Evidence Based Birth®

In this episode, I interview Nichole Croft and Todd Jackson of New Jersey. Their first baby was born in the summer of 2018, and they were among the first parents to take the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class. They were taught by EBB Instructor Cat LaPlante, and were referred to the class by their doula after inquiring about pain management techniques.  Listen as they describe their birth experience and how they utilized what they learned in their EBB class. From understanding the basics of natural birth, to learning about advocacy, comfort measures, birth planning and building relationship with hospital staff, Nicole and Todd felt confident and prepared for their birth. 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:  We're hosting free webinars all about the EBB Childbirth Class on February 5 (for parents) and February 6 (for birth pros). Don't miss this behind-the-scenes tour - register here! To learn more about the Evidence Based Birth  Childbirth Class, click here. To find an EBB Childbirth Class and Instructor near you, click here.

In this episode, I interview Michelle Wilson, one of the first parents to take the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class. Michelle has one son, Matthew, and is a stay-at-home mom in Berea, Kentucky. Michelle and her husband Matt were very passionate about gathering as much information as possible prior to Matthew’s birth. They chose to plan a natural childbirth in a hospital setting, and Michelle labored with non-drug comfort measures for nearly 24 hours. Circumstances eventually led the baby to be born via cesarean.  While Michelle’s c-section was an option she chose and was a good experience for her, she did end up with postpartum hemorrhaging.We discuss the evidence on postpartum hemorrhage in subsequent births, as well as the pros and cons of elective c-sections versus VBAC. 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:  We're hosting free webinars all about the EBB Childbirth Class on February 5 (for parents) and February 6 (for birth pros). Don't miss this behind-the-scenes tour - register here! To learn more about the Evidence Based Birth  Childbirth Class, click here. To find an EBB Childbirth Class and Instructor near you, click here. California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative OB Hemorrhage Toolkit VBAC Facts Further studies to explore: Postpartum Hemorrhage: Prevention and Treatment Risk Factors for Severe Postpartum Hemorrhage After Cesarean Delivery: Case-Control Studies Guise 2010 meta-analysis for the AHRQ Landon et al. (2017) NIH (2010) Consensus Statement Association of Ontario Midwives VBAC Guidelines Landon et al. (2016). “What We Have Learned About Trial of Labor After Cesarean Delivery from the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Cesarean Registry.” Seminar Perinatol Aug;40(5):281-6 Landon et al. (2004) Smith et al. (2002)

In this episode, I interview AnnaMarie and Drew Stoudenmire of Greenville, South Carolina. They are parents to Otto - their first baby - who at the time of recording was only seven weeks old. AnnaMarie and Drew took one of the first Evidence Based Birth Childbirth classes in the U.S., taught by EBB Instructor Mary Kury. They heard about the class from a nurse practitioner, who recommended Mary as a childbirth education instructor.  Listen as AnnaMarie and Drew tell their exciting water birth story, and how they applied what they learned in their Evidence Based Birth Childbirth class as they rushed to their birth center! 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.

In this episode, I interview EBB Instructors Cat LaPlante, Mary Kury, and Cindy Calvano about their experiences being among the first to teach the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class. Cat is a certified doula and certified childbirth educator serving the southern New Jersey and Philadelphia regions. Cindy is a certified doula, doula trainer, and lactation counselor serving North and Central New Jersey. She also travels around the world to train doulas and other birth professionals. Mary is a certified childbirth educator serving upstate South Carolina.  We discuss the launch of the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class, which is coming to more than 50 communities in the U.S. and around the world. Hear the Instructors share their experiences piloting this innovative approach to childbirth education, and what the parents in their classes had to say after their births! 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:  We're hosting free webinars all about the EBB Childbirth Class on February 5 (for parents) and February 6 (for birth pros). Don't miss this behind-the-scenes tour - register here! To learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class, click here. To find an EBB Childbirth Class and Instructor near you, click here.

In this episode, we discuss the evidence on diagnosing gestational diabetes, and the use of the Glucola test. Evidence Based Birth just released a new Signature Article on this topic, and it is a subject that people are always wanting to know more about.  Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy. In a normal pregnancy, your hormones can make it harder for your body to use insulin. That means you might need up to three times more insulin to overcome the increased resistance, but your body’s insulin response is sufficient to cover this. However, with gestational diabetes there is either too much insulin resistance, or too little insulin response, or a combination of both. Glucose builds up in the blood until it reaches abnormally high levels, called hyperglycemia. It’s those high blood sugar levels that can cause problems for mothers and babies.  Listen as we cover all the latest research, and clarify the terms “screening” and “diagnosis”. We also discuss the oral glucose tolerance test for diagnosing gestational diabetes, and the 50-gram Glucola - an oral glucose drink used for screening. 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. RESOURCES: Find the EBB Signature Article, The Evidence on Diagnosing Gestational Diabetes here. 

In this episode I review all the projects completed at Evidence Based Birth in 2018 - and what a year it was! From launching this podcast and an extensive series and workshop on Comfort Measures, to releasing new Signature Articles, webinars, a Higher Ed curriculum AND developing a new cutting-edge EBB childbirth class - what we accomplished in 2018 gives us incredible momentum for what we have planned in 2019! Join me for a sneak peek into what is on the horizon for the next 12 months. RESOURCES To learn about the new EBB Childbirth Class, click here. Don't miss this behind-the-scenes tour - register here! To get on our mailing list so you don’t miss a single announcement on what we have coming up in 2019, sign up on our home page! 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.

In this episode I interview Courtney Carangian, a native to the Hawai’ian island of O’ahu. Courtney is an Evidence Based Birth Instructor, and is currently undergoing the DONA certification process to be a birth and postpartum doula. A mother of two children, Courtney has been married for seven years. She serves the birth and parenting community on O’ahu with doula services, lactation education, and EBB instruction.  Courtney got involved in birth work via baby wearing. She started a business, Wearing and Caring, and much of her focus is on creating connections in her local birth community. Courtney helps run Birth Processionals of O’ahu, and she also hosts play dates to mix local birth pros and parents. We discuss how native Hawai’ians interface with their local medical community, as well as how research is generated and how evidence is applied in the real world. We also discuss the topic of pain after epidurals. RESOURCES You can connect with Courtney at Wearing and Caring. For more information on Birth Professionals of O’ahu, click here. For information on Rebecca’s Comfort Measures Workshop in Honolulu, click here. 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.

In this episode I interview Ms. Charlotte Marie Shilo-Goudeau, one of three African American women in the state of Louisiana to hold the title of Licensed Certified Professional Midwife. She is the founder of “P.Y.O.B.E. (Pick Your Own Birthing Experience) with Mama CHAR’s Birthing Service,” located in the rural area of Maringouin, LA. Ms. Charlotte has committed her life work to serving women who lack resources needed to ensure positive and healthy prenatal and perinatal outcomes. By coining and implementing her “CPM’s Preventative Cup of TEA Philosophy”, she uses strategies of training, evidence-based education, and advocating to help bring awareness to the disparities found in misrepresented and underserved communities. Her “TEA Philosophy” helps to prevent negative health outcomes and brings awareness to the institutionalized limitations placed on all women of childbearing years, especially minorities. With her hard work and dedication she bridges the gap of communication between midwives, clients, and other healthcare providers.  Ms. Charlotte became an Evidence Based Birth  Instructor after passing an advanced training in “How to Help Families Receive Evidence Based Care” in 2018. We discuss strategies to overcome adversity - both for birthing people and birth professionals - as well as ways to make your voice heard and/or provide support within your realm of influence. RESOURCES You can connect with Ms. Charlotte at charlotteshilo@yahoo.com. Click here for more information on NARM and the Portfolio Evaluation Process. 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.

In this episode, I interview Carissa Hipsher, a parent who was pressured into a cesarean for breech positioning. Carissa lives with her husband and three month old baby in Columbus, Ohio, and is working on obtaining her PhD in environmental science. She had a surprise breech positioning at the end of her pregnancy, and was pressured into a cesarean very quickly. After that experience, she decided to become more involved in examining the evidence on breech positioning and its different delivery options, as well as advocating for pregnant families’ rights. After compiling the evidence on breech delivery and asking to present it to her hospital management to help future families have more choices in birth, Carissa received little response. Now she is working on getting a modified version of the letter she sent to the hospital published in a national obstetrics journal. She is also focusing on processing her birth, including talking to other women who had unplanned c-sections. Find our more about the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) here. 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.  

In this episode I interview Krysta Dancy, licensed marriage and family therapist, certified birth doula, and Evidence Based Birth Instructor. Krysta has over 15 years of experience in the field of psychology. In her office in Roseville, CA, she provides compassionate and evidence-based care for a variety of fertility-related mental health issues, with special emphasis on trauma and birth (for both providers and patients). She also serves as Co-Director and Clinical Supervisor at The Place Within, a nonprofit that makes counseling affordable for those who may not otherwise have access.  As a longtime friend to the birth community, Krysta has had the opportunity to intimately experience the birth process and its many complexities. She brings a deeply held optimism to her work and holds space for the contributions of each person in the birth room. Her warmth, passion, expertise, experience and background in professional public speaking combine to make her workshops both informative and meaningful. We discuss the patterns Krysta sees in people who have experienced a traumatic birth, as well as some of the effective therapies she utilizes to address these challenges for both parents and birth workers. We also cover the systemic recognition and definition of birth trauma, the disruption of the sharing of generational wisdom, and the effects of maternal trauma on future generations.  Connect with Krysta and see her class schedules at www.ThePsychologyOfBirth.com or on Facebook. Find more information about Krysta’s therapy work here.  Click here learn about The Place Within. Connect with the Birth and Trauma Support Center, as well as on Facebook. To join a free support group for parents who have experienced birth trauma, click here and for support for birth professionals, click here. 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.