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Show Notes:

[1:37] Your birth partner plays a pretty crucial role when it comes to your pregnancy and birth. Obviously, they helped you get there. They definitely need to be a part of the process. There's nothing that's going to bring you guys closer than the process of being pregnant and giving birth together.

[3:15] #1. Be an active participant all the way! Once you start learning, you're actually going to be getting excited about the information. Dads need to understand the process just as well as moms because at a point during her labor, she might not be able to verbalize the things that she needs to be done during the process.Dad should know very well, what she desires, but also know her so that you feel comfortable and stand as that rock advocating for her. Dads need to understand how the body works, what tests are coming up, how to speak with providers, what questions you bring, etc. 

You have to tell your birth partner your birth preferences, and he has to...

Show Notes:

[0:21] Our Reviewer of the Week, kpalsson, says, "I found this podcast about a week ago and have not stopped binging episodes. I really love the positive birth stories! It seems most of my friends have traumatizing birth experiences, normally ending in an emergency C-section. Since before getting pregnant, my husband and I have discussed working towards an unmedicated hospital birth. I’m now 23 weeks pregnant and feeling more confident than ever that we can do this! Thanks for giving an amazing resource of knowledge and positivity!"

I think it's really important that you have positive places, spaces, and people around you as you prepare for your birth so that you can be excited, confident, and ready for this experience, rather than fearing it or being really concerned about what is to come.

[4:31] This week's topic is about what it looks like if you don't have the best support. Which can range from people who are close to you that don't...

Show Notes:

No matter what kind of birth experience you want to have, the right support makes all the difference! Sarah & Matthew share how they were the creators of their experience and how love, trust, and confidence gave them what they needed to achieve the home birth they desired.

[1:11] Our reviewer of the week, Shaun Derenzo, said: “So inspired by this podcast! Hi Stephanie! Found your podcast through The Breastfeeding Talk Podcast, and now I can’t stop binging it! I am currently 8 months postpartum with my second baby, and you make me want to have another . . . AT HOME! Your words are so inspiring and listening to the work you do makes me want to become a birth doula (currently studying to be a certified lactation counselor . . . but who knows what else my future may hold ) HA! Thank you for the beautiful work you do for women and all the information you give to empower us through the most beautiful and life changing moments of motherhood. I will never...

Birth trauma is real and it can happen to women even when they've have done everything in their power to NOT have it happen, and it's NOT their fault! If you are wondering what you can do to avoid it OR you have experienced birth trauma and want to know how to heal from it, tune in this week! 

Karina Robinson, childbirth educator, doula, and almost midwife joins me as we walk through what causes birth trauma, how your birth partner can identify when you've experienced it, and how to avoid it with several different tools!

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About Karina: 

I am a trained, certified, and skilled professional doula in the height of my life’s passion. I am in my element when, after weeks of preparation and education, I see a woman and her partner share a secret, knowing look of shimmering emotion that shows all their hard work paid off, in one of life’s most precious moments. This moment is further enhanced for me when the woman’s partner...

This week, I'm helping you explore the pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum experience. We’re going to take a deep dive into the essentials that every mama and her partner should know. From ways to stay healthy and low-risk through a well-balanced diet and probiotics, to methods that you and your birth partner can support one another. We’ll draw on evidence-based sources and personal experiences to help you prepare yourself to have your best birth. So join us this week as we demystify the journey from preparation to birth, to parenthood. We’ll see you there!

Pregnancy

[5:58] The benefits of preparing for birth earlier in the pregnancy rather than later

[8:20] How getting knowledge earlier in your pregnancy will help you stay healthy and low-risk

[9:20] How having a well-balanced diet puts you in the pregnancy driver’s seat

[14:18] Probiotics that can help you have a healthier birth and understanding how you handle pain to find the best...

On this weeks podcast, I had the pleasure of sitting with one of the members of the My Essential Birth Course, and talking about her most recent birth experience. Erica is a mother of three, and due to previous births that were less than she had hoped for, she decided to explore a different option for her third pregnancy. She talks about her provider experience - what needed to change for this birth, course experience - what worked well, and her partner's experience - how he was not only able to step up and support her but also how he was so proud of her afterwards. We also talked about many other important aspects of pregnancy and birth. You're in for a treat with this beautiful birth story!

Show Notes

3:18 - Erica introduces herself. She gives us a bit of background about who she is, where she’s from, and her family dynamics. She further talks about how she discovered MEB and her not-so-favorite experiences prior to joining the course.

8:58 Erica talks about the signs of...

If your partner is thinking that there's really no point in having a doula because that's kind of taking over their job, or they don't think it's worth the financial investment, or they just literally have no idea what a doula does, they're not alone! This episode is going to walk you through our (my husband + me) journey to discovering what a doula was, why she might be beneficial, if she was actually worth the investment, and if we would hire one again. I hope you have your partners listen in to this episode because it's an honest take on what it's like for our partners to think through and plan for having someone in their intimate space with the woman they love, during labor and birth. 

Show Notes

5:29 - My husband give his thoughts on what he thought the job of a doula was and his perspective on what he thought his job would be if he had a doula.

8:30 - I explain the role of a doula and my personal experience with my doula during my pregnancy and labor of my third child.

...

The partner's point of view can be kind of a mystery and I've had a lot of women asking me what their partner should know and do. Well, you're welcome...and I'm sorry. This week I brought my dear husband on the show and I truly hope you get something good out of it as we laugh our way through pregnancy, birth, marriage, love, and parenting. We talk about what it was like to support me during a cesarean birth, a medicated VBAC, and an unmedicated VBAC. He even talks about postpartum depression, for the partner, and his best recommendations for how to handle it. True story, I did not know he went through this until he mentioned it on the podcast. Plus, we take time to let him answer your questions that we collected before the show.

Show Notes

4:02 - We discuss communication and a little bit of our background into becoming pregnant with our first baby.

5:32 - Our birth prep with our first baby was the best we knew to do at the time. We talk about how that wasn't maybe the best thing...

Running a marathon was one of the most challenging, rewarding, and empowering experiences of my entire life, much like birth, and I am so excited to share this incredible story with all of you! Yes it's 100% true that you do not need to be able to run a marathon to give birth. I should know, I gave birth three times without ever being physically able to run a marathon. However, we often hear that the physical exertion required is about the same. So now that I have done both, I am anxious to tell you everything I've learned about the mental and physical powers of our minds and bodies.

Training for a marathon and training for birth have SO many similarities!

• In both cases, you know the approximate date of when you need to be ready. So, if you knew you had 9 months to prepare, would you start preparing right away? I don't think most people would plan to "wing" a marathon, and you definitely can't "wing" birth!
• I had to be committed & consistent with my runs. You need to be...

Recovery is just as important as the event itself and when we talk about recovery we mean the whole woman, not just the physical body. Whether or not a cesarean birth is a planned part of your birth story there are some important and helpful things to know for the recovery period including your mental and emotional health too. 

WHAT TO EXPECT IN YOUR PHYSICAL RECOVERY

• You've had major abdominal surgery- ab muscles are pulled apart & incisions made into your uterus.
• You've had an epidural that can come with its own set of side effects. Things like headaches and nausea. If spinal fluid is leaking, you may require a blood patch.
• Overall, your inside may feel a little odd as your organs move back into their pre-baby places. Back pain, body aches, and fatigue are all normal. 
• You will have pain at the incision site. Moving, turning, twisting, sitting up, going to the bathroom, walking, etc will be more difficult and uncomfortable.

 HOW TO COPE WITH PHYSICAL...