Professor of Microbiology and researcher Dr. Anne Estes talks with Adriana about how your gut microbiome (not just your vaginal microbiome) plays a critical role in seeding your baby’s microbiome during birth, and what you can do about it. They discuss whether probiotics are necessary during pregnancy, why inserting a garlic clove in your vagina may not be the best way to combat Group B Strep, and the importance of looking at microbiomes through a diversity lens.

If you liked this episode, listen to this interview for more on your baby’s microbiome, and this episode on the microbiome and your baby’s immune system.

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

You can connect with Anne on Instagram @mostlymicrobeshost. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast on Instagram or email us at [email protected]. 

You can also 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

After an eye-opening, traumatic, and abusive first birth, Toni DeAztlan Smith was determined not to repeat the experience. Toni tells Adriana how she proactively took matters into her own hands and ended up having a powerfully healing birth. She also shares how she achieved her goals of being negative for Group B Strep, NOT developing gestational diabetes, and avoiding preeclampsia.

If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on childbirth PTSD, and this episode on how to avoid a cascade of interventions.

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

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

You can also 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

Herbs are micronutrient powerhouses for your immune, nervous, and endocrine systems, but some of them may not be recommended during this time of your life. Kathleen Mugnolo talks with Adriana about how you can figure out which ones are right for YOU, as well as whether it makes sense to use herbs to get labor started, to lessen the chances of Group B Strep colonization, to help with constipation, to increase milk supply, and how they can support your postpartum recovery.

If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on what to eat during pregnancy and this interview on your baby’s microbiome.

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

You can learn more about Kathleen @kathleen.mugnolo on Instagram. Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast or 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

Chelsy Arnett shares with Adriana how her husband nourished her during pregnancy. She also talks about the wonders of the double hip squeeze during labor, why she’d push in a completely different way the next time, as well as what’s helped her get through the surprisingly intense identity shift and breastfeeding challenges of the postpartum period.

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 rethinking the pushing stage, and this episode on HypnoBirthing.

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

You can also 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

Registered dietitian and researcher Lily Nichols and Adriana take a closer look at the common nutrition recommendations during pregnancy, and whether avoiding raw fish and runny eggs may be keeping you from getting the nutrition you and your baby really need. Lily also shares why you should pair high-quality fats and proteins with your carbs, and how to listen to the signals your unique body is sending you for optimal nutrition.

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 also with Lily on Gestational Diabetes, and this interview on the evidence of eating during labor.

You can learn more about Lily @lilynicholsrdn on Instagram. Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast or 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

OB/GYN and medical educator Dr. Amali Lokugamage talks with Adriana about how being pregnant propelled a paradigm shift in her ideas about birth, leading her to give birth at home. A champion of human rights in childbirth, she shares why birth recommendations have become so hospital-centric, and why it would benefit us all to embrace more family-centered, integrated, and collaborative models of care.

If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on How Prenatal Yoga Can Help Protect Your Energy (And Why This Is Important!), and this interview on Why Your Team Isn’t Complete Without a Doula.

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

You can learn more about Dr. Amali on Twitter @docamali. 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

Robina Khalid of Small Things Grow Midwifery explains what it takes to truly consider a homebirth, and shares with Adriana how to prepare for a successful experience.

If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on homebirth reimbursement, and this interview about the purpose of pain in childbirth.

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

You can learn more about Robina @smallthingsgrowhomebirth. Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. 

You can also 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

April Teel shares with Adriana how her thoughtful preparation set the stage for her to have wonderful birth experiences at both a freestanding birth center (with a midwife) and a hospital (with a family practice doctor). She reflects on how what surprised her the most were the differences between the pushing stages—with one being managed, long, and difficult, and the second being completely dictated by her body, allowing her to experience the Fetal Ejection Reflex. 

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

If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on Rethinking the Pushing Stage and this episode on Structural Body Changes During Pregnancy and Postpartum.

You can also 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.

Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. 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

Cesarean rates have increased 500% in two generations, and about half of them may be unnecessary. Physician-scientist and ACOG Fellow, Dr. Neel Shah, talks with Adriana about how the hospital you choose can be your #1 risk of having a surgical birth, how we got here, and what you can do about it.

If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on How to Avoid a “Cascade of Interventions” and this episode with Carrie Contey (it's the one we mentioned in the show).

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

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.

Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at [email protected]. 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

Jenny Murphy’s birth preparations were impacted by uncertainty, fear, and ever-changing circumstances. She shares with Adriana how focusing on her “birth vision”– and waiting to go to the hospital for as long as possible– allowed her to be the leader of her labor and have what she describes as a dream birth. 

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 How Your Birth Plan Impacts Your Birth Experience and this short episode on How to Have a Great Hospital 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.

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

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