The Birthful Podcast | Talking With Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding, Postpartum & Parenting Pros To Inform Your Intuition

Here’s the thing about preparing for birth: you can read all the books, take all the classes, listen to all the podcasts, set up a dream birth team, but no amount of preparation will get the birthing done for you. Shalome Stone tells Adriana why pregnancy is the ideal time for doing the inner work that will allow you to step up and own your birth and how that may look for you.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! 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 BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!PAIRED - Practice love every day with Paired, the #1 app for couples. Download the app at https://www.paired.com/BIRTHFUL FAMILYALBUM APP - Check out FamilyAlbum at family-album.comGet 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 Helping Your Mammalian Bod

What does a self-described Type A do when her birth plan derails? Tara Langsdorf (who finished her second master’s degree and took a promotion managing a team of 25 while pregnant!) shares with Adriana how leaning on the structures and support she’d set up during pregnancy allowed her to go deep into her labor process, despite her starting to develop preeclampsia and having a cascade of interventions. 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 BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!PAIRED - Practice love every day with Paired, the #1 app for couples. Download the app at https://www.paired.com/BIRTHFUL 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

Certified Nurse-Midwife Dr. Stephanie Mitchell shares with Adriana a few tools from her step-by-step guide to building a birth plan, and discusses why getting your plan together—and onboarding everyone on your birth team—can help ensure you are respected and heard during your birth experience.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 BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!PAIRED - Practice love every day with Paired, the #1 app for couples. Download the app at https://www.paired.com/BIRTHFULGet 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 how to Know What You're Up Against When Giving Birth at a Hospital and our short episode

Danielle Ford has had two very distinct births, with her first happening with minimal preparation and many interventions. It wasn’t until getting pregnant 10 years later that she realized she carried a lot of trauma from birth number one. She shares with Adriana how taking a deep dive into her birth options, and intentionally preparing to have a more connected birth allowed for a birth imbued with confidence and flexibility, despite facing the possibility of another induction.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 BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!FAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! DR. MOM BUTT BALM - Go to DrMomButtBalm.com to learn morePAIRED - Practice love every day with Paired, the #1 app for couple

Today we’re going beyond the birth plan to talk about birth principles! Although a well-crafted birth plan can be a powerful tool, more often than not they're formulaic, and outcome-focused nature can give a false illusion of control, and even elicit eye rolls from jaded caregivers. Jessie Harrold shares with Adriana how your efforts may be better spent on first crafting your own set of birth principles.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 BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!FAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! DR. MOM BUTT BALM - Go to DrMomButtBalm.com to learn morePAIRED - Practice love every day with Paired, the #1 app for couples. Download the app at https://www.paired.com/BIRTHFULGet the most out

Great childcare— so, a solution that you can afford, has availability, works with your schedule, and can provide loving and safe care for your child— can be hard to find! Most often than not, you will have to concede some trade-offs. Leslie Borrell explains the different childcare options out there, the reality behind economic subsidy programs, and how to communicate your non-negotiables to those caring for your child. She also shares with Adriana why it can be life-changing to practice broadening your community circles of support when your baby is little, so that you build a community care network that will grow with your child that you can then combine with whatever transactional forms of childcare you decide to pursue (or not!).  Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for you

You can have a fabulous birth experience at a hospital, but it requires thoughtful preparation. Adriana Lozada helps simplify this process by going through some of the best practices to get you there.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 BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!FAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! DR. MOM BUTT BALM - Go to DrMomButtBalm.com to learn morePAIRED - Practice love every day with Paired, the #1 app for couples. Download the app at https://www.paired.com/BIRTHFULGet 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 this episode about how your place of birth can impact your outcomes, and

Some people say that nursing your baby is "free” — and while there certainly are unique cost savings associated with feeding human milk, there can be expenses associated with it, too. How can you maximize your lactation-related benefits? And what does the law have to say? Adriana shares practical tips about the financial side of infant feeding.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!FAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! DR. MOM BUTT BALM - Go to DrMomButtBalm.com to learn morePAIRED - Practice love every day with Paired, the #1 app for couples. Download the app at https://www.paired.com/BIRTHFUL Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  If you l

Michelle Peterson shares with Adriana a fantastic framework for setting up your postpartum village of support that spreads the responsibility over many people (seven to be exact) so that you are well-resourced beyond the first few weeks of postpartum. She explains how to prepare and why you’ll need a team leader to coordinate it all to make sure you not only receive the care you need, but that your dishes end up in the right place and your laundry is folded just how you like it.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!FAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! DR. MOM BUTT BALM - Go to DrMomButtBalm.com to learn morePAIRED - Practice love every day with Paired, the #1 app for couples. Download the app at https://www.paired.com/BI

Dr. Amber Thornton worked hard for a healthy pregnancy and an unmedicated vaginal birth, but she didn’t expect her water to release before 39 weeks. Despite an early hospital admission, labor progressed right along… until it didn’t. She shares with Adriana the fears she had to contend with while having an unplanned surgical birth, and how having intentionally set up her village of mutual support was invaluable in getting through early nursing difficulties and her cesarean recovery.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!FAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! DR. MOM BUTT BALM - Go to DrMomButtBalm.com to learn morePAIRED - Practice love every day with Paired, the #1 app for couples. Download the app at https://www.paired.com

When it comes to postpartum, EVERYONE needs support. And even after accepting that you WILL need the help, it can be tricky figuring out how to ask for it, especially when most of our friends and family members don’t really know how to help (nor have the time!). Kaitlin McGreyes talks with Adriana about how combining community help with professional support can set you up for the perfect combination of care and knowledge to have the amazing postpartum experience you deserve. She also shares insightful tips on how to afford it! Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!FAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! DR. MOM BUTT BALM - Go to DrMomButtBalm.com to learn morePAIRED - Practice love every day with Paired, the #1 app for coup

Having had two flawless postpartum periods under her belt, Kayla Sanmiguel didn’t know how to cope when postpartum anxiety and severe panic disorder came out of nowhere after her third birth. She shares with Adriana how being blindsided by the experience compelled her to bolster her future postpartum plans, and approach the birth of her fourth baby with new tools and wisdom. Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULSUGAR SUGAR DEODORANT - Get 20% off at postpartumdeodorant.com with code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULMY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code BIRTHFULFAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! ACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!DR. MOM BUTT BALM - Go to DrMomButtBalm.com to learn moreGet the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, tran

Understanding your parental leave benefits —with all its overwhelming fine print— can be a daunting task! To make the process easier, human resource professional extraordinaire Katy Dahl shares with Adriana how to approach the process so that you can not only maximize your benefits, but also understand if your time off will impact your health insurance, your paycheck, or your retirement age. Katy brings clarity and levity to the topic, to help you avoid unfortunate surprises during postpartum!Read up on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, the PUMP Act, and state-by-state paid parental and medical leave laws at abetterbalance.orgSponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULSUGAR SUGAR DEODORANT - Get 20% off at postpartumdeodorant.com with code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULMY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code BIRTHFULFAMILYALBUM APP -

Ivy shares with Adriana the overwhelming challenges of her postpartum experience after being overjoyed by her fast and furious unmedicated hospital birth. She explains the lactation issues that lead her to exclusively pump and the difficulties in healing her pelvic floor, as well as why she recommends everyone have a Pelvic PT assessment and be familiar with their breast pump before their baby arrives.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULSUGAR SUGAR DEODORANT - Get 20% off at postpartumdeodorant.com with code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULMY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code BIRTHFULFAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! ACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!DR. MOM BUTT BALM - Go to DrMomButtBalm.com to learn moreGet the most out of this episode by check

Perinatal health consultant Arianna Taboada goes through the ins and outs of paid and unpaid parental leave in the United States. She shares with Adriana Lozada how to be realistic about your options for the best possible return to work for you and your family, while lessening the overwhelm.To read up on state-by-state paid parental and medical leave laws go to abetterbalance.orgSponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULSUGAR SUGAR DEODORANT - Get 20% off at postpartumdeodorant.com with code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULMY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code BIRTHFULFAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! ACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing for your future today!DR. MOM BUTT BALM - Go to DrMomButtBalm.com to learn moreGet the most out of this episode by checking out the resources,

Laura Loos has had two non-medicated vaginal births, with her second one happening so super fast, that it involved birthing while in a moving car! She shares with Adriana how connecting with her inner voice and trusting the abundant preparation she had done during pregnancy allowed her to be calm, present, and pragmatic during the unexpectedness of it all. So much so that, once she got to her hospital room, she took full charge of the birth of her placenta. 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 BIRTHFULFAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! MY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code BIRTHFULAQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULGet the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and l

Babies use a set of coordinated movements and specific reflexes that allow them to participate in the birthing process. Adriana Lozada explains how this fascinating process works, and how it helps get them earthside.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 BIRTHFULFAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! MY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code BIRTHFULAQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULGet 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 interview on Baby's Position and Labor Flow and our episode on how to Have an Easier Pregnancy (and Birth!) with Chiropractic Care. You can connect with Birthful @B

Maya Ehnat was brought up to be comfortable with birth, and so from the get-go, her language and approach weren’t fear-based. Beyond that, much of the preparation she did during pregnancy was guided by a desire to minimize trauma and bring heaps of pleasure and joy into the experience. She shares with Adriana how although her first birth was long and quite challenging, she wouldn’t describe it as painful. Now her second birth? That one was filled with power, permission, fluidity, and delight.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULSUGAR SUGAR DEODORANT - Get 20% off at postpartumdeodorant.com with code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15FAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! MY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code BIRTHFULAQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULGet the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and l

If you want to minimize sensations of pain and even move them into pleasure, this episode is for you! Debra Pascali-Bonaro and Adriana explore how you can bring more pleasure and joy into your birth, and why doing so can help you not only have a better experience, but also help support your birth physiology for a more flowing birth. Debra shares with Adriana a wide range of actionable suggestions on how to prepare during pregnancy, what to set in place and advocate for during birth, and ways to continue to show up–from a place of pleasure and joy–even if you need interventions or have a belly birth.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 BIRTHFULFAMILYALBUM APP - Download the app for free, wherever you get your apps! MY LIFE IN A BOOK - Get 10% off at MyLifeInABook.com with code

When Danellia Arechiga became a gestational surrogate, she felt strongly about having an unmedicated birth at a birth center. Even as her labor plan derailed into an induction, she pushed for few interventions and worked with her physiology, ultimately experiencing the elusive Fetal Ejection Reflex. She tells Adriana Lozada why doing so was important for her, the baby, and the intended parents.As a musician, Danellia (Dané Reál) has created the song Mother as an anthem gifted to those whose relationships with their mothers have not always been warm and loving. The song is her contribution to the intergenerational healing she has done within her own lineage and features the voices of her grandmother Lucy who passed in 2018 and her daughter as they share their journey through healing the mother wound that has been passed on for 4 generations. You can hear it on her YouTube channel. Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULHONEYLOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.co