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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,...

This is probably the thing moms are most curious about as they approach their due date! When do I head into the hospital? When do I call the midwife at the birth center? How will I know it's really time? Whether you are birthing medicated or unmedicated, we have some excellent tips for you to know when it's time to get into the car and head to your birthplace, as well as when it's just fine to labor at home for a while. Of course, much of this will depend on your vision for your birth so we walk you through what the ideal birth looks like for you in order to pinpoint that right time.

Show Notes

3:20 - What happens if my water breaks? What if you want to stay at home? How do you know when you need to head in?

11:13 - What to look for so you know it's the right time to head in (depending on your goals for birth.) If you're wondering what contractions feel like and when to pay attention, we talk about that here.

20:12 - First-time moms, listen up. These are the magic numbers we...

We know you're wondering exactly what you can expect when you arrive at the hospital during active labor and this episode is going to walk you through the step by step of what happens from the time you drive up to your birthplace until the time you take your sweet baby home in your car. Most importantly we are going to tell you what the usual procedures are as well as your options because it's true that you probably won't be told that the many "standard procedures" are still up to you, the birthing mother. Our favorite thing to do is to help women understand all of their choices during birth and to allow them the confidence and freedom to choose what feels right and good for them. 

Show Notes

6:13 - You're in labor, you finally finish the drive to your birthplace, how do you get inside and what happens next??

14:15 - Once you're admitted into the hospital, there are a few things that happen before you get settled in and can get back into your birthing groove. These...

This episode starts with two stories about a birthing mother named "Jessica" and we have a feeling you may relate to her quite a bit, but you'll have to tell us if you're relating more to Jessica's scenario #1 or scenario #2! As mothers, we do the very best that we can in preparing ourselves for this beautiful, sacred experience of birth, and having the very best birth team can really make our ideal birth a reality. If you're wondering how to achieve that, you are in the right place!

Show Notes

4:05 - Scenario #1. A birth story from Jessica. We take a moment to read you a little story about a fictitious birthing mother named Jessica. Listen to this and see if you can relate to any of this.

10:51 - Scenario #2. This is a different birth story from Jessica. Do you relate to any of this?!

19:13 - Wondering what a birth team is? It's anyone who works as a team to support you, the birthing mother! It's also who you interact with and listen to and care about the opinions of.

25:13 -...

We know that if you're following along with us there's a good chance you are not planning for a cesarean birth. It may surprise you to learn what the number one reason is that providers list on medical paperwork when performing a cesarean birth. Nothing to fear though! As usual, we are going to give you all the details you need to understand the background to why this occurs, how to keep birth moving freely so you don't get stuck in the curve, and what you need to know to avoid an unnecessary cesarean birth altogether.

Show Notes

2:00 - If you had to guess what the #1 reason is for unplanned cesarean births in first-time moms, what would it be?

9:53 - Your body is not broken. The system is broken. Patience or the lack of it may be the reason we are seeing so many women moved through the system and into cesarean birth.

11:03 - This information from the 1950s is still playing a part in your birth and you will want to know not only what it is but what information you need to make sure...

Often when we head to our birthplace we are walking away from all of the things that bring us comfort. What if we told you that there was a way to create more of an at-home experience in whatever setting you're birthing in AND that it will even help your labor to progress more comfortably? Oxytocin and adrenaline have an interesting relationship and when oxytocin is flowing it's generally due in part to mom feeling safe and being able to relax. Hint: Oxytocin is the hormone that causes contractions and the same hormone that flows during intercourse. Naturally, if you can find a way to be more relaxed and feel safe, your body will react positively to those feelings.

Show Notes

3:30 - Everything in the hospital is so generic and wipedown-able (yuuup, that's a word now). Literally from the walls, to the pillows, to the waterproof covered bed to the linoleum floor, most of it screams, "This is not home."

11:40 - Hospital gowns. They're uncomfortable, drafty, there are buttons and...

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...

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...

This is a two-part series that serves two purposes. 1. If you are on the fence about where to have your baby, hopefully, these episodes will help you envision where you see yourself birthing & help you make that decision. 2. If you already know where you are giving birth, these episodes will reaffirm that choice. 

If you’ve been with us for a while, you know that between the 2 of us, we have given birth almost every way. In hospital unmedicated, cesarean, in-hospital with an epidural, at a birth center, and a homebirth. So we’ll be drawing on that and our experience supporting women in all these settings & scenarios.

There are many pros to giving birth in a hospital setting and we wanted to encourage and support you if this is the path you have chosen or are leaning towards. 

BIG REASONS WE THINK HOSPITAL BIRTH IS BETTER

1. You have advanced, life-saving measures available should you need them. There are lots of peace of mind that can come...