Birthful

Adriana Lozada tackles a question parents ask her often: how to introduce your other children to their newborn sibling. There isn’t one right way to do it, so Adriana has suggestions to make the intros and transition easier—and joyful! If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on dealing with family and visitors , or this episode on how to truly understand and calm your baby . You can co...

Doula and birth photographer Karissa Raya balances supporting people in childbirth and documenting the magic of a family’s history. She offers insights and tricks of the trade for documenting your birth experience with photos, including framing those special moments—all while staying in the moment. Listen through to the end for Adriana’s “Two Things to Do: One for You, One for the Rest of Us.” Eve...

Hypnosis in childbirth, often known as HypnoBirthing, is one tool you can use to lessen pain perception and let your oxytocin flow. Adriana Lozada breaks down the origin of this tool, and how you can practice it ahead of giving birth. If you liked this episode, listen to this birth story for a first-person account of using hypnosis during childbirth, and this full episode on using self-hypnosis fo...

Taylor Walker Sinning breaks down exactly how she trained herself for months to use hypnosis to relieve her pain during birth. And makes clear to Adriana Lozada just why it became her most powerful tool during childbirth. Listen through to the end of the episode for Adriana’s “Two Things to Do: One for You, One for the Rest of Us” as she selects actions, books, and other resources to further infor...

October is Pregnancy, Infant, and Child Loss Awareness Month. The topic has been in our social media feeds for the last week after Chrissy Teigen and John Legend shared their painful experience losing a pregnancy. They broke open a taboo topic that we at Birthful have been thinking a lot about: how to talk about miscarriages and pregnancy and infant losses. This week Adriana Lozada takes a few qui...

Since they aren't growing a baby inside their bodies, it usually takes a bit longer for partners and dads-to-be to realize the magnitude of changes coming their way. What are some ways to prepare for becoming a dad, connecting with your kids, and showing up in a way you can be proud of? JaMone Alexander has answers.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed o...

Kids aren't born racist, so how do these biases get absorbed? What can you do to intentionally bring up anti-racist kids? Is it ever too early to start talking about race, and what are some ways to do so with your babies, toddlers, kindergarteners, and older children? Dr. Qadira Ali Huff has answers. Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the show notes...

Instead of posting a new episode, this week we are amplifying the voices of Black podcasters. We encourage you to take the time you would have used to listen to this week's Birthful episode to expand your listening options.  Hear what they have to say: All About Pregnancy and Birth Podcast Birth Stories In Color Podcast Natal Homecoming podcast Fertility Friday Dem Black Mamas Woke Mommy Chatt...

For her third birth, Melonie Fitch was planning a birth center birth, but when the quarantine began, she and her husband decided to have a home birth instead. All that changed when at 39 weeks and five days, her blood pressure unexpectedly skyrocketed, instantly risking her out of a home birth and causing her to be medically induced for preeclampsia. Get the most of this episode by checking out th...

There are so many opinions and judgments around how and where infants should sleep, that it can be hard to figure out what would work best for your family. How did we get here? What are an infant’s biological sleep needs? What risk factors should you consider when setting up the sleep environment? Is bed sharing as dangerous as we are led to believe? Dr. James McKenna has answers.  Get the most of...

Kara Fransted and her husband had never considered having a home birth, but as the pandemic hit and there was a real possibility of her husband having to miss the birth of their third child, they looked into it. Never mind that she was already 38 weeks pregnant.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the show notes page at birthful.com/podcast-homebirth-swi...

Postpartum can be a difficult and very isolating time of life. That's why building your village of support ahead of time is so incredibly important. But what do you do when your village is also in isolation? How can you and your partner support yourselves and each other during these times? Perinatal relationship specialist Elly Taylor has answers. Get the most of this episode by checking out t...

After having a cesarean birth for a failed induction, Mandy Morine was determined to have a VBAC. She did all the things to prepare and set up an extensive team to support her. Then COVID hit, and Mandy found herself having to adjust to virtual doula support, a closed yoga studio, canceled bodywork appointments, and feeling she was losing her resources. So what happened when her water broke early,...

Canceled fertility cycles, face-to-face appointments, bodywork sessions, baby showers, having as many people as you want at your birth, a postpartum period surrounded by a loving village… These are just a few of the anticipated experiences you may have lost during these times. And all that loss can be bringing up a lot of grief. So, how can you work with your body to process that grief, along with...

How do you prepare for virtual doula support? What about the technology? What can you practice ahead of time? Does this shift your partner's responsibilities? Do you keep your laptop open the whole time? How does it differ from regular doula support? Jakki Devereaux, mother of three, shares her experiences with receiving virtual doula support by choice, and more. Show notes page at birthful.co...

In today’s episode, Adriana Lozada focuses on the essentials of partner labor support during this time of the pandemic. Many hospitals are limiting birth support to one healthy person, so we wanted to do a special episode on how to prepare for providing labor support during these times, and also help birth partners feel more confident about their active involvement in the process.  Get the most of...

For her first birth, Krissy Whitehead didn’t have much of a plan, other than getting an epidural. That birth was a lovely experience, so what made her alter her birth wishes with each consecutive birth, and choose a home water birth for her fourth one?  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the show notes page at birthful.com/podcast-four-births-different-w...

Is there a best time to introduce solid foods? What foods should you start with? Is it best to do baby-led weaning, purees, or a mix? What about nutritional requirements, allergies, water, texture windows, and flavor windows? Is food before one just for fun? Does your baby have any say on this? Lily Nichols has answers. Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on...

How should you touch a laboring person during contractions? How should you touch them in between contractions? Should you use both hands? Should you lean in? How fast should you go? Why is touch helpful at all? Yiska Obadia has answers.  Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the show notes page at  birthful.com/podcast-comforting-touch-massage-labor Downloa...

Both of Molly Chesterson’s labors have started with inductions but under different circumstances. After having an epidural for her first birth, Molly was hoping for an epidural free experience the second time around. It was an intense close call at the end, when she went from 4 centimeters to baby in about 30 minutes, while her husband was getting food!  Get the most of this episode by checking ou...

You may have heard that uncontrollable shaking is a very common part of labor and immediate postpartum. But is there a neurological purpose to all this shaking? And is the management of the third stage of labor, truncating the resolution, down-regulation and integration of the primal birth process, basically messing with neurological completion? Lesley Everest shares her thoughts. Get the most of...

Bernice Good went into preterm labor when her water broke at 31 weeks. Though the circumstances were less than ideal, she had what she describes as a lovely vaginal hospital birth with no interventions. The struggles continued during the 19-day NICU stay, and she shares how they successfully navigated breastfeeding with all of the obstacles of prematurity.  Get the most of this episode by checking...

Adriana talks with Pelvic Health Physical Therapist Sara Reardon (aka The Vagina Whisperer) about what optimal pelvic health looks like. They go into the details about what to do -and not do- when peeing or pooping, discuss common issues such as leakage, painful intercourse, and abdominal separation, and explore proactive actions you can take during pregnancy to support your postpartum recovery. ...

Melissa Statler had a quick and mostly flowing birth. Feeling elated, she placed her newborn to her breast, only to be met with excruciating pain and instant damage to her nipples. As her confidence drained, she was informed that because her baby was large for gestational age, she would have to meet certain sugar level requirements during the first series of feedings, adding stress to injury. How...

Krista Thompson shares her progression from a prodromal labor that ended with her baby being taken to the NICU, to a precipitous second hospital birth with Fetal Ejection Reflex, and finally an unassisted-like home birth experience. She also gives us a glimpse into her struggles with codependency, and why it was so important for her to take the reins of her last pregnancy.  Get the most of this ep...