The Birth Lounge Podcast

Anyone else TIRED of the age old debate about baby feeding?! Fed is best?! Breast is best?! In today’s episode, HeHe sits down with Mallory Whitmore, The Formula Mom & Education Lead from Bobbie, a formula company working their tails off to create a product as similar to breastmilk as possible. They’re diving into all the things you need to know to choose the best formula for your baby! Our te...

Have you heard of Hand Expression? Do you know how to do it? It can be a very beneficial skill to have in the first few days after your baby is born to collect colostrum (or even before labor to harvest colostrum to take with you to the hospital— ask your provider more details about this)!Knowing how to properly hand express is a very handy skill to have with you when you need it! Join Sarah Grego...

Gina Mostly, IBCLC, joins HeHe to chat about colostrum harvesting, why telling someone their milk needs to ‘come in’ is bad advice and how to properly support your newborns feeding goals while you’re still in the hospital after birth! We also dive into how to hand express and the tools that can make that easier! Gina explains how your body begins prepping to feed your baby in the second trimester,...

In today’s episode, HeHe sits down with Lo Nigrosh, an IBCLC, to dive into what you need to know about hospital provided lactation support vs private lactation support! Lo is breaking down how to hire an IBCLC, why you may want to explore this option *before* your baby gets here, what to do if you are getting conflicting lactation advice and how hospital culture impacts the care you may be given i...

In this episode, HeHe answers some questions from our listeners! Tune in to hear HeHe’s advice on breastfeeding while pregnant, induction, dissecting your previous birth, anemia, iron infusions and supplements, VBAC, TOLAC, and and using breastmilk as a remedy for Pink Eye!    Below are the questions HeHe answered AND the resources mentioned!:    2:59 - “I’m two days past my due date with my secon...

In today’s episode, HeHe is joined by Embryologist, Alease Barnes, to discuss an ovulation- which simply means you aren’t ovulating as expected! You will hear the reasons why this occurs in some women, how to determine if you may not be ovulating, how it impacts fertility and what to do about it! Alease shares the data around ovulation prediction kits and how to properly use them when TTC!    Gues...

I know tearing in in birth is on your mind-- and something even scarier than tearing is having to have an episiotomy during labor! So, that's exactly what we are diving into on today's episode! HeHe is joined by Dr K, Pregnancy Specialist, to discuss everything you need to know about episiotomies! While no one wants it to be done to them, it is sometimes needed (but, not often AT ALL) and I want y...

What do you know about blood sugars? Are you aware of the risks associated with high blood sugars? What about low blood sugar? Did you know that irritability is associated with out of balance blood sugars? Your blood sugars play a huge role when trying to conceive and in pregnancy! Join HeHe and Becca Romero to dive into what you need to know about balancing your blood sugars including symptoms of...

In today’s episode, HeHe is joined by Dr. Samanthan Briguglio, a naturopathic doctor, to discuss how our caffeine consumption may be negatively impacting our hormones, what that does to our bodily systems and how we can effectively curb bad habits that have formed over the years! HeHe even shares about the bad coffee habits she struggles with and what steps she is taking to better support her horm...

In today's episode, HeHe sits down with homebirth Midwife, Blyss Young, to talk about understanding if you are a candidate for homebirth. Blyss shares what type of care homebirth midwives do and how it may differ from what you find in the hospital or a birth center environment. We dive into the power that comes along with tapping into your instincts and spiritual experience of homebirth, plus how...

In today's episode, HeHe sits down with Allison Yarrow to discuss her new book, 'Birth Control: The Insidious Power of Men Over Motherhood.' What happens when hospital culture is rooted in tradition and not evidence? How does it impact patient care when incentives are set up to reward providers for doing expensive surgeries and seeing as many patients as possible, but theres no incentive for suppo...

  Is your period your fifth vital sign? Have we been taught to ignore a very insightful patterns and messages from our bodies? Has traditional birth control inhibited young women from properly learning their bodies? Today, Lisa Hendrickson-Jack sits down with HeHe to talk about optimizing your fertility with Fertility Awareness Method. Lisa shares how traditional birth control impacts the female l...

Welcome to 2024! This year's podcast is being aired twice weekly! We get to have twice as much fun each week and chat with twice as many brilliant people to help you have a confident and informed birth experience! This season is about helping you avoid things you don't want in labor, advocate for your goals and take back your power!    HeHe sits down with Jessie Brebner to dive into the subject of...

  How much does your partner know about your menstrual cycle? How much consideration of your period do you take when planning your monthly schedule? Author of the book, Manstration, Alyx Coble-Frakes is joining me to talk about how to become a 'cycle scientist' to make your cycle work for you! We talk about how to bring your partner into this conversation, using a period planner and how legislatio...

Giving birth in a U.S. hospital can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be—especially with Dr. Nicole Rankins in your corner. I am honored to have an an Obstetrician that truly values patient autonomy and shared decision making with her patients to help them have an empowered birth experience and avoid birth trauma! We are discussing all of the pain relief options in the hospital (yes, epidurals! But...

Casey Lewis is a NICU Speech-Language Pathologist, Certified Neonatal Therapist & Certified Lactation Counselor who experienced placental abruption that led to an emergency c-section and in an unexpected twist, she found herself receiving care as NICU parent rather than giving care as a clinician. In today’s episode, she shares the physical and emotional demands of your baby being in the NICU,...

Have you ever thought about how birth trauma impacts your partner? Or, how that subsequently impacts your relationship? Your intimacy? Your postpartum experience? What if you feel like your partner even played a role in your birth trauma? Ashley Mariani joins me to today to chat about how to identify if your birth trauma is impacting your relationship with your partner and how to navigate this spa...

Today’s guest, Dr. Q, is joining me to discuss pain in labor! Everyone wants to have a pain free birth, but something always left out of the conversation is our individual PERCEPTION of pain! Dr. Q is a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist, childbirth educator and postpartum doula! She specializes in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction and conditions that affect the bladder, bowel, and reproducti...

Today’s guest, Dr. Q, is joining me to discuss pain in labor! Everyone wants to have a pain free birth, but something always left out of the conversation is our individual PERCEPTION of pain! Dr. Q is a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist, childbirth educator and postpartum doula! She specializes in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction and conditions that affect the bladder, bowel, and reproducti...

Have you ever thought about using donor milk? Did you know it was an option? Do you know where you can donate? How do you sign up to be a milk bank recipient? How do you know if you are eligible? Are there benefits to donor milk? This episode will help your options when it comes to donor milk! Sterling shares what parents need to know and how to navigate the milk bank system to best advocate for y...

Did you know there is an app that can help reduce the risk of stillbirth in the end of pregnancy? I know a big fear of many moms out there is how to know if your baby is healthy as your pregnancy gets closer to your due date (and even beyond your due date). You can easily add in an evidence-baed approach of daily kick counts to your routine to check-in on baby's well-being. Joining me today is Emi...

The most dangerous time in pregnancy is actually postpartum; particularly, days 43-365. Postpartum Mood Disorders can be serious, resulting in harmful or dangerous behaviors and thoughts. However, there are a number of evidence-based options to help support new parents and families in this transitional time. Dr. William Leininger, OBGYN, is joining us to discuss the options around postpartum anxie...

Reflux in babies can be challenging and overwhelming. There are so many questions that parents have and very little places to turn for answers. What causes it? How do you know if your baby is experiencing normal spit up or reflux? What is silent reflux and what causes it? Does burping after feed help or hinder reflux? What remedies exist? How do you settle your reflux baby in those long hours of c...

It’s no secret that the healthcare system is a profit-driven industry that needs an immediate overhaul to improve patient outcomes and start centering patient preferences. We all know that many hospital practices aren’t evidence-based but rather designed to move the bottom line, financially, for the institution. Billie Harrigan is a Traditional Birth Companion and owner of Birth Trauma Ontario in...

Season Opener!!! This episode is jam packed with data and discussion points to help you have an informed conversation around finding your perfect induction equation so you can have a positive induction experience!  The choice to be induced is a very personal one and one that should be made very intentionally. This episode dives into 4 options of induction that you probably have never heard of! The...