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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:

#158 | April Q&A: Jaundice; Neonatal Hypoglycemia; C-section & Your Pelvic Floor; Family Boundaries; Meconium; Tearing; Anterior Placentas; Quickies! Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

It is time for our monthly Q&A episode! This month we kick it off with a follow-up conversation on the impact of early, frequent breastfeeding on significant jaundice. Next, we address the question of why babies who are born "big" get heel sticks for blood sugar monitoring; the impact of a c-section birth on your pelvic floor; how to manage family boundaries around your birth and birth preferences with your sister and mother-in-law; if you tear during vaginal birth and get medication for stitches, is it still considered an unmedicated or natural birth? Is there a way to monitor your baby's heart rate and still be able to move freely and change position? Will an anterior placenta impact my labor? Tune in to catch all these great questions and more. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for our monthly Q&A. If you have a questions for a future episode, please submit on our website downtobirthshow.com
* * * * * * * * * *
Connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow, where we post new information daily related to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com. We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To submit a question, visit the Down To Birth website or send us a voice memo through Instagram messenger.
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
DYPER*
NOM Maternity*
Serenity Kids*
Wildbird.co*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
*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.

#157 | Labiaplasty Gone Wrong: The Collateral Damage of Ignorant Doctors Apr 20, 2022

Show notes

When Jessica Pin was a teenager, she became convinced her labia minora were unusually large and unattractive. Within days of her 18th birthday, she underwent labiaplasty with a prominent and trusted OB/GYN. Without her consent or knowledge, her surgeon severed the dorsal nerve of her clitoris, resulting in a loss of clitoral sensation. In the face of clear evidence, her doctor denied wrongdoing.
Jessica has since discovered labiaplasty is regularly performed by OBs even though (a) it's not covered in residency, (b) there are no training standards, and (c) there is no procedure code, which means there is no way to know how many labiaplasty surgeries are performed, and (d) adequate vulvar anatomy is not talk to OBGYNs, which makes damages difficult to prove in litigation. Through her online platform, Jessica has attracted countless women who've shared their stories of losing sensation during the same surgery.
Jessica is here to tell her personal story - including how her parents reluctantly supported her surgery - and to share the achievements and challenges of her activism. Jessica has already succeeded in have some medical texts and journals corrected, and she's on a tireless mission to warn women that surgeons know little to nothing about clitoral anatomy.
Jessica Pin
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
DYPER*
NOM Maternity*
Serenity Kids*
Wildbird.co*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
*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.

#156 | Surviving Psychosis: Christa's Story of Postpartum Hallucinations, Intrusive Thoughts & Suicidal Ideations Apr 13, 2022

Show notes

Postpartum psychosis occurs in 1 to 2 per thousand births and involves extreme conditions such as hallucinations, intrusive thoughts, paranoia, suspiciousness, hyperactivity and inability to sleep. Today, Christa Ardelean joins us to share her powerful story of suffering with postpartum psychosis. Her story begins with a difficult pregnancy and birth, which, unbeknownst to Christa, included numerous risk factors associated with perinatal mood disorders. When Christa's son was born, she didn't want to hold him. Shortly after, she woke up one morning and said to herself, "My baby would be so much better off if he were dead or if I were." Terrified, she found 24/7 support for the next six weeks while she suffered with hallucinations, intrusive thoughts, and an inability to bond with her baby. With continuous support, medication, and journaling, in time, she completely overcame these feelings. By nine months, she felt like her own person again and now reflects on how her deep love for her son saved her life.

If you are suffering from postpartum psychosis, you can can get help now.
Call the PSI HelpLine: 1-800-944-4773
Postpartum Support International

More episodes like this:
#50 | Postpartum Mini: You're Not Going Crazy, It's Probably Postpartum Anxiety
#94 | The Terror of Intrusive Thoughts: Lisa's Postpartum Anxiety
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
DYPER*
NOM Maternity*
Serenity Kids*
Wildbird.co*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
*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.

#155 | Gestational Diabetes Prevention and Management with Author Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is the most common metabolic complication of pregnancy impacting 5-10% of pregnancies in the United States. It is controversial, complicated and loaded with misinformation. Do I really have it? Can I reverse it? Is there a way to prevent it? According to Lily Nichols, RDN CDE author of Real Food for Gestational Diabetes and Real Food for Pregnancy, you can certainly "stack the deck in your favor" to reduce your chances of it impacting your pregnancy and birth. In this episode, we discuss the nutritional deficits that may set you up for the development of GDM along with the flaws in how we screen women for GDM and finally, the things you can do to best manage your diet if you are diagnosed with GDM.
Lily Nichols
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
NOM Maternity*
Serenity Kids*
Wildbird.co*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
*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.

#154 | March Q&A: Postpartum Boundaries; Infant Lip Blisters; Newborn Separation After Birth; Legitimate Reasons For C-section; Splitting Parental Duties; Quickies Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

It is time for our monthly Q&A episode! Thank you to all who submitted excellent questions. Today we are talking about managing postpartum boundaries with in-laws, newborn nursing blisters--are they normal or not? What can I do to ensure my baby is not separated from us after giving birth in the hospital--do they really need to leave the room to be examined? What are the actual reasons I might truly need a C-section? What is the best way to split parental duties after baby arrives? And finally, we finish with a round of rapid fire quickies touching on topics like leaking breasts, prolapse, enlarged feet in pregnancy, gestational diabetes, bathing babies and what surprises women most about birth!
This show is sponsored by:
NOM Maternity*
Serenity Kids*
Wildbird.co*
Silverette USA*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
*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.

#153 | Legal Case Study #2 with Attorney Hermine Hayes-Klein: Injured by Obstetrics with Nowhere Else To Turn Mar 23, 2022

Show notes

"You'll never get sued for doing a C-section. You'll only get sued for the C-section you didn’t do." This is the narrative in obstetrics and the lens through which hospital birth is viewed. Litigation is feared in obstetrics but for the wrong reasons. What if, instead of resorting to C-sections to prevent liability exposure, doctors were rewarded for avoiding unnecessary C-sections? United States law as it's practiced today actually incentivizes OBs to perform C-sections, and this system plays a role in today’s high maternal mortality rates in the U.S. Further, obstetricians get paid more from their hospital administrators for cesarean sections.
You may remember Hermine Hayes-Klein, the women's healthcare and human rights attorney who joined us in December for Down To Birth Episode #138 for Legal Case Study #1. Hermine is back today to tell us of one woman whose bladder was permanently damaged by her birth management team. Our discussion demonstrates how U.S. law protects providers in such cases, not the patient, and how true informed consent is routinely and repeatedly neglected in obstetrics.
Hermine Hayes-Klein
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
NOM Maternity*
Serenity Kids*
Wildbird.co*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
*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.

#152 | The Impact of Birth Stress on Infant Development with Ontrack Baby Mar 16, 2022

Show notes

Today's discussion with sisters Jenny & Carrie, the pediatric occupational therapists behind Ontrack baby and the NOEL method, is a fascinating exploration of how the way we give birth impacts infant development. In particular, when the baby does not experience the "vaginal squeeze" the infant Moro or "startle" reflex may become over-reactive, leading to more fussy babies and slower development. Jenny & Carrie explain how vaginal birth can help infant development and answer the important question of how to best support babies born via cesarean section or have a high stress, high-intervention birth. They share the number one thing we can do to help our babies development and give us their take on swaddling, SIDS, and stomach sleeping for infants.
Ontrack Baby
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
NOM Maternity*
Serenity Kids*
Wildbird.co*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
*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.

#151 | Labor & Delivery: A Nurse Shares Why She Left Obstetrics Mar 09, 2022

Show notes

"I don't have time for this today. My son has a soccer game. I am going to say that her baby's heart rate is decelerating and we need to do a c-section." This is just one of the many things Shelby, a nurse in Arizona, heard from doctors in labor & delivery when she worked on the maternity ward. This episode brings to light the very real fact that providers don't always have the laboring woman's best interest in mind. Instead, profits, time, and liability concerns drive many of the decisions leading to unnecessary birth interventions. Shelby joins us today to share what she witnessed in her years as a nurse and why she left obstetrics.
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
*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.

#150 | Myth of the Aging Placenta with Midwife/Author Dr. Rachel Reed Mar 02, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Rachel Reed, PhD, is a midwife and author of Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage. Since earning her doctorate, she is inarguably now among the world’s leading experts on placentas. The publication of her book has come during an era in which women are often told placentas can “fail”, “calcify” and “stop working”, or even cause stillbirth. This rhetoric - all of which we discuss in the episode - is not only terrifying, but false and harmful, and consistently contributes to high rates of unnecessary medical interventions, such as labor inductions and scheduled cesareans.
Dr. Reed also debunks the myth of the “aging” placenta and tells us the real reasons for compromised placentas. Spoiler alert: It has nothing to do with placental age and isn’t shown to correlate with stillbirth even when signs of it do occur.
By the end of this episode, you’ll know what the world’s research has and hasn’t shown, and you’ll develop both an understanding of and appreciation for the placenta, which will help to inform your own decisions around induction and your birth plan in general.
@midwifethinking
Dr. Rachel Reed
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
NOM Maternity*
Serenity Kids*
Wildbird.co*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
*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.

#149 | February Q&A: Eating in Labor; Leaking Breastmilk; Postpartum Bodies; Homebirth & Ultrasound; Ovulation After Baby; Birthing Positions; Quickies Feb 23, 2022

Show notes

We are back with our February Q&A episode! Today we are answering your questions around: Whether or not it is ok to eat in labor, leaking (or not leaking breastmilk), how long it takes to feel good in your postpartum body and relationship again; whether or not you need an OB in order to get prenatal ultrasounds if you are having a home birth; understanding ovulation postpartum; why not to birth on your back, and our quickies series, loaded with great questions submitted by all of you!
* * * * * * * * * *
Connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow, where we post new information daily related to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com. We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To submit a question, visit the Down To Birth website or send us a voice memo through Instagram messenger.
This show is sponsored by:
Silverette USA*
NOM Maternity*
Serenity Kids*
Wildbird.co*
Beautiful Births and Beyond*
Postpartum Soothe*
*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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