[Welcome to the Best of Birthful. Creator and host Adriana Lozada curated and edited each selection in this playlist of the show’s most popular episodes. It's a tailored introduction to the expansive catalog she amassed over the first five years of Birthful's 300+ shows - which is now in its 9th year!]

Whapio, a midwife and founder of The Matrona, explores the modern management of pushing, and challenges our preconceived notions in the process. She gets into pushing’s effects on the baby, and on the perineum, which receives most of the exertion. And what can you do to be prepared for this stage of the birthing process.

Listen to the original episode in full at https://birthful.com/podcast-pushing-stage/

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For new episodes each week, subscribe to and follow Birthful anywhere you listen to podcasts. We're on Instagram @birthfulpodcast, and email podcast@birthful.com.

Download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter at Birthful.com! Don't miss even more tips, insights, and news from Adriana and her guests!

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Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donations

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Best of Birthful: Why Pushing Too Early Might Affect the Baby and You

On Birthful, working doula and former journalist Adriana Lozada talks pregnancy, birth and postpartum with top experts and new parents. Every episode distills the overload of pregnancy information down to the most relevant and useful stuff. Adriana Lozada is a mom, author, speaker, birth doula, postpartum educator, and healthy-sleep consultant. Visit Birthful.com. Please note: Adriana has years of experience but she&#39;s not a doctor, and does not expect anyone to treat the show like medical advice. Please always consult with your care provider. This show does not dispense medical advice.

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Babies use a set of coordinated movements and specific reflexes that allow them to participate in the birthing process. Adriana Lozada explains how this fascinating process works, and how it helps get them earthside.

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- ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with code BIRTHFUL
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If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on Baby's Position and Labor Flow and our episode on how to Have an Easier Pregnancy (and Birth!) with Chiropractic Care. 
 
Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on this episode’s show notes page at Birthful.com. While you’re there, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.

Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast on Instagram or email us at podcast@Birthful.com. Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.


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* Check out mylifeinabook.com and use code BIRTHFUL at checkout for 10% off. Create an unforgettable gift for your mom this Mother’s Day.
* Visit HomeThreads.com/BIRTHFUL today and get a 15% off code for your first order! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donations

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How Your Baby Helps During the Birthing Process

Maya Ehnat was brought up to be comfortable with birth, and so from the get-go, her language and approach weren’t fear-based. Beyond that, much of the preparation she did during pregnancy was guided by a desire to minimize trauma and bring heaps of pleasure and joy into the experience. She shares with Adriana how although her first birth was long and quite challenging, she wouldn’t describe it as painful. Now her second birth? That one was filled with power, permission, fluidity, and delight.

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- MY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code BIRTHFUL
- AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFUL

If you liked this episode, listen to our episode on Real Talk About Vaginal Tears and Episiotomies and our interview on How Prenatal Yoga Can Help Protect Your Energy (And Why This Is Important!)
 
Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on this episode’s show notes page at Birthful.com. While you’re there, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.

Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast on Instagram or email us at podcast@Birthful.com. Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Acorns: acorns.com/birthful
* Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm: drmombuttbalm.com
* Check out mylifeinabook.com and use code BIRTHFUL at checkout for 10% off. Create an unforgettable gift for your mom this Mother’s Day.
* Visit HomeThreads.com/BIRTHFUL today and get a 15% off code for your first order! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

[Birth Stories] How She Reframed Birth Toward Pleasure and Let Her Power Flow

If you want to minimize sensations of pain and even move them into pleasure, this episode is for you! Debra Pascali-Bonaro and Adriana explore how you can bring more pleasure and joy into your birth, and why doing so can help you not only have a better experience, but also help support your birth physiology for a more flowing birth. Debra shares with Adriana a wide range of actionable suggestions on how to prepare during pregnancy, what to set in place and advocate for during birth, and ways to continue to show up–from a place of pleasure and joy–even if you need interventions or have a belly birth.

Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! 
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- ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with code BIRTHFUL
- FAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! 
- MY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code BIRTHFUL
- AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFUL

If you liked this episode, listen to our related interview on Pleasure & Joy During Birth and our episode on Connecting With Your Baby in Utero through Song. 

Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on this episode’s show notes page at Birthful.com. While you’re there, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.

Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast on Instagram or email us at podcast@Birthful.com. Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Acorns: acorns.com/birthful
* Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm: drmombuttbalm.com
* Check out mylifeinabook.com and use code BIRTHFUL at checkout for 10% off. Create an unforgettable gift for your mom this Mother’s Day.
* Visit HomeThreads.com/BIRTHFUL today and get a 15% off code for your first order! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

How to Bring More Pleasure and Joy Into Your Birth (And Why It Makes a Difference!)

When Danellia Arechiga became a gestational surrogate, she felt strongly about having an unmedicated birth at a birth center. Even as her labor plan derailed into an induction, she pushed for few interventions and worked with her physiology, ultimately experiencing the elusive Fetal Ejection Reflex. She tells Adriana Lozada why doing so was important for her, the baby, and the intended parents.
As a musician, Danellia (Dané Reál) has created the song Mother as an anthem gifted to those whose relationships with their mothers have not always been warm and loving. The song is her contribution to the intergenerational healing she has done within her own lineage and features the voices of her grandmother Lucy who passed in 2018 and her daughter as they share their journey through healing the mother wound that has been passed on for 4 generations. You can hear it on her YouTube channel @themultidimensionalmami

Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! 
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- MY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code BIRTHFUL
- AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFUL

If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on An IVF and Surrogacy Rollercoaster and our episode on Surrogate Birth Stories.
 
Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on this episode’s show notes page at Birthful.com. While you’re there, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.

Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast on Instagram or email us at podcast@Birthful.com. Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Acorns: acorns.com/birthful
* Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm: drmombuttbalm.com
* Check out mylifeinabook.com and use code BIRTHFUL at checkout for 10% off. Create an unforgettable gift for your mom this Mother’s Day.
* Visit HomeThreads.com/BIRTHFUL today and get a 15% off code for your first order! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

[Birth Story] How Harnessing Her Birth Hormones Allowed Her to Forgo an Induction

During labor, you want contractions that are longer, stronger, and closer together. But why? Dr. Sarah Buckley and Adriana take a deep dive into the amazing and fascinating hormonal dance that happens during the birthing process, and how interventions such as synthetic oxytocin or an epidural can lead to a cascade of interventions that negatively impact the process for both the birthing person and their baby. They also talk about ways to support the physiology of birth (regardless of what path it takes) in order to help fill any ‘hormonal gaps’ that may occur.

Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! 
- NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFUL
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- JENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15
- ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with code BIRTHFUL
- FAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! 
- MY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code BIRTHFUL
- AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFUL

If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on Your Baby, The Mammal, and our episode on How to Avoid a "Cascade of Interventions".

You can connect with Sarah on Facebook at drsarahbuckley. You can connect with us on Instagram at @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. 
 
Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on this episode’s show notes page at Birthful.com. While you’re there, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.

Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast on Instagram or email us at podcast@Birthful.com. Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Acorns: acorns.com/birthful
* Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm: drmombuttbalm.com
* Check out mylifeinabook.com and use code BIRTHFUL at checkout for 10% off. Create an unforgettable gift for your mom this Mother’s Day.
* Visit HomeThreads.com/BIRTHFUL today and get a 15% off code for your first order! 

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Best of Birthful: Why Pushing Too Early Might Affect the Baby and You

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