The Birth Ease Podcast

In this latest episode of the Listening to Midwives series, Michelle has a conversation with Jae Rowan and Rhione Zeixchel, owners of Sanctuary Birthing. If you are a fellow birth worker, get ready to hear some of the names of some of the icons in our birth world being mentioned as they share their 60+ years of combined experience as midwives. Rhione and Jae remind pregnant women that their birth can be in their hands if they receive respect, consideration, and informed choice. Women can take back birth. Yet, they caution not to be naive and think you will be handed it, because you will not… not with this current medical system. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and settle back to soak up the wisdom of these sage birth keepers and the brilliant project they are up to now.

“Your body talks to you. I think that in our really, really fast paced media oriented, screen oriented culture we stop listening or maybe we never learned to listen. And yet, every pregnant woman, her body will start to talk to her almost from the beginning. ... It's an important thing. Start listening to your body. Your body is talking to you.”— Jae Rowan

“I would hope that each woman before, during pregnancy would take some time. Take some time to be still, sink in, connect with a deeper layer underneath all the mind chatter. Just even 5 minutes. Begin making time. Start listening. Because I believe that that inner knowing can inform us in the BEST possible way from this day on. And your baby is counting on it. It can change your baby’s life. And it can change the world, one baby at a time in that way.”— Rhione Zeixchel

About Jae Rowan:

Jae, Certified Professional Midwife, and Oregon Licensed Midwife began her study of midwifery in 1985. She has attended 100’s of births over the last 31 years. Her path as a woman and mother has been intertwined with her study of yoga, midwifery, parenting, and communication, skills that she brings to the care she provides to families. Jae learned that pregnancy and birth are normal and natural processes from her grandmother, who birthed 13 children at home. Jae believes that the way we bond to our baby during pregnancy and the way we birth set a foundation for the life of our child, and for our life as a mother. She offers Arvigo Mayan Abdominal Massage sessions along with personalized prenatal, birth preparation and early parenting coaching.

About Rhione Zeixchel:

Rhione, Oregon licensed midwife, has attended hundreds of births since 1981. As an apprentice-trained midwife, she has been privileged to learn from many teachers in the wise-woman tradition. Rhione utilizes the benefits of homeopathic medicine and intuition-based practices she describes as “deep listening” to the unborn. Certain key tenets guide Rhione’s love of this work: knowing that the natural birth process is innately healing; understanding newborn babies as fully conscious beings in little bodies; and believing that a woman’s way to natural birth is paved with her own listening and trusting. Mothers’ own ecstatic birthing stories inspired her to become certified in HypnoBirthing in 2001. With midwife friend Jae Rowan, she co-created Three Sisters Midwifery in 2012.

Connect with Jae & Rhione:

Website:  sanctuarybirthing.com (https://sanctuarybirthing.com/)

Facebook: Sanctuary Birthing (https://www.facebook.com/sanctuarybirthing)

Instagram:

Are you finding yourself feeling overwhelmed or irritable with those you love due to the stress of the Coronavirus pandemic? Listen in as Natasha Solovieff and Michelle discuss Natasha’s signature strategy which helps parents to stay engaged with their children and each other. Her L.O.V.V.E. Way invites families to begin Listening, Om-ing (centering yourself), Voicing, Visioning, and Exploring in order to unwind any difficult feelings, emotions, and situations and determine what is of value to them as a family. The L.O.V.V.E. Way creates a solid path in this time of uncertainty and provides relationship and self-reflection tools that are extremely vital, and yet, rarely taught.

"What I wanted to give parents is a default way of moving out of our snappy moments and those things that come up in parenting that are really heightened right now that cause us to disengage with our children and to disengage with ourselves, and our partner. Relationships are this dance between being engaged, being disengaged, and bringing ourselves back into engagement. And, that’s a skill." —  Natasha Solovieff

About Natasha Solovieff:

With a BSN and M.Ed., Natasha has 25+ years as a Maternal Child Health clinical and public health nurse. She is the author of “The Dance of Parenting: Finding Your Inner Choreographer” a book that invites you to energize and strengthen your parenting dance by using your parenting L.O.V.V.E. skills. She also writes heartfelt and intriguing science-for-parents blogs.

 

Connect with Natasha Solovieff:

Website:  OMGparenting.com ( https://omgparenting.com/)

Twitter:  @OParenting (https://twitter.com/OParenting)

 

Connect with Michelle Smith:

Website: BirthEaseServices.com (BirthEaseServices.com)

Facebook: Birth Ease (https://www.facebook.com/BirthEaseMethod/), The Birth Ease Podcast (https://www.facebook.com/thebirtheasepodcast/)

Instagram: @ birtheasemichellesmith (https://www.instagram.com/birtheasemichellesmith/)

YouTube: Birth Ease (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcpfTDHpaqRkU2w_GHdGlmQ)

LinkedIn: Birth Ease Michelle Smith ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/birth-ease-michelle-smith-033a8b1a6/)

Pinterest: Birth Ease (https://www.pinterest.com/birthease/boards/)

Show: Birth Ease (https://feeds.blubrry.com/feeds/birthease.xml)

Listen as Tanya Alvarado, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, shares with Michelle some helpful coping skills for families during COVID-19. Together they discuss using "I" statements to communicate more effectively, the purpose of forgiveness, what healthy boundaries are, and tips for supporting children during the pandemic.

"I think one of the biggest challenges right now is that we are wearing many different hats, roles, and responsibilities that are new or overwhelming. And sometimes, we don't have the space to process our own feelings, let alone share them with our partner and ask for what we need." — Tanya Alvarado

 

About Tanya Alvarado, MA, LMHC:

Tanya is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and owner of A New Path Counseling in East Orlando where she works with tweens, teens and adults in private practice. Areas of specialty include mood disturbances (such as anxiety & depression), trauma, and working with Tourette/Tic disorders. She is  CBIT (Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics) certified and EMDR certified therapist. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. Tanya is also a Qualified Supervisor for Mental Health Interns. She has a passion for supporting the individuals and families to make positive changes toward health, healing, and creating a new path of life for future generations.

 

Connect with Tanya Alvarado, MA, LMHC

Website: anewpathcounsel.com/ (http://www.anewpathcounsel.com/)

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @anewpathcounseling (https://instagram.com/anewpathcounseling?igshid=1w0cv87wvy3l7)

Facebook: A New Path Counseling (https://www.facebook.com/anewpathcounsel/)

Resource for Setting Healthy Boundaries: Dr. Henry Cloud (https://www.drcloud.com/)

 

Connect with Michelle Smith:

Website: BirthEaseServices.com (BirthEaseServices.com)

Facebook: Birth Ease (https://www.facebook.com/BirthEaseMethod/), The Birth Ease Podcast (https://www.facebook.com/thebirtheasepodcast/)

Instagram: @ birtheasemichellesmith (https://www.instagram.com/birtheasemichellesmith/)

YouTube: Birth Ease (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcpfTDHpaqRkU2w_GHdGlmQ)

LinkedIn: Birth Ease Michelle Smith ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/birth-ease-michelle-smith-033a8b1a6/)

Pinterest: Birth Ease (https://www.pinterest.com/birthease/boards/)

Show: Birth Ease (https://feeds.blubrry.com/feeds/birthease.xml)

May 6, 2020, is Maternal Mental Health Awareness day, and Michelle has dedicated this episode to providing an overview of what the postpartum experience can be like for new families. Often there is so much focus on the pregnancy and the birth, families may find themselves woefully unprepared for the realities that having a new baby can bring to their lives. Having a new baby can feel overwhelming and isolating for many families and the quarantine and social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic are exacerbating stress families may feel. Michelle explains helpful self- care tips for moms and their partners. She distinguishes between baby blues and postpartum depression, gives an overview of maternal mood disorders, and provides resources for families here in the show notes. Michelle ends this information-packed episode with a brief guided relaxation.

Resources:

And Baby Makes 3: The Gottman Institute

Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (http://perinatology.com/calculators/Edinburgh%20Depression%20Scale.htm)

(http://perinatology.com/calculators/Edinburgh%20Depression%20Scale.htm)Postpartum Support International (https://www.postpartum.net/)

The Blue Dot Project (https://www.thebluedotproject.org/)

The Conversation: Managing postpartum depression: New Moms isolated by coronavirus pandemic (https://theconversation-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/theconversation.com/amp/managing-postpartum-depression-new-moms-isolated-by-coronavirus-pandemic-134773?usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D&_js_v=0.1#aoh=15883925760041&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fmanaging-postpartum-depression-new-moms-isolated-by-coronavirus-pandemic-134773)

Motherly: Eight Ways to Reduce Anxiety for Mothers (https://www.mother.ly/child/ways-to-reduce-anxiety-for-moms)

 

Baby Care Resources:

Dunstan Baby Language

Happiest Baby on the Block

All Babies Cry

No Cry Solution

 

Resources in Central Florida:

Orlando Health Winnie Palmer: Mothers Matter Support Group (https://www.orlandohealth.com/news-and-events/events/mothers-matter)

Life Counseling Solutions (https://lifecounselingsolutions.com/2013/09/orlando-postpartum-depression-anxiety-help/)

Perinatal Wellness & Psychological Services (https://www.perinatalwellness.net/)

Total Life Counseling (https://www.totallifecounseling.com/services-therapy-orlando-florida-clermont-east-southwest-therapy-therapists-counselors/adult-services/maternal-mental-health-counseling-therapy-orlando/)

Florida Chapter of Postpartum Support International (https://psichapters.com/fl/)

Listen in as Heather Barson shares with Michelle the journey that brought to her vocation as a doula, midwife, and advocate for birthing families. She confides to Michelle the goose bump moment that inspired her to create the Coalition for Ethical Maternity Care during COVID-19. Heather has dedicated herself to assisting families to understand their options in maternity care and helping them to preserve their autonomy in the process.

"[As a birthing person]... use your voice. You matter. Your needs matter. And your needs matter more than anyone else's in the room. And if your care providers aren't willing to acknowledge that, then you need to either find other care providers or find some sort of tool to help communicate that better. You have a lot more power than you think you do and now is the perfect opportunity for you to step up and use it. Even if it is terrifying. I promise you, that it will be a far more valuable experience if you do step up and push through that fear and have your needs met. Because you're worth it" —Heather Barson

About Heather Barson:

Heather is an independent midwife and doula practicing in Northeast Utah. She also provides various placenta services, including at-home placenta stem cell consulting. Seeing her rural community was in need of more doulas, and the local hospitals were somewhat hostile to the few professional doulas in the area, she co-founded the Uintah Basin Doula Association. With this organization, she and her colleagues befriended the hospitals so their clients would get better care, advertised heavily on behalf of doulas in general so professional doulas could charge what they were worth, and began training and supporting professional doulas locally. Seeing another need during the COVID-19 pandemic, she recently founded the Coalition for Ethical Maternity Care, a national organization open to all problem-solving members of the maternity care team. With it she hopes to see more facilities model their COVID-19 maternity care policies after facilities that choose reasonable and respectful precautions over ones that are harmful to mothers and babies.

Connect with the Coalition for Ethical Maternity Care:

Website: ethicalbirth.org (https://www.ethicalbirth.org/)

Facebook: Coalition for Ethical Maternity Care ( facebook.com/groups/ethicalmaternitycare)

Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

 

Connect with Heather Barson:

Facebook: Sacred Space Midwifery- Uintah Basin (facebook.com/SacredSpaceHeather )

Email: [email protected]

 

Connect with Michelle Smith:

Website: BirthEaseServices.com (BirthEaseServices.com)

Facebook: Birth Ease (https://www.facebook.com/BirthEaseMethod/), The Birth Ease Podcast (https://www.facebook.com/thebirtheasepodcast/)

Instagram: @ birtheasemichellesmith (https://www.instagram.com/birtheasemichellesmith/)

YouTube: Birth Ease (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcpfTDHpaqRkU2w_GHdGlmQ)

LinkedIn: Birth Ease Michelle Smith ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/birth-ease-michelle-smith-033a8b1a6/)

Show: Birth Ease (https://feeds.blubrry.com/feeds/birthease.xml)

Listen in as Michelle has a potentially life changing conversation with Lynn Schulte, founder of the Institute for Birth Healing, regarding the ways in which healing and  understanding our pelvic health can enhance our body’s ability to give birth and health postpartum. Lynn explains the physical mechanics of the pelvic joints, the pelvic bones, and pelvic floor muscles and how they are meant to work together for birth. Lynn shares why she doesn’t recommend doing lots of kegel exercises during pregnancy to prepare for birth, why coached “purple pushing” during birth is really counter-intuitive to releasing the baby, and how the vocalizations in birth help relax the pelvic floor. She explains why the issues are in our tissues and how healing can occur swiftly when we listen to the patterns held within the pelvis. Please join the Birth Healing Summit 2020 which is a free online event that begins April 20th.

“...A lot of what we bring in our body to the pregnancy and to the birth can influence that birth. So there’s preexisting things that a person might be carrying in their body that can influence whether or not that birth is going to go really smoothly or it’s gonna be more challenging.”—Lynn Schulte

Lynn Schulte, BSPT, is a Women’s Health Physical Therapist with over 30 years’ experience and is the founder of the Institute for Birth Healing. She has been helping moms heal from all the multitude of issues women experience after birth and is now teaching courses to bodyworkers to help them do the same. She found a common birth pattern that shows up in the pelvis after birth and knows how to effectively release these patterns. She offers a certification process to help birth professionals to become Birth Healing Specialists.

Birth Healing Resources:

Birth Healing Summit (https://birthhealingsummit.com/?oprid&ref=15790)

Central Florida Birth Healing Specialist Melissa Schubert (https://pelvicrehab.com/practitioner/melissa-schubert-pt/)

Birth Healing for Parents Course (https://instituteforbirthhealing.com/confidence-core-pelvic-floor/)

Birth Healing Doula Course (https://instituteforbirthhealing.com/birth-recovery-doulas/)

 

Connect with Lynne Schulte:

Website: Institute for Birth Healing (https://www.instituteforbirthhealing.com)

Facebook: Institute for Birth Healing (https://www.facebook.com/InstituteForBirthHealing/)

YouTube: Institute for Birth Healing (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBUsM_zZ9keQBugpIYhkJNQ)

Instagram: Institute for Birth Healing (https://instagram.com/instituteforbirthhealing)

Linked In: Lynn Schulte (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-schulte-leech-932a341/)

 

Connect with Michelle Smith:

Website: BirthEaseServices.com (BirthEaseServices.com)

Facebook: Birth Ease (https://www.facebook.com/BirthEaseMethod/), The Birth Ease Podcast (https://www.facebook.com/thebirtheasepodcast/)

Instagram: @ birtheasemichellesmith (https://www.instagram.com/birtheasemichellesmith/)

YouTube: Birth Ease (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcpfTDHpaqRkU2w_GHdGlmQ)

LinkedIn: Birth Ease Michelle Smith ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/birth-ease-michelle-smith-033a8b1a6/)

Show:

Listen in as Cristen  Pascucci and Michelle continue their conversation regarding human rights in childbirth. They delve into the fact that everyone brings their own background, biases, and trauma with them to the birth room. Criste...

Have you ever wondered what your rights are during childbirth? Listen in to part one of this much needed conversation as Cristen Pascucci, founder of Birth Monopoly shares with Michelle how the experience of her son's birth provided the impetus that led her to become a leading voice for women giving birth.

“There is that perception that in some situations, your consent doesn’t matter. As a woman, when it comes to sex and reproduction there are some situations where you no longer own your body. Someone else has the authority over your body. That is really powerful. And that is what continually surprises me that people don’t get more upset about it in the realm of childbirth. That really that people aren’t taking to the streets to say, 'My basic civil rights are not only violated as an individual, but widely disrespected in policy and practice all across the country in hundreds of facilities.'"—Cristen Pascucci

About Cristen Pascucci:

A former communications strategist at a top public affairs firm in Baltimore, Maryland, Cristen Pascucci is the founder of Birth Monopoly and Birth Monopoly's Doula Power group, co-creator of the Exposing the Silence Project, and, from 2012 to 2016, vice president of national advocacy organization Improving Birth. She has run an emergency hotline for women facing threats to their legal rights in childbirth, created a viral consumer campaign to “Break the Silence” on trauma and abuse in childbirth, and helped put obstetric violence and the maternity care crisis in national media.  Today, she is a leading voice for women giving birth, speaking around the country and consulting privately for consumers and professionals on issues related to birth rights and options. Cristen is also the host of Birth Allowed Radio as well as executive producer of a documentary film planned for release in 2020 to start a national conversation on obstetric violence, birth trauma, and women's rights in birth.

 

Connect with Cristen Pascucci:

Website: birthmonopoly.com (http://www.birthmonopoly.com)

Facebook: Birth Monopoly (http://www.facebook.com/birthmonopoly)

Instagram: @birthmonopoly (http://www. instagram.com/birthmonopoly)

 

COVID-19 and Pregnancy Resources:

BIRTH MONOPOLY: COVID-19 AND DOULA SUPPORT: HOW TO RESPOND TO CHANGING HOSPITAL POLICIES (https://birthmonopoly.com/covid-19-and-doula-support-how-to-respond-to-changing-hospital-policies/)

Coronavirus COVID-19 | Evidence Based Birth® Resource Page (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/covid19/)

Black Mamas Matter Alliance (https://blackmamasmatter.org/)

VBAC Facts: Offering Labor After Cesarean During COVID-19 (https://vbacfacts.com/covid19/)

 

Connect with Michelle Smith:

Website: BirthEaseServices.com (BirthEaseServices.com)

Facebook: Birth Ease (https://www.facebook.com/BirthEaseMethod/), The Birth Ease Podcast (https://www.facebook.com/thebirtheasepodcast/)

Instagram: @ birtheasemichellesmith (https://www.instagram.com/birtheasemichellesmith/)

YouTube: Birth Ease (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcpfTDHpaqRkU2w_GHdGlmQ)

LinkedIn: Birth Ease Michelle Smith ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/birth-ease-michelle-smith-033a8b1a6/)

Show:

In these uncertain times that we are facing in this pandemic of the COVID-1, especially as a pregnant person, many expecting families are considering transferring from a  hospital birth setting to a home or birth center setting. Listen in as Michelle and Mary Surprenant, Licensed Midwife, discuss the different types of midwifery training and licensing, the legalities of home birth in different states, insurance, and what home birth and birth center birth entails. Mary explains the safety considerations of out of hospital birth and when a transfer from home or birth center would be warranted. Together they recommend getting quiet and going within to discover where you would feel safest.

"Birth can't be done out of fear. … Where is it that you feel the safest? When you find that, that is the way to have your safe, peaceful birth when you're in the surroundings of chaos."—Mary Surprenant

About Mary Surprenant, LM, CPM:

Mary attended the Florida School of Traditional Midwifery in 2012. She was licensed in 2013, and began her vocation as a midwife providing care to families in a  birth center and home birth setting for over 5 years. Mary established her own home birth practice, Blessings in Abundance, in order to focus more on home birth and reconnecting with the client and her family as a whole. Her passion is helping more central Florida families bring their child into a peaceful world in the most loving way.

Connect with Mary Surprenant:

Website: biamidwifery.com

Facebook: @BIAMidwifery (https://www.facebook.com/BIAMidwifery/)

Instagram: @surprenantlmcpm (https://www.instagram.com/surprenantlmcpm/)

 

Connect with Michelle Smith:

Website: BirthEaseServices.com (BirthEaseServices.com)

Facebook: Birth Ease (https://www.facebook.com/BirthEaseMethod/), The Birth Ease Podcast (https://www.facebook.com/thebirtheasepodcast/)

Instagram: @ birtheasemichellesmith (https://www.instagram.com/birtheasemichellesmith/)

YouTube: Birth Ease (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcpfTDHpaqRkU2w_GHdGlmQ)

Show: Birth Ease (https://feeds.blubrry.com/feeds/birthease.xml)

In these uncertain times that we are facing in this pandemic of the COVID-19, it is even more valuable to elicit the relaxation response and deepen the bonds of connection with our children and those we love. This episode includes an adapted version of Michelle's foundational Birth Ease relaxation session which assists parents in creating an Inner Sanctuary for themselves and their baby. If parents counteract the effects of stress by utilizing the relaxation response daily, their babies receive the benefit as well; especially babies in the womb.  Pre & perinatal psychologists recommend connecting and bonding with your baby while in the womb as a vital way to help protect babies from stress and the rigors of birth.

The relaxation response is essentially the opposite reaction to the “fight or flight” response. It is a physical state of deep relaxation which engages the other part of your nervous system—the parasympathetic nervous system. Once engaged, it turns off the fight or flight response and brings the body back to pre-stress levels counteracting the physiological effects of stress and the fight or flight response. Episode 03 of this podcast lists ways to help reduce the impacts of stress and also contains a guided relaxation session for parents of all ages to help elicit the relaxation response and strengthen the parent-child bond.

"Finding ways to elicit the relaxation response is something everyone can use right now and the beneficial effects will trickle down to our children. We can be more present for them when we take time to get out of flight, fight, or freeze." —Michelle Smith

As a gentle reminder: This guided relaxation recording audio is for just that, relaxation purposes only. It does not constitute medical or mental health advice or treatment, nor does it imply a specific outcome during pregnancy, birth, postpartum, or beyond. Please avoid listening to this guided relaxation while engaging in an activity that requires your full attention. Please stop the podcast and return to it when you can be safely seated or reclining in a supported position. Unless you are the passenger listening to this guided relaxation with headphones on, for everyone’s safety never listen to it while driving or riding in a vehicle.

 

COVID-19 and Pregnancy Resources:

Coronavirus COVID-19 | Evidence Based Birth® Resource Page (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/covid19/)

Black Mamas Matter Alliance (https://blackmamasmatter.org/)

BIRTH MONOPOLY: COVID-19 AND DOULA SUPPORT: HOW TO RESPOND TO CHANGING HOSPITAL POLICIES (https://birthmonopoly.com/covid-19-and-doula-support-how-to-respond-to-changing-hospital-policies/)

VBAC Facts: Offering Labor After Cesarean During COVID-19 (https://vbacfacts.com/covid19/)

Aviva Romm, MD: COVID-19, and Pregnancy Breastfeeding: What We Know is Reassuring (https://avivaromm.com/covid-19-pregnancy-breastfeeding/)

World Health Organization:  Q&A on COVID-19, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding (https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-on-covid-19-pregnancy-childbirth-and-breastfeeding)

CDC: Information on COVID-19 and Pregnant Women and Children (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/pregnant-women-and-children.html)