Midwife and researcher, Dr. Mimi Niles, talks to Adriana Lozada about the U.S. hospital system, how your goals as a birthing person are at odds with the system’s goals, and how to tap into your power as a consumer within said system so you can have a better birth experience.

Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page. 

If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on the cultural ideals that shape your birth experience, and this interview on Birth Models (both are part of our series on “Models and Places of Birth”).

Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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Adriana Lozada goes through the pros and cons of three places where you can give birth: a hospital, a birth center, and at home, and what you should consider when making an informed decision.

Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page. 

If you liked this episode, listen to this story on Why Having an Audience Stalled Her Birth and this episode about Showing Up at Your Birth.

You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. 

If you enjoy what you hear, 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

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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Medical anthropologist Robbie Davis-Floyd talks with Adriana about the technocratic, humanistic, and holistic birth models. She explains why we’ve gotten so obsessed with machines and numbers, why we need more midwives, how some OBs are making positive changes by embracing the midwifery model of care, and what you can take from those models to improve your experience.

​​Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.

If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on the #1 cesarean risk and this episode on the holistic stages of birth. 

You can learn more about Robbie Davis-Floyd at davis-floyd.com. Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected].

If you enjoy what you hear, 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.

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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

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Sarah Winward’s story starts with some lovely swing dancing in the living room, and stomping through deep snow with her dog, then gets really intense, having Sarah ask herself over and over “Where is the break?! There’s supposed to be a break. Where is the break?!” She shares with Adriana how being open to all her options let her be grounded in the experience. 

​​Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.

If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on the baby’s birth experience and this episode if you're looking to find out what is HypnoBirthing. 

You can learn more about Sarah on Instagram @the_lactation_nd or at thelactationnd.com. Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. 

If you enjoy what you hear, 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.

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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

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Author and childbirth educator Britta Bushnell describes eight deeply entrenched cultural ideals that can unconsciously— and even negatively— impact the course of your labor and how you parent. She and Adriana share how to reframe these beliefs to uplift realistic expectations and have a more transformative experience.

Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page. 

If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on the purpose of childbirth pain and this episode on healing your birth story. 

You can learn more about Britta Bushnell on Instagram @brittabushnellphd or at brittabushnell.com. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. 

If you enjoy what you hear, 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.

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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

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Michelle Onaka shares the ups and downs along the way toward having her child, including her fertility journey, then completely gutting their house during pregnancy, and following that up with a fabulous waterbirth. She shares with Adriana how immediate postpartum became a bit of a rude awakening, and how helpful it was to connect with a lactation consultant, a cloth diaper service, to start co-sleeping, and actually learn about how to navigate life with a newborn from a place of confidence (even if you can’t always know what’s going on). 

Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  

If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on Infant Sleep Basics with Dr. James MCKenna and our episode on Fertility Before & After Pregnancy

You can connect with Michelle on Instagram at @intentionalmoneylife. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. 

If you enjoy what you hear, 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.

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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

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Criselda F. shares with Adriana the details of her three-day-long birth, which she describes as amazing and transformative. It also truly illustrates how birth is not linear, as it can easily go from prodromal to precipitous! Find out what helped her get through the frustration of not knowing when it was really going to start, the joy of having her partner catch the baby, and why tearing was the one thing that really took her by surprise. 

Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  

If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on Protecting Your Perineum and our episode on The Baby's Birth Experience. 

You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. 

If you enjoy what you hear, 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.

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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

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

Alison Spath shares with Adriana the many twists and turns included in her path toward a planned homebirth after two cesareans (HBA2C), including getting things started with castor oil, having to hold at bay the fear-based opinions of random obstetricians, celebrating her victories along the way, and a last-minute trip to the hospital. 

Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  

If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on Choosing Your Care Provider and our episode on Is Homebirth for You?

You can connect with Alison on Instagram @beautifulbirthchoices. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. 

If you enjoy what you hear, 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.

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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

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Shelley Wylie shares with Adriana how marvelous it can be to see your partner really have your back and tell the nurse to wait until your contraction is over, how labor is not as horrendous as the Machu Picchu trail, and how you can absolutely have a lovely birth, even if you have to come undone and regather yourself in the process. She also highly recommends that if you dislike the tub, try the shower! 

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Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  

If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on The Purpose of Childbirth Pain and our episode on Pro Tips for Photographing Your Unique Birth Experience.

You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. 

If you enjoy what you hear, 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.

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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

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

Kally McConnell shares her glorious VBAC story, along with all the things she did differently from her first birth, how it all started with a literal bang when her bag of waters broke, and how there was no time for the tub. She also shares with Adriana the insights she gained about the difference between labor contractions, pushing contractions, and Pitocin-generated contractions.

Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  

If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on VBAC Facts and our episode on Know(ing) What You’re Up Against When Giving Birth at a Hospital. 

You can learn more about Kally and her work at Creative-Care-Services.com. 

You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. 

If you enjoy what you hear, 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.

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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

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