Podcasts about Shoulder dystocia

Remember my popular Episode 29 on big babies from five years ago? Today I'm diving into what's changed since then, spurred by Warwick University's Big Baby trial, new research examining whether early induction truly prevents complications in pregnancies where scans predict larger babies.The most startling revelation? A whopping 60% of babies predicted to be above the 90th centile weren't actually that large at birth. This  margin of error should give us serious pause when recommending interventions based on third-trimester scans. What also troubled me was the study design itself. The "standard care" group still saw about 75% of women receiving some form of intervention rather than experiencing spontaneous labour. With only six days average difference in delivery timing between groups, is there really enough distinction to draw meaningful conclusions? The recorded times between head and body delivery (just over one minute in both groups) further suggests we might be rushing physiological processes unnecessarily.For pregnant women hearing "your baby might be big," take these predictions with healthy skepticism. Having a larger baby doesn't automatically mean a difficult birth lies ahead. For healthcare providers, perhaps it's time we questioned whether we've trapped ourselves in a cycle of intervention based on imprecise predictions and exaggerated risks.Listen to this update alongside my original Episode 29 Big baby and episode 102 Shoulder Dystocia. Subscribe, rate, and share if you found this valuable!https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00162-X/fulltextThank you all for listening, My name is Florence Wilcock I am an NHS doctor working as an obstetrician, specialising in the care of both mother and baby during pregnancy and birth. If you have enjoyed my podcast please do continue to subscribe, rate, review and recommend my podcast on your podcast provider.If you have found my ideas helpful whilst expecting your baby or working in maternity care please spread the word & help theobspod reach other parents or staff who may be interested in exploring all things pregnancy and birth. Keeping my podcast running without ads or sponsorship is important to me. I want to keep it free and accessible to all but it costs me a small amount each month to maintain and keep the episodes live, if you wish to contribute anything to support theobspod please head over to my buy me a coffee page https://bmc.link/theobspodV any donation very gratefully received however small. Its easy to explore my back catalogue of episodes here https://padlet.com/WhoseShoes/TheObsPod I have a wide range of topics that may help you make decisions for yourself and your baby during pregnancy as well as some more reflective episodes on life as a doctor. If you want to get in touch to suggest topics, I love to hear your thoughts and ideas. You can find out more about me on Twitter @FWmaternity & @TheObsPod as well as Instagram @TheObsPod and e...

In this deeply moving and multifaceted episode, we sit down with Jen to explore her extraordinary journey through six births and five miscarriages, with a diagnosis of hyperfertility. Jen shares openly and honestly about her experiences, the medical complexities and the fierce resilience that led to her reclaiming her birth and deeply trusting her intuition, shaping her motherhood story. Jen leads us through her first two births, both vaginal births with doula support, and includes a run over of some of the complexities she experienced (retained placenta in her first birth and a snapped cord in her second). Jen then shares about her third birth where she experienced a shoulder dystocia - a complication that would weigh heavily on her decisions for her future pregnancy.Following her shoulder dystocia experience and another experience of miscarriage, Jen conceived her next baby, a pregnancy involving more complexity with multiple bleeds, a subchorionic hematoma and lots of discussions around risk of shoulder dystocia for this baby's birth. Jen shares of her anxiety throughout this pregnancy and the eventual decision to agree to a planned caesarean birth, but her journey didn't end there.With her next pregnancy, Jen embarked on a path of deep research and self-advocacy, culminating in a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) that she describes as incredibly healing. She walks us through her path leading back to her intuition, her advocacy for herself and her babies and how she came to the decisions she did as she navigated a high risk pregnancy that she felt was anything but. Finally, Jen shares her final birth of her sixth baby, a planned homebirth supported by a privately practising midwife who trusted her intuition and listened to her every step of the way. Jen describes her decision to transfer to hospital, how she was supported through this and her journey from feeling that she failed at homebirth to recognising that this was a successful homebirth, despite the transfer. Throughout it all, Jen's story is one of profound loss, strength, and reclamation. She speaks candidly about her experiences with miscarriage, the complexities of hyperfertility, the trauma and triumphs of birth, and how she ultimately found her voice and autonomy as a mother.Please join us on our journey to bringing you all kinds of VBAC stories from across the country from here on in by subscribing and following us on social media, @australianvbacstories on Instagram and Australian VBAC Stories on Facebook. If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love to rate or review, and tell your friends!If you are feeling that you might benefit from mental health support after listening to our podcast, please reach out to one of the organisations below:PANDA ⁠⁠⁠https://panda.org.au/⁠⁠⁠Gidget Foundation ⁠⁠⁠https://www.gidgetfoundation.org.au/⁠⁠⁠COPE Australia ⁠⁠⁠https://www.cope.org.au/⁠⁠⁠If you've experienced mistreatment or disrespectful care in your pregnancy, birth or postpartum and are seeking advocacy support, please contact one of the following organisations:Maternity Choices Australia ⁠⁠⁠https://www.maternitychoices.org/⁠⁠⁠Maternity Consumer Network ⁠⁠⁠https://www.maternityconsumernetwork.org.au/⁠⁠⁠Thank you for tuning in to our podcast.

In this listener story episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, I'm joined by Lauren, a writer and mom of two, who shares her powerful and vulnerable story of an unexpected and traumatic birth. After a smooth pregnancy and a well-prepared plan for an unmedicated delivery, Lauren's labor took a sudden and intense turn involving prodromal labor, a failed epidural, vacuum-assisted delivery, and ultimately, a shoulder dystocia that left both her and her baby in physical and emotional recovery.From feeling dismissed by her doula, to processing the chaos and fear of delivery, to the quiet realization that what she experienced was, in fact, birth trauma, Lauren opens up about how she slowly pieced together her healing, with safe people, supportive providers, and her own learning.She also shares how she approached her second birth with a different mindset, opting for a planned cesarean and giving herself the space to reclaim control, safety, and peace.What You'll Hear in This Episode:

In this episode of The Birth Lounge podcast, host HeHe is joined by guest Marisa Huebsch to discuss the topic of shoulder dystocia, a rare but serious obstetrical emergency. HeHe and Marisa, a certified nurse midwife, explain what shoulder dystocia is, its causes, and how it can be resolved through various maneuvers. She emphasizes the importance of patient autonomy and informed decision-making during childbirth, particularly in high-stress situations like shoulder dystocia. They also delve into the risks of shoulder dystocia for both mothers and babies, including potential injuries and the importance of postpartum debriefing. The episode aims to demystify this complication, providing listeners with practical advice on staying in control and advocating for themselves during labor and delivery. 00:00 Introduction and Hospital Choices 01:38 Understanding Shoulder Dystocia 03:26 Preventing and Managing Shoulder Dystocia 03:42 Guest Introduction: Marisa Huebsch 06:21 Personal Experiences with Shoulder Dystocia 08:57 Detailed Maneuvers for Shoulder Dystocia 20:15 Induction and Shoulder Dystocia 25:48 Patient Autonomy and Birth Choices 42:46 Addressing Provider Self-Reflection and Bias 44:55 Handling Trauma and Patient Care 47:46 Navigating Patient Autonomy and Informed Consent 49:18 The Role of Providers in Birth Experiences 01:02:55 Managing Shoulder Dystocia Risks and Outcomes 01:15:15 Empowering Patients Through Education and Support 01:18:32 Final Thoughts and Resources   From Marisa:  I was a Labor and delivery nurse for 6 years, worked in 3 different facilities including high risk units and low risk units. I was also a nurse home visitor with Nurse Family Partnership where I worked with low income first time moms and babies throughout pregnancy and through the child's first 2 years. I am now a hospital based CNM in a high volume practice who collaboratively cares for low and high risk patients with a robust midwife team. My practice philosophy is all about empowering patients to be informed about their care, normalizing physiologic birth, and providing the midwifery care model to high risk patients. I have two children, one born in a hospital and one born at home (unusually LONG multip labor , educated by The Birth Lounge)   SOCIAL MEDIA: Connect with HeHe on IG Connect with HeHe on YouTube   Connect with Marisa on IG    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: Today's episode is sponsored by Joie. Trade in an old carseat at Target through May 10 and an extra 10% off from Joie! I love the Chili Spin 260 and talk about it with Joie's Child Passenger Safety Technician at the end of this episode! Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course (use code 100OFF for $100 off) Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon! 

“I am not a TOLAC patient. I am a VBAC!”Julie sits down with Colleen, a mother from Long Island, New York, who shares her journey towards achieving a successful VBAC despite facing challenges such as gestational diabetes. Colleen recounts her traumatic first birth experience and the uphill battle she faced with her second pregnancy. She was bombarded with messages that her baby would suffer permanent nerve damage from shoulder dystocia, but her intuition told her otherwise. Though her baby's weight was predicted to be off the charts, Colleen's daughter was born weighing just 7 pounds, 15 ounces. This episode emphasizes the importance of understanding your options, having a supportive team, and trusting your instincts during birth. The VBAC Link Blog: The Facts About Shoulder DystociaEvidence Based Birth® - The Evidence on Big BabiesEvidence Based Birth® - The Evidence on Induction for Big BabiesCoterie Diaper ProductsHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details ​​Julie: All right. Good morning, Women of Strength. It is Julie Francom here with you today. I am super excited that we have with us Colleen here today. Colleen is going to share her story about her VBAC with gestational diabetes and the struggle that she had working towards her VBAC. Now I am really excited to introduce Colleen to you. She is from Long Island, New York. I do not have a Review of the Week. I forgot to pull that up, so we are going to just do a little fun fact about birth preparation instead of a review because I forgot to look at the review. So sorry, Meagan. I think probably the best thing that you can do to prepare for any type of birth is to find out what all of your options are. I feel like that's like such a good tip for first-time moms or going in for a VBAC or even if you want to schedule a repeat C-section or even an initial C-section. I think that one of the biggest disservices we can do to ourselves is not knowing the options that are available to us and not standing up and speaking up for ourselves when the things that we want are not what is done, normally or typically in whatever setting we're choosing to birth at. I love the phrase "if you don't know your options, you don't have any". I think that that is true. And I think that there's never a circumstance where we can be too prepared going into any type of birth experience. So if you're listening, I know that you're already on top of that because you want to get educated and inspired about either VBAC or what your options are for birthing after a C-section. So stick in there. We have a VBAC prep course for parents and for doulas to learn more about VBAC as well. You can find that on our website, thevbaclink.com.All right, let's go ahead and get into it. I would love to introduce you to Colleen. She is a mom of two. She's a teacher living in Long Island, New York. Her first birth and postpartum experiences were incredibly traumatic. She says, "The moment that they wheeled me to the OR for my C-section, I knew I wanted a VBAC. After being diagnosed with gestational diabetes in my second trimester, I faced an uphill battle to achieving my VBAC." And finally, after delivering her daughter, it was the most healing experience she could have ever imagined. We're going to talk a little bit more about those struggles and gestational diabetes and maybe a bait-and-switch, it sounds like, from her new provider at the end of the episode. So hang in there. I'm excited to hear from Colleen. Colleen, are you there?Colleen: Hi.Julie: Hi. All right, you go ahead and get started, and I am super excited to hear your story.Colleen: All right. I guess I'll start with my C-section because that's, I guess, where every VBAC starts. So my pregnancy with my son was textbook perfect. Everything that you want to go right did go right, so I naively expected my birth to follow that same pattern. Hindsight is 20/20. I know I shouldn't have, especially since I've been listening to different birth podcasts for a while, and I know that's really not how it goes, but I guess as a first-time mom, I didn't think about that stuff. So when I went into labor with him, I think I was 38 weeks and 5 days, just shy of 39 weeks. It was an incredibly long labor. I was in labor with him for 40 hours. We stayed home that first day, and then when things started to progress the next day, we headed to the hospital. When I got there, they checked me and did all of the administrative type of things, and I was already 4 centimeters dilated, so they kept me. The first thing that they asked was about an epidural. I knew that I had wanted one, but I didn't know when in my labor I had wanted one. I just heard from a bunch of different people that sometimes anesthesia can take a very long time to get there. So I requested it immediately, not anticipating them to show up five minutes later. I think my husband walked out of the room to fill out another piece of paperwork when he came back there. The whole anesthesia team was in there. I got it at about 4 centimeters dilated, and then just expected for things to go as birth is "supposed" to go. I ended up dilating very, very quickly. Within 10 minutes, I was 8 centimeters dilated. But with that, because it was such a rapid jump, my son's heart rate wasn't able to keep up with it. So there were a ton of people in the room in a matter of seconds. They ended up giving me shots in my thighs to slow my labor. I'm not sure what the medication was. They just did it, and then that was that. And then I stayed in the bed for about 10 hours. I'd asked my nurse to come in and help me move a little bit, and she told me no. She told me because I had an epidural, I could not move. But things were taking a very long time. So at one point, she came in. She's like, "I'll just give you a peanut ball." But at that point, I was still on my back. They had me laboring on my back. She told me to just shift my legs over, and she draped them over the peanut ball, and then left again. And then later on, I started feeling pressure. They came in and they were like, "Okay, yeah, we can do some practice pushes," or, no, let me backtrack. I'm sorry. It took a while, so they ended up pushing Pitocin before I started feeling the pressure, and then a little bit after that, that's when that happened. So they came in and they were like, "Okay, we can do some practice pushes." And I think they let me do two. During those pushes, my son's heart rate dropped dramatically. At that point, it was me, my husband, the hospital OB, not even my OB, just the staff one, and a nurse in the room. But when his heart rate dropped, I think there were 30 people in the room. So at that point, they flipped me over on all fours and just ran out of the room with me. They didn't tell me what was going on. They didn't tell my husband what was going on, so he was in the corner panicking. They were really shoving him back into the corner. I remember being so, so terrified of what was going on just because I didn't know what was happening. All I knew was they were rushing me to the OR. This was 2022. So it was the end of COVID. I remember crying so hard that my mask was just absolutely disgusting. When I got into the OR, there was still no information on what was happening, and they just pushed the full dose of the epidural or spinal, whatever it was, for the C-section. My OB was in the OR at that point. So the practice I was with was so large that even though I had met with a different OB every single appointment, I'd never met this one. She ended up being absolutely phenomenal, but it was very intimidating not meeting the person who was delivering my baby ahead of time. So they have me in the OR, and she says, "Okay, if you are okay with it, we can try to deliver him vaginally with a vacuum." I agreed to that because the last thing I wanted was a C-section. The idea of major surgeries really freaks me out. I definitely didn't want that if I could avoid it. With the vacuum, they let me push three times to try to get him out. Obviously, that did not work. So I ended up having a C-section. The first thing that my OB had said to me after I delivered was that I was a perfect candidate for a VBAC. She said the incision was low. Everything went beautifully. She told me that the C-section was not my fault, which I didn't realize how supportive that was in the moment because I was already beating myself up from it. So then we move into recovery and the mother/baby unit, and everything seemed to be going okay. And then the day that I was supposed to be discharged, I started having, like, I wouldn't even call it a headache because I get migraines so a headache to me is different than to other people, I guess. But I couldn't move. I couldn't walk. When I would stand up, I felt like I was going to fall over. So they added a couple of extra days to my stay, and I ended up having a spinal fluid leak, but the anesthesia team didn't want to say it was that. They were saying it was everything other than that. They said I pulled a muscle when I was pushing. You name it, and they said it was that. It was everything other than a spinal fluid leak. I ended up having some-- I don't even know what kind of procedure it was. It was like a COVID test on steroids. They put long swabs up my nose and essentially numbed my sinus cavity and sent me home because it helped a little bit. And then five days postpartum, I had to go back to my OB because my liver numbers were elevated. She took one look at me and she said, "You have a spinal fluid leak, and you need to go back for a blood patch." Five days postpartum, I was away from my son for literally the entire day. The hospital did not offer me a pump or anything like that. It was just very scary and traumatic, and it set the tone for my whole postpartum experience. Looking back on it now, I describe it as like being in a black hole in comparison to where I am now. So after that whole experience, my husband and I knew that we wanted more kids, but we also knew we needed to change some things because I didn't want to end up with another C-section, and he was very on board with whatever my birth wishes were because he wanted me to have a very different experience than I did the first time around. So then when I was pregnant with my daughter, at the beginning, they were fine, but also the pregnancy was very, very different. While my son was textbook perfect, this one felt like what could go wrong was going wrong.  I know there could have been worse things, but in the moment, it felt very big. I ended up having a subchorionic hematoma. The early bleeding was very, very scary, and my OB still wouldn't see me even though I'd been bleeding for a while. Everything ended up being fine with that. I stayed with the same practice at that point. I was going through everything. Later on in my pregnancy, I obviously did the glucose test and ended up with gestational diabetes. That was in the back of my mind. But then as I was going forward with it, there was very little support or information about gestational diabetes. I got a phone call on a Friday that said, "You have this, and here's a number for you to call, and good luck". The first meeting I had with a diabetes educator, I was under the assumption would be a one-on-one meeting. I didn't realize until 10 minutes before the meeting that it was a group meeting. In bold, capitalized, underlined lettering, it said, "You cannot talk about anything personal because of HIPAA." I had so many questions that I knew were specific to me, and I couldn't ask them. We were sitting in this meeting, and the educator is just going through a PowerPoint of doom and gloom situations of what could happen if gestational diabetes isn't controlled. Then she emailed us all a PDF with like a specific carb goal for the day or whatever it was, and then gave us all prescriptions for the glucose monitors and all of that stuff, but no direction or anything, and was kind of just like, "Okay, well let's make a follow-up appointment for individuals with you guys." And then that was that. I still had no idea what was going on. I picked up the prescription and was just like panicked the whole time. I didn't know what I could eat, what was safe and what wasn't. And then on top of all of that, I felt like I did something wrong and there was just a lot of guilt and heavy feelings surrounding it. When I started to try to research things for gestational diabetes, there was very, very little that I could find. It just felt almost like gestational diabetes wasn't something that we can talk about. It's just something that happens and you've got to deal with it. So eventually I figured out what worked for me and I realized that it was very, very different from that blanket carb gold sheet that they had given us. Their goals were like 60 grams of carbs or something like that for certain meals, and my body just couldn't handle that. My goal was to try to avoid medication if I could because I knew that could impact my chances of having a VBAC because of different providers' thoughts about it. So after I got diagnosed with gestational diabetes and started navigating all of that, I was still talking with my provider about a VBAC and how that was the goal, that was the plan, and I didn't want anything else. I started finding that some OBs okay with it while others weren't. They wouldn't say that they weren't okay with it. I would go back and look over my notes, and there would be a line that said we talked about a C-section. I'm like, no, we didn't. What are you saying? A C-section never came up. I don't know what you're saying. I got a call out of nowhere one day to schedule a C-section. I'm like, "I have no idea what's going on here, and that's not what I want. That's not what I want to do, so I'm not doing it." At my next appointment, the doctor I had met with was saying like, "Oh, since you had a C-section before, we just schedule one just in case. It's what we do with all previous C-section patients." So at that point, I was like, okay, whatever, I'll schedule it with them, but I'm also going to start the process of switching because I wasn't liking how it was very inconsistent.I thought I wanted a smaller practice. I ended up switching to one that my sister-in-law used. At first, everything was fine. I met with two of the three doctors who could potentially be delivering my baby. One of them was very supportive right off the bat. "Yeah, I'm looking at all of your notes, you seem like a great candidate as long as gestational diabetes stays under control, then there's no problem. You can have a VBAC." And then the other provider had a completely different view on it. My first appointment with her, when we were going through everything, she was kind of just like, "Well, you have gestational diabetes, so you should really think about how important a VBAC is for you, and you might need to switch practices." That really caught me off guard. I had never left an OB appointment feeling that upset. I remember crying in my car for a half an hour before I could even pull out of the parking lot because I was just so overwhelmed and upset and had just so many different feelings that I couldn't put my finger on. At this point, I had hired a doula. I was talking to her before I left, and she was really helpful in calming me down. As my pregnancy went on, that was really the role that she ended up playing before I gave birth was really just keeping me and reminding me what I wanted because as things went on, there were the growth scans and all of the other good things that they do during pregnancy. The first growth skin I had, she was measuring big. And they're like, "Oh, she's in the 80th percentile. As long as she stays here, it's fine, but if she gets to be any part of her gets to be over 90%, then you have to have a C-section. You will have to deliver at 39 weeks and there is no shot of anything else."Julie: Oh my gosh, that's overwhelming.Colleen: Yeah, it was a lot thrown at me and this is where the uphill battle started because every scan that they did after that, she was measuring big. Toward the end, she was over the 90th percentile. And in the last month of my pregnancy, I had the weekly non-stress tests and scans, measuring my fluid and all of that stuff. But every single week was a conversation about the risks of a VBAC. They really, really, really were pushing a C-section, but they didn't talk about any risks of a repeat C-section which I find interesting now. But something else that I thought was unkind was the way that they were explaining their risks of a VBAC. They really were focusing on shoulder dystocia. So when my mom had me, I was a very big baby and I actually did have shoulder dystocia. I am physically handicapped from it. So them hammering on the risks of shoulder dystocia as if I didn't know and I was unaware of what could happen was really offensive. One of the providers actually at one point had said that my birth injury wasn't that bad. I was so caught off guard by that comment that I didn't even know what to say.Julie: Wow. Can I ask what it is? Do you mind sharing? You don't have to share.Colleen: No, that's fine. I have left herbs palsy. So it's like a nerve damage essentially. The way that they had to get me out of my mom without using forceps or anything like that, they just put too much pressure on one side and ruined the way that the nerve endings are connected. Julie: Oh.Colleen: Yeah. So when I was born, the doctor told my mom I wouldn't have any use of my left arm. My mom had me in physical therapy from the time I was 6 weeks old until I was 12 years old. Because of that extensive physical therapy, I do have a really decent range of motion in my left arm. It's one of those things where I think about it and I'm like, if I had lost the use of it at some point, I think I'd be more upset. It's annoying, but it's my normal. It's my everyday, and it really doesn't impact my everyday lifestyle, I guess.  I'm able to take care of my baby. One of the comments that the provider made was actually along the lines of like, "Oh, well, yours is fine. You can actually do things. But what if your baby has shoulder dystocia and your baby can't use their arm at all?" They kept bringing up the risks of stillbirth with it, and it was just very scary. Especially because I personally know what can happen with shoulder dystocia. I guess going through it, I had like this deep, deep sense that that was not something that I was going to experience. I don't know what that feeling was, but I knew in my bones that it wasn't happening. But every week, they were talking about the risk of shoulder dystocia and really expanding on how serious it could be. And my last appointment before I gave birth-- so that appointment was on a Wednesday and I had my daughter on Friday. So that Wednesday appointment, my doctor is going through everything again with the risks of shoulder dystocia. They had made me schedule a just-in-case C-section for the day after my due date. They were really trying to get me to switch it to some time in 39 weeks. Every week they were like, "Oh, just give us a call if you change your mind." I was not changing my mind at any point. So the last appointment, right before I was going to leave the room, my doctor was like, "What was your last growth scan?" And then he looked it up, he's like, "Oh, it's been a month. Let's have another growth scan today."Julie: Oh no. Colleen: Two days before I gave birth.And think you back. I'm like, who does that? There's no room for anything in there so obviously, the baby's gonna look huge. I go in. They do the scan. My fluids are fine. But her belly was what was constantly measuring huge which is why they were so insistent that she was going to have shoulder dystocia. The way that this practice is run, they do the scans after you meet with the doctor. Typically, you don't even talk about the scan until the following week which I found very strange. They did this scan. I was like, "I'm not even going to talk about it with my doctor, so whatever, you do what you want." But he had forgotten to write me a doctor's note, and when I asked about it at the front, they had to call him forward. It was at the same time that the ultrasound tech was logging all of the measurements, so he was asking her about it. They ended up having me go back into the office. And in that moment, I knew it was not going to be a good meeting at all. They're going over it, and the ultrasound tech is talking about the way that the measurements work. They do the diameter of the belly and it'll spit out whatever week gestation that matches. She was essentially like, "This baby's belly is off the charts. I can't even get a gestational week because it's so big." Yeah. So I'm standing there like, this is not going to go how I want it to. So my doctor pulls me into a different exam room, and we're talking about what the ultrasound tech had said. And again, shoulder dystocia. Before that appointment, I had gone in and I was like, "I don't even know if I want a cervical check. I know that they really mean very, very little." So before I had the cervical check, I asked, "If I'm dilated at all, instead of jumping right to the C-section that we have scheduled, can I come in that day and can we try for a Foley induction?" And he was like, "Yeah, I'm okay with that." So then he sees the results of the growth scan and backtracked and was like, "No, I'm not comfortable with that. If you walk in in active labor on your due date, we are going to send you right to the OR." It was very devastating. I'd already talked with him about my previous birth and how I was very scared of another C-section. I was scared of an epidural. My plan was to do an unmedicated VBAC because I didn't want to even risk another spinal fluid leak. He brushed all of that off and was like, "Oh, well, it's a planned C-section, so it's going to be very different. The needle they use for a spinal is so much smaller than an epidural, so the risks of that are so much lower." He was not acknowledging anything that I was saying. He was just still pushing, "You need a C-section. You need a C-section. You need a C-section." A week or so before that, he had even told me if I had wanted to go to 41 weeks, that he was going to give me my files and tell me to find another provider because he did not want to be a part of malpractice. At that point, I think I was just so thrown off and confused by everything that I didn't see it as big of a red flag as it actually was. But also when he told me it was too late to switch, no other provider would have taken me at like 37-38 weeks, especially with the gestational diabetes. I went home after that appointment feeling absolutely devastated. It was the pattern of the last month, just completely devastated talking to my doula about it and her reinstalling that confidence in me. That night, I went to sleep and was starting to be like, "All right, I guess I have to start really thinking about, what if this is another C-section?" The following morning I woke up and I guess because the last thing that I had talked about regarding my birth was with my doula and her telling me, "You can do this. I've never seen somebody as confident. You can do this. Your body grew this baby. Your body can birth this baby. You can do this." I had that in my mind when I woke up. And I was, I guess, a little bit extreme in my thinking because I called a midwife group and was going to switch at over 39 weeks pregnant. I'm like, I'm gonna make this work. Some way or another, I'm doing it. I planned on not showing up for the C-section that I had scheduled the following week because when I woke up, I was just like, they cannot cut me open if I don't consent to it. If I walk in in labor, legally, they cannot deny me care. I'm having this baby the way that I want to, and everyone else can just get on board or they can get out. That was Thursday morning, and I had taken off of work for Thursday-Friday because I just couldn't do it. I couldn't teach and give my students the all that they deserved. I was coming home so exhausted. I took that Thursday as my last hurrah with my son. We ended up walking around. I took them to a local farm, and we had a really good day together. The whole day I was like, I'm walking all day, so maybe I'll go into labor. It did not happen. So then the next day, same kind of thing. I had originally intended to go out with my son, but I woke up and I had this overwhelming feeling of, I just can't leave today. I need to stay near my house. I had listened to an episode of The VBAC Link, and I think the woman whose podcast episode it was, it said that either her midwife or her doula told her to go for a two-hour walk. I'm like, you know what? I'm gonna go for a very long walk. They can't hurt anything.I ended up walking for an hour. While I was walking, I started having some contractions, but they weren't consistent. I really wasn't convinced it was anything because I'd been having such intense Braxton Hicks contractions for a month or so that it was just like, this can't be it. So we got home, and I was just going about the day with my son. Nothing was going on. I decided to pump a couple times, so I did that, and by the time his bedtime rolled around, I was having fairly consistent contractions, but I still was not convinced. I was like, this is prodromal labor. There's no way this is actual labor. I'm just gonna have to be mad about this for another day. I even texted my doula, "If this isn't actually it, I'm going to go build a hut somewhere and hide there until I give birth," because I was so tired of talking to my doctors and seeing them and being upset by everything they were saying. So the night's going on, and my contractions are picking up and getting closer together. I still was not convinced that I was in labor. I got to the point where I was like, "All right, well, if this is actually it, I should rest." So I tried to lay down, but I had one contraction, and I could not stay on my back for it. I had to get up and move. I decided to get in the shower, and I didn't think anything of it, but after I had a contraction or two in there, I asked my husband to just keep an eye on how far apart they were. At that point, I wasn't paying attention to the clock at all. I was in there, and my husband opened the bathroom door, and he's like, "Colleen, your contractions are three minutes apart." I'm like, "Oh, okay. Maybe we should call the doula." So we did that, and I'm still laboring. I listened to podcasts where women talk about being in labor land, and I didn't understand what that was until looking back on my birth experience because after I told my husband to call my doula, I have very little recollection of interacting with him or talking to her on the phone or anything because the contractions were just so intense. I got to my bedroom and was leaning over the side of my dresser. I didn't move for I don't even know how long it was, but I was there. I couldn't move. I was drinking a little bit of water, and then all of a sudden my water broke. I guess at that point, that's when I was like, oh, okay, I guess I am in labor, and this is happening. So my husband was on the phone with his brother asking him, "Hey, potentially, you might need to come over and watch our son." And while he's on the phone, my water broke. So he's like, "No, you need to come now." In that time, he had his brother on one phone, my doula on the other, and he's trying to corral me to the car, but I was paralyzed and could not move. I was there until all of a sudden I had this mental break almost where I was like, "I need to move right now. If I don't move, I'm having this baby in my bedroom. and that is not the plan." So I waddled myself to the car, and it was hands down the most dangerous car ride of my life. I didn't buckle my seatbelt. I was backward on the seat just trying to like get through everything. My doula had given me a comb, so I was squeezing that during every contraction. I lost my mom when I was pregnant, so I had a very deep connection with her at that point and was talking to my mom, like, "Don't let me give birth in the car, Mom. Do not let me do that." So we eventually get to the hospital, and I had no recollection of this car ride. I remember being at the last major intersection before the turn for the hospital, but other than that, no idea that we were even in the car really. We get to the hospital, and things were picking up so quickly that my husband didn't even find a parking lot. He just pulled into the drop-off area and stopped the car, turned it off, and we made our way into the hospital. My doula met us there, and we had an off-duty nurse end up bringing us a wheelchair, and one of the security guards at the front ended up literally running us back into labor and delivery. That was around 11:00.When I got into the delivery room, it was three or four people, but it felt like a lot of people were there, and they were all trying to get my information and all the forms that I would have filled out beforehand. So at one point, somebody had mentioned a C-section. I remember saying, "I'm not having a C-section." The OB who was on call had said something about me being a TOLAC patient. I yelled at her, "I am not a TOLAC patient. I am a VBAC."They got me onto the bed finally, and they're trying to get the monitors on me. When they finally did, the way that I was kneeling on the bed, the baby's heart rate wasn't liking it. Again, the OB was like, "Okay, maybe we need to think about a C-section." When she said that, I said, "I'm not consenting to a C-section if I'm not guaranteed skin-to-skin afterward." The nurses were kind of a little nervous with the way that I was responding there. My doula was like, "Okay, before we jump to that, let's turn her over and see if things change." So after that contraction, they moved me, and the baby's heart rate was fine. In that moment for me, I didn't really recognize what was happening. But afterward, my husband said that he was very nervous, and he was just yelling for the doula to help in that situation because he didn't know what to do. At that point, when they finally got me situated, I was ready to go at 10 centimeters, fully effaced. Baby was at a zero station, ready to go. And somebody was like, "Oh, do you want an epidural?" And me, my husband, and my doula were all like, "No, there's no epidural happening." So, they got me situated, and I think I pushed maybe five times before the baby was born.Julie: Wow.Colleen: Yeah, I came in hot.Julie: Yeah, you did.Colleen: I pushed. I felt the ring of fire. And the most incredible feeling was after that, feeling her body turn as it came out. It was the ring of fire, and then she flew out after that. There was absolutely no shoulder dystocia there. She was born at 11:38. We parked the car at 11, and she was born at 11:38. At my last scan, they were saying she was going to measure over 9.5 pounds. She was born, and she was 7 pounds, 15 ounces. My doula looked at me and she's like, "If you had had a C-section for a baby that wasn't even 8 pounds, I would have been so mad for you." I got my golden hour. I got skin-to-skin for that entire time. They did all of the baby's testing on me, and they were so respectful of that mother/baby bonding time that I really lost out on with my son. I didn't realize how much it impacted me until after I had my daughter, and I got what I had my heart set on. It was the most healing thing. I didn't realize I had things that needed to be healed in ways that they were. I felt so incredibly powerful, especially after everything was said and done. The nurse who stayed with us and then ended up bringing us to the mother/baby unit, I had asked her, "How often do you see unmedicated VBACs?" And she was like, "It's very, very rare because the providers are nervous about it. They want to have the epidural in place as a just-in-case." But I knew, for me, the fear of a repeat spinal fluid leak was bigger than the fear of any of the pain that would have happened. I know from listening to The VBAC Link that if it were a real emergency, having an epidural ahead of time wouldn't have done anything because it takes a while for the epidural to kick in. Even if I had gotten an epidural when I got to the hospital, it would not have helped me in any way. But she was completely healthy. There were no issues. She passed all of her blood sugar testing which I was really worried about. And then, my blood sugar was fine afterward also. Even still, it's very confusing trying to navigate this super strict diet that I had for so much of my pregnancy to now just being like, "All right, you're fine. It didn't even exist. Go back to eating however you wanted." I don't know. It's very, very confusing. Out of all of the things from my pregnancy, having no support from my providers on the VBAC side of things, and then having no guidance, I should say, with gestational diabetes, those were hands-down the most difficult things. But I did it and I'm still feeling very powerful for that.Julie: Yes, I love that. How old is your baby now?Colleen: She's four weeks.Julie: Oh, my gosh. You are fresh off your VBAC, girl. Colleen: Yeah.Julie: Ride that high as long as you can, man. I still feel really awesome. My first VBAC baby is 9.5 now. 9.5 years old. Okay, so this might sound really weird, but I wish that it wasn't something that we had to feel so victorious about. Does that make sense? I wish it was just way more common and just a normal thing, but it's not. Lots of people have to overcome lots of challenges in order to get the birth experience that they want, and that is sad. As empowering and incredible as it is when it happens, it's also kind of sad that, you know what? I don't know. Does that make sense? Colleen: It makes complete sense. I was going back and trying to research things on VBAC statistics and this, that, and the next thing and listening to other podcasts.Julie: You have to work so hard. It's sad that we have to work so hard.Colleen: A lot of it came down to providers being scared of the consequences that they would face if anything went wrong. I'm like, well, that's not fair because you're not even giving somebody a chance. Everything that I read was if the quote-unquote problem is on the baby's end, then mom has no reason to think that she can't have a VBAC, but so many providers don't see it the same way.Julie: Yeah. Yeah. I have 500 things that I want to talk about right now. First of all, I feel like this is the gospel according to Julie. This is not, I don't think, anything that I could find any evidence for or not. But I think sometimes when we, we as in the medical system. We have a parent who has gestational diabetes and change their diet drastically and so completely and eliminate carbs and sugars and all of these things. I feel like when that happens more often, I see babies with significantly smaller birth weights than if we were to make more subtle adjustments to their diets.Colleen: Yeah. I had a couple of gestational diabetes groups on Facebook. So many of the women who would post, after their baby was born, they had either very small babies because they changed their diet so drastically, or their babies were larger because of the insulin, so I agree with the gospel according to Julie.Julie: Yeah, thank you. So that's two of us. I'm pretty sure Meagan would agree as well. So three out of however many. Okay. Let's just leave that right there, first of all.Second of all, just saying that ultrasound measurements are grossly inaccurate. It's not uncommon for them to be. My sister-in-law, right now, is going to get induced on Monday as a first-time mom, completely ignorant to a lot of the birth process and everything and doesn't have a desire to-- she's completely the opposite of me. They're inducing her at 38 weeks because she has gestational diabetes, and they expect her baby's going to be big, and they don't want shoulder dystocia, etc. etc. etc. We know the whole thing, right? I was looking up evidence on shoulder dystocia, and it's really interesting because there are some studies that say first of all, Evidence Based Birth has a really great article on the evidence for induction for C-section or big baby. That will be linked in the show notes. Now it's really interesting because I was looking up rates for shoulder dystocia for big babies versus regular-sized babies. There are some studies that show that smaller babies have up to a 2% chance for shoulder dystocia, and larger babies have anywhere from a 7 to 15% chance of having difficulties with birthing their shoulders. There are other studies that show half of shoulder dystopias occur in babies that are smaller than 8 pounds, and 13 ounces. I feel like there's a little bit of disconnect out there in the research. However, like Colleen, permanent nerve damage occurs with shoulder dystocia in 1 out of every 555 babies, Permanent nerve damage will occur due to stuck shoulders in 1 out of every 555 babies who weigh between 8 pounds, 13 ounces, and 9 pounds, 15 ounces. I'm curious, Colleen, how big were you? Do you know what your birth weight was?Colleen: Yeah, I was 9 pounds 2 ounces.Julie: Okay, so you were barely a big baby.Colleen: Yeah, I was born three weeks early.Julie: Oh my goodness, girl. Yes. Okay, so yes, that was definitely large for gestational age too. But that's okay. Honestly, that means 1 out of every 555 babies will have permanent nerve damage from shoulder dystocia. When we get babies that are 10 pounds or bigger, it's actually 1 out of every 175 babies. I don't want to discount when that happens, but I mean, 554 out of 555 babies don't have that permanent nerve injury, too. I think it's really important that when we look at risks, that we have a really accurate representation of what those risks are in order to make an informed decision. So just like with uterine rupture, we don't want to discount when it happens because it does happen, and it's something that we need to look at. But what are the benefits compared to the risks? Why? What are the benefits of induction compared to the benefits of potentially avoiding a shoulder dystocia? The Evidence Based Birth article is really amazing. I don't want to go on and on for hours about this, although I definitely could, but most of the time, when shoulder dystocias happen, they're resolved without incident. I mean, it can be kind of hard and kind of frustrating and difficult to get the baby out and maybe a little traumatic, but yeah, most of the time everything works out well. Colleen, I'm glad that your birth injury is--I mean, I just feel so proud of your mom for putting into therapy and stuff like that earlier on because it could have had the potential to be a lot worse if she didn't do that. So kudos to your mom. I'm super excited for you. When you were talking-- not excited for you. That is the wrong word to say. I'm grateful that you had access to that care to help you. When you were telling me about your injury, it reminds me of my oldest who has cerebral palsy. It's really, really mild. Most people don't know. He has decreased motor function in his right arm and his right foot. He walks on his toe. He can't really use his right hand too well and his ambidexterity is a little awkward for him. But you said something that really stuck with me. That's just your normal. That's just what you know. I feel like that with my son too. While his disability is limiting in certain ways, he's also found lots of very healthy ways to adapt and manage and live a very full and happy life despite it. I might be putting words in your mouth, but it kind of sounded like you had said similar to that.Colleen: Oh, absolutely. It's just what I know. I don't know anything different.Julie: It's just let you know and yes. It's really fun. It's really not fun. Oh my gosh. Words are hard today. Please edit me out of all of these words. Gosh, my goodness. So not to discount any of that because it does happen, but we also want to make sure that we have accurate representation of the risks. Also, I want to touch on Colleen leaning into your intuition and following that and letting that guide you because I think that's really important as well. Sometimes our intuition is telling us things that don't make sense, and sometimes it's telling us things that makes absolute perfect sense and align right with our goals and our vision. I encourage everyone to lean into that intuition no matter what it's telling you because those mama instincts are real. They are very real. I feel like they deserve more credit than sometimes we give them. So, yeah. I don't know. Colleen, tell me. I know that you had a really awesome doula helping you. Besides hiring a doula and doing your best to find the best support team and advocating for yourself, what other advice would you give people who are preparing for a VBAC?Colleen: I think, like you said at the beginning of the podcast, looking at your options. I didn't know what my options were with my son, and then this time around, I had a better idea of what the options were. And then listening to positive VBAC stories. So, like, I remember maybe six weeks before I had my daughter, just trying to find anything. I searched VBAC on Apple podcasts, and this was the first thing that came up. I listened to two episodes a day until I ended up giving birth.Having all of that positive information was really helpful, and then having my husband so be on board with everything and my doula really talking me off those ledges of absolute devastation after my appointments to the next morning having that confidence again. So those are the things. Julie: I love that too. Yeah.Believe in yourself. Not everyone that tries to VBAC is going to have a VBAC. That's just the unfortunate reality of what it's like. But I think believing in yourself to not only have your best birth experience and having that belief in order to have a VBAC, but also having belief that if your birth doesn't end up in a VBAC that you can navigate those circumstances in order to still have a powerful and satisfying birth experience. Trust yourself. I think that's really, really important.Coleen: Yeah, I agree with that.Julie: Cool. All right, Colleen. Well, thank you so much for spending time here with me today. I loved hearing your stories. I love hearing the little baby noises in the background. Those always make my heart happy. And yeah, we will catch you on the flip side.ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Send us a textIn this episode, Allison Angelini shares the profound and challenging story of her second pregnancy and birth. From the start, Allison had a premonition that her birth might not go as planned. Compounding her worries, she experienced a traumatic event while camping with her toddler, which left her grappling with PTSD and anxiety throughout her pregnancy.Despite her fears, Allison pursued a home birth. Her labor was long and intense, complicated by an anterior cervical lip and an instinctive sense that something was off. After her baby's head was born, his shoulders became stuck—a shoulder dystocia. He entered the world pale, limp, and not breathing. However, his umbilical cord remained intact and pulsing at a strong 150 bpm, allowing him to recover after eight tense minutes in his mother's arms, still connected to his placenta.In reflecting on her experience, Allison wonders if her mental state influenced her labor progression and contributed to the shoulder dystocia of her 9 lb. 13 oz. baby. Despite this difficult birth, she later went on to have a smooth home birth with her third child, who weighed almost exactly the same as her second.Tune in to hear Allison's honest and introspective journey as she wrestles with the question: Did my PTSD cause a shoulder dystocia?**********Our sponsors:Silverette Nursing Cups -- Soothe and heal sore nipples with 925 silver nursing cups.Postpartum Soothe -- Herbs and padsicles to heal and comfort.Needed -- Our favorite nutritional products for before, during, and after pregnancy. Use this link to save 20%Use promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH for all sponsors.DrinkLMNT -- Purchase LMNT with this unique link and get a FREE sample pack Connect with us on Patreon for our exclusive content.Email Contact@DownToBirthShow.comInstagram @downtobirthshowCall us at 802-GET-DOWN Work with Cynthia: 203-952-7299 HypnoBirthingCT.com Work with Trisha: 734-649-6294 Please remember we don't provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed medical provider for all your healthcare matters.

Send us a textWelcome to the first Q&A episode of Season 6 with Cynthia & Trisha! We're kicking things off by discussing some lesser-known causes of cervical scar tissue that could impact labor progress. It's a good reminder to consider how any procedure or reproductive intervention might affect future births.In this episode, we answer a new collection of listener questions, including one about a mom-to-be who wants a home birth but is feeling uneasy about having someone else in the house to watch her child during labor. Is a birth center a better option for her? We also talk about postpartum aches and pains—specifically knee, calf, and foot discomfort—and what supplements and activities might help during recovery. Plus, we dive into the rise of shoulder dystocia: why is it happening more often, and what can be done to prevent or address it?In our extended episode, available to Apple subscribers and on Patreon, we answer more questions, such as: How can you tell if you're bleeding too much after delivering the placenta in water (with expert advice from Barbara Harper of Waterbirth International)? Do prenatal vitamins actually play a critical role? And when, if ever, does a low fetal heart rate in labor mean you need to cut the cord and separate mom and baby for resuscitation?We also wrap up with a quick-fire round of Quickies covering everything from laboring on your back and diaper rash to ultrasounds, precipitous labor, and the foods we, personally, could eat every single day.Tune in for all that and more!#200 | Physiologic Birth of the Placenta in Water, Optimal Cord Clamping and Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage with Barbara Harper**********Our sponsors:Silverette Nursing Cups -- Soothe and heal sore nipples with 925 silver nursing cups.Postpartum Soothe -- Herbs and padsicles to heal and comfort.Needed -- Our favorite nutritional products for before, during, and after pregnancy. Use this link to save 20%Use promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH for all sponsors.DrinkLMNT -- Purchase LMNT with this unique link and get a FREE sample pack Connect with us on Patreon for our exclusive content.Email Contact@DownToBirthShow.comInstagram @downtobirthshowCall us at 802-GET-DOWN Work with Cynthia: 203-952-7299 HypnoBirthingCT.com Work with Trisha: 734-649-6294 Please remember we don't provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed medical provider for all your healthcare matters.

On Today's episode, Sarah and Charli answer a listener's question about shoulder dystocia and her baby's NICU admission during a previous birth. Now pregnant again, she wonders if she should expect another shoulder dystocia and what steps she can take to prepare. This episode explores factors contributing to shoulder dystocia, the likelihood of recurrence, and how personalized care, maternal positioning, and midwifery support can empower families and lead to a positive birth experience. If you like what you get here, you'll like our online childbirth education course even more. It's a more detailed look at the stages of labor, how to cope, and what to do along the way to set yourself up for success. It also shows partners what to expect from their point of view and what they can do to support you in labor. Stay Connected With Us! Website: https://hearthandhomemidwifery.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/HearthandHomeMidwifery Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HearthandHomeMidwifery YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hearthandhomemidwifery1206   The Homebirth Midwife Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of midwifery, medicine, or other professional health care services. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast are at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

In this episode of the MamasteFit podcast, Erin shares her detailed birth story. Originally planning for an unmedicated birth, Erin faced several challenges including the need for her waters to be broken, Pitocin induction, an epidural, and navigating a shoulder dystocia. She recounts her preparation for pregnancy dealing with PCOS, her labor experience, and the emotional aftermath. Roxanne and Erin also discuss the importance of being active during pregnancy, the benefits of having a doula, and the significance of adequate postpartum rest. 00:00 Introduction to Birth Story Friday 01:28 Meet Erin: Preparing for Pregnancy and Birth 05:01 Erin's Labor Begins 12:02 Challenges During Labor 15:13 The Birth and Immediate Aftermath 18:49 Postpartum Reflections and Advice 28:59 Conclusion and Resources === Get Your Copy of Training for Two on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VOTdwH —— ****Freebies***** Early postpartum recovery course:  https://mamastefit.com/freebies/early-postpartum-recovery-guide/  Pp sample  https://mamastefit.com/freebies/postpartum-fitness-guide/ Prenatal Sample:  https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prenatal-fitness-program-guide/ Pelvic Floor  https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-your-pelvic-floor-for-labor/ Birth Prep for Labor Guide  https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-for-labor-guide/ Birth Partner Guide  https://mamastefit.com/freebies/birth-partner-guide/ Birth Plan  https://mamastefit.com/freebies/birth-plan-guide/

Adriana celebrates a decade of podcasting by sharing some of the most badass moments she's witnessed as a doula, including an unassisted waterbirth at the hospital, a uniquely calm and undisturbed physiological birth (in the hospital lobby!), and more moments where her clients embraced their roles as protagonists of their labors, leaned into what they needed, and asked their teams to step up, even if that meant going outside of how things "are usually done."Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULAQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULIXL LEARNING - Get 20% off a membership at ixl.com/TODAYGet the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links on its show notes page.  If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on Big Babies and Shoulder Dystocia and our episode on 10 Unforgettable Doula Moments.You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast on Instagram or email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana's Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.Our Sponsors:* Check out IXL, and as a Birthful listener, get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership at https://www.ixl.com/TODAYSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

My first home birth was a peaceful, wonderful, and shocking experience! I'm sharing all the adventurous details with you today. Purposeful Holiday Planner available for free here! Join the conversation or ask a question here!⁠ ⁠Connect with me on my email list.⁠ ⁠Let's be friends on Instagram!

Doula and perinatal dance instructor Kemeera Nimahat has given birth four times and is the self-proclaimed queen of ignoring early labor. She shares with Adriana how tuning into her intuition has been pivotal in deciding where and with whom to give birth (she switched from homebirth to hospital for her first) and the deep work she did in preparation for her most recent birth, which was surprisingly fast, and pain-free. NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULHONEYLOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULARTIFACT UPRISING - Get up to 20% off at ArtifactUprising.com with code BIRTHFUL through December 31.IXL LEARNING - Get 20% off a membership at ixl.com/TODAYGet the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links on its show notes page.  If you liked this episode, listen to our episode on Is Homebirth for You? and our interview on Big Babies and Shoulder Dystocia. You can connect with Kemeera on Instagram @MammaJammaDance. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast on Instagram or email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana's Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.Our Sponsors:* Check out FamilyAlbum: family-album.com* For 20% off your membership, go to www.ixl.com/TODAYSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Special Guest: Atlanta Pediatrician Dr. Lester A. Freeman, M.D., F.A.A.P. discuss Shoulder Dystocia and Erb's Palsy Points covered  What is Shoulder Dystocia and Erb's Palsy Shoulder Dystocia and its Risk Factors Erb's Palsy as a Potential Complication Prevention and Management Strategies   Biography Dr. Freeman was born and raised for part of his childhood in Harlem, New York City, but relocated to Laurelton, Queens where he spent the rest of his formative years. Ever since he was five years old, he wanted to become not only a physician, but a pediatrician. He was always interested in medicine and did well in math and science. Dr. Freeman graduated from one of the most prestigious high schools, not only the state of New York, but in the United States, Brooklyn Technical High School. He graduated from New York University and graduated from UNDNJ-Rutgers Medical School and did his pediatric residency training there, as well. He has always sympathized with the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, the children. Dr. Freeman's goal is to make sure they get the best pediatric care possible. It's a lifelong responsibility that he fully enjoys yet takes very seriously.    Dr. Freeman has desired to be a pediatrician since the age of 5. One year during the Christmas season, Dr. Freeman's father asked him a question he had never been asked before, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” He looked away confused until his father pulled him close and whispered in his ear, “doctor or lawyer?” Dr. Freeman yelled, “DOCTOR!” His father cheered, and then asked, “What kind of doctor?” Reflexively, he answered, “A baby doctor—one that takes care of kids!” Every year, his father would ask him that same question until it stuck. Dr. Freeman's motivation stems from his fundamental love for both children and pediatric medicine. His daily goals include educating his patients and their families about pediatric health, and inspiring as many children and adolescents as he possibly can to become interested in pursuing a career in medicine.” Social Media Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tlcpediatricsllc/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/1566269787036372/freeman-lester-dr-tlc-pediatrics/Support the show: http://www.cooleyfoundation.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Links: Get your breast pump, lactation support, and maternity compression garments for free at aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour and use promo code BIRTHHOUR15 at for 15% off supplies and accessories. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course - use code 100OFF for $100 off Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Links: Use code BIRTHHOUR for 15% off at ergobaby.com.  Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Use code 100OFF for $100 off enrollment Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Send me your feedback!Episode 36 is shared by mum to 4 under 6 years, Shelby. Shelby felt naive going in to her first 2 births, and although she learnt about homebirth (via freebirth first!) after her 2nd baby, she chose to have another birth centre birth. It wasn't until after reflection many months later, that she decided for her 4th baby she would plan a homebirth. An episode that makes you think about why 3 non-homebirths had so many issues, but her 4th baby who was born at home, was so different. Resources: Velamentous Cord Insertion https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24111-velamentous-cord-insertionPreterm Premature Rupture of Membranes https://evidencebasedbirth.com/ebb-281-mini-q-a-on-the-evidence-on-preterm-prom/IVF & Induction https://www.therealbirthcompanyltd.com/2021/04/28/ivf-and-stillbirth/Meconium in waters https://midwifethinking.com/2015/01/14/the-curse-of-meconium-stained-liquor/Learn more about me, my offers as a doula & the podcast here: https://www.birthingathome.com.au/CHAPTERS00:00Shelby's Birth Center Births06:15Discovering Home Birth08:08Overview of First Two Births11:21Dealing with Shoulder Dystocia28:36Bringing Baby Home on Oxygen33:25Considering Induction for Future Pregnancies34:53Making an Informed Decision39:59Dealing with Others' Opinions41:22Finding the Right Midwife43:31Unexpected Early Labor48:43The Excitement of Catching the Baby54:07Creating a Comfortable Birth Space57:41Returning to Normalcy After Birth01:03:13Passing on the Knowledge of Home Birth01:05:24Challenges with Publicly Funded Home Birth01:06:45The Power of Physiological BirthSupport the Show.

During the delivery of her first child, Kayla's care team believed that she experienced a shoulder dystocia, which led to violent, and rushed efforts to get her baby out as fast they could. This left Kayla with a fourth degree tear, a NICU stay for her baby, and lots of trauma to process in her postpartum time. It wasn't until she was considering having a second baby and was interviewing home birth midwives, that she realized the diagnosis of a dystocia in her first birth was probably inaccurate, and her baby simply needed a little more time to emerge. Armed now with the knowledge that her body didn't dysfunction in any way, Kayla chose to have a home birth with her second child, and had a beautiful, healing birth experience. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music:   Take me Back by Strength to Last

Listen to the co-host of Natural Birth Talk Podcast, Rachel Mans, share her 3 amazing stories of planning for a natural birth in the hospital and then her precipitous homebirth.  Shoulder Dystocia is seen as one of the worst childbirth complications and often times it is blamed on a big baby or mother's pelvis. Rachel shares in today's episode how instinct helped her navigate this potentially life threatening complication.  Connect with Rachel: https://www.facebook.com/TheNaturalBirthSite https://www.instagram.com/thenaturalbirthsite/ https://www.thenaturalbirthsite.com/ Contact@thenaturalbirthsite.com RSVP to March's Woman's Circle ---> https://birth-bliss-beyond.ck.page/f3d39cab99   Click here to get your ticket for the Peaceful Homebirth Retreat    Grab your free 30 minute Birth Strategy Call   Save 10% off Araza Beauty when you use code "empoweredbirth"   Save 10% off The Wellness Company Products with code "PHB"        

Join us on this episode of the Birth Journeys as Sari shares how she chose an unmedicated birth with hospital midwives for her second birth and how things didn't go exactly as she had imagined it. This episode covers hospital birth, unmedicated birth, midwifery care, and shoulder dystocia. 

An unfortunate delivery in Georgia prompted this podcast. This podcast discussed the cardinal movements of labor, gestational diabetes and shoulder dystocia. Have a listen and send a pray to the family.

You know how as pregnancy progresses, your whole body becomes more uncomfortable? It turns out that chiropractic care can help you feel much better and even help you have an easier birth. Dr. Elliot Berlin shares with Adriana why chiropractic care is a superb pregnancy tool for anyone, but especially if you have an “athletic pelvis” or want to aid a breech baby turn head down.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULHONEYLOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful JENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with code BIRTHFULAQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULHOMETHREADS - Go to HomeThreads.com/birthful to get a code for 15% off your first orderACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing in your futureGet the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  If you liked this episode, listen to our episode on Baby's Position and Labor Flow and our interview on Big Babies and Shoulder Dystocia.You can connect with Dr. Berlin on Instagram @Doctorberlin. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana's Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.Our Sponsors:* Visit HomeThreads.com/BIRTHFUL today and get a 15% off code for your first order!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Emily shares the story of experiencing the rare event of a shoulder dystocia, while birthing her first baby at home, with a midwife. They were able to safely resolve the dystocia, and her baby was born, but as a precaution they visited the hospital after the birth. What followed was a series of events including encounters with good doctors, one very bad one, and CPS.  This experience initiated Emily into motherhood in an extremely powerful way. At times in the days immediately postpartum, she had to find a strength to protect herself and her daughter, that she didn't know she had.  If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / outro music: Dreams by Markvard Transition music:   Letting Go by Hotham

Margot Strauhull brought her self-described “rule-following” attitude to her first hospital induction with an OB and had what she considered was a fine birth… until she was overcome by sadness in postpartum. This started her on a journey of peeling back the layers, to finally come to a deep trust in her own wisdom and instincts.Margot tells Adriana how the fear radiating from her providers around her “history of macrosomal infants” further activated her intuition to switch to a freestanding birth center at the beginning of her 3rd trimester, and finally have the undisturbed physiological birth she wanted.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULHONEYLOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful JENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with code BIRTHFULAQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULHOMETHREADS - Go to HomeThreads.com/birthful to get a code for 15% off your first orderGet the most out of this episode by checking out the resources and links listed on its show notes page.If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on Big Babies and Shoulder Dystocia and our episode on Birthing Like a Rockstar.You can learn more about Margot on Instagram @margotyoga. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana's Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.Our Sponsors:* Visit HomeThreads.com/BIRTHFUL today and get a 15% off code for your first order!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

As a mother, the journey to meet your child is etched in your memory with all its twists and harrowing turns. Kami, a pediatric speech language pathologist, bravely steps into our space, inviting us into the most vulnerable moments of her life as she recounts the birth of her two children. Her story, a tapestry woven with the threads of anxiety, resilience, and profound growth, underscores the unpredictable nature of childbirth and the indomitable spirit of motherhood. Our conversation with Kami dives into the heart of her experiences, from the strenuous 48-hour induction of her firstborn to the complex emotions surrounding her second child's planned C-section. She opens up about the postpartum period, a time of healing and introspection, where journaling and therapy, specifically EMDR, played critical roles in her recovery. Kami's narrative, punctuated with candid discussions about mental health and the power of support systems, offers a compelling and deeply personal look at the realities of parenting newborns.As we conclude this episode, we extend our deepest gratitude to you, our listeners, for joining us on this intimate journey. As we part ways, remember, each story of birth is a testament to the diversity and resilience that lies within all birthing parents. Until next time, hold onto the strength of these stories, and may they guide you through your own chapters of parenthood.Connect with Kami on Instagram here and Threads here.To sign up for our newsletter visit our website and blog: www.goldenhourbirthpodcast.comFollow Liz on Instagram here and Natalie hereFollow us on Facebook here.

Laurel Gourrier, co-host of the podcast “Birth Stories in Color,” reflects on how her hospital birth experience— even though it was long and hard— often felt like a big party, thanks to the support of her partner, parents, and in-laws. She tells Adriana Lozada how their care and the constant communication of her wishes created a safe and joyful space in which she could birth, even leading her parents to open their home for the birth of her second child.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULHONEYLOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful JENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with code BIRTHFULAQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULHOMETHREADS - Go to HomeThreads.com/birthful to get a code for 15% off your first orderIf you liked this episode, listen to our interview on Big Babies and Shoulder Dystocia, and our episode on The Induction ProcessGet the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  You can connect with Laurel on Instagram @birthstoriesincolor. Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana's Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.Our Sponsors:* Visit HomeThreads.com/BIRTHFUL today and get a 15% off code for your first order!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Welcome to another episode of the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast! In this unique installment, cohost Augustine Colebrook talks with Texas Midwife Melody Barnum. Brace yourselves as they delve into the extraordinary story of a birth that Melody attended a year ago—one that goes beyond the ordinary, featuring a precipitous shoulder dystocia.Melody and Augustine meticulously talk through each layer of this birth story. From the details of the birth itself to the incredible charting by Melody and her team, and the impact it had on Melody as a midwife.What sets this episode apart is Melody's incredible courage and transparency in sharing her own experience. Her willingness to open up allows all of us to gain invaluable insights and lessons. Get ready to be inspired and informed as we dive into this story.Show Resources-Defensive Charting Course-Shoulder Dystocia Blog-Midwives Training EMS episode

When you imagine a beautiful homebirth, what comes to mind? Everything unfolds perfectly, or nearly perfectly, right?   This week, we're speaking with Coco Brown. Coco is a mother, currently navigating the labyrinth that is postpartum using ancestral knowledge and intuition to guide her. She is a maternal health and nourishment advocate sharing her intimate journey through home birth, postpartum, intuitive motherhood and well being through her online presence in hopes to deeply connect women and mothers around the world.   Our story with Coco will challenge the idea that beauty is equivalent to a perfectly smooth birthing experience. As the title suggests, there will be discussion of a shoulder dystocia, so of course please consider this as you listen. However, I do want to share that Coco is a wonderful storyteller and she shares her experience both gently and realistically... and spoiler alert, but all went well in the end.     Episode Roundup:     Imagination. Many of you know that I view the world through a biblical lens, and something that's been on my mind for the last few months, and that relates in such a special way to this episode, is the idea of the imagination. Just like Coco shared how she took time to deeply envision her birth experience, and so much of it happened in the way that she'd put thought to. Lately, I've been reflecting on how The Lord uses our imagination for our good and His glory. We were given this ability to imagine-- to see things in our mind-- and it is such a gift. We're called to renew our minds and spirits and to think on whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—using our imagination to renew the mind and think on these things in our day to day life is the stuff of miracles. Use your imagination! Think on your pure, excellent, praiseworthy birth, mama. Next, I want to focus on how, between her first pregnancy and birth and her most recent, Coco learned to lean into her intuition and to truly listen to it. This is what led her to choose to give birth in her own home, and to choose a midwife who truly embodied what that word is supposed to mean-- someone who trusts, believes in physiological birth, and who is there to wisely step in when the time is right. As Coco told this part of the birth story, I pictured these three women, with Coco as the spearhead, along with her two midwives flanking either side. Supporting her, keeping her safe, but always recognizing Coco's lead. That's what this relationship is all about. And finally, a word on integration. Coco's journey from first pregnancy through her most recent birth has been full of ups and downs. Triumph and troubles. And labor is a microcosm of this very experience. I loved her labor depiction. "I am an ocean." Oceans are many things. Mighty, flowing, majestic, serene, cataclysmic, and tranquil. What a wonderful analogy for the process of integration. Taking all of the aspects of her journey thus far-- breaking them down and then building them back up together. Letting it all wash over her in waves. And like waves, the integration of an experience ebbs and flows. It's not all at once. But this ability to take our experience and pull it into our being-- absorbing the meaning and allowing it to transform us-- that is an abundant gift to ourselves and our families alike.

When you imagine a beautiful homebirth, what comes to mind? Everything unfolds perfectly, or nearly perfectly, right?   This week, we're speaking with Coco Brown. Coco is a mother, currently navigating the labyrinth that is postpartum using ancestral knowledge and intuition to guide her. She is a maternal health and nourishment advocate sharing her intimate journey through home birth, postpartum, intuitive motherhood and well being through her online presence in hopes to deeply connect women and mothers around the world.   Our story with Coco will challenge the idea that beauty is equivalent to a perfectly smooth birthing experience. As the title suggests, there will be discussion of a shoulder dystocia, so of course please consider this as you listen. However, I do want to share that Coco is a wonderful storyteller and she shares her experience both gently and realistically... and spoiler alert, but all went well in the end.   Episode Roundup Imagination. Many of you know that I view the world through a biblical lens, and something that's been on my mind for the last few months, and that relates in such a special way to this episode, is the idea of the imagination. Just like Coco shared how she took time to deeply envision her birth experience, and so much of it happened in the way that she'd put thought to. Lately, I've been reflecting on how The Lord uses our imagination for our good and His glory. We were given this ability to imagine-- to see things in our mind-- and it is such a gift. We're called to renew our minds and spirits and to think on whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—using our imagination to renew the mind and think on these things in our day to day life is the stuff of miracles. Use your imagination! Think on your pure, excellent, praiseworthy birth, mama. Next, I want to focus on how, between her first pregnancy and birth and her most recent, Coco learned to lean into her intuition and to truly listen to it. This is what led her to choose to give birth in her own home, and to choose a midwife who truly embodied what that word is supposed to mean-- someone who trusts, believes in physiological birth, and who is there to wisely step in when the time is right. As Coco told this part of the birth story, I pictured these three women, with Coco as the spearhead, along with her two midwives flanking either side. Supporting her, keeping her safe, but always recognizing Coco's lead. That's what this relationship is all about. And finally, a word on integration. Coco's journey from first pregnancy through her most recent birth has been full of ups and downs. Triumph and troubles. And labor is a microcosm of this very experience. I loved her labor depiction. "I am an ocean." Oceans are many things. Mighty, flowing, majestic, serene, cataclysmic, and tranquil. What a wonderful analogy for the process of integration. Taking all of the aspects of her journey thus far-- breaking them down and then building them back up together. Letting it all wash over her in waves. And like waves, the integration of an experience ebbs and flows. It's not all at once. But this ability to take our experience and pull it into our being-- absorbing the meaning and allowing it to transform us-- that is an abundant gift to ourselves and our families alike. This Week's Sponsors: Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy Code PODCAST for 10% off

Today on The Natural Birth Podcast we have Stella.   Stella is a mama of two from Florida, USA. She works in the health & wellness space and lives a natural, holistic lifestyle.   She went from being terrified of birth, thinking she would never have children because of her fears, to having two beautiful home births in the house built by her and her husband.    Her first birth was long and challenging, but she reached her goal of having an unmedicated home birth.   But she still felt like something was missing, there were some things that happened during her first birth that she didn't want for her second, and she didn't have the euphoric birth experience that she knew was possible from all of the birth stories she had listened to.   She decided to go for an independent home birth midwife instead of the birth center she did the first time.   Her second birth was fast, magical, and practically pain-free even though she had a shoulder dystocia.     She shares all about how she faced her fears, how she prepared for each of her birth experiences and the pearls of wisdom she learned from each one. She did a full 180 and is now fully obsessed with birth.  This episode is sponsored by Informed Pregnancy Plus. Try Informed Pregnancy Plus absolutely free of charge. Just visit informedpregnancy.tv and start watching these inspiring documentaries and films already today. Find All of Anna's Links & Resources here: https://www.thenaturalbirthcourse.com/links-podcast --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thenaturalbirthpodcast/message

In this episode, we review the high-yield topic of Shoulder Dystocia⁠⁠⁠⁠ from the Obstetrics section. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Medbullets⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/medbullets Instagram: www.instagram.com/medbulletsofficial Twitter: www.twitter.com/medbullets Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/medbullets

In this episode, I'm joined by Siri Lachmansingh, who shares her remarkable journey of pregnancy and childbirth while managing type 1 diabetes.   Siri delves into the unique challenges and considerations for pregnant individuals with diabetes, including blood sugar management and medical monitoring. Siri also takes us through the choices she made during her induction process and the empowering moments she experienced during her second birth journey. Tune in as Siri's story highlights the importance of informed decision-making and the strength that can come from embracing evidence-based care during pregnancy and childbirth.   Content Note: This episode discusses topics related to pregnancy, childbirth, and managing type 1 diabetes during pregnancy. While the conversation is focused on informed decision-making and evidence-based care, it may contain medical details and experiences that could be sensitive for some listeners— including a description (starting at 41 minutes) of obstetric violence, shoulder dystocia, and birth injury to a newborn. Please be mindful of your own comfort and emotional well-being while listening.   Trigger Warning: shoulder dystocia, birth injury to a newborn, and obstetric violence   Resources: Follow Siri's journey: Instagram @sirilachmansingh Siri's Birth Hour podcast episode Find out more about Siri's birth and childbirth education team here: Doula Aileen (https://www.doulaaileen.com/), Heather Christine Struwe (https://holisticcontinuum.com) and Rhonda Fellows (https://www.oilydoulamn.com/about.html)  Find out more about the EBB Childbirth Class here. Learn about Brachial Plexus social support systems: Erb's Palsy Facebook page (for Brachial Plexus Palsy): https://www.facebook.com/enderbspalsy/ Public support group (“Oliver's Friends”): https://www.facebook.com/groups/OliversFriends/ Learn more about the evidence and research on shoulder dystocia : Research on team training for prevention and treatment of shoulder dystocia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25688719/ "PROMPT" protocol from the United Kingdom is being applied in the United States. Click here to learn more: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26513456/ PROMPT training news video: https://fox4kc.com/health/training-program-helps-to-improve-outcomes-for-babies-and-moms-during-delivery/ The PROMPT foundation website: https://www.promptmaternity.org/ Related EBB Episodes and Signature Articles: EBB 141 – Birthing and Disparities in Minnesota with Rhonda Fellows and Dr. Jennifer Almanza EBB 142 – Home Birth Transfer During COVID-19 and the Uprisings in Minneapolis with Jenae Herron and Marcel Malekebu EBB 143 – Birthing in a World with Reproductive Justice with Ihotu Ali, Daniela Montoya-Barthelemy, and Shayla Walker EBB 168 - Dr. Amber Warmsley on the 1-step vs. 2-step delivery approaches EBB Podcast and Signature Article on Birthing Positions EBB Podcast and Signature Article on Big Babies For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find 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.

Links: Cozy Earth provided an exclusive offer for our listener's today. Up to 40% off site wide when you use the code BIRTHHOUR. Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Support The Birth Hour via Patreon!

Blyss is soaking up Sedona while Dr. Stu has the privilege of teaching breech to doctors in Chicago. Today's topic by popular request is shoulder dystocia, sharing truth, and dispelling fear. There are no signs and no way to prevent the condition, so why all the interventions?Get ready to uncover the truth about birth options and practices when it comes to shoulder dystocia. Blyss and Dr. Stu unravel the myths surrounding shoulder dystocia and share first-hand experiences, with a focus on various maneuvers that can be lifesaving in these situations.Key highlights:VBAC Ban Lifted in Santa BarbaraShoulder Dystocia, Myths, and ManeuversUnderstanding Shoulder Dystocia and Risk FactorsObstetrician and Midwife TrainingShoulder Dystocia Delivery Complications and ConcernsShoulder Dystocia and Trusting Birth AdviceEpisode resources:Article: Cleveland Clinic: Shoulder Dystocia Article: ACOG: Shoulder DystociaThis show is supported by:LMNT | Go to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with every orderNeeded | Use code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS for 20% off your first month or first 3 months of a one-month subscription at thisisneeded.com.BIRTHFIT | Go to birthfit.com and use the code INSTINCTS1 for a discount on the Basics Prenatal program, or INSTINCTS2 for a discount on the Basics Postpartum program.Connect with Dr. Stu & Blyss:Instagram: @birthinginstincts / @birthingblyssWebsite: birthinginstincts.com / birthingblyss.comEmail: birthinginstinctspodcast@gmail.comCall-in line: 805-399-0439

Recently, a horrific and unimaginable birth event made national (USA) news. A case of shoulder dystocia resulted in an extremely morbid and rarely witnessed complication. On August 16, 2023, an extremely important review article was released (ahead of print) in the American Journal of ObGyn. This article summarizes important key aspects and tips for the proper performance of rescue maneuvers for shoulder dystocia, with the aim of keeping both the mother and the baby safe. In this episode, we will review these critical and vital tips for safe resolution of shoulder dystocia. Should the buttocks rotate upwards with McRoberts maneuver? What is the Ruben I procedure? We'll get to all of this, and more, in this episode.

Welcome back to the Happily Hormonal Podcast. In this episode, I'm having Katelyn Fusco, a childbirth educator, homebirth mama of two, and host of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. We're having an honest conversation about birth experiences in the United States and the choices available to women during this transformative time.Join us as we explore the importance of creating a positive, empowering birth experience and starting motherhood with confidence.In this episode:[04:37] Katelyn's journey to homebirth advocate and educator [17:37] Why we should reclaim the value and joy of motherhood and birth[38:10] The problem with the medical paradigm of safe birth[44:10] Learning to trust yourself and your body is key to having a positive birth experienceResources- Nourish Your Hormones Course: use the code HHPODCAST for $50 OFF Nourish Your Hormones!- 3 secrets to balance your hormones workshop- Free hormone balance guideConnect with LeishaInstagram: @leishadrewsWebsite: abundant-lifewellness.comApply to work 1:1 with Leisha HEREConnect with KatelynInstagram: @happyhomebirthpodcastWebsite: www.myhappyhomebirth.comUse the code HHPODCAST for $50 off Nourish Your Hormones ...Disclaimer: Information shared on this podcast and any referenced websites are not to be taken as medical advice or to be used as a diagnosis or treatment plan for any medical condition. I'm sharing my educated opinions & experience but nothing shared here can be taken on a one size fits all basis and we always recommend you do your own research, talk to your own doctors and practitioners, and take full responsibility for any health & medical choices you make.

In this week's episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Claire about her successful HBAC. Claire had the uphill battle of trying to find a healthcare provider to support her in a homebirth after caesarean with Type 1 diabetes. It's incredibly challenging for women planning a homebirth to find a supportive midwife (although the midwives are growing in numbers each day yay!) let alone finding someone to support you if you have Type 1 diabetes. Claire's sugars were under control during her pregnancies and she birthed bigger babies 9.13 and 10.15 Claire had planned a homebirth with her first baby and after a fairly healthy pregnancy around closer to 40 weeks she found she was becoming borderline pre-eclampsia towards week 40. She tried some "natural" induction methods which led to a 4 -day long on and-off labour. She got to 10cms and pushed and had a very high BP and transferred to hospital. That birth ended in her baby being born via C-Section. Second pregnancy Claire found herself pregnant at just 10 month postpartum. She hired the same midwife and had a super healthy pregnancy. This birth she went into labour spontaneously and she shares her birth story and experienced navigating shoulder dystocia at home! Listen to this episode now to get all the birthy goodness. Ashley x RESOURCES FROM THIS PODCAST: Book: Homebirth Cesarean: Stories and Support for Families and Healthcare Providers Book: Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes: Your Month-to-Month Guide to Blood Sugar Management  Facebook group: Natural Birth for Type 1 Diabetics  More from Ashley Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

This episode covers shoulder dystocia.Written notes can be found at https://zerotofinals.com/obgyn/labouranddelivery/shoulderdystocia/ or in the labour and delivery section of the Zero to Finals obstetrics and gynaecology book.The audio in the episode was expertly edited by Harry Watchman.

You know how as pregnancy progresses, your whole body becomes more uncomfortable? It turns out that chiropractic care can help you feel much better and even help you have an easier birth. Dr. Elliot Berlin shares with Adriana why chiropractic care is a superb pregnancy tool for anyone, but especially if you have an “athletic pelvis” or want to aid a breech baby turn head down.Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  If you liked this episode, listen to our episode on Baby's Position and Labor Flow and our interview on Big Babies and Shoulder Dystocia.You can connect with Dr. Berlin on Instagram @Doctorberlin. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana's Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course.Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.Our Sponsors:* Visit HomeThreads.com/BIRTHFUL today and get a 15% off code for your first order!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Mike Goldstein  is a fourth year medical student in the Uniform Services University School of Medicine, and he plans to go into Obstetrics and Gynecology. Mike was the recipient of both the Gibbons award for medical students to attend the armed forces district annual meeting for American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Chairman's award for the top manuscript at the annual conference. In this episode, Mike provides insights on shoulder dystocia, the risks to mom and baby, and the maneuvers to relieve it.                                                     *Mike Goldstein is also the creator of the logo for this podcast! Coaching offerSupport the showConnect with Kelly Hof at kellyhof.comMedical Disclaimer:This podcast is intended as a safe space for women to share their birth experiences. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Each woman's medical course of action is individual and may not appropriately transfer to another similar situation. Please speak to your medical provider before making any medical decisions. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that evidence based practice evolves as our knowledge of science improves. To the best of my ability I will attempt to present the most current ACOG and AWHONN recommendations at the time the podcast is recorded, but that may not necessarily reflect the best practices at the time the podcast is heard. Additionally, guests sharing their stories have the right to autonomy in their medical decisions, and may share their choice to go against current practice recommendations. I intend to hold space for people to share their decisions. I will attempt to share the current recommendations so that my audience is informed, but it is up to each individual to choose what is best for them.

In this episode, Melissa highlights the importance of being informed, advocating for yourself and finding a supportive and respectful care provider. Her first pregnancy was unplanned and she describes herself as a naive 25-year-old who presumed labour was out of her control. After an induction and emergency caesarean she was left feeling defeated and unheard. She was halfway through her second pregnancy and preparing for a VBAC when her private obstetrician became less supportive of her plans so she went home, chatted at length with her doula and hired a private midwife. Her Home Birth After Caesarean (HBAC) was joyous and empowering and while she planned a similar birth with her third child, a hospital transfer was necessary but didn't detract from a really positive birth experience.      Did you know I wrote a book? 'The Complete Australian Guide to Pregnancy and Birth' covers everything you need as you journey through pregnancy and prepare for a positive birth experience. --> Pre-order it  now.

Immi Walker shares her story "in hopes it'll become part of somebody else's survival guide". Her family has suffered the unexpected loss of her first son, Asher, due to shoulder dystocia. She is now an outspoken advocate who is raising awareness about this preventable cause of infant loss. Their rainbow baby, Miller, has safely arrived, so she also will open up about her pregnancy after loss to offer others support & guidance through this difficult experience. Please tune in to this episode to learn from the wisdom she has gained through her difficult pregnancies & births. Comment to share your stories & to show support for Immi & her family. Follow Sacred Birth Circle on IG + FB to connect with us + our community & expand your knowledge with us. With love, Ana RESOURCES If you have suffered a stillbirth please accept our deepest, heartfelt condolences & visit pushpregnancy.org/pregnancy-infant-loss for a list of resources we recommend. Rae also has a curated support website for loss families www.thebluestcircle.com. As loss parents ourselves, we understand the nightmare you have been living through. Please know you are NOT alone. Our community is here for you! To learn more about measuring the placenta, check out our partner org's website www.measuretheplacenta.org & feel free to connect with them to find a provider willing to help with this important stillbirth prevention tool that is not yet part of standard of care. DISCLAIMER Our content is not intended as medical advice. This is general information regarding the subjects discussed, which may not apply to every person. Please consult your healthcare provider for your medical care or advice specifically tailored to your needs, symptoms and health. Your care team will have a better understanding of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum situation. Make sure you ask for their help and guidance.

On today's show we hear from Northern River's artist and mother of two, Jo. Being a yoga teacher when she fell pregnant with her first baby at 21, helped Jo connect with her innate instincts and trust in physiological birth. She loved the continuity of care she received from the midwives at her local birth centre where she was planning to birth her baby, but at her 34 weeks scan concerns were raised about her high blood pressure. A preeclampsia diagnosis and placenta abruption sent her straight into theatre for an emergency c-section at 34+2 weeks. After that experience she dove deeply into research, educating herself to safely navigate her second pregnancy and avoid preeclampsia, or any other complications. Although she desired a homebirth, she needed to regain the dimmed trust in herself; choosing to birth in hospital, armed with the knowledge she gained to fight for the VBAC she knew was possible. Show Links: Instagram: @mayde.and.mama This episode is brought to you by: 
Mayde and Mama, affirmations and art created by owner and artist, Jo. Inspired by her own pregnancy and birth experiences, to pass on the magic to other mothers. Use code: POSITIVEBIRTH for 10% off her website www.maydeandmama.com.au

Today's episode features Jordan, the owner and founder of one of Australia's leading cloth nappies and reusables companies, Bare and Boho. Birth was never something Jordan feared growing up so when she found out she had conceived her first child, she naturally surrendered confidently into pregnancy and was excited to give birth. A relocation to North Queensland towards the end of her pregnancy resulted in an induction due to pressure from doctors over lack of scans to refer to. When she consciously concieved her second child she knew the only place she would birth was at home. Her waters released at 42 weeks and not only was Jordan feeling all the sensations of natural physiological labour for the first-time, but she simultaneously signed one of her biggest collaboration contracts with Aldi. The longevity she needed for this birth took her by surprise; a suspected shoulder dystocia was handled gently as her midwife assisted her to bring her delicious 4.3kg boy earthside. Jordan also shares with us the knowledge she has gained around tongue ties and how her company organically grew from humble beginnings. Show links: Instagram: @bareandboho USE CODE: positivebirth20 for 20% off cloth nappies, reusable pads, breast pads, wipes. Shoulder Dystocia Link: https://midwifethinking.com/tag/shoulder-dystocia/

In the last episode of Season 2, I am answering some of the questions that were sent to me by my listeners. I am covering information on birth preparation, birth partners, vaginal examinations, induction of labour, doulas, breastfeeding and much more... It can be so helpful to listen to the many unexpected nuggets of information that come up when questions are being answered. I will be back with Season 3 in a few weeks - so subscribe now to make sure you don't miss out on the next episode when it's released.If you would like to buy a copy of the book that accompanies this podcast - click here:-Labour of Love - The Ultimate Guide to Being a Birth Partner — https://bit.ly/LabourofloveOr purchase a copy via my website - www.birthability.co.ukFollow me on Instagram @theultimatebirthpartner @birthabilityBook a 1-2-1 session with Sallyann  -  https://linktr.ee/SallyannBeresfordPlease remember that the information shared with you in this episode is solely based on my own personal experiences as a doula.  Any recommendations made may not be suitable for all women so listeners must do their own research before making decisions.  

In today's episode, Sally shares a specially requested story of the great diamond ring tragedy, from her time spent in Saudi Arabia delivering babies for the royal princesses. Ask Sally a question for the podcast: https://forms.gle/pRHRK5MbBRVNE47YA Learn more about Sally: https://drsallymcnally.com/ Watch the Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_oFn1PSbVUnf4NIQbzxRUQ Ventura Office / In Person Services: https://www.womenshealthmedgroup.com/provider/sally-mcnally-cnm-msn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sallymcnallytheirishmidwife Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallymcnally_theirishmidwife/?hl=en Email us: drsallymcnally@gmail.com Sally's Yoga & Hypnosis Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzYjy_SxUZp2Y3UUDaBTUg --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, I had the privilege of chatting with community based obstetrician Dr Stuart Fischbein, about many of the issues that pregnant women and people are facing in maternity services today, both in the US and the UK. We discuss information on twin birth, breech birth, vbac, gestational diabetes, home birth, microbiome and much more. You can contact Dr Stu via his website - http://www.birthinginstincts.comListen to Dr Stu and Blyss on their podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/birthing-instincts/id1552816683If you would like to buy a copy of the book that accompanies this podcast - click here:-Labour of Love - The Ultimate Guide to Being a Birth Partner — https://bit.ly/LabourofloveOr purchase a copy via my website - www.birthability.co.ukFollow me on Instagram @theultimatebirthpartner @birthabilityBook a 1-2-1 session with Sallyann  -  https://linktr.ee/SallyannBeresfordPlease remember that the information shared with you in this episode is solely based on my own personal experiences as a doula and the private opinions of my guest, based on his own training and experience as an obstetrician.  Any recommendations made may not be suitable for all, so listeners must do their own research before making decisions.  

A shoulder dystocia is one of the most commonly managed obstetrical emergencies.  Midwives are experts on how to be on the lookout for a shoulder dystocia that could be coming and how to manage it well in the home setting.  Even when a shoulder dystocia occurs at home, trained midwives have good and healthy outcomes, and you can learn all about why in this episode. --- https://hearthandhomemidwifery.com

Shoulder dystocia is when the shoulders fail to delivery easier after the fetal head. If the shoulders do not deliver easily with a few simple maneuvers it is considered an obstetric emergency. Shoulder dystocia is not always easy to  anticipate and prevent, and often occurs in the absence of risk factors. The incidence of shoulder dystocia is 0.2 to 3 percent of births and the calm trained demeanor of an expert birth professional is paramount to navigating these situations with confidence.  In this episode, Dr. Abdelhak walks us through how to approach this labor room situation.   We would love to hear from you about your birth experiences or anything you would like us to address about labor, birth pregnancy or postpartum on this podcast. Reach out to us at www.truebirthpodcast.com Integrative OBSTETRICS Social Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IntegrativeOB Instagram @integrativeobgyn Maternal Resources Social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maternalresourceshackensack |nstagram: @maternalresources Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, & Stitcher and leave a review!

On today's show, Sarah shares a common and familiar story of women who trade in their pregnancy and birth desires in order to make other people comfortable. With her first child, Sarah had a homebirth, but many of the decisions she made were for her partner- and even for her midwife. Sarah shares how it wasn't until she freebirthed her second baby, that she realized what went wrong with her first birth. In her third and most recent birth, Sarah shares the riveting and heartbreaking story of her baby spending his first hour of life between the fluid spaces of life and death, and his first weeks of life in the NICU. Sarah shares her ongoing processing of birth, mothering, and surrendering to the wild unknown. Attend Matriarch Rising Festival: Limited Tickets Available Here: https://www.freebirthsocietycourses.com/matriarchrising Craving your village? Join Free Birth Society's Private Membership: https://www.freebirthsociety.com/pages/private-membership The Radical Birth Keeper School starts again September 1st, 2021. You won't want to miss it: https://www.freebirthsocietycourses.com/radicalbirthkeeper Check out more of Free Birth Society's courses and offerings! https://www.freebirthsocietycourses.com Get The Complete Guide to Freebirth: A sweeping, all-inclusive childbirth education course, designed to prepare pregnant mothers and families for the most powerful independent birth experience possible: https://www.freebirthsocietycourses.com/cgtf Are you wanting to take responsibility for your life? Work with Emilee: https://www.freebirthsociety.com/collections/coaching Want more? Birthing Truth: A Collection of Freebirth Stories: https://www.freebirthsociety.com/blogs/birthing-truth-a-collection-of-freebirth-stories Our Gift to You: Gorgeous pregnancy affirmations straight to your inbox: https://www.freebirthsocietycourses.com/opt-in-pregnancy-affirmations-gift