This episode enters a tender and brave space. This conversation holds the weight of love, grief, anger, and the quiet stories that often go unspoken. Our guest, Dr. Deb Davies, DACM, L.Ac., and birth doula, shares how losing her first baby at birth led to where she is today in holistic perinatal care, specializing in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. Not only do we speak of loss and miscarriage, we discuss perinatal health disparities and the heart-breaking truths about the major gaps in perinatal healthcare in the U.S. and how these gaps ripple out to create real health disparities for people of color and underserved communities.
You’ll hear us get fired up and also tear up.
This is another conversation reminding me there is still so much work to be done.
Whether you’re listening as someone who has walked this path, supported someone through it, or are simply seeking to understand and make an impact on maternal health, we invite you to join us with open hearts and curious presence.
Summary
In this episode of Yinspired, Dr. Haunani Chong-Drake, DACM, interviews Dr. Deb Davies, DACM, a specialist in perinatal acupuncture. They discuss the importance of acupuncture in women’s health, particularly during pregnancy and postpartum. The conversation highlights the need for education on pregnancy loss, the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating conditions like placenta previa, and the importance of a collaborative pregnancy care team to improve maternal health outcomes. As leaders and advocates of Integrative Medicine since the early 2000s, they speak candidly of the current challenges and misconceptions of integrative medicine.
Links to all episode show notes, guests' bios, references, and shoutouts can be found at Yinspired.substack.com/podcast
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Yinspired Podcast
00:54 Meet Dr. Deb Davies: A Journey into Acupuncture
03:28 The Path to Acupuncture: Personal Experiences
07:49 Specializing in Perinatal Acupuncture
09:40 Overcoming Fears in Treating Pregnant Patients
12:35 The Importance of Support in Women’s Healthcare
15:58 Addressing Pregnancy Loss and Emotional Support
18:10 The Role of Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth
20:14 Understanding and Treating Placenta Previa
25:30 Success Stories in Perinatal Acupuncture
27:41 Understanding Pregnancy Complications
30:41 The Role of Acupuncture in Pregnancy
33:53 Building a Pregnancy Care Team
36:22 Maternal Mortality and Healthcare Disparities
39:36 Advocacy and Empowerment in Childbirth
44:39 The Importance of Community Support
48:35 Navigating Hospital Policies and Procedures
57:24 The Importance of Postpartum Care
01:00:13 Cultural Perspectives on Recovery
01:02:59 Challenges of Postpartum Life
01:05:45 Integrative Medicine and Support Systems
01:08:46 The Future of Healthcare and Women’s Rights
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