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We asked, you told us, and then we made an entire episode quoting all of your incredible suggestions for what every mom should have during pregnancy, birth, & postpartum! We absolutely LOVE this birthing community that we get to be a part of. You are all so supportive, fun, and wise. We hope you enjoy this week's episode made BY you, FOR you!

Show Notes

3:50 - All the things you need for Pregnancy! These are the things YOU said were the very best to have for pregnancy.

7:01 - The "why" behind going to a chiropractor, because sometimes we need to know a little more.

20:44 - Must-Haves for Birth. These are the things that helped tons of our mamas during that actual birth.

28:56 - Postpartum Must-Haves

35:19 - Specifics for mom postpartum. 

37:00 - Specifics for baby postpartum. 

The last two weeks of pregnancy can be a bit tricky because #1 you don't know when those last two weeks will actually be and #2 it feels exciting and exhausting all at the same time! We've broken it down into the most useful things you can do to transition from having baby inside to bringing home a newborn during that final countdown. We're talking about everything from prepping freezer meals, what to pack before you go, what to unpack before you give birth, breastfeeding, and much more.

3:25 - We dish on freezer meals and meal prep!

5:47 - One of the best things to do to prep for postpartum is to create "stations" around your home like in the bathroom and for breastfeeding.

10:18 - Review the birth course! When to head to the birthplace, last-minute conversations with the provider, labor rehearsals, meditation...you get it!

14:39 - The stuff that you don't want to be unpacking after the baby is home.

17:23 - The perfect time to learn about breastfeeding is right before baby is...

*Giveaway Details Below*

We talk A LOT about how to take care of yourself during pregnancy,  but what about that "Fourth Trimester" after baby is born? We had a very special interview with Jaren Soloff, RD (Registered Dietician), IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), and author of The Postnatal Cookbook where we discussed the special nourishment a mother needs after giving birth to her baby, how long she needs it for, and how to implement Jaren's simple plan for making it happen. She also addresses how to remain body-positive during postpartum.

Enter the Giveaway to get a FREE paperback copy of The Postnatal Cookbook by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts! Search for the "Pregnancy and Birth Made Easy" podcast on Apple Podcasts, scroll down to “Ratings and Reviews,” click on “Write a Review," leave us a written review for the show and shoot us an email with the username.

We will announce the winner at the beginning...

*PART 2* We asked you what was ailing you and it turns out that the responses we got were a lot of the same pregnancy complaints- things that top the list for pregnant women all over the world. You are NOT alone! So we made our list, did the research, and we are excited to give you all the details about how you can find relief.

Ligament Pain

-10-30% of women experience these quick shooting pains on the sides of the belly. More common/uncomfortable as baby grows during the second and third trimesters.

-Caused by Relaxin

-Can happen when changing positions (rolling over, sitting to standing, laying down to 

  sitting, etc.), cough, sneeze, and/or laugh

SOLUTIONS

-Pelvic tilts, stretching/yoga: especially cat/cow but not too extended, maternity belt, and to hear the rest, listen to the podcast!

WATCH OUT & TALK TO PROVIDER IF...

-You experience abdominal cramping, burning with urination (UTI/kidney pain can sometimes be similar-ish), have sharp pains that do...

We asked you what was ailing you and it turns out that the responses we got were a lot of the same pregnancy complaints- things that top the list for pregnant women all over the world. You are NOT alone! So we made our list, did the research, and we are excited to give you all the details about how you can find relief.

Because we wanted to cover the solutions to these common ailments in detail, we decided to split this topic up into 2 episodes. Here's what we covered in Part 1:

Heartburn/Acid Reflux

-About half of pregnant women experience this sometime throughout their pregnancy

-Caused by the hormones Relaxin & Progesterone

-Valve between esophagus and stomach that allows food to pass through and cuts off stomach acid from coming back up gets relaxed from those hormones.

-Things move more slowly through body

-Big meals can especially cause it

-Baby getting bigger and creating more pressure on stomach, moving it higher

SOLUTIONS

-Eat smaller, more frequent meals, sit up...

Dr. Nate Fox, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine (aka High-Risk) doctor, joins us to discuss how passionate he is about what he does as well and answers some questions from YOU! We hope you'll enjoy listening to a doctor who clearly respects women and the process of birth, and that you will use his example and the information he shares as information in finding the right provider for you.

Here are some of the questions that were answered in this interview:

• How did you get involved in birth work? What made you decide to specialize in high-risk?
• What is your overall birth philosophy? 
• What does a high-risk doctor do? Who do you see/most common diagnosis you deal with? Twins? Gestational Diabetes? Etc.
• What do you do when someone comes to you late in pregnancy - is there anything you do to make them more comfortable with the process, especially women who are switching from a midwifery model of care or are seeking a less medically-managed birth? 
• Talk to us about why...

After a long day of recording podcasts, we realized this one didn't save and we had to do it twice, which just means a lot more random thoughts and extra editing! Our title is a nod to women who may find themselves birthing "solo" or without a birth partner, whatever the reason may be.

Laugh along with us and we promise to give you actionable steps to prepare your birth space with as much support as possible and work through labor step by step by tuning in and listening to your body and what you've practiced during your pregnancy. These tips and tricks are useful and apply to every birthing mama so don't tune out just because you're planning on your birth partner being with you!

Women may find themselves birthing alone for any number of reasons:

• Military
• No partner or spouse in the picture
• Hospital restrictions
• The unexpected
• Partner may need to stay home to tend other children

This podcast topic is likely NOT going to apply to the majority of you, but we want to provide support...

With winter here to stay for a bit, we wanted to give you some tips and basic guidelines for how to stay healthy and low-risk as well as what you can do if you end up getting sick while you're pregnant! Pregnancy is a common time for mothers to find more natural and holistic means of preventing and treating ailments. 

Nutrition During Pregnancy

 Why should you care about nutrition during pregnancy? Because pregnant women who are healthy and low risk have more birthing options available to them. Things like: birthing in water, the ability to let your body & baby determine when to go into labor, and freedom of movement.

So how do you have a healthy pregnancy? A lot of that is determined by what you eat! And, just a quick note, being underweight or overweight doesn’t mean you can’t have a great pregnancy and birth. You may gain more weight if you started your pregnancy underweight, or you may lose weight or gain less if you started pregnancy a bit...

So often we are told the benefits of procedures during pregnancy and birth, but how often are we given the risks associated with those procedures too? True informed consent means getting both and then being given the opportunity to consent or decline. The tricky part can be in not really understanding the options. How do you really know if you're getting all the information? Well, that's exactly what we break down for you in this episode!

Informed consent means that a provider explains the benefits and risks of a medication, procedure, (or lack of either), and then allows the mother to give consent.

Informed consent is NOT 

• making you afraid to say no
• telling you only the benefits and downplaying the risks
• telling the mother, "I'm going to do ______". For example, "I'm going to preform a vaginal exam on you."

Our Top Tips for Informed Consent

Since providers may fail to give proper informed consent, you need to remember to use your B.R.A.I.N so that you can get the...

Actually, instead of putting them up against each other, we should probably be putting them side by side since pushing out a baby and having a bowel movement are oddly similar. We are going to walk you through what it looks...and sounds like...when it's go-time, as well when it's time to wait a little longer before pushing (even though some well-meaning people in the room may be encouraging you otherwise). Pushing is natural and moms should be able to tune into their bodies and babies, medicated or unmedicated, and allow the process to happen naturally.

There are 2 main approaches to pushing:

1. Birth team directed. 

PROS: May be helpful for moms who have had an epidural and aren’t feeling any fullness, pressure, or when/where to push. A little coaching from the birth staff may benefit them. You may like the coaching!

CONS: It can too often lead to “purple-faced pushing”. We’ve known women to get busted capillaries in their eyes and this is caused by...