Podcasts about obstetric violence

Ep 150 Description:  “Pleasure is not a luxury. It is not a distraction. It is a human right. And reclaiming it—in childbirth, in healthcare, in life—is a path toward healing,  well-being, and activism.” —Debra Pascali Bonaro   Our bodies are intricate landscapes of sensation, where hormones dance, nerves communicate, and physiological responses intertwine in ways we're only beginning to understand. And these same pathways that create sexual pleasure are remarkably active during childbirth, challenging centuries of medical narratives that have reduced this transformative moment to a clinical, painful procedure.  This week, Debra discusses her landmark article, Orgasmic Birth: The Anatomy of Pleasure in Childbirth, published in Frontiers in Global Women's Health Journal, delving into the science of orgasmic birth, systemic obstetric violence, reproductive justice, hormonal landscapes of pleasure, the anatomy of childbirth, cultural narratives of pain, bodily autonomy, and the transformative potential of reclaiming women's birthing experiences. Don't miss this groundbreaking episode!  

Dr. Lorraine and Dr. Brie join HeHe to discuss the critical and often overlooked topic of obstetrical violence. In this eye-opening episode, they break down what obstetrical violence is, its impact on women globally, including psychological trauma and avoidable morbidity, and how it violates human rights. The discussion highlights the importance of informed consent, respectful maternity care, and midwifery as potential solutions. The duo also emphasizes the need for systemic changes within the healthcare system to prevent obstetrical violence and improve maternal outcomes. Tune in to learn about practical steps women can take to avoid birth trauma and the crucial role of midwifery in transforming maternity care.   Understanding Obstetrical Violence Examples and Impact of Obstetrical Violence Legal Recourse and Advocacy The Iceberg Analogy and Measurement Tools Respectful Maternity Care and Systemic Issues Transparency and Hospital Reporting Midwifery Care and Trauma Prevention Systemic Obstacles and Solutions Navigating the Complexities of U.S. Healthcare Challenges Faced by Healthcare Providers The Impact of Insurance on Birth Choices Midwifery Care and Its Benefits Policy and Systemic Barriers The Role of Consumer Advocacy Future Directions and Solutions Connecting and Collaborating for Change Guest Bio: Lorraine M. Garcia, PhD, WHNP-BC, CNM does research on the problem of obstetric violence in the US maternity care system and the public health and ethical duties to implement solutions. She also works as a Certified Nurse Midwife with experience in home birth, birth center, and hospital-based care. Lorraine is a reproductive justice advocate and frames most of her research with critical lenses from healthcare systems science, structural and organizational theories, and social justice in nursing. Her perspective on the systemic, normalized abuse and mistreatment of childbearing people is aligned with advocacy workers, interdisciplinary scientists, and all interested and affected parties working to end obstetric violence and achieve birth equity.   Dr. Brie Thumm is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado College of Nursing. She has been practicing midwifery domestically and internationally since 2001 when she completed her Masters in the Science of Nursing at Yale University. She obtained her MBA in Healthcare Administration at Baruch College in New York City and her PhD in health systems research at University of Colorado College of Nursing. Her area of research is perinatal workforce development to address disparities in maternal health outcomes and improve the well-being of health care professionals. Prior to her current position, Brie provided care at Planned Parenthood of New York City, served as the Assistant Director of the Sexual Assault Response Team for the Manhattan public hospitals, conducted mental and behavioral health research at the Rocky Mountain Regional Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, and led the clinical and research arms of the Maternal Mortality Prevention Program at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. She continues to practice clinically at Denver Health. SOCIAL MEDIA: Connect with HeHe on IG    Connect with Lorraine on IG  Connect with Lorraine on LinkedIn   BIRTH EDUCATION: Join The Birth Lounge here for judgment-free childbirth education that prepares you for an informed birth and how to confidently navigate hospital policy to have a trauma-free labor experience!   Download The Birth Lounge App for birth & postpartum prep delivered straight to your phone!   LINKS: Lorraine's website: https://www.makingbirthbettertogether.com/ Lorraine's Online Store:https://makingbirthbetterstore.com/ Use code    References: Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. (2022). Respectful maternity care framework and evidence-based clinical practice guideline. Nursing for Women's Health, 26(2), S1−S52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nwh.2022.01.001 Beck, C. T. (2018). A secondary analysis of mistreatment of women during childbirth in healthcare facilities. Journal of Obstetric Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing, 47(1), 94−104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2016.08.015    Borges, M. T. (2018). A violent birth: Reframing coerced procedures during childbirth as obstetric violence. Duke Law Journal, 67(4), 827−862.    Carlson, N. S., Neal, J. L., Tilden, E. L., Smith, D. C., Breman, R. B., Lowe, N. K., Dietrich, M. S., & Phillippi, J. C. (2019). Influence of midwifery presence in United States centers on labor care and outcomes of low-risk parous women: A Consortium on Safe Labor study. Birth, 46(3), 487-499. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12405    Chadwick, R. (2021). The dangers of minimizing obstetric violence. Violence Against Women, 29(9), 1899−1908. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012211037379    Cohen Shabot, S. (2021). Why ‘normal' feels so bad: Violence and vaginal examinations during labour: A (feminist) phenomenology. Feminist Theory, 22(3), 443−463. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464700120920764   Cooper Owens, D. (2017). Medical bondage: Race, gender, and the oigins of American gynecology. University of Georgia Press.    Crear-Perry, J., Correa-de-Araujo, R., Lewis Johnson, T., McLemore, M. R., Neilson, E., & Wallace, M. (2021). Social and structural determinants of health inequities in maternal health. Journal of Women's Health, 30(2), 230−235. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2020.8882    Davis, D. A., Casper, M. J., Hammonds, E. & Post, W. (2024). The continued significance of obstetric violence: A response to Chervenak, McLeod-Sordjan, Pollet et al. Health Equity, 8, 513-518. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/heq.2024.0093   Davis, D. A. (2019). Obstetric racism: The racial politics of pregnancy, labor, and birthing. Medical Anthropology, 38(7), 560-573. https://doi.org/10.1080/01459740.2018.1549389 Garcia, L. M. (2020). A concept analysis of obstetric violence in the United States of America. Nursing Forum, 55(4), 654−663. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12482    Garcia, L. M. (2021). Theory analysis of social justice in nursing: Applications to obstetric violence research. Nursing Ethics, 28(7−8). https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733021999767   Garcia L. M. (2023). Obstetric violence in the United States and other high-income countries: An integrative review. Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 31(1), 2322194. https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2024.2322194   Garcia, L. M., Jones, J., Scandlyn, J., Thumm, E. B., & Shabot, S. C. (2024). The meaning of obstetric violence experiences: A qualitative content analysis of the Break the Silence campaign. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 160, 104911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2024.104911   Hardeman, R. R., Karbeah, J., Almanza, J., & Kozhimannil, K. B. (2020). Roots Community Birth Center: A culturally-centered care model for improving value and equity in childbirth. Healthcare, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hjdsi.2019.100367    Howell, E. A., & Zeitlin, J. (2017). Improving hospital quality to reduce disparities in severe maternal morbidity and mortality. Seminars in Perinatology, 41(5), 266−272. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semperi.2017.04.002    Jolivet, R. R., Gausman, J., Kapoor, N., Langer, A., Sharma, J., & Semrau, K. E. A. (2021). Operationalizing respectful maternity care at the healthcare provider level: A systematic scoping review. Reproductive Health, 18(1), 194. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-021-01241-5   Julian, Z., Robles, D., Whetstone, S., Perritt, J. B., Jackson, A. V., Hardeman, R. R., & Scott, K. A. (2020). Community-informed models of perinatal and reproductive health services provision: A justice-centered paradigm toward equity among Black birthing communities. Seminars in Perinatology, 44(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semperi.2020.151267   Logan, R. G., McLemore, M. R., Julian, Z., Stoll, K., Malhotra, N., GVtM Steering Council, & Vedam, S. (2022). Coercion and non-consent during birth and newborn care in the United States. Birth (Berkeley, Calif.), 49(4), 749–762. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12641   Margulis, J. (2013). The business of baby. Scribner.    Mena-Tudela, D., González-Chordá, V. M., Soriano-Vidal, F. J., Bonanad-Carrasco, T., Centeno-Rico, L., Vila-Candel, R., Castro-Sánchez, E., & Cervera Gasch, Á. (2020). Changes in health sciences students' perception of obstetric violence after an educational intervention. Nurse Education Today, 88, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104364   Morton, C. H., & Simkin, P. (2019). Can respectful maternity care save and improve lives?. Birth (Berkeley, Calif.), 46(3), 391–395. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12444   Neal, J. L., Carlson, N. S., Phillippi, J. C., Tilden, E. L., Smith, D. C., Breman, R. B., Dietrich, M. S., & Lowe, N. K. (2019). Midwifery presence in United States medical centers and labor care and birth outcomes among low-risk nulliparous women: A Consortium on Safe Labor study. Birth (Berkeley, Calif.), 46(3), 475–486. https://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12407   Nelson, H. O. (2022). Conflicted care: Doctors navigating patient welfare, finances, and legal risk. Stanford University Press.    Niles, P. M., Baumont, M., Malhotra, N., Stoll, K., Strauss, N., Lyndon, A., & Vedam, S. (2023). Examining respect, autonomy, and mistreatment in childbirth in the U.S.: Do provider type and place of birth matter? Reproductive Health, 20(1), 67. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-023-01584-1    Oparah, J. C., Arega, H., Hudson, D., Jones, L., & Oseguera, T. (2018). Battling over birth: Black women and the maternal health care crisis. Praeclarus Press.    Salter, C., Wint, K., Burke, J., Chang, J. C., Documet, P., Kaselitz, E., & Mendez, D. (2023). Overlap between birth trauma and mistreatment: A qualitative analysis exploring American clinician perspectives on patient birth experiences. Reproductive Health, 20(1), 63. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-023-01604-0    Scott, K. A., Britton, L., & McLemore, M. R. (2019). The ethics of perinatal care for Black women: Dismantling the structural racism in "Mother Blame" narratives. The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, 33(2), 108–115. https://doi.org/10.1097/JPN.0000000000000394   Smith, D. C., Phillippi, J. C., Lowe, N. K., Breman, R. B., Carlson, N. S., Neal, J. L., Gutierrez, E., & Tilden, E. L. (2020). Using the Robson 10-group classification system to compare cesarean birth utilization between US centers with and without midwives. J Midwifery Womens Health, 65(1), 10-21. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13035    Smith, S., Redmond, M., Stites, S., Sims, J., Ramaswamy, M., & Kelly, P. J. (2023). Creating an agenda for Black birth equity: Black voices matter. Health Equity, 7(1), 185−191. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2021.0156    Thumm, E. B., & Flynn, L. (2018). The five attributes of a supportive midwifery practice climate: A review of the literature. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 63(1), 90−103. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12707    Thumm, E. B., & Meek, P. (2020). Development and initial psychometric testing of the Midwifery Practice Climate Scale. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 65(5), 643−650. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13142    Thumm, E. B., Shaffer, J., & Meek, P. (2020). Development and initial psychometric testing of the Midwifery Practice Climate Scale: Part 2. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 65(5), 651−659. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13160  Thumm, E. B., Smith, D. C., Squires, A. P., Breedlove, G., & Meek, P. M. (2022). Burnout of the U.S. midwifery workforce and the role of practice environment. Health Services Research, 57(2), 351−363. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13922    Williams, C. R., & Meier, B. M. (2019). Ending the abuse: The human rights implications of obstetric violence and the promise of rights-based policy to realise respectful maternity care. Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2019.1691899    Yarrow, A. (2023). Birth control: The insidious power of men over motherhood. Seal Press.    Zhuang, J., Goldbort, J., Bogdan-Lovis, E., Bresnahan, M., & Shareef, S. (2023). Black mothers' birthing experiences: In search of birthing justice. Ethnicity and Health, 28(1), 46−60. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2022.2027885  

Series One: Birth Trauma Episode Three: Maternity experiences, birth trauma and the BESt study with Dr Hazel Keedle In this episode we chat with the awesome Dr Hazel Keedle. We dive deep into the background of and findings from The Birth Experience Study (BESt) and how it has contributed to and informed The NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma. Dr Hazel Keedle is a Senior Lecturer of Midwifery and Director of Academic Midwifery Programs at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University. Hazel has experience as a clinician in nursing and midwifery, she's also an educator, and a researcher. Her research interests are vaginal birth after caesarean, birth trauma, and maternity experiences, which she explores primarily using feminist mixed methodologies. Dr Keedle is the author of the book "Birth after Caesarean: Your Journey to a Better Birth," which is based on her PhD findings. Dr. Keedle is also the lead researcher on the largest Australian maternity experiences survey, The Birth Experience Study (BESt) and the BESt International Collaboration. Here are the papers discussed: Pelak, H., Dahlen, H.G. & Keedle, H. A content analysis of women's experiences of different models of maternity care: the Birth Experience Study (BESt). BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 23, 864 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-06130-2 Keedle, H. & Dahlen, H. G. (2023). Incorporating co-design principles and social media strategies to enhance cross-sectional online survey participation: The Birth Experience Study. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 00, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12945 Keedle, H., Lockwood, R., Keedle, W., Susic, D., & Dahlen, H. G. (2023). What women want if they were to have another baby: the Australian Birth Experience Study (BESt) cross-sectional national survey. BMJ open, 13(9), e071582. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-071582 Keedle, H., Keedle, W., & Dahlen, H. G. (2022). Dehumanized, Violated, and Powerless: An Australian Survey of Women's Experiences of Obstetric Violence in the Past 5 Years. Violence Against Women, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012221140138 Keedle, H., & Willo, P. (2022). A Poetic Inquiry of Traumatic Birth Through Bearing Witness. Qualitative Inquiry, 28(8-9), 938-945. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004221093424 Links Dr Hazel KeedleInstagram: www.instagram.com/hazelkeedleInstagram: www.instagram.com/hazelkeedlevbacresearcherTwitter: @HazelKeedle Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld JerushaWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography JoWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.

From her iconic role as Ashley Banks in "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" to her advocacy work supporting maternal health through her baby quilt company, Baby Yams, the multi-talented Tatyana Ali shares her journey as a child star, activist, and entrepreneur. Get ready for laughs, insights, and a trip down memory lane with one of the most beloved stars of the '90s. Plus, we celebrate Josephine Michalak, the world record holder for most units of blood donated in a lifetime.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In recent decades, the international community has sought to address the particular harms that women and girls experience in war. International law now punishes sexual violence in armed conflict. And there's the Women, Peace and Security agenda, which the U.N. Security Council launched in 2000 with Resolution 1325. That requires member States to consider impacts of conflict based on gender and to involve women more in all aspects of conflict prevention, management, and resolution. But while some harms rightly receive coverage and draw condemnation, other forms of violence are overlooked.  In November 2023, the World Heath Organization estimated that there were 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza. Since the October 7th  Hamas terrorist attack, it is estimated that nearly 20,000 babies have been born into the humanitarian catastrophe that has unfolded in the Gaza strip.Around the world – from Ukraine to Sudan to Gaza – violence experienced by pregnant civilians, women giving birth, nursing women, and women struggling to survive in the period after childbirth remains entirely at the sidelines of global political conversations. Joining the show to discuss what experts call “obstetric harms” faced by women and girls in armed conflict and the obligations of combatants in the face of these risks, is Fionnuala Ní Aoláin. Fionnuala is the former U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism, and a law professor at the University of Minnesota and at Queen's University School of Law in Belfast, Northern Ireland. We're honored to have her as an Executive Editor at Just Security. Show Notes: Fionnuala Ní Aoláin (@NiAolainF)Viola Gienger (@ViolaGienger)Paras Shah (@pshah518) Fionnuala's Just Security article “A Zone of Silence: Obstetric Violence in Gaza and Beyond”Just Security's International Humanitarian Law (IHL) coverageJust Security's Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) coverageJust Security's U.N. Security Council coverageMusic: “The Parade” by “Hey Pluto!” from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/hey-pluto/the-parade (License code: 36B6ODD7Y6ODZ3BX)Music: “Broken” by David Bullard from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/david-bullard/broken (License code: OSC7K3LCPSGXISVI)

You would be hard pressed to find a birthworker who does not have an experience with a hostile provider. And there's perhaps no better professional in the birth world to understand how to work with hostile providers than L&D nurses! Sarah Lavonne is the pioneering founder & CEO of Bundle Birth, A Nursing Corporation. This episode was one of my favorites to record because I've been a fan girl of Sarah Lavonne for several years. Listen to hear a unique and nuanced perspective on the topic of difficult interactions with healthcare providers! With a passion for uniting patients, support persons, and medical personnel through education and support, Sarah fearlessly developed a community of learning and inspiration across labor and delivery. As a former floor nurse, peer mentor, and childbirth educator, and assistant nurse manager, Sarah Lavonne, RNC-OB, ICCE, CLEC,has dedicated herself to empowering nurses to provide unconventional care that changes the world. Through a 12-month mentorship program, various classes and workshops, and a thriving social media presence, Sarah has built a community of passionate, patient-centered nurses who become leaders in the field. Sarah believes her curiosity, resourcefulness and passion are some of her greatest strengths. When not at work, Sarah enjoys music events, new adventures and learning, and frequent visits to her family in Ecuador. Follow Sarah's work at https://www.bundlebirth.com/.

In this episode, we have returning super start guest Hazel Keedle, and we discuss obstetric violence and birth trauma. In this episode, we discuss: What is obstetric violence What it means How to identify it and what to do We also discuss the NSW Birth Inquiry What is it What do you hope to achieve with this inquiry What did women say Please be mindful that this episode discusses traumatic experiences of women and maybe triggering or disturbing. Ashley x More from Ashley: Free VBAC Training: Don't miss the VBAC Workshop in February 2024, packed with valuable insights and knowledge, VBAC myth-busting, and answering all of your VBAC questions. Click here to register Insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ashleylwinning⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠www.ashleywinning.com⁠ Join our VBAC Homebirth Support ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Group here ⁠⁠

Despite awareness and accountability of obstetric violence having grown over the last decades, mistreatment remains pervasive in maternity care. And being witnesses to obstetrical violence can certainly burn doulas out! Dr. Hillary Melchiors is paying attention, and has insights and solutions that will help doulas navigate OB violence and sustain themselves through their careers.   Hillary is a DONA certified birth doula and a Lamaze certified childbirth educator who has lived in the tri-state area since 2012. She also has a PhD in Medical Anthropology and a Master's degree in Public Health. She loves working with all types of families to help them have their best birth experience, no matter what their preferences are, and teaching families all of their options. Since founding the Doula Group of Evansville in 2014, Hillary has had a wide variety of professional experiences both as a doula and anthropologist, including being invited to speak about doulas and cultural barriers to breastfeeding at The Women's Hospital in Evansville. In her free time, she enjoys being with her partner Andrew and her two daughters Annika and Mayzie. Find Hillary on her personal website https://hillarymelchiors.com/.  You can follow her doula agency on Instagram @doulagroupofevansville. 

Episode 18 is from Jess in NSW who shares her homebirth after (traumatic) c-section (HBAC) story. An incredible story, with unfortunately a lot of drama, including problems getting a referral to a private midwife, issues around the GTT and GDM & then shockingly, after needing to transfer to hospital after Jacob was born, was treated horribly in hospital & was denied seeing or holding freshly newborn Jacob face-to-face for THREE days because of totally unaccetable reasoning surrounding Jess having COVID-19. Homebirth story begins approx 28:50Links to people/business/resources for this episode:Calmbirth https://calmbirth.com.au/Obstetric Violence & Sexual Assault in Maternity Care "Obstetric violence often focuses on labor and childbirth even when referring to maternity care, which includes pregnancy, given that these are moments in which women are particularly vulnerable to health care abuse and over-medicalization, or non-medically justified obstetric interventions, e.g., episiotomy and caesarean section. Other important components of obstetric violence are dehumanization and non-consensual care, as well as overall conversion of biological processes into pathological ones."https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10778012221140138https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/newscentre/news_centre/more_news_stories/study_finds_one-in-ten_australian_women_have_experienced_obstetric_violencePostnatal anxiety https://panda.org.au/articles/postnatal-anxiety-signs-and-symptoms/Birth Debrief with Core & Floor Restore https://coreandfloor.com.au/products/birth-debriefBirth Time Doco  https://www.birthtime.world/The Unbelievable Tactics of teh Formula Industry on The Midwives Cauldron https://open.spotify.com/episode/3BsQomw00EvZ5NWfYPTbEA?si=9258a8e558ec4e15CHAPTERS: 01:00Jess's traumatic first birth experience02:25Jess's home birth after caesarean story08:11Jess's experience with gestational diabetes14:49Jess's caesarean birth experience20:30Decision to have a home birth33:36Options for home birth43:36Difficulties with GP and referral45:28Care with private midwife48:17Preparing for birth and moving houses49:40Midwife's Holiday and Breach Position51:14Turning the Baby53:03Miscarriage and ECV56:14COVID Diagnosis58:08Collaborative Care and Home Preparation01:00:32Onset of Labor01:04:57Pushing and Birth01:09:40Baby's Breathing Difficulties01:13:00Separation and NICU01:21:39Postpartum and Frustrations01:28:17Reflection and Future Birth PlansSupport the show

In this episode, Lindsay discusses the age-old debate of hospital birth versus home birth. She emphasizes that this debate is unnecessary and unproductive, as the two options are fundamentally different and cannot be compared. Lindsay shares her own experience of choosing a home birth and the negative reactions she received from others. She highlights the fear and ignorance that often surround the topic of home birth and explains the importance of understanding mammalian biology in making informed birth choices.Key Takeaways:1. Hospital birth and home birth are fundamentally different and cannot be compared.2. Fear and ignorance often drive the debate between hospital birth and home birth.3. The least amount of risk is associated with mammalian birth, which occurs naturally at home.4. It is important to choose the birth environment where you feel safe and comfortable.Quotes:"Humans forget that we are mammals and are designed to birth like mammals." "The disruption is the risk in birth.""Choose the birth environment where you feel the most safe and comfortable." Questions?Looking for further support during pregnancy?Reach out at join@birthlikeamammal.com for birth support and other resources. Find us on: Website Instagram TikTok Music Credit: Snow Path by Vlad Gluschenko | https://soundcloud.com/vgl9Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_USEdited by: Stefanie Wenninger | Pine Peak Productions

Hannah joins us on this week's Listener Series episode to share her story. Hannah shares her journey to motherhood which began with a miscarriage that deeply impacted her experience of pregnancy and birth moving forward. Hannah then experienced a complicated subsequent pregnancy with her son that included hyperemesis gravidarum and preeclampsia.  Hannah vulnerably shares her experience of obstetric violence and the impact it had on her experience of the birth of her son, as well as how she coped in postpartum.  Things you will hear on this episode:- Hyperemisis Gravidarum- switching providers- obstetric violence, assault by a provider- Preeclampsia diagnosis- hemorrhaging after delivery- holding providers accountable- Hannah's recovery process and her healing journey after her birth trauma- navigating memory loss and PTSD - the comparison of traumaIf you have a birth trauma story you would like to share with us, click this link and fill out the form For more birth trauma content and a community full of love and support, head to my Instagram at @birthtrauma_mama.Learn more about the support and services I offer through The Birth Trauma Mama Therapy & Support Services.

On today's podcast, I talk with Tania Silva Meléndez  and Tamara Trinidad González, CPM, birth workers and Evidence Based Birth® Instructors about giving birth and midwifery care in Puerto Rico.   Tania Silva Meléndez  is a certified birth, postpartum, and abortion doula serving families in Puerto Rico since 2009. She's also a certified childbirth educator and breastfeeding/chestfeeding educator and counselor. She is the general coordinator of the team of Caderamen, a nonprofit community-based organization that works towards reducing inequalities in reproductive care, and she also supports Alimentación Segura Infantil, a community-based organization born after the impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 to support breastfeeding and chestfeeding families in their lactation journeys, help them relactate their children when needed. Tania is also a human rights activist and advocate in her community and part of the Observatorio de Violencia Obstétrica in Puerto Rico and Las Mingas de Aborto, an abortion doula collective that offers free support in Puerto Rico.   Tamara Trinidad González, CPM, is a community parteira/midwife, perinatal educator and herbalist born and raised in Puerto Rico. Tamara is a mother of two children who were born at home with midwives and has been actively involved in birth work for 10 years. She holds a Master of Science in midwifery with foundations in botanical medicine from Bastyr University and is a certified professional midwife. Her midwifery and herbal practice is called Semilla Creciente, Midwifery & Herbalism.   In this episode, Tania and Tamara have a very candid conversation about the realities of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care in Puerto Rico. They speak to how Puerto Rico's birth landscape has been negatively impacted by the island's history of colonialism, economic crisis', environmental changes, and changes in political power. This has culminated in a system with far too few midwives and obstetricians, as well as high surgical birth rates, low VBAC rates, high prematurity rates, and more. Both Tania and Tamara educate our listeners on these issues but also raise awareness to the community organizations who have the trust of the pregnant and postpartum families they serve and the work being done to better support the families of Puerto Rico.   If you are interested in joining with Tania and Tamara and volunteering your time or skills to help them reform the maternal health system in Puerto Rico, they are currently looking for volunteers with experience in law, public relations, funding, data collection, research, and writing. OR if you have resources, or access to connections that could help fund their work, please email puertoricobirthrights@gmail.com.     Resources: Read about the history of Puerto Rico: ·  How to hide an empire by Daniel Immerwahr ·  Puerto Rico: What everyone needs to know by Jorge Duany   · Learn more about Caderamen, a nonprofit organization that has a service program that is called SePARE, which offers education and doula services, midwifery services and naturopathic medicine services, social workers, mental health by clicking here. · Learn more about the Asociación de Parteras of Puerto Rico here. · Learn more about Alimentación Segura Infantil, a community-based organization born after the impacts of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 to support breastfeeding and chestfeeding families in their lactation journeys by clicking here.  · Learn more about Observatorio de Violencia Obstétrica in Puerto Rico here. · Learn more about Las Mingas de Aborto, an abortion doula collective that offers free support in Puerto Rico here.    Check out the work by Puerto Rican journalist Biana Graulau here: https://www.youtube.com/@BiancaGraulau/videos   If you would like to read a transcript of this episode in Spanish, please visit the blog post here or you can watch the captions in Spanish on YouTube.   For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on:  TikTok Instagram Pinterest Want to get involved at EBB?  Check out our Professional Membership (including scholarship options) here  Find an EBB Instructor here  Click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class

Hosted and produced by Kathryn MacKay Guest: Corinne Berzon, Bar Ilan University, and Sara Cohen Shabot, University of Haifa Paper: 'Obstetric Violence and Vulnerability: A Bioethical Approach,' IJFAB: International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics 16:1, Spring 2023, pp. 52-76 Transcript: provided by Otter.ai Music: The City Sleeps by Death by Ginger

You work so hard & we really want you to rest. In this episode, Sarah and Justine talk about the 7 types of rest and how they score in each area.The 7 types of rest are: 1. Psychical 2. Mental3. Social 4. Spiritual 5. Sensory6. Emotional 7. Creative   To take the test they took click here.

Here at Bundle Birth, we love a good movement, a call to action if you will. In this episode, Sarah and Justine discuss their new call to action for YOU at the bedside. We are starting a change project, which includes you. Listen to hear the details and let us know if you are committing with us! 

On this episode of the Evidence Base Birth® Podcast, we talk with Barbie Christianson, RN all about fundal massage. We discuss what the evidence actually says about this routine procedure versus what happens in everyday practice, and why this practice continues to persist in routine preventative care.   Barbie Christianson is a nurse, community educator and advocate, as well as a parent of four young children. Their mission is to communally dismantle oppressive structures specifically in reproductive/perinatal healthcare while contributing to the expansion of existing Black and/or Indigenous led community-based care structures. Barbie's special focus is on addressing and eliminating obstetric violence using trauma informed perinatal advocacy, care, and education.   Barbie shares her passion and skills in trauma informed care with our audience by sharing useful scripts for obtaining informed consent, explaining how to guide patients in their own assessments and massage, and offers many ways to maintain a calm and compassionate nature to a procedure known as the “devil's massage.” Content Warnings: Uterine/fundal massage, obstetric violence and assault, pospartum hemorrgage    Resources: Learn more about active management in the thrid stage of labor in our Signature Article: The Evidence on Pitocin During the Thrird Stage of Labor here Follow the BadAssMotherBirther in Instagram here Go to our YouTube channel to see video versions of the episode listed above!! For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on:  TikTok Instagram Pinterest Ready to get involved?  Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) here  Find an EBB Instructor here  Click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.  

We have the change master herself, Mykel LeCheminant, with us on this episode. She is a powerhouse and change consultant in labor and delivery and nursing. Learn how to start a change project while she coaches Justine through a project she wants to start on her unit. Learn where to start, who to talk to, and the steps to making change. If you want more from Mykel, click here to learn from her in depth on this subject. 

Nelia was assaulted during her first birth experience at her local hospital. Stories like hers are tough to hear, but unfortunately, common.  What is uncommon is that she understood immediately what happened to her was wrong, and  sought legal counsel to get justice and to heal. The second time she gave birth, she took back her power in a massive way.   We mention @birthmonopoly as a great resource for anyone who has experienced obstetric violence. You can find the map of obstetric violence, read other survivor's stories, and other resources here:   https://birthmonopoly.com/obstetric-violence/   Follow Nelia @neliathedoula   www.neliathedoula.com   If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, I'd love to hear from you! Send me a note via the contact page at www.healingbirth.net.   Be sure to follow us on IG! @healingbirth   If you love the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon! www.patreon/healingbirth

We have Jen Atkission, MSN, CNL (Clinical Nurse Leader), RNC-OB, AWHONN Instructor, & sparkle Queen. Jen Atkisson is a labor and delivery nurse from Portland, OR. She has practiced in hospitals, birth centers and public health clinics for the past 15 years, supporting thousands of patients as they move through the birth process. Jen is also an expert witness in birth injury litigation and has reviewed hundreds of cases and is admitted to testify in over 30 states and in federal court. She believes in the power of trauma-aware legal education to bring joy back into our professional lives and allow us to have the meaningful patient relationships we all went into birthwork to have which is how she came to create her courses "Reasonable & Prudent: Worry and Lawsuit Proofing Your Practice" and "Documentaton Domination for Perinatal Nurses"She joins us to talk about how labor nurses can change their mindset on being sued and protect their license while being in Labor & Delivery.You can find Jen online at her website or instagram. Use BBN20 for 20% off classes from Jen!

Preceptorship in labor and delivery is suffering. Many preceptors and preceptees are suffering, and we want to talk about it. In this episode, Sarah and Justine will talk about what the learner (the preceptee) can bring to the table to make the most out of their experience  while learning how to become a labor and delivery nurse. 

Did you know that one-third of birth workers have trauma from births they have been a part of? In this episode, Justine and Krysta talk about what trauma is, what birth trauma could look like, and what steps can be taken to heal from the trauma that you may have faced. Healing Trauma in the Birth Professional Birth Trauma Prevention Level 1Birth Trauma Prevention Level 2Critical Incident Support Program

In today's podcast, we talk with Laurisa Paul, a Registered Nurse, EBB Pro Member and founder of Girls Who Know® about her journey towards teaching girls what they need to know and respect about their bodies.   Laurisa was the winner of our EBB Pro Member September Circle Community challenge, where she won the opportunity to have her work featured on the podcast. I am excited to share my conversation with Laurisa where she talks about her passion for helping others love themselves fully and feel their inherent worth and power. Laurisa resides in Texas where she is a mother of five and an outdoor adventurer. Medically trained, Laurisa stumbled across home birth when she was actively seeking to improve her own birth experiences and since then she has worked as a midwife assistant.   Laurisa is a mother of five, a writer, a Registered Nurse, home-birther and midwife advocate. She has a deep passion for diversity and a profound respect for people and their story. She is a lover of outdoor adventure and dreams of being a world traveler and story catcher.    In this episode, she discusses her own journey to motherhood and the experiences from her five births, ranging from high intervention births in a hospital to unmedicated and low intervention homebirths. Each experience shaped who she has become as a mother and as a nurse catapulting Laurisa into her passion of working with the next generation and educating high school students about the physiology of birth, not just how to prevent pregnancy. Laurisa is the founder of the organization Girls Who Know, which inspires girls to love who they are and to know and respect their bodies. Girls Who Know prepares girls with what they need to know to make courageous, informed decisions for their lives.   Content Warning: use of forceps & vacuum, episiotomy, forced to push on back, obstetric violence, trauma, suffering, postpartum hemorrhage, gendered language, discussion of a fatal motor vehicle crash Resources:  Check out Laurisa's organization Girls Who Know® here  Follow Laurisa on social media via Instagram here and her Facebook here  Go to our YouTube channel to see video versions of the episode listed above!! For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on:  TikTok Instagram Pinterest Ready to get involved?  Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) here  Find an EBB Instructor here  Click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.

In this episode, Sarah shares a recent client's story and how she realized most people want the same thing when it comes to their birth.  She will share the easy interventions we can use to decrease trauma, anxiety, and fear that can surround birth. Listening to MothersWhat matters to women during childbirth: A systematic qualitative reviewInformation and power: Women of color's experiences interacting with health care providers in pregnancy and birth

Today's episode is a bit of a heavy one. Dr Renee White is chatting with Dr Hazel Keedle about her 2022 publication detailing the obstetric violence experiences of women in Australia. Three key features came out of the study, the feeling of being dehumanized, violated and powerless. Listen in to hear more about how Dr Keedle devised and analysed the study and what the next steps are in her research. Dr Hazel Keedle, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer of Midwifery at The School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University. Hazel has more than two decades of experience as a clinician in nursing and midwifery, educator and researcher. Hazel's research interests are vaginal birth after caesarean, birth trauma and maternity experiences explored primarily using feminist mixed methodologies. Hazel's work is recognised nationally and internationally, with many invited conference and seminar presentations including, academic publications and a book for women based on her PhD findings ‘Birth after Caesarean: Your Journey to a Better Birth'. Hazel is the lead researcher on the largest maternity experiences survey, The Birth Experience Study.Read the study on Obstetric ViolenceLearn more about Dr Hazel KeedleBuy Dr Hazel Keedle's Book: Birth After CaesareanIf this topic is triggering for you and need to reach out to someone, you can call Lifeline: 131114PANDA: 1300 726 306Learn more about Dr Renee White and Fill Your Cup Postpartum Doulas:Want to be nurtured and nourished after the birth of your baby, have a peek at our doula offerings.If you want to gobble up our famous Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies, look no further.

On this episode Mel and B welcome Dr Hazel Keedle (@hazelkeedle) and Amber-Lee Buendicho (@powerofbirth) to discuss the new research around Obstetric violence, Birth Trauma and healing strategies. If you need help with Trauma recovery you may consider connecting with: https://panda.org.au/articles/childbirth-trauma-and-recovery/ https://www.cope.org.au/preparing-for-birth/things-dont-go-plan/recovering-from-a-traumatic-birth/ If you are interested in B's up coming birth debrief training you can reach out to her @coreandfloorrestore or through her website https://coreandfloor.com.au/ To join the mailing list for this podcast go to www.melaniethemidwife.com and you'll get all the resources from this, and all previous episodes Disclaimer: The information and resources provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice. Instead, all information provided is intended for education, with it's application intended for discussion between yourself and your care provider and/or workplace if you are a health professional. The Great Birth Rebellion podcast reserves the right to supplement, edit, change, delete any information at any time. Whilst we have tried to maintain accuracy and completeness of information, we do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or currency of the information. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss, damage or unfavourable outcomes howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content. This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

7:15: Excerpt from the Women's Rights at Work Conference: Hyeseon Jeong from the Migrant Workers Centre. This audio was first played on Stick Together.7:30: Dr Sonia Srinivasan about the lack of services and information provided to people seeking abortion services and advice in the public system.7:45: Excerpt from the Women's Rights at Work Conference: Jamad Hersi from the Women of Colour Network. This audio was first played on Stick Together.8:00: Jo Terry, Naarm based midwife and childbirth educator, on the impact of midwife shortages, obstetric violence and medical intervention on birthing people. Follow her on Instagram @melbournemidwife_ or check out her website for more info.8:15: Ruiko Muto from KOREUMI at the "Don't Contaminate the Oceans with Radioactivity!" International Forum webcast via Zoom on 17th December 2022SongsThe Opener - Camp CopeBeing Human - Jen Cloher

Obstetric violence often goes unnoticed and under-reported despite its pervasiveness. It refers to rights violations and abuses experienced by pregnant women and birthing people while accessing healthcare during pregnancy, labour, childbirth and in the postpartum period.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Civil Society Welcomes Inclusion of Obstetric Violence at Presidential Summit on GBVF by Radio Islam

Guest: Dr Jess Rucell is a gender expert at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies The Women's Legal Centre and SECTION27 welcome the inclusion of obstetric violence at the Presidential Summit on GBVF. Dr Jess Rucell joins John to explain the reasons that Feminists have long been lobbying for obstetric violence to be recognized as a form of gender-based violence.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Betsy's induced labor was long, painful, and extremely traumatic. At many point during her labor, she asked the doctors to give her a c-section, but they refused. After 12 hours in excruciating pain, the doctors finally decided that Betsy needed to have a c-section. Betsy's birth story may have happened 38 years ago, but it is still relevant today. Her doctors ignored her requests, the trauma from the birth left her feeling conflicted, and she suffered in silence from postpartum depression. Unfortunately, many of the same things still happen today.  Listen as Betsy shares her birth story: the trauma, the beauty that came out of it, and advice for women today.  Mentioned in this episode: #KickAlzheimersAssMovement Group on FacebookChatting with BetsyLaborLessons.comEnjoy listening to Labor Lessons? Leave a review here! Let me know what your favorite episode is and why!Follow me on Instagram: Labor LessonsDisclosure: Links to other sites may be affiliate links that generate us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

In this episode I chat to journalist, author, midwife and mother Amity Reed about her experience of working within the NHS system, why she left, and the work she now does to affect change in maternity. We discuss obstetric violence, its paternalistic and patriarchal roots, and why campaigns such as her work with the White Ribbon Alliance is so sorely needed to change the outcomes for so many birthing women and people. If you'd like to read Amity's book Overdue, you can purchase a copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Overdue-Birth-burnout-blueprint-better/dp/1780664109 You can also find Amity on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/amity.reed/ or view her website https://www.amityreed.com The Better Birth podcast is hosted by hypnobirthing and antenatal teacher Erin Fung. You can find out more about Erin at www.better-birth.co.uk.

It can feel uncomfortable when we see things done or to our patients without consent. In nursing school, it is hammered into our heads that we need to advocate, but in the birth world, that can feel impossible sometimes. In this episode, Justine will share a story of an episiotomy that was done without consent and how she navigated that conversation. Sarah and Justine will discuss tips on talking to team members when it comes to these hard conversations, and they will also try to help you understand that we are not responsible for everyone's response. Sarah will give you tips on how not to take on everyone's response and how we can navigate hard conversations when someone reacts negatively. It all comes down to doing the right thing and doing the best we can on that given shift. That's all we can be expected to do.

Anne Margolis is a Certified Nurse Midwife, author, and trauma specialist who has been catching babies for over twenty-seven years. Anne began as a nurse, whose first birth experience ended in a fourth degree episiotomy and vacuum delivery after being told she needed an emergency cesarean because her baby's heart rate was decelerating.  She was so "checked out" due to stress and shock that Anne describes her first birth as an out-of-body experience. Her baby was born with normal APGARs, which immediately refuted her doctor's fetal distress diagnosis, and she was left completely traumatized in the aftermath. This led her to develop a program for birth trauma healing and turn to home birth midwifery practice, where she could put the mother at the center of the decision-making process. She joins us today to share stories of obstetric violence and redemptive births alike, and to discuss how women can shift their mindsets and make the commitment to birth their babies on their terms, no matter where they choose to give birth.Instagram: HomesweethomebirthNatural Birth Secrets: An Insiders Guide on How To Give Birth Holistically, Healthfully and Safely, and Love the Experience! Trauma Release Formula: The Revolutionary Step by Step Program for Eliminating Effects of Childhood Abuse, Trauma, Emotional Pain and Crippling Inner Stress, ... without Drugs or Therapy **********This show is sponsored by:Silverette USA*DYPER*NOM Maternity*Vyana Infant Massage*Wildbird.co*Beautiful Births and Beyond*Postpartum Soothe**Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTHConnect with Cynthia and Trisha at:Instagram: @downtobirthshow on InstagramEmail: Contact@DownToBirthShow.comCall: (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN)Work with Cynthia:Email: Cynthia@HypnoBirthingCT.com Text: 203-952-7299 to RSVP to attend a free information session live on Zoom. Upcoming dates are posted at HypnoBirthingCT.com. You can also sign up for our Fourth Trimester Workshop,  Breastfeeding Workshop or Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes and weekly postpartum support groups at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Work with Trisha at:Email: Trisha.Ludwig@gmail.com for online breastfeeding consulting services or text 734-649-6294 for more info.We serve women and couples coast to coast with our live, online monthly HypnoBirthing classes, support groups and prenatal/postpartum workshops. We are so grateful for your reviews and shares!Please remember we don't provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!Support the show

In the United States, it's common for people giving birth in hospitals to experience a lack of consent and be denied the opportunity to play an active role in their birth experience. Oftentimes, this leads to what is called 'obstetric violence.'  Tune in to listen to a conversation between Carah and her sister, Chelsey Solemsaas, as they discuss how a traumatic birth story led to a reclamation of power.   Additional Resources https://www.lamaze.org/    Birth Plan Templates:  Giving Birth with Confidence The Bump: Birth Plan Books:  The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin    Instagram: @coffeesarap  @limitlesslittlesco   DONATE: Birth Center  IrthApp

We post new videos every day on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@docanddoula

Kendra grew up around physiologic birth and was a VBAC, breech baby herself. She was planning a birth center birth when she went into labor unexpectedly at 35 weeks. Her physiologic birth plans quickly went out the window as she was continuously monitored,  poorly treated, stalled around 7 cm, got an epidural and ended up with a C-section when her baby's heart rate dropped. Despite being born with excellent APGAR scores, her baby was whisked away from her and sent to the NICU for five days, where she had limited access and wasn't able to breastfeed on her terms.  Later, she was accused of drug use when they found opiates in her urine (forgetting that she had an opioid in her epidural), was threatened with her baby dying when she refused antibiotic eye ointment, and was questioned about taking her baby home with mild jaundice upon discharge. Every step of Kendra's hospital experience was dictated by policy and protocol rather than individualized care, leaving her with post traumatic stress and delayed bonding.  She shares her story today to help women understand that obstetric violence is real, but healing is possible and bonding with your baby always happens. **********This show is sponsored by:Silverette USA*DYPER*NOM Maternity*Vyana Infant Massage*Wildbird.co*Beautiful Births and Beyond*Postpartum Soothe**Use promo code DOWNTOBIRTHConnect with Cynthia and Trisha at:Instagram: @downtobirthshow on InstagramEmail: Contact@DownToBirthShow.comCall: (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN)Work with Cynthia:Email: Cynthia@HypnoBirthingCT.com Text: 203-952-7299 to RSVP to attend a free information session live on Zoom. Upcoming dates are posted at HypnoBirthingCT.com. You can also sign up for our Fourth Trimester Workshop,  Breastfeeding Workshop or Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes and weekly postpartum support groups at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Work with Trisha at:Email: Trisha.Ludwig@gmail.com for online breastfeeding consulting services or text 734-649-6294 for more info.We serve women and couples coast to coast with our live, online monthly HypnoBirthing classes, support groups and prenatal/postpartum workshops. We are so grateful for your reviews and shares!Please remember we don't provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!Support the show

The term Obstetric Violence is popping up everywhere, but what does it mean? We have been forced and brainwashed into believing another person knows what is best for a mother, that a mother doesn't deserve the right to make informed choices. Neglect and abuse in the birthing world is not new or uncommon AND IT IS NOT NORMAL! We are here today with Kristina Turner, an author, birth activist and cofounder of Own Your Birth. Join the "Healing Circle Group" to connect with like-minded people and be notified of FREE live-gatherings: https://bit.ly/3P5hqIc Today we will explore: A brief history on Obstetric Violence The medicalization of birth The manipulation and gaslighting of mothers & families The global movement of birthing activists The spiritual transition through childbirth Woman as a portal between life and death Healing our inner world to heal the outer world Supporting and empowering birthing partners and much more.... This week we start our mothers circle and will be sharing Marissa's story! (Find at 01:05:00) Awakening Woman. Transmute Ancestral Trauma (6 Week Journey) 50% OFF until 9th October 202 50% off Prenatal Pregnancy Programme www.Danielle-Catherine.com Sponsor. Evolving Humans, Energy Healing Expert: https://evolvinghumans.com Music Credits: Aleider Bernal Cordoba --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/depths-of-motherhood/message

For our 16 Days of Activism conversation we focus on the physical and psychological violence meted out against mothers before, during and after childbirth. Clement speaks to Prof Eddie Mhlanga, an OBGYN, Sheena Swemmer from the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, and Nonkululeko Mbuli at Embrace NGO about the prevalence of obstetric violence. We also hear from the voices of mothers who are survivors of this violence.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does psychological and physical safety look like in an obstetric patient relationship? This is just one of the many questions discussed in this value-packed episode of the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast. Podcast Co-Host Augustine Colebrook, CPM, MA-MCHS chat with special guests  Kesha Zaffino, JD, IBCLC; Nathan Riley, MD; and Jayvon Muhammad, CPM, MA-MCHS; and Tracey Vogel, MD about the recent ACOG Committee Opinion on Trauma-Informed Care.Show Resources-ACOG Committee Opinion-Podcast episode with Nathan Riley & Tracey Vogel-"Obstetrics and Gynecology Needs Palliative Care"-Midwifery Wisdom Collective Website

Nelia was assaulted during her first birth experience at her local hospital. Immediately understanding that what happened to her was wrong, she fought to get justice and to heal. The second time she gave birth, she took back her power in a massive way. We mention @birthmonopoly as a great resource for anyone who has experienced obstetric violence. You can find the map of obstetric violence, read other survivor's stories, and other resources here: https://birthmonopoly.com/obstetric-violence/ Follow Nelia @neliathedoula www.neliathedoula.com If you love the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon! www.patreon/healingbirth

In this episode Chris and Jane talk with Camilla Pickles from Durham University about her research on obstetric violence and the difficulties in drawing attention to the ethical and legal problems associated with childbirth, consent, and stereotypes regarding pain and capacity. Sources discussed include:Obstetric violence blogSounding the alarm: Government of the Republic of Namibia v LM and Women's Rights during Childbirth in South AfricaWomen's Birthing Bodies and the Law: Unauthorised Intimate Examinations, Power and Vulnerability AudioMusic City Plaza - Dan Bodan

Nazli Tezcur openly shares her story of motherhood, the trauma she endured from her cesareans with the medicalized births of her boys, and the grief of her miscarriages. As a linguist, Nazli reflects with Michelle upon how the language and culture around women's bodies strip women of their power creating guilt, shame, self-blame, silencing, and the accompanying loneliness that so many women experience. Together they discuss transformative power and the personal nature of birth, loss, motherhood, and the exploration of our emotions as women. "It is very existential, and it lives and breathes through our own daily experiences because we are reproducing what is exerted over us. If we take all this power exerted over us as women, we keep on re-experiencing everything. We are reproducing what has been exerted over us. So if we want to break that cycle, I think we can switch the game. Maybe take ourselves out of that frame or take our own being out of that circle that we have been put into. … Experiencing something else, something that can make us feel liberated and free. And, which will allow us to talk a different language in a sense, instead of the language that was exerted over us. That was imposed on us and we keep on saying the same thing, "I failed. I am a failure.' "— Nazli TezcurAbout Nazli: Nazli Tezcur is a TESOL professional and language tutor with a special interest in identity, race, and translanguaging. As a polyglot, she likes to utilize languaging as a remedial way to express and interpret her experiences beyond categories and across borders. Connect with Michelle:Classes or Sessions with Michelle: birtheaseservices.com/birth-ease-childbirth-education, birtheasehypnobirth.com/hypnobirthing-classes-orlando-michelleFacebook:   Birth Ease,   The Birth Ease Podcast,  Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:    @birtheasemichellesmith,  @birtheaselossssupportYouTube:    Birth EaseLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithWebsite:  BirthEaseServices.com  birtheasehypnobirth.com Thank you for listening! 

Cristen  Pascucci and Michelle continue their conversation regarding human rights in childbirth in part two of this replay episode. They delve into the fact that everyone brings their own background, biases, and trauma with them to the birth room. Cristen sagely points out that it is irrelevant whether or not birth is safe. If anything, the riskier it is, the more imperative that is that a person's autonomy is retained. Cristen shares why the environment in which someone decides to give birth is a huge determining factor in how the birth actually unfolds. "Your rights are only as good as you make them. … You own your body and you are the legal authority. ... You don't have to point to any law. ... Don't assume someone has rights over you. Just don't make that assumption ever.  Make the assumption that you own your body and act as if you do. And, it will really change the orientation of how you approach everything including your communication with the people that are there to support you, and how you select those people, and the decisions that you make." —Cristen Pascucci About Cristen Pascucci:A former communications strategist at a top public affairs firm in Baltimore, Maryland, Cristen Pascucci is the founder of Birth Monopoly and Birth Monopoly's Doula Power group, co-creator of the Exposing the Silence Project, and, from 2012 to 2016, vice president of national advocacy organization Improving Birth. She has run an emergency hotline for women facing threats to their legal rights in childbirth, created a viral consumer campaign to “Break the Silence” on trauma and abuse in childbirth, and helped put obstetric violence and the maternity care crisis in national media.  Today, she is a leading voice for women giving birth, speaking around the country, and consulting privately for consumers and professionals on issues related to birth rights and options.  Cristen is also the host of Birth Allowed Radio as well as executive producer of a documentary film planned for release in 2020 to start a national conversation on obstetric violence, birth trauma, and women's rights in birth. Connect with Cristen Pascucci:Website: https://birthmonopoly.com/Facebook:  facebook.com/birthmonopolyInstagram:instagram.com/birthmonopoly Please, if the nature of this conversation is triggering for you, stop the podcast. You can return to it later if you feel led to. Take some deep breaths, move and walk around, wash your hands and your face, take a shower, and call a trusted friend or caregiver. The meditation in episode 108 can be very helpful if your baby and you had a difficult or traumatic birth.For additional support you can connect with Cristin, Susan, or myself: Susan Dascenzi:Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sdascenziTwitter:  https://twitter.com/susandascenziInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdascenzi1/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susandascenzi/ Connect with Michelle Smith:Virtual classes with Michelle: birtheaseservices.com/birth-ease-childbirth-education, birtheasehypnobirth.com/hypnobirthing-classes-orlando-michelleFacebook:   Birth Ease,   The Birth Ease Podcast,  Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:    @birtheasemichellesmith,  @birtheaselossssupportYouTube:    Birth EaseLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle Smith

Have you ever wondered what your rights are during pregnancy and birth? Listen in to part one of this replay episode as Cristen Pascucci, founder of Birth Monopoly shares with Michelle how the experience of her son's birth provided the impetus that led her to become a leading voice for human rights in childbirth.  “There is that perception that in some situations, your consent doesn't matter. As a woman, when it comes to sex and reproduction there are some situations where you no longer own your body. Someone else has the authority over your body. That is really powerful. And that is what continually surprises me that people don't get more upset about it in the realm of childbirth. That really that people aren't taking to the streets to say, “My basic civil rights are not only violated as an individual but widely disrespected in policy and practice all across the country in hundreds of facilities.” —Cristen Pascucci About Cristen Pascucci:A former communications strategist at a top public affairs firm in Baltimore, Maryland, Cristen Pascucci is the founder of Birth Monopoly and Birth Monopoly's Doula Power group, co-creator of the Exposing the Silence Project, and, from 2012 to 2016, vice president of national advocacy organization Improving Birth. She has run an emergency hotline for women facing threats to their legal rights in childbirth, created a viral consumer campaign to “Break the Silence” on trauma and abuse in childbirth, and helped put obstetric violence and the maternity care crisis in national media.  Today, she is a leading voice for women giving birth, speaking around the country, and consulting privately for consumers and professionals on issues related to birth rights and options.  Cristen is also the host of Birth Allowed Radio as well as executive producer of a documentary film planned for release in 2020 to start a national conversation on obstetric violence, birth trauma, and women's rights in birth. Connect with Cristen Pascucci:Website: https://birthmonopoly.com/Facebook:  facebook.com/birthmonopolyInstagram:instagram.com/birthmonopoly Please, if the nature of this conversation is triggering for you, stop the podcast. You can return to it later if you feel led to. Take some deep breaths, move and walk around, wash your hands and your face, take a shower, and call a trusted friend or caregiver. The meditation in episode 108 can be very helpful if your baby and you had a difficult or traumatic birth.For Additional Support you can connect with Cristin, Susan, or myself: Susan Dascenzi:Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sdascenziTwitter:  https://twitter.com/susandascenziInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdascenzi1/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susandascenzi/ Connect with Michelle Smith:Virtual classes with Michelle: birtheaseservices.com/birth-ease-childbirth-education, birtheasehypnobirth.com/hypnobirthing-classes-orlando-michelleFacebook:   Birth Ease,   The Birth Ease Podcast,  Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:    @birtheasemichellesmith,  @birtheaselossssupportYouTube:    Birth EaseLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle Smith

In commemoration of World Patient Safety Day 2021, I welcomed a special guest and colleague from Cairo Egypt Ms Merette Khalil to enlighten us about Doulas, Obstetric Violence and Respectful Birth! Merette Khalil, MScPH [she/her] is a multi-lingual health systems researcher, gender and sexual reproductive health and rights advocate, feminist, doula, and birth educator, passionate about ensuring the right to health for all. Merette is specialist on obstetric violence with her Master of Science in Public Health from the KIT Royal Tropical Institute. She has published her research on obstetric violence in Egypt and the Region, in book chapters and peer-reviewed publications, most recently in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Merette is also the founder and CEO of YourEgyptianDoula, the first doula organization of its kind in Egypt and the Region working to educate, advocate, and empower expecting parents on their rights in childbirth to improve quality of respectful maternal care. Merette works at the WHO Regional Office in Cairo as a consultant on COVID-19 response, gender equity, and health systems strengthening focusing on achieving universal health coverage, protecting marginalized and vulnerable populations, and advancing global health security.  Learn more at https://youregyptiandoula.com/

Listener Warning: This episode discusses how Obstetric Violence and Sexual Assault are interconnected through language and physical touch.When a doctor repeatedly told artist Michelle Hartney, “lie on your back” during the birth of her second child– not in Michelle's birth plan, and not medically indicated – this got her thinking, and took her work in a new direction. What happens when care violates trust and consent? And how can we inspire new conversations in order to make a change? Episode 16 of Poised & Powerful Podcast is linking art to advocacy in maternal healthcare issues! Book your FREE 15-minute virtual consult to learn more about working with Sarah! She offers virtual sessions for expecting and new parents. Expecting parents will have a framework for considering and building positive habits for not just the baby - but also yourself. New parents will learn how to move like a kid again, so you have more energy for what matters.In this episode of Poised & Powerful Podcast, Michelle and I discuss the following:The surprising conversations she has in her studio. How art can educate in a different way than facts and statistics. We have a culture in the United States around pregnancy and birth, it's important to acknowledge that contest and its interconnected history. The conversation of consent is relatively new, and it's important to inform and empower yourself. The interconnection of obstetric violence, sexual assault, and sexual autonomy for womxn – that they all come from attitudes of control towards womxn's bodies. How she's been handling parenthood and making art during the pandemic. We hope this episode gets you thinking about the issues YOU care about, and how you can be an advocate. Parents are change-makers! Please check out the projects mentioned in  this episode (with images): https://www.michellehartney.com/birthwords https://www.michellehartney.com/kimberly-said-nohttps://www.michellehartney.com/freidmans-curve https://www.michellehartney.com/black-pregnant https://www.michellehartney.com/mothers-rightThank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don't forget to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Learn more about Poised & Powerful and Sarah at https://poisedpowerfulparenthood.com/interviewsCONNECT WITH Michelle:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellehartneyart/References: On history of childbirth in the US: Deliver Me From Pain: Anesthesia and Birth in America by Jacqueline H. Wolf “Failure to Progress” and debunking Friedman's CurveWhat is informed consent, really? RAICES TEXAS 

This episode came from deep within the archives of 2020 unedited interviews, and it couldn't be unearthed at a more perfect time as women and birthworkers are exploring women's rights in childbirth within the system. I had an in depth discussion with Tina Charlton, Freebirth Witness and Support, starting out with her research in Obstetric Violence in her home country of Germany and then within her second home, Australia.We touched on the questions that so many women ponder, and the facts so many mis-educate on: Is it really enough to know your birth rights?The loose language used around these.Even when you know them, are they going to upheld?Is anybody ever held accountable if they're not?We dove deep into the reframing of birth trauma by the system, the normalisation of inflicted birth injuries, the grooming of women starting in teenage years under the guise of reproductive health, how to truly research birth and educate yourself with independent information, what true birth trauma support looks like and who you should be turning to for that, what is consent, what is medical negligence and lastly - why are there so many men in positions of care within women's reproductive health?---Connect with Anita at www.themidwitch.comAnita Katherine, The MidwitchReconnecting you with your medicine, magic, & power.Follow me on IG: @themidwitchFreebies: https://themidwitch.com/thecauldronPregnant? Work with Anita in the Intuitive Birthing Method: https://themidwitch.com/theintuitivebirthmethodAre you a birth worker? Make sure to follow me on IG @themidwitch to keep an eye out for my birth worker group programs!

In this episode, we talk with Bashi Kumar-Hazard.  Bashi is an Australian-based lawyer who works to promote the human rights of women and infants in the provision of maternity healthcare.  She has represented families and healthcare providers defending their human rights in coronial inquests, court proceedings, and civil disputes. Her background experience is in the field of competition and consumer law. She is currently completing a PhD in anti-competitive practices in maternity healthcare at the University of Sydney Law School. Bashi has been a director of Human Rights in Childbirth since 2014. In that role, she has collaborated with consumer groups in a number of countries, the World Health Organisation, and the International Confederation of Midwives to advocate for and defend women's rights in pregnancy and childbirth.We discuss what is the law and what rights do women have over their bodily autonomy, the 2020 CEDAW case confirming that obstetric violence is a form of gender-based violence built on discriminatory stereotypes and perceptions about women, the special Rapporteur's report on abuse and disrespect in childbirth, and gender-based violence. We also discuss accountability for maternity care and how it can affect systemic change.LINKS: Human Rights In Childbirth (HRiC) - Bashi Kumar Hazard http://humanrightsinchildbirth.org/Submission from HRiC on informed consent to NICE - HRiC's submission - Special Rapporteur's report - .The report is also available in French and Spanish -  Committee on the elimination of discrimination against women -https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/cedaw/pages/cedawindex.aspxReport on a human-rights based approach to mistreatment and obstetric violence during childbirth - https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/SRWomen/Pages/Mistreatment.aspxDr Rachel Reed - https://rachel-reed.website/Our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/themidwivescauldron Our Instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/themidwivescauldron/

Birth Series, Episode #1 of 4. Symphysiotomy. Probably not a word you've heard before - and if you have, I'm sorry? Symphysiotomy is an obstetric procedure in which a person's pubic symphysis cartilage is cut to widen the pelvis for childbirth. Yes. Gross. I know. For most of the 19th century, symphysiotomy was a new solution to difficult births, and, to some doctors, preferable to Caesarean section, and certainly to the gruesome craniotomy. By the 1930s, though, in countries where childbirth had been medicalized, the symphysiotomy was phased out in favor of the safer C section - except Ireland. While surgical solutions to difficult childbirths increased in American and European obstetrics throughout the twentieth-century generally, it was only in Ireland that the use of symphysiotomy increased. Why, for the love of God, WHY, you ask? Let's dig in. For a complete transcript and bibliography, visit digpodcast.org Select Bibliography Cara Delay, “The Torture Began”: Symphysiotomy and Obstetric Violence in Modern Ireland, Nursing Clio, May 31, 2016 Cara Delay and Beth Sundstrom, “The Legacy Of Symphysiotomy In Ireland: A Reproductive Justice Approach To Obstetric Violence,” Reproduction, Health, and Medicine: Advances in Medical Sociology, Volume 20, 197-218 (2020). Marie O'Connor, Bodily Harm Report: Symphysiotomy and Pubiotomy in Ireland, 1944-1992, (2011)  Adrian Wilson, Ritual and Conflict: the Social Relations of Childbirth in Early Modern England, (Taylor & Francis Group, 2013). Adrian Wilson, The Making of Man-Midwifery: Childbirth in England, 1660-1770 (Harvard University Press, 1995). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nicki is a military wife and a stay at home mom to two beautiful boys. She and her husband, James would love to have many more kiddos. Her family is from Seattle, but they are currently stationed in San Diego for the next few years. Nicki  is is a home & free birth advocate who is training to be a birth keeper and childbirth educator. She is passionate about educating women on the realities of abuse within the birth space, as she experienced it firsthand. She recently co-founded the Coffee and Consent podcast to help women learn more about what birth should really look like. nick (@nicki.french) • Instagram photos and videosCoffee and Consent (@coffeeandconsent) • Instagram photos and videosWatch The Business of Being Born: Watch The Business of Being Born | Prime Video (amazon.com)Dr. Gabor Mote The Wisdom of Trauma – Gabor Mate Film

Hospitals treating women like science experiments without their consent. Doctors abusing patients verbally, mentally and physically. And a history of consent. This is a full episode devoted to a very serious topic.

Drugging your child, Miscarriage & stillbirth, Snow White & consent, Obstetric Violence

Today we talk with Kaveri Mayra and her PhD around obstetric violence's in India ( ibit.ly/Re5V). She was ranked in the top 100 nurses and midwives in 2020 for her work across multiple areas including WHO Academy (https://www.who.int/about/who-academy)Pub just out - ibit.ly/ZujQ -  Why do some health care providers disrespect and abuse women during childbirth in India?ResearchGate for all pubs email me to share your research and studies - thruthepodcast@gmail.comThe aim is for this to be a fortnightly podcast with extra episodes thrown inThis podcast can be found on twitter - @thruthepinard, insta @thruthepinard and our website -https://thruthepinardpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ or ibit.ly/Re5VSupport the showDo you know someone who should tell their story?email me - thruthepodcast@gmail.comThe aim is for this to be a fortnightly podcast with extra episodes thrown inThis podcast can be found on various socials as @thruthepinardd and our website -https://thruthepinardpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ or ibit.ly/Re5V

Listen in to the second part of Michelle's conversation with Sabia Wade. Together, they explore the ways in which the current medical system is failing us from patient to physician and the reality that many birth professionals carry secondary trauma due to the hierarchical system and the very nature of birth itself. They discuss why self-care is a vital responsibility for all birth workers. Sabia encourages expecting families to demand and require curiosity from the providers and caregivers that are assisting them with their care. "For me, it is always important for anyone that I interact with to know that they are the expert of themselves. And that I am here to assist in whatever ways that I can. That's my job. That's who I am. I am never going to be the person who is the all-mighty knowing. But I can assist you in what you know about yourself. And I can assist you in learning new things about yourself, and you can assist me in learning more. That's the kind of energy that needs to be brought to birth work and just to people to people interactions."—Sabia WadeAbout Sabia C. Wade:Sabia is a radical doula, educator, doula business coach, reproductive justice advocate, and somatic practitioner in training that is elevating the voices and experiences of marginalized communities. Sabia embraces the role as a liberator of self by equity, autonomy, and justice for every body!In 2015, Sabia's doula journey began as a volunteer doula with The Prison Birth Project. In the role as a volunteer doula, Sabia assisted incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents, as well as parents in recovery for two years. In these two years, Sabia gained knowledge not only about birth but also about topics such as obstetric violence, the Black maternal crisis, and reproductive justice. That experience has been the foundation of who Sabia is, all that Sabia does, and who Sabia is becoming.In 2018, Sabia founded the nonprofit organization, For The Village, a community doula program that provides free and low-cost doula services to underrepresented communities. They are currently partnered with Project Concern International and Birth Roots Birth Center to better outcomes for Black birthing people in San Diego, CA.Sabia's experience and knowledge inspired the creation of the Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings (BADT) in 2019. The goals of BADT are bringing necessary education to birth workers seeking to go beyond the standard doula role and into advocacy for the underrepresented and increase accessibility to BADT by creating an online platform, as well as providing affordable options to participating birth workers. In 2020, Sabia officially started the training to become a Somatic Experience Practitioner with the Somatic Experience Trauma Institute (SETI) after embodying the practice into her own life for about two years, and is now a proud member of the board of directors for SETI.   Connect with Sabia Wade:Websites: https://theblackdoula.com/,   https://www.badoulatrainings.org/Facebook:  @doulasabia, @birthingadvocacyInstagram: @theblackdoula, @birthingadvocacy Connect with Michelle Smith:Website:  BirthEaseServices.comFacebook:   Birth Ease,   The Birth Ease Podcast,  Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:    @birtheasemichellesmith,  @birtheaselossssupportYouTube:    Birth EaseLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithShow:  Birth Ease

Listen in to part 1 of this 2 part conversation as Sabia Wade shares how the mix of birth, trauma, anti-racism, and advocacy has brought purpose and drives Sabia's mission for equity, autonomy, and justice for every body and the revolutionary projects she is up to. Together Michelle and Sabia discuss the importance of being your full self as a birth worker and remembering to openly focus on the spaces that fill you with joy. They explore the shifts that are happening within the birth community, why it is a disservice to those we serve if we avoid harder conversations, the reality that  everyone deserves to be seen, and why trusting relationships are paramount to affecting change."Really what I like is birthing new aspects of people. Really what I like is holding space for people. Really what I like is celebrating and being present for the good and bad. ... I try to put it out there to be my full self so that people can come to me as their full selves and know that I can hold that space because I, too, am a full person."—Sabia WadeAbout Sabia C. Wade:Sabia is a radical doula, educator, doula business coach, reproductive justice advocate, and somatic practitioner in training that is elevating the voices and experiences of marginalized communities. Sabia embraces the role as a liberator of self by equity, autonomy, and justice for every body!In 2015, Sabia's doula journey began as a volunteer doula with The Prison Birth Project. In the role as a volunteer doula, Sabia assisted incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents, as well as parents in recovery for two years. In these two years, Sabia gained knowledge not only about birth but also about topics such as obstetric violence, the Black maternal crisis, and reproductive justice. That experience has been the foundation of who Sabia is, all that Sabia does, and who Sabia is becoming.In 2018, Sabia founded the nonprofit organization, For The Village, a community doula program that provides free and low-cost doula services to underrepresented communities. They are currently partnered with Project Concern International and Birth Roots Birth Center to better outcomes for Black birthing people in San Diego, CA.Sabia's experience and knowledge inspired the creation of the Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings (BADT) in 2019. The goals of BADT are bringing necessary education to birth workers seeking to go beyond the standard doula role and into advocacy for the underrepresented and increase accessibility to BADT by creating an online platform, as well as providing affordable options to participating birth workers. In 2020, Sabia officially started the training to become a Somatic Experience Practitioner with the Somatic Experience Trauma Institute (SETI) after embodying the practice into her own life for about two years, and is now a proud member of the board of directors for SETI.   Connect with Sabia C. Wade:Websites: https://theblackdoula.com/,   https://www.badoulatrainings.org/Facebook:  @doulasabia, @birthingadvocacyInstagram: @theblackdoula,  @birthingadvocacy Connect with Michelle Smith:Website:  BirthEaseServices.comFacebook:   Birth Ease,   The Birth Ease Podcast,  Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:    @birtheasemichellesmith,  @birtheaselossssupportYouTube:    Birth EaseLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithShow:  Birth Ease

About this episode:Jorja Lindley is one of the most courageous women I have ever encountered. She has been though a lot in the female anatomy department; she navigated years of severe endometriosis with no diagnosis and no treatment, and then she experienced a non-consented procedure at the hands of her doctor after her son was born that has completely changed her sex-life with her husband. As she heals, she has made the choice bravely share her story to create a safe space for women who experience painful sex and/or have been victims of obstetric violence. In addition to her openness about her disease and the 'husband stitch', Jorja is also an activist and is constantly sharing education on topics of racism, 2SLGBTQIA+ and many other human rights issues. About Jorja:Jorja Lindley is an Registered Early Childhood Educator, a poet, an avid movie-goer, a lazy blogger, a mental health advocate, a chai latte addict, a true lover of love, a misser of naps, an Endometriosis survivor, wife to a remarkable man, and an only-child-mom.Jorja is a stay-at-home mom who also works out of her home in Ontario, Canada, putting together one of a kind pieces for trendy moms in her neighborhood and around the world... All after Boden has gone to bed!

Today we talk with Cristen Pascucci, the founder of Birth Monopoly (https://birthmonopoly.com/), an organization that is committed to advancing the human right of each birthing person to determine how, where, and with whom they give birth. Cristen shares how her experience giving birth led to her awareness of the violation of women's rights in birth across the country. We talk about how common thought surrounding childbirth can lead from assault and degradation to normalization. We also discuss obstetric violence and how the history of obstetrics has led to the conditions and culture surrounding birth today. We go further into obstetric violence, discussing terminology, matters of legality vs. hospital policy, and other nuances surrounding consent and birth plans. Cristen's Background in Birth 1:08 Changing Mainstream Birth Culture; Safety and Choice 12:07 Obstetric Violence 24:00 Other Forms of Obstetric Violence; Legality vs. Policy 44:22 “Saying that it's not 100% safe is not an excuse for over medicalizing it and forcing things on people. And we know that it doesn't equate to better health outcomes. And I think that's the thing that continually blows my mind: when I see the justifications for certain assaults, of like, ‘Well, we need to keep somebody healthy here.' No, no, no, because you're literally doing the riskier thing.” 21:07 https://birthmonopoly.com/

Listen in as Cristen  Pascucci and Michelle continue their conversation regarding human rights in childbirth. They delve into the fact that everyone brings their own background, biases, and trauma with them to the birth room. Cristen sagely points out that it is irrelevant whether or not birth is safe. If anything, the riskier it is, the more imperative that is that a person's autonomy is retained. Cristen shares why the environment in which someone decides to give birth is a huge determining factor in how the birth actually unfolds."Your rights are only as good as you make them. … You own your body and you are the legal authority. ... You don't have to point to any law. ... Don't assume someone has rights over you. Just don't make that assumption ever.  Make the assumption that you own your body and act as if you do. And, it will really change the orientation of how you approach everything." —Cristen Pascucci About Cristen  Pascucci :A former communications strategist at a top public affairs firm in Baltimore, Maryland, Cristen Pascucci is the founder of Birth Monopoly and Birth Monopoly's Doula Power group, co-creator of the Exposing the Silence Project, and, from 2012 to 2016, vice president of national advocacy organization Improving Birth. She has run an emergency hotline for women facing threats to their legal rights in childbirth, created a viral consumer campaign to “Break the Silence” on trauma and abuse in childbirth, and helped put obstetric violence and the maternity care crisis in national media.  Today, she is a leading voice for women giving birth, speaking around the country and consulting privately for consumers and professionals on issues related to birth rights and options. Cristen is also the host of Birth Allowed Radio as well as executive producer of a documentary film planned for release in 2020 to start a national conversation on obstetric violence, birth trauma, and women's rights in birth. Connect with Cristen Pascucci:Website: birthmonopoly.comFacebook: Birth MonopolyInstagram: @birthmonopolyMovie Trailer: Mother May I? COVID-19 and Pregnancy Resources:BIRTH MONOPOLY: COVID-19 AND DOULA SUPPORT: HOW TO RESPOND TO CHANGING HOSPITAL POLICIESBlack Mamas Matter AllianceCoronavirus COVID-19 | Evidence Based Birth® Resource PageVBAC Facts: Offering Labor After Cesarean During COVID-19 Connect with Michelle Smith:Website: BirthEaseServices.comFacebook: Birth Ease, The Birth Ease PodcastInstagram: @ birtheasemichellesmithYouTube: Birth EaseLinkedIn: Birth Ease Michelle SmithShow: Birth Ease 

Have you ever wondered what your rights are during childbirth? Listen in to part one of this much needed conversation as Cristen Pascucci, founder of Birth Monopoly shares with Michelle how the experience of her son's birth provided the impetus that led her to become a leading voice for women giving birth. “There is that perception that in some situations, your consent doesn't matter. As a woman, when it comes to sex and reproduction there are some situations where you no longer own your body. Someone else has the authority over your body. That is really powerful. And that is what continually surprises me that people don't get more upset about it in the realm of childbirth. That really that people aren't taking to the streets to say, 'My basic civil rights are not only violated as an individual, but widely disrespected in policy and practice all across the country in hundreds of facilities.'"—Cristen Pascucci About Cristen Pascucci: A former communications strategist at a top public affairs firm in Baltimore, Maryland, Cristen Pascucci is the founder of Birth Monopoly and Birth Monopoly's Doula Power group, co-creator of the Exposing the Silence Project, and, from 2012 to 2016, vice president of national advocacy organization Improving Birth. She has run an emergency hotline for women facing threats to their legal rights in childbirth, created a viral consumer campaign to “Break the Silence” on trauma and abuse in childbirth, and helped put obstetric violence and the maternity care crisis in national media.  Today, she is a leading voice for women giving birth, speaking around the country and consulting privately for consumers and professionals on issues related to birth rights and options. Cristen is also the host of Birth Allowed Radio as well as executive producer of a documentary film planned for release in 2020 to start a national conversation on obstetric violence, birth trauma, and women's rights in birth.   Connect with Cristen Pascucci: Website: birthmonopoly.com Facebook: Birth Monopoly Instagram: @birthmonopoly   COVID-19 and Pregnancy Resources: BIRTH MONOPOLY: COVID-19 AND DOULA SUPPORT: HOW TO RESPOND TO CHANGING HOSPITAL POLICIES Coronavirus COVID-19 | Evidence Based Birth® Resource Page Black Mamas Matter Alliance VBAC Facts: Offering Labor After Cesarean During COVID-19   Connect with Michelle Smith: Website: BirthEaseServices.com Facebook: Birth Ease, The Birth Ease Podcast Instagram: @ birtheasemichellesmith YouTube: Birth Ease LinkedIn: Birth Ease Michelle Smith Show: Birth Ease  

Some women walk away from their birth with many feelings but are unable to put words to it or really understand why they are feeling the way they do. Dissatisfied, traumatized, disappointed... these feelings matter. If this is you with your birth or you would like to avoid these feelings then tune into this episode.  **Trigger alert- Dr. Sarah and I talked about obstetric abuse - physical, sexual and/or verbal abuse; bullying, coercion, purposefully leaving out information, humiliation and/or assault. We will take a deep dive into Dr. Sarah's story as well as unpack some cultural issues happening that maybe contributing to birth trauma as well as some practical tips to avoid it! I know this can be a hard topic to start uncovering. It may bring up some feelings. I would love for you to send me a DM to hear your thoughts. I will be happy to listen to your story. . Connect with Dr. Sarah: IG: @birthuprising FB: Birth Uprising, The Autonomous Birth Project www.birthuprising.com . SHOW NOTES AT https://www.birthblissbeyond.com/post/_ep16  Looking for an online birth course during this covid pandemic? Doula's aren't being allowed in hospitals anymore so what about full on virtual birth support? Fill out the application- https://forms.gle/hTgop8pTyyhfYtRMA Purchase the Intuitive Mama's Essentials, the basics every mom should know, including 15 questions to ask your provider, tips on avoiding an episiotomy, birth affirmations and a birth plan template: https://blissful-birth.teachable.com/p/the-intuitive-mamas-essentials Join our Facebook tribe, a safe place for you to connect with and learn from other mamas who are also on the journey toward informed, empowered birth: www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredmamastribe   IG: @empoweredbirthpodcast #EmpoweredBirthPodcast  

When Candace learned how dangerous it is to be Black and give birth in the US, she started looking for solutions. Using her skills as a professional data scientist, she determined that she would be safest opting for an unmedicated birth at a birthing center.There, the staff was patient, respectful and communicative. But at 39 weeks, after days of prodromal labor, a hospital transfer was necessary. That's when her whole experience took a dark turn. About 20% of all birth center births will result in a hospital transfer. The most common reason for transfer is pain management. If we do a little back of the napkin math, that means that Candace's story is incredibly common. That's just unacceptable. We can and should do better and this episode shows how the simplest efforts can make big impacts.In this Episode, You'll Learn About:Which four factors Candace determined improve outcomes for Black parentsWhat respectful medical care looks likeHow Candace discussed racial healthcare disparities with her care teamWhy she decided to switch doctors mid-deliveryWhat convinced Candace it was time for a c-sectionHow she managed the emotional pain and trauma she felt in the wake of her birth--Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode208Check out The Birth Preparation CourseRegister for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right WayAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy