Down to Birth

Claude Racine-Valinsky is a professional dancer and social media influencer who developed determination and grit in an industry that tells pretty much anyone over thirty that they're too old for dance. Refusing to buy into those limitations, her career and social media following skyrocketed in her thirties. So when she and her husband were newly pregnant and expecting their first baby at age...

Hey, everyone! It's another Mini-Episode Monday and today I describe the burden we impose on pregnant and postpartum women when we lovingly predict she'll be a "wonderful mother". It may come as a surprise to learn that this term actually has a causal relationship to postpartum depression and anxiety. Where does this come from, what does it mean, and how can we reshape this tho...

We are back with another monthly Q&A episode. This week we have some big topics such as "mandatory" newborn interventions: can I say no to the antibiotic eye ointment and/or the Vitamin K shot? Next, we explain the birth of the placenta: when it happens and what to expect. Also, we address how to get started with breastfeeding immediately following birth--don't miss the one simp...

In today's episode we're sitting down with physical therapist Tara Gibson, founder of Aligned Life Physical Therapy and Pelvic Wellness, where she works with prenatal and postpartum women in repairing and maintaining a healthy core and pelvic floor. Just think Kegels, sex, abs, peeing when you sneeze, diastasis, and what can be done about scar tissue. Let's learn to how to strengthe...

Hi, Listeners! In this first Monday-Mini-Episode, I share the story of one of my HypnoBirthing clients, Christina, who was diagnosed with Group B Strep at 36 weeks. When her membranes released at 39 weeks, her midwives made the evidence-based recommendation that she go immediately to the hospital for induction and antibiotics, even though labor hadn't yet begun. When she and her husband got t...

Our guest today is blogger and mother-of-six, Lisa Bass, who you may recognize by her social media platform Farmhouse on Boone. Lisa is the epitome of the modern-day natural living mother. She's making sourdough starter one moment and sewing her children's clothes the next, while wearing her baby in a sling and managing her multi-platform business. Her husband is home with her full-time,...

Elena Tonetti-Vladimirova is one of the pioneers of the Conscious Birth Movement. From 1982 to 1989, she was one of the original organizers of the birth camps at the Black Sea in Russia, where many women gave birth in shallow lagoons in the presence of wild dolphins. If you've taken a HypnoBirthing class, you may have seen this in Elena's movie, Birth As We Know It. Elena is revered as a...

How can you stay your healthiest during pregnancy? While the immune system is slightly compromised and worries are higher with COVID-19, there are many healthy, easy ways to keep yourself strong and healthy. Tune in to hear our tips! In this Q&A we also answer questions around experiencing painful, sexual intercourse several months postpartum, the key reasons babies are unnecessarily separated...

Hey podcast community - We've been getting so many questions around COVID-19, we wanted to dive deeper on how doulas are supporting couples right now. In this bonus episode, we spoke with birth- and postpartum-doula Colleen Myatt to find out how doulas are supporting couples during social distancing and/or while certain hospitals currently disallow doulas from attending couples' births....

When it comes to having babies we all agree health matters most. While the benefits of delayed cord clamping are well known, less understood is cord blood banking--that is, saving those stem cells for potential use later on. Marion Welch, cord blood educator from Cryo-Cell International is here today to share some of the promising new developments in this field. Did you know cord blood is being us...

Today's episode depicts Lindsay’s story of healing from the emotional and physical trauma through her own grief, and how each of her births brought her one step closer to freedom from her past . * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends! Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to se...

Imagine you've had an easy, natural birth and are ready for baby number two. Then, when your first child is twelve months old, you go for your pregnancy confirmation visit only to hear, "Surprise! Triplets are joining the family!" Courtney is here today to share her roller coaster journey of shock, excitement, self-determination, and ultimately, her peaceful surrender to the cesarea...

Pregnant and birthing mothers face unprecedented challenges in birth choices during the Coronavirus pandemic. Not only are they concerned about exposure to the virus; but also, many are being told they may have to give birth alone - without the presence of their very own partners, let alone their doulas and other immediate family members. As hospitals across the country have begun to ban labor sup...

Before we get into our regular Q&A episode, we bring you the current information we have on COVID-19 and its impact on pregnancy and breastfeeding. After reviewing the information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), what we know thus far is good news. Sigh of relief. Please tune in to hear more. In this week's Q&A, we answer questions on...

If you look up Julia Dzafic’s blog, Lemon Stripes, you’ll find a vibrant young mother sharing her tips on fashion, decor, motherhood, and lifestyle. But today on the podcast, Julia shares a part of her the public hasn’t fully seen: a woman with a history of anxiety who struggled with conception and miscarriage, and who finally conceived and birthed the healthy baby she’d dreamed of, only to feel c...

Stillbirth is defined as the loss of a baby between 20 weeks' gestation and birth. Globally 1 in 160 expecting families experience stillbirth, and that incidence is ever greater in the U.S. If this number is surprising that's because stillbirth isn't really talked about. And the effect of the silence is isolation. While society is well-meaning, we're often ill-prepared to truly...

The person we choose to attend our birth is one of the most impactful decisions we can make. Unfortunately, all too often the decision is made by default, choosing our gynecologist or our friend’s OB, or simply someone whose practice is close and convenient. We believe in making an informed and conscientious choice about who we allow to attend our birth.  Today, we talk about the first three quest...

Let's talk about the Frida Mom ad depicting the real truth of a newly postpartum mom, which was banned from airing during the Oscars. Then, what's a mother to do when the pediatrician is suggesting weaning before mother or baby feels ready? Other questions we cover in this episode relate to feeling in control during labor even when you're high-risk; the ideal interval between babies...

Peggy O’Mara has been a role model and icon for generations of mothers, including us. As an award-winning author and journalist and the owner of Mothering magazine, Peggy became the voice for the attachment parenting and natural living community. This interview with Peggy provides a glimpse into her all-embracing, solution-focused and deeply trusting mindset, which demonstrates how she took a once...

The story of Cynthia's first birth has been published internationally in various print media between 2007 and 2020, under the the original title Off Her Back and, later, Taking Charge of Giving Birth . Some of those publications include Mothering magazine, Pathways to Family Wellness , and a textbook called Opposing Viewpoints: Childbirth . It's the story of a once-uninformed, overwhelme...

"Can I just say 'No' to an episiotomy? Do I have to give birth on my back? I want to be free to walk around in labor. I don't want to be hooked up to an IV. I believe in skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth." Do you ever feel like what you want - or don’t want - in your birth experience is at risk of not happening for you? This episode spells out the research on va...

It’s time for more Q&A! Today we talk about considerations around water birthing, dealing with your feelings around students/interns providing your care, when and how to introduce a bottle to your breastfed baby, understanding signs of postpartum depression, what to do if you have a velamentous cord insertion (and what is that anyway?), and the biggie every first time mother wants to know: “Ho...

It isn't often we hear stories of women who change providers when their baby is full-term. At her 39 week check-up, Jessica learned her baby was breech...feet first! After facing an impending cesarean section that same day, she took matters into her own hands. This is the story of a woman whose trust in herself was so absolute, she trekked from New York into Amish country to birth her baby no...

Every week, Cynthia and Trisha moderate a postpartum support group, where women gain validation and unique insight into one another's thoughts, experiences and comments. Over time, it's clear to see certain patterns emerge within every new group. In this episode we discuss one of them: Why do so many women feel compelled to describe their partners as "amazing" -- not good, not...

Certified Nurse Midwife and award-winning author of Optimal Care in Childbirth: The Case for a Physiologic Approach, Amy Romano, joins us today to share dramatic trends ranging from physiologic to sociologic, which are contributing to poor outcomes in the U.S., especially for black women.  What are the risk factors for preterm birth, and do those risk factors impact black and white women different...