Birth Kweens

Laci Silva shares about the birth of her daughter, Lilás. Laci and her husband Jimmy had planned a home birth with Karly and Ali but after a long few days of early labor with no progress they made the decision to transfer to the hospital for medical intervention. Despite things not going as planned, Laci and Jimmy still had a very positive (albeit exhausting) birth experience!

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Support your mind and body with high quality CBD and adaptogen products from FOCL. Go to FOCL.com and use code KWEENS for 15% off your first order!

Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months!

Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Pick the box that's right for you by going to KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. Your first month is free on select crates!

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If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In this episode we're covering vitamin K for the newborn. You'll hear about what vitamin K is, why it's routinely given to newborns, the two ways it can be administered, and the risks and benefits of receiving it, including it's effectiveness. The resources used to put together this episode are listed below:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021393/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24059412/
• https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-the-vitamin-k-shot-in-newborns/
• https://www.cps.ca/en/documents/position/vitamin-k-prophylaxis-in-newborns#:~:text=Since%201961%2C%20the%20American%20Academy,after%20birth%20to%20prevent%20VKDB.

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!

Get a jar of 8 Sheep Organics Sleepy Lotion to help you sleep better and prevent cramps and restless legs all night! Go to 8Sheep.com and use code KWEENS to get free shipping on your order!

Get a subscription for Hiya Health's best selling childrens multivitamins to ensure your kiddos are getting the nutrients they need without all the unhealthy additives usually found in kids vitamins! Go to HiyaHealth.com/KWEENS and use the code KWEENS at checkout to get 50% off your first order.

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If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Today we're talking with the amazing Gena Kirby about the rebozo! We discuss what it is, it's history and cultural significance, and how it can be integrated into pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. To get information about Gena's workshops or buy her e-books visit her website GenaKirby.net. Check out Gena's mentorship program The Doula's Doula and support Gena via Patreon! Click here to read the article titled "The Rebozo: Fashion, Feminism and Death" that Gena mentions.

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!

Get a high quality, fully breathable, washable, and recyclable baby mattress from Newton Baby! Go to NewtonBaby.com and enter code KWEENS to get $50 off and free shipping.

Support your mind and body with high quality CBD and adaptogen products from FOCL. Go to FOCL.com and use code KWEENS for 15% off your first order!

Sign up for a membership with Thrive Market and start saving 25-50% off traditional retail prices on all your favorite clean, organic products! Go to ThriveMarket.com/KWEENS to get $20 in shopping credit toward your first order.

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If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In this episode we're talking about back labor, including its possible causes, how to prevent it, its impact on labor progression, and what to do if you find yourself experiencing it. We also delve into sterile water injections – what they are, why they're useful in labor, and what it's like to get them. Here are the links for the resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Spinning Babies website, specifically the pages for daily and weekly activities to do during pregnancy and the section dedicated to what to do during labor
• A TENS unit which can be a great tool for managing labor pain
• The Evidence Based Birth article about sterile water injections

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!

Get a high quality, fully breathable, washable, and recyclable baby mattress from Newton Baby! Go to NewtonBaby.com and enter code KWEENS to get $50 off and free shipping.

Support your mind and body with high quality CBD and adaptogen products from FOCL. Go to FOCL.com and use code KWEENS for 15% off your first order!

Get a jar of 8 Sheep Organics Sleepy Lotion to help you sleep better and prevent cramps and restless legs all night! Go to 8Sheep.com and use code KWEENS to get free shipping on your order!

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If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In this episode we're talking about common pregnancy discomforts and some remedies to treat them. We cover morning sickness, back pain, heartburn, sleep problems and more!

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!

Treat yourself to some amazing skincare products from OSEA Malibu. Go to www.OSEAMalibu.com/birthkweens for $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more. Free shipping for US orders over $75 and free samples with every order!

Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months!

Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Pick the box that's right for you by going to KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. Your first month is free on select crates!

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If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Dr. Elizabeth Winter, ND, LM, CPM joins us in today's episode to discuss breast implant illness. Dr. Winter is naturopathic doctor in San Diego, CA who specializes in women's health and pediatrics. In this episode we discuss what breast implant illness is, the signs/symptoms of it, and treatment options for those who have it.

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR!

Sign up for a membership with Thrive Market and start saving 25-50% off traditional retail prices on all your favorite clean, organic products! Go to ThriveMarket.com/KWEENS to get $20 in shopping credit toward your first order.

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If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

This episode features Anna Verwaal, a maternal-child health nurse, conscious conception & birth consultant, midwifery, nursing and doula instructor, primal period & childbirth educator, UCLA certified lactation educator, and birth photographer from the Netherlands. After a 25-year nursing career in various countries in obstetric, pediatric, neonatal and home-health settings, she preferred to work with families and babies as an educator and started her own private birth consulting practice in Los Angeles, attending homebirths for over 10 years. In this episode you'll learn about:

• Anna's background and how she got into birth work
• How babies are impacted by their conception, gestation, and birth
• How our own births set patterns in our lives and why it's important to recognize and heal our own trauma to avoid passing it along to our children (or to our patients, for those who are care providers)
• Conscious conception
• Many stories from Anna's practice/experience that illustrate these concepts
• Resources mentioned:
  • Babies Remember Birth by Dr. David Chamberlain
  • APPPAH – The Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health
  • Anna's TedxTalk From Womb to World
  • The movie IN UTERO
  • The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk
  • The work of Bruce Lipton, PhD
  • The documentary The Business of Being Born
  • The resource list from Anna's website
• Click here for Anna's contact info and to contact her for a Skype session!

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!

Treat yourself to some amazing skincare products from OSEA Malibu. Go to www.OSEAMalibu.com/birthkweens for $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more. Free shipping for US orders over $75 and free samples with every order!

Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months!

Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Pick the box that's right for you by going to KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. Your first month is free on select crates!

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If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Drea Haire joins us on today's episode to share about the birth of her first baby. You'll hear about what she and her husband did to prepare for labor, her goal of having a water birth in a birth center, and how her plans got turned upside when she found out her baby was breech at 37 weeks (and AGAIN at 39 weeks!). This is a super unique birth story and we're so happy to be able to share it with all of you!

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR!

Sign up for a membership with Thrive Market and start saving 25-50% off traditional retail prices on all your favorite clean, organic products! Go to ThriveMarket.com/KWEENS to get $20 in shopping credit toward your first order.

---

If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In today's episode we're talking with Maria Pokluda about placenta encapsulation. Maria is a doula, childbirth educator, and placenta encapsulator who teaches encapsulation workshops through her training organization, BEST Placenta. In this episode we discuss:

• The history of placenta consumption
• A book about the topic – Placenta: The Forgotten Chakra
• The existing data on placenta consumption
• The benefits, risks, and contraindications of consuming your placenta
• What's contained in the placenta and the benefits of those active ingredients
• The difference between placenta pills and tincture and how a tincture can be used long term
• The different methods of preparing a placenta for encapsulation
• Storage recommendations for placenta pills and tinctures
• The average number of pills people get
• Maria's recommended dosing schedule
• A discussion about the CDC's warning against placenta consumption
• Questions to ask your placenta encapsulators
• Click here to get more info about Maria's placenta trainings

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SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!

Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Pick the box that's right for you by going to KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. Your first month is free on select crates!

Treat yourself to some amazing skincare products from OSEA Malibu. Go to www.OSEAMalibu.com/birthkweens for $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more. Free shipping for US orders over $75 and free samples with every order!

Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months!

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If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In light of all the craziness currently happening with COVID-19, we decided to re-release this episode about comfort measures in labor. Many people will be having their babies with little or no support because of the current hospital restrictions and we hope that these tips will help with managing the intensity of labor, especially if you're doing it without the support you'd planned on having. Additionally, here are a few helpful resources that we mentioned at the top of the episode:

• COVID-19 resources page on Evidence Based Birth
• The WHO's page on COVID-19
• The CDC's page on COVID-19
• The CDC's page on Pregnancy & Breastfeeding with COVID-19
• ACOG's Practice Guidelines on COVID-19
• RCOG's recommendations on COVID-19 during pregnancy
• If you're interested in working with Ali for digital doula support, email her here.

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Karly and Ali get down to the nitty gritty details of coping with the pain of labor and birth. They explain why it's essential for every birthing person to learn about non-medical coping techniques (even if they plan to use pain medication during their birth) and they review the best tools and techniques for pain management. Here's an overview of everything that's covered in this episode:

• The reasons why it is SO important to know a variety of non-medical pain management coping techniques, including times when birth goes too quickly to use medication or when meds don't work effectively
• What the 5 elements of birth are and why they're an essential part of pain management in labor
• Why you should consider hiring a doula for your birth (including this great article on the evidence for doulas)
• The reasons it's SO important to do some sort of childbirth education during pregnancy
• Helpful tools in labor:
  • Bucky 40 Blinks – the best eye mask in all the land!
  • Birth ball (great for pregnancy, labor, and postpartum!)
    • 65cm
    • 75cm
  • Cooling towels
  • Massage tool
  • Lacrosse Ball
  • Hand held fan
  • Essential oils (don't forget cotton pads to put the oils on!)
    • 10 Oil Variety Pack
    • Peppermint
    • Lavender
    • Eucalyptus
    • Grapefruit
    • Citrus Variety Pack
  • Heating pad
  • TENS unit
• Coping techniques in labor:
  • The 3 R's – relaxation, rhythm, ritual (as mentioned in The Birth Partner by Penny Simpkin)
  • Vocalizations/low moans
  • Movement and changing positions
    • Check out The Birth Partner for some great diagrams of all the different labor/birth positions
  • Breath work
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Light touch/massage, sacral counter pressure, hip squeeze
  • Visualizations (i.e. breathing to your baby, walking/running up and over a hill, progressive relaxation throughout your entire body)
  • Music (Deep Theta by Steven Halpern is one of Ali's favorites)
  • The mindset of birth
    • You are stronger than you even realize. Believe in yourself!
    • Stay in the moment. You can do anything for a minute! You are going to give birth one breathe at a time.
    • Remember, this is pain with a purpose.
  • Be SURE to stay hydrated and well fed. Being undernourished and dehydrated can increase pain and difficulty of labor while reducing your energy/ability to cope
• Why it's so important to choose your birth team carefully and only invite people who support your birth goals
• Why you might consider choosing a code word to use in labor, that way your team will know when to encourage you and when to order up that epidural!
• How to communicate your preferences to the staff at your birthing location, including some guidelines for putting together your birth preferences sheet
• Books/resources to help you and your birth partner(s)
  • The Birth Partner by Penny Simpkin
  • Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Simpkin, Whalley, Keppler, Durham, & Bolding
  • Hypnobirthing by Marie Mongan
  • Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon
  • Birthing From Within by Pam England
  • Mindful Birthing by Nancy Bardacke
  • The Big Book of Birth by Erica Lyon
  • Hypnobabies – Childbirth Hypnosis

If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at [email protected] with your questions, suggestions and feedback.