You know how as pregnancy progresses, your whole body becomes more uncomfortable? It turns out that chiropractic care can help you feel much better and even help you have an easier birth. Dr. Elliot Berlin shares with Adriana why chiropractic care is a superb pregnancy tool for anyone, but especially if you have an “athletic pelvis” or want to aid a breech baby turn head down. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page . If...
Feb 07, 2024•42 min•Season 4Ep. 5
For weeks, Julia Cooper had been nervous that her baby would arrive while her husband and mom were away, and sure enough, contractions started merely hours after she dropped her husband off at the airport. What follows is a testament to how hard it can be to shut off your thinking brain while in labor and how despite that, you can still support your physiology and get things to flow (even if you have a prolonged labor and an epidural!). Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resour...
Feb 03, 2024•54 min•Season 4Ep. 4
It’s common knowledge that walking, swimming, and doing prenatal yoga can all be super helpful during pregnancy, but what about running, barre, CrossFit, or weightlifting? Deb Flashenberg shares with Adriana how strength-focused exercising can lead to a too-tight core and pelvic floor that make for more difficult labors and harder postpartum recoveries. They explore how you can figure out if your pelvic floor is too tight and what you can do about it to have a more flowing birth. Get the most ou...
Jan 31, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Lauren Horton has always been physically active, and during pregnancy, she continued to do a mix of CrossFit, swimming, yoga, and tons of dog walking. She shares with Adriana her surprise when she found herself hunkering down on the bed during labor instead of moving, and why she went with it (although she could have done without the hemorrhoids). Lauren also opens up about the impossibility of trying to live up to the expectations of doing it all, how sometimes the win is as small as having bee...
Jan 27, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Being pregnant means having relaxin loosening up all your tissues, while your core stretches and your center of gravity shifts, but that doesn’t mean you have to put up with the associated aches and discomforts. Restorative body educator extraordinaire Molly Deutschbein shares with Adriana ways you can move, support, and align your body for a happier pregnancy and a more flowing birth as well as how to navigate the postpartum return to a non-pregnant body. Get the most out of this episode by che...
Jan 24, 2024•59 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Adriana Lozada shares eight great questions for sussing out your provider’s protocols and practices as your pregnancy advances, in order to help you figure out how much shared decision-making and agency you will truly have in your birth experience. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on its show notes page. If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on What You Need to Know About Birth Positions and our episode on Informed Consent If you enjoy ...
Jan 20, 2024•11 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Chances are your pregnancy and birth will flow, and you’ll never need to see any of the care providers that deal with more complicated situations. But what if you do? Dr. Loralei Thornburg helps demystify what it can be like working with a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist. She shares with Adriana why so much of it has to do with experience, risk tolerance, and resources, and why – regardless of medical complications – you can still humanize your experience. Get the most out of this episode by ...
Jan 17, 2024•44 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Margot Strauhull brought her self-described “rule-following” attitude to her first hospital induction with an OB and had what she considered was a fine birth… until she was overcome by sadness in postpartum. This started her on a journey of peeling back the layers, to finally come to a deep trust in her own wisdom and instincts. Margot tells Adriana how the fear radiating from her providers around her “history of macrosomal infants” further activated her intuition to switch to a freestanding bir...
Jan 13, 2024•53 min•Season 3Ep. 10
The mounting evidence is clear: having a doula can help decrease the risk of having a cesarean birth and significantly improve birth experiences. In fact, doulas have even been called a form of pain relief themselves, as people tend to want fewer pain medications and epidurals when supported by a doula. But what makes what doulas do so special and different from the care you receive from your other care providers? Sabia Wade talks to Adriana about what a doula is, how to find one that will be a ...
Jan 10, 2024•56 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Laurel Gourrier, co-host of the podcast “Birth Stories in Color,” reflects on how her hospital birth experience— even though it was long and hard— often felt like a big party, thanks to the support of her partner, parents, and in-laws. She tells Adriana Lozada how their care and the constant communication of her wishes created a safe and joyful space in which she could birth, even leading her parents to open their home for the birth of her second child. If you liked this episode, listen to our i...
Jan 06, 2024•39 min•Season 3Ep. 8
There is ample evidence of the benefits of midwifery care for uncomplicated pregnancies, including lower rates of inductions, episiotomies, and cesareans. So why aren’t midwives more widely used in the U.S. (like they are in the rest of the world!)? Dr. Melissa Cheyney talks with Adriana all about midwifery care including the different types of midwives, their certifications, where they practice, and the importance of OBs, perinatologists, and midwives working together to provide you with the ri...
Jan 03, 2024•53 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Heather Lauf was so clear on the importance of choosing the right care provider for her birth that she switched practices, twice! Even with her ample preparation, labor still threw her for a loop when she found out her water hadn’t broken (it really seemed it had!), and then again when she couldn’t quiet her thinking brain after realizing she had too many eyes watching her. Nevertheless, Heather was able to have the unmedicated vaginal birth she was hoping for with the help of her trusted team. ...
Dec 30, 2023•55 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Obstetricians are the go-to care providers when giving birth in the US, but not all OBs are created equal. How does your obstetrician's background and training impact the care you get, and is that aligned with the care you deserve? Dr. Stuart Fischbein shares his insights, the hard lessons he’s gained over his career, as well as why he still does breech deliveries, VBACs, and home births. Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes p...
Dec 27, 2023•49 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Nana Eyeson-Akiwowo, co-founder of the socially impactful Fourth Phase aftercare boxes, shares how her expectations of when and how she should bond with her baby tarnished her otherwise wonderfully supported and respected birth experience. She tells Adriana how this hyperfocus on bonding impacted her postpartum, and how her mom helped her shift things with lots of wisdom and laughter. If you liked this episode, listen to this interview about the physical and emotional changes you can expect afte...
Dec 23, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Dr. Brad Bootstaylor talks with Adriana Lozada about how vital it is to establish shared decision-making with your care provider and the problem with the prevailing fear-based approach in perinatal care. Plus: why no one should ever roll their eyes at your birth plan! If you liked this episode, listen to our interview titled Know What You're Up Against When Giving Birth at a Hospital , and our episode on Family-Centered Cesareans . Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, ...
Dec 20, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 3
After having three hospital births – that included inductions, vaginal births, and a cesarean – Mariah Robinson couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing from her experiences. She shares with Adriana how she searched far and wide for a collaborative care provider who would support her wishes for an unmedicated vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and the trust and confidence she built with her body to get through an unplanned homebirth without fear. If you liked this episode, listen t...
Dec 16, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Finding the care provider that’s right for you is a critical first step toward having a great birth experience. Dr. Robin Elise Weiss talks with Adriana about the different types of prenatal care providers and how their varying philosophies can impact the care you receive. She also shares how to go about finding the care provider that’s right for you, and what you can do if you decide they are no longer a good fit. If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on informed consent during chil...
Dec 13, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 1
After birthing quite a large baby and experiencing shoulder dystocia, Jessica Bower went on a quest to figure out why she had grown a baby that size. She shares with Adriana how gaining control of her sugar levels really helped with her “Mission: Make a Small Baby” for her third birth. This nutritional connection with her body was key in her decision to have an induction for her fourth birth after developing gestational diabetes, leading to the waterbirth she so desired. If you liked this episod...
Dec 09, 2023•55 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Genevieve Howland (a.k.a. Mama Natural) talks with Adriana about ways you can navigate the emotions that come with gaining weight during pregnancy, identify possible triggers, and explore seeing it as an opportunity to connect with and appreciate your body in a new way. They also discuss how nutrition plays a role in lessening birth interventions, the folic acid vs. folate debate, ferments, bitters, cravings, mindful eating habits, and more. If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on...
Dec 06, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Adriana Lozada offers practical advice on how to deal with whatever level of nausea you are experiencing. She also lays out how hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is not just a bad case of morning sickness, but a severe and debilitating condition. If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on eating to grow a healthy baby brain, or this episode on how to tap into the nourishing power of herbs during pregnancy and postpartum. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, trans...
Dec 02, 2023•12 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Professor of Microbiology and researcher Dr. Anne Estes talks with Adriana about how your gut microbiome (not just your vaginal microbiome) plays a critical role in seeding your baby’s microbiome during birth, and what you can do about it. They discuss whether probiotics are necessary during pregnancy, why inserting a garlic clove in your vagina may not be the best way to combat Group B Strep, and the importance of looking at microbiomes through a diversity lens. If you liked this episode, liste...
Nov 29, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 5
After an eye-opening, traumatic, and abusive first birth, Toni DeAztlan Smith was determined not to repeat the experience. Toni tells Adriana how she proactively took matters into her own hands and ended up having a powerfully healing birth. She also shares how she achieved her goals of being negative for Group B Strep, NOT developing gestational diabetes, and avoiding preeclampsia. If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on childbirth PTSD, and this episode on how to avoid a cascade...
Nov 25, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Herbs are micronutrient powerhouses for your immune, nervous, and endocrine systems, but some of them may not be recommended during this time of your life. Kathleen Mugnolo talks with Adriana about how you can figure out which ones are right for YOU, as well as whether it makes sense to use herbs to get labor started, to lessen the chances of Group B Strep colonization, to help with constipation, to increase milk supply, and how they can support your postpartum recovery. If you liked this episod...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 3
Chelsy Arnett shares with Adriana how her husband nourished her during pregnancy. She also talks about the wonders of the double hip squeeze during labor, why she’d push in a completely different way the next time, as well as what’s helped her get through the surprisingly intense identity shift and breastfeeding challenges of the postpartum period. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page . If you liked this episode, list...
Nov 18, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Registered dietitian and researcher Lily Nichols and Adriana take a closer look at the common nutrition recommendations during pregnancy, and whether avoiding raw fish and runny eggs may be keeping you from getting the nutrition you and your baby really need. Lily also shares why you should pair high-quality fats and proteins with your carbs, and how to listen to the signals your unique body is sending you for optimal nutrition. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, tra...
Nov 15, 2023•55 min•Season 2Ep. 1
OB/GYN and medical educator Dr. Amali Lokugamage talks with Adriana about how being pregnant propelled a paradigm shift in her ideas about birth, leading her to give birth at home. A champion of human rights in childbirth, she shares why birth recommendations have become so hospital-centric, and why it would benefit us all to embrace more family-centered, integrated, and collaborative models of care. If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on How Prenatal Yoga Can Help Protect Your Ene...
Nov 08, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Robina Khalid of Small Things Grow Midwifery explains what it takes to truly consider a homebirth, and shares with Adriana how to prepare for a successful experience. If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on homebirth reimbursement, and this interview about the purpose of pain in childbirth. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page . You can learn more about Robina @smallthingsgrowhomebirth . Connect with Birt...
Nov 01, 2023•40 min•Season 1Ep. 9
April Teel shares with Adriana how her thoughtful preparation set the stage for her to have wonderful birth experiences at both a freestanding birth center (with a midwife) and a hospital (with a family practice doctor). She reflects on how what surprised her the most were the differences between the pushing stages—with one being managed, long, and difficult, and the second being completely dictated by her body, allowing her to experience the Fetal Ejection Reflex. Get the most of this episode b...
Oct 25, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Cesarean rates have increased 500% in two generations, and about half of them may be unnecessary. Physician-scientist and ACOG Fellow, Dr. Neel Shah, talks with Adriana about how the hospital you choose can be your #1 risk of having a surgical birth, how we got here, and what you can do about it. If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on How to Avoid a “Cascade of Interventions” and this episode with Carrie Contey (it's the one we mentioned in the show). Get the most of this episode b...
Oct 18, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Jenny Murphy’s birth preparations were impacted by uncertainty, fear, and ever-changing circumstances. She shares with Adriana how focusing on her “birth vision”– and waiting to go to the hospital for as long as possible– allowed her to be the leader of her labor and have what she describes as a dream birth. Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page . If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on How Your Birth Plan...
Oct 11, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 6
