Category: Podcast

Labor and delivery nurses have a huge opportunity to connect with birthing families and support them through one of the most monumental transitions of their life. How are we leveraging this position and power to create better birthcare experiences?

Please join us in conversation with Mandy Irby of The Birth Nurse and Paula Richards to breakdown some of the challenges we face in the day to day reality of delivering perinatal care that does not always match up with the impact we want to have as nurses.

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Mandy (she/her) is a board certified labor nurse with 12 years of experience supporting survivors of assault and trauma through pregnancy, birth planning, and at their bedside during childbirth and pregnancy loss. After experiencing her own birth trauma, she quickly learned that the birth care system is NOT centered on human rights, patient choice, and the individual human experience. In 2020, Mandy made education a full-time career. She now teaches and supports parents and nurses how to better center voice, choice, and physiology in birth. It’s Mandy’s mission to change birth culture so that it’s parent-centered, trauma-informed, and safe – for everyone. When we’re not in total lockdown, Mandy enjoys teaching L&D units in-person Peanut Ball, Labor Support Skills and Trauma-Informed Care At the Bedside workshops. She also supports local parents with small-group Spinning Babies® Parent Classes when in-person learning is safest. Mandy is also an international educator through her online, on-demand childbirth ed classes and she supports anxious parents-to-be with virtual, one-on-one trauma-informed birth strategy sessions. She’s the co-founder of Fearless Birth, Delivered, founder and owner of The Birth Nurse®, and a proud co-creator of the BRAND NEW Trauma-Informed Birth Nurse Program. As a creative educator, Mandy is also the co-author of an Amazon-best seller VBAC book, Baby Got VBAC, and reaches millions of viewers each month through her very engaged, tongue-in-cheek social media platforms. Follow Mandy on instagram and facebook.

Paula (she/her) is a human who has been answering “What are you?” since 1993. Paula has four offspring, two dogs, 15 years acute care OB experience, a love of expletives and run-on sentences, a master’s degree in nursing with focus in education, specialty nursing certifications in Electronic Fetal Monitoring and Inpatient Obstetrics, and permission to teach a variety of things from the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN), the American Academy of Pediatrics, the STABLE Program® and Evidence Based Birth®. She grounds her consumption of nursing theory and research by continuing to provide care as a bedside labor nurse, preferably on night shift, and likes to nerd out about birth justice and being a nurse on instagram.

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Nurses must learn how to hold space…right?

Well…we do and we don’t.

Join Mandy, Paula, & Maggie this week as we explore:

~What it means for us to hold space…and how we found our way there

~Discrepancy between vision, training, and practice

~How productivity and outcomes are valued over patient experience

~Role of mentors in questioning the status quo

~The repercussions of centering pathology instead of physiology in OB nursing

~How nursing power is subverted

~Our vision for learning to harness nursing power to amplify the power of birthing people

This is such a rich episode as we dive into so many of the pieces of our work that aren’t easy or comfortable, and so many of the ways nurses can affect change in birthcare.

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Check out this episode’s full transcript or tune in wherever you enjoy podcasts.

We’d love to hear from you; join our community group to discuss!

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Gonna Start” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

September is NICU Awareness Month and we are proud to contribute to increased knowledge around the realties of parenting a child in the NICU.

We are thrilled to share insight from Tracy May on the power of holding space and how we can provide better support for new parents while their infant is in the NICU.

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Tracy is a happily married mom of two micro preemie boys. Each of their journeys into the world came with shock, overwhelm, and uncertainty. But like tough little warriors they fought their way through a combined 9 1/2 months in the NICU. Tracy’s family continues to navigate the challenges that often accompany a premature birth while celebrating the gift of her two boys. 
As a life coach, Tracy invests her time helping other preemie moms process through the stress and overwhelm so that they can begin to embrace their new normal. 
Tracy is the CEO of Miracle Moments Matter. She was also an ambassador and public speaker for the March for Babies and a ten year member of the Board of Directors for the March of Dimes. 
In her free time she loves early morning quiet coffee time, knitting, reading, scrapbooking, traveling and girls weekends. You can follow Tracy’s work over at facebook or instagram.

It is already challenging to integrate your birth experience, allow rest to heal yourself, and care for a newborn…let alone adding a stay in the NICU on top of it! Parents caring for premature and otherwise medically-complex infants have unique needs. Tracy shares her decades of personal and professional experience to develop our skills as we support clients and loved ones through this journey, or prepare for our own.

Join us in conversation as we explore:

~what holding space looks like during an uncertain NICU stay

~enforcing & honoring boundaries while supporting your preemie

~the benefits of journaling for NICU parents

~offering and accepting help

~creating special memories through a NICU stay

~releasing guilt and caring for yourself 

~tempering worry and anxiety of the unknown

For more information and support around NICU stays
check out these resources:

March of Dimes

Facebook – Private Group – Inspiration & Hope for Preemie Moms

Instagram Support: Preemie World and Our Little Preemie

3 Part NICU Survival Guide: Recenter Yourself, Building Confidence, Meditation

Understanding the NICU Book for Parents

Tracy’s My Preemie’s Journey Journal is available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Check out this episode’s full transcript or tune in wherever you enjoy podcasts.

We’d love to hear from you; join our community group to discuss!

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Gonna Start” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

We are kicking off a new series this season: “Holding Space through the Complicated” and who better to usher in a mindset shift around holding space than 2 therapists? 

Join us in conversation with Allison Lieberman & Yvette Osorio of Rooted Harmony Counseling as we discuss supporting clients and loved ones with postpartum transition and PMADs-perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

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Allison is: Mom of 2 toddlers, Postpartum Anxiety Survivor, Passionate about women’s health and opportunity, Modern-Day Foodie, Crime Junkie, & Dog mom to my adopted puppy
Yvette is: Mom of a toddler, Proud dog mom to my 12-year-old pup, Harry Potter Fanatic, Spanish Speaking, Passionate about destigmatizing mental health in the Latinx Community, & Advocate for emotion coaching parenting
You can follow their work through their blog and on social media: instagram, & facebook.

Here in the US we have normalized ridiculous expectations around the transition to postpartum and as a result often ignore and stigmatize seeking support around postpartum mental health. As birthworkers we have a responsibility to recognize the impact of our words and actions when we are addressing someone’s mental health just as much as when we’re addressing a physical concern. We are also seeing significant increases in PMADs during the pandemic, which we cannot ignore.

Join Allison, Yvette, & Maggie this week as we explore:

~holding space for vs “fixing” an issue

~recognizing and supporting postpartum parents with mental health concerns

~COVID-19 and the pandemic’s impact on postpartum mental health

~stigma in seeking mental health resources

~the importance of culturally congruent therapists for BIPOC 

~changing how we talk about treatment and medications for PMADs in comparison to other medical concerns

~dropping the “supermom” narrative

For more information and support around perinatal mental health,
check out these resources:

Find a therapist trained in perinatal mental health support

Information about the Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color

Find a Black Female Therapist

SAMHSA National Helpline

Book recommendations from Allison & Yvette:

Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts

The Fourth Trimester

The Postpartum Husband

What Am I Thinking

Check out this episode’s full transcript or tune in wherever you enjoy podcasts.

We’d love to hear from you; join our community group to discuss!

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Gonna Start” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

One of the biggest issues in our birthcare system is the siloed nature that leads to a lack of collaboration and negatively impacts patient safety. This is often present when transitions of care are necessary, such as from a planned homebirth to a hospital.

Ray Rachlin of Refuge Midwifery, Dr Abby Dennis, & Maggie share their personal experiences navigating these transfers and how we can acknowledge challenges while continuing to center the birthing person’s autonomy.

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Read the bios for this week’s panel from our podcast core over here.

Hospital transfers are a necessary and expected part of thriving homebirth care models. Recognizing this and the unpredictability of birth that will sometimes necessitate a change in plans can prepare us to view a homebirth transfer as a variation of normal rather than a fraught situation to be avoided at all costs.

Our biases around homebirth transfers to hospital are often reinforced by negative experiences. Many hospital-based birth professionals are only familiar with homebirth in the context of when things go awry and a transfer is needed, which reinforces a belief that homebirth is unsafe and needlessly risky. Similarly, when community midwives & birthworkers do not have relationships with hospital-based providers outside of the transfer environment there is limited time to establish shared beliefs

Join Abby, Ray, & Maggie this week as we explore:

~When & how to transfer to preserve vaginal birth

~Routine vs emergent transfers

~Adversarial relationships between homebirth & hospital providers

~System challenges in the US that preclude collaborative relationships

~Establishing mutual trust & respect to avoid care delays

~Promoting physical, mental, & emotional safety during a transfer

For more reading about homebirth transfers & safety, check out these resources:

Best Practice Guidelines: Transfer from Planned Home Birth to Hospital

Transfer from Planned Home Birth to Hospital:
Improving Interprofessional Collaboration

Transfer to hospital in planned home births: a systematic review

Outcomes of care for 16,924 planned home births in the United States: the Midwives Alliance of North America Statistics Project, 2004 to 2009

What is Homebirth? from Evidence Based Birth

Check out this episode’s full transcript or tune in wherever you enjoy podcasts.

We’d love to hear from you; join our community group to discuss!

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Gonna Start” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

What does it mean to support birth at every size?

Sarah from GestationDietitian, Ray Rachlin of Refuge Midwifery, & Maggie came together to share how we can support birthing people of all sizes, and take the focus off of weight during pregnancy & birth.

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Ray Rachlin (she/they) LM, CPM, CLC is a midwife and founder of Refuge Midwifery, an inclusive midwifery practice providing fertility counseling and home IUI, home birth midwifery care, and community education throughout the greater Philadelphia area. 
In addition to her private practice, for the past four years Ray has been immersed in promoting affirming reproductive care for transgender patients, and has taught midwives, doctors, nurses, and birth professionals throughout the country on trans-inclusive fertility, birth and postpartum care.
Ray earned their Bachelor’s of Science in Midwifery at Birthingway College of Midwifery in Portland, Oregon in 2016, and holds a BA in political science, urban studies and labor studies from Queens College. Ray is the President of the Pennsylvania Association of Certified Professional Midwives and a member of the Queer and Transgender Midwives Association.

Sarah (she/they) is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES) with over ten years of experience in prenatal and postpartum nutrition with a speciality in gestational diabetes. Sarah works from a framework that is anti-diet culture, that is, against a culture that teaches us that foods, and often carbohydrates in particular, are “bad”. Sarah is passionate about providing inclusive, affirming care for all individuals and bodies and offers a welcoming, comfortable environment while using HAES®-aligned practical approaches. The gestational space is one that is typically gendered. Sarah works to challenge gender norms in providing affirming, equitable care to all people.

This week tune in as we discuss all the ways we can be supportive of our clients at higher weights. 
How do we talk to people about their weight & their nutrition without lecturing or shaming?
When & why might it be relevant to discuss weight during pregnancy…and when is it unnecessary?
How can we be size-inclusive in our approaches to caring for people who are pregnant and preparing to give birth?
This discussion between Ray, Sarah, & Maggie explores addressing our biases and shifting culture around the role of weight in health.

Listen in for more info!

Here are some resources if you want to explore this more deeply:

~Plus Size Birth

~Research: Birth Outcomes of Women with Obesity Enrolled for Care at Freestanding Birth Centers in the United States

~BMI During Pregnancy – Is It An Accurate Measurement Of Health?

~HAES Community; Framework

~Intimate Connections Doula offers a BAES training for birthworkers, check for future dates!

Accounts to follow on IG: Big Fat Pregnancy, fat.and.pregnant, fat positive fertility

Check out this episode’s full transcript or tune in wherever you enjoy podcasts.

We’d love to hear from you; join our community group to discuss!

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Gonna Start” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Spoiler alert: *most* pregnant and postpartum people could benefit from a Pelvic Floor PT consult! 

Join us as we discuss with Dr. Rebecca Maidansky, PT, DPT of Lady Bird Physical Therapy where Pelvic PT fits into a continuum of care through pregnancy & postpartum.

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Why hasn’t pelvic floor PT been well integrated into standard prenatal & postpartum care here in the US? Why does it take on average SIX YEARS for a woman to have her pelvic health concerns adequately addressed by pelvic floor PT?

Rebecca shares with us this week about:

~bias in seeking & referring to pelvic floor PT
~the short & long-term harm in normalization of pelvic floor dysfunction 
~importance of collaborative care to address concerns
~timing of pelvic floor PT consults
~what to look for to distinguish normal & abnormal pelvic floor recovery in postpartum
~role in healing after vaginal or cesarean birth
don’t miss: the underrated issue that pelvic floor PT can address!

Interested in learning more about Pelvic Floor PT? Check out:

~The Cesarean Scar care techniques referenced on the podcast

~4 Positions to Help Prepare Your Pelvic Floor for Birth

~So You Were Cleared for Exercise at 6 Weeks…Now What?

~(Brief) History of Pelvic Health

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Check out this episode’s full transcript or tune in wherever you enjoy podcasts.

We’d love to hear from you; join our community group to discuss!

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Gonna Start” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Is there a topic that carries more bias than pregnant people who use drugs? How can we combat stigma & show up for pregnant people using drugs? How do we address decades of policies that result in hospital birthing spaces that can feel hostile and punitive to this population? How we can support pregnant people who are using drugs and make it so that they feel safe and that they are actually being cared for instead of criminalized?

Carlyn Mast joins us to discuss!

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In this episode, Carlyn shares more about her experience working within hospital birth systems to support birthing people who use drugs. Listen in as she explores:

~Facts about drug use in pregnancy
~Harm reduction strategies during pregnancy
~Examining our biases & emotions as care professionals
~Navigating hospital policies around surveillance & reporting
~Supporting families without CPS

For additional resources about harm reduction during pregnancy, check out:

~Academy of Perinatal Harm Reduction Toolkit

~Cornerstone’s Course: Eliminating Stigma Against People Who Use Drugs

~ACOG’s position statement*: Substance Use Disorder in Pregnancy
*NOTE: “ACOG recommends testing be performed only with the patient’s consent and a positive test not be a deterrent to care, a disqualifier for coverage under publicly-funded programs, or the sole factor in determining family separation.”

For exploring more about CPS & the family welfare system:

~Movement for Family Power

~Dorothy Roberts’ Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare

~Don Lash’s When the Welfare People Come

Check out this episode’s full transcript or tune in wherever you enjoy podcasts.

We’d love to hear from you; join our community group to discuss!

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Gonna Start” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

This episode continues the conversation between Montse Olmos, Mujer dela Tierra, Mayte Acolt, The Womb Doula, and Maggie identifying elements of cultural appropriation in the birth community and how we can respond to it, holding ourselves & the institutions we’re affiliated with accountable.

If you missed part 1, click here or head back one episode! The first part of our recording centers around their petition requesting removal of Rebozo training from doula workshops, and we discuss the response to that petition in this episode as well!

Montse Olmos & Mayte Acolt are Totonaca Indigenous birth companions and migrants in the United States. Mayte is a traditional Sobadora since age seven, taught by her grandmother. Montse was raised by her family elders who practiced herbal medicine, Sobadas and energetic healing. They host “What You Didn’t Know About the Rebozo” together and share about the history of the Rebozo from an Indigenous perspective, while connecting it to the work of anti-racism, Indigenous liberation and becoming an accomplice to historically oppressed communities.

Mayte and Montse began a movement in March 2021 to remove Rebozo birth techniques from Doula Training Organization in the U.S., as a result of the excessive and inappropriate use of this sacred textile amongst Doulas and Midwives. They conduct this work with genuine concern for the commercialization and dilution of the Rebozo and propose that extensive mentorship and hands-on learning from expert Elders is necessary in order to practice Rebozo body-work in an ethical way.

You can follow them on IG: Montse is found at mujer dela tierra & Mayte is at maytethewombdoula.

Cultural appropriation continues in birth because white supremacy has been fostered in the birth community.

Join us as we discuss:
~white saviorism in birthwork
~accountability in community…calling in & calling out
~birthwork as a political act
~examining our positionality as birthworkers

If after these interviews you are left wanting to know more, and be in a community space to process and reflect, we cannot recommend highly enough Montse & Mayte’s ongoing knowledge shares, which are offered every few weeks and (scheduling is kept up to date through Montse’s linktree).

Mayte & Monte are leading two session of their incredible knowledge share centered around use of the Rebozo and the role of birthworkers in ceasing cultural appropriation over the next few weeks. You can find out more about the two options: starting 5/11, and starting 5/17.

To deepen your understanding of allyship, being an accomplice, and holding yourself accountable to your community, here are a few resources:
~Lesson 1: Actor, Ally, Accomplice
~Moving from Ally to Accomplice
~Allies, Accomplices, & Saviors

Check out this episode’s full transcript or tune in wherever you enjoy podcasts.

We’d love to hear from you; join our community group to discuss!

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Gonna Start” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

In this episode Montse Olmos, Mujer dela Tierra, & Mayte Acolt, The Womb Doula, join Maggie to discuss their work and what they have witnessed around cultural appropriation during birth. In March, their shared cognizance led them to create a petition requesting removal of Rebozo training from doula workshops, which has garnered international attention. This has also lead to a broader discussion around cultural appropriation in the birth community, which is important, necessary, & overdue.

Montse Olmos & Mayte Acolt are Totonaca Indigenous birth companions and migrants in the United States. Mayte is a traditional Sobadora since age seven, taught by her grandmother. Montse was raised by her family elders who practiced herbal medicine, Sobadas and energetic healing. They host “What You Didn’t Know About the Rebozo” together and share about the history of the Rebozo from an Indigenous perspective, while connecting it to the work of anti-racism, Indigenous liberation and becoming an accomplice to historically oppressed communities.

Mayte and Montse began a movement in March 2021 to remove Rebozo birth techniques from Doula Training Organization in the U.S., as a result of the excessive and inappropriate use of this sacred textile amongst Doulas and Midwives. They conduct this work with genuine concern for the commercialization and dilution of the Rebozo and propose that extensive mentorship and hands-on learning from expert Elders is necessary in order to practice Rebozo body-work in an ethical way.

You can follow them on IG: Montse is found at mujer dela tierra & Mayte is at maytethewombdoula.

The Rebozo is not a “tool” for labor support…we need to stop viewing it as an extractable element, and reflect its’ sacred nature & the bigger story behind its use & misuse.

During this conversation we discuss:

~the physical harm from Rebozo use that prompted the urgency of the petition

~how many birthworker trainings provide inadequate training for holistic remedies

~how the medical-industrial complex fuels cultural appropriation

~the damage from viewing birthcare provision through an individual vs communal lens

~the exhaustion from needing to validate ancestral wisdom for US birthworkers ad nauseum

If this conversation has lit a fire in you to discover more about Rebozos and understand your positionality in birthwork, we cannot recommend highly enough Montse & Mayte’s ongoing knowledge shares, which are offered every few weeks and (scheduling is kept up to date through Montse’s linktree).

Mayte & Monte are leading two session of their incredible knowledge share centered around use of the Rebozo and the role of birthworkers in ceasing cultural appropriation over the next few weeks. You can find out more about the two options: starting 5/11, and starting 5/17.

We found this course so impactful, that we would love to share this opportunity with our community! If you would like to win a free slot in one of the upcoming trainings, please comment on our giveaway post over in our community group!

For more reading of personal experiences with cultural appropriation and to contextualize it’s history in birthwork, please check out:

~Cultural Appropriation: Do Not Steal My Culture Please
~Not Your Idea: Cultural Appropriation in the Birthing Community
~Home Birth & Cultural Appropriation

Check out this episode’s full transcript or tune in wherever you enjoy podcasts.

If you enjoyed this interview you’ll want to tune into the rest of it coming out 5/10 digging deeper into appropriation, accountability, & allyship!

We’d love to hear from you; join our community group to discuss!

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Gonna Start” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Do you have questions about how chiropractic care can fit into overall health & wellness during pregnancy & birth?
Do you have doubts or fears about the role of chiropractors?
Are you intrigued by chiropractic care, but aren’t sure where to start?

Dr. Sharon Dongarra of Thrive Chiropractic joined Pansay of Sacred Butterfly Births & Maggie to explain some comment misconceptions about chiropractic care during pregnancy and identify how it can be used in tandem with medical or midwifery prenatal care to optimize wellness.

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Dr. Sharon Dongarra is a licensed Maryland chiropractor who specializes in the care of families, pregnant women and children.

She is a proud graduate of the prestigious Life University in Marietta, Georgia where she concurrently earned both her Doctorate of Chiropractic and Bachelor of Science in Biology degrees with honors. Her interest in the care of pediatric and pregnant patients led her to obtain additional training and certification through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. Dr. Dongarra is passionate about chiropractic and is an extremely competent practitioner. This shows in the care provided to her patients and in the results that they achieve. She uses a variety of chiropractic adjustment techniques to meet the needs and comfort level of each member of her practice.

She was raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland the youngest of six kids to hard-working parents. Prior to becoming a chiropractor she answered her inner call to help people by traveling overseas with the American Red Cross serving the men and women of our Armed Forces. She has worked serving families living in low income housing in Baltimore City and with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Maryland Chapter.

Dr. Dongarra resides in Baltimore with her wife Katie, their two children and their critters.

Chiropractic care has often been misunderstood and maligned by allopathic medicine…where do those biases come from and how can we grow more understanding of options for birthing people?

Join Sharon, Pansay, and Maggie as we explore:

~misconceptions: what chiropractic care IS and ISN’T

~fundamental philosophical differences between chiropractic & allopathic medicine

~”common discomforts of pregnancy” that may be helped with chiropractic

~increasing accessibility to chiropractic services

~creating supportive care communities for birthing people

If you’d like to learn more about chiropractic care during pregnancy and birth, you may enjoy these resources:

*A literature review of chiropractic care & pregnancy
*Webster technique and find a practicing chiropractor
*Chiropractic Care & Breech Babies from the Evidence Based Birth podcast.

Check out this episode’s full transcript or tune in wherever you enjoy podcasts.

We’d love to hear from you; join our community group to discuss!

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“Gonna Start” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)