Evidence Based Birth®

In this episode, I interview Cristen Pascucci, founder of Birth Monopoly, about respectful disagreement when talking about childbirth topics. After the birth of her son in 2011, Cristen left a career in public affairs to study American maternity care and women's rights. From 2012 to 2016, she served as vice president of Improving Birth, spearheading a multi-year grassroots media strategy to get America's maternity care crisis into the national news. She also created a legal advocacy hotline for pregnant women, and she began raising awareness around obstetric violence through consumer campaigns. Cristen has helped organize, strategize, and publicize major lawsuits related to obstetric violence, and is co-creator of the Exposing the Silence Project and host of the Birth Allowed Radio podcast. At Birth Monopoly, Cristen advocates for a free maternity care market, working closely with leading national advocates, organizations and birth lawyers, as well as educating the public and health care providers about the human and legal rights of people in childbirth. She is also working on a documentary film on obstetric violence. Cristen and I discuss respectful disagreement as Evidence Based Birth will soon be launching a Signature Article on the controversial topic of circumcision. When we alluded to this upcoming article on social media, we received many negative comments and people who were upset that we would even address the issue. EBB is no stranger to controversial topics, and we don't shy away from hard subjects. Cristen and I talk about ways to express all views respectfully and effectively, so there can be productive conversations around these important issues. We also discuss trauma, triggers, and oppression in the birth world. 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: Connect with Birth Monopoly via Facebook, Instagram or the organization's website. Join Birth Monopoly's mailing list on the site's home page to download a free free guide and course on informed consent and refusal during hospital births. View the trailer of the upcoming documentary "Mother May I?" here.

I am thrilled to announce that we have released the cover image for my upcoming book, Babies are Not Pizzas! Check it out on Facebook and Instagram! In this week's Bonus Book Update podcast, I reveal some of the final details of the production process - and the start of our book launch! Listen to hear the official targeted release date... RESOURCES: Get all the updates on my new book, Babies Are Not Pizzas! Click here to get on the wait list. Follow Evidence Based Birth on Facebook and Instagram to see the newly-released cover image for Babies are Not Pizzas! book waitlist evidencebasedbirth.com/book

In this week's Bonus Book Update podcast, I tell you all about the route I chose to publish Babies Are Not Pizzas. These days, book publishing has been democratized, and anyone can self-publish a book outside of the traditional system. You know me - I did all the research to determine the best publication route for me and for Evidence Based Birth. I'll tell you what I decided on, and how I came to my conclusions. If you are thinking of writing a book someday, what I tell you here may inspire you! RESOURCES: Be one of the first to get a copy of Babies Are Not Pizzas! Click here to get on the wait list.

In this episode, I talk with Ashely Smith about her awe-inspiring and peaceful experience giving birth to twins. Ashley and her partner Trevor live in Lexington, Kentucky. They are both local business owners active in their community. As first time parents, they took time to equip themselves to have a smooth birth experience. Ashley always found herself describing the role of a doula to her friends and family, and finally got to experience having doula herself! She worked with Chanté Perryman, a certified doula and Evidence Based Birth Instructor. Chanté taught Ashley and Trevor through the EBB Childbirth Class -they are the first participants of the class to give birth to twins! We discuss Ashley's successfully well-planned birth, as well as her postpartum journey. I also talk about some of EBB's upcoming projects! 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 all the details about the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class! Find an EBB Instructor and Childbirth Class near you here. Click here for all of the EBB resources for parents!

In this week's Book Bonus podcast, I give you a glimpse of all the steps we took to make sure my book, Babies Are Not Pizzas, is accurate and polished! I'll take you through the multiple steps of the editing process - including a team of over 30 EBB supporters who have read the book and provided feedback! From fact checking to research, and fine-tuning the stories of all the people mentioned in the book, this process was intense and we were so excited to send it off for the final editing phase! Listen to hear the whole story, PLUS the tentative release date of the book! RESOURCES: You can be one of the first to get a copy of Babies Are Not Pizzas! Click here to get on the wait list.

This episode from 2019 has been replaced with updated audio from the February 2025 revision of the Evidence Based Birth® Signature Article on Vitamin K (EBB 347). RESOURCES: Click here to read the updated Evidence Based Birth® Signature Article, The Evidence on the Vitamin K Shot in Newborns - as well as the updated one-page handout!

On this week's Bonus Book Update podcast, I want to take you inside the final mile of my writing process. When I was just a few chapters shy of finishing my draft and life was just too crazy to find the time to tap into my creative energy, I decided I needed a few days to get away and concentrate completely on my book! And you know what? It was a great idea. I'll tell you all about the inspiring place I was able to retreat to, all the resources I brought with me to keep me on task (have you ever travelled with a mini-library?), and the encouragement I carried with me from a close friend who shared her insightful perspective on the creative process. RESOURCES: Click here to get all the latest updates on my book, Babies Are Not Pizzas!

In this episode, I am joined by Natalie Telyatnikov, founder and creator of the online holistic program Better Postpartum. She is a certified postpartum support specialist trained in perinatal mood and anxiety disorder support, as well as innate traditions of postpartum care. Natalie shares her personal journey of postpartum depression and anxiety, and the discoveries she made about how these issues are handled in the health care system. We also discuss the evidence on postpartum education, as well as the ACOG recommendations for optimizing postpartum care. I also share the story of my own postpartum recovery journey. 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: Evidence Based Birth® Podcast listeners can get the Better Postpartum program (usually $97) at a discounted rate of only $35! Click here to claim that discount. Connect with Natalie at Better Postpartum and on Instagram. To gift the Better Postpartum program to mothers and babies in need, click here. Click here to explore HealthRight International (formerly the Peter C. Alderman Foundation) and their work with maternal health.

My weekly EBB Book Podcast updates are bringing you a behind-the-scenes look at my new book, Babies are Not Pizzas, which will launch this August! This week, I want to share with you some personal insights about my emotional journey during the writing process. This book tells my story and I needed to share it just the right way. I also had to take a deep examination of some very difficult times in my life. As many of you know - that kind of introspection is not easy! I learned so much along the way - and I want to share those insights with you. RESOURCES: Click here to get on the book wait list - and to get all the latest updates!

In this episode, we'll listen to my husband Dan Dekker and our brother-in-law Ryan talk about their experiences on becoming fathers and watching the births of their children. As we are approaching Father's Day in the U.S., I wanted to do something special and share this interview that I recorded when I was teaching a college class on childbirth. We were discussing the importance of not only listening to the stories of people who give birth, but also their partners - because birth can be a life-altering experience for the partner as well as the birthing person. You'll hear both Dan and Ryan recall the experiences of watching each of their three children be born. They will also answer a really fascinating question: What's good about being a parent? Studies are showing that many of today's young people are reluctant to start families as they view it as disruptive to their lives. Dan's and Ryan's perspectives on fatherhood may surprise you. 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: Check out EBB's list of parent resources here!