The Happy Birthway Podcast

Growing up, everyone around Dobby marvelled at her remarkable health. Therefore she was unprepared for the string of unrelated medical complications and challenges that began with her first pregnancy, which continued into her second and beyond. Throughout, Dobby managed to cope exceptionally well, and these experiences helped her discover new parts of herself. Dobby's story is not meant to plant f...

Tamari had much better feeding journeys with her next 2 babies. She talks about what she did differently, how she incorporates that into her professional guidance, and gives great advice on what all mothers - breastfeeding AND pumping - can do to have the most pleasant and successful experience. You can reach Tamari on Instagram @onewiththepump  as well as her  website , where she offers various r...

Exclusive pumping was  not the way that Tamari envisioned feeding her baby. After many frustrating weeks of struggling to breastfeed her first baby, she had no choice but to resort to it if she wanted to provide him with breastmilk. She was lost and struggled immensely, having no idea what a wild ride it would be. She took that experience to self actualize by becoming a lactation counselor that sp...

Last week, we were "on the other side of the bed" so to speak. I had an encounter in the hospital with my daughter's medical care that left me frustrated and angry. It led me to put the self-advocacy skills that I teach to so many into practice for myself. Were my strong reactions a result of my experience working in a hospital or because I was like any parent who wanted the safest and best medica...

Sheina Schochet is a relationship coach and therapist who specializes in helping couples keep their connection after having kids. Find out why some couples are just as connected before and after having kids and why some get divorced. Sheina gives loads of relationship and marriage advice specifically as it relates to the challenges that a couple faces when they become parents. You can find Sheina...

Simcha's birth unfolded in a way that challenged many of her beliefs about birth. She used this perspective shift as a source of growth and an opportunity for connection with G-d. Despite lots of curveballs thrown her way, Simcha emerged from her birth with feelings of empowerment and being cared for. Postpartum, however, triggered some dormant anxiety, which propelled her to let go of shame and s...

What is egg freezing? How is it changing the landscape of shidduchim? Who should be doing it and when? What are the challenges and ethical concerns that it presents for Jewish Orthodox families? What exactly is the BRCA mutation, why is it imperative to test early for it? Are there solutions for those who test positive to enable them to have healthy offspring?   Dr. Maslow dives deep into these qu...

Lifestyle blogger Cami of @themommydictionary not only tells us about what it was like for her to give birth to twins, but courageosuly opens up about her infertility struggles and PCOS, how she copes with the toll that motherhood has taken on her mental health and how her perspective on the challenges of pregnancy and birth has shifted. This fierce mama knows how to do everything in style yet nev...

What training is required to become a doctor? What is the difference between med students, residents, fellows and attending doctors? What are the pros and cons of giving birth in a teaching hospital? How can you minimize unnecessary interventions in birth, even if you have pregnancy complications? What are the extra responsibilities of doctors that work in a teaching hospital? Why is it so importa...

Everyone gets nervous about fasting. Being pregnant, freshly postpartum or nursing gives you an extra reason to be. I take the most common questions from pregnant and nursing moms on my Instagram account and answer them here. You'll get a good sense of when it's safe to fast and when it's not, red flags to look out for during the fast, what you should be asking your doctor, midwife and halachic au...

Shevi Samet and I get real about how observing Taharas Hamishpacha (Jewish Family Purity laws), is challenging for many. Being niddah in labor, birth and the postpartum period can present additional struggles, especially considering the large amount of support many new mothers need. Shevi is ever empathic toward those who experience these challenges and she doesn't whitewash their experiences, but...

Becoming a mother changes all the parts of you - including your body. Yaelle is a registered dietician who focuses her  nutrition practice on helping moms get healthy. Many clients come to her with the intention of losing weight because they're struggling to accept their new body, but is dieting really the answer to this problem?   Promo codes for this episode's sponsors:   7th Day Shine - natural...

After healing from her harrowing surgeries, Esther was finally healthy enough to fulfill her desire of growing her family. The necessity for future gynecological surgeries shortened her timeframe and made the stakes much higher this time. Her fertility treatment plans were derailed by the pandemic and she sequentially experienced a pregnancy loss. When she finally did achieve a viable pregnancy, i...

After overcoming infertility hurdles to have her children, Esther came across some difficult information that presented the possibility she would not live long enough to raise them. Testing positive for the BRCA gene mutation meant that she had to make some very difficulty decisions and her ultimate choices weren't always well received by those around her. After a double mastectomy and breast reco...

Why is it important to take an active role in decisions about your medical care? How does the process of shared decision making work? To what extent does the responsibility of making decisions rest on you? What is informed consent? What if you don't want to know about all the scary things that can happen and would rather the medical team decide everything for you? What is a midwife, what is their...

Why would someone decide to decline pain medication in labor? What tools and resources are helpful to achieve this? How can their doctors and nurses affect their decision? What happens when you end up requiring medical interventions? Can you really give birth without pain meds if you have an induction? These are all questions and obstacles that Bassy Schwartz faced   during her first birth. She ca...

Choosing a doctor or midwife is one of the most important decisions that you will have to make during your pregnancy. What qualities should you look for in an obstetrician to determine whether they are both competent and the right fit for you? To what extent does their "bedside manner" matter in the quality of care that they provide? What are the pros and cons of a solo provider vs. a group practi...

Shira is a social media creative and Mo is at the cusp of finishing his 10 year journey to becoming a neonatologist. They retell the birth stories of their 3 children, highlighting the stark differences between having their first 2 babies 10 years ago as newlyweds and their 3rd baby who was born a few months ago. Shira faced quite a few obstacles during her first birth, including an unexpected acu...

What does it mean to have "infertility"? Why is pregnancy after infertility challenging? How can you support someone close to you who finds themselves in this situation? What is the roller coaster of emotions that those who struggled to become pregnant commonly feel when they finally see those 2 pink lines (or get a positive beta test)? What are ways to cope through this tumultuous time? Dr. Aimee...

What are the qualities that you should look for when hiring a doula? What is and is not within a doula's scope of practice? Is a doula supposed to speak up for you in the hospital? Should a doula argue with the staff in the hospital? What happens if your doctor is recommending something against your wishes? What's the difference between consent and coercion? What happens if you change your mind ab...

Fewer deaths doesn't make it ok to fire rockets at civilians. It's time to tell the truth about what's going on in Israel and the far-reaching effects that Hamas's missile attacks have on their targets.   Hear about what it's like to give birth when your country is under attack. Sarah Amar, an American emigre to Israel, tells us about her experience having a c-section an hour before hundreds of ro...

Get ready to laugh until you cry in this second part of Rachel's birth story. She shares her funny take on labor, being sent away by the hospital when she came for her induction, how she managed when her epidural didn't work and how to put a medical student to good use. She gives moms who are scared of labor encouragement and strength. The most important lesson she teaches us though is how hard ye...

As an adoptee, Rachel Safer tells us how that influenced her feelings around pregnancy. Her story sharing style is hilarious as she bemoaned all of the discomforts of her pregnancy. Rachel tells us about her hospitalization when she got Covid in her 9th month, how sharing her pregnancy with the public brought on lots of unsolicited feedback and teaches us a lesson about self advocacy to get the me...

Despite Dr. Karkowsky's extraordinary knowledge and expertise in the highly specialized and complex area of high risk obstetrics, she infuses her care with a high level of compassion and empathy, remaining cognizant of the complexity of her patients' lives outside of the medical sphere. These patients are often unexpectedly thrust into this world, having to learn a new language and sometimes needi...

My sister-in-law Rivka Raizel had her wedding  and her first baby during the Covid pandemic. Because of the unexpected circumstances, she and her husband (my baby brother!) had to put their plans of moving in Israel on hold. They finally gained entry only to find themselves back in the States to have their first baby near family. As a foreigner, RR found the Israeli healthcare system complicated a...