"You'll never get sued for doing a C-section. You'll only get sued for the C-section you didn’t do." This is the narrative in obstetrics and the lens through which hospital birth is viewed. Litigation is feared in obstetrics but for the wrong reasons. What if, instead of resorting to C-sections to prevent liability exposure, doctors were rewarded for avoiding unnecessary C-sections? United States law as it's practiced today actually incentivizes OBs to perform C-sections, and this system plays a role in today’s high maternal mortality rates in the U.S. Further, obstetricians get paid more from their hospital administrators for cesarean sections.

You may remember Hermine Hayes-Klein, the women's healthcare and human rights attorney who joined us in December for Down To Birth Episode #138 for Legal Case Study #1. Hermine is back today to tell us of one woman whose bladder was permanently damaged by her birth management team. Our discussion demonstrates how U.S. law protects providers in such cases, not the patient, and how true informed consent is routinely and repeatedly neglected in obstetrics.

Hermine Hayes-Klein

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Today's discussion with sisters Jenny & Carrie, the pediatric occupational therapists behind Ontrack baby and the NOEL method, is a fascinating exploration of how the way we give birth impacts infant development. In particular, when the baby does not experience the "vaginal squeeze" the infant Moro or "startle" reflex may become over-reactive, leading to more fussy babies and slower development.  Jenny & Carrie explain how vaginal birth can help infant development and answer the important question of how to best support babies born via cesarean section or have a high stress, high-intervention birth. They share the number one thing we can do to help our babies development and give us their take on swaddling, SIDS, and stomach sleeping for infants. 

Ontrack Baby

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"I don't have time for this today. My son has a soccer game. I am going to say that her baby's heart rate is decelerating and we need to do a c-section."  This is just one of the many things Shelby, a nurse in Arizona, heard from doctors in labor & delivery when she worked on the maternity ward.  This episode brings to light the very real fact that providers don't always have the laboring woman's best interest in mind. Instead, profits, time, and liability concerns drive many of the decisions leading to unnecessary birth interventions. Shelby joins us today to share what she witnessed in her years as a nurse and why she left obstetrics.

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Dr. Rachel Reed, PhD, is a midwife and author of Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage. Since earning her doctorate, she is inarguably now among the world’s leading experts on placentas. The publication of her book has come during an era in which women are often told placentas can “fail”, “calcify” and “stop working”, or even cause stillbirth. This rhetoric - all of which we discuss in the episode - is not only terrifying, but false and harmful, and consistently contributes to high rates of unnecessary medical interventions, such as labor inductions and scheduled cesareans.

Dr. Reed  also debunks the myth of the “aging” placenta and tells us the real reasons for compromised placentas. Spoiler alert: It has nothing to do with placental age and isn’t shown to correlate with stillbirth even when signs of it do occur.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know what the world’s research has and hasn’t shown, and you’ll develop both an understanding of and appreciation for the placenta, which will help to inform your own decisions around induction and your birth plan in general.

@midwifethinking
Dr. Rachel Reed

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We are back with our February Q&A episode! Today we are answering your questions around: Whether or not it is ok to eat in labor, leaking (or not leaking breastmilk), how long it takes to feel good in your postpartum body and relationship again; whether or not you need an OB in order to get prenatal ultrasounds if you are having a home birth; understanding ovulation postpartum; why not to birth on your back, and our quickies series, loaded with great questions submitted by all of you!

* * * * * * * * * *

Connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow, where we post new information daily related to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. You can reach us at [email protected]. We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To submit a question, visit the Down To Birth website or send us a voice memo through Instagram messenger.

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Today we are joined by Diana Marks, a social media influencer and coach, who is deeply passionate about bringing awareness to women on how and why to consider egg freezing for fertility preservation. If this is a topic you've been curious about, today's episode will answer your questions from, "When should someone consider egg freezing," to "How much does egg freezing cost," to "What is the emotional journey of going through this process?"  With more women choosing to start families later in life - or wanting the option to do so - egg freezing is a rapidly evolving technology that is growing in popularity. And for Diana Marks, it was the logical decision that brought the peace of mind she was looking for.

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How do you know if you are carrying generational birth trauma? And if you identify it, what can be done about it prior to giving birth? Today we meet with  Stefanie, whose mother had a traumatic obstetrical experience while birthing to her second daughter, resulting in permanent brain damage and disability to Stefanie's little sister. Stefanie was five at the time. For nine months, she had excitedly anticipated her parents coming home with a baby, only to end up in her grandparents' care while her parents spent most of their time in the NICU. The childhood experience left a fear and trauma so deep, Stefanie always intended never to get pregnant. It was only after Stefanie fell in love and got married that she recognized she carried her mother's birth trauma with her throughout childhood and into adulthood, impacting her beliefs around the safety of childbirth. Feeling a longing to become a mother herself, she went on a courageous healing journey including therapy, reiki, and even mediumship, to confront her trauma. Once she came out the other side, her pregnancy and birth transpired as the most natural and magical experience of Stefanie's life.

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Lizzie Bolliger of Fiercelizzy doesn't consider herself necessarily a fierce  person but very much a fierce advocate for autonomy and informed decision making in childbirth.  Today, she joins us as a guest host to discuss what it actually means to be fierce in your birth planning and preparation. Guess what?  According to Lizzie, it's not about having the most detailed birth plan because there is no power in the birth plan if you don't know why you are checking the boxes. So what is the most important component of your birth plan? That is the topic of today's episode as we walk you through the critical questions to ask yourself and your provider in preparing for your best and safest birth.   

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Our January Q&A is here and has a special treat! In addition to your more in depth questions we've add a "quickies" series to the end of the episode.  Be sure to check it out and send in your feedback!

Today's Q&A begins with induction and hypertension: when is the right time to be induced (see our episode on Pitocin)? Next we touch on setting boundaries with passive-aggressive in-laws; how does having one posterior baby (and an anterior pelvic tilt) impact my birth? Should I be concerned about leaving the birth center so soon after giving birth? What tips do you have for a distracted breastfeeding baby? How do you find the right provider when there are very limited options in your area? Plus, our advice to a baby delivery nurse who has seen birth trauma and received very little support from her colleagues.

Enjoy our brand new quickies section! And check out the chapter markers to skip to a specific question. Thank you for all your great questions. Keep 'em coming! And if you would, please leave a review on Apply podcasts or Spotify:)

#134: Pitocin for Labor: Why and Why Not

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How is yoga like birth? They both ask us to get uncomfortable and sit with that discomfort. How long can we sit with it? Where does our mind go when we get uncomfortable? How quickly do we reach for distraction? Yoga prepares us for birth not only physically but also by integrating the mind/body connection and strengthening our intuition and our physical body. Today, Deb Flashenberg of the Prenatal Yoga Center in NYC speaks with us about how to get safely uncomfortable and learn to use your body, breath and mind to get to the to other side, whether on your yoga mat or at your birth.  We also discuss postpartum recovery, and the importance of recovering physically from inside to outside, such as when it comes to diastasis recti and posture. 

This show is sponsored by:
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ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off

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Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.