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It’s Birth Story day on the podcast! Doula Rachael chats with a dear doula client, April West. April shares how she prepared for her home birth including: How she chose to have a home birth, how she chose her home birth midwife, how she prepared for giving birth prenatally, the tools she filled her tool bag with, her husband’s incredible support along the way. 

April also shares about her home birth: how it started, how it progressed, and how she navigated a long pushing stage and how she overcame hard obstacles to avoid transferring to the hospital. 

April is the co-host of the “Moms Off The Record” podcast. “Moms Off The Record” dares to discuss taboo and prevalent themes around pregnancy, birth, and postpartum life. If you prioritize nature over pharma, mom’s intuition over “expert” advice, and think critically with every decision you make, then this podcast is for you. Be sure to check it out!

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Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: [email protected]

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others.  Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.  This disclaimer includes  all guests or contributors to the podcast.  

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How we give birth matters, but also important, and maybe more importantly, how we FEEL about our birth matters.  Today’s episode is all about the emotions surrounding birth, specifically fear, stress, and a lack of trust in our body’s ability to give birth.  Dr. Pamela Stone-McCoy joins the show today, and she is a prenatal and pediatric chiropractic in the Metro-Atlanta area, and she is the Webster Certification instructor for the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association ( and happens to be Dr. Shannon’s mentor!!!)  This interview dives deep into the neurological component of fear and emotions surrounding birth and how chiropractic care impacts how our body processes those emotions.  They discuss many topics including:

• What is dystocia and the 3 main causes of it?
• Dr. Pam’s 23 years of experience in prenatal chiropractic care
• How fear impacts birth and the different types of fear
• How fear impacts the nervous system
• How chiropractic care can impact the nervous system - beyond alleviating aches and pains
• Ways to support moms to help combat fear during pregnancy and birth 

Resources mentioned in the show
Prenatal stress changes brain connectivity in utero
How to make stress your friend
Episode 1 - meet your hosts
Episode 2 - full circle
Connect with Pam at Active Life Chiropractic - website - instagram - facebook 

Support the show

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: [email protected]

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others.  Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.  This disclaimer includes  all guests or contributors to the podcast.  

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What started as one episode about perinatal vocabulary, quickly escalated into a 4 part series, but we’re here for it!  In this episode, we discuss newborn terms that aren’t part of your everyday vernacular, but you will hear after your baby arrives.  And just like with the postpartum terms, it’s important to look over these terms during pregnancy (because some of these procedures could be included in your birth plan!).  And because the immediate postpartum can be overwhelming, it’s a good idea to have some knowledge of these terms before baby arrives.

We talk about:

• The golden hour
• Meconium 
• Jaundice
• Newborn metabolic tests 
• Placenta 
• Fundal massage 
• Hemorrhage
• APGAR
• Delayed Cord Clamping
• Newborn procedures
• Vernix
• and more!  

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Episode 57: Cranial Adjustments with Dr. Martin Rosen 
• Episode 69: Benefits of Pediatric Chiropractic Care
• Dr. Green mom (just use the search tab to look for the newborn procedures we mention)

Support the show

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: [email protected]

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others.  Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.  This disclaimer includes  all guests or contributors to the podcast.  

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In part 3 of this birth vocabulary series, we’re highlighting some postpartum terms to know.  This is a good list to look at during pregnancy, to familiarize yourself with some of the vernacular that you might not use every day.

We focus on 3 main topic areas: defining postpartum, breastfeeding terms, and postpartum mental health terms.  Of course this list is not exhaustive, but it’s a great start to look at during your pregnancy for a more informed postpartum.

Resources mentioned in the show:

• Episode 36: tips for the 4th trimester
• Episode 23: return to running - postpartum fitness
• Episodes 6-8: postpartum essentials    
• Episode 95: how birth process impacts infant feeding
• Episode 63: breastfeeding tips and resources 
• Episode 79: embracing the imperfections of motherhood with Dr. Meghan Toups
• Episode 44: you are not alone with Shannon Weist 
• PSI Postpartum Support International - online resource 
• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) Calculator 

Support the show

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: [email protected]

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others.  Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.  This disclaimer includes  all guests or contributors to the podcast.  

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Welcome to the 100th episode of the Aligned Birth Podcast, and thanks for the 10,000+ folks who have downloaded and listened to us!!  We are beyond grateful, happy, excited (all the feels) about how this podcast has developed.  

Doula Rachael and Dr. Shannon sit down and chat to share some of the behind the scenes of creating the episodes - from generating topic ideas, to reaching out to guests, to google share drives and excel files, to the time, energy, effort, and monetary investment we put in - it’s a lot, but we love it so much.  

We also want to share some updates including upcoming episodes, how to join the Aligned Birth Community, and how to contribute to our movement through direct listener support.

With direct listener support, we’ve set up an easy way for you to support the show monetarily (whatever amount you feel compelled to share). We want to keep the podcast focused on content that informs, inspires, entertains, and is mindful of your time, and if Aligned Birth is part of your day - we’d love to have the support. 

With newsletter updates, you can receive a weekly update about the show including exclusive news, links for resources, and special offerings from the show and guests. 

Support the show

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: [email protected]

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others.  Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.  This disclaimer includes  all guests or contributors to the podcast.  

Send us Fan Mail

In part 2 of our perinatal vocabulary series, we’re focusing on terms you might hear as you get closer to birth.  And although these might be birth terms, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with them during your pregnancy as well.  This just helps you be better prepared and to communicate effectively with your birth team.  Definitely listen to part 1 which gives some great organ and organ system definitions, and we’ll build on those definitions as we discuss things like:

Rupture of membranes

Prodromal labor

Braxton-Hicks contractions 

Episiotomy

Oxytocin

Failure to progress 

And more!

Resources mentioned in the show:

Failure to Progress from Evidence Based Birth 

Episode 92 - all about epidurals

Episode 65 - how to have a gentle induction 

Episode 55 - tips for optimal fetal positioning

Support the show

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: [email protected]

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others.  Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.  This disclaimer includes  all guests or contributors to the podcast.  

Send us Fan Mail

Pregnancy can bring about a lot of physical bodily changes, but it can also introduce a whole new vocabulary as well.  In today’s episode, Doula Rachael and Dr. Shannon highlight terms that can help you navigate your prenatal journey. with more ease and confidence.  

From basic anatomy definitions of common organs, organ systems, and tissues that are ever-changing during pregnancy to common terms you might be hearing at your prenatal exams.  This list is not all-encompassing, but they hope to bring about more knowledge a nd awareness to help you navigate pregnancy with more ease.  

From amazing facts about your placenta and uterus to understanding more about cervical exams and group B strep, this episode is a good start for increasing your prenatal vocab.  And stay tuned next week for part 2 which is all about common birth termanology.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Preventing GBS - at home with Tiffany and Kelly podcast 

Group B strep from Evidence Based Birth 

Failure to Progress from Evidence Based Birth 

Support the show

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: [email protected]

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others.  Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.  This disclaimer includes  all guests or contributors to the podcast.  

Send us Fan Mail

Birth is a transformational process.  It pushes you in ways you never imagined, and brings forth new life that forever changes you.  And how the process unfolds can have a lasting impact on you and future generations.  As much as we try to provide information and education on this show to help you have an empowered birth experience, having information alone does not equate to a positive experience.  In this episode, Dr. Shannon and doula Rachael share their professional and personal experiences of how birth impacts the mental, physical, and emotional health of the birthing person, and they share ways to process your birth experience in a healthy manner.  

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Cherry Blossom Study

Pregnancy, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding article

Episode 44 - You are not alone with Shannon Weist perinatal mental health counselor    

Episode 79: Embracing the Imperfections of Motherhood - turning anxiety into awakening with Dr. Meghan Toups, LPC

Transformed by Birth

Support the show

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: [email protected]

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others.  Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.  This disclaimer includes  all guests or contributors to the podcast.  

Send us Fan Mail

Dr. Shannon chats with Julie Hawkins, a 500HR RYT prenatal and postpartum yoga instructor in the metro-Atlanta area.  Yoga is a beautiful way to incorporate movement into your pregnancy and postpartum journey. It can also bring about self- awareness, help transition into motherhood, and "give back to your body” in a beautiful, effective, and meaningful way.

We cover a lot in this episode:

• Julie’s beginnings in yoga while hiking the AT
• Why she began teaching and how her yoga practice evolved during her own pregnancies and births
• The specifics of prenatal and postpartum certification
• How yoga can impact self-care, returning to breath, and offer physical, communal, and mental support
• The benefits of prenatal and postpartum yoga
• Yoga pose modifications during pregnancy and postpartum 

Connect with Julie:

Jhawkyoga on instagram 

BeYoga on instagram 

Support the show

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: [email protected]

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others.  Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.  This disclaimer includes  all guests or contributors to the podcast.  

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael discuss the impact of birth trauma and stress on infant feeding (nursing and bottle feeding).  There’s lots to unpack in this episode:

• What baby’s body goes through during the birth process
• What is “birth trauma” 
• How normally physiological birth carries a certain amount of stress and strain
• Interventions that can cause more birth trauma
• Other events that can cause birth trauma
• How birth impacts the nervous system of baby
• What does birth stress and nervous system dysfunction in the baby look like (specifically for feeding issues)
• How chiropractic care can help and what a proper and thorough nervous system assessment for baby looks like 
• Other providers who can help

Inspiration for the episode:

Pathways to family wellness podcast: decoding the effects of birth trauma on feeding

Resources discussed in the episode:

Episode 69: Benefits of pediatric chiropractic care

Episode 65: How to have a gentle induction

Episode 63: Breastfeeding tip and resources

Episode 57: Pediatric Chiropractic Care and Cranial Adjustments - Interview with Dr. Martin Rosen

Episode 55: Tips for optimal fetal positioning

Support the show

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: [email protected]

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others.  Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.  This disclaimer includes  all guests or contributors to the podcast.