Aligned Birth

Send us Fan Mail Many new mothers do not plan to give birth via cesarean birth, yet around 1-in-3 women in the United States give birth this way. When medically necessary, c-sections can save lives. However, when conducted as an elective procedure or when performed unnecessarily, the risks outweigh the benefits.  In this episode, Doula Rachael and Dr. Shannon discusses evidence-based practices tha...

Send us Fan Mail Prenatal chiropractic care has some well”ish”-known benefits (of course Dr. Shannon thinks more people could know about the benefits) but she has been documenting some of those lesser-known ones for a bit too and has compiled a list of commonalities.  You might be familiar with pregnant women seeking chiropractic care for aches and pains such as sciatica, low back pain, and pelvic...

Send us Fan Mail Tensing up your body's muscles is a natural response to stress and pain. But did you know that doing so actually causes more pain and stress? In this episode with Doula Rachael, you will learn how to prepare your mind and body for labor and birth in a beneficial and effective way…a way that will help reduce overall pain and discomfort during labor.  You will learn how to do a...

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode, Dr. Shannon sits down with Tara Thompson, a metro-Atlanta prenatal, postpartum, and infant massage therapist to discuss all things massage!   We cover: Some of the top reasons moms are seeking prenatal massage When to get a prenatal massage How are the massages performed At home things moms can do for comfort What is a lymphatic massage What does postpartum...

Send us Fan Mail There are many important physical, mental, and emotional benefits of exercising during pregnancy. In this episode, Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael discuss: The recommendations for exercise during pregnancy for beginners and for those who are working out at advanced levels prior to pregnancy Benefits of exercising during pregnancy Fun, safe, and beneficial exercise to try during preg...

Send us Fan Mail No matter the type of birth you have, your newborn can benefit from seeing a trained chiropractor. In this episode, Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael help walk you through how the pregnancy and birth process (vaginal or cesarean) can cause subluxations in the baby’s spine which can impact how their tiny systems function and ultimately impacts how they engage with the outside world.  T...

Send us Fan Mail In my years of working with prenatal patients in the office, I have found that there are 5 main items or principles that I end up discussing with them throughout their care, no matter their complaint or reason for coming to the office.  In the age of information overload, I try to keep it simplified by giving families these 5 things they can do.  Now these activities or items I go...

Send us Fan Mail We love talking about all things pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum but today we are having a conversation about what has been happening with us behind the scenes with parenting, business, and self-care.  We share about what we experienced this summer, what’s gone well and what we’ve struggled with, how things are going 4 weeks into the school year, and we share a few things th...

Send us Fan Mail Are there things we can do during pregnancy to help prepare for postpartum?  Sure thing!  Dr. Brandie Freeman of Connect Pelvic Health shares some of her wisdom and knowledge from working with postpartum moms.  Her own birth and postpartum experience shape how she runs her practice, and her passion is contagious!   Topics discussed: Preparing for postpartum recovery of the pelvic...

Send us Fan Mail An induction, as it pertains to labor and birth, is a medical start to labor, and providers recommend this for a variety of reasons.  In this episode, doula Rachael has a wonderful and educational conversation with Dr. Shannon about ways to advocate for a gentle induction.  They briefly discuss some necessary and unnecessary reasons for an induction (and for more information on th...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode, Doula Rachael and Dr. Shannon discuss the Pathways to Family Wellness article: “You’re Not Allowed to Not Allow Me.  Reclaiming the rights of mothers during birth.”   Although this is an article from 2015, the topic surrounding certain words that providers use is still relevant.   Our words have power. Words can instill strength or fear and words can give confi...

Send us Fan Mail In honor of World Breastfeeding Week (which is August 1-7), Dr. Shannon and doula Rachael sit down and chat about their own breastfeeding experiences.  And although through both of their experiences they were able to nurse their 2 children for ~ 2 years each, their journeys were very different.  From battling cesarean recovery to bottle refusal to mastitis and forceful letdowns, t...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know there are many symptoms you may experience in late pregnancy that are actually signs of your body is preparing for labor?  You may think that the water breaking is the most important signal your body sends you but that is not always the case. In this episode, Doula Rachael breaks down the possible, probable, and positive signs of labor and tips for navigating those fi...

Send us Fan Mail “We can’t necessarily control everything that happens to us, but we can control our reaction.  We can be response-able with our reaction to life.”  As a society that is chronically stressed, it can impact our posture, our ability to take deep breaths, and ultimately impact our overall health.  Add pregnancy and postpartum to the mix and breathing dysfunctions can be magnified.  In...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that pain serves an important role during labor and birth? Pain is Purposeful, Anticipated, Intermittent, and Necessary. In this episode, Doula Rachael breaks down the important role that pain serves during labor and birth and what you can do to help flip the script on perception of pain when preparing for labor. Pulling back this veil of fear surrounding pain can hel...

Send us Fan Mail How you feel about your birthing experience is important, and a big part of how you feel about your birth relates to how you feel about your care provider.  In this episode, we’re discussing some ways to reverse engineer the thought process by beginning with the desired end result and working backward toward choosing a care provider.  The process involves tapping into your thought...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael discuss the newest evidence on eating and drinking during labor.  Some hospitals restrict eating and drinking during labor which is not an evidence based practice.  Labor and birth should be treated like a marathon, not a sprint.  Eating and drinking during labor can help to keep the birthing person hydrated and energized during one o...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Shannon sits down with pediatric chiropractor, author, and instructor, Dr. Martin Rosen to talk about all things pediatric chiropractic care and craniopathy.  In most of our episodes, we’re talking about prenatal care and pregnancy, but if you’ve listened to any of our postpartum episodes, you know we talk about ways to support yourself after birth.  Not only do we discuss con...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael talk a lot about creating your birth support team and finding those team members who listen to you, support you, respect you and encourage you to be the decision maker when it comes to your birth.  The same goes for who to invite into your birth space.  Why does this matter?  Birth flows when we feel safe, comfortable, and private and it slows when we...

Send us Fan Mail What is optimal fetal positioning and why is it important?  Fetal positioning refers to how your baby is positioned in the womb, and in this episode, Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael talk about several aspects of fetal position including: What does LOA mean and why is that optimal? What is fetal malposition and examples of those positions.  What these positions mean when it comes to...

Send us Fan Mail In order to feel more at ease, confident, and comfortable in the final weeks of pregnancy, it takes significant and intentional effort and preparation during pregnancy. In this episode, Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael share tips for preparing your mind, body, and heart for navigating the final weeks of pregnancy so that labor can begin and unfold as it should and you can feel less s...

Send us Fan Mail It’s time to celebrate! Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael have officially been podcasting for ONE entire year…that is 52 episodes and 3,000 downloads under their belt.  In this episode, they share their top 10 downloaded episodes as well as their personal favorites. They share what they’ve learned through this past year as well as what they have planned for the future.  They share how...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Shannon had the honor of being a guest on the Magic of Mamahood Podcast with Caitlin and Stefany, and we’re so thankful that they shared their episode with us at the Aligned Birth Podcast.  They had some wonderful questions about the importance of posture, how poor posture can affect us over time, ways to combat posture issues, chiropractic care during pregnancy and what that...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael discuss tips for ways to best support someone who just gave birth. This is great for the partner or spouse as well as for close family and friends…anyone providing support to a new mother. The goal is to provide practical and actionable tips for supporting new moms in a meaningful and beneficial way.  Family and friends usually have g...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode Doula Rachael and Dr. Shannon discuss the Pathways to Family Wellness article: Choosing a Birth Class: Hospital-Based vs. Independent Childbirth Education.  This article highlights how childbirth education is integral in preparing for giving birth but women sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the options available. This article offers a great comparison between ho...