Down to Birth

For our 100th episode, we are featuring Barbara Harper:  the leading voice for childbirth and maternity care reform, an author, educator, midwife and internationally recognized expert on the use of warm water immersion for labor and birth.  

Today, we are honored to have her join us on the @downtobirthshow to talk to us about the “great liberator” aka water birth and all  the benefits for you and your baby including: hydrostatic pressure, increased oxytocin, immediate and prolonged skin-to-skin contact, delayed cord clamping, and more.  And if you’ve ever wondered why a baby doesn’t breathe under the water, she has the answer—and it’s not what you think!

If you've ever been curious about water birth don’t miss this informative interview with Barbara Harper of  @waterbirthint.

You can find out more about Barbara Harper at Waterbirth.org.

* * F-Bomb Alert in the second half of the episode - we didn’t see it coming and chose to leave it in because if Barbara weren’t so passionate about what she does, she wouldn’t be changing the world one hospital at a time. * *

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Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

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Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

“Push like you are taking a poop!  Pushing is a long, grueling process!” This is what most people are told about pushing in labor. But, is it true? Hehe Stewart, of Tranquility by Hehe, is a doula and maternity coach who grew up on a farm watching animals give birth in an undisturbed and effortless way.  After attending births in hospitals and homes, she realized things looked very different there from what she had seen. This  experience inspired her to start teaching how to birth with faster, uninterrupted labors and easier pushing stages. In today’s episode, Hehe shares her insights on birthing and breaks down her three-point secret sauce to easier pushing and less tearing for your best birth.  
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Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <--  for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

In today's mini-episode, Trisha explains how and why we get clogged or plugged ducts and provides guidance on how to recognize them, how to prevent them, and simple steps to resolve them quickly to keep you breastfeeding comfortably.  

If your plugged duct does not resolve within 24-48 hours seek the help of a professional lactation consultant.  
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Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <--  for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

Amanda Pahls is a mother of four daughters, a blogger, and a home school educator with a passion for honoring  women's birth experiences. She joins us on the show today to walk us thorough her first hospital birth followed by three home-births and the dramatic difference in care she received between the two.  Her fifth pregnancy and most recent birth was a miscarriage, at home, which brought her a depth of grief, sadness, and even guilt that she never expected. She opens up about the hard questions we have to face after a miscarriage, like "what do I do with the remains of my baby?" and explains the importance of bringing more awareness, compassion, and empathy to mothers who've miscarried.  
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Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <--  for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

This month's Q&A kicks off with a couple personal questions of Cynthia and Trisha about their dream travel and what they admire in themselves and in each other. After our little heart-to-heart, we get down to business discussing: Pregnancy & birth risk associated with IVF; why you don't need painful uterine massage after birth; what our "must-have" items are for new moms and baby; tips for preventing pre-term birth; tips for preparing for birth related to teas, supplements, & foods; how to handle a low-lying placenta; and the likelihood of your baby coming early if you were born early. See chapter markers to jump to a specific question.

Don't forgot you can submit questions for our Q&A episodes through our website or DM us on Instagram.  We hope you enjoy today's episode and if so, please share with a friend or two:)

For more on the active management of third stage labor see episode: #40 | Q&A: The Placenta & Advanced Maternal Age; COVID-19 Silver Lining ; Chapped Nipples & Poor Latch; Who Can Have a Natural Birth; Pitocin Postpartum; Unsolicated Family Advice
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Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <--  for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

Jessica is a first-time birthing mother from Atlanta who recently attended Cynthia's HypnoBirthing class via Zoom. She and her husband had a birth that began with laughter over a misunderstanding, and ended with a 5-hour pushing stage doing HypnoBirthing deep-breathing while wearing a mask. Jessica's story emphasizes how she and her husband felt respected and supported by their hospital staff from start to finish, including an appreciation for the COVID protocols that disallowed visitors postpartum, allowing them to become acquainted with their son, Smith, without distraction or interruption.

To learn more about HypnoBirthing, visit HypnoBirthing of CT to attend a free information session, and to learn more about Postpartum Soothe visit www.PostpartumSoothe.com. 
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Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <--  for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

In this episode, Lisa shared out loud for the first time the full extent of the intrusive thoughts that have been haunting and terrifying her postpartum. When women suffer from a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder such as postpartum anxiety, depression or psychosis they can suffer from intrusive thoughts such as: fear of drowning the baby in the bath, imagining yourself or someone else dropping the baby, falling down the stairs with the baby, or even imagining yourself or someone else harming the baby with a knife. 

Lisa volunteered to speak with us about her struggle, in hopes of bringing awareness and help to anyone who may be struggling with intrusive thoughts postpartum.  An important takeaway from this episode is to recognize that if a mother expresses a fear of being alone with her baby or expresses thoughts of harming herself or the baby, imagine those words on a billboard as a cry for help. 

Professional support is required and is readily available by trained specialists. If you don’t know where to begin, you can contact Postpartum Support International at 1-800-944-4773.

Postpartum support groups are offered every week on Tuesday mornings @downtobirthshow.

* * * * * * * * * *

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <--  for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

 As a registered dietician (RD) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Jaren Soloff was inspired to create a space and program to help postpartum moms navigate eating and body image after birth. She guides her clients in the anti-diet method of  "intuitive eating," which focuses on  tapping into your body's signals to tell you when you are hungry and when you are not. Intuitive eating is a process of learning to trust your appetite and cravings as a means of guiding you. In today's episode, Jaren teaches us not only about intuitive eating and how to determine when our cravings are physically driven versus emotionally driven;  but also, how breastfeeding our babies can help us attune to our own instinctual eating.

Jaren is the author of:  The Postnatal Cookbook: Simple and Nutritious Recipes to Nourish Your Body and Spirit During the Fourth TrimesterPaperback

You can find her on Instagram at @fullcrcl_

* * * * * * * * * *

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <--  for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

Most of us fall short when it comes to practicing self-care - especially postpartum moms, who are usually happy enough just to get more than 5 hours of sleep plus a shower. And when anyone tells them to go do something nice for themselves, it's always well-intended, but is it helpful when those moms think self-care means getting a professional massage, attending a live yoga class or getting a mani/pedi? In today's episode, Cynthia talks about self-care as a lifestyle rather than an event. Even 5 minutes a day will have a greater impact than a whole weekend away once a year, or the occasional massage. We need to remove the barriers to self-care, and question what it means in the first place. It doesn't  have to involve money, complicated scheduling or baby care. Ideally, it doesn't have to involve other people at all. You're the most important person in your baby's life, and just as the weight of caring for your baby falls on your shoulders, so too does your own self-care. Reach out to us on Instagram or our website to tell us your own story related to needing, struggling with or creating self-care. 
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Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <--  for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

Colleen always felt called to birth and was determined to have the birth of her dreams. After two miscarriages, she was so excited to give birth to her first child. When her birth resulted in a cesarean, she knew the next time around she would make sure things went differently.  

Despite her mother and husband resisting the idea of a VBAC she went for it anyway.  At 1/2 a centimeter dilated, the hospital sent her back home while she feared her birth was going to end up with the same outcome as before. 

Discouraged, she labored at home in the tub, nursed her 22 month old, and shortly after had the overwhelming urge to go to the bathroom!  Realizing it was time to have a baby, they rushed to the hospital only to be told, "Don't push. Keep the baby in. We don't have a room for you yet!"  After an hour of waiting, she vaginally birthed her baby into her arms. 

While delighted to have had her VBAC, her postpartum physical recovery was far more challenging.  Looking back, she realizes how she trusted her doctor more than herself and how that may have impacted her recovery.  Next time, she says, "I'll choose a home birth."
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Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <--  for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.