Down to Birth

How is yoga like birth? They both ask us to get uncomfortable and sit with that discomfort. How long can we sit with it? Where does our mind go when we get uncomfortable? How quickly do we reach for distraction? Yoga prepares us for birth not only physically but also by integrating the mind/body connection and strengthening our intuition and our physical body. Today, Deb Flashenberg of the Prenatal Yoga Center in NYC speaks with us about how to get safely uncomfortable and learn to use your body, breath and mind to get to the to other side, whether on your yoga mat or at your birth.  We also discuss postpartum recovery, and the importance of recovering physically from inside to outside, such as when it comes to diastasis recti and posture.  This show is sponsored by:Silverette USA*Beautiful Births and Beyond*Postpartum Soothe**Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH**********Send us Fan MailNeeded <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription orderDrinkLMNT <--  this link for FREE 8-day supplyPrimally Pure:  ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTHPostpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTHENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% offJoin Patreon for our exclusive contentIG @downtobirthshowDown to Birth ShowCall 802-GET-DOWNWatch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Can you be so firm and stable in  your boundaries around pregnancy and birth that it doesn't actually matter who attends your birth because you know exactly what and what not you will let into your birth space?  In this conversation with HeHe Stewart of Tranquility by Hehe, we dive into hard boundaries versus soft boundaries; how to set them; and why they matter so much in our birth planning as well as our personal relationships throughout pregnancy and postpartum. * * * * * * * * * *Connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow, where we post new information daily related to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com. We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To submit a question, visit the Down To Birth website or send us a voice memo through Instagram messenger.This show is sponsored by:Silverette USA*Beautiful Births and Beyond*Postpartum Soothe**Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH**********Send us Fan MailNeeded <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription orderDrinkLMNT <--  this link for FREE 8-day supplyPrimally Pure:  ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTHPostpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTHENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% offJoin Patreon for our exclusive contentIG @downtobirthshowDown to Birth ShowCall 802-GET-DOWNWatch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Molly had a textbook first pregnancy and went into labor just at 37 weeks. After an uneventful labor, her baby was born with an APGAR score of one.  Despite a successful resuscitation, her baby was put into an intentional state of hypothermia for seventy-two hours to prevent or reverse any potential brain damage. During this time, Molly knew very little about why this was happening, what caused it or if it was really even necessary.Thankfully her baby made a full recovery; but, needless to say, she left  her first birth with significant trauma. In preparation for her second birth, she sought out a hypnotherapist and a midwife. She learned trusting herself, her decisions, and her physical body were essential to achieving the birth she desired. She created mantras and vision statements and cultivated a daily practice to get there. Three years later, that dream came true with the birth of her second child. This show is sponsored by:Silverette USA*Beautiful Births and Beyond*Postpartum Soothe**Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH**********Send us Fan MailNeeded <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription orderDrinkLMNT <--  this link for FREE 8-day supplyPrimally Pure:  ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTHPostpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTHENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% offJoin Patreon for our exclusive contentIG @downtobirthshowDown to Birth ShowCall 802-GET-DOWNWatch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

New Year's marks exactly two years since we launched our first episode of Down To Birth. While we didn't know what to expect, we never dreamed so many people from every single (inhabited) continent would become avid followers of our show, and we are deeply grateful  you find our show worth your time, attention and dedication. Today we're going to delight you with a brief conversation we had with our youngest listener: eight-year-old Scarlett, from Belfast, Maine. Scarlett's mom, Leah, is expecting twins any day now, and, until they started listening to the Down To Birth Show, Scarlett's plan was to grow up and become a doctor.She's since changed her mind. Guess what she wants to be now? We'll give you one guess.Wishing all of you and your loved ones the very happiest, healthiest, and most fulfilling of all your years to date. May there be peace on earth and in every heart.**********Send us Fan MailNeeded <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription orderDrinkLMNT <--  this link for FREE 8-day supplyPrimally Pure:  ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTHPostpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTHENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% offJoin Patreon for our exclusive contentIG @downtobirthshowDown to Birth ShowCall 802-GET-DOWNWatch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Our December Q&A is here and loaded with entertaining and informative questions: We begin with a question around increasing supply without pumping: Is it possible? Next we dive into expectations around pushing as it relates to hypnobirthing and the urge to push. We discuss Cervadil and the subsequent cascade of interventions and what happens with a posterior cervix? How do you know if you have postpartum anxiety? What are placental lakes and will a large placenta cause a big baby? Is the purple line a good indicator of cervical dilation? And finally, is it safe to go to Disney and go on amusement park rides in pregnancy? Play now on all podcast platforms! Check chapter markers to skip to a specific question. This show is sponsored by:Beautiful Births and Beyond*Postpartum Soothe**Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH**********Send us Fan Mail Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription orderDrinkLMNT <--  this link for FREE 8-day supplyPrimally Pure:  ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTHPostpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTHENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% offJoin Patreon for our exclusive contentIG @downtobirthshowDown to Birth ShowCall 802-GET-DOWNWatch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Writing your birth story seems like a simple thing to do, yet so many of us struggle with where and how to begin; and many of us never get it on paper at all. We can also opt to skip the writing and record ourselves telling the story. Writing  your birth story is not only creating a beautiful memory to be shared and passed on,  but it can also be a necessary and important part of healing from a difficult birth.  Join us today with doula Carrie Murphy who walks us through a simple process to effectively and easily capture your birth story in one hour a day over seven days.  This show is sponsored by:Postpartum Soothe**Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH**********Send us Fan MailNeeded <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription orderDrinkLMNT <--  this link for FREE 8-day supplyPrimally Pure:  ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTHPostpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTHENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% offJoin Patreon for our exclusive contentIG @downtobirthshowDown to Birth ShowCall 802-GET-DOWNWatch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

At 41+1 weeks Katie was pressured into an induction beginning with a foley bulb followed by forcefully rupturing her bag of water,  high amounts of Pitocin,  restricted movement due to fetal heart rate abnormalities, a maternal fever resulting in an urgent need for a forcep delivery  to "save her baby," and a six hour separation from her baby for monitoring after birth. Left traumatized and burdened with guilt, when she became pregnant again she sought out midwifery care at her local hospital and set her intentions on the "redemptive birth" she deserved.  In her second  birth, she didn't even know she was in labor until she had a cervical exam and found she was 6 cm and shortly thereafter had her baby in her arms. Her story represents the classic cascade of labor interventions that all too often leads to an avoidable traumatic birth experience for first time moms who then become empowered with the knowledge to choose differently the next time around. This show is sponsored by:Postpartum Soothe**Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH**********Send us Fan Mail Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription orderDrinkLMNT <--  this link for FREE 8-day supplyPrimally Pure:  ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTHPostpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTHENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% offJoin Patreon for our exclusive contentIG @downtobirthshowDown to Birth ShowCall 802-GET-DOWNWatch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Today on the show we have attorney Hermine Hayes-Klein, a fearless legal advocate for sexual and reproductive rights with a particular passion for defending women’s human rights in childbirth, which, she says, are routinely violated in maternity care systems. We’re also grateful to have her her clients, Lillie and George, whose birth experience we will be focusing on today. By the end of this episode you’ll have clarity as what obstetric abuse looks like, who is committing it and why it’s self-perpetuating.  Plus, a better understanding of your legal and human rights, and how the two still need to better align in today’s maternity - and, primarily obstetric - model of care systems. There are two things we would like you to know before listening:1. Hermine drops one quick f-bomb between the 7-8 minute mark, and2. We made the choice to bleep-out the hospital name. It was a last-minute decision, and we made it for the following reasons:(a) we didn’t want to complicate any current legal matters between the client and hospital, and (b) we don’t want the listener to think stories like these can’t and don’t happen all over, because, unfortunately, they do.If you follow us on Instagram, you’re welcome to reach out and ask. This episode is the first among a new series of “legal case studies” with Hermine Hayes-Klein.This show is sponsored by:Postpartum Soothe*Beautiful Births & Beyond**Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH**********Send us Fan Mail Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription orderDrinkLMNT <--  this link for FREE 8-day supplyPrimally Pure:  ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTHPostpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTHENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% offJoin Patreon for our exclusive contentIG @downtobirthshowDown to Birth ShowCall 802-GET-DOWNWatch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

When Kassidy was preconception, she had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)  and was told she would never conceive. But she did. When she told her providers her conception date, they refused to listen, and determined her due date based on her last menstrual cycle. This insistence on method over mother caused them to overstate the gestational age throughout Kassidy's entire pregnancy, which resulted in perpetual talks about how "small" her baby was, and "if" he makes it to 28 weeks. When she was 35 weeks pregnant (with her providers convincing themselves and Kassidy she was at 38 weeks) they induced her, resulting in a long and difficult induction because her body and baby weren't ready for birth. Once he was born, he was misdiagnosed with Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) based on the faulty due-date, and they were helicoptered to a larger hospital immediately after giving birth. Suffering from unstable blood sugars and thermoregulation, her baby spent six days in the NICU.  From beginning to end, Kassidy was provided with misinformation, instilled with fear, and conditioned to believe her baby - both in-utero and postpartum - could die at any moment. Her anxiety through the roof for years, she returned to the same providers in her second pregnancy until the straw broke the camel's back at 34 weeks. Kassidy found a home birth midwife, and on the way to her first appointment, went into labor with her second baby in the car.  This show is sponsored by:Postpartum Soothe*Beautiful Births & Beyond**Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH**********Send us Fan MailNeeded <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription orderDrinkLMNT <--  this link for FREE 8-day supplyPrimally Pure:  ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTHPostpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTHENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% offJoin Patreon for our exclusive contentIG @downtobirthshowDown to Birth ShowCall 802-GET-DOWNWatch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Our Q&A is here again!  We open with some interesting survey results on how long mothers spend in the waiting room versus in the actual prenatal appointment. This month we had excellent questions from our community on whether or not you should have a membrane sweep in late pregnancy, how to avoid experiencing a postpartum hemorrhage, how and why postpartum hormones influence baby blues versus postpartum depression and anxiety; and whether there any hormonal treatments for postpartum mood disorders. How can one recover from the trauma of still birth? When should you go to the hospital  in labor? Is cord traction necessary for birth of the placenta? And finally what to do if you test positive for Group B Strep and want a low-intervention birth.  Thank you as always for your great questions and keep them coming! Please see chapter markers to skip to specific questions.This show is sponsored by:Postpartum Soothe*Beautiful Births & Beyond**Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH**********Send us Fan MailNeeded <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription orderDrinkLMNT <--  this link for FREE 8-day supplyPrimally Pure:  ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTHPostpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTHENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% offJoin Patreon for our exclusive contentIG @downtobirthshowDown to Birth ShowCall 802-GET-DOWNWatch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.