Birthful

After having three hospital births – that included inductions, vaginal births, and a cesarean – Mariah Robinson couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing from her experiences. She shares with Adriana how she searched far and wide for a collaborative care provider who would support her wishes for an unmedicated vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and the trust and confidence she built w...

Finding the care provider that’s right for you is a critical first step toward having a great birth experience. Dr. Robin Elise Weiss talks with Adriana about the different types of prenatal care providers and how their varying philosophies can impact the care you receive. She also shares how to go about finding the care provider that’s right for you, and what you can do if you decide they are no...

After birthing quite a large baby and experiencing shoulder dystocia, Jessica Bower went on a quest to figure out why she had grown a baby that size. She shares with Adriana how gaining control of her sugar levels really helped with her “Mission: Make a Small Baby” for her third birth. This nutritional connection with her body was key in her decision to have an induction for her fourth birth after...

Genevieve Howland (a.k.a. Mama Natural) talks with Adriana about ways you can navigate the emotions that come with gaining weight during pregnancy, identify possible triggers, and explore seeing it as an opportunity to connect with and appreciate your body in a new way. They also discuss how nutrition plays a role in lessening birth interventions, the folic acid vs. folate debate, ferments, bitter...

Adriana Lozada offers practical advice on how to deal with whatever level of nausea you are experiencing. She also lays out how hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is not just a bad case of morning sickness, but a severe and debilitating condition. If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on eating to grow a healthy baby brain, or this episode on how to tap into the nourishing power of herbs du...

Professor of Microbiology and researcher Dr. Anne Estes talks with Adriana about how your gut microbiome (not just your vaginal microbiome) plays a critical role in seeding your baby’s microbiome during birth, and what you can do about it. They discuss whether probiotics are necessary during pregnancy, why inserting a garlic clove in your vagina may not be the best way to combat Group B Strep, and...

After an eye-opening, traumatic, and abusive first birth, Toni DeAztlan Smith was determined not to repeat the experience. Toni tells Adriana how she proactively took matters into her own hands and ended up having a powerfully healing birth. She also shares how she achieved her goals of being negative for Group B Strep, NOT developing gestational diabetes, and avoiding preeclampsia. If you liked t...

Herbs are micronutrient powerhouses for your immune, nervous, and endocrine systems, but some of them may not be recommended during this time of your life. Kathleen Mugnolo talks with Adriana about how you can figure out which ones are right for YOU, as well as whether it makes sense to use herbs to get labor started, to lessen the chances of Group B Strep colonization, to help with constipation,...

Chelsy Arnett shares with Adriana how her husband nourished her during pregnancy. She also talks about the wonders of the double hip squeeze during labor, why she’d push in a completely different way the next time, as well as what’s helped her get through the surprisingly intense identity shift and breastfeeding challenges of the postpartum period. Get the most out of this episode by checking out...

Registered dietitian and researcher Lily Nichols and Adriana take a closer look at the common nutrition recommendations during pregnancy, and whether avoiding raw fish and runny eggs may be keeping you from getting the nutrition you and your baby really need. Lily also shares why you should pair high-quality fats and proteins with your carbs, and how to listen to the signals your unique body is se...

OB/GYN and medical educator Dr. Amali Lokugamage talks with Adriana about how being pregnant propelled a paradigm shift in her ideas about birth, leading her to give birth at home. A champion of human rights in childbirth, she shares why birth recommendations have become so hospital-centric, and why it would benefit us all to embrace more family-centered, integrated, and collaborative models of ca...

Robina Khalid of Small Things Grow Midwifery explains what it takes to truly consider a homebirth, and shares with Adriana how to prepare for a successful experience. If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on homebirth reimbursement, and this interview about the purpose of pain in childbirth. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on...

April Teel shares with Adriana how her thoughtful preparation set the stage for her to have wonderful birth experiences at both a freestanding birth center (with a midwife) and a hospital (with a family practice doctor). She reflects on how what surprised her the most were the differences between the pushing stages—with one being managed, long, and difficult, and the second being completely dictat...

Cesarean rates have increased 500% in two generations, and about half of them may be unnecessary. Physician-scientist and ACOG Fellow, Dr. Neel Shah, talks with Adriana about how the hospital you choose can be your #1 risk of having a surgical birth, how we got here, and what you can do about it. If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on How to Avoid a “Cascade of Interventions” and thi...

Jenny Murphy’s birth preparations were impacted by uncertainty, fear, and ever-changing circumstances. She shares with Adriana how focusing on her “birth vision”– and waiting to go to the hospital for as long as possible– allowed her to be the leader of her labor and have what she describes as a dream birth.  Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links lis...

Midwife and researcher, Dr. Mimi Niles, talks to Adriana Lozada about the U.S. hospital system, how your goals as a birthing person are at odds with the system’s goals, and how to tap into your power as a consumer within said system so you can have a better birth experience. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page .  If yo...

Adriana Lozada goes through the pros and cons of three places where you can give birth: a hospital, a birth center, and at home, and what you should consider when making an informed decision. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page .  If you liked this episode, listen to this story on Why Having an Audience Stalled Her Bir...

Medical anthropologist Robbie Davis-Floyd talks with Adriana about the technocratic, humanistic, and holistic birth models. She explains why we’ve gotten so obsessed with machines and numbers, why we need more midwives, how some OBs are making positive changes by embracing the midwifery model of care, and what you can take from those models to improve your experience. ​​Get the most out of this ep...

Sarah Winward’s story starts with some lovely swing dancing in the living room, and stomping through deep snow with her dog, then gets really intense, having Sarah ask herself over and over “Where is the break?! There’s supposed to be a break. Where is the break?!” She shares with Adriana how being open to all her options let her be grounded in the experience.  ​​Get the most out of this episode b...

Author and childbirth educator Britta Bushnell describes eight deeply entrenched cultural ideals that can unconsciously— and even negatively— impact the course of your labor and how you parent. She and Adriana share how to reframe these beliefs to uplift realistic expectations and have a more transformative experience. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and...

Michelle Onaka shares the ups and downs along the way toward having her child, including her fertility journey, then completely gutting their house during pregnancy, and following that up with a fabulous waterbirth. She shares with Adriana how immediate postpartum became a bit of a rude awakening, and how helpful it was to connect with a lactation consultant, a cloth diaper service, to start co-sl...

Criselda F. shares with Adriana the details of her three-day-long birth, which she describes as amazing and transformative. It also truly illustrates how birth is not linear, as it can easily go from prodromal to precipitous! Find out what helped her get through the frustration of not knowing when it was really going to start, the joy of having her partner catch the baby, and why tearing was the o...

Alison Spath shares with Adriana the many twists and turns included in her path toward a planned homebirth after two cesareans (HBA2C), including getting things started with castor oil, having to hold at bay the fear-based opinions of random obstetricians, celebrating her victories along the way, and a last-minute trip to the hospital.  Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resource...

Shelley Wylie shares with Adriana how marvelous it can be to see your partner really have your back and tell the nurse to wait until your contraction is over, how labor is not as horrendous as the Machu Picchu trail, and how you can absolutely have a lovely birth, even if you have to come undone and regather yourself in the process. She also highly recommends that if you dislike the tub, try the s...

Kally McConnell shares her glorious VBAC story, along with all the things she did differently from her first birth, how it all started with a literal bang when her bag of waters broke, and how there was no time for the tub. She also shares with Adriana the insights she gained about the difference between labor contractions, pushing contractions, and Pitocin-generated contractions. Get the most out...