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

Herbs are micronutrient powerhouses for your immune, nervous, and endocrine systems, but some of them may not be recommended during this time of your life. Kathleen Mugnolo talks with Adriana about how you can figure out which ones are right for YOU, as well as whether it makes sense to use herbs to get labor started, to lessen the chances of Group B Strep colonization, to help with constipation, to increase milk supply, and how they can support your postpartum recovery.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-cov

Chelsy Arnett shares with Adriana how her husband nourished her during pregnancy. She also talks about the wonders of the double hip squeeze during labor, why she’d push in a completely different way the next time, as well as what’s helped her get through the surprisingly intense identity shift and breastfeeding challenges of the postpartum period.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 BIRTHFULEARTHBREEZE - Get 40% off at EarthBre

Registered dietitian and researcher Lily Nichols and Adriana take a closer look at the common nutrition recommendations during pregnancy, and whether avoiding raw fish and runny eggs may be keeping you from getting the nutrition you and your baby really need. Lily also shares why you should pair high-quality fats and proteins with your carbs, and how to listen to the signals your unique body is sending you for optimal nutrition.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

OB/GYN and medical educator Dr. Amali Lokugamage talks with Adriana about how being pregnant propelled a paradigm shift in her ideas about birth, leading her to give birth at home. A champion of human rights in childbirth, she shares why birth recommendations have become so hospital-centric, and why it would benefit us all to embrace more family-centered, integrated, and collaborative models of care.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/birthfulINFORMED PREGNANCY PLUS - Go to InformedPregnancy.tvACORNS - Go to acorns.com/birthful to start investing in your futureTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consu

Robina Khalid of Small Things Grow Midwifery explains what it takes to truly consider a homebirth, and shares with Adriana how to prepare for a successful experience.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/birthfulINFORMED PREGNANCY PLUS - Go to InformedPregnancy.tvACORNS - 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 BIRTHFULIf you liked this episode, listen to this episode on homebirth reimbursement, and this interview about the purpose of pain in childbirth.Get the most out of this episode

April Teel shares with Adriana how her thoughtful preparation set the stage for her to have wonderful birth experiences at both a freestanding birth center (with a midwife) and a hospital (with a family practice doctor). She reflects on how what surprised her the most were the differences between the pushing stages—with one being managed, long, and difficult, and the second being completely dictated by her body, allowing her to experience the Fetal Ejection Reflex. Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on the show notes page.If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on Rethinking the Pushing Stage and this episode on Structural Body Changes During Pregnancy and Postpartum.You can also download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course.Connect with Birthful @Birt

Cesarean rates have increased 500% in two generations, and about half of them may be unnecessary. Physician-scientist and ACOG Fellow, Dr. Neel Shah, talks with Adriana about how the hospital you choose can be your #1 risk of having a surgical birth, how we got here, and what you can do about it.If you liked this episode, listen to this episode on How to Avoid a “Cascade of Interventions” and this episode with Carrie Contey (it's the one we mentioned in the show).Get the most of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course.Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podc

Jenny Murphy’s birth preparations were impacted by uncertainty, fear, and ever-changing circumstances. She shares with Adriana how focusing on her “birth vision”– and waiting to go to the hospital for as long as possible– allowed her to be the leader of her labor and have what she describes as a dream birth. 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 to this episode on How Your Birth Plan Impacts Your Birth Experience and this short episode on How to Have a Great Hospital Birth.You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course.Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you

Midwife and researcher, Dr. Mimi Niles, talks to Adriana Lozada about the U.S. hospital system, how your goals as a birthing person are at odds with the system’s goals, and how to tap into your power as a consumer within said system so you can have a better birth experience.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 to this episode on the cultural ideals that shape your birth experience, and this interview on Birth Models (both are part of our series on “Models and Places of Birth”).Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.Download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! Don't miss even more tips, insights, and news from Adriana and her guests!Our Sponsors:* Check out Mabbly : https://lactationnetwork.com/Support this podcast at — https:/

Adriana Lozada goes through the pros and cons of three places where you can give birth: a hospital, a birth center, and at home, and what you should consider when making an informed decision.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 to this story on Why Having an Audience Stalled Her Birth and this episode about Showing Up at Your Birth.You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation courseFollow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.Our Sponsors:* Check out Mabbly : https://lactationnetwork.com/Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/dona

Medical anthropologist Robbie Davis-Floyd talks with Adriana about the technocratic, humanistic, and holistic birth models. She explains why we’ve gotten so obsessed with machines and numbers, why we need more midwives, how some OBs are making positive changes by embracing the midwifery model of care, and what you can take from those models to improve your experience.​​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 to this interview on the #1 cesarean risk and this episode on the holistic stages of birth. You can learn more about Robbie Davis-Floyd at davis-floyd.com. Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com.If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course.

Sarah Winward’s story starts with some lovely swing dancing in the living room, and stomping through deep snow with her dog, then gets really intense, having Sarah ask herself over and over “Where is the break?! There’s supposed to be a break. Where is the break?!” She shares with Adriana how being open to all her options let her be grounded in the experience. ​​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 to this interview on the baby’s birth experience and this episode if you're looking to find out what is HypnoBirthing. You can learn more about Sarah on Instagram @the_lactation_nd or at thelactationnd.com. Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Y

Author and childbirth educator Britta Bushnell describes eight deeply entrenched cultural ideals that can unconsciously— and even negatively— impact the course of your labor and how you parent. She and Adriana share how to reframe these beliefs to uplift realistic expectations and have a more transformative experience.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 to this interview on the purpose of childbirth pain and this episode on healing your birth story. You can learn more about Britta Bushnell on Instagram @brittabushnellphd or at brittabushnell.com. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course.F

Michelle Onaka shares the ups and downs along the way toward having her child, including her fertility journey, then completely gutting their house during pregnancy, and following that up with a fabulous waterbirth. She shares with Adriana how immediate postpartum became a bit of a rude awakening, and how helpful it was to connect with a lactation consultant, a cloth diaper service, to start co-sleeping, and actually learn about how to navigate life with a newborn from a place of confidence (even if you can’t always know what’s going on). 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 to our interview on Infant Sleep Basics with Dr. James MCKenna and our episode on Fertility Before & After PregnancyYou can connect with Michelle on Instagram at @intentionalmoneylife. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's P

Criselda F. shares with Adriana the details of her three-day-long birth, which she describes as amazing and transformative. It also truly illustrates how birth is not linear, as it can easily go from prodromal to precipitous! Find out what helped her get through the frustration of not knowing when it was really going to start, the joy of having her partner catch the baby, and why tearing was the one thing that really took her by surprise. 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 to our interview on Protecting Your Perineum and our episode on The Baby's Birth Experience. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPAR

Alison Spath shares with Adriana the many twists and turns included in her path toward a planned homebirth after two cesareans (HBA2C), including getting things started with castor oil, having to hold at bay the fear-based opinions of random obstetricians, celebrating her victories along the way, and a last-minute trip to the hospital. 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 to our interview on Choosing Your Care Provider and our episode on Is Homebirth for You?You can connect with Alison on Instagram @beautifulbirthchoices. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course.Follow us on Goodpods, App

Shelley Wylie shares with Adriana how marvelous it can be to see your partner really have your back and tell the nurse to wait until your contraction is over, how labor is not as horrendous as the Machu Picchu trail, and how you can absolutely have a lovely birth, even if you have to come undone and regather yourself in the process. She also highly recommends that if you dislike the tub, try the shower! Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! AQUATRU - Get 20% off any AquaTru purifier at AquaTru.com with promo code BIRTHFULNEEDED - Get 20% off your first order at thisisneeded.com with promo code BIRTHFULTONIES - Get 15% off at us.tonies.com/BIRTHFULHONEYLOVE - Get 20% OFF at honeylove.com/birthful with promo code BIRTHFULJENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at jennikayne.com/birthful with promo code BIRTHFULONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.oneskin.co/ with promo code BIRTHFULHELLO FRESH - Get 50% off at hellofresh.com/birthful50 with the code BIRTHFUL50 (plus free shipping!)THE LACTATION NETWORK - Got to TLN.care/BIRTHFUL

Kally McConnell shares her glorious VBAC story, along with all the things she did differently from her first birth, how it all started with a literal bang when her bag of waters broke, and how there was no time for the tub. She also shares with Adriana the insights she gained about the difference between labor contractions, pushing contractions, and Pitocin-generated contractions.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 to our interview on VBAC Facts and our episode on Know(ing) What You’re Up Against When Giving Birth at a Hospital. You can learn more about Kally and her work at Creative-Care-Services.com. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thriv

Dani Izzie, a disability advocate who is quadriplegic, tells Adriana how her years of navigating the medical system, connecting with a community that understands her, building a supportive team, and her deep understanding of her body helped her through the birth of her twins. 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 to our interview titled If Pregnancy Becomes Medically Complicated: Working With a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Physician and our episode on Navigating the NICU. Also, here’s the episode on Family-Centered Cesareans that Adriana mentioned in the show. You can learn more about Dani on Instagram @daniizzie and about her film at danistwinsfilm.com. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth

Welcome to the Best of Birthful. Creator and host Adriana Lozada curated and edited each selection in this playlist of the show’s most popular episodes. It's a tailored introduction to the expansive catalog she amassed over the first five years of Birthful's 300+ shows.Doula Lesley Everest explores the primal nature of birth using somatic and emotional support therapies and an interspiritual ministry. She teaches you how uncontrollable shaking is a very common part of labor, with a significant neurological purpose in the third stage of birth. Here's the original episode in full.For more Birthful, visit our website. For new episodes out each week, subscribe to Birthful. You can connect with us on Instagram @birthfulpodcast and email us at podcast@birthful.com.Download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! Don't miss even more tips, insights, and news from Adriana and her guests! Our Sponsors:* Check out Mabbly : https://lactationnetwork.com/Support this