Birthful

During pregnancy, Hanley Rice signed up for childbirth education classes, and planned for a home birth. Then, at 30 weeks, she started leaking amniotic fluid. Her world got turned upside down, and she was admitted to the hospital to wait for baby to arrive, hopefully not before 34 weeks. Even under those circumstances, having a team that was sensitive to what she had planned made for a beautiful b...

We often think that newborns are cute but helpless little lumps, when in fact they have an arsenal of instincts to ensure they can find their food source without much external help. What are those instincts that make breastfeeding and bonding seamless? Diane Wiessinger tells us more. Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: http://www...

Rachael Svendsen’s birth was what she would call a perfect birth. The postpartum period? Not so much. Dealing with tongue and lip ties, along with a baby that needed her all the time, was much harder than she imagined.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcast-Surviving-Fussy-Baby-Postpartum-Story Go to birthful.c...

Despite increasingly high health care spending, the U.S. has one of the worst rates of deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth in the developed world. The damage goes beyond statistical data points, with rates of birth trauma also rising. And if you are a person of color, the situation is much worse. What is going on, and what can you do to help bring more equity into yours and all births? Deni...

“It’s gonna get more intense now” were the words of Celia’s midwife after her water broke. Even then, Celia felt strong and powerful while being in so much pain. She felt grateful to be so connected to her body. She knew the only way through it, was through it. So she roared... In today’s Friday Birthful Story, I’ll be talking with Celia Mei Donaldson about her home birth. Get the most of this epi...

Birth does its own thing, and often it’s harder than expected, even for women whose experience matched their birth plan. How can you heal? Is there a way to prevent birth trauma? Pam England from Birthing From Within tells us more. Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: http://www.birthful.com/podcast-healing-birth-story-trauma/ And...

Melissa Divaris Thompson tells me about her two very different cesarean birth experiences. Melissa describes her first experience as traumatic. By contrast, she felt really empowered during her second birth. So what makes them so very different?  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcast-empowered-cesarean-birth-st...

In this episode of the Birthful Podcast, we are going to be talking about birth, but from the baby’s perspective. Have you ever wondered what a baby goes through when being born? It turns out that there’s a specific sequence of events that occurs as newborns transition into the outside world. What are those events and why do they matter? To learn more, I’ll be talking with Karen Strange.  Get the...

Culturally, we may have this idealized dream of life with baby, where everything falls into place seamlessly, and that all you need to take care of your little one is love and the things on your registry. Oh, if it were so. Tracy Cutchlow helps examine those myths and more.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcas...

March 22nd through March 28th is World Doula Week, and so I wanted to do a bit of celebrating by bringing you some fabulous birth moments but from my doula perspective. And of course, I’ll be digging deeper by telling you WHY I think these moments are special.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastdoulamoments/...

Today we are taking a close look at a recently released research, the ARRIVE trial abstract that suggests elective inductions at 39 weeks could reduce the cesarean rate. What does this mean for pregnant people and maternity care? Does mother nature really have it all wrong? Is there a better way of reducing the cesarean rate? Sharon Muza helps make sense of all these questions and more.  Get the m...

In this episode, I talk with sleep consultant Rebecca Michi about newborn sleep. How do newborns sleep, and when do they start sleeping through the night? What’s the best way to set down a healthy sleep foundation? Are there things you should avoid doing? How can you get more sleep? Listen to the answers to all these questions and more.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources a...

What does restoring your vitality after birth even mean? Is restoring the same as getting your body back? What are the 5 universal needs towards restoration? How can you prepare for the profound experience of codependence that’s coming your way, within a culture that’s obsessed with self-sufficiency? Kimberly Johnson shares the simple answer.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resou...

As humans, we’ve got enormous energy-hungry brains, made up of rare building blocks. How does your pregnant body and the placenta build your baby’s brain from scratch, and what should you eat before, during and after pregnancy to help it be the healthiest? Dr. Theresa Nesbitt has the answers.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at:...

When trying to conceive, the process of peeing on a stick can be fraught with emotions, and having to work on boosting your fertility month after month, or undergo treatments, can take over your life, bringing forth feelings of guilt, resentment, isolation, grief, and much stress. What can you do to make this a more enjoyable ride? Heidi Brockmyre has answers.  Get the most of this episode by chec...

Babies are constantly and very specifically communicating their needs to us. So what are some ways they do that? How can you tune into and translate their messages? And what if you have a baby that needs more help navigating the world? The fabulous Carrie Contey has answers.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podca...

What if instead of asking “what happened” during a birth, we instead asked the birthing person: “what happened TO YOU?” What if we stopped defining birth as vaginal, or medicated, induced, or cesarean, and looked at it as a meaning-making event? Is there even a way to prepare for this type of transformation? Britta Bushnell tells more. Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and...

What does the postpartum hormonal rollercoaster look like? How can you support your hormonal balance to avoid adrenal fatigue and autoimmune issues? What’s causing your vaginal dryness, and should you consider “vaginal rehab”? Dr. Jolene Brighten tells us more.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcasthormonesafte...

It’s sadly not uncommon for babies to cry inconsolably for long periods of time, and we usually attribute it to colic or the so-called witching hour. But what if there were a proven set of steps you could follow to calm your baby instantly and consistently? Dr. Harvey Karp tells us more.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birth...

What are the 4 components of pain? Does pain equate suffering? If the signal doesn’t make it to the brain, is it pain? And how can you (and your partner!) change that signal before it arrives? Pain specialist Julie Bonapace has answers.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastworkingwithpain/ If you enjoy what yo...

For as much as birth stories get shared far and wide, things seem to go radio-silent when it comes to the postpartum period. It can be hard to determine when they begin and when they end, and they also tend to be much messier to recount. However, there’s much value to be found in sharing and hearing these stories. Chaya Kasse Valier tells us more.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the...

Today we’re talking about Gestational Diabetes. What is it? How is it diagnosed? How reliable are these tests? If you are diagnosed, what does that mean for your pregnancy, baby and birth? Why does the usually recommended GD diet result in worsening results, and is there a better alternative to all this? Lily Nichols has answers.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and link...

Why and how often do postpartum hemorrhages happen? Are there risk factors? What can be done if they happen? Can they be prevented, and if so, how? Are fear and protocol making things worse? Maryn Green tells us more.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastpph If you enjoy what you hear, make sure to leave your...

Today we continue to talk with new dad, Jeremy Buczek about his pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum experience. In Part 1 last week , we left off just as things were moving into active labor. Today, we continue from there through the birth, and into postpartum, where Jeremy shares the trauma he experienced, what helped him through it, and the joy of becoming a dad.  Get the most of this episod...

Part birth and postpartum story, part helpful tips, part reflections, this 2 part episode with Jeremy Buczek goes deep into the birth partner’s experience of pregnancy, birth and postpartum to help your partner know a bit more of what to expect.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastdadperspective If you enjoy...