Send us a text 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 ge...
Jun 01, 2020•10 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Send us a text We are back with another monthly Q&A episode. This week we have some big topics such as "mandatory" newborn interventions: can I say no to the antibiotic eye ointment and/or the Vitamin K shot? Next, we explain the birth of the placenta: when it happens and what to expect. Also, we address how to get started with breastfeeding immediately following birth--don't miss the one simple first step! Lastly, we talk about co-sleeping: what does it mean, who is it for, and is it safe? ...
May 27, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Send us a text In today's episode we're sitting down with physical therapist Tara Gibson, founder of Aligned Life Physical Therapy and Pelvic Wellness, where she works with prenatal and postpartum women in repairing and maintaining a healthy core and pelvic floor. Just think Kegels, sex, abs, peeing when you sneeze, diastasis, and what can be done about scar tissue. Let's learn to how to strengthen, recover and tone where it matters most. Don't miss the incredibly valuable information in this ep...
May 20, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Send us a text Hi, Listeners! In this first Monday-Mini-Episode, I share the story of one of my HypnoBirthing clients, Christina, who was diagnosed with Group B Strep at 36 weeks. When her membranes released at 39 weeks, her midwives made the evidence-based recommendation that she go immediately to the hospital for induction and antibiotics, even though labor hadn't yet begun. When she and her husband got to the hospital parking lot, she called me sobbing with the words I'll always remember: "Ev...
May 18, 2020•10 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Send us a text Our guest today is blogger and mother-of-six, Lisa Bass, who you may recognize by her social media platform Farmhouse on Boone. Lisa is the epitome of the modern-day natural living mother. She's making sourdough starter one moment and sewing her children's clothes the next, while wearing her baby in a sling and managing her multi-platform business. Her husband is home with her full-time, and they home school. Today Lisa joins us to share how her six birth experiences evolved, from...
May 13, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Send us a text Elena Tonetti-Vladimirova is one of the pioneers of the Conscious Birth Movement. From 1982 to 1989, she was one of the original organizers of the birth camps at the Black Sea in Russia, where many women gave birth in shallow lagoons in the presence of wild dolphins. If you've taken a HypnoBirthing class, you may have seen this in Elena's movie, Birth As We Know It. Elena is revered as a spiritual midwife to thousands of families and professionals alike. Elena has been training ne...
May 06, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Send us a text How can you stay your healthiest during pregnancy? While the immune system is slightly compromised and worries are higher with COVID-19, there are many healthy, easy ways to keep yourself strong and healthy. Tune in to hear our tips! In this Q&A we also answer questions around experiencing painful, sexual intercourse several months postpartum, the key reasons babies are unnecessarily separated from parents postpartum, why you can skip the newborn bath, and what to expect durin...
Apr 29, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Send us a text Hey podcast community - We've been getting so many questions around COVID-19, we wanted to dive deeper on how doulas are supporting couples right now. In this bonus episode, we spoke with birth- and postpartum-doula Colleen Myatt to find out how doulas are supporting couples during social distancing and/or while certain hospitals currently disallow doulas from attending couples' births. Colleen is certified through DONA International, and she is also an Evidence Based Birth and Sp...
Apr 24, 2020•17 min
Send us a text When it comes to having babies we all agree health matters most. While the benefits of delayed cord clamping are well known, less understood is cord blood banking--that is, saving those stem cells for potential use later on. Marion Welch, cord blood educator from Cryo-Cell International is here today to share some of the promising new developments in this field. Did you know cord blood is being used to treat Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer and even autism? Marion is taking us on a d...
Apr 22, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Send us a text Today's episode depicts Lindsay’s story of healing from the emotional and physical trauma through her own grief, and how each of her births brought her one step closer to freedom from her past . * * * * * * * * * * 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 questi...
Apr 15, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Send us a text Imagine you've had an easy, natural birth and are ready for baby number two. Then, when your first child is twelve months old, you go for your pregnancy confirmation visit only to hear, "Surprise! Triplets are joining the family!" Courtney is here today to share her roller coaster journey of shock, excitement, self-determination, and ultimately, her peaceful surrender to the cesarean birth she never thought she would have. https://www.multiplesofamerica.org/ * * * * * * * * * * If...
Apr 08, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Send us a text Pregnant and birthing mothers face unprecedented challenges in birth choices during the Coronavirus pandemic. Not only are they concerned about exposure to the virus; but also, many are being told they may have to give birth alone - without the presence of their very own partners, let alone their doulas and other immediate family members. As hospitals across the country have begun to ban labor support, expecting parents face the possible reality of not sharing the birth of their c...
Apr 01, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Send us a text Before we get into our regular Q&A episode, we bring you the current information we have on COVID-19 and its impact on pregnancy and breastfeeding. After reviewing the information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), what we know thus far is good news. Sigh of relief. Please tune in to hear more. In this week's Q&A, we answer questions on uterine scars and the impact on vaginal birth versus cesarean section; what to do when yo...
Mar 24, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Send us a text If you look up Julia Dzafic’s blog, Lemon Stripes, you’ll find a vibrant young mother sharing her tips on fashion, decor, motherhood, and lifestyle. But today on the podcast, Julia shares a part of her the public hasn’t fully seen: a woman with a history of anxiety who struggled with conception and miscarriage, and who finally conceived and birthed the healthy baby she’d dreamed of, only to feel completely disconnected from the moment of birth. This is the story of a woman who beg...
Mar 18, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Send us a text Stillbirth is defined as the loss of a baby between 20 weeks' gestation and birth. Globally 1 in 160 expecting families experience stillbirth, and that incidence is ever greater in the U.S. If this number is surprising that's because stillbirth isn't really talked about. And the effect of the silence is isolation. While society is well-meaning, we're often ill-prepared to truly understand the emotions felt by these parents. Especially the mothers, who tend to have have their own u...
Mar 11, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Send us a text The person we choose to attend our birth is one of the most impactful decisions we can make. Unfortunately, all too often the decision is made by default, choosing our gynecologist or our friend’s OB, or simply someone whose practice is close and convenient. We believe in making an informed and conscientious choice about who we allow to attend our birth. Today, we talk about the first three questions you should consider asking your provider, along with some red flags that would ha...
Mar 04, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Send us a text Let's talk about the Frida Mom ad depicting the real truth of a newly postpartum mom, which was banned from airing during the Oscars. Then, what's a mother to do when the pediatrician is suggesting weaning before mother or baby feels ready? Other questions we cover in this episode relate to feeling in control during labor even when you're high-risk; the ideal interval between babies; why some breast milk smells after it's been frozen or sitting out; and the truth about vomiting an...
Feb 26, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Send us a text Peggy O’Mara has been a role model and icon for generations of mothers, including us. As an award-winning author and journalist and the owner of Mothering magazine, Peggy became the voice for the attachment parenting and natural living community. This interview with Peggy provides a glimpse into her all-embracing, solution-focused and deeply trusting mindset, which demonstrates how she took a once-fragmented, seemingly-radical community of natural parents in the late 70s and turne...
Feb 19, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Send us a text The story of Cynthia's first birth has been published internationally in various print media between 2007 and 2020, under the the original title Off Her Back and, later, Taking Charge of Giving Birth . Some of those publications include Mothering magazine, Pathways to Family Wellness , and a textbook called Opposing Viewpoints: Childbirth . It's the story of a once-uninformed, overwhelmed woman who channeled her anxiety into educating herself, advocating for herself, and later fir...
Feb 12, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Send us a text "Can I just say 'No' to an episiotomy? Do I have to give birth on my back? I want to be free to walk around in labor. I don't want to be hooked up to an IV. I believe in skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth." Do you ever feel like what you want - or don’t want - in your birth experience is at risk of not happening for you? This episode spells out the research on various Evidenced Based Birth practices so you can feel confident and comfortable in the choices you make around...
Feb 05, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Send us a text It’s time for more Q&A! Today we talk about considerations around water birthing, dealing with your feelings around students/interns providing your care, when and how to introduce a bottle to your breastfed baby, understanding signs of postpartum depression, what to do if you have a velamentous cord insertion (and what is that anyway?), and the biggie every first time mother wants to know: “How do I know when it is time to go to the hospital?” Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine...
Jan 29, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Send us a text It isn't often we hear stories of women who change providers when their baby is full-term. At her 39 week check-up, Jessica learned her baby was breech...feet first! After facing an impending cesarean section that same day, she took matters into her own hands. This is the story of a woman whose trust in herself was so absolute, she trekked from New York into Amish country to birth her baby not only in the unlikeliest of places, but also in a most unusual position. If you've ever d...
Jan 22, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Send us a text Every week, Cynthia and Trisha moderate a postpartum support group, where women gain validation and unique insight into one another's thoughts, experiences and comments. Over time, it's clear to see certain patterns emerge within every new group. In this episode we discuss one of them: Why do so many women feel compelled to describe their partners as "amazing" -- not good, not 'doing his best', not human -- but amazing . Thus was born our term Amazing Husband Syndrome . We questio...
Jan 17, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Send us a text Certified Nurse Midwife and award-winning author of Optimal Care in Childbirth: The Case for a Physiologic Approach, Amy Romano, joins us today to share dramatic trends ranging from physiologic to sociologic, which are contributing to poor outcomes in the U.S., especially for black women. What are the risk factors for preterm birth, and do those risk factors impact black and white women differently? What mental and emotional factors are contributing to preterm babies? Finally, Amy...
Jan 15, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Send us a text Tune in to our first Q & A session where Cynthia and Trisha offer their thoughts on your questions: to induce or to wait at 41 weeks, alternatives to the one hour glucose tolerance test, ultrasound says my baby may be too big, what happens when you pump a little too much, family member input on birth choices, and what to do about placenta previa. * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant and postpartum friends! B...
Jan 08, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Send us a text Today's episode was recorded on location at HypnoBirthing of CT in Westport, where we brought together three women between 8 and 16 months postpartum to reflect on their experiences. You'll hear about their anxieties and how they've struggled to stay connected to the husbands they love. This episode contains sensitive content and uncensored language. Before tonight, these women had never met before; yet their feelings, fears, and hopes instantly connected them in this open, honest...
Jan 08, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Send us a text Today on the podcast we're debuting our Birth Stories segment with an incredible account of a woman whose planned hospital birth had a plan of its own. Lee is here today to share her remarkable story of how a forty-two year-old woman experienced an ecstatic and transformative birth experience in the most unexpected of places. This story is as inspiring as it is surprising. * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please share with your pregnant an...
Jan 03, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Send us a text Tune in to our very first episode where Cynthia, Trisha, and Zuzana talk about how they met and why they do what they do. They discuss the significance of birth choices and why a healthy mom and baby is NOT all that matters when it comes to having a baby. This is about women finding their own voice in pregnancy, and about having a birth that's not only safe, but leaves you feeling respected, heard and honored. It's about having a birth that leaves you feeling at peace. Because isn...
Jan 03, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Send us a text Please join us and 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 you and will strive to feature your questions and comments on upcomin...
Dec 29, 2019•3 min
