Podcast Show Notes

Episode Title: Suzanne Arms - Challenging the Status Quo in Birth and Parenting

Episode Overview:

Join your hosts Lea and Sophia as they interview Suzanne Arms, a visionary in birth and maternal care. Suzanne discusses her groundbreaking book Immaculate Deception, her memorable Today Show interview with Barbara Walters, and a wide range of topics, including:

• Pre and perinatal psychology and its connection to colic

• The impact of epigenetics and the hormonal cocktail of birth

• The importance of breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact

• The benefits and limitations of electronic fetal monitoring

• Circumcision and its implications

• The beauty and significance of the breast crawl

Suzanne’s work has inspired decades of change in maternal and infant care, challenging the status quo and offering a path toward optimal human development and thriving families.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. Immaculate Deception

• The impact of Suzanne’s revolutionary book, first published in 1975, which critiques the medicalized birth system and advocates for more humane, evidence-based practices.

2. Barbara Walters Interview

• Suzanne shares highlights from her groundbreaking appearance on the Today Show, where she brought birth advocacy to the mainstream.

3. Pre and Perinatal Psychology

• Exploring how early life experiences, including birth trauma, can impact babies’ development and contribute to conditions like colic.

4. Epigenetics and the Hormonal Cocktail of Birth

• The role of hormonal processes during birth and how they shape brain and immune development for both mother and baby.

5. Breastfeeding and Skin-to-Skin Contact

• The lifelong benefits of breastfeeding and the importance of skin-to-skin for bonding and regulating babies’ systems.

6. Electronic Fetal Monitoring

• A discussion of the overuse of electronic fetal monitoring and its limitations in improving outcomes.

7. Circumcision

• Suzanne’s perspective on the practice and its implications for human rights and health.

8. The Breast Crawl

• The instinctual process of newborns finding the breast after birth and its significance in promoting breastfeeding success.

About Suzanne Arms:

Since the publication of her second book, Immaculate Deception, in 1975, Suzanne Arms has dedicated her life to challenging how society approaches childbirth and parenting. With roots in the peace movement, Suzanne’s work synthesizes earth-based and indigenous wisdom, intuition, and modern science to advocate for optimal human development.

Suzanne’s mission is to create thriving children, families, and communities through education, storytelling, and film, addressing the roots of love and violence to shift human consciousness.

Suzanne’s Recommendations:

• Kindred Media: https://kindredmedia.org/about/

• Marilyn Milos (Intact America): https://intactamerica.org/marilyn-milos-rn/

• Birthing the Future: http://birthingthefuture.org/

Listen to the Episode:

• Podcast Link: Spotify

• Instagram:

• @sophiabirth

• @bayareahomebirth

• @bornwildmidwifery

• Facebook: Podcast Link

Final Thoughts:

Suzanne Arms continues to inspire generations of birth workers, parents, and advocates with her passion for challenging the status quo and promoting holistic, evidence-based care. This episode is a call to action for anyone who believes in the power of birth and parenting to create a better world.

Stay Wild 🌳