Birth Kweens

After 3+ years and 138 episodes, the Birth Kweens Podcast is coming to an end! Listen to this final episode to hear Karly and Ali wrap things up. Thank you all for supporting us and listening to the show over the past few years. We love and appreciate all of you! 

**TRIGGER WARNING: Infant Loss** Today we’re talking with Jeanette Fant about the births of her four babies. Jeanette has had a wide variety of birth experiences including medicated hospital births, a home birth, and the birth of her stillborn daughter, Natalie. Jeanette shares about how her approach to preparing for birth has changed over the years, what prompted her to choose a home birth for her youngest baby Nayeli, and how the devastating loss of her second baby Natalie has impacted her and her family’s lives. We’re so thankful Jeanette was willing to come on the show and share her birthing experiences with us. Enjoy! --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Get a subscription for Hiya Health’s bestselling children’s multivitamins to ensure your kiddos are getting the nutrients they need without all the unhealthy additives usually found in kids vitamins! Go to HiyaHealth.com/KWEENS and use the code KWEENS at checkout to get 50% off your first order.  --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Angie Ponce is with us today to share the story of the birth of her first baby! Earlier this year, Angie had an unmedicated hospital birth with the support of her husband and doula. We hope you enjoy Angie’s wonderful birth story! --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months! Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Get 50% off plus free shipping on any crate line with the code KWEENS at KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. Get a subscription for Hiya Health’s bestselling children’s multivitamins to ensure your kiddos are getting the nutrients they need without all the unhealthy additives usually found in kids vitamins! Go to HiyaHealth.com/KWEENS and use the code KWEENS at checkout to get 50% off your first order.  --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In this episode we’re talking with Ryann Kipling about nutrition during preconception and pregnancy. Ryann is a clinically trained Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Lactation Educator, and Author of The Feel-Good Pregnancy Cookbook. She is the founder of The Prenatal Nutritionist, a virtual nutrition private practice, which focuses on preparing women for pregnancy and conquering nutrition during and after pregnancy. She helps women feel confident in their ability to properly nourish a growing baby through a real food approach. Aside from one on one nutrition counseling, Ryann is a nutrition writer and content creator on her popular Instagram account @prenatalnutritionist. Click here to check out the Prenatal Nutrition Library and pregnancy grocery shopping guide. This is the article Ryann mentioned about protein intake in the preconception and pregnancy periods. --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Get a subscription for Hiya Health’s bestselling children’s multivitamins to ensure your kiddos are getting the nutrients they need without all the unhealthy additives usually found in kids vitamins! Go to HiyaHealth.com/KWEENS and use the code KWEENS at checkout to get 50% off your first order.  --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Anissa Ballesteros is here today to share her two birth stories with us. For her first baby, Anissa had planned and prepared for an unmedicated hospital birth but her baby was breech so she ended up having a cesarean. When she got pregnant with her second baby, she knew she wanted a different experience so she hired Karly and planned a home birth. Anissa shares about how difficult her cesarean birth was for her and how healing and positive her HBAC (home birth after cesarean) experience was. --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get a high quality, fully breathable, washable, and recyclable baby mattress from Newton Baby! Go to NewtonBaby.com and enter code KWEENS to get $50 off and free shipping. Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months! Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Get 50% off plus free shipping on any crate line with the code KWEENS at KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Today we’re talking with Dr. Melinda Elliott about preterm birth and navigating an unexpected NICU stay. Dr. Elliott is chief medical officer of Prolacta Bioscience where she serves as the voice of the patient, working to ensure that the needs of critically ill and premature infants are being articulated and that the relevant treatment and product opportunities are identified. As an experienced neonatologist and researcher in neonatal intensive care, Dr. Elliott has committed her career to the care of vulnerable, premature infants and has researched the benefits of an Exclusive Human Milk Diet (EHMD) for extremely low birth weight premature infants in the NICU. In this episode we discuss how common it is to have a premature baby, the various classifications of prematurity, and some of the most common challenges that premature babies face. Dr. Elliott shares some amazing tips about how to navigate a NICU stay, what questions to ask, and what you should know about a premature baby’s diet. --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get a high quality, fully breathable, washable, and recyclable baby mattress from Newton Baby! Go to NewtonBaby.com and enter code KWEENS to get $50 off and free shipping. If you’re in need of perinatal mental health therapy or life coaching services from a highly experienced provider who specializes in supporting families throughout the childbearing years, contact Sade Cutler of My Empowering Impact. Therapy is limited to residents of Maryland and Virginia. Coaching services available nationwide. Get a subscription for Hiya Health’s bestselling children’s multivitamins to ensure your kiddos are getting the nutrients they need without all the unhealthy additives usually found in kids vitamins! Go to HiyaHealth.com/KWEENS and use the code KWEENS at checkout to get 50% off your first order.  --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Chloë Lubell of Cosmos Midwifery is here to share her birth story with us! Chloë had been a midwife for many years before becoming pregnant with her first child. She shares in depth about her pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences, including what it was like to have an ultra-fast labor and lots of other surprises along the way. Enjoy! --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get a high quality, fully breathable, washable, and recyclable baby mattress from Newton Baby! Go to NewtonBaby.com and enter code KWEENS to get $50 off and free shipping.   Get comprehensive online childbirth education classes and 1:1 new parent support from Arrow Birth! Go to ArrowBirth.com and enter code BIRTHKWEENS for 20% off your birth course.   Public Goods is your one-stop-shop for affordable, sustainable, healthy household products. Go to PublicGoods.com/KWEENS and use code KWEENS at checkout to get $15 off your first order! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.  

In this episode we’re talking with Cheyenne Varner of The Educated Birth about representation and inclusivity in the birth world. Cheyenne is a birth and postpartum doula and graphic designer in Richmond, VA. She started The Educated Birth, a collection of childbirth education materials including Everyday Birth Magazine, in 2016, when she couldn't find materials with representation of families of color. She has been learning, creating, and partnering with other professionals to provide more inclusive and accessible health education materials ever since. Cheyenne shares about how inclusivity and representation are lacking in the birth world and why she’s on a mission to change that. We also discuss equity vs. equality and what she considers to be some best practices for equity work in the birth world. Click here to check out the blog post about community support and redistribution of wealth in the birth world that Cheyenne mentions in the interview and be sure to follow The Educated Birth and Everyday Birth Magazine on Instagram. --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Public Goods is your one-stop-shop for affordable, sustainable, healthy household products. Go to PublicGoods.com/KWEENS and use code KWEENS at checkout to get $15 off your first order!   Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months!   Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Pick the box that’s right for you by going to KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. Your first month is free on select crates!  --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.  

Johanna Penn shares her two birth stories with us in this episode. Her first son was born in the hospital after a long, difficult labor. This birth experience really impacted Johanna and it inspired her to go into birth work. It also caused her to make an entirely different birth plan for her second son who was born quickly at home. Johanna shares what her two very different labors were like for her, what she learned from them, and what kind of birth work she’s doing now (including her new podcast, Mama is Well). Enjoy! --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get a subscription for Hiya Health’s bestselling children’s multivitamins to ensure your kiddos are getting the nutrients they need without all the unhealthy additives usually found in kids vitamins! Go to HiyaHealth.com/KWEENS and use the code KWEENS at checkout to get 50% off your first order.  Get a jar of 8 Sheep Organics Sleepy Lotion to help you sleep better and prevent cramps and restless legs all night! Go to 8Sheep.com and use code KWEENS to get free shipping on your order! Public Goods is your one-stop-shop for affordable, sustainable, healthy household products. Go to PublicGoods.com/KWEENS and use code KWEENS at checkout to get $15 off your first order! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In this episode we’re talking with Jessie Harrold of MotherSHIFT about how pregnancy and birth are rites of passage and what an enormous identity shift it is to become a parent. Jessie is a coach, women’s mentor and doula who supports women to traverse radical life transformation and other rites of passage. She is the founder of MotherSHIFT, a program to support women through the identity shift of motherhood, and author of a forthcoming book of the same name. Registration for her 2020 MotherSHIFT program begins on September 1, 2020. Click here to access her free Momifesto Workbook. --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get a high quality, fully breathable, washable, and recyclable baby mattress from Newton Baby! Go to NewtonBaby.com and enter code KWEENS to get $50 off and free shipping. Public Goods is your one-stop-shop for affordable, sustainable, healthy household products. Go to PublicGoods.com/KWEENS and use code KWEENS at checkout to get $15 off your first order! Get a subscription for Hiya Health’s bestselling children’s multivitamins to ensure your kiddos are getting the nutrients they need without all the unhealthy additives usually found in kids vitamins! Go to HiyaHealth.com/KWEENS and use the code KWEENS at checkout to get 50% off your first order.  --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Laci Silva shares about the birth of her daughter, Lilás. Laci and her husband Jimmy had planned a home birth with Karly and Ali but after a long few days of early labor with no progress they made the decision to transfer to the hospital for medical intervention. Despite things not going as planned, Laci and Jimmy still had a very positive (albeit exhausting) birth experience! --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Support your mind and body with high quality CBD and adaptogen products from FOCL. Go to FOCL.com and use code KWEENS for 15% off your first order! Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months! Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Pick the box that’s right for you by going to KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. Your first month is free on select crates!  --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In this episode we’re covering vitamin K for the newborn. You’ll hear about what vitamin K is, why it’s routinely given to newborns, the two ways it can be administered, and the risks and benefits of receiving it, including it’s effectiveness. The resources used to put together this episode are listed below: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021393/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24059412/ https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-the-vitamin-k-shot-in-newborns/ https://www.cps.ca/en/documents/position/vitamin-k-prophylaxis-in-newborns#:~:text=Since%201961%2C%20the%20American%20Academy,after%20birth%20to%20prevent%20VKDB. --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get a jar of 8 Sheep Organics Sleepy Lotion to help you sleep better and prevent cramps and restless legs all night! Go to 8Sheep.com and use code KWEENS to get free shipping on your order!  Get a subscription for Hiya Health’s best selling childrens multivitamins to ensure your kiddos are getting the nutrients they need without all the unhealthy additives usually found in kids vitamins! Go to HiyaHealth.com/KWEENS and use the code KWEENS at checkout to get 50% off your first order.   --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Today we’re talking with the amazing Gena Kirby about the rebozo! We discuss what it is, it’s history and cultural significance, and how it can be integrated into pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. To get information about Gena’s workshops or buy her e-books visit her website GenaKirby.net. Check out Gena’s mentorship program The Doula’s Doula and support Gena via Patreon!  Click here to read the article titled “The Rebozo: Fashion, Feminism and Death” that Gena mentions.   --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get a high quality, fully breathable, washable, and recyclable baby mattress from Newton Baby! Go to NewtonBaby.com and enter code KWEENS to get $50 off and free shipping. Support your mind and body with high quality CBD and adaptogen products from FOCL. Go to FOCL.com and use code KWEENS for 15% off your first order! Sign up for a membership with Thrive Market and start saving 25-50% off traditional retail prices on all your favorite clean, organic products! Go to ThriveMarket.com/KWEENS to get $20 in shopping credit toward your first order. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In this episode we’re talking about back labor, including its possible causes, how to prevent it, its impact on labor progression, and what to do if you find yourself experiencing it. We also delve into sterile water injections – what they are, why they’re useful in labor, and what it’s like to get them. Here are the links for the resources mentioned in this episode: The Spinning Babies website, specifically the pages for daily and weekly activities to do during pregnancy and the section dedicated to what to do during labor A TENS unit which can be a great tool for managing labor pain The Evidence Based Birth article about sterile water injections --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get a high quality, fully breathable, washable, and recyclable baby mattress from Newton Baby! Go to NewtonBaby.com and enter code KWEENS to get $50 off and free shipping.   Support your mind and body with high quality CBD and adaptogen products from FOCL. Go to FOCL.com and use code KWEENS for 15% off your first order!   Get a jar of 8 Sheep Organics Sleepy Lotion to help you sleep better and prevent cramps and restless legs all night! Go to 8Sheep.com and use code KWEENS to get free shipping on your order! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In this episode we’re talking about common pregnancy discomforts and some remedies to treat them. We cover morning sickness, back pain, heartburn, sleep problems and more! --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!   Treat yourself to some amazing skincare products from OSEA Malibu. Go to www.OSEAMalibu.com/birthkweens for $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more. Free shipping for US orders over $75 and free samples with every order! Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months! Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Pick the box that’s right for you by going to KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. Your first month is free on select crates!  --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Dr. Elizabeth Winter, ND, LM, CPM joins us in today’s episode to discuss breast implant illness. Dr. Winter is naturopathic doctor in San Diego, CA who specializes in women’s health and pediatrics. In this episode we discuss what breast implant illness is, the signs/symptoms of it, and treatment options for those who have it. --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Sign up for a membership with Thrive Market and start saving 25-50% off traditional retail prices on all your favorite clean, organic products! Go to ThriveMarket.com/KWEENS to get $20 in shopping credit toward your first order. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

This episode features Anna Verwaal, a maternal-child health nurse, conscious conception & birth consultant, midwifery, nursing and doula instructor, primal period & childbirth educator, UCLA certified lactation educator, and birth photographer from the Netherlands. After a 25-year nursing career in various countries in obstetric, pediatric, neonatal and home-health settings, she preferred to work with families and babies as an educator and started her own private birth consulting practice in Los Angeles, attending homebirths for over 10 years. In this episode you’ll learn about: Anna’s background and how she got into birth work How babies are impacted by their conception, gestation, and birth How our own births set patterns in our lives and why it’s important to recognize and heal our own trauma to avoid passing it along to our children (or to our patients, for those who are care providers) Conscious conception Many stories from Anna’s practice/experience that illustrate these concepts Resources mentioned: Babies Remember Birth by Dr. David Chamberlain APPPAH – The Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health Anna’s TedxTalk From Womb to World The movie IN UTERO The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk The work of Bruce Lipton, PhD The documentary The Business of Being Born The resource list from Anna’s website Click here for Anna’s contact info and to contact her for a Skype session! --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Treat yourself to some amazing skincare products from OSEA Malibu. Go to www.OSEAMalibu.com/birthkweens for $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more. Free shipping for US orders over $75 and free samples with every order! Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months! Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Pick the box that’s right for you by going to KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. Your first month is free on select crates!  --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Drea Haire joins us on today’s episode to share about the birth of her first baby. You’ll hear about what she and her husband did to prepare for labor, her goal of having a water birth in a birth center, and how her plans got turned upside when she found out her baby was breech at 37 weeks (and AGAIN at 39 weeks!). This is a super unique birth story and we’re so happy to be able to share it with all of you! --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Sign up for a membership with Thrive Market and start saving 25-50% off traditional retail prices on all your favorite clean, organic products! Go to ThriveMarket.com/KWEENS to get $20 in shopping credit toward your first order. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In today’s episode we’re talking with Maria Pokluda about placenta encapsulation. Maria is a doula, childbirth educator, and placenta encapsulator who teaches encapsulation workshops through her training organization, BEST Placenta. In this episode we discuss: The history of placenta consumption A book about the topic – Placenta: The Forgotten Chakra The existing data on placenta consumption The benefits, risks, and contraindications of consuming your placenta What’s contained in the placenta and the benefits of those active ingredients The difference between placenta pills and tincture and how a tincture can be used long term The different methods of preparing a placenta for encapsulation Storage recommendations for placenta pills and tinctures The average number of pills people get Maria’s recommended dosing schedule A discussion about the CDC’s warning against placenta consumption Questions to ask your placenta encapsulators Click here to get more info about Maria’s placenta trainings --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Pick the box that’s right for you by going to KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. Your first month is free on select crates!  Treat yourself to some amazing skincare products from OSEA Malibu. Go to www.OSEAMalibu.com/birthkweens for $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more. Free shipping for US orders over $75 and free samples with every order! Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

In light of all the craziness currently happening with COVID-19, we decided to re-release this episode about comfort measures in labor. Many people will be having their babies with little or no support because of the current hospital restrictions and we hope that these tips will help with managing the intensity of labor, especially if you’re doing it without the support you’d planned on having. Additionally, here are a few helpful resources that we mentioned at the top of the episode: COVID-19 resources page on Evidence Based Birth The WHO’s page on COVID-19 The CDC’s page on COVID-19 The CDC’s page on Pregnancy & Breastfeeding with COVID-19 ACOG’s Practice Guidelines on COVID-19 RCOG’s recommendations on COVID-19 during pregnancy If you’re interested in working with Ali for digital doula support, email her here. --- Karly and Ali get down to the nitty gritty details of coping with the pain of labor and birth. They explain why it’s essential for every birthing person to learn about non-medical coping techniques (even if they plan to use pain medication during their birth) and they review the best tools and techniques for pain management. Here’s an overview of everything that’s covered in this episode: The reasons why it is SO important to know a variety of non-medical pain management coping techniques, including times when birth goes too quickly to use medication or when meds don’t work effectively What the 5 elements of birth are and why they’re an essential part of pain management in labor Why you should consider hiring a doula for your birth (including this great article on the evidence for doulas) The reasons it’s SO important to do some sort of childbirth education during pregnancy Helpful tools in labor: Bucky 40 Blinks – the best eye mask in all the land! Birth ball (great for pregnancy, labor, and postpartum!) 65cm 75cm Cooling towels Massage tool Lacrosse Ball Hand held fan Essential oils (don’t forget cotton pads to put the oils on!) 10 Oil Variety Pack Peppermint Lavender Eucalyptus Grapefruit Citrus Variety Pack Heating pad TENS unit Coping techniques in labor: The 3 R’s – relaxation, rhythm, ritual (as mentioned in The Birth Partner by Penny Simpkin) Vocalizations/low moans Movement and changing positions Check out The Birth Partner for some great diagrams of all the different labor/birth positions Breath work Hydrotherapy Light touch/massage, sacral counter pressure, hip squeeze Visualizations (i.e. breathing to your baby, walking/running up and over a hill, progressive relaxation throughout your entire body) Music (Deep Theta by Steven Halpern is one of Ali’s favorites) The mindset of birth You are stronger than you even realize. Believe in yourself! Stay in the moment. You can do anything for a minute! You are going to give birth one breathe at a time. Remember, this is pain with a purpose. Be SURE to stay hydrated and well fed. Being undernourished and dehydrated can increase pain and difficulty of labor while reducing your energy/ability to cope Why it’s so important to choose your birth team carefully and only invite people who support your birth goals Why you might consider choosing a code word to use in labor, that way your team will know when to encourage you and when to order up that epidural! How to communicate your preferences to the staff at your birthing location, including some guidelines for putting together your birth preferences sheet Books/resources to help you and your birth partner(s) The Birth Partner by Penny Simpkin Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Simpkin, Whalley, Keppler, Durham, & Bolding Hypnobirthing by Marie Mongan Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon Birthing From Within by Pam England Mindful Birthing by Nancy Bardacke The Big Book of Birth by Erica Lyon Hypnobabies – Childbirth Hypnosis If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Today we’re talking about painful sex with Emily Sauer, the creator of Ohnut. Ohnut is a wearable tool that helps solve the problem of painful sex by customizing penetration depth without sacrificing sensation for you or your partner. In this episode we talk about the typical causes of painful sex (both physical and mental), how common it is, and how Ohnut can help. Use code BirthKweens at checkout to get a discount on your purchase (*offer valid until June 5, 2020). And don’t forget to check out Ohnut’s blog and follow them on Instagram! --- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get a monthly subscription box from KiwiCo and do some fun, hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects with your kids! Pick the box that’s right for you by going to KiwiCo.com/KWEENS. Your first month is free on select crates!     Treat yourself to some amazing skincare products from OSEA Malibu. Go to www.OSEAMalibu.com/birthkweens for $10 off your first purchase of $50 or more. Free shipping for US orders over $75 and free samples with every order!   Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months!   Treat yourself to a beautiful piece of luxury jewelry from Noemie! Go to hellonoemie.com/KWEENS to see their collections and get $50 off your first purchase with promo code KWEENS. --- In this episode Karly and Ali explore some natural remedies for prevention and treatment of cold and flu symptoms. Finding safe treatment options while pregnant can be really tough so the kweens share their best tips and tricks to get you through the season of sickness! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.  

In this episode we’re talking to Lindsay McCoy of One Strong Mama about pain during pregnancy and how exercise can be used to mitigate it. Lindsay is an Exercise Physiologist, birth doula, childbirth educator, and co-founder of the online prenatal exercise birth prep and recovery program, One Strong Mama. She is also one of the creators of the Body Ready Method professional training program that helps birth and fitness pros assess and train pregnant clients- specifically for core and pelvic floor optimization. She has helped thousands of pregnant people have more comfortable pregnancies, more efficient births, and smoother recoveries. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months! --- Dominique Richey is back on the show to share the birth story of her third baby, Aminah! You may remember Dominique from episode 70 where she shared about her first two births (an unmedicated hospital birth and a home birth that included a significant shoulder dystocia). Preparing for this birth was different for Dominique because of the shoulder dystocia she experienced while giving birth to her son. She shares about the process of finding supportive care providers (the wonderful team at Bay Area Community Birth Center in Pasadena, TX), how she weighed the risks of a vaginal vs. cesarean delivery when making her birth plan, and how Aminah’s birth unfolded. It’s a wonderful episode with an awesome repeat guest and we’re so excited we get to share her story with you!   --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

Mary and Ryan Lee join us to share about the exciting birth of their first child, Thea. (You may remember Ryan from episode 8 where he talked with us about healing the scar tissue that remains after a cesarean.) Thea’s birth was fast and furious and although Ryan and Mary had planned a hospital birth, Thea decided to come quickly in their bathroom at home one afternoon in April 2019. Ryan and Mary share about the whole experience, including what it was like for Ryan to catch Thea and how Mary has healed after her birth experience. We hope you enjoy this lovely story with our sweet friends! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Treat yourself to a stylish, comfortable pair of scrubs from FIGS today! Visit www.WearFigs.com and enter code KWEENS at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase! Sign up for a Fab Fit Fun box today! Enter code KWEENS for $10 off your first box! #FabFitFunPartner --- This week we’re talking with birth doula Annie Kocher about how to provide sensitive, respectful care for queer and trans families. Here’s an overview of what we cover as well as the resources Annie mentions in the episode: Basics to providing sensitive care for trans, queer, and non-binary people including understanding sex vs. gender, preferred pronouns and names, family/support structure, etc. The study about trans people not seeking/receiving care because of systemic barriers and insensitive care providers Some of the barriers that trans and queer people may face in accessing quality and sensitive reproductive care The intersectionality of queer/trans identity with race, financial resources, disabilities, etc. Some of the things that make trans reproduction different from cis reproduction (i.e. conception and lactation after testosterone, lactation after top surgery and for trans women, etc.) The study on how testosterone impacts/transmits to an infant receiving breast milk How to deal with being called out Getting Called Out: How to Apologize Resources on trans breast- and chestfeeding and lactation support: KellyMom: https://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/transgender-parents-chestbreastfeeding/ Milk Junkies: http://www.milkjunkies.net/2017/05/jennas-breastfeeding-journey-trans.html?m=1 LLL: https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/transgender-non-binary-parents/ Facebook group Birthing and Breast or Chestfeeding Trans People and Allies A book about breastfeeding after reduction surgery by Diana West Birthing Beyond the Binary Click here to get in touch with Annie! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get the important men in your life a meaningful and functional gift from Swanky Badger! Use promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off your order. Treat yourself to a beautiful piece of luxury jewelry from Noemie! Go to hellonoemie.com/KWEENS to see their collections and get $50 off your first purchase with promo code KWEENS. --- We’re back for part two with Dr. Rose Schlaff, DPT, IF, WHC! If you didn’t catch her on last week’s episode about postpartum sex and intimacy, click here. This week’s episode is all about the vadge gadge! That is, all of the different kinds of tools that can be used to help heal postpartum and promote a fulfilling sex life. She reviews what’s going on anatomically in the pelvic floor and why dysfunction can exist, especially after pregnancy and birth. In the vadge gadge department, she shares about yoni eggs, kegel apps (such as kGoal and Elvie), vibrators, vaginal moisturizers, lube (such as Good Clean Love and Slippery Stuff), vaginal dilators, pelvic wands, and pessaries. If you’d like to make the spray Dr. Rose mentioned, here’s the recipe: 3 drops of lavender EO and 3 drops of geranium EO mixed with 30mL of fractionated coconut oil. Dr. Rose is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Women's Sexual Health Coach who believes that intimacy can and should be fun, fearless, and pain-free. In her one-on-one virtual sexual health coaching practice, she specializes in helping women overcome discomfort during sex, reclaim intimacy, and spark pleasure both in and out of the bedroom.  In addition to her Women's Sexual Health Coaching practice, Dr. Rose practices as a pelvic floor physical therapist at Comprehensive Therapy Services in San Diego, CA where she specializes in hands-on treatment of bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction. To learn more about Dr. Rose, go to https://www.bewellwithrose.com/birth, check her out on instagram @bewellwithrose, or get in touch with her at bewellwithrose@gmail.com. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Get the important men in your life a meaningful and functional gift from Swanky Badger! Use promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off your order. --- This week we’re talking postpartum sex and intimacy with Dr. Rose Schlaff, DPT, IF, WHC. Many people struggle with sexual fulfillment and intimacy during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum so we invited Dr. Rose on the show to share some of her valuable insight on how to work through these challenges. Dr. Rose is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Women's Sexual Health Coach who believes that intimacy can and should be fun, fearless, and pain-free. In her one-on-one virtual sexual health coaching practice, she specializes in helping women overcome discomfort during sex, reclaim intimacy, and spark pleasure both in and out of the bedroom.  In addition to her Women's Sexual Health Coaching practice, Dr. Rose practices as a pelvic floor physical therapist at Comprehensive Therapy Services in San Diego, CA where she specializes in hands-on treatment of bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction. To learn more about Dr. Rose, go to https://www.bewellwithrose.com/birth, check her out on instagram @bewellwithrose, or get in touch with her at bewellwithrose@gmail.com. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Get the important men in your life a meaningful and functional gift from Swanky Badger! Use promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off your order. --- Mariane Konstantaras joins us to share about the births of her two sons, Luca and Leo. With Luca, she started off in the care of a doctor with a plan to deliver in the hospital. Midway through pregnancy she transferred her care to midwives at a freestanding birth center. After a long early labor that presented some unexpected challenges, Mariane ended up transferring to the hospital and having an unmedicated birth with her midwives there. For her second pregnancy, she and her husband knew that they wanted to have a home birth. After a few days of prodromal labor, she gave birth to Leo in a tub in her living room. With two very different birth experiences to draw from, Mariane’s stories have something for everyone. Enjoy! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Get the important men in your life a meaningful and functional gift from Swanky Badger! Use promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off your order. Treat yourself to a stylish, comfortable pair of scrubs from FIGS today! Visit www.WearFigs.com and enter code KWEENS at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase! Sign up for a Fab Fit Fun box today! Enter code KWEENS for $10 off your first box! #FabFitFunPartner --- This week’s guest is the amazing Rebecca Dekker of Evidence Based Birth! Rebecca is a nurse with her PhD and the founder of Evidence Based Birth! The EBB website receives millions of visitors each year, who come to read the research evidence on childbirth practices—which Rebecca and her team aim to make publicly accessible, so that anyone can access evidence based information. Rebecca is the host of the Evidence Based Birth Podcast and the author of the newly published book, Babies Are Not Pizzas, They’re Born, Not Delivered. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband Dan and her three children ages 11, 7, and 5. In this episode, we cover the very important topic of suspected big babies. We discuss the practice of using ultrasounds to measure a baby’s size at the end of pregnancy and whether current evidence supports interventions like early inductions and planned cesareans in these cases. Here’s a list of some of the resources mentioned in this episode: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-induction-or-c-section-for-big-baby/ https://www.chcf.org/collection/listening-to-mothers-in-california/ https://evidencebasedbirth.com/friedmans-curve-and-failure-to-progress-a-leading-cause-of-unplanned-c-sections/ https://opqic.org/acog-practice-bulletin-173-fetal-macrosomia/ https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-induction-for-gestational-diabetes/ --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Treat yourself to a beautiful piece of luxury jewelry from Noemie! Go to hellonoemie.com/KWEENS to see their collections and get $50 off your first purchase with promo code KWEENS. Download Honey, the FREE browser add-on that finds you the best deals online and automatically applies the discounts to your cart at check out! Go to joinhoney.com/KWEENS and start saving today. --- In this episode Deb Flashenberg joins us to talk about prenatal yoga and how it can be used to prepare your mind and body for birth. Deb is the founder and director of the Prenatal Yoga Center in NYC. She is also a labor support doula, Lamaze childbirth educator and mother of two. After the challenging birth of her first child, Deb became incredibly interested in pelvic health and has since earned her Pelvic Floor Yoga Certification with Leslie Howard. For those who love podcasts, you can tune into Deb’s podcast Yoga | Birth | Babies where she speaks with some of the world’s leading experts in pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and parenthood.  --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

This week we’re talking with physical therapist and women’s health specialist Dr. Lauren Mallari-Snyder, PT, DPT about pelvic organ prolapse. Lauren works primarily with people who are pregnant or postpartum and handles issues spanning from neck, to vagina, to the gym and all things in between. She’s been a PT for almost 8 years and has been trying to change the world one pelvic floor at a time. She and her husband, Aaron, own their own PT practice in San Diego called Thrive Physical Therapy. In this episode, we cover what a prolapse is, what organs can be involved in the various types of prolapse, and how common it is to experience one after giving birth. We also explore the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of prolapse. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.  

Ashley Wadleigh came on the show to share about the births of her two kids, Charlie and Elise. Both were planned hospital births, but after her experience with Charlie (unsupportive hospital, pressured into unnecessary interventions, etc.) Ashley took a whole different approach when preparing for Elise’s birth. She shares in depth about both experiences, including what it was like to go from a long, medicated hospital birth to a quick, unmedicated birth in the front seat of her car. We hope you enjoy this fun episode! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Treat yourself to a stylish, comfortable pair of scrubs from FIGS today! Visit www.WearFigs.com and enter code KWEENS at checkout to get 15% off your first purchase!  Sign up for a Fab Fit Fun box today! Enter code KWEENS for $10 off your first box! #FabFitFunPartner --- Today we’re talking with the indomitable Sabia Wade about how racism and white-centering are negatively impacting black birthing people, their babies, and black birth workers. Sabia is a Black and Queer Full Spectrum Doula, Doula Business Coach and Reproductive Justice Advocate located in San Diego, CA. In 2015, she began as a volunteer doula with The Prison Birth Project. In her role as a volunteer doula, she assisted incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents, as well as parents in recovery. In 2018, she decided to quit her day job and create a sustainable and abundant life in a meaningful way. She is now the Executive Director of For The Village, a nonprofit that provides doula services to low income and marginalized people in San Diego county, and owner of Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings, where she trains full spectrum doulas all over the world. Click here to get more info about Sabia’s upcoming trainings on Racism & Privilege in Birth and be sure to follow her on Instagram @theblackdoula. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Download Honey, the FREE browser add-on that finds you the best deals online and automatically applies the discounts to your cart at check out! Go to joinhoney.com/KWEENS and start saving today. --- Part 3 of our home birth series is focused on answering your FAQs about giving birth at home. Tune in to get detailed answers to questions about birth set up/clean up, whether home birth can be paid for by insurance, reasons you might need to transfer to a hospital, and lots more! And if you haven’t listened already, check out episode 103 to learn about the safety of home birth and episode 104 to get into the logistics and practicalities of it. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. 

In part two of our series on home birth we’re diving into the details and logistics! This includes the pros and cons of choosing home birth, what the prenatal and postpartum care are like, what you can expect on the day of the birth, and how to decide whether home birth is right for you. And if you haven’t done so yet, check out episode 103 to take a deep dive into the research on home birth safety. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.  

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Level up your nutrition game with a superfood mix from Your Super! Use the code KWEENS at checkout for 15% off your order. --- In part one of our three part series on home birth, we’re diving into the research. You’ll hear about some notable studies on the safety of having your baby in an out-of-hospital setting both in America and abroad. The following links lead to the studies and resources we used when researching this episode: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/birt.12411 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24594003 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4791097/ https://news.ohsu.edu/2015/12/30/what-are-the-risks-of-giving-birth-inside-and-outside-a-hospital-setting https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4069085/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4399594/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20598284 --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Sign up for a Fab Fit Fun box today! Enter code KWEENS for $10 off your first box! #FabFitFunPartner --- Dr. Cade Copeland, DC is a chiropractor and functional practitioner in Naples, FL as well as the founder and co-owner of Rooted Apothecary, a company that sells products (including high-quality CBD) that support people on their journey to optimal health. He graduated from NWHSU in 2009 and has dedicated his life to working with families to address health issues through a multidisciplinary approach to wellness. Instead of focusing on what is wrong, Dr. Cade's philosophy is to build upon what is right. We had him on the show to discuss the use of CBD oil during pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Download Honey, the FREE browser add-on that finds you the best deals online and automatically applies the discounts to your cart at check out! Go to joinhoney.com/KWEENS and start saving today. --- In part two of our Ask Us Anything series, we continue answering questions submitted by our wonderful listeners. A few highlights include how we each got our businesses off the ground, helpful things to bring with you in your hospital birth bag, some tips for home birthers, and more details about how we find balance amidst the crazy schedule that comes with being a birth worker. Enjoy! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Level up your nutrition game with a superfood mix from Your Super! Use the code KWEENS at checkout for 15% off your order. --- Happy 100th episode, kweens! In part one of our "Ask Us Anything" series we’re answering listener-submitted questions about birth, being birth workers, and a few tidbits about our lives outside of work. Thanks for hanging out with us through 100 episodes! We love you!   --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.  

Nicole Morales, LM, CPM is a home birth midwife, Approved Spinning Babies Trainer, and Certified Birthing From Within Mentor from San Diego, CA. You may remember her from her episode 72 on breech birth. We invited her back to the show to talk with us about the childbirth prep method Birthing From Within. We hope you enjoy! Also, if you're located in San Diego and you're looking for a local BFW mentor, check out http://birthingfromwithinsandiego.com.   --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Sign up for a Fab Fit Fun box today! Enter code KWEENS for $10 off your first box! #FabFitFunPartner --- Andrea Pond is the guest of this episode and she’s here to talk about the births of her three kids, Watson, Maggie, and Nora. With her son Watson she’d planned to give birth at an out-of-hospital birth center but after going 24 hours with her water broken and no contractions, she transferred to a hospital where she eventually gave birth via cesarean. She shares about how she processed that experience and what she did to prepare for the birth of her second child, Maggie, which was an unmedicated VBAC in a birth center. For her third birth, Andrea planned another unmedicated VBAC,  but this time she delivered at home with Karly as her midwife. It was a longer and more challenging labor than her last one and the birth and postpartum involved some difficult and scary moments. Andrea shares very candidly about all of it and includes a fun surprise at the end of the episode! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!

In this episode we’re talking with Dr. Chris Norton, DC and Dr. Rafael Ramon, DC about chiropractic care for infants and children. Chris and Rafael are San Diego-based chiropractors and have been serving families via their practice, Acru Health, for over 5 years. They also have a podcast called Healthy Habits San Diego where they partner with local experts to empower and equip people to make healthier habits, which leads to healthier lifestyles. Here’s what you’ll hear about in this episode: How to identify whether a chiropractor has adequate training and experience working with infants and kids The importance of having a nervous system that functions optimally and how chiropractic adjustments aim to accomplish that The benefits and risks of chiropractic care for infants and kids A discussion about the safety of chiropractic for kids Click here to see the survey study about the benefits of chiropractic for infants Common conditions/health challenges in babies and kids that can be treated with chiropractic Click here to see the study about how birth impacts newborns’ nervous systems The best time to start a child in chiropractic care What the treatment plans and adjustments actually look like in their practice Well Adjusted Babies by Dr. Jennifer Barham-Floreani National Wellness Foundation --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Download Honey, the FREE browser add-on that finds you the best deals online and automatically applies the discounts to your cart at check out! Go to joinhoney.com/KWEENS and start saving today. --- In this episode we’re exploring the topic of informed consent in birth with midwife Ilana Stanger-Ross. Ilana is a Registered Midwife based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and the author of "A is for Advice (The Reassuring Kind): Wisdom for Pregnancy" (William Morrow, 2019). Originally from Brooklyn, she received a BA at Barnard College; an MA in Fiction at Temple University, where she held their University Fellowship; and a Bachelors in Midwifery from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Here’s an overview of what’s included in this episode: Ilana’s background and how she transitioned from being a writer in the US to a midwife in Canada What informed consent/choice means and how Ilana speaks about this aspect of care with her midwifery clients How being empowered and supported to make decisions for yourself and your baby throughout pregnancy often results in feeling more confident in yourself once your baby has arrived Ensuring that clients have informed consent even when they’re overwhelmed or experiencing decision fatigue The nuances of practicing informed consent throughout labor and birth when most people aren’t willing or able to have long conversations Some tips for birth workers and birthing people to ensure that informed consent/choice is being practiced --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the promo code KWEENS at checkout for 10% off during your first 3 months! --- In this episode we’re talking about the amazing PLACENTA! Here’s an overview of what we cover, including the various resources we refer to: The general structure and function of the placenta Great article with in-depth explanation of the structure of placenta, including how/when it develops, blood flow patterns, etc. When in pregnancy that the placenta develops Typical size and various shapes of placentas Info about the umbilical cord – size, length, insertion into the placenta, abnormalities, etc. Info about circumvallate placentas Info about circummarginate placentas A good visual aid to see the difference between normal, circumvallate, and circummarginate placentas Where the placenta can implant in to the uterus Article from Spinning Babies about how an anterior placenta may impact fetal position Delivery of the placenta – when, how, what it usually feels like, and what to do if there are issues with this part of the birth Article about the different approaches to managing the third stage of labor (aka the delivery of the placenta) Issues with the placenta, including placenta previa, placental abruption, retained placenta, and abnormalities of implantation (i.e. accreta, increta, percreta) Signs of placental aging and what you can do to keep yours healthy Article on placenta encapsulation from Evidence Based Birth --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!

Jess DeMaster is a wife and mother of two from San Diego, CA. She’s had two homebirths (both with our very own kween Karly!) and she came on the show to share about her experiences. On paper, both of her births were very similar – relatively straightforward home births – but her personal experience was quite different each time. Her first birth challenged her in ways she couldn’t have imagined, including a very prolonged pushing phase (7 hours!) and an extremely challenging postpartum period. Given her first experience, she prepared carefully for her second baby, focusing specifically on her bulletproof plan for a healing and restful postpartum period. We hope you enjoy Jess’ stories! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!

**CORRECTION** We shared some misinformation about Judaism in this episode and one of our listeners, Daci Goldin, was kind enough to point it out. (Thanks, kween!) She sent us an excellent write up explaining why the info we shared misrepresented the Jewish faith (specifically Orthodox Judaism) and what they actually believe and practice in regards to menstruation/bleeding. You can find her full write up linked at the top of the page for episode 93 on our website. --- In this episode, we’re joined by one of our favorite past guests, Monica Toombs (see ep 14 and ep 15 to listen to her birth stories and ep 74 to hear her talk about ancient birth rituals)! She put her research skills to use for us once again and put together a great episode about how periods have been managed through the ages. We cover blood week trends from ancient times through modern day, including factoids about when period products became commercially available and what the cultural/societal beliefs around menstruation were in different eras. For those who are interested, here’s the list of sources Monica used to put together this episode: https://www.knixteen.com/blogs/the-rag/the-history-of-periods https://helloclue.com/articles/culture/what-was-it-like-to-get-your-period-in-ancient-greece https://mistakinghistories.com/2017/04/15/menotoxin-when-menstruation-can-kill/ https://helloclue.com/articles/culture/how-did-menstruation-become-taboo https://allthatsinteresting.com/menstruation-history https://daily.jstor.org/the-secret-history-of-menstruation/ https://www.medicaldaily.com/menstrual-period-time-month-history-387252 https://www.totm.com/history-menstruation-5-interesting-facts/ https://www.littlethings.com/menstruation-throughout-history/ https://onthetudortrail.com/Blog/2015/02/10/the-lady-in-red-medieval-menstruation/ https://www.org/the-history-of-the-sanitary-pad/ https://www.bustle.com/articles/114490-the-average-age-women-got-their-first-period-throughout-history http://www.mum.org/index.html https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=http://www.medievalists.net/2017/05/look-make-menstruation-fertility-italian-renaissance-art/&httpsredir=1&article=1045&context=castheses https://youtu.be/x5ErtnIcrsw?list=PL_1K-ZpVNrGuxqOehni17cd0t4YacnqQj https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67UkBcseQlA&feature=youtu.be&list=PL_1K-ZpVNrGuxqOehni17cd0t4YacnqQj --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!

Robin Kaplan, M.Ed., IBCLC is a lactation consultant in San Diego, CA. She started the San Diego Breastfeeding Center in 2009 and is the author of a new book, Latch: A Handbook for Breastfeeding with Confidence at Every Stage. She recently launched an online course Breastfeeding for the Working Family (use code BIRTHKWEENS15 for $15 off). Here’s an overview of what’s covered in this episode: Some common mental, emotional, and logistical concerns of breastfeeding parents regarding going back to work How/when to prepare for going back to work while breastfeeding. (Click here to get Robin’s guide for going back to work) Why it’s important to make friends with your breast pump and considerations when getting yourself on a pumping schedule Introducing your baby to a bottle, and what to do if they’re having trouble taking one Video about baby led bottle feeding Some info about the legal protections for breastfeeding/pumping in America, including the websites Robin mentions, Break Time for Nursing Mothers and Supporting Nursing Moms at Work Click here to listen to Robin’s first interview with us about how to set yourself up for success with breastfeeding Click here to listen to Robin’s second interview about feeding a baby with tongue/lip ties Click here to buy Robin’s book! Click here to sign up for Robin’s new online course, Breastfeeding for the Working Family and use the code BIRTHKWEENS15 at checkout for $15 off. --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!

**TRIGGER WARNING: sexual abuse** Karli Haviland is a doula, wife, and mom from Arizona. She was generous enough to come on the show and share about how being a survivor of sexual abuse impacted her experiences giving birth. Karli opens up about how her first birth was unexpectedly triggering for her, the work she did after that experience to begin the healing process, and how she and her birth team approached her second labor to avoid re-traumatization. It’s an important and empowering story and we’re so grateful that Karli was willing to share it with us! Here’s a few resources Karli mentioned in her interview: Melissa Dohse of Cultivate Counseling - https://www.cultivatecounselingflagstaff.com/when-survivors-give-brith Info about the workshop When Survivors Give Birth -http://whensurvivorsgivebirth.net You can view the birth plan that Karli put together with the help of her therapist on our website. (*please note that this is Karli’s personal plan and not a list of suggestions/preferences for ALL survivors)   SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Sign up for a subscription with Ritual Vitamins today! Get your daily multivitamin or prenatal delivered right to your door by visiting Ritual.com/kweens. Use the code KWEENS for 10% off during your first 3 months! --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!

Dr. Jessica Drummond, DCN, CNS, PT, NBC-HWC, Founder of the Integrative Women’s Health Institute, is passionate about empowering women who struggle with chronic pelvic pain conditions and hormonal imbalances and supporting women’s health and wellness professionals globally. She has two decades of experience working with women using physical therapy and functional nutrition. In this episode, she shares some important information about endometriosis. Here’s what we discuss with her: What endometriosis is and what it does to the body Signs and symptoms of endometriosis The lifespan of endometriosis How common it is to have endometriosis and not know it Long-term consequences of endometriosis Causes How it’s diagnosed Various treatment options and their pros/cons Jessica’s approach to treatment and how it compares to a traditional western medicine approach --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Treat yourself to a beautiful piece of jewelry from Ana Luisa! Go to www.AnaLuisa.com/BirthKweens and enter code BIRTHKWEENS10 at checkout to get $10 off your order! --- 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 --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!