Down to Birth

Sex after childbirth. The topic everyone’s thinking about, but hesitates to bring up. Whether it’s pleasurable or painful, we can put a lot of guilt and pressure on ourselves to do things a certain way, or in a certain time period. Dr. Lauren Crigler is sexual wellness therapist and specializes not only in pelvic floor physical therapy, but also in helping couples have more pleasure and connection during sex -- physically and emotionally. Talking to women about painful intercourse, feeling disconnected from their partners or feeling too exhausted to even think about sex is Lauren’s everyday life. She guarantees your sex live will improve if you address the physical, mental and emotional barriers to enjoying sex again. * * * * * * * * * *If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends.Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the conversation by responding to our questions and polls related to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com or call (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To join our monthly newsletter, text "downtobirth" to 22828.You can sign up for Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes as well as online breastfeeding classes and weekly postpartum support groups run by Cynthia & Trisha at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Please remember we don’t provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!Send us Fan MailPostpartum SoothePostpartum Soothe™ is 100% organic. An herbal tincture for pads toward a safer, easier recovery.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.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.

In this bonus mini-sode, Trisha address the questions and concerns related recent data released by the CDC and published in the New York Times article by Apoora Mandavilli: Study Raises Concerns for Pregnant Women With the Coronavirus. Learn what the new CDC data on COVID-19 really means for pregnant women and whether you need to feel especially concerned just because you're pregnant. Tune in for Trisha's take, and get the details.New York Times Article: Study Raises Concerns for Pregnant Women With the Coronavirus* * * * * * * * * *If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends.Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the conversation by responding to our questions and polls related to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com or call (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To join our monthly newsletter, text "downtobirth" to 22828.You can sign up for Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes as well as online breastfeeding classes and weekly postpartum support groups run by Cynthia & Trisha at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Please remember we don’t provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!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.

Jen Schwartz is the founder and CEO of Motherhood Understood, a community for women affected by pregnancy and postpartum mental health issues.Jen had the perfect fairy tale vision of what life with a baby would look like. But, almost immediately after giving birth, everything felt different and she knew something was not right.  She tells of how her mother described “the light going out of her eyes.” Today, she shares with us her journey through both postpartum depression and anxiety and how her recovery inspired her passion for helping to inform, support and heal the lives of other women who’s postpartum mental illness may otherwise have remained hidden in the dark. Motherhood Understood * * * * * * * * * *If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends.Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the conversation by responding to our questions and polls related to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com or call (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To join our monthly newsletter, text "downtobirth" to 22828.You can sign up for Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes as well as online breastfeeding classes and weekly postpartum support groups run by Cynthia & Trisha at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Please remember we don’t provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!Send us Fan MailPostpartum SoothePostpartum Soothe™ is 100% organic. An herbal tincture for pads toward a safer, easier recovery.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.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.

In this "Mini-sode Monday" episode,  Trisha shares the first and most important rule of breastfeeding--there are no rules!  In this short episode, she explains how breastfeeding is a right-brained activity and doesn't require logic, thinking, and planning to be successful. In fact, those left-brained functions can be just the thing that interferes with the natural flow and process of establishing an easy, long lasting breastfeeding relationship with your baby. * * * * * * * * * *If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends.Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the conversation by responding to our questions and polls related to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com or call (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To join our monthly newsletter, text "downtobirth" to 22828.You can sign up for Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes as well as online breastfeeding classes and weekly postpartum support groups run by Cynthia & Trisha at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Please remember we don’t provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!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.

It's the last Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time to answer your pregnancy, breastfeeding, birth and postpartum questions. Today we're discussing birth support and boundaries, especially when it comes to having a family member, like your own mother, attend your birth. Next, we discuss membrane-stripping for full-term pregnant women. Is it safe? Is it effective? How well does it work? Our breastfeeding topic today is around supplementing with formula--when is it really needed and what can you do to increase your supply? Next we dive into HypnoBirthing and discuss how it differs from the Bradley method.  Cystocele? What's that, and what you can do about it if you have one? Finally, Cynthia asks Trisha some of the most common questions her clients ask: How can a provider tell how many centimeters dilated a laboring woman is, and is it really true that all women get to exactly ten centimeters?Don't forget to see our chapter markers if you want to look for a specific question.Thank you to all of our listeners who submitted questions for this month's Q&A - keep them coming. Call us at 802-GET-DOWN to submit your own question. We love to hear from you!* * * * * * * * * *If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends.Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the conversation by responding to our questions and polls related to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com or call (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To join our monthly newsletter, text "downtobirth" to 22828.You can sign up for Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes as well as online breastfeeding classes and weekly postpartum support groups run by Cynthia & Trisha at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Please remember we don’t provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!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.

We love a good birth story, and especially one that can’t help but inspire you to give a little or a whole lot more trust to the birth process! Megan, a blogger, homesteader, and lover of all things DIY, founder of the Wilson Family Homestead, joins us today to share the unassisted home birth story of her second child. After three weeks of prodromal labor, Megan figured it was just another night of false labor as she tucked herself into bed...Less than two hours later, she was standing naked on her rustic kitchen floor with her son, Dimi, in her arms, her husband by her side, and her midwife en route. Later on in the episode, Megan discusses her experience with postpartum depression after her first birth.Video: Megan's Unassisted Birth in Her KitchenMegan Wilson's YouTube Page: Wilson HomesteadWilson Family Homestead Instagram Page* * * * * * * * * *If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends.Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the conversation by responding to our questions and polls related to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com or call (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To join our monthly newsletter, text "downtobirth" to 22828.You can sign up for Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes as well as online breastfeeding classes and weekly postpartum support groups run by Cynthia & Trisha at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Please remember we don’t provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical providerSend us Fan MailPostpartum SoothePostpartum Soothe™ is 100% organic. An herbal tincture for pads toward a safer, easier recovery.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.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.

Hey, everyone! We've got a great birth story for you on this mini-episode Monday. Lydia shares the story of her second pregnancy and natural birth - it was a fast ride in labor to Yale New Haven Hospital and an even faster ride once they got there! Lydia gave birth to her daughter before they could even get her to the maternity ward!If you'd like to share your own pregnancy, postpartum or birth story, we'd love to hear it! * * * * * * * * * *If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends.Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the conversation by responding to our questions and polls related to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com or call (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To join our monthly newsletter, text "downtobirth" to 22828.You can sign up for Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes as well as online breastfeeding classes and weekly postpartum support groups run by Cynthia & Trisha at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Please remember we don’t provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!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.

Today, we are having a different kind of conversation--one about how to not get pregnant and yet another on how to rev up that lagging sex drive after having kids. We have Ann Konkoly, Certified Nurse Midwife, on the line to give us the run down on the best available contraceptive options from IUDs to implants to the withdrawal method, as well as sharing her tips on how to boost your libido. Be sure not to miss the questions from our community at the end! You are sure to learn some fun facts from this episode. Bedsider * * * * * * * * * *If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends.Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the conversation by responding to our questions and polls related to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com or call (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To join our monthly newsletter, text "downtobirth" to 22828.You can sign up for Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes as well as online breastfeeding classes and weekly postpartum support groups run by Cynthia & Trisha at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Please remember we don’t provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!Send us Fan MailPostpartum SoothePostpartum Soothe™ is 100% organic. An herbal tincture for pads toward a safer, easier recovery.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.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.

Claude Racine-Valinsky is a professional dancer and social media influencer who developed determination and grit in an industry that tells pretty much anyone over thirty that they're too old for dance. Refusing to buy into those limitations, her career and social media following skyrocketed in her thirties. So when she and her husband were newly pregnant and expecting their first baby at age 37, and her doctor told her at her pregnancy confirmation that she's too old to have children, Claude took the bold step of ghosting her doctor. It was then that Claude's instinct rose to the surface, and for her, that meant there was only one place to birth her son: at home. And while her birth was far from easy, she says she wouldn't have dreamed of doing it any place else.* * * * * * * * * *If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends.Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the conversation by responding to our questions and polls related to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com or call (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To join our monthly newsletter, text "downtobirth" to 22828.You can sign up for Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes as well as online breastfeeding classes and weekly postpartum support groups run by Cynthia & Trisha at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Please remember we don’t provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!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.

Hey, everyone! It's another Mini-Episode Monday and today I describe the burden we impose on pregnant and postpartum women when we lovingly predict she'll be a "wonderful mother". It may come as a surprise to learn that this term actually has a causal relationship to postpartum depression and anxiety. Where does this come from, what does it mean, and how can we reshape this thought pattern into something that will serve parents better? Listen to this mini-episode and be sure to get in touch with us afterwards by leaving us a voice message at the number below. We'd love to hear your own thoughts around calling someone - or being told that we are - a "wonderful" mother.* * * * * * * * * *If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends.Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the conversation by responding to our questions and polls related to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com or call (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To join our monthly newsletter, text "downtobirth" to 22828.You can sign up for Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes as well as online breastfeeding classes and weekly postpartum support groups run by Cynthia & Trisha at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Please remember we don’t provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!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.