pregnancy instruction manual”. Every episode is designed to give you all of the evidence, research, pros, cons, risks, and benefits – all so you decide what the best option is for YOU and feel confident about your decisions during your pregnancy and beyond. The show covers everything from pregnancy to caring for a newborn. Topics include prenatal care, labor, natural birth, hospital birth, cesarean birth, preparing for your baby, breastfeeding, postpartum, and caring for a new baby. This is your evidence-based resource to help you make informed decisions about your pregnancy and your baby.

Parenting Kids & Family Health & Fitness research vbac baby birth birthcenter breastfeeding csection dad diet doctor
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

21: Inducing Labor Naturally

February 07, 2016 08:30 - 18 minutes - 8.41 MB

There are a lot of rumors about activities you can do or certain foods to eat for inducing labor naturally. Some of these methods have some science behind them and some of these remedies are just old wives tales that you can probably skip. This episode gets into all of the remedies of inducing labor naturally to give you the information you need to know what works and what doesn’t. Of course you want to wait until your baby is fully mature and your body is ready for labor but there are so...

20: Induction

January 31, 2016 08:30 - 22 minutes - 10.4 MB

In a perfect world everything works like it is supposed to, your body is ready, your baby is fully mature and ready to make their entrance into the world, and you naturally go into labor. As you probably know, everything doesn’t always go the way we plan and many women end up getting an induction to jump start labor. The key is knowing when an induction may be medically necessary, and when it may be better to wait it out. There are many reasons your doctor or midwife may suggest an induct...

19: Hypnobirthing with Suzy Ashworth of The Calm Birth School

January 24, 2016 08:30 - 29 minutes - 13.7 MB

Hypnobirthing is a practice that uses calming and relaxation techniques to create a calm, positive birth experience. This is an amazing tool you need in your toolbox as a mom-to-be! It can be applied during your pregnancy, labor, birth, and even in your parenting journey. Hypnobirthing will be useful whether you’re planning a hospital, home, or midwife-led birth. This episode features Suzy Ashworth of the Calm Birth School. Suzy is a hypnobirthing expert and has helped teach thousands o...

18: Braxton Hicks Contractions

January 17, 2016 08:30 - 12 minutes - 5.55 MB

Braxton Hicks contractions are sporadic “practice” contractions that many pregnant women experience during the second and the third trimesters. This episode talks about what they are, what they feel like, what can trigger them, and how you can find some relief. There are some key ways to distinguish between Braxton Hicks contractions and real contractions. Knowing the signs of pre-term labor and labor and how to tell the difference between fake contractions and the real thing will you giv...

17: Ultrasounds

January 10, 2016 08:30 - 20 minutes - 9.28 MB

This episode covers everything you need to know about ultrasounds. It explains what ultrasounds are and how they are used and gets into the details of ultrasound safety. The scientific studies that have been done on their use, and what the World Health Organization and some other entities recommend about their use. This is a great episode for anyone who is pregnant to listen to as you will most likely have at least one, if not multiple ultrasounds throughout your prenatal care. This epis...

16: Invasive Prenatal Tests

January 03, 2016 08:30 - 18 minutes - 8.41 MB

This episode focuses on invasive tests. These are tests that come with some risks to you and your baby. If you had a noninvasive screening test come back positive your care provider may offer you further testing to confirm and diagnose a condition. The invasive tests include a CVS, amniocentesis and a cordocentesis. This also covers your options for paternity testing. There are lots of pros and cons to consider before opting into these tests and ultimately the decision is yours as to wh...

15: Noninvasive Prenatal Tests

December 27, 2015 08:30 - 22 minutes - 10.4 MB

There are a battery of tests available to you when you are expecting and it is easy to feel like you are constantly waiting for results back to let you know everything is okay. Don’t worry, that isn’t going to do you or your baby any good. What you can do is learn about what the different testing options are and make informed decisions on what tests you want to take and whether you would like to avoid or decline any of them. This episode is focused on the noninvasive tests including urine...

14: Postpartum Depression

December 20, 2015 08:30 - 14 minutes - 6.58 MB

You are probably thinking, Depression? I won’t be depressed! I am going to be so happy when my baby arrives, postpartum depression is not something I need to worry about. Not exactly. After the birth of your baby, your hormone levels drop quickly. Remember those pesky hormones estrogen and progesterone that drive you crazy in the first trimester? A major drop in these after birth leads to chemical changes in the brain that can trigger mood swings. When you combine major drops in hormo...

13: Dad, Everything You Need to Know

December 13, 2015 08:30 - 18 minutes - 8.64 MB

There is so much attention on mom and baby during pregnancy that it is easy to forget about dad, who is so important, and plays such a huge role in pregnancy, birth, and parenting. We will be talking about getting on the same page and communicating with your partner, going to appointments, what your partner may be going through during pregnancy and how you can deal with some of the changes, sex, and so much more about the role of dad during pregnancy, birth, and once the baby arrives. This...

12: Bringing Baby Home, Troubleshooting

December 06, 2015 08:30 - 20 minutes - 9.19 MB

We are continuing on the topic of bringing baby home and tackling some troubleshooting. There are a lot of things that can come up with a newborn and the goal of this episode is to prepare you for it and teach you what you can do to solve some pesky problems you may come across. Most of these issues are not serious, but as always, trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, call your pediatrician. Knowing what issues can come up with a newborn and how to troubleshoot them, or preve...

11: Bringing Baby Home, The First Few Days

November 29, 2015 08:30 - 17 minutes - 8.2 MB

Bringing baby home is exciting but it can also be a little nerve-racking when you are not sure what you can expect. The first few days and weeks are a challenging adjustment period. There is a lot you can do to make things easy on yourself. Do not feel like you have to have a spotless house and be perfectly put together. Ask for some help, especially from your partner and anyone coming over to visit and meet the baby. Give yourself permission to take some time to figure things out and d...

10: Breastfeeding

November 22, 2015 08:30 - 16 minutes - 7.51 MB

Breastfeeding is so important and one of the best things you can do for your baby. There is no formula that comes close to mimicking breastmilk. Your milk contains every vitamin, mineral, and nutritional element your baby needs. Babies who are breastfed are at a lower risk for ear infections, intestinal upsets, respiratory problems, allergies, dental problems, and their immune system will be stronger. Nursing produces prolactin and oxytocin, which are hormones that foster a connection to...

9: Birth

November 15, 2015 08:30 - 23 minutes - 10.5 MB

All the episodes we have done thus far have been leading up to the big day. This is it. We are talking about the day when you get to meet your little guy or girl. We will be covering everything you can expect, some signs of labor, the different stages and how your labor progresses, procedures you can expect, and in general how everything happens. Keep in mind that at the end of the day you get to meet your baby. You may have specific plans for your labor and if you do your homework and ...

8: Interventions

November 08, 2015 08:30 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MB

An intervention is any procedure performed by a care provider, usually a doctor or midwife to assist in the delivery of the baby. Interventions include IVs, epidurals, fetal monitoring, assisted delivery (using forceps or a vent house suction cup), episiotomy, induction, augmentation, and cesarean. By learning what each procedure entails and when and why it is performed you will be better able to make sound decisions as to whether or not you really need or want it.

7: Preparing for Baby

November 01, 2015 07:30 - 16 minutes - 7.69 MB

Some people feel like they have been planning their whole life for baby and others may feel like they are flying by the seat of their pants trying to get everything together before the baby comes. No matter which camp you are in let me tell you right now, don’t stress out. Yes there are a lot of to dos and to buys before your baby comes but if you can get by on much less than you think. Literally the only things you absolutely must have are a car seat and diapers. You could live without ...

6: Birth Classes

October 25, 2015 07:30 - 13 minutes - 6.14 MB

Would you run a marathon without any training? No, of course not, that would be crazy. Labor is a marathon. It is one of the most physically and emotionally challenging workouts you will ever go through so why on earth would you go into it without any training? This is why you need to take a birth class. A birth class prepares you for what to expect, it prepares your partner, and even does some emergency preparation in the event something comes up that you are not expecting. In labor t...

5: The Third Trimester

October 18, 2015 07:30 - 11 minutes - 5.06 MB

Welcome to the third and last trimester! The third trimester goes from weeks 28 until your baby’s birth. Your pregnancy is measured in forty weeks, but some babies like to hang out in your belly a little longer and can go a week or two past their due date. If you are in your third trimester, congratulations, you are in the home stretch until you get to meet your little guy or girl. This trimester can be a bit challenging as your belly keeps growing and you have some new symptoms as a res...

4: The Second Trimester

October 11, 2015 07:30 - 13 minutes - 6.25 MB

Everything you can expect during weeks 13 to 27 of your pregnancy. The second trimester is also known as the golden trimester. For many women this is their favorite trimester and the period of their pregnancy that they enjoy the most. You should overall be feeling better and have a lot more energy. This trimester brings on a ton of physical changes. These 15 weeks are also a major period of growth and development for your baby. You will get to find out if you are having a boy or a girl...

3: The First Trimester

October 04, 2015 07:30 - 14 minutes - 6.53 MB

Everything you can expect and what to do to thrive during the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy. This will probably be the biggest adjustment period for you as you get used to the idea of being pregnant, make some lifestyle changes, and deal with all of the physical and emotional changes that are going on. The first 12 weeks are also a major period of growth and development for your baby. You may not see a whole lot going on outside during the first 12 weeks but you will definitely be able...

2: Prenatal Care

September 26, 2015 22:15 - 18 minutes - 8.44 MB

Prenatal care, what is it? We get into what it is and why it is way more than just showing up to your doctor’s appointments. You can expect to have somewhere around 14 appointments throughout your entire pregnancy. So on 14 days you will see a doctor or a midwife, that’s it. For the other 260 some days that you are pregnant it is just you and the baby. You, as the final decision maker, are the biggest influence on your little one.

1: I'm Pregnant. Now what?

September 26, 2015 21:41 - 13 minutes - 6.07 MB

What the heck you are supposed to do and what changes you may need to make once you find out you are pregnant. This brings you up to speed on everything you should know from the moment you see a positive result on a pregnancy test. This episode covers everything from prenatal vitamins, health insurance, caffeine, fitness, to what you shouldn't eat and what activities to avoid during your pregnancy.

Introduction to the Pregnancy Podcast

September 26, 2015 18:24 - 5 minutes - 2.74 MB

In this short episode you get a quick rundown of everything you can expect from Vanessa Merten and the Pregnancy Podcast. The Pregnancy Podcast is a resource to support expecting moms (and partners, too!) with evidence-based information to navigate the awesome adventure of pregnancy, birth, and being a new parent. Important Links Pregnancy Podcast Website Become a Premium Member Your Birth Plan Book 40 Weeks Podcast