Evidence Based Birth®

Latest Episodes:

EBB 166 - The Experience of a Powerful and Miraculous Birth by Brooklynn and Hoang Pham Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

n today's podcast, we will be talking with Brooklynn and Hoang Pham. Brooklynn and Hoang currently live in Davis, California, and are the parents to Marvel, who turned seven months last December. Brooklynn is the senior managing director of Teach For America in Sacramento, and Hoang is finishing up his final year of law school at UC Davis School of Law. They took the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth class with EBB instructor, Shalin Butterworth, and are here to share their birth story.

Content Warning: We will be talking about maternal mortality and racism.

We will talk about Brooklynn's and Hoang's empowering experience when they attended the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth class and how it prepared them to feel ready for their powerful and miraculous birth with their doula and EBB instructor, Shalin. We also talk about the significantly high rates of maternal mortality among Black and Brown individuals and racism in birth work.

Hoang and Brooklyn's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOBNp5cuEQpBDY3-3Bnl6eQ/ Instagram: @_hoangpham Twitter: @_hoangpham Birthplace Lab: You can explore the maps at https://www.birthplacelab.org/maps/. There is a How To video with tips on using the interactive maps: https://www.birthplacelab.org/how-to-explore-the-maps/. Visit BirthPlaceLab.org to learn about your state's score! Research References: Balde, M. D., Nasiri, K., Mehrtash, H., et al. (2020). Labour companionship and women's experiences of mistreatment during childbirth: results from a multi-country community-based survey. BMJ Glob Health. 2020 Nov;5(Suppl 2):e003564. Click here. Bohren, M. A., Berger, B. O., Munthe-Kaas, H., et al. (2019). Perceptions and experiences of labour companionship: a qualitative evidence synthesis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2019, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD012449. Click here. Bohren, M. A., Hofmeyr, G. J., Sakala, C., et al. (2017). Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Jul 6;7(7):CD003766. Click here. Vedam, S., Stoll, K., MacDorman, M., et al. (2018). Mapping integration of midwives across the United States: Impact on access, equity, and outcomes. PLoS One. 2018 Feb 21;13(2):e0192523. Click here.

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 165 - Fetal Position During Labor with L&D Nurse, Ann Marie Gilligan Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

On today's podcast, we talk with L&D nurse, Ann Marie Gilligan, about perinatal positioning during labor. Ann is a labor and delivery nurse in Minnesota, who is trained in high-risk obstetrics and advanced fetal monitoring, certified through Waterbirth International and also, certified as a sexual assault nurse examiner. Ann has 30 years of labor and delivery experience, ranging from the start-up team for an independent birth center to working at a level three high-risk labor and delivery unit to working as a legal nurse consultant and prenatal yoga instructor. Ann has extensive experience caring for families who want an unmedicated birth as well as caring for people with high-risk conditions, such as pre-eclampsia, uncontrolled diabetes, postpartum hemorrhage, and sepsis. Ann has also traveled to Bolivia and Tanzania, where she taught high-risk obstetrics and maternal positioning for optimal fetal positioning. More recently, Ann became an Evidence Based Birth® Instructor in 2020 and is a Spinning Babies® Aware Practitioner.

We talk about maternal positioning and its effect on fetal positioning during labor. We also talk about Ann's vast experience as an L&D nurse and her web-based resource, Gilligan's Guide, where Ann teaches physicians, nurses, and families the importance of infant positioning for birth.

Learn about Ann Marie Gilligan and Gilligan's Guide here (www.gilligansguide.com). Follow Ann on Instagram here (www.instagram.com/gilligansguide).

Learn about EBB instructor, Rhonda Fellows, Learn about Oily Doula MN here (https://www.oilydoulamn.com/) and follow Oily Doula MN on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/oilydoulamn/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/oilydoulamn/).

Learn more about Spinning Babies® here (https://www.spinningbabies.com/).

EBB 164 - Updated Evidence on COVID-19 and Pregnancy Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

I'm pleased to share with you today's podcast episode, which is a comprehensive update of the research evidence on COVID-19 and pregnancy and childbirth!

To view the scientific references for this article, visit the COVID-19 resource page here and look for the February 17, 2021 podcast episode text.

In this podcast episode, I cover:

The current global situation
What we know so far about prevention/vaccines during pregnancy
Testing and diagnosis
Symptoms during pregnancy
Risk of hospitalization and severe/critical illness in pregnancy
Treatment of COVID-19 during pregnancy
Risks to the fetus, including the risk of preterm birth
Timing of birth if you're infected with COVID-19
Whether its possible to transmit COVID-19 to the fetus in utero
Antibody transfer during pregnancy and through human milk
Newborn outcomes and best practices when a baby is born to an infected parent
Hospital policies on permitting birth partners
Hospital policies on permitting doulas
Changes we've seen to labor and delivery practices during the pandemic
Where you can go to read guidelines from professional organizations

I hope that this podcast episode is helpful! I'm happy that our research team was able to put it together for you.

EBB 163 - Stress and Anxiety During Pregnancy with Nathalie Walton, CEO of Expectful Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

On today's podcast, we're going to talk with Nathalie Walton, CEO of the Expectful app, about coping with anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum— especially when you have a high-risk pregnancy. Nathalie is the CEO of Expectful, the number one meditation and sleep app for growing families. She has spent the last eight years in leadership roles at Airbnb, Google, and eBay. As a new mother to her 10-month old son Everett, Nathalie experienced the failure of the U.S. healthcare system as it pertains to nurturing the mental and emotional well-being of pregnant and new parents. She joined the team at Expectful to provide universal access to evidence-based wellness solutions such as meditation to help millions of people around the world navigate the new stage of parenthood. **Content Warning: This episode includes a birth story with placental abruption, emergency cesarean, and NICU admission.** Natalie talks with us about her journey to parenthood, including how she prepared for her "marathon" high-risk pregnancy and birthing experience. We also talk about how she empowered herself to take control of her mental well-being during pregnancy and birth.

Learn more about Nathalie Walton and the Expectful app here (https://expectful.com/). To learn more about Expectful's Helping Hands scholarship program, email them at care@expectful.com. Follow Expectful on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/expectful/) and on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/expectful/).

EBB 162 - Preparing and Powering through Birth During the COVID-19 Pandemic with Jamie and Ryan English Feb 03, 2021

Show notes

On today's podcast, we are talking with Jamie and Ryan English about their unexpectedly long but empowering hospital birth, as well as the effects of severe diastasis recti on the labor process.

Jamie and Ryan are graduates of the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class, which they took with EBB instructor Jennifer Anderson. Ryan is a commercial property manager and Jamie is a photographer. They moved to Sacramento a few years ago from San Diego, California, and at the same time they found out they were pregnant with their baby girl.

We talk about how Jamie and Ryan prepared for their birthing experience as first-time parents during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also talk about Jamie's long labor experience due to the effects of having severe diastasis recti.

Learn more about Katy Bowman and her book, "Diastasis Recti: The Whole-Body Solution to Abdominal Weakness and Separation" here (https://linktr.ee/nutritiousmovement). Follow Katy on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/nutritiousmovement/?hl=en) and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NutritiousMovement/).

Learn more about the Fit2B exercise program here (https://fit2b.us/).

Learn more about the "The Birth Hour" podcast here (https://thebirthhour.com/). Follow "The Birth Hour" podcast on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thebirthhour/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thebirthhour/), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/brynhuntpalmer).

Learn more about EBB Instructor, Jennifer Anderson, here (https://www.birthfusion.com/) and follow Birth Fusion on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/birthfusion/).

EBB 161 - Addressing Maternity Bias and Infant Care with Irth app Founder, Kimberly Seals Allers Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

On today's podcast, I'm excited to talk with Kimberly Seals Allers. Kimberly is an award-winning journalist, five-time author, international speaker, strategist, and advocate for maternal and infant health. A former senior editor at Essence, and a writer at Fortune Magazine, Kimberly is a leading voice on the socio-cultural complexities of motherhood. Kimberly is also the founder of Irth, a new app to address bias in maternity and infant care.

We talk about how Kimberly's new app, Irth, which addresses biased maternal care and cultural competency when serving marginalized communities. We also talk about the challenges Kimberly overcame after launching Irth.

**Content Warning: We discuss racism/racial violence, Black maternal mortality, and infant mortality.**

Learn more about Kimberly Seals Allers and the Irth app here (https://birthwithoutbias.com/who-we-are). Follow Kimberly Seals Allers on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/iamKSealsAllers/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/iamksealsallers/?hl=en). Learn about Narrative Nation, Inc here (https://wewriteus.org/). Learn more about Kimberly's books, "Mocha Manual to a Fabulous Pregnancy" here (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-mocha-manual-to-a-fabulous-pregnancy-kimberly-seals-allers) and "The Big Letdown: How Medicine, Big Business, and Feminism Undermine Breastfeeding" here (https://www.amazon.com/Big-Letdown-Medicine-Undermine-Breastfeeding/dp/1250026962).

Learn more about Dr. Fleda Mask Jackson here (https://drfledamjackson.com/).

Learn more about Cristen Pascucci and Birth Monopoly here (https://birthmonopoly.com/). Follow Birth Monopoly on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/birthmonopoly/) and on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/birthmonopoly/?hl=en).

Learn more about the California Healthcare Foundation here (https://www.chcf.org/). Follow the California Healthcare Foundation on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/chcfnews/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/chcfnews).

Learn more about the Tower Health Foundation here (https://www.towerhealth.org/reading-hospital-foundation).

Learn more about the Grove Foundation here (https://www.thegrovefoundation.org/).

Learn more about the Kellogg Foundation here (https://www.wkkf.org/). Follow the Kellogg Foundation on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/KelloggFoundation), Twitter (https://twitter.com/wk_kellogg_fdn), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kelloggfoundation/).

EBB 160 - Introducing Mystique Hargrove: EBB Featured Instructor Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

On today's podcast, we will be speaking with Mystique Hargrove, EBB Featured Instructor. Mystique (She/They) is a certified full spectrum doula who serves BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of color), and LGBTQ+ individuals in Greensboro, North Carolina. Mystique also serves as an advisory board member for the United States Lactation Consultant Association, and is a Certified Lactation Educator, as well as a Certified Childbirth Educator. Mystique completed her Master of Science in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling from North Carolina A&T State University, along with a Marriage and Family Counseling Certification. Mystique earned a Certification in Wellness and Nutrition Consulting and Counseling, and her Certification in Reiki I and II, along with her certification as a Reiki Master. As a Black, Latinx, and Indigenous birth worker, Mystique has experience in herbal medicine and ancestral healing practices under Black, Latinx, and Indigenous teachers, and elder curanderas, or healers, in her community. Currently, Mystique is a Ph.D. student at Capella University for Counselor Education and Supervision, with a research focus on Inclusive Services and Advocacy in Perinatal Mental Health for Black, LGBTQ+ individuals.

Content Warning: In this episode, we will talk about birth trauma and birth and perinatal mortality.

We talk about Mystique's experience as a birth worker in her community and what challenges she is faced with as an advocate for inclusive perinatal care for marginalized communities.

Learn more about Mystique and The Black Birth Healer (https://www.theblackbirthhealer.com). Follow Mystique on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TheBlackBirthHealer) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/blackbirthhealer).

Learn more about Janiya Williams (https://www.madeingso.com/2020/08/28/janiya_mitnaul_williams/) and her Human Lactation Pathway 2 Certification Program at NC A&T State University (https://www.ncat.edu/caes/departments/family-and-consumer-sciences/lactation-cert.php). Follow Mahoghany Milk on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MahoganyMilk) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mahoganymilk).

Learn more about Dr. Juan Michelle Martin here (https://www.jmmhealthsolutions.com/). Follow Dr. Martin on Instagram here (www.instagram.com/thepelvicperspective). View Dr. Martin's pelvic floor topic videos on YouTube for JMM Health Solutions here (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKNEkVefn_wLgrqlf4wyXHw).

Learn more about National College of Midwifery (https://www.midwiferycollege.edu/). Follow National College of Midwifery on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NationalCollegeMidwifery/).

Learn more about Dr. Cheryl Beck (https://birthful.com/podcastbirthptsd/).

EBB 159 - Failure to Progress Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

On today's podcast, we are going to talk about the research evidence on failure to progress.

We also talk about what studies have shown about the normal length of labor, as well as the benefits and risks of having a longer pushing time.

We encourage you to visit https://evidencebasedbirth.com/failuretoprogress to get all the research references and a one-page handout.

EBB 158 - Empowering Hospital Birth Experience during COVID-19 with Fiona and Craig Castleton Jan 06, 2021

Show notes

On today's podcast, I interview Fiona and Craig Castleton about their birthing experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fiona and Craig welcomed their first baby in April 2020 — when everything was locked down. To prepare for their experience, they took the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class with EBB Instructor, Shalin Butterworth, who also happened to be their doula. We talk about their experience taking the online Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class and how Shalin helped mentor them in comfort measures and advocacy. We also talk about birthing during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they advocated for themselves during pregnancy and during the birth. Fiona has shorter stature and had a history of spinal fusion surgery as a teen, and she had to navigate conflicting medical opinions about her ability to have an epidural or, even whether or not she could have a vaginal birth. In the end, Fiona and Craig used their advocacy skills and had an empowering unmedicated hospital birthing experience as first-time parents.

Shalin Butterworth, their doula, and EBB Instructor: https://www.sozenbirthservices.com/ Take an EBB Childbirth Class from Shalin: https://www.sozenbirthservices.com/ebb-for-expecting-families

Birth Words podcast located here: https://www.birthwords.com/podcast Birth Words class for professionals here: https://www.birthwords.com/classes Feminist Midwife blog: https://www.feministmidwife.com/ Feminist Midwife e-newsletter: https://feministmidwife.substack.com/about?utm_source=subscribe_email&utm_content=learn_more

EBB 157 - Year End Wrap Up of 2020 Dec 30, 2020

Show notes

On today's podcast, I wrap up all the resources we created at Evidence Based Birth in 2020, as well as the challenges we faced as a team. I also talk about what our plans are for the year 2021. This was not an easy podcast to record. How do you sum up a year like 2020? Like many of you, our team members at EBB have experienced loss and grief, uncertainty and anxiety, stress, and burnout. Somehow our team pulled together to continue getting evidence based information to the public. We leaned on each other— when some of us were having difficulties, others pitched in... then roles would quickly reverse. "Teamwork makes the dreamwork" was frequently mentioned in our Slack channel! In the end, we were still able to fulfill our EBB mission (making research evidence publicly available) while caring for ourselves and our families. And I am incredibly proud of our team for that accomplishment. I'd encourage you to check out today's podcast to learn about all the resources that were created for you this year at Evidence Based Birth and to get a sneak peek of what we hope to publish next year. You can listen to that podcast episode (or read the transcript) here (link). We also created a Spotify playlist of songs that have inspired some of us through difficult times. You can check out that music playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5w25L1849X9dTVt0RGMkOe?si=xx61fpXmR1ujTcqiOtrClA On behalf of the entire EBB team, I'd like to send you our best wishes for a healing and restorative New Year in 2021.

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