Birth Kweens

The Birth Kweens dive into cesarean birth in this week's episode. They explain the practical ins and outs of c-sections and delve into the mental and emotional aspects of this kind of birth, including the judgment that is often placed upon cesarean births by the natural birth community. The goal of this episode is to de-vilify necessary or desired cesareans and to emphasize that natural, vaginal birth is NOT morally superior to a birth with interventions.

In the final episode in our series on preparing for your birth, we go over how to prepare for the postpartum period and what to expect once your baby is outside of your body!

Here's what we covered:

• What's normal and what's not when it comes to postpartum bleeding
• Perineal care, especially if you required stitches
• The best natural and conventional methods to use for pain management
• What a peri bottle is and why you need one
• Postpartum belly issues and remedies including belly binding, abdominal massage, and getting your digestion back to normal
• The different causes of pelvic pain and discomfort, and how to know if what you're feeling is normal
• All about mood disorders - both during and after pregnancy - and what to do about them
• The ins and outs of breastfeeding and our favorite resources
• What to expect from your newborn baby including breathing, bathing, umbilical cords, funky skin things, and more.

Resources/Products Mentioned in this Episode:

• Sitz Bath
• Earth Mama Angel Baby Postpartum Sitz Bath Herbs
• Earth Momma Angel Baby Bottom Spray
• Dermoplast Pain Relieving Spray
• Scar Away C-Section Scar Treatment Strips
• Ibuprofen and turmeric supplements for postpartum pain
• Heating pad
• Peri Bottle
• Bezwecken HemStad
• Postpartum belly wrap
• Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
• Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin
• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding Made Simple
• kellymom.com - amazing resource for all things breastfeeding!
• Latch Assist
• Nipple Shield
• Boppy Nursing Pillow
• My Breast Friend Breastfeeding Pillow
• Nursing pads
• Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream
• Earth Momma Angel Baby Nipple Butter
• Lansinoh Soothies Gel Pads for Sore Nipples
• Medela Soft Shells for Sore Nipples
• Information on mastitis from KellyMom

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The Birth Kweens get down to the nitty gritty of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and women's health. For more from us, visit birthkweens.com. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In the final episode of the series on preparing for birth, Ali and Karly talk about what to expect in the postpartum period. How can you prepare for your first bowel movement after pushing a human out of your body? How long does your bleeding last? What does it mean if your baby's umbilical cord smells like a rotting corpse? These questions and so much more answered in this episode!

Today is the fourth episode in our series on preparing for birth, and we're talking about the importance of having realistic expectations for labor and birth. The goal of this episode is to reduce the trauma and shame that often results from unmet birth expectations and to show you that there's no wrong way to have a baby!

Here's what we talked about:

• The downsides of the natural birth movement, and why you should never feel shame or disappointment about your body or your birth
• The difference between having a birth plan and having birth preferences - and which one you should focus on
• How to stop the judgement and misperceptions around different types of births
• The 5 P's that influence labor – the Powers, the Passenger, [Fetal] Position, [Maternal] Position, the Psyche.
• Some first and second-time baby birth myths and what to really expect instead
• The only two things the Birth Kweens guarantee for anyone - regardless of your birth plan or expectations

Things Mentioned in this Episode:

• Ina May Gaskin's Books:
  • Birth Matters: A Midwife's Manifesta
  • Spiritual Midwifery
  • Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
• Little girl doing her positive affirmations in the mirror https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg

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The Birth Kweens get down to the nitty gritty of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and women's health. For more from us, visit birthkweens.com. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

This is the fourth episode in our series on preparing for birth, and we’re talking about the importance of having realistic expectations for labor and birth. The goal of this episode is to reduce the trauma and shame that often results from unmet birth expectations and to show you that there’s no wrong way to have a baby!

In this episode, we continue our discussion of prenatal nutrition. Today we focus more on what NOT to do and things to avoid. (If you're looking for info on what you SHOULD eat, check out Episode #3!)

Here's what we talked about today:

• The many benefits of fish oil to you and your baby, plus how much to take during each trimester of pregnancy
• Concerns about caffeine and coffee before and during pregnancy
• The top foods to definitely avoid during pregnancy and why
• The listeria bacteria: what it is and where you can find it
• Why to steer clear of sugar and what might happen if you don't
• The negative effects of drinking soda and artificial sweeteners
• If it's ever OK to smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol during pregnancy
• Some surprising OTC and prescription drugs that could be impacting your baby
• The dangers of endocrine disruptors - what they are, what they do to your body, and where you can find them
• What you need to know about genetically modified organisms, and why and how to go GMO-free

Resources/Products Mentioned in this Episode:

• Carlson Labs Fish Oil
• Nature's Way Flax Oil
• Environmental Working Group
• The Non-GMO Project
• Dr. Elizabeth Winter's website about chemicals that impact reproduction and how to eliminate them

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The Birth Kweens get down to the nitty gritty of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and women's health. For more from us, visit birthkweens.com. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In part two of their discussion on prenatal nutrition, Karly and Ali talk about all of the things you should NOT put in/on/around your body when you are growing a baby kween inside of you.

In this episode, we continue our series on preparing for your birth and cover all things related to prenatal nutrition.

Here's what we talked about:

• Why nutrition during pregnancy is so important
• Exactly what supplements every pregnant woman should be taking (plus clarification on taking Folate vs. Folic Acid during pregnancy)
• The two probiotic strains you should be looking for to help prevent GBS infection and decrease risks to your baby
• Why water is so important during pregnancy and how much you should be drinking every day
• Are you really eating for two? How many extra calories your baby really needs
• Why food quality matters and how to get more nutrition from the food you eat
• The many benefits of fiber and how to make sure you're getting enough
• All about protein, carbs, and fats: How much to eat and where you should get it
• The Date Study - can dates really help with labor?

Resources/Products Mentioned in this Episode:

• https://www.23andme.com - a service you can use to get tested for the MTHFR gene
• Prenatal Vitamin Recommendations:
  • Garden of Life
  • Synergy
  • Actif
• Calcium-Magnesium & vitamin D supplements
  • Floradix Liquid Cal-Mag Supplement
  • Natural Vitality Magnesium Calcium Drink with Vit D3
  • Bone Up Supplement with calcium, mag, & vit D3
• Probiotic Recommendation: Jarrow's Femdophilius (includes Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus reuteri)
• Karly's homemade Gatorade recipe: Water, juice from one lemon, a few pinches of salt, 1 tablespoon of honey
• Natural Electrolyte Drink Recipe from Wellness Mama
• The EWG's 2017 Shoppers Guide - The Dirty Dozen
• Vitamin C supplement
  • Camu Camu Powder
  • Crazy Benefits of Camu Camu Powder from Wellness Mama
• Fish Oil Supplement Recommendation: Carlson Labs Fish Oil
• The Date Study

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The Birth Kweens get down to the nitty gritty of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and women's health. For more from us, visit birthkweens.com. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Your Birth Kweens dive deep into prenatal nutrition in this episode! Karly taps into her extensive knowledge of nutrition to explain the ins and outs of prenatal supplements and dietary guidelines for pregnant kweens. Ali admits that she knows almost nothing about nutrition and attempts to contribute to this episode with a few jokes about her love of hot Cheetos.

In the first official episode of Birth Kweens, we're talking about picking your birth team. This episode kicks off our five-part series that's all about preparing for your birth. In this episode we talked about:

• Why picking the right birth team is so important.
• The four main reasons you should NOT just pick any random doctor/midwife to be your care provider.
• Where to start and exactly what to consider when looking for a care provider who will be a good fit for you and your family.
• The differences between a hospital birth team and a home birth team
• How to pick a home birth midwife and why their hospital transfer rate isn't the most important thing to focus on.
• Where to go to get reliable reviews on your birth team
• Special considerations and resources for VBACs (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)
• Who (and who not) to invite to your birth

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Health Consumer Alliance
• Hospital Ratings on Consumer Reports - search by zip code and check out each hospital's stats on avoiding c-sections!
• Cesarean Rates by State
• Your Biggest C-Section Risk May Be Your Hospital - great article from Consumer Reports!
• Questions to Ask Potential Care Providers - helpful tool from the authors of the amazing book Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn (buy the book here!)
• Midwife Interview Questions
• ICAN - International Cesarean Awareness Network
• VBAC Facts
• How to start the process of finding a VBAC-friendly provider
• 10 Steps to Finding a VBAC-supportive provider

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The Birth Kweens get down to the nitty gritty of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and women's health. For more from us, visit birthkweens.com. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions, and feedback.