In today’s episode, we interview Sarah Pixton, the creator of the Birth Words website and Podcast. Sarah is a BBC-Certified Doula and a student at the University of Massachusetts Boston getting her Master's in Applied Linguistics. In our discussion, we analyze a better approach to using birth affirmations, the discourse of birth, and how language can leave an impression and frame our experience. The importance of being sensitive is emphasized as we talk about how our language contributes to the feelings surrounding an experience.

Sarah’s Background and What She Does 0:58

Birth Words and Reframing Our Language Surrounding Birth 10:29

Underlying Beliefs and Assumptions, Discourse 17:47

How Words Frame Our Experiences 27:19

Sensitivity: Matching the Effect of Our Words With Their Intent 32:06

“I think that a big reason that my second birth experience was very different than my first was because I inducted myself into this society of women who had had positive birth experience. And I did that mostly by reading positive birth stories. But before my baby was born, I was with these women who were empowered, who were life-givers, who just were in awe of the things that they could do. And so that’s what happened when I gave birth.” 40:36

https://www.birthwords.com