Evidence Based Birth®

In this episode I am joined by Bryn Huntpalmer, an Austin, Texas-based podcaster and mother of three young children. She is the founder of The Birth Hour podcast, which was featured in Time Magazine as one of the top 50 podcasts to listen to. The Birth Hour has nearly 500 episodes, and more than 10 million downloads to date. Bryn recently published her first book, The First Time Mom’s Pregnancy Handbook: A Week-by-Week Guide from Conception Through Baby’s First Three Months. She is passionate about helping women prepare for childbirth through the sharing of empowering and informative birth stories. We talk about the power of sharing experiences, the deep impact of education on birth, and connecting with your community to develop the birth plan you want. We also discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. birth experience, and the evidence on vaginal breech birth. For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth , visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EvidenceBasedBirth/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ebbirth/), and Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/ebbirth/). Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/become-pro-member/), Find an EBB Instructor here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/find-an-instructor-parents/), and click here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/childbirth-class/) to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class.

In this episode I welcome Jennie Joseph, one of the world’s most respected midwives and authorities on women’s health. She’s a true advocate for systematic reform that puts families first in health care. Jennie is the founder and executive director of Commonsense Childbirth, Inc., and is also creator of The JJ Way, a patient-centered model of care.  Jennie has worked in European hospitals, American birth centers, clinics, and home birth environments. She’s been instrumental in the regulation of Florida midwives, and currently owns a Florida-licensed midwifery school, the Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery. Jennie speaks worldwide to doctors, other practitioners, policy makers, and members of the U.S. Congress, including testifying at Congressional briefings on Capitol Hill.  Jennie and I talk about solutions for the crisis in American maternity care. Don’t miss this powerful conversation. For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class. RESOURCES: Click here for information on Commonsense Childbirth Inc., and here to learn about The JJ Way. For more on the Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery, click here. Learn about the National Perinatal Task Force here. Follow Jennie Joseph on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

In this episode, I interview Miranda Kelly, a certified birth doula, postpartum doula, and childbirth educator who has worked for ten years in Indigenous people’s health planning, policy education, and research. Miranda holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology, and a Master of Public Health degree. She is a mother of two girls, and is a member of the ekw’í7tl (pronounced ah-quay-tull) doula collective in Vancouver. Miranda is passionate about indigenous peoples reclaiming their authority as decision makers in their own health and wellbeing, and I’m thrilled to welcome Miranda to the podcast to let us know about the work that she and other community organizers are doing for the Indigenous community. We also discuss the evidence on amniotic fluid. For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class. RESOURCES: Follow Miranda at her website and Instagram. Click here for information on the ekw’í7tl doula collective. Click here to learn about the Doulas for Aboriginal Families Grant Program, administered by the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres. Click here to see the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine guidelines on evaluation and management of polyhydramnios. For the Evidence Based Birth article What is the Evidence for Induction for Low Fluid at Term in a Healthy Pregnancy?, click here

In this episode, I cover the evidence on evening primrose oil (EPO) for natural labor induction. This oil is extracted from the seed of the evening primrose plant, which grows wild in North America and some parts of Europe. It’s a rich source of omega six essential fatty acids, as well as other compounds which are thought to help ripen the cervix for labor. I share the results of randomized control trials for administering EPO vaginally and taking it orally, as well as observational studies, a case report, and studies looking at EPO for cervcial ripening for non-pregnancy gynecological procedures. For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class. RESOURCES: Click here for the Evidence Based Birth article, the Evidence on Evening Primrose Oil.

In this episode I interview Dr. Heather Maguire, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) with a doctorate in educational psychology. Dr. Maguire has spent over a decade studying behavior and working with children, parents and educators. She’s a proud mom of two kids, a professor teaching school psychology, and the founder and CEO of Prism Behavior, which helps parents manage challenging behaviors with confidence. She also hosts the Prism Behavior Podcast. We discuss the transition from birth to infant and toddlerhood, parenting while pregnant, perinatal depression, tantrums, discipline, and the seasons of parenthood. For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class. RESOURCES: Click here for information on Prism Behavior. Click here for the Prism Parenting Podcast.  Follow Prism Behavior on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Click here for Prism Behavior’s free guide on transforming child behavior. Prism Behavior podcast, Episodes 55 and 56: https://www.prismbehavior.com/podcast Dr. Traci Baxley at Social Justice Parenting: @socialjusticeparenting on Instagram (insert link) Podcast interview with Dr. Traci Baxley on the Melanated Conversations podcast: https://melanatedconversations.com/blogs/podcast-episodes/social-justice-parenting-feat-dr-traci-palmer-baxley The Center for Racial Justice and Education has compiled a list of resources for talking with kids about race, racism, and racialized violence (includes many resources designed for kids of color): https://centerracialjustice.org/resources/resources-for-talking-about-race-racism-and-racialized-violence-with-kids/ PBS has a comprehensive list of resources for parents talking with young children about racism: https://www.pbs.org/parents/talking-about-racism NY Times list of books for children: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/parenting/kids-books-racism-protest.html

In this episode I interview Ambrosia Meikle, a Los Angles-based Evidence Based Birth Instructor, CAPPA-certified birth and postpartum doula, and a full-spectrum doula. She is also a lactation educator specialist and childbirth educator, Ambrosia also volunteers to teach childbirth classes and provide doula services at a high school for pregnant teens. She is a mother of two. This show has a trigger warning for pregnancy termination related to a fatal birth defect. Before entering birth work, Ambrosia was a surrogate for a family from overseas. In her practice, Ambrosia serves an extremely diverse community, and she is passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to the type of support that is best for them.  We talk about Ambrosia’s surrogacy - including some very difficult decisions she had to make during that pregnancy, and the moment she felt empowered in her labor to birth the baby when she felt the time was right. We also talk about the importance of childbirth education and support for pregnant teens. For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class. RESOURCES: Follow Ambrosia on Instagram or her website. Click here for the Evidence Based Birth Signature Article, Evidence on: Doulas.

In this episode, I cover all the latest evidence on the use of Pitocin during the third stage of labor - which is also the topic of the latest Evidence Based Birth Signature Article, released this week!  The third stage of labor, or placental stage, begins after the baby is born and ends after the birth of the placenta (sometimes called the “afterbirth”). It follows the first two stages of labor - the dilation stage and the pushing stage. In practice, there are three main approaches to care for the birth of the placenta - active management, expectant management, and mixed management. Some of these methods include the use of Pitocin - a synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin. I cover the pros and cons of each of these, as well last the latest research and recommendations. For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class. RESOURCES: See the Evidence Based Birth Signature Article, The Evidence on: Pitocin During the Third Stage of Labor, here! All research and sources are linked at the end of the article.  Download the EBB one-page handout on Pitocin During the Third Stage of Labor here.

In this episode I talk with Isis Rose, a full spectrum doula, home birth mom, certified lactation counselor, and placenta encapsulation specialist. She lives in Urbana, Illinois. Isis is starting midwifery school in July, with plans to become a Certified Professional Midwife, and she’s a member of the Illinois Council of Certified Professional Midwives. Isis co-hosts the Homecoming Podcast alongside Chae Pounds, which launched in 2018 to tell stories of Black families who give birth at home. Isis and I discuss her birth story, including her unique approach to prenatal care, and hemorrhaging she experienced immediately after her home birth. We also talk about the ongoing advocacy work seeking licensure for CPMs in Illinois, and the latest research on the safety of home birth in the U.S. For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.

Over the past 3 years, I have traveled and spoken with hundreds of childbirth educators from across the U.S. and Canada. At every conference I attended, one theme was repeated over and over--- educators told me that the field of childbirth education was in the midst of a huge crisis. Most childbirth educators said their registrations were declining, and that many first-time parents weren't taking childbirth education classes anymore (even though education is really important!)  Then, the pandemic hit. Classes were either cancelled or converted to 100% online.  I decided to reach out to someone I admire-- Natalie Eckdahl, MBA-- to see if we could get any advice about how independent childbirth educators can survive and thrive in the midst of all these upheavals.Natalie Eckdahl is the founder of BizChix, Inc, and its community, podcast, programs and events, and she's author of R.E.S.E.T. Your Mindset: Silence Your Inner Mean Girl. She's been recognized as one of the top women in business to listen to, and she has also been featured in Inc., Fast Company, Huffington Post, and Entrepreneur. Today, Natalie joins me on the EBB Podcast! We start by discussing Natalie’s three unique birth stories (in a hospital, at home, and at a birth center), and her personal experience with childbirth education. Then we dive into crucial business advice for independent childbirth educators who are trying to figure out how to navigate business during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this latest episode in our series on natural labor induction, I cover the evidence on using castor oil or eating date fruit to induce labor. Can castor oil increase the chances of you going into labor? When is it most effective? How many dates do you need to eat to reduce the length of pregnancy? I’ll answer all these questions and more - and share the latest research on these methods! For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.