Aligned Birth

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Bringing home a baby can be a big transition, not just for mom and the new baby, but for the rest of the family as well.  In this episode, Doula Rachael and Dr. Shannon share their own experiences with welcoming a new addition to the family.  They each have two boys who are three years apart, but they bring lots of different birth experiences to the table.  Doula Rachael shares how she navigated her home birth with her second child and her approach for introducing their new baby to his new big brother. Dr. Shannon shares her hospital birth experience and how she introduced their 2nd son to his big brother. They also share their professional experience with helping new parents navigate introducing new siblings.

Resources:

• Dr. Laura Markham - Aha! Parenting - https://www.ahaparenting.com/
• Dr. Siggie Cohen - https://drsiggie.com/ 
• Ashley Lingerfelt - Play Time Therapy - https://playtimetherapy.org/ 
• Postpartum Doulas - https://www.northatlantabirth.com/postpartum-doula-services 
• Postpartum Planning Class - https://www.northatlantabirth.com/postpartum-planning
• Episode 6: Non-monetary essentials for the postpartum
• Episode 7: Building your village for the postpartum
• Episode 8: Our favorite things to purchase for the postpartum

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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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Conversations of a postpartum doula and a perinatal chiropractor.  Today’s episode is a wonderful conversation about postpartum support between Dr. Shannon and Gigi a postpartum doula and host of the Ready for Baby podcast.  They both agree that reaching the postpartum population can be difficult, and they hope to shed some light on ways you can take care of your nervous system as well as respecting your mind/body/spirit during this vulnerable time.  In this episode they chat about:

• Chiropractic care and nervous system function
• Motherhood posture and the stress connection
• Emotions and birth
• Matresence and the transition into motherhood 
• How Dr. Shannon focuses on postpartum chiropractic
• How Gigi supports families with postpartum doula care

Resources:

ICPA 

Nursing posture and its role in sympathetic dominance 

Aligned Birth Podcast - episode 87 - Maternal Stress and Posture: what's the connection? 

How to have an Empowered Birth 

Affirmations and Visualizations for Birth and Postpartum.

Belly Binding

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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When preparing for your birth, one thing to consider is pain management support during labor and birth.  It comes up a lot in Rachael’s doula work, and discussing in Dr. Shannon’s prenatal chiropractic office as well.  This episode is all about education, helping you make informed decisions when it comes to your birth plan and birth preferences.  

In this episode, we discuss:

• The pros and cons of epidurals
• Alternative easy to manage discomfort/pain/intensity during birth (also check out episode 24: comfort during labor
• The procedure of getting the epidural
• Tips for managing labor with an epidural (did you know you can still move!!)
• Questions to ask your provider

Resources:

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/epidural-during-labor-pain-management/

https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/labor-and-birth/what-is-an-epidural/

https://sarahbuckley.com/epidurals-risks-and-concerns-for-mother-and-baby/

Episode 60: The role of pain and hormones during labor

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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Today’s guest is Casey McMinn Howard, Atlanta’s premier newborn and maternity photographer.  She goes above and beyond to help create a space where families feel welcome, comfortable, and at ease with documenting their pregnancy journey.  Dr. Shannon and Casey chat about what makes her photography space so unique (she has a beautiful studio in East Cobb and provides hair/makeup and wardrobe), what led her on this specific photography path (she’s a mom to 3 little ones herself), and her goals with her photography sessions (it’s more than just taking pictures).  

Be sure to follow her on social:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseymcminnphotography/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/1437243483163313/

YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCDjiV6wkkq49BB27qFv2kZQ

Pinterest: https://pin.it/53ojv0n

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-mcminn-howard-574b3989

And check out her website for more info:

Casey McMinn Photography

caseymcminnphotography.com

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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“It helps for us to develop our own inner capacity to hold the things that make us nervous and uncomfortable. It helps for us to prepare our internal ground, so that birth may land upon a nervous system that will not default to fighting, fleeing, or freezing in response to the inevitably strong sensations and monumental transformation.”

In this episode Doula Rachael and Dr. Shannon find inspiration from the Pathways to Family Wellness article “Birth Pause” encouraging us to “meet each wave of transformation with grounded flexibility”.  There’s  empowerment in being able to hold two truths at once even though they may seem to be opposing truths.  And birth can definitely be a situation where seemingly opposing truths hold their respective values.

Birth can be both:

• Hard + rewarding
• Painful + beautiful
• Exhausting + Blissful
• Painful + Purposeful
• Frustrating + Fun

And there can be a resiliency when we learn to hold these truths with a flowing balance as birth unfolds. 

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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Can birth be compared to an ultramarthon - sure!  Just ask me, Dr. Shannon.  In today’s episode, doula Rachael and I sit down to discuss the unique way I celebrated a recent milestone birthday……running 40 miles for 40 years.  Now I am an avid runner, and I’ve used big races to celebrate big life events in the past (like graduating from chiropractic school), but Rachael was able to ask me some questions that will have you seeing the similarities between birth and endurance races like you might not have thought before…….the training and preparation leading up to the race, the pre-race jitters, getting to race day and everything goes awry, pushing through the pain, the mental games we play during races, finally reaching the finish line, and the post-race recovery……

We think you’ll be entertained and surprised at some ultramarathon coping mechanisms I used, and maybe you’ll even learn some techniques for any upcoming endurance events you might have.  

Follow Dr. Shannon on social media at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_shannon_obrien/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrShannonOBrien 

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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Let’s celebrate a fantastic year of podcasting for the Aligned Birth Podcast!!  Doula Rachael and Dr. Shannon chat about their 2022 stats including: 5,716 total downloads……..12 guest interviews……..and the top episodes of all time.  They also mention their top 3 favorite episodes of 2022 and give a little insight into why those are their favorites.  They have each learned so much from this podcast journey.  From the fact that teamwork makes the dreamwork, to stepping out of their comfort zones, to the realization that success doesn’t happen overnight, but that each step forward brings them so much closer to reaching more and more expectant families…….it’s been a year.  And they can’t wait for what’s in store for 2023.  

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

Rebroadcast of episode 31:
As a chiropractor and doula, we spend a lot of time with expecting and newly postpartum mothers. There is a ton of information you need and want to know about preparing for nursing. In this episode, we are going to talk about nursing posture.  Nursing posture is just one component (of many) to learn more about and to bring awareness to during this time. 

In this episode we discuss:

• The importance of posture while nursing
• Our personal experiences with posture issues after giving birth and in those first couple of years after giving birth.
• Helpful tips for feeding sessions (pumping or chest/breastfeeding)
• Nursing positions
• Nursing pillows
• Stretches to help relieve and reduce tension in the chest, neck, shoulders, and back.
• Chiropractic care to relieve and reduce aches and pains and address nervous system function

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Nursing Posture and its Role in Sympathetic Dominance 

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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How you feel about your birthing experience is important, and a big part of how you feel about your birth relates to how you feel about your care provider.  In this episode, we’re discussing some ways to reverse engineer the thought process by beginning with the desired end result and working backward toward choosing a care provider.  The process involves tapping into your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and intuition, as well as learning about the different places to birth, and ultimately figuring out if you are in true alignment with whomever you choose as a care provider. This episode will share with you the differences between a midwife and an obstetrician as well as the difference between places they support birth. Then we dive into how to choose a care provider including questions to ask and red flags to look for. 

Listen to Episode # 3: Building Your Birth Support Team 

Check out the blog over on Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness where Dr. Shannon shares some great tips: "Creating Your Birth Support Team"

Check out Your Birth Site Rachael’s Video: “6 Red Flags to Look For + Questions to Ask Your Care Provider”

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

Rebroadcast of Episode 29:

Creating a vision board is fun, creative, and beneficial in helping you create your goals for your life, your work, and even your birth. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Dr. Shannon’s vision board events (past and present)
• What is a vision board?
• Why do people create vision boards?
• How to create a vision board? Hint, there is no right or wrong way!
• The benefits of implementing visualization and manifestation for the things you want
• How creating a vision board for your birth can be beneficial.

This podcast was created from a desire to share conversations and interviews about topics from pregnancy and birth to motherhood and the importance of a healthy body and mind through it all.  Our goal is to bring you fun, interesting, and helpful conversations that excite you and make you want to learn more.  We hope what we share will make an impact and help someone else along their journey.  We believe that when you are aligned in body, mind, and your intuition, you can conquer anything!  If you like what you are hearing and you don’t want to miss our newest episodes, be sure and tap subscribe. Your support is greatly appreciated.

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.