Down to Birth

Jessica is a first-time birthing mother from Atlanta who recently attended Cynthia's HypnoBirthing class via Zoom. She and her husband had a birth that began with laughter over a misunderstanding, and ended with a 5-hour pushing stage doing HypnoBirthing deep-breathing while wearing a mask. Jessica's story emphasizes how she and her husband felt respected and supported by their hospital staff from start to finish, including an appreciation for the COVID protocols that disallowed visitors postpartum, allowing them to become acquainted with their son, Smith, without distraction or interruption.To learn more about HypnoBirthing, visit HypnoBirthing of CT to attend a free information session, and to learn more about Postpartum Soothe visit www.PostpartumSoothe.com. * * * * * * * * * *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.

In this episode, Lisa shared out loud for the first time the full extent of the intrusive thoughts that have been haunting and terrifying her postpartum. When women suffer from a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder such as postpartum anxiety, depression or psychosis they can suffer from intrusive thoughts such as: fear of drowning the baby in the bath, imagining yourself or someone else dropping the baby, falling down the stairs with the baby, or even imagining yourself or someone else harming the baby with a knife. Lisa volunteered to speak with us about her struggle, in hopes of bringing awareness and help to anyone who may be struggling with intrusive thoughts postpartum.  An important takeaway from this episode is to recognize that if a mother expresses a fear of being alone with her baby or expresses thoughts of harming herself or the baby, imagine those words on a billboard as a cry for help. Professional support is required and is readily available by trained specialists. If you don’t know where to begin, you can contact Postpartum Support International at 1-800-944-4773.Postpartum support groups are offered every week on Tuesday mornings @downtobirthshow.* * * * * * * * * *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.

 As a registered dietician (RD) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Jaren Soloff was inspired to create a space and program to help postpartum moms navigate eating and body image after birth. She guides her clients in the anti-diet method of  "intuitive eating," which focuses on  tapping into your body's signals to tell you when you are hungry and when you are not. Intuitive eating is a process of learning to trust your appetite and cravings as a means of guiding you. In today's episode, Jaren teaches us not only about intuitive eating and how to determine when our cravings are physically driven versus emotionally driven;  but also, how breastfeeding our babies can help us attune to our own instinctual eating. Jaren is the author of:  The Postnatal Cookbook: Simple and Nutritious Recipes to Nourish Your Body and Spirit During the Fourth TrimesterPaperback You can find her on Instagram at @fullcrcl_* * * * * * * * * *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.

Most of us fall short when it comes to practicing self-care - especially postpartum moms, who are usually happy enough just to get more than 5 hours of sleep plus a shower. And when anyone tells them to go do something nice for themselves, it's always well-intended, but is it helpful when those moms think self-care means getting a professional massage, attending a live yoga class or getting a mani/pedi? In today's episode, Cynthia talks about self-care as a lifestyle rather than an event. Even 5 minutes a day will have a greater impact than a whole weekend away once a year, or the occasional massage. We need to remove the barriers to self-care, and question what it means in the first place. It doesn't  have to involve money, complicated scheduling or baby care. Ideally, it doesn't have to involve other people at all. You're the most important person in your baby's life, and just as the weight of caring for your baby falls on your shoulders, so too does your own self-care. Reach out to us on Instagram or our website to tell us your own story related to needing, struggling with or creating self-care. * * * * * * * * * *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.

Colleen always felt called to birth and was determined to have the birth of her dreams. After two miscarriages, she was so excited to give birth to her first child. When her birth resulted in a cesarean, she knew the next time around she would make sure things went differently.  Despite her mother and husband resisting the idea of a VBAC she went for it anyway.  At 1/2 a centimeter dilated, the hospital sent her back home while she feared her birth was going to end up with the same outcome as before. Discouraged, she labored at home in the tub, nursed her 22 month old, and shortly after had the overwhelming urge to go to the bathroom!  Realizing it was time to have a baby, they rushed to the hospital only to be told, "Don't push. Keep the baby in. We don't have a room for you yet!"  After an hour of waiting, she vaginally birthed her baby into her arms. While delighted to have had her VBAC, her postpartum physical recovery was far more challenging.  Looking back, she realizes how she trusted her doctor more than herself and how that may have impacted her recovery.  Next time, she says, "I'll choose a home birth."**********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 March Q&A episode is here!  We begin with a discussion around the use of ultrasound measurements in pregnancy to determine your baby's size and weight at birth (hint: a baby that is measuring long is likely to be taller than average not macrosomic); we discuss when you might consider changing providers for your planned VBAC birth; can a mother experience postpartum depression (PPD) while still pregnant? What about the use of distraction techniques in labor and how does that impact hypnobirthing techniques? Do I need more Ultrasounds in pregnancy after the anatomy scan, and how will I know that everything is going ok? How about vaginal exams in labor? Are they really necessary and if so, how many? Finally, do you have any recommendations on how to prepare for home birth before being pregnant?As always, thank  you for your great questions and please continue to submit them through our website or in Instagram!  See chapter markers for specific questions in today's episode.#60: Love + Marriage + Baby: Interview with Maggie O'Connor, LMFT**********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.

Kimberly always wanted a home birth -- especially the second time around -- but decided to stay with the providers she liked and trusted. She began having doubts during the implementation of Covid protocols, and those doubts only grew when her doctor started talking about induction before she was at 41 weeks. But she declined the induction and implemented some natural means of induction at home, including a recipe for eggplant parmesan she got in her HypnoBirthing class. Once labor began, Kimberly started feeling her body push spontaneously before her husband even finished packing up the car to head to the hospital. Kimberly realized she wasn't going anywhere, and by the time she arrived at the hospital, she was holding her second baby girl in her arms.* * * * * * * * * *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.

Jamie Davison Ortiz is a mother, doula, and student midwife who birthed her twins naturally during a planned freebirth with her husband and doula. For those who don’t know, a freebirth is a controversial birth movement of giving birth at home without a medical professional in attendance. Jamie’s birth wasn’t without risk and while Jamie says she has no regrets, she’s the first to say that free-birthing took years of preparation, comes with risk,  and is not for everyone.  * * * * * * * * * *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.

Postpartum rage is among the lesser known perinatal mood and anxiety disorders that can impact  postpartum women and even their partners. Unfortunately, what women don’t understand is that sometimes anger comes more easily than tears, and it doesn’t mean that anything is fundamentally wrong with them or with their character; but rather, they are suffering from one particular manifestation of postpartum depression or anxiety.  Postpartum rage can look like: snapping at your children or partner, yelling more than usual, swearing, or even throwing things across the room. Any type of unexpected, intense outburst can signal a one-time or ongoing case of postpartum rage.  Tune in today as Cynthia and Trisha discuss the risk factors, triggers, emotional experience, and possible solutions for postpartum rage. Postpartum Support InternationalCall the PSI HelpLine: 1-800-944-4773* * * * * * * * * *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.

In today's minisode, Trisha reviews the three most common challenges that breastfeeding  moms experience: Engorgement, Nipple Pain, and Supply issues. She briefly explains why they occur and offers simple steps to recognize and resolve each issue so that you may comfortably and easily continue your breastfeeding journey. See other episodes on breastfeeding:#33 | Breastfeeding Mini: Out With The Rules, In With Your Instincts#44 | Breastfeeding Mini: The First Week of Breastfeeding and Why it Matters Most#56 | Breastfeeding Mini: The Importance of Establishing Your Milk Supply in the First Month* * * * * * * * * *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.