The BirthGuide Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Wisdom from three perinatal practitioners -- a physical therapist, a chiropractor and Alexander Technique practitioner -- on caring for your postpartum body. Please visit us at BirthGuideChicago.com or on facebook or Instagram . DISCLAIMER : This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. You can see the full disclaimer here .

Send us Fan Mail Most women experience some degree of digestive upset during pregnancy, and an unfortunate few suffer from the serious condition, hyperemesis gravidarum. Our guests today -- two certified nurse midwives and two acupuncturists with expertise in Chinese medicine -- offer advice on how to manage morning sickness, and strategies for recognizing, managing and treating hyperemesis.  Lear...

Send us Fan Mail Wisdom from three midwives who have collectively attended nearly 3500 births at home.  Please visit us at BirthGuideChicago.com or on facebook or Instagram . DISCLAIMER : This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. You can see the full disclaimer here .

Send us Fan Mail Alicia Fishbein and Meredith Nelson, from Intentional Birth, are doulas, doula-trainers, and childbirth educators. They explain how self-advocacy -- which includes knowing your values, surrounding yourself with a team that is aligned with them, and ultimately being prepared to stand up for those values -- is key to an empowered and empowering childbirth experience.  Understanding...

Send us Fan Mail If you’re feeling anxious in pregnancy, you’re not alone . . . and you don’t have to gut it out. Featuring insights from a panel of experts — including a licensed clinical social worker, acupuncturist, and two doulas — this episode covers common sources of anxiety, the impact of information overload, therapeutic approaches, the importance of support systems,  and strategies for re...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is for families whose newborn requires a stay in the NICU. Whether anticipated or unexpected, a NICU stay is challenging. If this is your first baby, you're becoming a parent but are reliant on others to care for your newborn. If you have other children, you're balancing their needs and those of your infant. There can be feelings of anxiety, frustration, ang...

Send us Fan Mail By the time you take childbirth classes and make a birth plan, it's typically pretty late to switch providers. That means there are things you need to know now, in your first or second trimester, BEFORE you make a final decision about where to have your baby.  In this episode, host Anne Nicholson Weber outlines six of the most important protocols and policies that can vary wi...

Send us Fan Mail Host Anne Nicholson Weber shares her thoughts on how to have a "no-regrets birth". Please visit us at BirthGuideChicago.com or on facebook or Instagram . DISCLAIMER : This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. You can see the full disclaimer here .

Send us Fan Mail Chiropractic care for your newborn may not be something you've considered. In this episode, two pediatric chiropractors explain what treatment for a newborn looks like, how gentle adjustments can impact the functioning of your baby's vagus nerve to help regulate the newborn nervous system, and some of the myriad conditions that treatment can help address -- including sle...

Send us Fan Mail A couple needs to make many decisions in pregnancy, and patterns of decisionmaking established now can impact your family’s life for decades. In this episode, two couples counselors and two doulas explore some of the common areas for conflict in pregnancy, and offer advice on how a couple can find their way through conflict to alignment. Please visit us at BirthGuideChicago.com or...

Send us Fan Mail Chidlbirth can be traumatic. In this episode, two psychotherapists and a doula talk about what trauma is, how preparing for birth may help, and how to heal from a traumatic birth.  Please visit us at BirthGuideChicago.com or on facebook or Instagram . DISCLAIMER : This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. You can see the full disclai...

Send us Fan Mail It can be hard to think past childbirth, but the postpartum period will be a more satisfying time if you’ve made the connections you’ll need ahead of time. Four Chicago-area providers who support postpartum mothers and their families share their expertise on planning for the 4th trimester. YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT Thinking ahead of time what will be your needs and who might help you Con...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine a pediatrician who seems to have all the time in the world to answer your questions. Imagine being able to text her directly any time, day or night. Imagine not having to pack your baby up for a newborn visit because your doctor is coming to you! This week we talk to three Chicago-area pediatricians who have left the managed care system in order to buck the trend towards r...

Send us Fan Mail Whether you already have a regular yoga practice or have never tried yoga at all, prenatal yoga may help you deal with anxiety and depression, prepare your body for labor and ease some of the discomforts of pregnancy -- not to mention provide a support group of other mothers who are navigating their pregnancies right along with you. Our guests on this episode are three yoga teache...

Send us Fan Mail If you’re pregnant again after a prior c-section, you may be considering whether to try for a vaginal birth this time around.  There are some common misconceptions about VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and lots to know about how to prepare if that’s the course you choose. Our guests on this episode are three doulas with deep experience supporting VBAC families: Rebekkah Carney...

Send us Fan Mail Women often assume that minor impairments and annoyances following pregnancy are an unavoidable cost of motherhood. But common doesn't mean normal, as our four guests stress.  Learn what pelvic floor therapy actually looks like, what it can do, and why every postpartum mother can benefit from a pelvic floor assessment after birth. Jessica Kerr with Allied Therapy Partners , S...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Elizabeth Pearce is a licensed clinical psychologist, DONA-certified birth doula, and Lamaze-Certified Childbirth Educator. She is the creator of the Birth Profile Assessment and the The Beyond the Birth Plan course, a childbirth preparation system that is the first and only one of its kind to customize labor preparation to the expectant parent’s unique personality and lifesty...

Send us Fan Mail Five Chicago-area fathers share their experiences working with a birth doula. These generous and candid conversations cover attitudes towards doulas  and the decision to hire a doula; what it's like to support labor in partnership with a doula; how doulas support couples as they navigate decision making in labor; the doula's role in birth; and advice for other families....

Send us Fan Mail Kaitlin McGreyes is the founder of BeHerVillage, a new kind of baby registry that allows friends and family to help you fund your circle of support. She joins Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about the cultural trends that drive her vision for BeHerVillage, how the registry works, and why "support, not stuff" is their mantra. Listen in to learn how your baby registry can hel...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Stephanie Maj is a chiropractor with 26 years of experience caring for pregnant women and their babies. She joins us to explain how chiropractic care in pregnancy can help prepare your body for a more effective labor and easier childbirth. Please visit us at BirthGuideChicago.com or on facebook or Instagram . DISCLAIMER : This podcast is for educational purposes only and is no...

Send us Fan Mail Host Anne Nicholson Weber interviews three Certified Nurse Midwives from the Chicago area who are deeply knowledgeable about the model of care offered at freestanding birth centers. Learn why an increasing number of families are choosing this holistic, family-centered, low-intervention approach to giving birth. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a...