Your BIRTH Partners
122 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago -Identifying gaps, acknowledging biases, and co-creating a trauma-informed standard of birthcare with change agents across the spectrum of birthwork.
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Episodes
The Future of Community Birth Care #080
December 12, 2022 05:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBAs we wrap up season six of the podcast, we have shared so many incredible conversations over the last 11 episodes as we dove into what community means in birthcare. There is so much breadth of thought and energy these folks bring through their ability to see what could be, despite the ways that our systems fail us now. And so in this episode, I share these visions for the future of community birth care from the 11 guests that we had on this season. I invite you to take in, digest, rumin...
Being with Families in Community #079
December 05, 2022 05:00 - 41 minutes - 28.7 MBIn this week's episode, we're diving into a conversation around perinatal mental health, and how we screen for and provide better support to parents as they continue to navigate early parenthood. Our expert this week, Dr. Erin Sadler is a psychologist at Children's National in their NICU who has focused her work around supporting infant mental health with starts with pregnancy and parents. She will be sharing a little bit of the process that her hospital has used to implement a universal ...
The Power of Culturally Congruent Care Communities #078
November 28, 2022 05:00 - 51 minutes - 35.2 MBIn this episode we invite you to think more about what it means to create community spaces that are powered by culturally responsive care. How do we build trust within them, and how we build trust within ourselves, as we contemplate the changes that happen in our bodies, through pregnancy and postpartum, how we connect with what we want and need. How do we understand our feeding choices, how we think about food for our babies and ourselves? And why it is so important to tune in and b...
Impact of Family Policing System on Community #077
November 21, 2022 05:00 - 56 minutes - 38.9 MBWe are diving into another heavy and intense conversation here, as we talk about the family policing system, sometimes also referred to as the child protective system. We are confronting what it means for us, as healthcare workers, as birth workers, to be tied up in this system that is involved in family separation, and ultimately, the policing of families. When I was thinking through all of the different angles to take throughout the season, as we figure out what it means to be in commu...
Accountability: Supporting the Black Trans Community #076
November 14, 2022 05:00 - 41 minutes - 28.8 MBIn this episode, we are sharing with you a conversation with Kayden Coleman. Many of you may already know Kayden through his incredible advocacy and storytelling about his experiences as a transgender dad, a seahorse dad who gave birth to two daughters. Through this podcast he shares why he was called to be vocal about his experiences as a Black transgender dad and the prevalence of anti-Blackness in society. He brings education and insights into how we can improve birthcare, healthcare...
Creating a Community of Advocates #075
November 07, 2022 05:00 - 47 minutes - 32.4 MBIn this episode of podcast, we are continuing our examination of community. Joined by guest Emily Edwards of The Good Birth Co, who is a nurse, birth worker and all around advocate for thinking and changing how we talk about birth, and how we address & prevent birth trauma. This episode will be really impactful or those of you who are also out here trying to figure out how we shift power in the birth space. How do we call out issues when we see care, that is not care? When we see wrongdo...
Accessible Birthcare Communities #074
October 31, 2022 04:00 - 47 minutes - 33 MBIn this episode we explore how we connect more deeply past the complicated power dynamics and the hierarchy in health care. How can health care providers really set themselves up to be in community with those who they care for? How do we shift the way we deliver insights and education and information to ensure that it continues to center the patient? What are some of the ways that we need to reconsider how we have been trained to share information with patients to speak to folks about the...
Finding Your Place in Community #073
October 24, 2022 04:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBAs we are examining community throughout the season, thinking more deeply about what it means to be joining into this community of birth. How does it feel to be coming into something that is in some ways already established, but also something that is constantly growing and changing? I am very excited to have one of our original listeners to the podcast who has been with us through our whole journey. Erin Heacock is a passionate birth advocate who recently started as a nurse in the peri...
Birthcare Rooted in Community #072
October 17, 2022 04:00 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MBAs we continue our season around centering community in our birth work, I am really excited to be having a return guest, one of the very first people who truly made me feel welcomed into a community of other birth workers is Pansay Tayo of Sacred Butterfly Births & the Sacred Pause Red Room. Pansay back to share some of her wisdom as she has come to define her birth work is something that must be rooted in community. For those of you who are feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to change...
Community without Competition #071
October 10, 2022 04:00 - 42 minutes - 28.9 MBAs we continue our exploration of what it means to come together as a community in birthcare, we will be diving into some of the reasons that we often find ourselves not connecting in community. What are some of the cultural and societal beliefs around worthiness and value and perfectionism that set us up to be in competition with each other, rather than in community? In particular, what are things those of us who have been socialized as white need to uncover about white supremacy? How hav...
Examining Collaborative Community and the Hierarchy of Medicine #070
October 03, 2022 04:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MBI am really delighted to be just diving deep into some of the issues around community, collaborative relationships, and navigating the medical hierarchy. I am so excited to share our guests with you this week, Dr. Cody Pyke is trained as both a physician and as an attorney, and has some incredible insights to share with you. How do we craft our messaging to connect with legislators and folks who really work on systems, policy levels? Have you been thinking about understanding your stre...
The Search for Community #069
September 26, 2022 04:00 - 40 minutes - 27.6 MBWe are so thrilled to be coming for Season SIX of the podcast! As we delve into our new season theme of centering community, it feels fitting that our very first episode at the podcast was about community, it is very much at the heart of the work we do here at your birth partners. And so often when this work is more challenging, there needs to be when things are not going smoothly. It is because we are not rooted in community. We need folks who are here with us doing this work, ones who ar...
Reflecting on Change in Birthcare #068
June 27, 2022 04:00 - 11 minutes - 7.76 MBAs we wrap up season five around change-making in perinatal care, I am excited to share with you some takeaways from the season as I have reflected on what our guests have shared and pulled together some themes so that as you figure out the way you want to create change in the perinatal care system, you will have some inspiration from those who are walking this path along with you. Themes: ~Changing individuals => systems change ~Community with accountability as basis for change ~Taking ca...
Future of Queer Reproductive Justice #067
June 20, 2022 04:00 - 39 minutes - 26.9 MBSo in this episode we are diving into the future of Queer Reproductive Justice, and what does it mean to show up for queer, trans, non binary, and other folks who have been marginalized within the perinatal care system. To lead us in that conversation, I am delighted to have king yaa on to share their wisdom and their work as they have delved into this throughout their career. And as they speak, and educate on this topic in so many different platforms. Learning from king yaa has truthfull...
Debriefing at the Bedside #066
June 13, 2022 04:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MBIn this episode, we are going to be diving into the topic of debriefing: what debriefing is, how it can benefit folks in the immediate postpartum period as they start to reflect on their birth story, on their journey on the feelings that they have as they reflect on what happened during their birth, whether those were, you know, overwhelmingly positive or negative experiences. Together with Emily and Mandy we have created a resource for Debriefing at the Bedside, that we are really eager t...
Birth Trauma: Statistics & Surprises #065
June 06, 2022 04:00 - 37 minutes - 25.8 MBIn this episode, we are diving back into the topic of birth trauma. And this is something that we have revisited over and over throughout the podcast, because this issue is growing. These statistics around birth trauma, they are only worsening and this is something that needs to be addressed by so many different angles. We have a new perspective to share with you today as Teela Tomassetti of The Tea on Birth Trauma joins us to talk through why she has devoted her advocacy as a therapist to ...
Power of Postpartum #064
May 30, 2022 04:00 - 42 minutes - 29.3 MBWe are diving into the world of postpartum again in this episode. Because, frankly, we don't tend to give it the attention it deserves in the perinatal care space. There are so many ways that we are failing folks throughout the postpartum period. Our guest, Kayla Bitten, also known as The Southern Midwife, is a wealth of information about how will we make shifts in the cultural narrative around postpartum healing. How will we address the stigma that is so often present as folks make this t...
Preparing for Pregnancy & Parenthood #063
May 23, 2022 04:00 - 42 minutes - 29.1 MBThis week on the show, we are excited to be changing up our format a little bit and talking directly to a parent to be. We are all in this work to care for people, but so often our education is not centered on parents themselves and we don't get feedback about how that care impacts them. Our guest this week is Jessica Lorion, who is the host of another podcast called Mama's In Training. She speaks to folks who have had their babies and other birthing professionals so that people like her...
Reproductive Injustice: Belly of the Beast Q&A #062
May 16, 2022 04:00 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MBIn this episode of the podcast, we are honored to share a Q&A with Erika Cohn filmmaker of Belly of the Beast. Belly of the Beast is an incredibly powerful film-from their trailer: It is about when a courageous young woman and a radical lawyer discover a pattern of illegal sterilizations in California's women's prisons. They wage a near impossible battle against the department of corrections. With the growing team of investigators inside prison, working with colleagues on the outside, they...
Birth Trauma: Caring & Coping #061
May 09, 2022 04:00 - 45 minutes - 31.2 MBIn this episode, we are diving deep into the way that trauma shows up in birth and in the perinatal period. We are discussing a lot of the complicated dynamics that exists when someone experiences trauma during their birth. This is something that impacts certainly birthing people, their families, and their other support. It also impacts those of us who work in birth. Our guest today. Kayleigh Summers of The Birth Trauma Mama is a therapist and birth trauma survivor herself. As she shares ...
Defining Structural Racism & Perinatal Care Impact #060
May 02, 2022 04:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MBIn this episode of the podcast, we are diving into another heavy topic as we explore structural racism. How do we define it? How do we recognize it? And most importantly, how do we take action, when we see its impacts as they show up in our personal practices, in our organization, in our policies? This conversation is so important. There are horrific racism-driven disparities in perinatal health care. And all of us as birthworkers, as clinicians have a role in changing the way that the ...
Nurses: Understanding Risk & Trauma-Informed Documentation #059
April 25, 2022 04:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBThis week we are examining maybe one of the more uncomfortable conversations that we have when we talk about creating change and striving for trauma-informed patient-centered care: folks concerned about their level of risk. What does it mean if we truly trust patients? If we really embrace folks making autonomous decisions about their health, where does that leave us in our role as healthcare workers? How do we think about the risks associated with poor or unexpected outcomes? What have w...
Showing Up As the Village Folks NEED #058
April 18, 2022 04:00 - 41 minutes - 28.3 MBIn this episode we are diving deep into HOW we can ask for the support we need during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. And on the flip side, how do we show up as the support that others NEED rather than the way we *think* we should? As we've talked through the last few seasons of the podcast, we recognize that for so many birthing people, there is a tremendous lack of support, both personally and professionally, as they navigate the transition into parenthood. What's so important about thi...
Black Midwifery & Championing Equity #057
April 11, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBThis time on the show, we'll be joined in conversation by Meredith Strayhorn of The Walking Stick Midwifery Care. Meredith been a huge inspiration and source of collaboration and insight in growing Your BIRTH Partners. As we've discussed over and over the last few years, I've been incredibly inspired by her journey as a birthworker, as she is growing and learning as a doula and now a student midwife. I'm excited for you to hear her story, understand what motivates her to keep going, how s...
Encouraging Perinatal Systems Change #056
April 04, 2022 04:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBWelcome to Season 5: "Stepping into Our Roles as Change Agents" We want to focus on the ways that each of us can encourage necessary waves and change in the way we provide birthcare. When we look at the healthcare system...we've touched on over and over and over again through the podcast that we need to make changes. We need to keep making moves towards more birthing person- centered, trauma-informed, collaborative care. We are thrilled to share this conversation with Claire Phillips o...
Defining Holding Space through the Complications of Birthcare #055
December 20, 2021 05:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBIn this episode we are taking a look back over our season of asking ourselves and our guests what it means to hold space through the complicated parts of pregnancy, birth, & postpartum. We set out to answer this question because so often when complications arise we see so many policies, procedures, and personalities emerge that do not center the patient or their needs through the complications. We believe our ability to hold space for birthing people is critical to recreating a standard ...
Holding Space for Ourselves as Birthworkers #054
December 13, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBWe spend so much time as birth workers thinking about how we can take better care of folks...yet so many of us do a downright abysmal job of taking care of ourselves! Throughout this season we focused on how we can hold space for the complicated pieces of pregnancy birth and postpartum and so much of that attention has turned to how we can show up better for our clients. AND while we're doing that we also need to show up better for ourselves. No matter what our role within the birth care ...
Doulas: Collaborative Care & Advocacy #053
December 06, 2021 05:00 - 49 minutes - 34 MBWhere do doulas fit into birthcare and the collaborative care team model that we envision as the standard in the future? Doulas are the space holders. If there is any role in the birthteam that is built around holding space, this is it! So what can we learn about the unique qualifications doulas have to hold space and how that can extend and create a bridge for all members of the birth team? We have invited Traci Weafer, doula and educator with more than 2 decades of experience supporting b...
Supporting Lactation Triumphs and Challenges #052
November 29, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBPerhaps unexpectedly common are challenges faced during lactation. For something that is "natural" and for which there are so many available alternatives, tempers often run high when discussing the best way to approach issues that arise. How do we hold space through the complicated pieces of breastfeeding & chestfeeding so that parents feel supported and honored in charting their best path even as their circumstances and goals change? In this episode we are joined by guest Naya Weber, IBC...
Intimate Partner Violence in Pregnancy & Postpartum #051
November 22, 2021 05:00 - 41 minutes - 28.2 MBContinuing our exploration of holding space for those in our care through the perinatal period, we are turning our attention to those experiencing intimate partner violence. As we consider the many systemic failures in birthcare and postpartum support, we must look at the number one cause of perinatal deaths: homicide. How do we screen for, recognize, and provide resources to those experiencing violence? Dr Phyllis Sharps joins us this week to share information from her 5 decades of suppor...
Inclusive Care for Gender-Diverse Birthing People #050
November 15, 2021 05:00 - 50 minutes - 35 MBThis season we continue our exploration of holding space through the complicated parts of perinatal care. Unfortunately, it is very complicated, and often harmful & dangerous, to navigate our birthcare system as someone who does not present as cis-gender and heterosexual. Deeply ingrained prejudices and biases impact care in ways felt on interpersonal and systemic levels. Our guest this week, Jen Molina of United in Birth, is here to explain how and why she has centered her practice aroun...
Inclusive Care for Gender-Diverse Birthing People
November 15, 2021 05:00 - 50 minutes - 35 MBThis season we continue our exploration of holding space through the complicated parts of perinatal care. Unfortunately, it is very complicated, and often harmful & dangerous, to navigate our birthcare system as someone who does not present as cis-gender and heterosexual. Deeply ingrained prejudices and biases impact care in ways felt on interpersonal and systemic levels. Our guest this week, Jen Molina of United in Birth, is here to explain how and why she has centered her practice aroun...
Holding Space for High-Risk Pregnancies #049
November 08, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBAs we continue our season exploring how we hold space through the complicated parts of pregnancy and birth, we are turning our attention to how we approach the balancing act of addressing medical concerns AND holding space while supporting someone experiencing a high-risk pregnancy. Our guest this week, Parijat Deshpande, is an integrative health specialist supporting those with a history of or currently experiencing high-risk pregnancies. Tune in to explore these topics: ~caring for folks...
Power of Reflection for Birthworkers #048
November 01, 2021 04:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBIn this season we've been talking so much about how we hold space for those in our care through the complicated parts of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. In this week's episode we are diving into reflection as a tool for holding space for ourselves and our work as birth professionals. We are thrilled to have Cheyenne Scarlett, MA, ECS, BCD, ECE on the show today to explore her research into the experience of Black perinatal health disparities in Toronto, and what lead her to create a jo...
Managing PCOS: Fertility, Nutrition, & Beyond #047
October 25, 2021 04:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBPCOS is a metabolic, endocrine, and reproductive disorder that impacts an estimated 5million people of reproductive age. Individualized care is needed for those experiencing PCOS to address concerns that range from infertility, low energy, and disordered eating to increased risks of type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea endometrial cancer, fatty liver disease, anxiety, and depression. Sam Abbott shares her experience as a registered dietitian nutritionist and creator of the PCOS Food Freedom Progra...
Preventing & Processing Birth Trauma #046
October 18, 2021 04:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MBYou have probably heard the statistics about birth trauma...where 1 in 3 birthing people have identified their births as traumatic. And of course, the events that have unfolded through 2020 and 2021 have only exacerbated the cracks in our birthcare system and contributed to higher rates of trauma and PTSD. It is because of this, that we have a duty to educate ourselves more about trauma so that we understand what it is (and isn't) and the practices we can put into place to provide trauma-in...
Honoring Pregnancy & Infant Loss #045
October 11, 2021 04:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBAs the month of October raises awareness for Pregnancy and Infant Loss we want to honor parents who suffer loss and recognize the ways we can best show up to support them. Lola Brognano, MSW, LCSW-QS, PMH-C joins us to shed light on best practices for holding space for parents during perinatal loss, in the hospital, in the early postpartum period, and as they continue building their family. In this episode we dive into: ~finding words to validate loss ~creating collaborative care processe...
Birth Nurses: Unique Position & Power #044
October 04, 2021 04:00 - 50 minutes - 34.6 MBIn this episode we are exploring more of the dynamics that govern labor and birth nurses. Special guests Paula Richards of NurseBrownGirl & Mandy Irby of The Birth Nurse join Maggie to breakdown some of the challenges we face in the day to day reality of delivering perinatal care that does not always match up with the impact we want to have as nurses. We discuss: ~What it means for us to hold space...and how we found our way there ~Discrepancy between vision, training, and practice ~How pr...
Supporting Parents on a NICU Journey #043
September 27, 2021 04:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBSeptember is NICU Awareness Month and we are proud to contribute to increased knowledge around the realties of parenting a child in the NICU. We welcome Tracy May, mother of two micro preemies, author, and life coach to other parents of preemies through Miracle Moments Matter, to explore her own journeys through the NICU and share insights into how we can better support parents during a NICU stay. Join us in conversation as we discuss: ~what holding space looks like during an uncertain ...
Holding Space for Perinatal Mental Health #042
September 20, 2021 04:00 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MBWe are kicking off a new series this season: "Holding Space through the Complicated" and who better to usher in a mindset shift around holding space than 2 therapists? Join us in conversation with Allison Lieberman & Yvette Osorio of Rooted Harmony Counseling as we discuss supporting clients and loved ones with postpartum transition and PMADs-perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. We are talking about: ~holding space for vs "fixing" an issue ~recognizing and supporting postpartum parents wi...
Navigating Homebirth to Hospital Transfer #041
June 07, 2021 04:00 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBDr Abby Dennis, OB-GYN, Ray Rachlin, CPM of Refuge Midwifery, & Maggie Runyon, RNC-OB come together to explore the realities of transferring from a planned homebirth to the hosital. Hospital transfers are at times a necessary and expected part of thriving homebirth care models. Recognizing this and the unpredictability of birth that will sometimes necessitate a change in plans can prepare us to view a homebirth transfer as a variation of normal rather than a fraught situation to be avoided a...
Navigating Homebirth to Hospital Transfer
June 07, 2021 04:00 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBDr Abby Dennis, OB-GYN, Ray Rachlin, CPM of Refuge Midwifery, & Maggie Runyon, RNC-OB come together to explore the realities of transferring from a planned homebirth to the hosital. Hospital transfers are at times a necessary and expected part of thriving homebirth care models. Recognizing this and the unpredictability of birth that will sometimes necessitate a change in plans can prepare us to view a homebirth transfer as a variation of normal rather than a fraught situation to be avoided a...
Supporting Birth At Every Size #040
May 31, 2021 04:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBThis week tune in as we discuss all the ways we can be supportive of our clients at higher weights. How do we talk to people about their weight & their nutrition & their health without lecturing or shaming? When & why might it be relevant to discuss weight during pregnancy...and when is it unnecessary? How can we be size-inclusive in our approaches to caring for people who are pregnant and preparing to give birth? This discussion between Ray Rachlin of Refuge Midwifery, Sarah Marotto, Ges...
Supporting Birth At Every Size
May 31, 2021 04:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBThis week tune in as we discuss all the ways we can be supportive of our clients at higher weights. How do we talk to people about their weight & their nutrition & their health without lecturing or shaming? When & why might it be relevant to discuss weight during pregnancy...and when is it unnecessary? How can we be size-inclusive in our approaches to caring for people who are pregnant and preparing to give birth? This discussion between Ray Rachlin of Refuge Midwifery, Sarah Marotto, Ges...
Who Needs A Pelvic Floor PT around Birth?
May 24, 2021 04:00 - 39 minutes - 26.8 MBSpoiler alert: *most* pregnant and postpartum people could benefit from a Pelvic PT consult! Join us as we discuss with Dr. Rebecca Maidansky, PT, DPT of Lady Bird Physical Therapy where Pelvic PT fits into a continuum of care through pregnancy & postpartum. Rebecca shares about: ~bias in seeking & referring to pelvic PT ~the short & long-term harm in normalization of pelvic floor dysfunction ~importance of collaborative care to address concerns ~timing of pelvic PT consults ~what to lo...
Who Needs A Pelvic Floor PT around Birth? #039
May 24, 2021 04:00 - 39 minutes - 26.8 MBSpoiler alert: *most* pregnant and postpartum people could benefit from a Pelvic PT consult! Join us as we discuss with Dr. Rebecca Maidansky, PT, DPT of Lady Bird Physical Therapy where Pelvic PT fits into a continuum of care through pregnancy & postpartum. Rebecca shares about: ~bias in seeking & referring to pelvic PT ~the short & long-term harm in normalization of pelvic floor dysfunction ~importance of collaborative care to address concerns ~timing of pelvic PT consults ~what to lo...
Harm Reduction in Pregnancy & Birth #038
May 17, 2021 04:00 - 44 minutes - 30.7 MBIn this episode, Carlyn Mast, LCSW shares more about her experience working within hospital birth systems to support birthing people who use drugs. Is there a topic that carries more bias than pregnant people who use drugs? How can we combat stigma & show up for pregnant people using drugs? How do we address decades of policies that result in hospital birthing spaces that can feel hostile and punitive to this population? How we can support pregnant people who are using drugs and make it...
Harm Reduction in Pregnancy & Birth
May 17, 2021 04:00 - 44 minutes - 30.7 MBIn this episode, Carlyn Mast, LCSW shares more about her experience working within hospital birth systems to support birthing people who use drugs. Is there a topic that carries more bias than pregnant people who use drugs? How can we combat stigma & show up for pregnant people using drugs? How do we address decades of policies that result in hospital birthing spaces that can feel hostile and punitive to this population? How we can support pregnant people who are using drugs and make it...
Accountability, Allyship, & Anti-Racism: Cultural Appropriation in Birth 2 #037
May 10, 2021 04:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBIn this continuation of our conversation about cultural appropriation with Montse Olmos, Mujer dela Tierra, and Mayte Acolt, The Womb Doula, we dive into accountability & anti-racism in birthwork rooted in Mayte & Montse's background as Tutunaku Birth Companions from Mexico. We discuss how these themes have come up as they have navigated the response to their petition requesting removal of Rebozo training from doula workshops. Join us as we discuss: ~white saviorism in birthwork ~accountabi...
Accountability, Allyship, & Anti-Racism: Cultural Appropriation in Birth 2
May 10, 2021 04:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBIn this continuation of our conversation about cultural appropriation with Montse Olmos, Mujer dela Tierra, and Mayte Acolt, The Womb Doula, we dive into accountability & anti-racism in birthwork rooted in Mayte & Montse's background as Tutunaku Birth Companions from Mexico. We discuss how these themes have come up as they have navigated the response to their petition requesting removal of Rebozo training from doula workshops. Join us as we discuss: ~white saviorism in birthwork ~accountabi...