Down to Birth

Our December Q&A is here and loaded with entertaining and informative questions: We begin with a question around increasing supply without pumping: Is it possible? Next we dive into expectations around pushing as it relates to hypnobirthing and the urge to push. We discuss Cervadil and the subsequent cascade of interventions and what happens with a posterior cervix? How do you know if you have...

Writing your birth story seems like a simple thing to do, yet so many of us struggle with where and how to begin; and many of us never get it on paper at all. We can also opt to skip the writing and record ourselves telling the story. Writing  your birth story is not only creating a beautiful memory to be shared and passed on,  but it can also be a necessary and important part of healing from a di...

At 41+1 weeks Katie was pressured into an induction beginning with a foley bulb followed by forcefully rupturing her bag of water,  high amounts of Pitocin,  restricted movement due to fetal heart rate abnormalities, a maternal fever resulting in an urgent need for a forcep delivery  to "save her baby," and a six hour separation from her baby for monitoring after birth. Left traumatized...

Today on the show we have attorney Hermine Hayes-Klein, a fearless legal advocate for sexual and reproductive rights with a particular passion for defending women’s human rights in childbirth, which, she says, are routinely violated in maternity care systems. We’re also grateful to have her her clients, Lillie and George, whose birth experience we will be focusing on today. By the end of this epis...

When Kassidy was preconception, she had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)  and was told she would never conceive. But she did. When she told her providers her conception date, they refused to listen, and determined her due date based on her last menstrual cycle. This insistence on method over mother caused them to overstate the gestational age throughout Kassidy's entire pregnancy, which res...

Our Q&A is here again!  We open with some interesting survey results on how long mothers spend in the waiting room versus in the actual prenatal appointment. This month we had excellent questions from our community on whether or not you should have a membrane sweep in late pregnancy, how to avoid experiencing a postpartum hemorrhage, how and why postpartum hormones influence baby blues versus...

Breastfeeding women have been having a difficult time knowing whether to get the Covid vaccine, given that the vaccine is new and neither the CDC nor vaccine manufacturers have studied whether vaccine ingredients make their way into breast milk. Meanwhile, pregnant and breastfeeding women have been told to get the vaccine despite this lack of research. It has been the historical norm for vaccines...

Did you know that Pitocin is said to be the most abused drug in the world today? Did you know it is used 97% of the time for off-label purposes?  Did you know it is not FDA approved for labor augmentation or the elective induction of labor? And that  Pitocin is not the same as Oxytocin? Join us as Cynthia and Trisha talk through all the things you probably don't know about Pitocin but wish yo...

When Julie was 40+4 she had a slow leak but no contractions. Eagerly, she went to the hospital where she was admitted and encouraged to "get things going" by breaking her water.  She started Pitocin and when it came time to push, her baby was born with meconium and shoulder dystocia and was helicoptered to a nearby hospital with a NICU. Devastated, poorly treated by hospital staff, and l...

It's that time of the month! We are back with our October Q&A. Today, we begin with a recap of fundal massage and postpartum bleeding as Trisha shares a story of postpartum hemorrhage at a recent home birth. Next we jump into our questions including: Can midwives help with pre-conception care and fertility, especially when it comes to PCOS? When should I start kegels after giving birth? I...

This week's mini-side  provides a scope into dozen of emotions we can feel, especially when home with baby postpartum. Cynthia provides an explanation of Nonviolent Communication - the communication method developed by clinical psychologist Marshall Rosenberg - for better connection in our interpersonal relationships. It's about feelings, but it's ultimately about needs.  * * * * *...

It is a rare OB or midwife who will support a twin home birth. When Krystle learned she was pregnant with not one but two for her fourth and fifth babies, and after having her third baby at home, she knew she was not going back to hospital birth. Instead, she found Dr. Stu Fischbein of @birthinginstincts to assist her in birthing her twins in the comfort of her home. Today we share her inspiring t...

The third in our series of provider red flags episodes is here. Today,  Cynthia and Trisha talk about the words, behaviors, and "recommendations" that concern us most around third trimester pregnancy topics such as: elective inductions, big babies, due dates, failure to progress, and vaginal exams.  How your provider thinks about, discusses and manages these topics tells you a lot about...

Dr. Stu Fischbein is an OBGYN in California and one of the very few providers who will attend home breech and twin birth.  Breech babies make up about 6% of pregnancies at term but few women will experience a vaginal breech birth.  98% of providers will not support a vaginal breech birth, not because it is dangerous (because it is not); but rather, because OBGYNs and most midwives no longer have t...

Our September Q&A is here!  Today, we open the episode with a discussion around choosing the best pediatrician for you and your baby; next we address shoulder dystocia and postpartum hemorrhage followed by questions such as: How do you handle family dynamics where you and your Mother-in-law have differing ideas about where and how to give birth? Is fundal massage after birth necessary? Do you...

Giana is one of our Down To Birth Show listeners whose OB had told her to get an induction at 38 1/2 weeks due to a large baby. When she declined, her OB offered a scheduled Cesarean section as an alternative. Giana noticed the OB emphasized the importance of getting the baby out, but ignored the risk factors associated with induction or scheduled Cesarean.  She took matters into her own hands by...

Mabel Bashorun  of withinherbirthservices is a certified Lamazae childbirth educator and certified lactation consultant. Her journey into birth work stems from her unique story of trying to conceive, at age 26, and desiring a vaginal birth while having uterine fibroids. Today, she shares her struggle with achieving her birth goals as a result of her diagnosis and helps other women living with fibr...

We are back today with our 2nd episode in our three-part series on provider red flags. In this segment, we discuss the key issues that may come up in your second trimester and will get you thinking if you are in the right place with the right provider...think glucose screening test, discussions around baby's size, doulas, attention to your emotional well being,  provider punctuality and condu...

What does it really mean to have an orgasmic birth?  Sure, you might have a “birthgasm,” but more likely you’ll feel the ecstasy of the physiological birth process. In today’s minisode, Trisha walks us through the complex interplay of hormones that brings us to ecstasy in birth and what it takes to get there. This show is sponsored by: Postpartum Soothe * Beautiful Births and Beyond Doula Services...

Barbara Harper is an internationally-published author and the founder of Water Birth International.   Her best selling book “Gentle Birth Choices” has been translated into nine languages. Her latest collaborative project was published in May 2021, entitled, “Bringing Birth Home.”   Barbara joined us on Down to Birth to discuss all the benefits of water birth in episode #100.  Today, she is back to...

Kayleigh Summers of @thebirthtrauma_mama   joined us on the show in episode # 116: Surviving an Amniotic Fluid Embolism, to share her deeply traumatic birth story in which she literally died during childbirth. She and her baby both survived. In that episode we discussed her lengthy and non-linear healing process. It just so happens Kayleigh is also a therapist, who has a unique perspective on her...

Hello Again! It is time for our August Q&A. Because we love our IG conversations so much, we open the episode with the very important topic of establishing family boundaries postpartum and share your biggest concerns while offering our best advice.  Next we have a short convo on "good babies" followed by answering your questions including: Is measuring too big a reason for C-section?...

Jessica found that community made all the difference, starting in pregnancy. After having a beautiful birth, she ran into significant breastfeeding and even formula challenges. She was moved and humbled when a community formed around her once again to ensure her baby was cared for and fed. Jessica's story inspires us to seek community and become that lifeline for someone else. * * * * * * * *...

In today's episode, Cynthia and Trisha present the first of three conversations on determining whether you've hired the right provider for your pregnancy and birth.  In our experience there are tell-tale warning signs indicating your provider may not be as supportive of your birth goals as you think. When you hear or see this language or behavior, it may be time to look elsewhere.  Stay...

Dr. Jess MD is a NYC-based doctor of Psychiatry who sought routine OB care early in her first pregnancy.  When her provider didn't know which trimester of pregnancy she was in, she realized she was just a number in a system that was not going to support the kind of birth experience she envisioned for herself, her husband, and her baby.  She sought out a home birth midwife and never looked bac...