Birth Matters

Today, we continue our cesarean birth stories series; this episode completes a 2-part story and is the grand finale to the series. We continue this EPIC birth warrior story that goes in all kinds of unexpected directions told by Sarah and Chris. This story feels like several birth stories wrapped into one. Sarah & Chris share their story of a very long, planned home birth that eventually trans...

Today, we continue our cesarean birth stories series; this episode begins a 2-parter and grand finale to the series. You’re in for an EPIC birth warrior story that goes in all kinds of unexpected directions told by Sarah and Chris. Quite honestly, this story feels like several birth stories wrapped into one. Sarah & Chris share their story of a very long, planned home birth that eventually tra...

In today’s episode, we return to our cesarean birth stories that were scheduled for last month’s Cesarean Awareness Month following our 3-week detour to share birth stories taking place during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Do be sure to give us a follow over on Instagram or Facebook (both @birthmattersnyc) for some educational content on this topic that we posted last month.  The month of May will be th...

Just before their due date, Sarah & Spencer receive an urgent call from their obstetrician saying they need to be induced immediately if they want Spencer to allowed to support Sarah in labor. Not wanting to give birth without support, they heed the call and head to NYC’s NY Pres Weill Cornell for an uncomplicated vaginal birth. They describe the ways in which the environment was different in...

Amidst the growing Covid-19 pandemic and stay at home orders, Natalie & Jackson share the stress they experienced late in her 3rd trimester when they learn that their hospital is no longer allowing partners to accompany the laboring person. They scramble to advocate for the decision to be reversed at Mt. Sinai East and are interviewed by multiple reporters along the way. They share how they we...

When the Covid-19 pandemic starts getting real in March, Jackie & Michael try everything they can near their due date to help labor to start when their doctor wouldn't agree to induce until after her due date. A few days before her due date, Jackie's surprised when her water breaks. Because she sees meconium in the fluid and she was Group B Strep positive, they head to the hospital....

In today’s episode, Christine learns in her 33rd week of pregnancy that her baby has flipped to breech, or heads up, position. She scrambles to change care providers in hopes of having closer to the kind of birth she and her husband, Omri, wanted. While she wasn’t able to have the vaginal, unmedicated birth she had hoped for -- because it’s nearly impossible to find any care providers who are trai...

 A few days before celebrating their daughter’s first birthday, Nissa & Brit share the story of an unexpectedly quick first labor with the support of a doula. You'll hear about how a preexisting condition Nissa has, Crohn's Disease, caused confusion when she actually went into labor. She shares the emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis her mom got in the middle of Nissa’s pregna...

Today, Birth Matters alums Jess & Rich share the story of their firstborn son’s birth. Jess explains how super-prepared she was, reading up on everything she could get her hands on, hiring a doula in the 2nd trimester, focusing on eating nutrient-dense foods, taking prenatal yoga classes and childbirth education classes. She proceeds to share how, while she had very much hoped for a completely...

Today, Alicia shares details about her hospital induction, which she was able to manage without pain medications. Before she gets into that, she talks about the various ways she equipped herself with as much knowledge as she needed to feel confident going into the process of giving birth. Because her blood pressure read high and amniotic fluid looked borderline low at 39½ weeks, the decision was m...

In today's story, Nicole shares about an unexpectedly brief, 6-hour, unmedicated first labor in a Long Island hospital with midwives and with the support of her husband and a doula. Before she goes into her birth story, she describes her background as a child life specialist in a hospital setting as well as her love for teaching prenatal yoga and pursuit of education in aromatherapy. She also...

Today, Desire shares her son’s birth story just a few weeks after the birth, which was a 3-day long hospital induction at Forest Hills Hospital in Queens. She was determined to do it without pain medications and was able to do just that. Also determined to breastfeed, Desire shares the varied experiences she had with hospital staff trying to support her in breastfeeding, and how disempowering lang...

Today Ellen shares the birth stories of her two daughters, who were both born prematurely. We discuss the benefits of midwifery care and why Ellen chose midwives for both of her births, as well as some of the insurance challenges that we face when attempting to choose midwives. She details how both of her daughters were not only preemies but also how her bag of waters broke as the first sign of la...

In today’s episode, Ann shares details of her experience giving birth for the first time. Her labor progresses more quickly than most first labors, and she explains how they called an ambulance when she thought she felt the baby’s head. She’ll describe that she was, indeed, very close to pushing upon arrival at the hospital, though not quite as far along as she had thought. After she shares her bi...

Today, Stephanie, who’s an attorney for an organization called Protect Democracy, shares the story of her daughter Kimathi’s birth, which was an induced labor that Stephanie was able to move through without any pain meds and with the support of a doula. She shares how she chose a doula who was Latina as she wanted someone who could understand her background and experience as a Puerto Rican woman a...

Today Kate & AJ, the dear friends whom Dee & Sam mentioned meeting in birth class in the past couple of episodes, share their 2nd daughter’s birth story. Following a challenging first birth, Kate shares the specific ways that her 2nd pregnancy and birth was very healing. As Kate has a bit of a long, confusing early labor, they share details of a visit to both Trader Joe’s and to a chapel n...

Today we have part 2 of Dee’s & Sam’s 2 birth stories. They’ll share about an even more premature birth of their second daughter, Luna. Due to the identification of an intra-uterine hemorrhage in late pregnancy, the decision is made to induce several weeks before the due date. Hear Dee share how surprised she was that she was able to cope with her induced labor without requesting the epidural,...

For today's and next week’s episodes, we have another 2-parter for you as Dee & Sam share their two daughters’ preemie birth stories. You’ll hear these two soulful parents share some pretty incredible details about their two hospital births. In this episode, labor begins prematurely, several weeks before the due time, and soon after one of the biggest snowstorms New York has seen in many...

Today, Meredith & Thomas share their story of an uncomplicated, unmedicated vaginal birth in Atlanta, Georgia. Hear these 5-week old parents give tips for moving during pregnancy as they describe their last-minute, third trimester move from Brooklyn to Atlanta, moving in with Meredith’s parents. You’ll hear the ways in which they believe they received care that was more aligned with their pref...

Today we welcome to the show a Birth Matters alum and professional model, Lauren Deckert, to share her birth story. Lauren’s work as a model has been featured in Harpers Bazaar China, Vogue Italia, Brides, Women’s Health, and Muscle & Fitness, hers. She’s walked the runway for top designers at New York Fashion Week, Miami Beach Swim Week, and New York Bridal Fashion Week every year for almost...

Today, Emily & Paul share the story of how their “spirited” son was in breech position, or head up, and how the many proactive things they tried to encourage him to flip didn’t work. Because the vast majority of OBs aren’t trained these days in vaginal breech birthing techniques, their practice included, their birth needed to be a scheduled c-section. While this wasn’t even close to their orig...

Today, Birth Matters alums Liz & Matt will share the details of what they call their “grumpy old Scotsman” son’s uncomplicated birth at Manhattan’s New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell. Liz will share how she had lots of back labor and how the epidural only worked partially and temporarily. Later, she’ll share about her early breastfeeding challenges of oversupply and a food sensitivity they di...

Want to hear a birth story in which an almost 10-pound baby boy is born safe and sound at home after 22 hours of labor? Ready or not, that’s what you'll hear today! Hear all about Alishia’s 2nd birth following her first birth in a hospital 15 years prior. Alishia also shares about her journey into birth & lactation work as a woman of color and her hopes of serving underserved populations...

Today you get a 2-for-1 -- 2 birth stories from one mama. Melissa has an almost 3-year-old, Segovia, and a 6-week old, Adelina. She shares her first 1st birth story, which was an unusually quick, 6-hour induction with no pain meds and with doula support. Then she shares her rationale for switching care providers from an OB over to working with a hospital midwife for her 2nd baby’s birth, which was...

In today's birth story, Amy's labor begins with a spontaneous rupture of the membranes, laboring at home for a number of hours, eventually transferring to the hospital where the labor continues with induction and epidural. As Amy and her husband are both actors, she describes the ways in which their acting training, specifically breath work & bodywork, helped her find her groove in h...