Send us a text Welcome to our first breastfeeding-only Q&A with Trisha & Cynthia. Trisha is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant with thousands of hours of clinical experience. Today's episode follows the format of our regular monthly Q&A episodes, where women call in with questions and we wrap up with Quickies at the end, but this time it's your breastfeeding questions only. Today Trisha answers questions such as: Can I introduce a pacifie...
May 08, 2024•33 min•Season 5Ep. 264
Send us a text Amanda Holden was planning a home birth with her first baby, having hired a midwife she loved. When she reached 42 weeks, her midwife terminated her care abruptly, due to Colorado state law prohibiting midwives from attending late-term home births. With a heavy heart but optimistic mindset, Amanda and her husband made the decision to birth in a hospital rather than have an unattended home birth. Using the education she had under her belt by that point, Amanda rallied herself into ...
May 01, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 263
Send us a text Welcome to the April Q&A episode with Cynthia & Trisha. Today, we invite you to guess the two things that Cynthia and Trisha will never talk about on the podcast. Hint: They are not scandalous or controversial. Shoot us a DM with your guesses! Next, hear the most annoying habits from our podcast community regarding their partners. As for our questions this month, here we go: I had a pain-free breech vaginal birth. Why do some women experience pain at birth and others don't...
Apr 24, 2024•49 min•Season 5Ep. 262
Send us a text Emma Armstrong, author of The Fearless Birth Book, and Instagram birth influencer at @thenakeddoulaofficial, joins us today to delve into the meaning of pleasurable birth. We ask the questions, "Why should a woman want a pleasurable birth, what does it even mean, and what holds women back from experiencing pleasure instead of pain?" In this enlightening and off-the-record-style conversation, we uncover the emotions holding us back from ecstatic, pleasurable, even orgasmic birth. E...
Apr 17, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 261
Send us a text You won't find an obstetrician anywhere in the United States who will birth triplets vaginally in the hospital, but today you'll hear the story of traditional midwife Kristine Lauria who welcomed them at home with the respect and reverence for birth every woman deserves. Kristine witnesses some of the most "high risk" births around the world in her midwifery work for Doctors Without Borders. She has attended over 500 breech, twin, and triplets births! In this episode, you will hea...
Apr 10, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 260
Send us a text When Carolyn was pregnant with her first baby, she went past her "due date." After declining an induction at 41+6, her doctor questioned her integrity as a mother, stating, "I am surprised your motherly instinct (to protect your baby) hasn't kicked in yet." Knowing that she and her baby were ok, she continued to wait despite heavy pressure from her OB. When she passed the 42-week mark, feeling out of options and having been told she was going to have a ten-pound baby, Carolyn acce...
Apr 03, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 259
Send us a text We are back with the March Q&A episode with Cynthia & Trisha. We kick off today's episode with an unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime story of an OB who holds off a mother's pushing to tie a bow in the baby's hair before being born! Next, we get into our questions beginning with a mother who wants to offer important birth advice to her friend's daughter but doesn't know if it is her place or how to not overstep boundaries. Also, what questions to ask at a late third-trimester...
Mar 27, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 258
Send us a text In today's episode, three current and former L&D nurses join us in a roundtable-style conversation to share their behind-the-scenes experiences on the L&D floor. These three women get raw, real, and honest about what pulled them to this line of work and for one, what forced her to leave. They share their experiences and that of the women they serve on how birthing mothers are manipulated, coerced, and betrayed by their providers and the system. You'll hear astonishing quot...
Mar 20, 2024•58 min•Season 5Ep. 257
Send us a text Like many mothers, Taylor Chamberlain Dilk had no idea where to begin in preparing for childbirth. Lucky for her she has a large social media presence and requested recommendations from her audience, and lucky for us, Down to Birth Show came highly recommended. Once she started digging in, she felt her inner maternal voice rising to the surface. She knew she wanted an unmedicated birth, but had no idea what she was up against giving birth with an OB in the hospital. When she was o...
Mar 13, 2024•50 min•Season 5Ep. 256
Send us a text In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Stu Fischbein for his third appearance on Down to Birth Show. We start the conversation by catching up on some of the latest problems occurring on the birth scene including VBACs, aspirin in pregnancy, the monetization of birth, late pregnancy ultrasounds, big babies, and due dates, before we get into the meat of the episode on Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR). Dr. Stu shares a letter from one of his followers regarding her IUGR diagnosis...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 255
Send us a text Welcome to the February Q&A with Cynthia & Trisha. To kick things off, we share some of your New Year's Resolutions--don't miss this as Trisha makes Cynthia momentarily speechless! Next, we dive into your questions beginning with: Is cord traction really necessary to birth the placenta? Another woman explains that she always throws up in labor right when her water breaks and asks if this is normal. Also, a new mother is curious if giving her baby a pacifier will be harmful...
Feb 28, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 254
Send us a text In today's episode, Cynthia and Trisha break down some of the current guidelines published by ACOG (the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists). You'll see many of these guidelines favor physiological birth and stand for minimal medical intervention in exactly the ways we recommend, which makes it all the more perplexing why so many of today's obstetricians don't follow along. By understanding ACOG's position on common concerns in pregnancy and birth, you can feel m...
Feb 21, 2024•52 min•Season 5Ep. 253
Send us a text IUGR or Intrauterine Growth Restriction is the latest trend on the obstetric scene--a diagnosis that has afflicted many mothers unnecessarily. Eric, a father of two daughters, joins us on the show today to discuss his experience with his wife's IUGR experience. When an early ultrasound told them their baby was measuring smaller than expected, they were sent to maternal-fetal medicine and their baby was labeled as growth-restricted. As their dreams of a birth center birth quickly v...
Feb 14, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 252
Send us a text Have you ever wondered why we actually need to get a pap smear or why the testing guidelines frequently change? The presence of HPV or the Human Papilloma Virus is associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer and is the reason behind the pap smear. A pap smear looks at the health of the cells in our cervix and the presence of HPV. When abnormal cells are found, it is usually recommended that we have those cells removed at the risk of the functionality of our cervix. In thi...
Feb 07, 2024•50 min•Season 5Ep. 251
Send us a text Hello and is it too late to still say Happy New Year?! Cynthia & Trisha are back with the first Q&A of 2024 in season five of the Down to Birth Show! We kick it off today by sharing some of your highs and lows from the holiday season. Next, we get into our questions beginning with a mother who had low milk supply with her first baby and wonders what she can do in pregnancy and birth to prevent it from happening again; one curious listener wants to know if she can check her...
Jan 31, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 250
Send us a text Pitocin has been named the most over-used and abused drug in maternity care. It is increasingly used for elective induction despite the lack of FDA approval for this purpose. Rupture of the uterus is a known adverse reaction to this drug, and its use is contraindicated when there is fetal distress or overstimulation of the uterus. Few, if any, women are given full informed consent to the administration of this drug in labor. Katie Spinks is one of these women. Katie had a routine,...
Jan 24, 2024•51 min•Season 5Ep. 249
Send us a text Cait Scudder, also known as the Millionaire Mother , is a successful entrepreneur and mother of two. Currently in her third pregnancy, she joins us today to share her story of transformation from resistance to surrender in birth and in life. She describes her traumatic first birth resulting in a third-degree tear and bladder prolapse and the way she was robbed of her power through hospital policy, despite still achieving an unmedicated, vaginal birth. After going deep into somatic...
Jan 17, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 248
Send us a text Lizzie Bolliger, aka Fierce Lizzie on Instagram, wasn't always fierce. She went into her first birth experience knowing very little other than that she wanted an unmedicated vaginal birth. After experiencing premature rupture of membranes, her first birth resulted in Pitocin augmentation and then meconium aspiration, resulting in her baby being taken away from her for the first fifteen hours of life. The second time around, she figured she knew enough to avoid an epidural and Pito...
Jan 10, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 247
Send us a text Susan Bratton is an intimacy expert and champion advocate for all who desire their most fulfilling and passionate intimate relationships. She joins us today to discuss how mothers can have a thriving sex life after having a baby and far beyond menopause. If you are someone who doesn't orgasm easily, or who feels guilty for not wanting more sex, or if you just want to learn more about what your body is capable of, this episode is for you! She details the anatomy of the yoni (the ta...
Jan 03, 2024•49 min•Season 5Ep. 246
Send us a text Welcome to the December Q&A episode with Cynthia and Trisha! Today, we begin with revealing your holiday traditions and difficult family challenges of the season. Additionally, we share our long-standing holiday traditions. Next, we dive into your questions beginning with: What are the signs of postpartum hemorrhage? Is failure to progress dangerous and what can you do to prevent it? Is it safe to use breastmilk to treat pink eye in a baby? Considering the danger of RSV, shoul...
Dec 27, 2023•53 min•Season 4Ep. 245
Send us a text As we gear up for our season finale next week, we've got a special treat for you today – a "holiday special" episode that's a departure from our usual format. In this extra-long, off-the-record conversation, which we recorded Friday night at Trisha's house, we're delving into the personal questions you've been curious about throughout 2023. That's right, we're steering clear of the usual birth-related questions, and don't worry, you'll get your full dose of those in next week's De...
Dec 20, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 4Ep. 244
Send us a text Join us for our long-awaited episode with Ashley Mayer, affectionately known as Dr. Green Mom , a highly respected family and pediatric doctor specializing in individualized and holistic medicine. In this insightful conversation, Dr. Mayer not only answers your burning pediatric healthcare questions but also provides a unique blend of personal insights and professional opinions on some of the most commonly debated topics in pediatrics. Dr. Ashley Mayer addresses crucial concerns s...
Dec 13, 2023•39 min•Season 4Ep. 243
Send us a text Doulas are an increasingly important, if not essential, member of a birth support team. However, along with their increased importance, doulas are exposed to an ever-increasing level of risk and liability. In this episode, we welcome back to the show maternal healthcare and human rights attorney Hermine Hayes-Klein, to discuss the legal rights and roles of doulas. She asks the question, what does support really look like, and can the doula actually assert the mother's right to inf...
Dec 06, 2023•51 min•Season 4Ep. 242
Send us a text Welcome back to our monthly Q&A with Cynthia & Trisha! This month, we kick things off with a short story from an L&D nurse attending a mother giving birth to her seventh baby who was coerced into an unnecessary cesarean and what we think about how it was handled. Next, we get into your questions starting with: How do I defend myself against friends and family who don't support my plans for a natural birth? Another mom asks what she can do to prevent her waters from bre...
Nov 29, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 241
Send us a text Elizabeth Parsons of Purely Parsons is a mother of five, living on seventy acres in Appalachia, homesteading with her husband and children. For her fourth pregnancy, she had a planned home birth with her seasoned midwife. Despite having regular prenatal care and even an ultrasound the day before she went into labor, Elizabeth had an unexpected twin double breech birth at forty weeks! After the first baby was born, six minutes later, she felt the urge to push again and it seemed un...
Nov 22, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 240
Send us a text A 2023 article from Yale News flashed across news outlets in the United States headlined: " Yale researchers find that breastfeeding can cost over $11,000 a year. " The article goes on to say, "While the 2022 baby formula shortage in the United States sparked calls for an increase in support for breastfeeding nationwide, a group of researchers at the Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine sought to demonstrate how breastfeeding can impose significant financial bu...
Nov 15, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 239
Send us a text In this heartwarming episode, we met with the woman we believe is our oldest and wisest podcast fan and devout member of our Patreon community: Lee Roversi, a CSA farm owner in Hawaii, mother of three adult children, and grandmother. Lee begins by reflecting on her upbringing in Connecticut during the 1950s and how it shaped her perspective on motherhood. Her traditional family background contrasted with her later path toward holistic childbirth choices. Lee's story unfolds with a...
Nov 08, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 238
Send us a text Tess Frame is a mother of two who experienced severe pneumonia in late pregnancy after contracting the flu. Her condition became septic, resulting in organ failure and premature labor. She gave birth by cesarean at thirty-five weeks while comatose, and was intubated in critical care for several weeks after. While in a coma, she experienced and/or perceived traumas she could only begin to unwind after becoming conscious, trying to unravel what experiences were real and what were on...
Nov 01, 2023•47 min•Season 4Ep. 237
Send us a text Hello everyone - it's your favorite day of the month, when we take your calls! As always, thank you for submitting your excellent questions to 802-438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). Keep them rolling in! We love hearing from you. Today, we kick things off with some of the hilarious comments and questions your husbands and partners have said during pregnancy and birth. Next, we dive into our questions beginning with one mom seeking guidance on how best to make mom friends after having a baby...
Oct 25, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 236
Send us a text Dr. Roger McFillin , a seasoned clinical psychologist and the compelling voice of the Radically Genuine Podcast, dares to question the prevailing surge in depression diagnoses in our modern world. He boldly sheds light on the truth about SSRIs, leveling grave accusations of "criminal negligence" at the doctors who knowingly sidestep informed consent requirements. Dr. McFillin uncovers a disturbing reality—one where patients are shielded from the harsh truth of low efficacy rates, ...
Oct 18, 2023•52 min•Season 4Ep. 235
