The Birth Ease Podcast

Michelle chats with Toni Harman award-winning documentary filmmaker, author, and digital course creator. Her documentary film, MICROBIRTH has helped parents and professionals around the world understand the infant microbiome. Toni explains what the microbiome is, how it relates to the immune system, and what can be done to protect a baby's microbiome during pregnancy, birth, and early infancy. Together they discuss such things as how a cesarean birth, water birth, a baby born en caul (without the water breaking), breastfeeding, and formula feeding impact the baby's microbiome. Toni also shares how breastmilk is designed to seed and feed the baby's gut microbiome.

Michelle discusses ways to mitigate stress such as creating a strong support network of friends and family, counseling, journaling, and meditation. She also explains what the relaxation response is and the benefits it provides.  This episode includes a bonus guided relaxation session (with updated background music) that helps to create a healing relational field between a parent and their child(ren) that enhances connection and bonding—no matter the age of their baby and/or child(ren).

Michelle is celebrating the 2 year anniversary of the Birth Ease Podcast! With all of the stress the Coronavirus pandemic is bringing, she reairs episode 2 to once again set the foundation of what she means by "noise" in the podcast introduction, as well as exactly what stress is and the impacts it has. Michelle shares how stress can affect our ability to conceive a child, as well as cause pregnancy complications and preterm birth. If a mother is experiencing chronic or intense acute stress, then it will actually interfere with the wiring of the unborn baby's brain. During birth, stress and fear can cause labor to slow or stall. Michelle shares measures to help make the transition from the womb into the world less stressful for the baby. Stressful life events can be a factor in developing postpartum depression, as well. Michelle reassures listeners that women undergoing acute or chronic stress can have healthy pregnancies and give birth to healthy babies, but it is vital to reduce our stress as much as possible and find coping skills and techniques to help.

Michelle shares the benefits of birth affirmations and provides tips on how to use them during pregnancy. She also discusses the possibility of certain birth affirmations unintentionally creating trauma for someone if the birth doesn't go as planned. Michelle then concludes the episode with recorded birth affirmations that can be used during pregnancy to prepare for birth and parenthood.

Heidi Snyderburn, host of Birth Story Podcast, shares with Michelle the incredible story of the birth of Birth Story Media™ and her book, Birth Story: Pregnancy Guidebook + Journal, which provides education through storytelling. Week-by-week, this pregnancy book guides future parents through pregnancy with engaging educational material designed to empower and prepare them for this journey. Journaling prompts invite the reader to document and memorialize their birth stories. Each week begins with a “Postcard from the Womb.” Finally, Heidi shares some of her favorite real-life birth stories, filled with educational tidbits and explanations of important medical terms.

Michelle and Donna Seegers Abler, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Pregnancy & Newborn Consultant, and Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology Educator, discuss the awareness and consciousness of babies. Donna shares amazing stories from her experience with babies in NICU. Together they explore how birth can impact babies and the implications of some of the protocols and practices within the medical system. Donna provides suggestions for parents to help support their baby in the NICU. Donna also shares about her new book, "Love me In: A Sacred Pregnancy Journal" which reflects leading-edge principles from the field of prenatal and perinatal psychology. It is a beautifully written and illustrated journal that guides expecting parents inward on a conscious journey through reflection, meditation, and heart-based practices. It is intended to empower self-connection to grow and nurture a healthy womb environment, giving babies their best start.

Annette Leary, IBCLC, RN, BSN shares with Michelle the multitude of ways that craniosacral therapy benefits people of all ages and stages in life; especially as it relates to fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and infant feeding. CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on approach that releases tensions deep in the body to relieve pain and dysfunction and improve whole-body health and performance. It was pioneered and developed by Osteopathic Physician John E. Upledger after years of clinical testing and research at Michigan State University.

Kathy Bradley, IBCLC discusses an increasing concern for parents:  tongue and lip ties in newborns. Kathy explains what a tongue or lip-tie is, the different types of ties, the potential signs of a tongue-tie, and when a surgical revision may be necessary. Kathy also shares what parents may want to look for in a provider if a tongue-tie revision is advised, as well as concerns regarding the MTHFR gene mutation and the formation of tongue-ties.

In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, Michelle re-airs her conversation with Kathy Bradley, IBCLC in which they explore the sources of fear and stress that can create doubts surrounding the ability to breastfeed our babies and trust ourselves as parents.

In celebration of the 100th episode of the podcast, Michelle and Isa Gucciardi discuss her new book, "The New Return to the Great Mother: Birth, Initiation and the Sacred Feminine". Isa shares about her experience of meeting the Great Mother while giving birth to her child and how she became an early advocate for birthing women. Isa's passion is to help women understand that birth is one of many biological initiations that she goes through over the course of her life. These initiations include our own birth, puberty, menses, the first sexual experience with another person, giving birth, menopause, and death.

Connect with Dr. Isa Gucciardi on Instagram and Facebook @sacredstream or website https://www.sacredstream.org/. Purchase her book "The New Return to the Great Mother: Birth, Initiation and the Sacred Feminine" on Amazon and on Audible.