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Pregnancy includes many unknowns for dads-to-be and having something or someone to look up to could help you in the journey phenomenally. Today's guest is an author-dad who helps fathers worldwide understand pregnancy and the roles of a dad in helping make the experience easy for themselves and their partners.

David Arrell is a dad, consultant and men's coach. He turned author with his book, "Welcome to Fatherhood", in which he consolidates the lessons learned from his experience being a dad for the first time. Through the book, David encourages men to more actively step into their supportive roles during pregnancy, childbirth, and the fourth trimester back home and gives them detailed and practical tips and techniques on how to do so.

In this episode, he breaks down his journey of becoming a dad, the invisible roles of assisting the mother during the journey, the benefits of using professional help, like a doula, and some tips to...

Imagine training for a job but walking in on your first day and having no idea of what you were going to be asked to do! "Have you ever wondered what males really know about pregnancy and birth?"

The My Essential Birth Podcast began an intimate conversation between two childbirth educators and doulas. Since that first recording in an office after hours, things at My Essential Birth have grown. I now record in a studio with my incredible podcasting team Corbin, Trent, Dallon, and Savannah. With the exception of Savannah, my team is primarily male.

As you can imagine, they knew very little about pregnancy, the birthing process, and how women's bodies function! In this interview, my Rockstar editors will share the episodes that made them redefine the pregnancy journey, what it means to advocate for expectant moms, and the episodes that made them say -- "Wait, is THAT what happens during pregnancy?"

Sit back and prepare to laugh while gaining insight into how movies and media...

Are you prepared for the very first step of the postpartum period? This week on the podcast, I talk about the golden hour—that crucial first 60 minutes following your baby’s birth. I’ll be going through why the golden hour is so important, how to get it (if it’s not immediately offered to you during your care), and exactly what you and your partner should be doing during that time. Tune in and enjoy!

Show Notes

1:45 - The golden hour is the first hour after the baby is born. It’s the crucial 60-minute transition that your baby goes through between the womb and the outside world. During this important time, mom and baby need time together, undisturbed, in order for them to bond, familiarize themselves with each other, and start building a connection outside the womb.

3:27 - Look for a hospital with a baby-friendly certification, as these hospitals are guaranteed to offer you this golden hour. But it’s not a deal-breaker even if your hospital...

Do you know what to look for to know it’s labor time?! This week on the podcast, I talk about what those things are but also give you some detail on how they can show up for moms because, let’s be honest, some moms may see certain signs and still wait a week or two before hitting active labor. Tune in and enjoy!

Show Notes

5:11 - Nesting can show up as you get closer to your due date. This is a common sign that labor is approaching across the animal species too! Mom's thought process during this time may causes her to go into organizing mode. There are also some great exercises to help put you in a calm mental state as you get closer to your birth-date.

12:25 - Wondering what a mucous plug is and what it does?! You can find all that info here. I also explain the various looks a mucus plug can have, what to look for and what might be considered not normal and cause for you to see your provider.

21:06 - Your water broke! Hooray! You’re definitely...

This week I had the pleasure of having  incredible home birth midwife, Angie, LM, CPM,  join me on the podcast. Angie, from the Long Beach, CA area, gives us some insight into what the process of taking care of a mother during pregnancy and birth is like as a home birth midwife. We also went a little deeper into birthing during a pandemic as well as the importance of informed consent. Informed consent is so important to her and I know when you take a listen you will understand why and feel empowered to stand up for yourself.

It's true that when you birth at home you will be birthing unmedicated but it doesn't mean your midwife won't come prepared with life-saving medications, tools, knowledge, and skills to keep you and your baby safe. With so many misconceptions when it comes to home births, including the legitimacy and safety of the practice, Angie gives us the facts that can help tackle those misconceptions and may even have you looking up a local home birth midwife...

I can't wait for you to listen to this inspiring birth story with Anne, a My Essential Birth Course mama, who takes us through her journey from conception, pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum. It is a perfect story about what it's really like to walk through everything pregnancy, birth, and postpartum for the very first time. Her and her husband did an excellent job preparing and supporting each other. I hope you will find something special and learn tons, for both you and your partner as you listen. Enjoy!!

Show Notes

3:24 Anne tells us a little bit about herself and her husband, a bit of their history and what conception was like for them. 

5:10 Anne gives us some inside on what pregnancy was like for her. She talks about the different feelings she experienced every trimester and the changes she felt along the way. I also ask Anne about her provider experience, how she found her provider and what solidified her choice. We continue of conversation about her provider and...

 Since it's the simple things that can trip us up the most when it comes to trying to create the birth experience we’re really aiming for, I want to throw a few "obvious" but not so obvious lies you will likely believe if you hear them during your pregnancy. I’m hoping as I give you some more details about each of these three lies your mind will start to sort through all of the information and you will continue to build on that knowledge so you have it for when you need it. Overall, I want you to realize how much power you have over your birth experience and that you are truly the one in charge. So I will tell you each lie, give you all the nitty gritty facts, and then end with the truth. Remember I am not a medical provider and cannot provide medical advice. I’m just a birth nerd who loves to know what my options are when it comes to birthing and then be able to share them with all of you.

Show Notes

5:01 - The first lie that is told when it comes to...

 I sat down with Dr. Nate Fox, once again, and I got to ask him all of YOUR questions about twins! Birthing one baby comes with its fair share of challenges, but for mamas birthing two babies in one shot, well, there's some things you'll want to know. Thankfully, Nate talks us through some of the different things you can expect during the pregnancy, birth, and some postpartum. Not only does his practice specialize in the delivery of twins, he is also the father of twins, so you will love his expertise, personally & professionally. Listen in as he gives some great information as well as resources to anyone interested in all the fun parts of having twins.

Show Notes

3:02 - Dr. Nate Fox, a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, gives us a little background on himself and his practice. He also chats about his podcast and how these stories can benefit pregnant women, high-risk or not.

7:20 - Who needs to meet with a high risk/ maternal fetal medicine provider when they are pregnant...

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...

 This week’s episode is going to focus on all of the ins and outs of prodromal labor. 2020 changed a lot of things for birth, including causing a ton of prodromal labor for expecting mamas. In this episode, I walk you through exactly what prodromal labor is, what the risks are, if there are any benefits, how to prevent it, what to do for yourself (and baby) if you end up experiencing it, and what it means for the end-game - in other words, how it affects your birth plan and if it ultimately means you can’t have the birth you were hoping for. Since this is something affecting tons of pregnant moms right now, you're definitely going to want to give this episode a listen and then tuck it away to review for later.

Show Notes

5:37 - What prodromal labor is, how it feels, how it compares to Braxton Hicks, and how it compares to active labor. I also talk about the different lengths in which it can range.

9:54 - My three very different birth experiences, how they compared,...