Today we’re talking about Gestational Diabetes. What is it? How is it diagnosed? How reliable are these tests? If you are diagnosed, what does that mean for your pregnancy, baby and birth? Why does the usually recommended GD diet result in worsening results, and is there a better alternative to all this? Lily Nichols has answers. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastgd
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Today we are going to go beyond the birth plan to talk about birth principles. Although a well crafted birth plan can be a powerful tool, more often than not their formulaic, and outcome-focused nature can give a false illusion of control, and elicit eye rolls from jaded caregivers. The truth is, your efforts may be better spent on first crafting your own set of birth principles. Jessie Harrold explains why. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastbirthprinciples
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Why and how often do postpartum hemorrhages happen? Are there risk factors? What can be done if they happen? Can they be prevented, and if so, how? Are fear and protocol making things worse? Maryn Green tells us more. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastpph
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Have you considered what motherhood means to you, and how you are going to integrate that, with your current identity? How do you feel about the words sacrifice and devotion? Sophie McEntee is here to tell us why becoming a mom can be such a messy process, and what you can do to prepare. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastidentityshift
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Between body aches, a mind that won’t quiet down, heartburn, and the never ending trips to the bathroom, getting a good night sleep while pregnant can seem like an impossible goal. So what can you do to make it better, and will doing these things improve your family’s sleep after baby arrives? Mar Oscategui has answers. Check it out.
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastpregnancysleep
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Today we continue to talk with new dad, Jeremy Buczek about his pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum experience. In Part 1 last week, we left off just as things were moving into active labor. Today, we continue from there through the birth, and into postpartum, where Jeremy shares the trauma he experienced, what helped him through it, and the joy of becoming a dad. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastdadperspective2
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Part birth and postpartum story, part helpful tips, part reflections, this 2 part episode with Jeremy Buczek goes deep into the birth partner’s experience of pregnancy, birth and postpartum to help your partner know a bit more of what to expect. Check it out.
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastdadperspective
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If you’re pregnant, you’ve no doubt heard about how you are going to need quite a bit of help once the baby is born, so how do you go about setting that up? Why do you need to prepare? How long are you going to need it for? Michelle Peterson tells us more. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastpostpartumsupport
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About Michelle Peterson
Michelle Peterson is the founder of The Seven Sisters Postpartum Care Program and author of Seven Sisters for Seven Days: A Mothers’ Manual for Community-Based Postpartum Care. After a challenging first postpartum, she created this incredible system to support her family during her second postpartum and soon began sharing it with mothers in her community and beyond. Michelle focuses on helping mothers get the support they need. She believes that the spiritual, emotional, and physical welfare of families is the backbone of our collective well-being.
Learn more at SevenSistersPostpartum.com
Last episode we talked about how breastfeeding may be perfectly natural, but it’s not perfectly easy. There tend to be a few or a lot obstacles to overcome. But what does that actually look like? Dawn Pensack is here to share her stories. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastbreastfeedingpersistence
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About Dawn Pensack
As a little girl, Dawn Pensack dreamed of being a mother one day and wanted to raise her kids in a way very different than she was raised. Dawn knew there had to be more to this parenting thing and she was determined to find it. And she did. Dawn combined her years of working with children as a math teacher, her strong desire to bring happiness to families, and her love of spreading the love into a Family Happiness Coaching business that helps her fulfill her true purpose on a daily basis. Dawn works with parents who are struggling to have it all – a life, a career or business, and a family in the midst of a chaotic world. She reminds her clients that while it may not be easy, it’s possible to be the parent you want to be with the right tools and support.
When Dawn isn’t working with her clients to help them ditch the yelling and guilt and become peaceful parents, you can find her outside with her horse, canoeing, or just enjoying the day with her husband and children.
Find out more at dawnpensack.com or follow the conversation on Facebook.
Breastfeeding may be perfectly natural, but it’s not perfectly easy. Many people think it will just happen, without realizing there's a steep learning curve. So what are the most common breastfeeding struggles, and how can you navigating them? Kathleen Kendall-Tackett tells us more. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastbreastfeedingstruggles
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There’s a unique healing power in writing your birth story, in not having an audience, in getting raw and going to the deep places, rather than just sharing the version suitable for light conversation. How do you get started, and is there a way to make the process a bit easier? What if your birth involved trauma? Jaime Fleres tells us more. Check it out! Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastwritingyourstory If you enjoy what you hear, make sure to leave your rating or review. It really helps! And if you want to connect with Adriana, reach out at: facebook.com/birthful twitter.com/birthful instagram.com/adrianika Title music: “Vibe Ace” by Kevin MacLeod, at freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/ (©CC BY) Sponsorship music: “Air Hockey Saloon” by Chris Zabriskie, at freemusicarchive.org/music/Chris_Zabriskie/ (©CC BY) What we talked about: Considering the master narrative that you (and your culture) have about birth What is the point of writing your birth story? The 3 layers to a birth story The healing power of writing Reporting vs. Reflecting What happens when you’re not writing for an audience What if you don’t know how to write? How to approach a traumatic birth story Awesome resources mentioned by Jaime*: Birth Your Story: Why Writing about Your Birth Matters, by Jaime Fleres Birthing from Within, by Pam England Mothering from Your Center: Tapping Your Body's Natural Energy for Pregnancy, Birth, and Parenting, by Tami Lynn Kent Labor Day: True Birth Stories by Today's Best Women Writers, by Eleanor Henderson and Anna Solomon Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers, by Kate Hopper Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives, by Louise Desalvo Opening Up by Writing It Down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain, by James W. Pennebaker The Power of Vulnerability, TED talk by Brené Brown Related or mentioned podcast episodes: Healing Your Birth Story, with Pam England (episode #49 ) Sharing Your Birth Story with Your Child, with Anika Rothfuss (episode #100) About Jaime Fieres-Mizejewski Jaime Fleres is the author of the new book Birth Your Story: Why Writing about Your Birth Matters. She is a mother, writing coach, former college professor, doula, holistic healer, and embodied movement teacher. She is the founder of Santosha Birth and Wellness, leads workshops and retreats internationally, and offers her writing and services at JaimeFleres.com.
Babywearing is a sanity-saving practice that has been around for millennia, providing many benefits for both baby and caregiver. What are those benefits? What are the different carrier types? How do you know which is right for you? What do you need to know in terms of safety,, and can one carrier take you from the newborn to toddler stage? Joanna McNeilly tell us more. Check it out.
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastbabywearing
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Creating a baby registry can be downright panic producing, but contrary to what the thousands of products out there would have you believe, you really don’t actually need that much. So how do you know what to get and when to get it? Megan Whitaker tells us more. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastregistry
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Usually, conversations around inductions focus on their reasons, risks, benefits, and when to schedule them. That doesn’t leave much time to discuss how they are done, and share expectations on how long they may take, or whether they’ll work at all. Toni Golen is here to walk us through the details. Check it out.
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastinductionprocess
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To do that on your iPhone: click on the review tab on the general podcast page, and then the “leave a review” button at the bottom.
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Today we are talking about navigating HR to plan your maternity (or paternity) leave. This can be an insanely overwhelming process, with so much fine print. So where do you start, and what should you be looking out for in order to avoid unfortunate surprises during postpartum? Katy Dahl is tell us more. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastmaternityleave
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Today we are taking on the most common myths and concerns around birth traumas, and exploring ways to avoid them. The statistics for those who consider their birth to have been traumatic can range between 25 and whopping 49%. So, what can you do to improve the chances of having a lovely birth, and not be a part of that statistic? Bianca Sprague and Natasha Marchand tell us more. Check it out.
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastbirthtraumamyths
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It’s extremely common for pushing stages to be managed, with laboring people reclining on their backs and being told to grab behind their knees and pull them open towards their ears, while tucking their chins, and holding their breath for a count of 10. Is this really the best way? Does it support physiology? And what effect does it have on the baby, and on the perineum that’s receiving the brunt of that exertion? The fabulous Whapio is here to tell us more. Check it out.
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/podcastpushingstage
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We’ve reached the last story for this year’s “Birth Stories” for the summer series! Today’s story has a special twist, as we get to hear both parent’s version of it. Aside from healthy mom and healthy baby, Celeste Bancos’ other birth goals were of to avoid getting an epidural, and to not whine.. She, and her husband Claudiu are here to share how she achieved that. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/birthstory30
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We continue still with our “Birth Stories” for the summer series!
It’s a jam-packed episode today with five, very different birth stories! From traumatic, to physiological, to emergency cesarean with placental abruption, to VBAC, to homebirth, and a bit of lyme disease thrown in there to keep you on your toes, Bronwyn Fackrell shares it all. Check it out.
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/birthstory29
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What do you do when you send your husband out to car-nap your older daughter as you finish getting ready to go to the hospital, and labor goes from 0 to 60, while you’re still at home? Do you panic? Do you call 911? Do you call your doula? Do you breathe and center yourself so you are present for your baby? Erin Davis is here to tell us more. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/birthstory28
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We continue still with our “Birth Stories” for the summer series! Today’s story comes from Shani Stidham, who did a whole lot of soul searching and preparation in early pregnancy, and set things up so she’d have the environment and support she needed to explore birth on her own terms, and have a glorious postpartum to boot! Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/birthstory27
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We continue with our “Birth Stories” for the summer series! Today’s story comes from Candice Hodges, who for weeks had to navigate scare tactics, conflicting advice from care providers, and modified bedrest, not to mention the logistics of a long induction, in order to embrace the chaos and have a birth that resembled what she intended. Check it out!
We continue on our “Birth Stories” for the summer series! Last summer, while relating her birth stories, Chantal Shelstad surprised us all by sharing she was pregnant again. So she’s back to tell the tale of how she went from a Cesarean, to a VBAC, and to a home waterbirth, because as she says, “she likes to challenge herself”. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/birthstory25
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We continue with our “Birth Stories” for the summer series! Today’s story comes from Elizabeth Nigro, who first broke up with her OB, then was in denial that labor was even happening, but once she let go of perfect, she ended up with an amazingly beautiful birth where she felt safe, supported and like a super woman. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/birthstory24
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We continue with our “Birth Stories” for the summer series! Today’s story comes from Naomi Wilcox-Lee, who shares how she prepared to bring joy and bliss to her birth, along with all the little ways her family and husband helped her do that, and how she ended up birthing like a rock-star without having to actually push. Check it out!
Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on the “show-notes” page at: birthful.com/birthstory23
If you enjoy what you hear, make sure to leave your rating or review. It really helps!
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