Send us a text It's not your boobs! It's your baby. One of the biggest misconceptions that new mothers have around breastfeeding is that they won't be able to produce enough milk to meet their baby's needs. And one of the top three reasons that mothers stop breastfeeding is a sense of insufficient milk production, leaving mothers feeling that their bodies and breasts have failed them. In today's minisode I address the critical window of time for establishing a full milk supply and the three bigg...
Oct 19, 2020•10 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Send us a text When it came to having the birth experience she desired, Jasmine was not giving up. After two prior C-sections, she was determined to have a VBAC. More than forty-eight hours into her third labor with a failed epidural she was exhausted, afraid....and nine centimeters. Three pushes later, despite many odds, her baby was in her arms. Tune in today to hear this inspiring VBA2C birth story. * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please subscribe an...
Oct 14, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Send us a text Do you know why some vaginal births are fast and others slow? Some easy and others difficult, if not impossible? Optimal fetal positioning is the answer and despite what we've been led to believe, head-down is not the whole story. Gail Tully, the world's foremost expert on fetal positioning and founder of Spinning Babies is here with us today to explain how your everyday activities from your job to how you sit, stand and exercise, greatly influence your baby's position at birth. T...
Oct 07, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Send us a text Today's Birth Story Mini-Episode features Candra, a first-time Mom who had GBS (Group B Strep), release of membranes, antibiotics, vomiting and intense back labor. Despite everything her birth was natural and as soon as her daughter came out, she said she was ready to have another. Candra's story is a great example of how birth can be a good and fulfilling experience even when it's not necessarily "easy" along the way. * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To...
Oct 05, 2020•8 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Send us a text Imagine if your husband left for the hospital without you while you were in labor? What does it mean to have an anterior placenta? How might flat nipples impact your ability to breastfeed? When it comes to positions for giving birth, YOU are in charge. Ever wondered how to prepare for the possibility of an unexpected and unassisted home birth? Whether you are planning a cesarean birth or suddenly shift plans to having one, there are ways to do so feeling more empowered and respect...
Sep 30, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Send us a text She asks for a list of things that make me leak – my first incontinence homework. I begin: ‘Walking, running, stretching, coughing, sneezing, lifting up a baby, farting, shouting, crying, standing up, long strides, buses, exercise, stairs ...’” This is the beginning of Luce Brett’s book PMSL or How I literally Pissed Myself Laughing and Survived the Last Taboo to Tell the Tale. Today, we interview Luce on her postpartum incontinence journey--a life chapter shrouded in embarrassmen...
Sep 23, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Send us a text Hi everyone! In this Postpartum Mini episode Cynthia talks about Postpartum Anxiety, which is four times more common than Postpartum Depression, though it technically falls under the same umbrella. Postpartum anxiety can affect anyone (even fathers and parents who adopt), and is a function of how intensely bonded you are to your baby. The problem is, most people don't know about it. And if you experience intrusive thoughts - like being terrified you'll drop the baby down the stair...
Sep 21, 2020•14 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Send us a text Dr. Neel Shah, an obstetrician and professor at Harvard medical school, is dedicated to improving maternity care in the United States.Think part-scientist, part-sociologist and you'll see how his work in maternity care has made him a globally-recognized expert in tackling one of the biggest challenges for women giving birth today: the widely variable and sometimes extreme cesarean rate across the nation. Today, Dr. Shah talks to us about one of the simplest yet most effective solu...
Sep 16, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Send us a text Today we're talking with Becky and Tom, one of several HypnoBirthing couples Cynthia has worked with who ended up with an unplanned home birth. When you hear these stories, it's often hard to remember that the couple really believed they were about to get in the car. But some babies don't give quite enough advanced notice and you find yourself having a DIY birth at home! * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please subscribe and share with your...
Sep 09, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Send us a text Hi all! One of Cynthia's expecting HypnoBirthing moms had a story to share in class that brought her to tears, and now she's sharing it for all of you. How do you know if you're with the right provider? With so much uncertainty and so few hard facts, a woman's intuition, and often her partner's as well, is hands down the best way to inform this all-important decision. Jess tells you what this experience felt like for her. * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down...
Sep 07, 2020•8 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Send us a text Some things are best kept to ourselves...when Sandy and her husband decided to have a home birth, they also decided to keep their decision just between the two of them. This is a beautiful birth story of trusting ourselves, the parents of the baby, to know what is best for our desired birth experience. * * * * * * * * * * If you enjoyed this episode of the Down To Birth Show, please subscribe and share with your pregnant and postpartum friends. Between episodes, connect with us on...
Sep 02, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Send us a text We are kicking off this month's Q&A with some outrageous, real-life OB comments (#shitmyobsaid) because it is all too common that women are subjected to outlandish untruths and often degrading language. There are plenty of excellent providers out there, so switch if you must! Here's the question on almost every woman's mind: Will I poop in labor and how can I prevent this? Also, do you know the difference between infectious and inflammatory mastitis? It’s important to recogniz...
Aug 26, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Send us a text Hi everyone! Today Trisha continues providing breastfeeding information for those of you who want to know what to expect in that first week of forming a breastfeeding relationship with your newborn. Trisha gives tips as to what makes this process easier and also describes how your investment in this first week will payoff in the long run with an easier breastfeeding experience overall. Thanks for listening, and message us on IG or email us if you have any follow-up questions for o...
Aug 24, 2020•11 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Send us a text In the United States approximately 90% of mothers with twins give birth by C-section, the majority of which are scheduled. Katie Novack of The Wonder List is a travel blogger who never planned on having children. Suddenly she and her husband of 13 years discovered they were not only pregnant - but with twins! They felt a strong desire to bring their babies into the world vaginally and discovered pretty much until the moments the babies came out that this would be no easy feat. Kat...
Aug 19, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Send us a text In this birth story mini-episode, Rachel shares the story of her blissful birth using HypnoBirthing and how feeling empowered in her own birthing choices allowed her to have a pain-free and truly thrilling birth experience. * * * * * * * * * * 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 conversatio...
Aug 10, 2020•10 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Send us a text Have you ever wondered why we call it "labor" or say he or she "delivered" my baby? Maybe you felt defeated when your care provider diagnosed you with "failure to progress" or suggested you had an "incompetent cervix". The words we use matter a lot. Sara is a mother, educator, birth worker and founder of Birth Words. With a master's degree in linguistics, she was inspired to fuse her passion for words and birth into a revolutionary movement, bringing awareness to the words we use ...
Aug 05, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Send us a text So many excellent questions came in for this week's Q&A episode! We begin with a brief discussion on the possibility of a little silver lining for mothers & babies giving birth during Covid-19. Next, we tackle the question of changing placental function based on maternal age, followed by chapped, bleeding nipples two-weeks postpartum and how to fix them. We discuss how all women can access the confidence to give birth naturally and why a shot of Pitocin after the birth of ...
Jul 29, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Send us a text Hi everyone! We're back today with another HypnoBirthing mini. Regardless of whether you have taken - or plan to take - a HypnoBirthing class before giving birth, we're going to talk about one of the tools in the program that's application to all of us: Affirmations. How do they work? What do they have to do with your belief system? And how can you use them toward preparing your most important birthing organ? (Hint: It's not your uterus.) Tune in to get the inside scoop on how the...
Jul 27, 2020•14 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Send us a text We love dogs and we love babies, so what is the best way to bring your baby home when you already have a dog in the house? All of us at the DTB show are dog owners and dog lovers, and we thought this was not only a fun, but also an important topic for new parents. Today, we have Heather Corum from Canine Company to give us the dog's perspective on what it's like when baby comes home and to teach us all the ways to train your dog for a safe, smooth transition to one big happy famil...
Jul 22, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Send us a text Chloë Lubell is a midwife living and working in New York City. She has worked in a number of different settings including public hospitals, private hospitals, birth centers, and homes. After the birth of her own daughter she transitioned out of the hospital to grow a new practice: Cosmos Midwifery. Chloë’s story shares why a hospital-based midwife made the change to home birth practice and details her experiences feeling unsupported in the hospital and unable to make the changes t...
Jul 15, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Send us a text Hey, everyone! We've got another great birth story for you on this mini-episode Monday. Tiffany shares the birth stories of each of her sons. Tiffany's first birth was incredibly arduous; after hours of laboring and pushing, her baby started to emerge breech, resulting in an emergency Cesarean section. During her second pregnancy, Tiffany invested extra energy to fetal positioning exercises, and to practicing hypnosis to keep her in a calm, positive state through her second labor....
Jul 13, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Send us a text 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...
Jul 08, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Send us a text 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...
Jul 03, 2020•7 min
Send us a text 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 anx...
Jul 01, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Send us a text 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...
Jun 29, 2020•8 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Send us a text 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 ne...
Jun 24, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Send us a text 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 sta...
Jun 17, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Send us a text 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 Do...
Jun 15, 2020•10 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Send us a text 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 som...
Jun 10, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Send us a text 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 child...
Jun 03, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 28
