On this episode of the Evidence Base Birth® Podcast, we talk with Barbie Christianson, RN all about fundal massage. We discuss what the evidence actually says about this routine procedure versus what happens in everyday practice, and why this practice continues to persist in routine preventative care.   Barbie Christianson is a nurse, community educator and advocate, as well as a parent of four young children. Their mission is to communally dismantle oppressive structures specifically in reproductive/perinatal healthcare while contributing to the expansion of existing Black and/or Indigenous led community-based care structures. Barbie’s special focus is on addressing and eliminating obstetric violence using trauma informed perinatal advocacy, care, and education.   Barbie shares her passion and skills in trauma informed care with our audience by sharing useful scripts for obtaining informed consent, explaining how to guide patients in their own assessments and massage, and offers many ways to maintain a calm and compassionate nature to a procedure known as the “devil’s massage.”   Content Warnings: Uterine/fundal massage, obstetric violence and assault, pospartum hemorrgage      Resources:   Learn more about active management in the thrid stage of labor in our Signature Article: The Evidence on Pitocin During the Thrird Stage of Labor here Follow the BadAssMotherBirther in Instagram here     Go to our YouTube channel to see video versions of the episode listed above!! For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on:   TikTok Instagram Pinterest  Ready to get involved?   Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) here  Find an EBB Instructor here  Click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.    

EBB 267 - Debunking Myths about Fundal Massage with Barbie Christianson, RN

In the Evidence Based Birth® podcast, we cover the research evidence on hot topics about pregnancy and childbirth! Our mission is to help birth workers build the evidence based knowledge, skills, and power they need to protect families' ability to give birth with empowerment. The work we do has a huge impact on parents who are searching for accurate information to empower their prenatal, birth, and postpartum experiences!

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Science & Medicine

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 Join us in diving deep into Myla Flores' incredible story of becoming a leader and visionary in the birth field! From Myla's early experiences as a birth doula to her ongoing advocacy for safe, dignified birth options, Myla's passion shines through as she discusses the challenges and triumphs of birth work.  Discover how The Womb Bus, a mobile wellness hub, brings essential education, resources, and outreach to blossoming families in under-resourced areas. Learn about Myla's vision for The Birthing Place, a future birth center that will offer midwifery-led collaborative care, and about group efforts to expand access to safe, informed reproductive care for all. Tune in to hear firsthand accounts of the impact The Womb Bus has had on neighborhoods in NYC, providing vital services and support to those who need it most. From fibroid screenings to lactation support, Myla and her team are breaking down barriers and creating pathways to reproductive wellness and empowerment.     Learn more about The Birthing Place and The Womb Bus here!  Follow The Birthing Place on Instagram here.   Follow Maryam Reproductive Health + Wellness on Instagram here.  The Birthing Place is launching a capital campaign! Learn more and support their growth.        EBB Resources: For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.   

EBB 311 - Creating a Community-Led Birth Center in New York City with Myla Flores of the Womb Bus

    Dr. Rebecca Dekker is joined by Joyce Dykema, doula and EBB Instructor, and Brianna Fields, a labor and delivery nurse, to discuss advocating for positive shifts in birth culture, particularly in Nebraska. Joyce shares her journey into birth work and the impact of the Evidence Based Birth Instructor program on accessing research evidence, highlighting changes in hospital practices and provider attitudes that support more diverse birthing options.     Brianna discusses her experience in Joyce's EBB Comfort Measures Workshop—which covers the importance of language, positioning, acupressure, and eating and drinking during labor. Together, Joyce and Brianna talk about the need for ongoing education for nurses so that they can provide optimal support during childbirth. Joyce also opens up about the legislative challenges facing the birth community in Nebraska. Tune in to this episode learn about doulas and nurses advocating together, using research evidence to make positive changes in birth culture.     Resources:  Check out EBB Continuing Education events (including the EBB Comfort Measures Workshop) for Professionals here.  Get on the wait list for the EBB Instructor program here.  Visit Joyce's website and see her upcoming events here!  Follow Joyce on Instagram here.     EBB Resources: For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.     

EBB 310 - Doulas & Nurses Advocating Together for Positive Shifts in Birth Culture with Joyce Dykema, EBB Instructor & Brianna Fields, RN

   What is a doula, and what are the different types of doulas? How many people use doulas during childbirth, and what does a doula actually do? Are there any randomized, controlled trials on doula support? What are the benefits and risks of having a doula, if any? And if the evidence shows that doulas improve health outcomes… then why are some hospitals around the world unsupportive of labor companions? And how can you find a doula if you’re interested in having one at your birth?      Today’s podcast episode with Dr. Dekker and Sara Ailshire, MA, is chock full of research from our peer-reviewed Evidence Based Birth® Signature Article: The Evidence on Doulas.     To learn more, download a free one-page handout, and view all the research references, go to ebbirth.com/doulas.      EBB Resources:       Access all the scientific references and a free 1-page handout at the EBB Signature Article: Evidence on Doulas here.        If you’re a visual learner, watch a video about the Evidence on Doulas on the EBB YouTube channel here!     Join the EBB Pro Membership and get access to contact hours, a doula mentorship program, live trainings, and a PDF Library with exclusive handouts (including a full-length printable PDF on "Evidence on: Doulas") by joining here.    Learn comfort measures and advocacy techniques through the EBB Childbirth Class.         EBB Podcasts:      EBB 195 – Grief & Healing through Pregnancy and Infant Loss with Full Spectrum Doula, Rose Rankin    EBB 207 – Gender Affirming Birth Work and Education with Full-Spectrum Doula and Childbirth Educator, Moss Froom    EBB 211 – Supporting Expectant Families through Birth and Lactation with Birth Doula and EBB Instructor Coordinator, Rikki Jenkins    EBB 229 – Evidence on Doulas with Community-Based Models and Reimbursement    EBB 252 – A Candid Conversation about Doula Advocacy with Doula and EBB Instructor Leslie Greene    EBB 285 – Creating a Sustainable Career in Birth Work with Jessica Diggs, Doula Mentor and Co-Founder of Centered.           

EBB 309 - Evidence on Doulas

 Curious which toxins should be most avoided for people of reproductive age and their children? In this episode, Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo, LM, CPM, MPH, PhD unravels the intricate connection between environmental exposures and their profound impact on pregnancy and birth outcomes. We will explore the hidden risks associated with heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. You'll learn about the research on how environmental exposures contribute to issues like reduced birth weight, miscarriage, stillbirth, congenital anomalies, and neurodevelopmental delays. Plus, Dr. Taiwo teaches about the unequal distribution of these exposures across populations, what parents can do to test their environments for unwanted elements, and how midwives can be part of the solution for environmental justice. Content Note: Listener discretion is advised. This episode includes a stark discussion of common environmental exposures, social factors, and their impact on pregnancy and infant health outcomes. Toward the end of the episode [from 37:12 to 41:08], there is a brief discussion of traumatic historical events (including the Holocaust and chattel slavery) and their subsequent impact on environmental toxins.       Resources:  Learn more about the Environmental Working Group  Download EWG's Healthy Living app here.   Check your cosmetics with the California Breat Cancer Prevention Partners Check out The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE)  Read Some of Dr. Taiwo's Work:  The Giving Voice to Mothers study: inequity and mistreatment during pregnancy and childbirth in the United States Maternal Prenatal Stress and Child Neurodevelopment Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder and Reproductive Justice: Examining Unmet Needs for Mental Health and Social Services in a National Cohort   EBB Resources:  Watch the video of this podcast episode on the EBB YouTube channel here!  Join the EBB Pro Membership and get access to contact hours, a doula mentorship, live trainings, and a PDF Library with exclusive handouts (including a 2-page handout on breech) by joining here. Learn advocacy techniques through the EBB Childbirth Class.   Follow Evidence Based Birth:    Facebook  Instagram  X        

EBB 308 - The Intersection of Environmental Justice and Midwifery Care with Dr. Tanya Khemet Taiwo

  In this episode, Ellora La Shier, graduate of the EBB Childbirth Class, shares about her struggle with six years of unexplained infertility and how it impacted her eventual birth story. Listen in as Ellora describes the frustration of unexplained infertility, suffering through years of increasingly painful periods, and the relief of finally receiving a diagnosis of endometriosis. Despite facing numerous challenges and undergoing various treatments, including intrauterine insemination (IUI), Ellora remained determined and resilient.     Finally, after years, Ellora underwent surgery to remove the abnormal tissue caused by endometriosis. Following surgery, she and her husband were overjoyed to discover that they quickly became pregnant. Although this pregnancy marked the end of a long and challenging infertility journey, Ellora still had to process the many years of healthcare dismissal and her complicated relationship with pain, and how this would impact her eventual unmedicated birth. Ellora's story highlights the importance of perseverance, self-advocacy, and finding supportive healthcare providers in navigating the complexities of infertility and reproductive health.      Resources    Find evidence-based information about infertility here.       EBB Resources:    Watch the video of this podcast episode on the EBB YouTube channel here!     Join the EBB Pro Membership and get access to contact hours, a doula mentorship, live trainings, and a PDF Library with exclusive handouts (including a 2-page handout on breech) by joining here.    Learn advocacy techniques through the EBB Childbirth Class.       Follow Evidence Based Birth:    Facebook    Instagram    X  

EBB 267 - Debunking Myths about Fundal Massage with Barbie Christianson, RN

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