Birth Kweens

Latest Episodes:

Ep 89: A Deep Dive Into Water Birth Jun 13, 2019

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In part two of our water birth series, we're exploring more of the facts on water birth. Here's what you'll hear about in this episode:

A brief history of water birth
Benefits of laboring and birthing in water
Common concerns about the safety of water birth (and whether these concerns are legitimate)
The actual risks associated with water birth
Discussion on why most OBs/hospitals don't support water birth
Whether water birth impacts a newborn's microbiome
Managing emergencies like hemorrhage and newborn resuscitation in the water
The logistics of water birth – getting a tub, filling/emptying it, when to get in during labor, etc.
Click here to read the Evidence Based Birth article on waterbirth
Click here to check out the Waterbirth International website
Click here to read the Evidence Based Birth article on whether water birth impacts a newborn's microbiome

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Ep 88: An Intro to Water Birth with Barbara Harper, RN, CLD, CCCE, Midwife Jun 06, 2019

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In this episode we're talking with Barbara Harper about water birth. Barbara is a former OB and neonatal nurse, a midwife, doula, childbirth educator and writer. As the founder and director of Waterbirth International, she's become an internationally recognized expert on water birth and childbirth reform. She teaches and consults within hospitals, universities, and community groups worldwide.

Here's a brief overview of what's covered in this episode:

A bit about Barbara's background and how she became a water birth practitioner
The story of her second birth (her first home water birth) and how it impacted her career path
The benefits of using water for labor and birth
Barbara addresses the common concern of water birth posing an infection risk
The safety of water birth and why hospitals and obstetricians in the US are so against it.
An basic explanation of why babies don't inhale water and drown when they're born in a pool
To contact Barbara you can email her at barbara@waterbirth.org or message her on Instagram @thebarbaraharper

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Ep 87: Dori's Birth Story with Dori Varga of TRIBE de MAMA May 30, 2019

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Dori Varga of TRIBE de MAMA is sharing her birth story with us in today's episode! She gave birth to her son Noah in a hospital in San Diego in September 2014. She shares about what it was like to start a family in a new place, a world away from her native Hungary, and how she found a community in a local yoga studio. Her time in that yoga studio led her down a specific path of birth preparation. As birth always does, Noah's labor and delivery challenged and surprised Dori in many ways. She shares about all of it honestly and beautifully in this episode. We hope you enjoy! Also be sure to check out Dori's new book of poetry, Watching With Closed Eyes.

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Ep 86: Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders with Lauren Robbins, MS, LPCC, LADC, PMH-C May 23, 2019

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Lauren Robbins is a mental health therapist in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. She is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Provider. She founded a holistic mental health clinic, Wild Tree Psychotherapy, four years ago, but has used mind-body approaches to care in practice for far longer. She specializes in treating trauma and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, frequently using EMDR and Brainspottting to treat clients. She entered the birth field over six year ago when expecting her first child, led by personal interest, which quickly transformed into professional pursuits. Here's what we talked about with Lauren in this episode:

Lauren's background, including how she came to specialize in PMADs
What a PMAD is and what disorders fall under that heading
Signs and symptoms of PMADs
The incidence of the various PMADs
The difference between baby blues and a diagnosable PMAD
Treatment options for PMADs
The timeframe of PMADs (when they tend to present, when to begin treatment, etc.)
Click here to check out the website for Postpartum Support International
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (via Perinatology.com)
Lauren's list of recommended books:
- The Happiest Mommy You Know by Genevieve Shaw Brown
- Birth Your Story by Jaime Fleres
- Heal Your Birth Story by Maureen Campion
- The First Forty Days by Heng Ou
- Sexy Mamas by Kathy Winks & Anne Semens
- Breathe, Mama, Breathe by Shonda Moralis
- This Isn't What I Expected by Karen Kleiman
- The Postpartum Husband by Karen Kleiman
- And Baby Makes Three by John Gottman
- Babyproofing Your Marriage by Cockrell, O'Neill & Stone
- Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
- Rising Strong by Brene Brown
- Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown
- Loving My Actual Life by Alexandra Kuykendall
- How to Not Hate Your Husband After Kids by Jancee Dunn

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Ep 85: Leaving Room for the Magic of Birth with Haize Hawke May 16, 2019

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Haize Hawke, A.L.A.C.E, A.C.H.I, T.O.G., REV. is a birth worker, healer, life coach, and reiki practitioner in Los Angeles, CA. She attends births the LA area and offers remote coaching services. She came on the show to talk with us about setting the tone of birth and leaving room for the magic to unfold. She shares about how she works with her clients prenatally to help them get in touch with themselves and connect with one another in preparation for their birth and parenting experiences. She also talks about how she cares for herself and how she's been able to maintain a long career in birth work. Haize is an incredibly intuitive and powerful woman and we're so grateful she took time to chat with us!

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Ep 84: Empowered Hospital Birth with Dr. Nicole Rankins, MD, MPH May 09, 2019

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Dr. Nicole Calloway Rankins is a wife, mother of two girls, OB/GYN physician, podcast host, women's health advocate and certified integrative health coach. She works as a Labor & Delivery hospitalist in Virginia and came on the show to talk with us about how to have an empowered hospital birth. Here's what you'll hear about in this epiode:

Rankin's background and how she ended up as an OB hospitalist and passionate women's health advocate
What a hospitalist is, how they differ from the typical physician's model of care, and the pros/cons to the hospitalist model
How a family can set themselves up to have an empowered hospital birth experience (the importance of good prenatal education, how to communicate with hospital staff, etc.)
How to make a positive connection between care provider and family when the first time they're meeting is in labor
Some tips on how to stand up for yourself when faced with an unsupportive or abusive care provider
Click here to check out Nicole's online childbirth education course
Click here to contact Nicole

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Ep 83: Naturopathic Care for Breast Cancer Treatment and Prevention with Dr. Aliza Cicerone, ND May 02, 2019

Show notes

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Dr. Aliza Cicerone, ND FABNO is a naturopathic doctor with a practice in San Diego, CA. She specializes in oncology and came on the show to talk with us about using naturopathic/holistic treatments for breast cancer. Here's an overview of what's covered in this interview:

Cicerone's background and how she became an ND and decided to specialize in oncology
The difference between an MD and an ND
The risk profile for breast cancer – how many women will develop it in their lifetime and how risk increases with age
Risk factors for developing breast cancer and how to mitigate that risk
Breast cancer prevention and early diagnosis. The importance of doing self-breast exams and some other lifestyle factors to consider.
How naturopathic treatment can be used alongside western medicine to treat breast cancer
Preventative screenings, including info about mammograms.
Click here to visit the website for the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians
Click here to contact/work with Dr. Cicerone

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Ep 82: Confronting Breast Cancer with Karen Roslie Apr 25, 2019

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In this episode you'll hear about one woman's journey with breast cancer. Karen Roslie was a healthy, low-risk woman in her 40s when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. She shares about what it was like to discover a lump in her armpit and how she had to really advocate for herself in order to get the testing needed for a correct diagnosis. She also explains her course of treatment, which has included both allopathic and naturopathic tools. Although her treatment is ongoing, she shares some of the valuable lessons she's learned from this experience.

Click here to learn how to do a thorough self-breast exam!

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Ep 81: Hospital Births and Unexpected Postpartum Mood Disorders: Heidi Ledger's Birth Stories Apr 18, 2019

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Heidi Ledger is a wife, mother of two, and small business owner from San Diego, CA. She's sharing her two birth stories with us in this episode, include her experiences with postpartum depression and anxiety. Click here to check out Heidi's amazing small business, Threadspun. It offers beautiful and sustainably sourced goods and 10% of all proceeds go to one of our favorite nonprofits, Circle of Health International.

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Ep 80: Navigating Infertility with Rachel Rabinor, LCSW Apr 11, 2019

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In this episode, we're speaking with Rachel Rabinor, LCSW about navigating infertility. Rachel is a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker who specializes in reproductive and maternal mental health and runs her own private practice in San Diego, CA. Here's an overview of what's included in this episode:

Rachel's background and how she came to specialize in this aspect of mental health
The technical definition of infertility (i.e. how long someone must be TTC to be diagnosed with infertility)
Some stats about infertility, including an estimation of how many people struggle with it today
The mental/emotional challenges that people struggling with infertility often face
How/why counseling can be helpful for someone struggling with infertility. Other treatment options that might be helpful.
Infertility can mean an inability to become pregnant OR trouble staying pregnant (i.e. miscarriages/stillbirth). We discuss how these experiences might be different from a mental/emotional perspective.
Some of the most common things that folks struggle with during pregnancy after struggling with infertility (i.e. anxiety, fear of loss, trouble bonding, etc.).
Some things people can do to navigate pregnancy after loss
Some tips for how someone can support a friend/family member who's struggling with infertility

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