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

It’s common knowledge that walking, swimming, and doing prenatal yoga can all be super helpful during pregnancy, but what about running, barre, CrossFit, or weightlifting? Deb Flashenberg shares with Adriana how strength-focused exercising can lead to a too-tight core and pelvic floor that make for more difficult labors and harder postpartum recoveries. They explore how you can figure out if your pelvic floor is too tight and what you can do about it to have a more flowing 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 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

Lauren Horton has always been physically active, and during pregnancy, she continued to do a mix of CrossFit, swimming, yoga, and tons of dog walking. She shares with Adriana her surprise when she found herself hunkering down on the bed during labor instead of moving, and why she went with it (although she could have done without the hemorrhoids). Lauren also opens up about the impossibility of trying to live up to the expectations of doing it all, how sometimes the win is as small as having been able to pump at work, and why she concludes that “everyone is a badass.”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/

Being pregnant means having relaxin loosening up all your tissues, while your core stretches and your center of gravity shifts, but that doesn’t mean you have to put up with the associated aches and discomforts. Restorative body educator extraordinaire Molly Deutschbein shares with Adriana ways you can move, support, and align your body for a happier pregnancy and a more flowing birth as well as how to navigate the postpartum return to a non-pregnant body. 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 - Visit HomeThreads.com/birthful to get a 15% off code for 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, transc

Adriana Lozada shares eight great questions for sussing out your provider’s protocols and practices as your pregnancy advances, in order to help you figure out how much shared decision-making and agency you will truly have in 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 BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with code BIRTHFULAQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULHOMETHREADS - Visit HomeThreads.com/birthful to get a 15% off code for 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 What You Need to Know About Birth Positions and our episode on Informed ConsentIf you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter!

Chances are your pregnancy and birth will flow, and you’ll never need to see any of the care providers that deal with more complicated situations. But what if you do? Dr. Loralei Thornburg helps demystify what it can be like working with a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist. She shares with Adriana why so much of it has to do with experience, risk tolerance, and resources, and why – regardless of medical complications – you can still humanize your 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 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

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

The mounting evidence is clear: having a doula can help decrease the risk of having a cesarean birth and significantly improve birth experiences. In fact, doulas have even been called a form of pain relief themselves, as people tend to want fewer pain medications and epidurals when supported by a doula. But what makes what doulas do so special and different from the care you receive from your other care providers?Sabia Wade talks to Adriana about what a doula is, how to find one that will be a good fit for you, the difficulties in accessing a doula (and how that’s evolving), and why a doula’s uniquely non-clinical care can be so complementary to that of the rest of your team, no matter the type of birth you have. 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% o

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 o

There is ample evidence of the benefits of midwifery care for uncomplicated pregnancies, including lower rates of inductions, episiotomies, and cesareans. So why aren’t midwives more widely used in the U.S. (like they are in the rest of the world!)? Dr. Melissa Cheyney talks with Adriana all about midwifery care including the different types of midwives, their certifications, where they practice, and the importance of OBs, perinatologists, and midwives working together to provide you with the right amount of care (instead of too much, too soon or too little, too late). 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

Heather Lauf was so clear on the importance of choosing the right care provider for her birth that she switched practices, twice! Even with her ample preparation, labor still threw her for a loop when she found out her water hadn’t broken (it really seemed it had!), and then again when she couldn’t quiet her thinking brain after realizing she had too many eyes watching her. Nevertheless, Heather was able to have the unmedicated vaginal birth she was hoping for with the help of her trusted team.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 BIRTHFULTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationEARTHBREEZE - Get 40% off at EarthBreeze.com/BirthfulGet the most out of this episode by che

Obstetricians are the go-to care providers when giving birth in the US, but not all OBs are created equal. How does your obstetrician's background and training impact the care you get, and is that aligned with the care you deserve? Dr. Stuart Fischbein shares his insights, the hard lessons he’s gained over his career, as well as why he still does breech deliveries, VBACs, and home births.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 BIRTHFULTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationEARTHBREEZE - Get 40% off at EarthBreeze.com/BirthfulGet the most of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  If you liked this episode, li

Nana Eyeson-Akiwowo, co-founder of the socially impactful Fourth Phase aftercare boxes, shares how her expectations of when and how she should bond with her baby tarnished her otherwise wonderfully supported and respected birth experience. She tells Adriana how this hyperfocus on bonding impacted her postpartum, and how her mom helped her shift things with lots of wisdom and laughter. 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 BIRTHFULTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationSKYLIGHT FRAME - Get $15 off at SkylightFrame.com/BIRTHFULEARTHBREEZE - Get 40% off at EarthBreeze.com/BirthfulIf you liked this episode, listen to this interview about the physical and emotional changes

Dr. Brad Bootstaylor talks with Adriana Lozada about how vital it is to establish shared decision-making with your care provider and the problem with the prevailing fear-based approach in perinatal care. Plus: why no one should ever roll their eyes at your birth plan!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 BIRTHFULTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationSKYLIGHT FRAME - Get $15 off at SkylightFrame.com/BIRTHFULEARTHBREEZE - Get 40% off at EarthBreeze.com/BirthfulIf you liked this episode, listen to our interview titled Know What You're Up Against When Giving Birth at a Hospital, and our episode on Family-Centered Cesareans.Get the most out of this episode by checking

After having three hospital births – that included inductions, vaginal births, and a cesarean – Mariah Robinson couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing from her experiences. She shares with Adriana how she searched far and wide for a collaborative care provider who would support her wishes for an unmedicated vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and the trust and confidence she built with her body to get through an unplanned homebirth without fear.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! HONEY LOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful JENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with promo code BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with promo code BIRTHFULNEEDED - Get 20% off your first order at ThisIsNeeded.com with promo code BIRTHFULTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationSKYLIGHT FRAME - Get $15 off at SkylightFrame.com/BIRTHFULFACTOR - Get 50% off at FactorMeals.com/Birthful50 with promo code BIRTHFUL50AQUATRU - G

Finding the care provider that’s right for you is a critical first step toward having a great birth experience. Dr. Robin Elise Weiss talks with Adriana about the different types of prenatal care providers and how their varying philosophies can impact the care you receive. She also shares how to go about finding the care provider that’s right for you, and what you can do if you decide they are no longer a good fit. Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! HONEY LOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful JENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with promo code BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with promo code BIRTHFULNEEDED - Get 20% off your first order at ThisIsNeeded.com with promo code BIRTHFULTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationSKYLIGHT FRAME - Get $15 off at SkylightFrame.com/BIRTHFULFACTOR - Get 50% off at FactorMeals.com/Birthful50 with promo code BIRTHFUL50AQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with promo code BIR

After birthing quite a large baby and experiencing shoulder dystocia, Jessica Bower went on a quest to figure out why she had grown a baby that size. She shares with Adriana how gaining control of her sugar levels really helped with her “Mission: Make a Small Baby” for her third birth. This nutritional connection with her body was key in her decision to have an induction for her fourth birth after developing gestational diabetes, leading to the waterbirth she so desired. Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! HONEY LOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful JENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with promo code BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with promo code BIRTHFULNEEDED - Get 20% off your first order at ThisIsNeeded.com with promo code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing in your futureTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationSKYLIGHT FRAME - Get $15 off at SkylightFrame.com/BIRTHFULFACTOR -

Genevieve Howland (a.k.a. Mama Natural) talks with Adriana about ways you can navigate the emotions that come with gaining weight during pregnancy, identify possible triggers, and explore seeing it as an opportunity to connect with and appreciate your body in a new way. They also discuss how nutrition plays a role in lessening birth interventions, the folic acid vs. folate debate, ferments, bitters, cravings, mindful eating habits, and more.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! HONEY LOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful JENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with promo code BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with promo code BIRTHFULNEEDED - Get 20% off your first order at ThisIsNeeded.com with promo code BIRTHFULACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing in your futureTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationSKYLIGHT FRAME - Get $15 off at SkylightFrame.com/BIRTHFULFACTOR - Get 50% off at FactorMeals.com

Adriana Lozada offers practical advice on how to deal with whatever level of nausea you are experiencing. She also lays out how hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is not just a bad case of morning sickness, but a severe and debilitating condition.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! HONEY LOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful JENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with promo code BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with promo code BIRTHFULNEEDED - Get 20% off your first order at ThisIsNeeded.com with promo code BIRTHFULARMOIRE - Get up to 50% off your first month at Armoire.style/birthfulACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing in your futureTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationSKYLIGHT FRAME - Get $15 off at SkylightFrame.com/BIRTHFULFACTOR - Get 50% off at FactorMeals.com/Birthful50 with promo code BIRTHFUL50If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on eating to grow a healthy baby brain, or th

Professor of Microbiology and researcher Dr. Anne Estes talks with Adriana about how your gut microbiome (not just your vaginal microbiome) plays a critical role in seeding your baby’s microbiome during birth, and what you can do about it. They discuss whether probiotics are necessary during pregnancy, why inserting a garlic clove in your vagina may not be the best way to combat Group B Strep, and the importance of looking at microbiomes through a diversity lens.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! HONEY LOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful JENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with promo code BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with promo code BIRTHFULNEEDED - Get 20% off your first order at ThisIsNeeded.com with promo code BIRTHFULARMOIRE - Get up to 50% off your first month at Armoire.style/birthfulACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing in your futureTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationSKYLI

After an eye-opening, traumatic, and abusive first birth, Toni DeAztlan Smith was determined not to repeat the experience. Toni tells Adriana how she proactively took matters into her own hands and ended up having a powerfully healing birth. She also shares how she achieved her goals of being negative for Group B Strep, NOT developing gestational diabetes, and avoiding preeclampsia.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! HONEY LOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful with promo code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with promo code BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with promo code BIRTHFULNEEDED - Get 20% off your first order at ThisIsNeeded.com with promo code BIRTHFULARMOIRE - Get up to 50% off your first month at Armoire.style/birthfulACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing in your futureTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationAQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with promo code BIRTHFULEA