Evidence Based Birth®

Latest Episodes:

EBB 229 - Evidence on Doulas: Community-based Model, the Pandemic, and Reimbursement with the EBB Research Team Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

In today's episode, hosted by the EBB Research Team, we are sharing the audio from a private livestream we did with our Pro Members at Evidence Based Birth. We talk about three major topics related to updated research evidence on doulas: 1) research on the pandemic's effect on the doula profession around the world, 2) research on the difference between community-based doulas and private or traditional doulas, and 3) new info on paying or getting reimbursement for doula care in the U.S. [NOTE FOR LIBSYN ONLY]: This podcast is also posted on our YouTube channel in case you want to access the video of our team teaching, and a screenshare of some of the evidence we're talking about! As a content note, this episode includes discussion of COVID-19, racism, and how a lack of postpartum coverage is in some cases tied to the same places that have abortion bans. Today's episode is taught by Rebecca Dekker, PhD, RN (she/her), Ihotu Ali, MPH (she/her), and Erin Wilson, MPH (she/her). Dr. Dekker is a nurse with her PhD who is the founder and CEO of EBB. Ihotu is a community-based doula, Maya abdominal massage therapist, doctoral student in chiropractic medicine, director of the Oshun Center for Intercultural Healing, and Research Editor at EBB. Erin is a clinical researcher, doula, childbirth educator, policy advocate, and Research Editor at EBB. Together, we will share with you some research we were compiling about the evidence on doula care! Content warning: Discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic, racism, and how a lack of postpartum Medicaid coverage is in some cases tied to the same places that are issuing abortion bans. Resources:

For a full list of scientific references, see the blog post that goes along with this episode
Check out our Signature Article... Evidence on: Doulas at https://evidencebasedbirth.com/doulas
The Sista Midwife Productions Black doula/midwife directory is here: http://www.sistamidwifedirectory.com/
Go to our YouTube channel to see video versions of all our podcasts! (including PowerPoint presentations when used)
Check your state's status on whether or not they're funding doulas through Medicaid here: https://healthlaw.org/doulamedicaidproject/#:~:text=Read%20the%20Report-,Current%20State%20Doula%20Medicaid%20Efforts,-The%20National%20Health
Check your state's status on whether they're expanding Medicaid postpartum here: https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-postpartum-coverage-extension-tracker/
Donate or apply for the Hello Seven doula fund for Black families here: https://helloseven.org/
If you support this work, we encourage you to use your voice and speak up, and to caution against low reimbursement rates and expensive licensure/certification processes that have created barriers to entry in certain states that are actively reimbursing doulas. We at EBB want to see all doulas earn a living wage, regardless of which type of clients they serve (Commonwealth Fund: Issue Brief, 2021).
Doulas can apply for a National Provider Identification (NPI) number. Here is a guide on how to apply and here is a link to the application through CMS. If you can get an NPI, it will increase your chances of getting paid through insurance/help your clients receive insurance reimbursement.

For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth, visit www.ebbirth.com . Find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EvidenceBasedBirth/ ), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ebbirth/ ), and Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/ebbirth/ ). Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/become-pro-member/ ). Find an EBB Instructor here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/find-an-instructor-parents/ ), and click here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/childbirth-class/ ) to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class.

EBB 228 - Uplifting Radicalized Birth Work with Anna, The Pocket Doula Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

On today's podcast, we're going to talk with the founder of The Pocket Doula, Anna Balagtas, about uplifting queer, and trans-care. Anna Balagtas (she/siya) is a queer, Pinay full circle birth worker, educator, facilitator, energy worker, and pleasure advocate. Her practice is rooted in the decolonization of birth work, radical QTBIPOC care, and queer reproductive justice, taught to her by king yaa. Anna's deepest joy comes from witnessing her communities thrive through community care, mutual aid, and abolition work. We talk about how Anna started The Pocket Doula and her journey to decolonized birth work. We also talk about Anna's experience with radicalizing perinatal care for QTBIPOC communities by creating empowering spaces centered on queer reproductive justice. Content warning: We mention abortion, the upcoming Supreme Court decision on abortion, queerphobia, transphobia, medical trauma, medical racism, death, miscarriage, and loss.

Learn more about the founder of The Pocket Doula, Anna Balagtas, here. Follow Anna, The Pocket Doula, on Facebook and Instagram.

Learn more about Decolonization is for Everyone here.

Learn more about Birthing Beyond the Binary by king yaa here.

Learn more about Cornerstone Birthwork Trainings here.

Learn more about Whole Body Pregnancy here.

Learn more about Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings here.

Learn more about Gender Affirming Birthwork + All Genders Birth Class by Moss Froom here.

Learn more about king yaa here.

Learn more about Teaching Resistance by John Mink here.

Learn more about The Care We Dream Of: Liberatory and Transformative Approaches to LGBTQ+ Health by Zena Sharman here.

EBB 227 – Amplifying the Need for Intersectional Birth Support for QTBIPOC Birthing People with Xian Brooks of the Dandy Doula Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

On today's podcast, we're going to talk with the founder of Dandy Doula, Xian Brooks, MPH, about the importance of intersectional birth work and amplifying the need for intersectional birth support for queer, trans, and BIPOC birthing bodies.

Xian Brooks (he/him) is a public health professional from Louisville, Kentucky, where he is a community-based birth doula and a Master of Science in Nursing student. Xian completed his Bachelor's of Science in Public Health Education at North Carolina Central University and his Master's of Public Health in Community and Behavioral Health at the University of Colorado. Over time, Xian has accumulated a lot of experience in queer, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming reproductive health education. Xian's training has equipped him to understand the root causes of perinatal death rates among Black individuals, especially how race, gender, sexual orientation, and class are not mutually exclusive when it comes to health disparities. Xian's lived experience recognizes that health disparities are more than just numbers on a page. Xian is currently working towards becoming a nurse-midwife because representation in healthcare is extremely important to Xian. He firmly believes it is necessary to overcome negative health outcomes and revolutionize healthcare.

We talk about what inspired Xian to dive into the work of community and behavioral health as well as his journey as a nurse-midwife. We also discuss what intersectional birth work looks like and the importance to amplify the need to create safe perinatal spaces for queer, trans, and BIPOC birthing bodies.

Content warning: We mention transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, racism, police violence, and birth trauma.

RESOURCES:

Learn more about Xian Brooks and The Dandy Doula here. Follow The Dandy Doula on Facebook and Instagram.

Hoyert DL. Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2019. NCHS Health E-Stats. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc:103855.

Hunter, L., McMahon, E., Graves, B., Wooten, A., Kriebs, J., Pickett, E., Tanner, T., Garcia, R., Apatov, N., Burkman, R., Hodges, K., & Bright, C. (2019). (rep.). 2019 Demographic Report (p. 1). Linthicum, Maryland: American Midwifery Certification Board.

Loewenberg Weisband, Y., Klebanoff, M., Gallo, M. F., Shoben, A., & Norris, A. H. (2018). Birth outcomes of women using a midwife versus women using a physician for prenatal care. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 63(4), 399–409. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12750

Taffe MA, Gilpin NW. Racial inequity in grant funding from the US National Institutes of Health. Elife. 2021;10:e65697. Published 2021 Jan 18. doi:10.7554/eLife.65697.

Tikkanen, R., Gunja, M. Z., FitzGerald, M., & Zephyrin, L. (2020). Maternal mortality and maternity care in the United States compared to 10 other developed countries. Issue briefs, Commonwealth Fund.

For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EvidenceBasedBirth/ ), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ebbirth/), and Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/ebbirth/). Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/become-pro-member/). Find an EBB Instructor here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/find-an-instructor-parents/), and click here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/childbirth-class/) to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.

EBB 226 - An Emergency Cesarean Due to Bandl's Ring with EBB Parent Mandy Childs and EBB Instructor Dana Patterson May 25, 2022

Show notes

On today's podcast, we're going to talk with EBB Childbirth Class parent, Mandy Childs and her doula, Dana Patterson, about having an emergency cesarean due to Bandl's ring.

Mandy Childs (she/her) is a first-time parent to her son who she gave birth to in Greenville, South Carolina in March of 2021. Living now in Lynchburg, Virginia, Mandy is a trained elementary school teacher and currently a program coordinator for a nonprofit called Global Autism Project. Mandy lives with her husband, Ben, their son, Jack, and their dog, Penny. Mandy is also a graduate of the EBB Childbirth Class with EBB Instructor, Dana Patterson.

Dana Patterson (she/her) is an upstate South Carolina native and owner of The Doula Group, which offers birth doula support, postpartum doula support, and childbirth education. Dana has been involved in the upstate birth community for 15 years and has been a doula for eight years.

We talk about Mandy's experience taking the EBB Childbirth Class with Dana and what she learned as a first-time parent to apply to her own birth experience. We also talk about what Bandl's ring is and how it led up to Mandy's needing an urgent emergency cesarean.

Content warning: We mention gendered language, grief and loss, perinatal death, cervical dilation check, epidural, uterine rupture, Bandl's ring, resuscitation of a newborn, the urgency of an emergency cesarean, fear, birth trauma, and labor.

RESOURCES:

Learn more about EBB Instructor and founder of "The Doula Group," Dana Patterson here.

Learn more about the Bandl's Ring Facebook Group here.

Learn more about VBAC after Bandl's ring here.

EBB 225 – Trauma-Informed Childbirth Education with Mandy Irby, The Birth Nurse May 18, 2022

Show notes

On today's podcast, we're going to talk with board-certified labor nurse and creator of the Birth Nurse, Mandy Irby, about trauma-informed childbirth education.

Mandy Irby (she/her) is a board-certified labor nurse with 13 years of experience, supporting survivors of assault and trauma through pregnancy, birth planning, and at their bedside during childbirth and pregnancy loss. After her own birth trauma, Mandy quickly learned that the birth care system is not centered on human rights, patient choice, and the individual experience.

In 2020, Mandy made education her full-time career as she now teaches and supports parents and nurses on how to improve centering one's voice, choice, and physiology in birth. It's Mandy's mission to change the birth culture so that it's parent-centered, trauma-informed, and safe for all.

Content warning: We will mention birth trauma, childbirth, assault, obstetric violence, fear-mongering, and perinatal loss.

RESOURCES:

Learn more about The Birth Nurse Founder, Mandy Irby, here.

EBB 224 - Failure to Progress or Failure to Wait with Ihotu Ali, Erin Wilson, and Rebecca Dekker May 11, 2022

Show notes

On today's podcast, we will be sharing with you an excerpt from a live webinar featuring Dr. Rebecca Dekker and the EBB Research Team that was taught for our Evidence Based Birth® Professional Members, all about failure to progress versus failure to wait.

What is the history of "Failure to Progress"? What are the top 5 factors that influence labor progress?

Dr. Dekker and the EBB Research Team will talk about the history and background of "Failure to Progress" and how we have the definition all wrong. They will also talk about the updated research and evidence on the topic, the top 5 factors that influence the length of labor, as well as how to prevent a "Failure to Progress" diagnosis.

Content warning: We will mention labor, medical interventions (i.e. Pitocin, epidural), cesarean, hospital transfer, racism, pain, nonconsensual vaginal examinations, forceps, episiotomy, gendered language, medications in labor, eugenics, microaggressions, and vaginal/pelvic birth

RESOURCES:

EBB SIGNATURE ARTICLES

Evidence on Failure to Progress https://evidencebasedbirth.com/friedmans-curve-and...
Evidence on Big Babies: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-induction-or-c-section-for-big-baby/
Evidence on Inducing for Due Dates https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-inducin...
Evidence on Waterbirth https://evidencebasedbirth.com/waterbirth/
Evidence on Birthing Positions: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-birthing-positions/

EBB PODCASTS

EBB 221 – The Evidence on Birthing Positions
EBB 196 – Pelvic Biomechanics and Movement in Labor
EBB 188 – Birthing A Posterior-Positioned Baby
EBB 75 - Birth In Twilight Sleep-The Experiences of Rebecca's Mom
EBB 55 – Advocating for Evidence Based Care
EBB 45 – How Do Peanut Balls Support Labor
EBB 16 – Movement and Positions

EBB 223 - An Empowering Hospital Water Birth Story with Samantha Parker and Justin Fontaine May 04, 2022

Show notes

On today's podcast, we're going to talk with EBB Childbirth Class graduates, Samantha Parker and Justin Fontaine, about their exciting hospital water birth story.

Samantha Parker (she/her) is an environmental scientist with the State of California and an avid runner. Samantha's husband, Justin Fontaine (he/him) is a principal systems engineer and a CrossFit: Level 2 trainer. Samantha and Justin live in Rockland, California with their almost 10-year-old son, and now their happy baby girl, Kira. Samantha and Justin are graduates of the EBB Childbirth Class with EBB Instructor, Laurie Suggs.

We will talk about Samantha and Justin's experience taking the EBB Childbirth Class. We also talk about Samantha and Justin's hospital water birth story and the feeling of empowerment during the labor and birth experience.

Content warning: We mention labor, fear, gendered language, COVID testing, contractions, and cervical checks during labor.

RESOURCES:

Learn more about EBB Instructor, Laurie Suggs, here.

Learn more about EBB Childbirth Class here.

EBB 222 - Navigating Induction and Pregnancy at 35+ with EBB Instructor and Birth Fusion Founder, Jennifer Anderson Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

On today's podcast, we're going to talk with Birth Fusion founder and Evidence Based Birth® Instructor, Jennifer Anderson, about her work as a childbirth educator and doula while serving families who get pregnant via in vitro fertilization and those over the age of 35.

Jennifer Anderson (she/her) is an RN, doula, childbirth educator, birth photographer, and Evidence Based Birth Instructor. Jennifer provides labor support to couples in the Sacramento, California region and she also teaches the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class online to families everywhere.

In 2011, Jennifer started Birth Fusion to provide labor support and childbirth classes to couples in Northern California. Today, Jennifer has supported more than 225 births in the Sacramento and Bay Area. In 2019, Jennifer was one of the first instructors to begin teaching the EBB Childbirth Class, and she's taught more than 45 classes in three short years. While keeping her license active in nursing, Jennifer likes to say she practices community nursing. Jennifer's core demographics include IVF couples and those over the age of 35, as she guides couples in understanding their risks through the lens of their values. Jennifer's superpower is educating and supporting families and navigating labor inductions by taking away the element of surprise while thinking outside the box to help her clients gain agency and autonomy in this process.

We talk about Jennifer's work assisting individuals and families who become pregnant through in vitro fertilization, as well as individuals over the age of 35. We also talk about Jennifer's work as an EBB Instructor and her experience serving families in need during the pandemic.

Content Warning: We mention gendered language, pre-eclampsia, labor induction, the COVID pandemic, epidural, labor pain, in vitro fertilization, stillbirth, and miscarriage related to being 35 and older.

RESOURCES:

Learn more about Jennifer Anderson and Birth Fusion here.

Learn more about the ARRIVAL trial on EBB episode 10 here.

Listen to EBB episode 176 here.

Listen to EBB episode 177 here.Listen to EBB episode 178 here.

EBB 221 - Evidence on Birthing Positions and Tried-and-True Midwifery Practices for Protecting the Perineum Apr 20, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, we are finishing up our series on protecting the perineum by talking about the evidence on birthing positions and how upright positions help prevent tears! We'll also discuss tried-and-true protective practices that midwives have passed down through countless generations (hint: it's simpler/easier than you think!) Head's up... if you haven't listened to EBB Episode 206 yet, I recommend listening to that episode first, since it covers introductory information about perineal tears. You can also go back to Episodes 210, 216, and 218 for more info about other proposed methods of protecting the perineum.

Content warning: we mention tears of the vagina, severe tears from the vagina to the rectum, obstetric violence related to episiotomies, and being forced to give birth on your back.

RESOURCES:

Support the work of Mercy In Action in the Philippines (and check out their U.S.-based midwifery college) here https://www.mercyinaction.com/
For a full list of scientific references, see the blog post that goes along with this episode
Check out Episode 206 of the EBB Podcast to learn about perineal tears and avoiding an episiotomy, Episode 210 to learn about warm compresses and hands-on vs. hands-off techniques, Episode 216 to learn about perineal massage during pregnancy, and Episode 218 to learn about perineal massage during labor.
Go to our YouTube channel to see video versions of all our podcasts! (including PowerPoint presentations when used)
Visit https://evidencebasedbirth.com/childbirth-class/ to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class
Take a continuing education class on this topic (and earn a contact hour) by joining the EBB Professional Membership here: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/become-pro-member/

EBB 220 - Fighting Bias in the Birth Room with Irth® App Founder, Kimberly Seals Allers Apr 13, 2022

Show notes

On today's podcast, we're going to talk with Irth® App founder, Kimberly Seals Allers, to update us on Irth® App's mission to fight against racism and bias in perinatal and infant care.

Kimberly Seals Allers (she/her) is an award-winning journalist, five-time author, international speaker strategist, and an advocate for perinatal and infant health. A former senior editor at Essence, and writer at Fortune Magazine, Kimberly is a leading voice on the racial and socio-cultural complexities of birth, lactation, and parenthood. Kimberly is the founder of Irth®, a new Yelp-like app for Black and Brown parents to address bias and racism in perinatal and infant care. Kimberly also created Birthright, a podcast about joy and healing in Black birth that centers positive Black birth stories as a tool in the fight for birth justice, and to reverse the narrative of negative statistics that is common in mainstream media coverage of Black perinatal health.

We talk about the updated research from Irth®'s movement to eradicate racism and bias in perinatal and infant care. We also talk about the importance of actively implementing strategies for safer birthing spaces for Black and Brown birthing people.

Content warning: We mention racism, bias, Black perinatal death, and trauma.

RESOURCES:

Learn more about Kimberly Seals Allers here and the Irth® App here. Follow Kimberley on Instagram. Follow the Irth® App on Facebook and Instagram. Listen to the Birthright Podcast here.

Listen to EBB 161 here.

Learn more about Dr. Carla Williams here and her feature on the Birthright Podcast here.

Learn more about March of Dimes here.

Learn more about the White House Maternal Day of Action press release here.

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