Birth Words: Language For a Better Birth

In this episode, Stacey and Chanel, who each chose adoption for their birth children years ago, discuss the important role that language played and continue to plays in the choices.

This episode unpacks the role of silence in the birth space.

REFERENCES:

Buckley, Sarah. Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor's Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts, 2009.

Patterson, Adam. "Wittgenstein's Silence." New Narrative. 19 June 2013, https://www.new-narrative.com/2013/06/19/wittgensteins-silence/.

Vlăduțescu, Ștefan. "Communication of Silence at Ludwig Wittgenstein: Linguistic Silence." International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences 16 (2014): 81-86.

In this episode, Dr. Michelle Coats talks about how she cares for her clients during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She shares her perspective of the transformative and empowering process of giving life and how she provides physical and emotional support to her clients throughout this miraculous process.

In this episode, Sara introduces the idea of concept metaphors: the metaphors that operate underneath our speech (often subconsciously). She explores several concept metaphors relating to pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum time.

In this episode, Adriana Lozada shares her insights about the power of her birth podcast, Birthful, and the power of positive birth frameworks. She also discusses how language can be a barrier to the physiological unfolding of birth.

This episode is a mash-up of Episode 15 (Affirmations) and Episode 41 (Agentive). Sara talks about the linguistic power of affirmations and the importance of using language that rightly frames the birthgiver as the central agent bringing forth new life, and provides frames and idea seeds for writing powerful affirmations for those preparing to give birth during COVID-19.

In this podcast episode, Hypnobabies founder and director, Kerry Tuschoff, shares her thoughts about the power of language during pregnancy and birth. Kerry gives examples of common phrases used during birth that can be disempowering and induce pain and fear, then offers positive alternatives that frame birth as a powerful, beautiful experience.

In this episode, Sara considers the unique situation of the global COVID-19 pandemic and what birthgivers can do to claim their power as life-giving agents engaged in a praiseworthy work.

This episode is a conversation with Salt Lake area birth photographer Lindsey Rivera. Lindsey discusses her experience with birth and how it has shaped her career as a birth photographer who reveals her clients' beauty and power.

In this episode, Sara talks about some colloquialisms used to refer to pregnancy.

REFERENCES:

Etymonline. (2020). Pregnant. In Online etymology dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/pregnant

Steinmetz, K. (2019, May 11). It's time to rethink the demeaning ways we describe pregnancy. Time. https://time.com/5587321/knocked-up-pregnant-synonyms/