Transition to Parenthood

Adapting to life with a new baby presents many joys and challenges. Learn about the importance of self-care, relationship skills, tips for managing daily tasks and returning to work. [A transcript of this episode with links to resources is available at https://transitiontoparenthood.wordpress.com/for-parents/life-with-baby/.]

Offers a brief overview of key information – how to figure out what baby needs by observing their cues, how to meet those needs with feeding, diapering, dressing, and bathing, calming crying, and helping your baby to sleep well.

We’ll talk about all the choices you make in your maternity care, from choosing a care provider and birthplace and developing a birth plan to what happens if unexpected complications arise and you have to make choices about interventions you were hoping to avoid. [A transcript of the episode is available at https://transitiontoparenthood.wordpress.com/for-parents/options-for-maternity-care/choices-in-maternity-care/]

This episode covers second stage labor – the birth of a baby, third stage – the delivery of the placenta, and the first hour of baby’s life. Addresses when to push, how to push, and positions to aid labor progress. Talks about “the Golden Hour” of bonding with a new baby. [A full transcription of this […]

An overview of medications for labor pain and childbirth. Includes benefits and risks of nitrous oxide, IV opioids (narcotics) and epidurals. Plus labor support after epidural.

Continuous labor support, which can be provided by a partner or spouse, other family or friends, a professional doula or by medical caregivers has been shown to reduce interventions, improve outcomes, and improve satisfaction with the birth. This episode is all about how to provide effective labor support: by learning about childbirth, learning about what […]

Comfort techniques for labor include cognitive strategies (visualization, affirmations), pleasant distractions (massage, music, aromatherapy), counter-irritants, and body mechanics (movement and massage) which can help make labor pain less intense and less unpleasant.

An overview of the stages of labor, and how Relaxation, Rhythm and Ritual help for coping with labor pain.

I discuss the physiology of pain and ways that people who have been through birth  describe how contractions feel. Given all of the physical changes and challenges of labor, it’s not surprising it is painful for many people. The acronym P.A.I.N. can remind us that labor pain is Purposeful, Anticipated, Intermittent, and Normal. However, understanding […]

Podcast Episode 1: The most common question from people preparing for labor is ‘how will we handle the pain’? This episode provides an overview of all the tools that we can stock in a Toolbox for Coping with Labor Pain. It introduces both non-drug comfort techniques and pain medications, explores how the choice of pain […]