Birth Kweens

Latest Episodes:

Ep 48: What I Wish I Would Have Known: POSTPARTUM Aug 16, 2018

Show notes

In the final installment of our three part "What I Wish I Would Have Known" series, we're talking about the postpartum period. Here's a glimpse at what the kweens cover in episode 48:

How postpartum care is grossly lacking in the United Stated
The importance of getting/accepting help in the postpartum period
How everyone still looks pregnant right after they give birth
Afterpains – what they are and how to deal
What's going on with the undercarriage after birth and how to take care of it and help things heal properly
V steaming in the postpartum period
Taking care of those pesky hemorrhoids!
Why profuse sweating is a postpartum thing
Hair loss
What to expect with postpartum bleeding
Preventing and treating constipation
Prolapse and pelvic floor issues
Postpartum mood disorders, hormone shifts, and "baby blues" – how to tell the difference and what to do
Breastfeeding – how to set yourself up for success and where to look if you need help
Baby "stuff" – what you need, what you don't, and when to buy it
The identity shifts that often accompany becoming a parent
A few things about baby sleep
How older siblings might react to a new baby and a few suggestions for how to support them through the transition
A few lovely and encouraging quotes from parents who have been there

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Ep 47: What I Wish I Would Have Known: BIRTH Aug 09, 2018

Show notes

In part two of our three part "What I Wish I Would Have Known" series, we're talking about all of the things you wish someone would've told you about BIRTH! Here's what you can expect to hear in this episode:

Why it's so important to prepare to feel unprepared when it comes to giving birth
The only two promises that the Birth Kweens can make about giving birth
The importance of getting educated and being invested in your birth while also remaining flexible and open about how your baby needs to be born
Why you should consider keeping your exact due date to yourself instead of shouting it from the rooftops
Basic info about water breaking (including some common misconceptions)
How labor doesn't always proceed in a linear fashion, and why this matters
Normal signs of labor progress, including shaking, nausea, and vomiting
Nuchal cords (aka – cord wrapped around baby's neck)
The different kinds of heart rate decelerations that can occur in labor, a basic explanation of what they mean, and what you can do when this happens
What babies usually look like right after they're born
Some important things to know about the pushing phase of labor
Tips for preventing tearing during a vaginal delivery
The sensations that people frequently report feeling during labor
Things you can expect with a cesarean birth
What it's like to give birth to the placenta
Uterine massage (aka – fundal massage) – what it is and how to cope with it
Some tips on making decisions regarding interventions during labor (including a reminder to always use your B.R.A.I.N.)
A few quotes from parents about their birth experience and how it shaped them

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Ep 46: What I Wish I Would Have Known: PREGNANCY Aug 02, 2018

Show notes

This is the first episode of our three part "What I Wish I Would Have Known" series. In part one, we're focusing on all the things you wish someone would've told you about PREGNANCY! Here's a brief overview of what's covered:

Hormone and mood changes
What usually happens to breasts during pregnancy
Spotting – when it might happen and what it might mean
Varicose veins
Swelling… everywhere!
How to support a growing belly
Constipation and hemorrhoids
Ligament pain
Leg cramps - THE WORST! (Take this magnesium supplement to get rid of those awful things!)
Heartburn
Carpel tunnel
Discharge - FUN!
Changes in shoe size
Belly button stuff - NEAT!
Skin changes
Some basics about nutrition and exercise (check out the Spinning Babies website for more info about daily and weekly exercises to do during pregnancy)
The mental health side of pregnancy plus a few good resources for perinatal mood disorders:
- Postpartum Health International
- Postpartum Health Alliance
- Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
- Podcast seriesabout delayed postpartum depression and anxiety
What it means to have a 'due date' and why it's so important to prepare for going past that date
The Last Days of Pregnancy: A Place of In-Between

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Ep 45: Velamentous Cord Insertions & Cesarean Births with Nikki Helms Jul 26, 2018

Show notes

Nikki Helms is a birth worker, wife, mom, and all-around badass kween from San Diego, CA. She stopped by the BK recording lair to share the stories of giving birth to her two daughters, Nina and Naia, via cesarean. Nikki opens up about her introduction into birth work, how that experience influenced her own births, and how she navigated having two unplanned cesareans. Her births included some unexpected things that were a bit scary at times and Nikki shares candidly about how she and her husband walked through these experiences. Enjoy!

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Ep 44: Racial Inequities in Birth in the U.S. Jul 19, 2018

Show notes

Rene Fowlkes and Morgan Taylor of Black Infant Health in Los Angeles, CA join us to discuss the inequities in maternity care and health outcomes for black women and babies. Here's what you'll hear about in this episode:

A brief overview of Morgan and Rene's background and resumes, including how they came to work for BIH in L.A.
The mission statement of the Black Infant Health program and what kind of support families receive when they participate
The important role that stress management plays in the BIH program
Some of the challenges black women and children are facing when it comes to maternity care and birth outcomes
Some stats on infant and maternal mortality and morbidity affecting the African-American community
New York Times article about disparities in wellness for black women and babies
Info about Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome from Dr. Joy DeGruy
Discussion about how white people (specifically white birth workers) can be allies for POC and show up for the community in a supportive and appropriate way
SURJ – Showing Up for Racial Justice
Books suggested by Morgan and Rene
Some success stories from the L.A. BIH program
Follow Black Infant Health - L.A. on Facebook and Instagram
If you're interested in getting involved with/supporting Black Infant Health in Los Angeles, contact Morgan Taylor at mtaylor@childrenscollective.org

Morgan's Bio:

Morgan Ashley Taylor, MPA, is the Program supervisor for The Children's Collective's Black Infant Health Program. Morgan and her team work diligently to address both African American infant and maternal mortality in the Los Angeles Area by emphasizing social support, stress reduction and empowerment. Morgan is exceptionally passionate about addressing disparities and the inequities within communities of color. Previously, she worked as an Operations Manager at Action for Boston Community Development Inc., where she designed and implemented "Mom-Me First", a support group to promote self-care for young mothers. This led Morgan to finding her calling in maternal and child health in addition to many life lessons that have come with raising her three-year-old daughter, Isis. After receiving her Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, Morgan went on to obtain her Master's in Public Administration from the School of Public Service, at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.

Rene's Bio:

Rene Fowlkes, BA, is a Group Facilitator for The Children's Collective's Black Infant Health Program. Rene facilitates the sister circles that focuses on social support, stress reduction and empowerment. She is originally from Boston, Ma where she has made her mark in the human services field for 15 years. Rene started her own therapeutic counseling Program, Be Heiressistible, in 2013. The program provided mentoring, empowerment, and spiritual support for young women and moms. The program also served as a bridge between parent and child to address self-esteem, behavioral, educational, and sexual identity issues in an in-home therapy setting. Rene has also worked on the Michelle Obama "Let's Move Campaign" in Boston, MA. She has a bachelor's degree in human services. Rene finished her Bachelor's degree in Human Services from Springfield College in Houston, Tx. Rene now runs a blog called Little Fowlkes about her families transition from Houston, Tx to Los Angeles due to Hurricane Harvey. The blog discusses the effects of parenting through poverty and other life altering situations. Rene is the mother of three boys and was able to have three successful natural births but not without complications. After Rene's traumatic birth experiences she became a maternal health advocate and began to research the reasons behind the maternal health disparities in the black community. She now is dedicated to educating and empowering other black moms to have healthy births and babies.

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Ep 43: Healing Diastasis Recti with Wendy Powell of MUTU System Jul 05, 2018

Show notes

Wendy Powell, Dip PT is an internationally renowned and certified postpartum exercise specialist, award winning entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of MUTU.

Following a successful media and advertising career, Wendy retrained as a personal trainer in 2001, before focusing on pregnancy and postpartum exercise. After a decade of working with moms, studying with industry experts and doing extensive personal research, as well as becoming a mother herself twice over, Wendy maintained the passionate belief that there was a better way to help moms with postpartum body issues and so the MUTU System was born. Derived from 'mummy tummy', the MUTU System is an award-winning restorative online exercise program - a series of high quality coaching and real-time workout videos, accessed via a membership site and a follow-on app. Wendy offers expertise and guidance to moms who want to shift the 'mummy tummy', heal their core and pelvic floor, get strong and fit, and be truly body confident inside and out. Here's an overview of what the kweens discuss with Wendy in this episode of the show:

Wendy's background, how she started MUTU, and how her own two birth experiences influenced the development of the program
How and why women are so underserved by the fitness industry, especially during the postpartum period, and what needs to change to fix this
The importance of reconnecting with your body after you give birth (and why it's essential to do this BEFORE returning to exercise)
MUTU's mission and target audience
The definition of diastasis recti and how to check yourself for it
Common misconceptions about diastasis recti and why it's not actually the problem, but rather a symptom of an underlying problem
What is included in the MUTU System 12 Week Program and why it's so much more than just an exercise program!
Resources/ mentioned in this episode:
- Click here to sign up for the amazing 12 week program that will help you strengthen your core and heal your pelvic floor!
- Click here to become a MUTU Pro
- Be sure to follow MUTU on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube!

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Ep 42: Birth Stories from a Queer Family Jun 28, 2018

Show notes

Heather Thompson is back on the podcast to share her birth stories! You may remember her from episode number 25 when she came to talk about the work she does with the birth justice organization, Elephant Circle. Heather is a queer birth worker and scientist with extensive experience working in the birth and social justice fields. She lives with her partner Tom and their two children in Denver, CO. Here's an overview of what's covered in this episode:

Heather's experience with birth work and her feelings about the importance of having adequate postpartum support
Her family background (Christian and conservative) and what it was like for her to come out as queer
The origin of her relationship with her partner, Tom, and their story of getting married and starting a family
The story of her first pregnancy, including what it was like to be living in a new city and trying to find a supportive and queer-friendly care provider/birthing location
Heather's sexual and gender identities and her experience with having body dysphoria during pregnancy
A great explanation of the difference between sexual identity and gender identity
The story of her first birth – an unmedicated birth at home – and how the postpartum period went for her
The story of her second birth – a precipitous birth center birth with the same midwife she used for baby #1
How she healed from her births and how/when she made the decision to return to work outside of the home
Some suggestions for birth workers/care provider for how to be sensitive and supportive to non-traditional families (queer, same-sex, etc.)
The Gender Unicorn graphic mentioned by Heather
The Gender Inclusive Language Experiment that Heather conducted (posted on the Elephant Circle Blog)

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Ep 41: NICU Tips from a Preemie Mom Jun 21, 2018

Show notes

Laura Ehlers is a holistic health consultant, wife, and mom to Eliotte, who was born twelve weeks early. Laura, a Wisconsin native, was on vacation in San Diego in March of 2017 when her water broke at 24 weeks pregnant. She was immediately put on bedrest at a high-risk hospital in San Diego where she remained until Eliotte was born at 28 weeks. Here's an overview of what Laura shares in this episode of the podcast:

The story of how Laura ended up on bedrest in a San Diego hospital at 24 weeks pregnant
The birth she had been hoping/planning to have, and how she had to surrender those plans after being put on bedrest with a ruptured bag of water at 24 weeks along
What the prognosis was for Eliotte when Laura's water broke at 24 weeks
How Laura and her husband continued to advocate for themselves and their baby despite being in such a high-risk situation where many
What it was like for Laura to spend ~4 weeks on complete bedrest in the hospital and some tips and tricks she recommends for people who are dealing with the same thing
The story of Eliotte's birth – a vaginal delivery following spontaneous labor at 28 weeks and 5 days, Eliotte was born at 2lbs 2.9oz and
What it was like to give birth to such a tiny baby and what Laura and her husband did to prepare for their time in the NICU
How much time baby Eliotte spent in the NICU and some helpful tips and tricks that Laura suggests to get through your own NICU experience
What it was like to transition Eliotte from the NICU to being home
Laura's suggestions for healing from a difficult labor/birth/NICU experience

If you're interested in learning more about the work that Laura does to empower chemically conscious women to make the best choices for their lives regarding their homes and personal care routines, you can visit her website, follow her on Instagram and YouTube, or check out her podcast, Non-Toxic Pursuits.

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Ep 40: Surviving Postpartum with Multiples with Ashley Stetson, CD(DONA) Jun 14, 2018

Show notes

Ashley Stetson, CD(DONA) joins us on the podcast again, this time to discuss navigating the infant stage with multiples. Ashley is a Certified Birth Doula, San Diego HypnoBirthing Educator, and Doula Match Facilitator at the Birth Education Center of San Diego. She became a mother to spontaneous triplets in 2011. Their birth inspired her to join the childbirth community and help families achieve the birth experiences they deserve. She is a highly trained doula with much experience in high risk pregnancy, multiples pregnancies, cesarean births, and induction.Here's what we covered in our chat with Ashley:

A brief review of the birth of Ashley's triplets
What it was like bringing all three babies home and how they survived the early months with three newborns
The importance of having adequate support in place for the postpartum period (and why hiring a postpartum doula is SO worth it!)
An estimation of what Ashley and her husband spent on diapers and formula in the first few years (plus some money saving tips that she discovered along the way!)
Some ideas for feeding/sleeping schedules with multiples
Special considerations when caring for preemies/babies who spent time in the NICU
Some notes about postpartum healing and how it might be different than with a singleton
The importance of getting involved with a community of other multiples families
The essential baby gear that Ashley suggests
Resources mentioned in this episode:

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Ep 39: Breastfeeding Basics: How to Set Yourself Up For Success with Robin Kaplan, M.Ed., IBCLC Jun 07, 2018

Show notes

Robin Kaplan, M.Ed., IBCLC is a lactation consultant in San Diego, CA. She launched the San Diego Breastfeeding Center in 2009 and has recently published her first book, Latch: A Handbook for Breastfeeding with Confidence at Every Stage. Robin was kind enough to sit down with the Birth Kweens to discuss breastfeeding. Here's an overview of what's covered in this episode:

A bit about Robin's background and how she became a lactation consultant
Info about Robin's non-profit, the San Diego Breastfeeding Center Foundation
The Boob Group Podcast
An overview of the benefits of breastfeeding
Some of the most common challenges that arise with breastfeeding
The importance of getting support early on in a breastfeeding journey, especially if you're having any challenges
The role that partners/other family members can play in supporting the breastfeeding journey
What the average breastfeeding journey looks like for the first couple of weeks
The number of wet and dirty diapers you want to see and the number of feedings a baby should be doing in a 24 hour period
The importance of honoring the forth trimester and how doing so supports breastfeeding
If/when pacifiers and bottles should be introduced to a baby
What the 'witching hour' is and why it happens
How having flat or inverted nipples might impact breastfeeding and some tools that can be used to assist with breastfeeding in these situations
Some info about drinking alcohol while breastfeeding. Click hereto read the article from KellyMom.com that Robin references.
Robin's suggestions for helpful breastfeeding gear:
- Coconut oil (to use as nipple cream)
- Nursing pillow
- Something to baby wear in (some popular options are wraps,ring slings, or structured carriers such as the Ergo 360)
- An electric breast pump (a popular option is the Spectra)
- A hand pump
Click here to buy Robin's new book!

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