Did you know that a change in fetal movement is the first & sometimes only sign that your baby could be in distress? While some may get kick counting advice from their providers, many do NOT! Plus there's a ton of misconceptions about fetal movement & not everyone is given the proper information. So this is your quick, in-depth lesson from Erica Bailey, a devoted Count the Kicks Ambassador + Elizabeth Hutton, the Chief Executive of Kicks Count UK!  Though there are some differences in how kick counting is done in the US & UK, there are a lot of similarities + urgent warnings you need to hear. So please share with all your friends!  

We recommend EVERYONE (those with low risk pregnancies included) checks out this episode to get the most up to date advice on this critical technique for monitoring your baby's wellbeing in the womb. It could help you save your baby's life by alerting you to a change & giving you the confidence to advocate to get the needed intervention to prevent a stillbirth or even avoid other issues in pregnancy that can be treated if caught in time.  

JOIN OUR CIRCLE 

Make sure to subscribe to be alerted about our future episodes, which will feature honest discussions with everyone from birth workers, to birthing parents, to cord and placenta experts, to OB's, to maternal mental health providers, to advocates + more!   

We understand the worries & questions you may have as a parent-to-be. The Sacred Birth Circle is your village. You do not have to walk this path into parenthood alone. We're here for you every step of the way.  Sacred Birth Circle goes Beyond the Pregnancy Guide sharing helpful, potentially life-saving, & supportive Womb Wisdom you won't hear anywhere else!  Comment to share which of the misconceptions about fetal movement you've been told before or share your babies' birth stories involving noticing a change in movements.    

Follow Sacred Birth Circle on IG + FB to connect with us + our community & expand your knowledge with us.  

With love, 

Ana   

RESOURCES 

If you have suffered a stillbirth please accept our deepest, heartfelt condolences & visit pushpregnancy.org/pregnancy-infant-loss for a list of resources we recommend. Rae also has a curated support website for loss families www.thebluestcircle.com. As loss parents ourselves, we understand the nightmare you have been living through. Please know you are NOT alone. Our community is here for you!  To learn more about measuring the placenta, check out our partner org's website www.measuretheplacenta.org & feel free to connect with them to find a provider willing to help with this important stillbirth prevention tool that is not yet part of standard of care.   

DISCLAIMER 

Our content is not intended as medical advice. This is general information regarding the subjects discussed, which may not apply to every person. Please consult your healthcare provider for your medical care or advice specifically tailored to your needs, symptoms and health. Your care team will have a better understanding of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum situation. Make sure you ask for their help and guidance.

When stillbirth happens, it's always unexpected & tragic. No one imagines that a perfectly, normal pregnancy can end so suddenly, without notice. Angelica Kovach is a NICU Nurse who's experience caring for premies & her medical background made her aware of this possibility, but she never thought it would happen to her either. She has learned so much since her son, Ezra, was born still & she hopes to educate others to help them avoid this terrible outcome.   

Listen now to hear her story + tips for prevention (that she's helping PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy spread) & how to properly kick count (as an Ambassador for Count the Kicks. We hope this information will help you in the future to be better prepared for any curveball you may be thrown.   

Send this episode to your friends, you could be helping save a life!  

Please go to pushpregnancy.org or follow PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy on social media to join the fight to end preventable stillbirths.  

Go to TheBigPUSHmarch.org to join us in DC on 10/15/22 to demand change!  

JOIN OUR CIRCLE 

Make sure to subscribe to be alerted about our future episodes, which will feature honest discussions with everyone from birth workers, to birthing parents, to cord and placenta experts, to OB's, to maternal mental health providers, to advocates + more! We understand the worries & questions you may have as a parent-to-be. The Sacred Birth Circle is your village. You do not have to walk this path into parenthood alone. We're here for you every step of the way. Sacred Birth Circle goes Beyond the Pregnancy Guide sharing helpful, potentially life-saving, & supportive Womb Wisdom you won't hear anywhere else! 

Follow Sacred Birth Circle on IG + FB to connect with us + our community & expand your knowledge with us.  

With love, 

Ana   

RESOURCES 

If you have suffered a stillbirth please accept our deepest, heartfelt condolences & visit pushpregnancy.org/pregnancy-infant-loss for a list of resources we recommend. Rae also has a curated support website for loss families www.thebluestcircle.com. As loss parents ourselves, we understand the nightmare you have been living through. Please know you are NOT alone. Our community is here for you!To learn more about measuring the placenta, check out our partner org's website www.measuretheplacenta.org & feel free to connect with them to find a provider willing to help with this important stillbirth prevention tool that is not yet part of standard of care.  

DISCLAIMER 

Our content is not intended as medical advice. This is general information regarding the subjects discussed, which may not apply to every person. Please consult your healthcare provider for your medical care or advice specifically tailored to your needs, symptoms and health. Your care team will have a better understanding of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum situation. Make sure you ask for their help and guidance.

Are you overwhelmed with the competing messages on social media about pregnancy + birth? Don’t know who to trust or how to process it all? Watch this episode with Dr. Sarah Pachtman Shetty (aka @Healthymamadoc) to hear our take on all the views shared by influencers + free birth platforms & more!  

Send this episode to any of your pregnant friends to help them cut through all the noise & feel more confident that they are making informed + safe choices for themselves & their baby.   

Please DM @sacredbirthcircle the craziest misinformation you’ve seen on social media!   

JOIN OUR CIRCLE 

Make sure to subscribe to be alerted about our future episodes, which will feature honest discussions with everyone from birth workers, to birthing parents, to cord and placenta experts, to OB's, to maternal mental health providers, to advocates + more!   

We understand the worries & questions you may have as a parent-to-be. The Sacred Birth Circle is your village. You do not have to walk this path into parenthood alone. We're here for you every step of the way.  Sacred Birth Circle goes Beyond the Pregnancy Guide sharing helpful, potentially life-saving, & supportive Womb Wisdom you won't hear anywhere else!  Follow Sacred Birth Circle on IG + FB to connect with us + our community & expand your knowledge with us. 

With love, Ana   

RESOURCES 

If you have suffered a stillbirth please accept our deepest, heartfelt condolences & visit pushpregnancy.org/pregnancy-infant-loss for a list of resources we recommend. Rae also has a curated support website for loss families www.thebluestcircle.com. As loss parents ourselves, we understand the nightmare you have been living through. Please know you are NOT alone. Our community is here for you!  To learn more about measuring the placenta, check out our partner org's website www.measuretheplacenta.org & feel free to connect with them to find a provider willing to help with this important stillbirth prevention tool that is not yet part of standard of care.   

DISCLAIMER 

Our content is not intended as medical advice. This is general information regarding the subjects discussed, which may not apply to every person. Please consult your healthcare provider for your medical care or advice specifically tailored to your needs, symptoms and health. Your care team will have a better understanding of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum situation. Make sure you ask for their help and guidance.

Want to know what you’re up against as a birthing person & what you can do to better prepare yourself for the birth you deserve?   

Rachel Nicks, the founder of @birthqueenorg, doesn’t hold back punches about birth inequities, which is why we love her!  

We hope that by shedding light on the realities that parents-to-be are facing, especially black women, you will fight to improve your outcomes by building your support system now, before you reach delivery (including doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, public floor therapist, & postpartum mental health support)!  

Remember: You are a queen, you should have all the best care!   

JOIN OUR CIRCLE 

Make sure to subscribe to be alerted about our future episodes, which will feature honest discussions with everyone from birth workers, to birthing parents, to cord and placenta experts, to OB's, to maternal mental health providers, to advocates + more! We understand the worries & questions you may have as a parent-to-be. The Sacred Birth Circle is your village. You do not have to walk this path into parenthood alone. We're here for you every step of the way. Sacred Birth Circle goes Beyond the Pregnancy Guide sharing helpful, potentially life-saving, & supportive Womb Wisdom you won't hear anywhere else!Follow Sacred Birth Circle on IG + FB to connect with us + our community & expand your knowledge with us.  

With love, 

Ana   

RESOURCES 

If you have suffered a stillbirth please accept our deepest, heartfelt condolences & visit pushpregnancy.org/pregnancy-infant-loss for a list of resources we recommend. Rae also has a curated support website for loss families www.thebluestcircle.com. As loss parents ourselves, we understand the nightmare you have been living through. Please know you are NOT alone. Our community is here for you! To learn more about measuring the placenta, check out our partner org's website www.measuretheplacenta.org & feel free to connect with them to find a provider willing to help with this important stillbirth prevention tool that is not yet part of standard of care.   

DISCLAIMER 

Our content is not intended as medical advice. This is general information regarding the subjects discussed, which may not apply to every person. Please consult your healthcare provider for your medical care or advice specifically tailored to your needs, symptoms and health. Your care team will have a better understanding of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum situation. Make sure you ask for their help and guidance.

"Umbilical cords are the lifeline to blood + nutrients for all fetuses. Like a garden hose, if the cords flatten or bend, the supply line can be damaged or cut off, impacting fetal development & increasing the risk of death." Why then is more not being done to monitor our babies' cords or advise us on prevention of stillbirth caused by cord issues through monitoring of movement changes? Is it truly "impossible" to foresee a cord related stillbirth or is a complacent attitude that some babies cannot be saved causing things to be done "according to protocol" but without any additional effort to save vulnerable babies?  

We're grateful for this important discussion with Dr. Jason H. Collins who is well known in the stillbirth community as the expert in cord "accidents". We are using quotes because an accident by definition is any event that happens unexpectedly, without a deliberate cause. Cord loss parents, like myself, do not believe you can classify damage or death due to cord complications (cord compressions, entanglement, true knots, etc.) as an accident if it is known that there is a risk and nothing is being done to prevent this outcome.  

Listen to this Live conversation to find out how you can advocate for your baby's cord to be closely monitored during your pregnancies. Don't leave the life & well-being of your child up to chance, these "accidents" are often preventable, but we must demand for more to be done!  

Please go to pushpregnancy.org or follow PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy on social media to join the fight to end preventable stillbirths.  

Go to TheBigPUSHmarch.org to join us in DC on 10/15/22 to demand change! 

JOIN OUR CIRCLE 

Make sure to subscribe to be alerted about our future episodes, which will feature honest discussions with everyone from birth workers, to birthing parents, to cord and placenta experts, to OB's, to maternal mental health providers, to advocates + more! We understand the worries & questions you may have as a parent-to-be. The Sacred Birth Circle is your village. You do not have to walk this path into parenthood alone. We're here for you every step of the way. Sacred Birth Circle goes Beyond the Pregnancy Guide sharing helpful, potentially life-saving, & supportive Womb Wisdom you won't hear anywhere else!

Follow Sacred Birth Circle on IG + FB to connect with us + our community & expand your knowledge with us.  

With love, 

Ana   

RESOURCES 

If you have suffered a stillbirth please accept our deepest, heartfelt condolences & visit pushpregnancy.org/pregnancy-infant-loss for a list of resources we recommend. Rae also has a curated support website for loss families www.thebluestcircle.com. As loss parents ourselves, we understand the nightmare you have been living through. Please know you are NOT alone. Our community is here for you!To learn more about measuring the placenta, check out our partner org's website www.measuretheplacenta.org & feel free to connect with them to find a provider willing to help with this important stillbirth prevention tool that is not yet part of standard of care.  

DISCLAIMER 

Our content is not intended as medical advice. This is general information regarding the subjects discussed, which may not apply to every person. Please consult your healthcare provider for your medical care or advice specifically tailored to your needs, symptoms and health. Your care team will have a better understanding of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum situation. Make sure you ask for their help and guidance.

Jatesha "Jaye" Wilson shares her story on Sacred Birth Circle | Beyond the Pregnancy Guide to help parents-to-be grow their knowledge about potential complications & how they can advocate for themselves & their baby if difficult situations arise in their pregnancies.   Jaye is a 4x survivor of preeclampsia who is no stranger to birth trauma. She delivered her first live baby in 2008 after two losses in 2004 & 2007. She didn’t know this journey would inspire the work she does with Melinated Moms, but has come to realize this is what fuels her passion for her work helping others navigate this unpredictable, but sacred experience.    

Melinated Moms (Melinated Moms) is a MOM Profit™ – a community-centered women empowerment social enterprise supporting moms & women to become better versions of themselves.   

We invite you to watch this inspiring + informative conversation to become more aware about the birthing experiences Jaye has survived & to learn more about Melinated Moms mission & support offerings for families.   

JOIN OUR CIRCLE 

Make sure to subscribe to be alerted about our future episodes, which will feature honest discussions with everyone from birth workers, to birthing parents, to cord and placenta experts, to OB's, to maternal mental health providers, to advocates + more! We understand the worries & questions you may have as a parent-to-be. The Sacred Birth Circle is your village. You do not have to walk this path into parenthood alone. We're here for you every step of the way. Sacred Birth Circle goes Beyond the Pregnancy Guide sharing helpful, potentially life-saving, & supportive Womb Wisdom you won't hear anywhere else!

Follow Sacred Birth Circle on IG + FB to connect with us + our community & expand your knowledge with us.  

With love, 

Ana   

RESOURCES 

If you have suffered a stillbirth please accept our deepest, heartfelt condolences & visit pushpregnancy.org/pregnancy-infant-loss for a list of resources we recommend. Rae also has a curated support website for loss families www.thebluestcircle.com. As loss parents ourselves, we understand the nightmare you have been living through. Please know you are NOT alone. Our community is here for you!To learn more about measuring the placenta, check out our partner org's website www.measuretheplacenta.org & feel free to connect with them to find a provider willing to help with this important stillbirth prevention tool that is not yet part of standard of care.   

DISCLAIMER 

Our content is not intended as medical advice. This is general information regarding the subjects discussed, which may not apply to every person. Please consult your healthcare provider for your medical care or advice specifically tailored to your needs, symptoms and health. Your care team will have a better understanding of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum situation. Make sure you ask for their help and guidance.

Join this important conversation between “Selling Sunset” star, Maya Vander & Ana Vick (Sacred Birth Circle Founder + Co-Director of Awareness for PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy) about the many ways our system has allowed babies like ours to slip through the cracks & what we should be doing to prevent stillbirths in this country.  

Maya has been an outspoken advocate for awareness + change ever since the tragic & unexpected stillbirth of her son, Mason. Her story is so heartbreaking, but it has already saved a baby & we’re sure many more will be born safely because of her strength & vulnerability in spreading the knowledge she has learned.

Please watch + share this episode so everyone can hear what we’ve discovered after loss including prevention tips & how our medical system can improve their care.  

If you’re pregnant, don’t forget to download the @countthekicksus app & become aware of your baby’s daily pattern of movements (start at 26-28 wks). Know your normal & always go in to L&D immediately if you notice a change.  

If you don't want this neglected tragedy to continue, please support our efforts to create immediate, lasting change with the #SHINEforAutumnAct (follow @shineforstillbirth to learn more) & send a quick pre-written message to your Senators on stillbirthstories.com because they need to hear from YOU their constituents to support this historic bill that will help save so many families from experiencing this trauma.   

Please go to pushpregnancy.org or follow PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy on social media to join the fight to end preventable stillbirths. Go to TheBigPUSHmarch.org to join us in DC (or virtually) on 10/15/22 to demand change!  Mason #stillcounts & his legacy lives on with every baby you save (including the one we talk about in this interview). Thank you so much Maya for speaking out for all our families!    

Please go to pushpregnancy.org or follow PUSH For Empowered Pregnancy on IG or FB to join the fight to end preventable stillbirths.

Go to TheBigPUSHmarch.org to join us in DC (or virtually) on 10/15/22 to demand change!

Learn about Measure the Placenta.

JOIN OUR CIRCLE

Make sure to subscribe to be alerted about our future episodes, which will feature honest discussions with everyone from birth workers, to birthing parents, to cord and placenta experts, to OB's, to maternal mental health providers, to advocates + more!

We understand the worries & questions you may have as a parent-to-be. The Sacred Birth Circle is your village. You do not have to walk this path into parenthood alone. We're here for you every step of the way.

Sacred Birth Circle goes Beyond the Pregnancy Guide sharing helpful, potentially life-saving, & supportive Womb Wisdom you won't hear anywhere else!

Follow Sacred Birth Circle on IG + FB to connect with us + our community & expand your knowledge with us.

With love,

Ana

DISCLAIMER

Our content is not intended as medical advice. This is general information regarding the subjects discussed, which may not apply to every person. Please consult your healthcare provider for your medical care or advice specifically tailored to your needs, symptoms and health. Your care team will have a better understanding of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum situation. Make sure you ask for their help and guidance.

It’s an honor for us to interview one of the most powerful voices in maternal health advocacy, Shawnee Benton Gibson, the Co-Founder of The ARIAH Foundation. You will not want to miss this conversation about the maternity crisis, including maternal mortality & inequities in our broken system, plus what families can do to fight back.  

Shawnee & her family are featured in the Award Winning documentary, Aftershock, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival & is coming to Hulu on 7/19 bringing to light the preventable death of her daughter Shamony, as well as Amber Rose Isaac & too many other mothers, in an effort to demand justice + change. This is a must see film!  Please promise to watch! We as a community cannot stand idly by as this crisis continues to destroy families.  

Follow: The ARIAH Foundation on IG

https://www.aftershockdocumentary.com 

The ARIAH Foundation

JOIN OUR CIRCLE

Make sure to subscribe to be alerted about our future episodes, which will feature honest discussions with everyone from birth workers, to birthing parents, to cord and placenta experts, to OB's, to maternal mental health providers, to advocates + more!

We understand the worries & questions you may have as a parent-to-be. The Sacred Birth Circle is your village. You do not have to walk this path into parenthood alone. We're here for you every step of the way.

Sacred Birth Circle goes Beyond the Pregnancy Guide sharing helpful, potentially life-saving, & supportive Womb Wisdom you won't hear anywhere else!

Follow Sacred Birth Circle on IG + FB to connect with us + our community & expand your knowledge with us.

With love,

Ana + Rae

RESOURCES

If you have suffered a stillbirth please accept our deepest, heartfelt condolences & visit pushpregnancy.org/pregnancy-infant-loss for a list of resources we recommend. Rae also has a curated support website for loss families www.thebluestcircle.com. As loss parents ourselves, we understand the nightmare you have been living through. Please know you are NOT alone. Our community is here for you!

To learn more about measuring the placenta, check out our partner org's website www.measuretheplacenta.org & feel free to connect with them to find a provider willing to help with this important stillbirth prevention tool that is not yet part of standard of care.

DISCLAIMER

Our content is not intended as medical advice. This is general information regarding the subjects discussed, which may not apply to every person. Please consult your healthcare provider for your medical care or advice specifically tailored to your needs, symptoms and health. Your care team will have a better understanding of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum situation. Make sure you ask for their help and guidance.

This episode includes everything we wish we knew about stillbirth before our perfect pregnancies ended. Please watch if you're pregnant, are a medical provider, birth worker, or simply someone who wants to help others bring their babies home safely.

Samantha Banerjee, the Executive Director of PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy, who is one of my dearest friends, shares her devastating loss story and all the womb wisdom she gained after her daughter Alana's unexpected stillbirth. I am so honored to fight along side this warrior momma to help others have better pregnancy outcomes in memory of our babies.

Today is Sam's birthday, so please let her know in the comments how much she is loved and is appreciated for her tireless advocacy!

Alana #stillcounts, her legacy lives on in every baby saved by her mother.

Please go to pushpregnancy.org or follow PUSH For Empowered Pregnancy on IG or FB to join the fight to end preventable stillbirths.  

Go to TheBigPUSHmarch.org to join us in DC on 10/15/22 to demand change!

JOIN OUR CIRCLE

Make sure to subscribe to be alerted about our future episodes, which will feature honest discussions with everyone from birth workers, to birthing parents, to cord and placenta experts, to OB's, to maternal mental health providers, to advocates + more!

We understand the worries & questions you may have as a parent-to-be. The Sacred Birth Circle is your village. You do not have to walk this path into parenthood alone. We're here for you every step of the way.

Sacred Birth Circle goes Beyond the Pregnancy Guide sharing helpful, potentially life-saving, & supportive Womb Wisdom you won't hear anywhere else!

Follow Sacred Birth Circle on IG + FB to connect with us + our community & expand your knowledge with us.

With love,

Ana

RESOURCES

If you have suffered a stillbirth please accept our deepest, heartfelt condolences & visit pushpregnancy.org/pregnancy-infant-loss for a list of resources we recommend. Rae also has a curated support website for loss families www.thebluestcircle.com. As loss parents ourselves, we understand the nightmare you have been living through. Please know you are NOT alone. Our community is here for you!

To learn more about measuring the placenta, check out our partner org's website www.measuretheplacenta.org & feel free to connect with them to find a provider willing to help with this important stillbirth prevention tool that is not yet part of standard of care.

DISCLAIMER

Our content is not intended as medical advice. This is general information regarding the subjects discussed, which may not apply to every person. Please consult your healthcare provider for your medical care or advice specifically tailored to your needs, symptoms and health. Your care team will have a better understanding of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum situation. Make sure you ask for their help and guidance.

In this episode, one of our favorite High Risk OB's, Dr. Tracy Shevell, shares many helpful tips for parents-to-be to better advocate for themselves & their baby during their pregnancy + birth.  

We'll discuss how to use your "mom voice". We also go into everything from birth equity to pregnancy after stillbirth to abortion care access because we don't shy away from the hard conversations in this community. We want you all to be prepared for any journey you may be on, not just the usual topics in the typical pregnancy books.   

JOIN OUR CIRCLE 

Make sure to subscribe to be alerted about our future episodes, which will feature honest discussions with everyone from birth workers, to birthing parents, to cord and placenta experts, to OB's, to maternal mental health providers, to advocates + more!   We understand the worries & questions you may have as a parent-to-be. The Sacred Birth Circle is your village. You do not have to walk this path into parenthood alone. We're here for you every step of the way.  Sacred Birth Circle goes Beyond the Pregnancy Guide sharing helpful, potentially life-saving, & supportive Womb Wisdom you won't hear anywhere else!  Follow Sacred Birth Circle on IG + FB to connect with us + our community & expand your knowledge with us. 

With love, Ana   

RESOURCES 

If you have suffered a stillbirth please accept our deepest, heartfelt condolences & visit pushpregnancy.org/pregnancy-infant-loss for a list of resources we recommend. Rae also has a curated support website for loss families www.thebluestcircle.com. As loss parents ourselves, we understand the nightmare you have been living through. Please know you are NOT alone. Our community is here for you!  To learn more about measuring the placenta, check out our partner org's website www.measuretheplacenta.org & feel free to connect with them to find a provider willing to help with this important stillbirth prevention tool that is not yet part of standard of care.   

DISCLAIMER Our content is not intended as medical advice. This is general information regarding the subjects discussed, which may not apply to every person. Please consult your healthcare provider for your medical care or advice specifically tailored to your needs, symptoms and health. Your care team will have a better understanding of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum situation. Make sure you ask for their help and guidance.