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Down to Birth — Kids & Family
Down to Birth

Join Cynthia Overgard and Trisha Ludwig once per week for evidence-based straight talk on pregnancy, birth and postpartum — beyond the clichés and beyond the system. With 40 years’ combined experience in midwifery, childbirth education and advocacy, publishing, research and postpartum care, we’ve guided thousands of families toward safer, more empowered choices. Down to Birth is all about safe childbirth, while recognizing a safe outcome isn’t all that matters. We challenge the status quo, explore women’s rights in childbirth, and feature women from all over the world, shining shine light on the policies, culture, and systemic forces that shape our most intimate and transformative of life experiences. You’ll hear the birth stories of our clients, listeners and numerous celebrities. You’ll benefit from our expert-interviews, and at any time you can submit your questions for our monthly Q&A episodes by calling us at 802-GET-DOWN. With millions of downloads and listeners in 90 countries, our worldwide community of parents and birth professionals coms together to learn, question and create change, personally and societally. We’re on Instagram at @downtobirthshow and at Patreon.com/downtobirthshow, where we offer live ongoing events multiple times per month. Become informed, feel empowered, and join the movement toward better maternity care in the United States and worldwide. As always, hear everyone, listen to yourself.

Copyright: © 2024 Down to Birth

Latest Episodes:

#187 | Carrying the Torch of the Midwives Before Us: An Off-The-Record Kind of Conversation with Home Birth Midwife Lindsey Meehleis Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

Lindsey Meehleis is a midwife in Southern California who practices traditional midwifery and has supported women in home birth over the last nineteen years. We invited her on the podcast today without a specific agenda (a rather unusual twist on our style) and let the conversation take on a life of its own. We discussed what is happening with midwifery today as we pondered, "Where have all the traditional midwives gone, how has midwifery changed with the advent of nurse-midwifery, and who will carry the torch for the ancient wisdom of birth going forward?"
We stumbled into a passionate conversation around the current cancel culture and concerns around the insidious yet intentional erasure of women through fundamental changes in everyday language and how women unknowingly give their power away through compliance not only in language but also in birth. Grab a cup of tea and join us at the table for this inspiring and important conversation on the future of birth and women.
Lindsey Meehleis on Instagram @lindseymeehleis
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
Postpartum Soothe*
Baby Notebook - Get the App Here
*Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
**********

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <-- for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

#186 | Five Tips for Your Easiest Birth with The Naked Doula Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

Emma of the naked doula is a mother, instagram phenomenon, artist, and passionate, bold birth educator residing across the pond from us, in England. She uses bright colors, raw imagery and impassioned language to teach her birth philosophy and method.
Today, she joins us on the Down to Birth Show to share her secret sauce to your easiest and best birth. She explains five specific strategies that anyone can incorporate into their labor including: Floppy face, floppy fanny, the comb technique, KICO (knees in calves out), and how and why to "party through labor!"
We also discuss how birth can be orgasmic and what circumstances exist to even make that possible. This must-listen episode will leave you with important and essential need-to-know tips to help you have your easiest, safest and best birth.
The Naked Doula on Instagram
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
Postpartum Soothe*
Baby Notebook - Get the App Here
*Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
**********

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <-- for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

#185 | Reyna's Unmedicated Twin Birth Against Doctors' Orders Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

When Reyna learned she was pregnant with twins she was told she would need to be induced and get an epidural and that there was no point in staying pregnant beyond thirty-eight weeks. Refusing induction, she went into labor naturally at 39+2. As labor progressed, her obstetrician told her she needed to give birth in the operating room. Without a second thought, Reyna turned and said, "No, I am not giving birth in the OR." Instead, she went into the bathroom, dropped to her hands and knees and created a safe, quiet space for herself while her OB pleaded with her to at least allow her to "deliver" her babies. "No, I don't like you!" Reyna responded. This is an inspiring and courageous twin birth story showing what is possible when a woman takes absolute full responsibility for her birth choices regardless of who attends her birth or where.
**********

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Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <-- for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

#184 | October Q&A: Evening Primrose; Breastmilk Storage; IUGR; Pumping the Second Side; Bacteria in Urine; Longer Gestations & Early Milestones; Postpartum Meals Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

Hello Friends! It is Wednesday, and Cynthia & Trisha are here with your October Q&A episode. To kick it off, we share a story from a listener who wanted everyone to know how a routine gynecologic exam in her twenties turned into a precarious moment in her VBAC experience. Next, we dive into our questions beginning with the potential association between evening primrose oil in pregnancy, a smelly baby at birth, and early cord clamping--could they all be related? Then, we go through the real deal on how long breast milk can sit unrefrigerated and still be safe to feed your baby. Next, comes a lengthy discussion on intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)--what is it and how is it diagnosed? Another mother asks if it is necessary to pump the alternate breast overnight to keep up her supply.
Other moms are asking:
"If I have bacteria in my urine at eight weeks gestation, do I need antibiotics in labor? My doctor told be it is non-negotiable."
"Is there any correlation between longer pregnancies and meeting developmental milestones sooner?"
"Help! I want to support my postpartum friend but have no idea what meals to make; what is a nutritious postpartum meal?"
And, of course, we finish off the episode with a round of quickies touching on pacifiers versus thumb-sucking, home birth, how soon to have sex after trying to conceive, water birth, prolapse, and eating dates for a faster labor!
And if that is not enough, you can get more of your questions answered in our extended version of this episode by subscribing to Down To Birth + on Apple or joining our Patreon community. There, we discuss how uterine fibroids may impact labor, experiencing postpartum insomnia, baby wanting food at just 4 months; setting boundaries with in-laws and managing breastfeeding along with wanting your partner to take at least one of the nighttime feedings.
Thank you for all of your awesome questions and for being part of this fabulous community!
And remember you can call our phone line with your questions 24/7 at 802-GET-DOWN. (That's 802-438-3696)
**********

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <-- for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

#183 | Group B Strep: Screening, Risks, Protocols, Problems and Alternatives Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

GBS affects approximately one-third of all pregnant women, and involves widespread use of intravenous antibiotics in labor even though the screening tests are known to be highly imperfect, and some women are at significantly greater risk of GBS colonization than others. Further, there are specific risk factors making some babies far more likely to contract GBS than others. This "universal" approach to GBS management is the very start of our deep and detailed discussion on GBS. Cynthia and Trisha have reviewed all the available data from the past three decades to provide you with informed decision-making on GBS.
This episode is divided into two parts, with the first part available on all podcast platforms, and the full, extended version available right now on our Patreon platform or through Apple Subscriptions.
In the regular episode (the first half of the extended episode) we cover what GBS is, how it's screened, who is most likely to test positive, the controversies around the universal approach to treating GBS in labor, how effective the antibiotics are, plus a detailed analysis on the likelihood of a baby becoming ill from GBS in both the mothers who opt for and against the antibiotics. We also discuss the difference between colonization and infection in babies, the associated risk to babies and the maternal risk factors that increase risks to the baby. Ultimately, we break down the stats to answer the question everyone wants to know: How likely is it that my baby will get sick and/or die from GBS infection if I do or do not get tested and/or take antibiotics in labor?
In the extended version of this episode, available to all our listeners at the click of a button on Patreon, we also cover:
- ways to "pass" the test, and what to keep in mind if you do so;
- how to treat your GBS naturally, skipping the antibiotics altogether;
- the effects of the antibiotics on your baby's microbiome and the two no-risk, natural things you can do postpartum to restore your baby's flora safely and quickly;
- risks of the antibiotics on moms, and how to minimize those risks;
- how the antibiotics can interfere in your breastfeeding relationship;
- what we're seeing with probiotics, how to take them and specifically the best probiotic to take during pregnancy to support vaginal flora;
- what if you're planning a home birth and have GBS;
- the rapid test (promising results but not without its limitations); and
- what you can do to reduce your chances of being a carrier of GBS in your pregnancy.
Our goal in this episode is to give you all the information you need to make an informed decision about whether or not you will accept or decline the GBS test in pregnancy and whether or not you will choose antibiotics in labor, should you test positive. As usual we don't provide medical advice, but we do hope to support the informed decision that's right for you and your baby.
Please support our work by joining our community on Patreon. With your subscription, you'll immediately have access to every extended episode we've ever produced, plus additional benefits including downloadables and direct communication with us and other followers.
**********

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <-- for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

#182 | Labor Induction: Risks, Reasons and Results with Dr. Rachel Reed, PhD Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Rachel Reed, PhD, author, midwife, researcher and expert in physiologic birth joins us for the second time on the Down to Birth Show to discuss the differences between physiologic birth and induced labor. She shares with us the different ways in which Pitocin/Syntocin impacts the course of labor, including significant risk to mother and baby, versus our own natural oxytocin. You'll learn the unique risks of Pitocin for first-time moms, and the entirely different set of risks Pitocin presents to women who've already given birth before. She explains the general risks of induced labor, and discusses circumstances when induction is absolutely necessary. In this episode, we critique the ARRIVE trial and its flawed results, which have led to many women choosing elective induction at 39 weeks believing it to be a safer option for mother and baby. If you haven't heard it already, be sure to listen to our very popular first episode with Rachel Reed.
#150: Myth of the Aging Placenta with Author/Midwife Rachel Reed
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
DYPER*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
Baby Notebook - Get the App Here
*Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
**********

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <-- for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

#181 | A Motherless Mother in Recovery Experiencing Birth As the Ultimate Surrender Oct 05, 2022

Show notes

Melissa Pennel was thirty-four years old when she was pregnant for the first time. She already had experienced significant life challenges: She had lost her own mother a few years earlier, plus she was seven years sober. Her pregnancy presented several health scares along the way, such as a two-vessel cord and a perceived hole in the baby's heart, eliciting words like possible "fetal demise" from her providers and the potentiality of "organs not developing normally". Her baby was also breech until 36 weeks, keeping Melissa questioning whether her own ego and attachment to a natural birth were the reasons for her challenges. She then went post-term, all the way to 42 weeks, despite pressure from her providers, and during a vaginal exam at her check-up, the amniotic sac "accidentally" ruptured. Due to her work in recovery and a strong muscle for accepting responsibility, she kept coming back to the feeling that she was somehow creating these situations herself - she called this "the choke-hold of control". Melissa caught herself forming negative beliefs like, "Everything's going wrong" and "Nothing is going to be easy." Once her OB broke her waters, she was advised to be induced, and an extremely long and difficult labor ensued.
Traumatized by her first birth, Melissa both took greater responsibility and surrendered further in her second pregnancy, realizing that the only person who had to "have her back" was herself. A year later, she birthed her second daughter on her terms and far more quickly and easily than she dreamed.
Today Melissa views pregnancy as a powerful vessel for self-growth and transformation--a container she says which, "poured MiracleGro on all her issues," while learning the delicate balance of what she could and could not control.
Melissa is the author of the following books:
https://linktr.ee/MelissaPennel
Questions You'll Wish You Asked: A Time Capsule Journal for Parents and Children
Questions You'll Wish You Asked: A Time Capsule Journal for Grandmothers and Grandchildren
The Motherless New Mother's Pregnancy Journal
**********
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
DYPER*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
Baby Notebook - Get the App Here
*Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
Connect with Cynthia and Trisha at:

Instagram: @downtobirthshow on Instagram
Email: Contact@DownToBirthShow.com
Call: (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN)

Please remember we don’t provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters.

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <-- for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

#180 | September Q&A: Family Boundaries; Induction; Cesarean Predisposition; PROM; Marriage After Baby; Lotus Birth; Nausea; Amnio-Infusion Sep 28, 2022

Show notes

Hello all! We are back with our monthly Q&A. To kick it off, we have a short conversation on maternal instincts. Next, we discuss how one woman should handle her mother-in-law's request to be called "Mama". Then we review the very few reasons when an induction is absolutely needed, how long you can go with ruptured membranes before inducing labor, followed by a question on familial history and a genetic predisposition to needing a cesarean birth. Another mother calls in to express her postpartum exhaustion and relationship struggles, as she feels depleted by the day and with nothing left to give her husband at the end of it. One mother wonders if being sick during pregnancy is harmful to her baby, and finally we discuss Lotus birth--what is it and is it un-hygienic?
In our extended version, available via Apple Subscriptions, we'll be responding to one woman's concern about pre-empting family issues postpartum in her quest to get them to provide help when they visit. Another mom asked our opinion on amber teething necklaces, and Trisha explains how they're often misunderstood as actual "teething" products, when they're not. There were some breastfeeding questions related to frequent plugged ducts; fever and low milk supply. And finally, one birth worker is asking whether amnio-infusion is a reasonable solution when amniotic waters are low.
If you don't listen on an Apple device and would like access to our exclusive and extended episodes, email us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com and put "Extended Episodes" in the subject line.

Thank you as always for your great questions and see you next week! If you would like to submit a question, please call and leave us a message with your question at (802) 438-3696 That's 802-GET-DOWN.
**********

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <-- for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

#179 | Creating Healthy, Independent Infant Sleep Habits with Ellie Lindenmayer Sep 21, 2022

Show notes

Infant sleep is one of the most important topics on the mind of every new parent. New parents are left wondering what normal infant sleep looks like, how much their baby needs at each age, and how create easier sleep routines resulting in longer stretches of sleep during day and night. Many of today's parents are afraid that any degree of crying will create negative associations or, worse, teach the child their needs won't be met. In preparation for this episode, we solicited questions from the Down to Birth community on Instagram, and we've asked the expert: Ellie is a birth doula and infant sleep specialist who shares her expertise on how to help babies learn healthy sleep habits using wake windows and without aggressive sleep training techniques. In this episode, we take your most important infant sleep questions and get Ellie's expert answers on how to help, such as: Should I swaddle to sleep? Is it ok to breastfeed to sleep? Can I let my baby cry it out? How do I get my baby to sleep longer stretches, how to handle vacationing with baby, and many more. Ellie gives us practical and gentle tools to help our babies get their daily sleep needs met without feeling guilty. If you are looking for more sleep with less stress, this episode is for you.
Ellie Lindenmayer
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
DYPER*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
Baby Notebook - Get the App Here
*Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
**********

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <-- for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

#178 | How Out-of-Hospital Birth Prejudice and Provider Bias Harms Mothers and Babies With Attorney Hermine Hayes-Klein Sep 14, 2022

Show notes

Hermine Hayes-Klein is a fearless legal advocate for sexual and reproductive rights with a particular passion for defending women’s human rights in childbirth, which, she says, are routinely violated in maternity care systems.
You may recall attorney Hermine Hayes-Klein from our previous episodes with her:
Episode #138 | Legal Case Study #1: Traumatized at a Major Teaching Hospital While Interns Watched and Learned
Episode #153 | Legal Case Study #2: Injured by Obstetrics with Nowhere Else to Turn

In today's episode, we talk to Hermine about provider bias; in particular, the bias hospital-based providers can demonstrate toward (especially home-birth) midwives. However, limiting birth options for mothers does not decrease risk of poor outcomes but rather puts mothers and babies at increased risk. When women choose an alternative birth experience, such as out-of-hospital birth or home birth, the medical bias held by hospital-based providers often results in sub-par or even negligent care of the birthing woman, increasing both her risk and her baby's risk. Hermine Hayes-Klien talks to us today about how United States law fails to protect birth choices and instead excuses obstetricians for biased and negligent care of women who transfer from home to hospital.
What if instead, we had a system allowing for collaborative care with continuity of providers...So how do we get over the paradigm clash and create an integrated system to better protect women who choose out of hospital birth?
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
DYPER*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
Baby Notebook - Get the App Here
*Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
**********

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Access our workshops: Have a Physiologic Birth in the Hospital and Ultrasound: The Research vs Rhetoric

Needed <-- for 20% off
DrinkLMNT <-- for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure Skincare: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Use code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits Superfood<--for 20% off
Join Patreon here
IG @downtobirthshow

Call 802-GET-DOWN.
Watch us on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice.

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