Evidence Based Birth®

This episode concludes our series of interviews we conducted live from the 2019 Evidence Based Birth Conference - Bringing the Evidence to Life. EBB Instructor and Professional Membership Coordinator Chanté Perryman interviewed several different panels of attendees, hearing from them the most pressing issues in their communities, and how they plan to affect change. 

This week, we hear from some inspiring birth workers of color: doula, certified lactation counselor, and student midwife Divine Bailey-Nicholas; nurse, doula, certified childbirth educator and certified lactation counselor Carmen Southall-Wamhoff; and midwife, doula, monitrice, and advocate Ms. Charlotte Marie Shilo-Goudeau.

Hear each of these dynamic change makers describe the challenges they are facing and how they are making an impact for the women and families they serve. In addition to the conference interview, I am pleased to continue the conversation with further insights from Carmen!

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:

Evidence Based Birth offers a fantastic cross-professional community in our Professional membership! Get more information here.

As long as minority mothers and babies are dying at disparately high rates, I am committed to offering scholarships for our membership for birth professionals of color. Learn more here.

Direct download: EBB_108_-_EBB_Conference_Interviews_-_BWOC.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

This episode is the second in our series of interviews we conducted live from the 2019 Evidence Based Birth Conference. EBB Instructor and Professional Membership Coordinator Chanté Perryman interviewed several different panels of attendees, hearing from them the most pressing issues in their communities, and how they plan to affect change. 

This week, we hear from midwives: CPM Paige Dickinson, CNM Jen Matera, and direct entry midwife Rachel Mueller. Hear about the cultural climate towards midwifery in each of their areas, how they are interacting with their hospitals and birth centers, and the challenges being faced within the midwife community. After the interview, I discuss the research evidence on birth centers.

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:

  • American Association of Birth Centers: https://birthcenters.org
  • Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers: https://www.birthcenteraccreditation.org/
  • Declercq et al. Listening to Mothers SM III. New York: Childbirth Connection, May 2013.
  • MacDorman, M. F. and Declercq, E. (2018). Trends and state variations in out-of-hospital births in the United States, 2004-2017. Birth;00:1–10.
  • Stapleton (2013). "Outcomes of Care in Birth Centers: Demonstration of a Durable Model." J Midwifery Women’s Health 58: 3-14. 
  • Birthplace in England Collaborative Group (2011). Perinatal and maternal outcomes by planned place of birth for healthy women with low risk pregnancies: the Birthplace in England national prospective cohort study. BMJ;343:d7400.


Evidence Based Birth®️ offers a fantastic cross-professional community in our Professional membership! Get more information here.

Direct download: EBB_107_-_EBB_Conference_Interviews_-_Midwives.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

This episode is the first in our series of interviews we conducted live from the 2019 Evidence Based Birth Conference - Bringing the Evidence to Life. EBB Instructor and Professional Membership Coordinator Chanté Perryman interviewed several different panels of attendees, hearing from them the most pressing issues in their communities, and how they plan to affect change after being inspired at the conference. 

This week, we will hear from nurses and doulas: doula Rebecca McKinney, doula Sara Pixton, and labor and delivery nurse Paula Richards. Listen as they highlight some of the challenges faced between the two professions, and how both can work together to support women in labor. After their brief interview, I talk about the research evidence on the challenges of doulas and nurses working together, and offer potential solutions for collaboration!

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:

  • Facebook Group for Doulas and L & D Nurses working collaboratively together: here
  • Goer & Romano (2013). Optimal Care in Childbirth. Classic Day Publishing.
  • Morton & Clift. (2014). Birth Ambassadors. Texas: Praeclarus Press.
  • Bohren, M. A., Hofmeyr,  G. J., Sakala,  C., et al. (2017). Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD003766. 
  • Bohren, M. A., Berger, B. O., Munthe-Kaas, H., et al. (2019). Perceptions and experiences of labour companionship: a qualitative evidence synthesis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD012449. 
  • Roth, L. M., et al. (2016). “North American Nurses’ and Doulas’ Views of Each Other.”J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 45(6):790-800. 
  • Veltman (2007). Disruptive behavior in obstetrics: a hidden threat to patient safety. Am J Obstet Gynecol 196(6): 587e1-4, discussion e4-5.
  • Tumblin and Simkin. “Pregnant women’s perceptions of their nurses’ role during labor and delivery” (2001). Birth 28(1): 52-6 
  • Bowers. “Mothers’ experiences of labor support: exploration of qualitative research.” (2002). J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 31(6): 742-52. 
  • McNiven et al. “Supporting women in labor: a work sampling study of the activities of labor and delivery nurses.” (1992). Birth 19(1): 3-8. 
  • Gagnon, Waghorn. “Supportive care by maternity nurses: a work sampling study in an intrapartum unit.” (1996). Birth 23 (1): 1-6. 
  • Gale et al. “Measuring nursing support during childbirth. (2001). Am J Matern Cild Nurs 26(5): 264-71 
  • Miltner. “More than support: nursing interventions provided to women in labor.” (2002). J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 38(2): 753-61. 
  • Barnett. “A new way to measure nursing: Computer timing of nursing time and support of laboring patients.” (2008). Computers, Informatics, Nursing 26(4): 199-206.

Evidence Based Birth®️ offers a fantastic cross-professional community in our Professional membership! Get more information here.

Direct download: EBB_106_-_EBB_Conference_Interviews_-_Nurses_and_Doulas.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this episode, I am joined by two of our distinguished keynote speakers from the 2019 Evidence Based Birth Conference, “Bringing Evidence to Life”: Dr. Sayida Peprah, Psy.D, licensed clinical psychologist, trained birth doula and founder of Diversity Uplifts, Inc., and Heather Thompson, MS, PhD, a molecular and cellular biologist, clinical researcher, birth worker and deputy director of birth justice organization Elephant Circle.

The 2019 Evidence Based Birth conference brought together an incredible mix of birth workers and advocates from many professions and backgrounds. Listen as the three of us debrief the conference - what was impactful, what went right, and what went we would do differently in the future. Hear their perspectives as members of a non-dominant cultures, and what they and their communities experienced in a diverse and intense conference setting. 

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:

Connect with Dr. Sayida Peprah via her website, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

For more information on Diversity Uplifts, Inc., click here.

Visit the Elephant Circle website here.

Click here for the Evidence Based Birth Podcast episode, "How to Disagree on Birth Topics - Respectfully!" with Cristen Pascucci.

Direct download: EBB_105_-EBB_Conference_Interviews_-_Heather_Thompson_Sayida_Peprah_1.mp3
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In this episode, I explore the latest evidence on the use of saline locks!

A saline lock - sometimes called a “hep-lock” in reference to how it used to be used - is an intravenous (IV) catheter that is threaded into a peripheral vein, flushed with saline, and then capped off for later use. Nurses use saline locks to have easy access to the vein for potential injections. They can be useful in administering drugs as needed, and in the event of emergency surgery.

What is the latest research on the use of saline locks in labor and delivery? What is the evidence for the saline lock in someone who wants an un-medicated birth or wants to avoid medical interventions as much as possible? Should a saline lock be in place “just in case” it may be needed? I’ll cover the evidence on this topic, along with the risks and benefits.

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:

Bailey, J. M., C. Bell, R. Zielenski (2019). “Timing and outcomes of an indication-only use of intravenous cannulation during spontaneous labor.” J Midwifery Womens Health 00:1-7. 

Bateman, B. T., M. F. Berman, et al. (2010). “The epidemiology of postpartum hemorrhage in a large, nationwide sample of deliveries.” Anesthesia and analgesia 110(5): 1368-1373.

Maki, D. G., D. M. Kluger, et al. (2006). “The risk of bloodstream infection in adults with different intravascular devices: a systematic review of 200 published prospective studies.” Mayo Clin Proc 81(9): 1159-1171.

Newton, N., M. Newton, et al. (1988). “Psychologic, physical, nutritional, and technologic aspects of intravenous infusion during labor.” Birth 15(2): 67-72.

Rickard, C. M., D. McCann, et al. (2010). “Routine resite of peripheral intravenous devices every 3 days did not reduce complications compared with clinically indicated resite: a randomised controlled trial.” BMC Med 8: 53.

Want evidence on more topics? Access all of the Evidence Based Birth Signature Articles at our blog.

Direct download: EBB_104_-Evidence_on_Saline_Locks.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this episode, I am joined by reproductive justice advocate Danielle Jackson. Danielle is a wife, mother, doula, and co-host of the podcast Birth Stories in Color. She works to empower women to birth without fear, and has focused her career on helping families recognize their strengths and build healthy support systems. She became a doula in 2016.

Issues in her community of Columbus, Ohio drew Danielle to the organization Restoring Our Own Through Transformation, as a change agent in the ongoing fight for birthing justice in the area. Birth Stories in Color grew from a shared experience with her co-host, Laurel Gourrier, at a training for doulas of color. They quickly realized that in that environment, women of color felt liberated to speak their truths and share their experiences with birth. They now provide that space via their podcast.

Hear Danielle and I talk about strategies to be change makers in our communities, fostering healthy disruption and questioning the status quo.

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:


For more on the podcast Birth Stories in Color, click here. ()

Follow Birth Stories in Color on Facebook, and Instagram.

Learn more about Restoring Our Own Through Transformation here.

Direct download: EBB_103_-_Interview_Danielle_Jackson.mp3
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In this episode, I am joined by Bess English, a mother of two who lives near Pensacola, Florida.  Bess describes her first hospital birth experience as traumatic. When she was pregnant with her second child, she and her husband took the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class to learn more about advocacy tools and comfort measures. 

Bess’ attempted VBAC home birth did not go as planned - and she and her husband found themselves back in the hospital setting making some difficult choices. But this time, it was a different story.

Hear Bess tell her birth stories, how she processed her birth trauma, and utilized advocacy tools to navigate and feel empowered in her complicated second 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:

For more information on the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class, click here.

To find an Evidence Based Birth Instructor and EBB classes near you, click here.

Get your copy of my book, Babies Are Not Pizzas, here. It’s the story of my traumatic first birth, interwoven with the latest evidence surrounding common birth interventions.

Direct download: EBB_102_-_Interview_Bess_English.mp3
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In this episode, I am joined by Gail Tully - author, childbirth educator, midwife and creator of Spinning Babies. The Spinning Babies approach connects understanding of birth anatomy to fetal rotation and easier childbirth, and is recognized around the world by midwives, nurses, childbirth educators, doulas, and parents. Gail’s ability to recognize the spatial relationships between the soft tissue pelvis and the baby has contributed to a paradigm shift in childbirth care and education. She began practicing as a midwife in a small, independent practice, and she now works worldwide, educating parents about her innovative approach.

We talk about why some births are easy, while some are long and hard. Gail addresses the relationships between birth, physiology, and mentality, and covers the practical aspects of accessing the Spinning Babies method and instruction.

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:

Follow Spinning Babies on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

You can access the Spinning Babies blog here, and contact the organization via email at info@spinningbabies.com.

Join Evidence Based Birth for a FREE public webinar, The Evidence on Natural Induction! Attendees will also learn how to earn contact hours through EBB. Register here!

The Evidence Based Birth Professional Membership is on sale! Get a monthly or annual subscription at 20% off for a limited time. Learn more here.

Direct download: EBB_101_-_Interview_Gail_Tully_of_Spinning_Babies3.mp3
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In this episode I am joined by Ngozi Tibbs, a certified childbirth trainer and educator through Lamaze International, an international board certified lactation consultant, and co-founder of the Pittsburgh Black Breastfeeding Circle. With a Bachelor’s degree in maternal child health and a Master’s in public health, Ngozi has served as a private and community based doula, currently provides childbirth education and lactation consulting, and is involved with the non-profit Healthy Start. Often known to share her personal birth stories - including her fifth child’s birth in a car - she believes the best way to approach birth and breastfeeding is through lots of support, and humor.

I had the privilege of listening to Ngozi speak quite a few years ago at a conference, andI was so impacted by her presentation that I included a story about experience that in my book, Babies Are Not Pizzas. In this interview, we have a candid conversation about community support, racism, and the needs of today’s birthing families.

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:

Join the Evidence Based Birth® free webinar - The Evidence  on  Natural Induction! Register here.

Connect with Ngozi via her doula and lactation support practice, Sankofa. You can also reach her on Facebook.

Learn more about the Pittsburgh Black Breastfeeding Circle here.

For more information on Healthy Start, click here.

Direct download: EBB_100_-_Interview_Ngozi_Tibbs2.mp3
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In this episode I am joined by Jen McLellan, author, speaker, and founder of the website Plus Size Birth and the Plus Mommy blog. She is also host of the popular podcast Plus Mommy, and is a certified childbirth educator, wife, and mother. With more than four million page views on her blog, Jen is passionate about helping others navigate the bumps along the road of motherhood.

Jen notes that her doula’s recommendation to look into the midwife model of care changed the course of her first pregnancy. As she had first began care under an obstetrician and researched plus size pregnancy online, she had started to believe that she was at high risk due to her size. However, she had an empowering natural birth with no complications.

As Jen developed her blog, she realized the great need for plus size pregnancy support. While she covers a variety of topics, one of her main areas of focus is helping women to connect with a care provider who will not make them feel ashamed. We discuss practical tips for finding a supportive and welcoming provider, as well as some of the biased messages women of size commonly hear during the course of their care and 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:

Follow Jen on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter

Check out Plus Size Birth, the Plus Mommy blog and the Plus Mommy podcast.

Use coupon code “EBB” to get 30% off Jen’s book, My Plus Size Pregnancy Guide.

For a directory of plus-friendly providers and doulas, visit SizeFriendly.com.

Direct download: EBB_99_-_Interview_Jen_McLellan_Plus_Size_Birth.mp3
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In this episode, I am joined by Taiwo (Tia) Ajao and her husband Dr. Wale Ajao. Tia is an RN with a Master’s in Public Health, a Lamaze certified childbirth educator, and a DONA-trained birth doula. Wale is a medical doctor as well as a communication professional, specializing in film and video production. He is also a Lamaze certified childbirth educator, DONA-trained birth doula, and a certified professional photographer.

Tia and Wale lead Hello Baby Baltimore, a health communications initiative serving families in Baltimore City and the DC/Maryland/Virginia area. Hello Baby Baltimore believes in educating a family’s entire support network, creating unique teaching moments at private baby showers and events. Tia and Wale draw on their background as multimedia creators, and as a doctor/nurse couple with both local and international experience.

We talk about their truly unique approach to childbirth education and family support, including their focus on normalizing the role of men in childbirth. We also talk about the Evidence Based Birth Instructor program, and male doulas.

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:

Learn more about Hello Baby Baltimore and Tia and Wale Ajao via their website, Facebook, and Instagram .

Direct download: EBB_98_-_Interview_Tia_Ajao_and_Dr._Ajao.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this episode, I am joined by one of our Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class parents, Bethany Clay. Bethany has an 11-month old son, and lives in South Carolina. She works part time as a music teacher, and is passionate about sustainability and gardening. She was one of the first people to take the EBB Childbirth Class in 2018, with Instructor Mary Kury.

Bethany describes her birth experience as long, peaceful, and wonderful, all at the same time! Hear how her birth preparation helped her form realistic expectations, and how she felt empowered and amazed when her baby arrived.

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:

Learn more about the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class here.

To find an EBB Childbirth Class near you, click here.

Direct download: EBB_97_-_Interview_with_Bethany_Clay.mp3
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In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Stephanie Edmonds and Dr. Nicole Loew, both PhDs in nursing. Stephanie (who also has a Masters in Public Health) specializes in pre-conception health, family planning, health services quality improvement, and veterans. Nicole has more than five years of sexual and reproductive health research experience, including the topics of responsible sexual behavior, risk communication and health communication.

Together Stephanie and Nicole are hosts of The Woman Centered Health Podcast, advancing sexual and reproductive health communication between families and providers. They are particularly passionate about provider communication with clients.

We discuss strategies to ramp up communications about women’s health across a variety of populations. We also talk about mindfulness when communicating about sex, non-judgmental language, and being a trusted resource.

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:

Check out The Woman Centered Health Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and other podcast platforms.

Follow Stephanie and Nicole via their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Direct download: EBB_96_-_Interview_with_Nicole_Loew_and_Stephanie_Edmonds.mp3
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In this episode, I am joined by bestselling author and award-winning blogger Leonie Dawson to discuss her experience with hyperemesis and postpartum depression and anxiety. Leonie is an artist and entrepreneur based in Australia with a huge following. I asked her to join me on the EBB podcast because she’s blogged extensively about her experiences with hyperemesis and her difficult postpartum journey.

Leonie details her pregnancy and birth experiences, as well as what she learned about herself through some incredible challenges and early parenthood. She also addresses the pressures of perfectionism and idealism, and how to overcome them.

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:

Follow Leonie on her website and Instagram.

Download Leonie’s free illustrated zine on hyperemesis gravidarum here.

Check out Leonie’s illustrated goals workbooks here.

Direct download: EBB_89_-_Interview_with_Leonie_Dawson_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

In this episode, I am joined by Melissa Cassity to talk about her experience taking the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class, and how it came into play during her unexpected pre-term birth. 

Melissa has a 13-month old son and lives in South Carolina with her husband, Kelby.  She works as an instructional designer for an educational technology company. She and Kelby were among the first students of the EBB Childbirth Class, which they took with EBB Instructor Mary Kury. Melissa has a longstanding passion for maternal health, and had wanted a natural birth for a long time. Her son Ezra arrived early - at the tail end of 34 weeks - so Melissa and Kelby actually had him with them at their final few childbirth classes, and were able to share their birth story with fellow students. 

Listen today to hear how, even though almost all aspects of her birth were unexpected, Melissa and Kelby felt prepared, involved, and respected during a birth with many interventions.

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:


Find more information on the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class!

Click here for information from March of Dimes on preterm labor and premature birth.

For the Evidence Based Birth Signature Article on Premature Rupture of Membranes, click here.

Direct download: EBB_92_-_Interview_with_Melissa_Cassity.mp3
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In this episode I am joined by Aza Nedhari, co-founder and executive director of Mamatoto Village, a non-profit training and deploying community health workers to support women through pregnancy, childbirth, and the first months of parenting. Nearly 90 percent of the organization’s clients are African American women who, as a group, suffer dramatically worse maternal health outcomes than other women. Aza pioneered the organization’s comprehensive perinatal health worker training, which uses the community health worker model as a blueprint for creating pathways for women of color in human services and maternal health professions.

Aza is a midwife and family counselor, and is currently pursuing her doctorate in human services. With a concentration in organizational leadership and management, her goal is to cultivate innovative models of perinatal care. She is also currently working on legalizing certified professional midwives in the District of Colombia.

We discuss systemic racism and barriers facing the midwifery profession in the U.S., as well as the benefits of the community birth worker model. We also talk about Aza’s extremely pivotal role in the development of my book, Babies are Not Pizzas.

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:


Visit the Mamatoto Village website here, or connect on Facebook, on Twitter, or Instagram.

Click here to see Advancing Birth Justice: Community-Based Doula Models as a Standard of Care for Ending Racial Disparities, from Black Mamas Matter Alliance.

Get my book Babies are Not Pizzas: They’re Born, Not Delivered, on Amazon.

Direct download: EBB_92_-_Interview_with_Aza_Nedhari.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this episode, I am joined by my midwife, Karen Brown. Karen is a certified professional midwife, located in Central Kentucky, who practicing in 2007. She is a mother of four children; her youngest was born at home.

In 2011 and 2013 Karen attended the home births of two of my children, which are featured in my new book, Babies are Not Pizzas! I’m excited to talk to Karen about her career, as well as my own birth experiences.

I wrote and published Babies are Not Pizzas to address the preventable trauma that is happening in childbirth facilities all around the world. My hope is that by sharing my own story, we can begin to create change together. Babies are Not Pizzas is written for parents, professionals, and anyone who is interested in babies or childbirth. It’s available as an e-book, audiobook, or in paperback and hardcover.

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:

Get my book, Babies are Not Pizzas: They’re Born, Not Delivered, on Amazon! Please be sure to leave a review once you have read it!

Click here for more information on Babies Are Not Pizzas, to submit your purchase receipt for the free Companion by September 20, 2019, and to download social media shareables!

Direct download: EBB_91_-_Interview_with_Karen_Brown.mp3
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My new book, Babies Are Not Pizzas, is slated for release next week! To get ready for this exciting event, I want to share with you the first chapter from the book.

Listen as I read Chapter One: Naive, and get a first glimpse into my story. You'll hear the details of my first daughter's birth, how it sparked the passion for what I do, and how it started me on the road to founding Evidence Based 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:

Get all the details on Babies Are Not Pizzas here - join the wait list to be among the first to know when copies are available!

Direct download: EBB_90_-_Babies_are_Not_Pizzas_-_First_Chapter.mp3
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In this episode, I am joined by Reid Johnson, a former student of mine! Reid graduated from university this past May with honors, majoring in biology. During his course of study he took my seminar on childbirth, called Babies Are Not Pizzas. I was honored to be asked to write his reference letter for medical school, and was so excited to hear that he was accepted. He starts his program this fall. I invited him to the EBB podcast to talk about what it's like to be a med student. ​

Reid shares his undergraduate and med school application journey, as well as his expectations for the future. We also get real on what life is like for doctors, and strategies to avoid professional burnout.

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:

Get the latest updates on my book, Babies are Not Pizzas! Join the waitlist here.

Direct download: EBB_89_-_Interview_with_Reid_Johnson.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:17am EDT

Evidence Based Birth has just released a new Signature Article about routine male newborn circumcision. We have been receiving requests to cover this topic for years; I know that opinions on newborn circumcision are diverse and very emotionally charged.

In this podcast episode I explore circumcision in detail, including discussion on relevant human anatomy, where circumcision came from, why some parents choose non-religious circumcision today, how common it is around the world, and the procedure itself. 

I also review the evidence on circumcision for infection and disease prevention (including the limitations of that evidence), the potential health risks and complications that can occur during and soon after circumcision, and I discuss the evidence in light of ethics and human rights.

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:

Access the new Evidence Based Birth Signature Article on the Ethics and Evidence on Circumcision here

Direct download: EBB_88_-_Circumcisionrevised.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT


In this week's Bonus Book Update podcast, I cover the overarching theme of Babies Are Not Pizzas. It was a surprising realization for me at the end of the writing process!

What is the book about? Mainly, preventable birth trauma in a broken health care system.

This is a complex topic. Listen as I cover all the nuances of this theme, and reveal to you some of the other areas of exploration in the story.

RESOURCES:

Get all the updates on my new book, Babies Are Not Pizzas! Click here to get on the wait list.

Follow Evidence Based Birth on Facebook and Instagram to see the newly-released cover image for Babies are Not Pizzas!

Direct download: Book_Episode_9.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:07pm EDT

In this episode, I interview Cristen Pascucci, founder of Birth Monopoly, about respectful disagreement when talking about childbirth topics.

After the birth of her son in 2011, Cristen left a career in public affairs to study American maternity care and women’s rights. From 2012 to 2016, she served as vice president of Improving Birth, spearheading a multi-year grassroots media strategy to get America’s maternity care crisis into the national news. She also created a legal advocacy hotline for pregnant women, and she began raising awareness around obstetric violence through consumer campaigns. Cristen has helped organize, strategize, and publicize major lawsuits related to obstetric violence, and is co-creator of the Exposing the Silence Project and host of the Birth Allowed Radio podcast. At Birth Monopoly, Cristen advocates for a free maternity care market, working closely with leading national advocates, organizations and birth lawyers, as well as educating the public and health care providers about the human and legal rights of people in childbirth. She is also working on a documentary film on obstetric violence. 

Cristen and I discuss respectful disagreement as Evidence Based Birth will soon be launching a Signature Article on the controversial topic of circumcision. When we alluded to this upcoming article on social media, we received many negative comments and people who were upset that we would even address the issue. EBB is no stranger to controversial topics, and we don’t shy away from hard subjects. Cristen and I talk about ways to express all views respectfully and effectively, so there can be productive conversations around these important issues. We also discuss trauma, triggers, and oppression in the birth world. 

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:

Connect with Birth Monopoly via Facebook, Instagram or the organization’s website. Join Birth Monopoly’s mailing list on the site’s home page to download a free free guide and course on informed consent and refusal during hospital births.

View the trailer of the upcoming documentary “Mother May I?” here.

Direct download: EBB_87_-_Interview_with_Cristen_Pascucci.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

I am thrilled to announce that we have released the cover image for my upcoming book, Babies are Not Pizzas! Check it out on Facebook and Instagram!

In this week's Bonus Book Update podcast, I reveal some of the final details of the production process - and the start of our book launch! Listen to hear the official targeted release date...

RESOURCES:

Get all the updates on my new book, Babies Are Not Pizzas! Click here to get on the wait list.

Follow Evidence Based Birth on Facebook and Instagram to see the newly-released cover image for Babies are Not Pizzas!

book waitlist evidencebasedbirth.com/book

Direct download: Book_Episode_8_-_The_Official_Book_Cover.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this week's Bonus Book Update podcast, I tell you all about the route I chose to publish Babies Are Not Pizzas. These days, book publishing has been democratized, and anyone can self-publish a book outside of the traditional system.

You know me - I did all the research to determine the best publication route for me and for Evidence Based Birth. I'll tell you what I decided on, and how I came to my conclusions. If you are thinking of writing a book someday, what I tell you here may inspire you!

RESOURCES:

Be one of the first to get a copy of Babies Are Not Pizzas! Click here to get on the wait list. 

Direct download: Bonus_Episode_7_-_Did_we_use_Traditional_Publishing_or_Self_Publishing.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this episode, I talk with Ashely Smith about her awe-inspiring and peaceful experience giving birth to twins. Ashley and her partner Trevor live in Lexington, Kentucky. They are both local business owners active in their community. As first time parents, they took time to equip themselves to have a smooth birth experience. Ashley always found herself describing the role of a doula to her friends and family, and finally got to experience having doula herself! She worked with Chanté Perryman, a certified doula and Evidence Based Birth Instructor. Chanté taught Ashley and Trevor through the EBB Childbirth Class -they are the first participants of the class to give birth to twins!

We discuss Ashley’s successfully well-planned birth, as well as her postpartum journey. I also talk about some of EBB’s upcoming projects!

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:

Click here for all the details about the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class!

Find an EBB Instructor and Childbirth Class near you here.

Click here for all of the EBB resources for parents!

Direct download: EBB_85_-_Interview_with_Ashley_Smith.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this week's Book Bonus podcast, I give you a glimpse of all the steps we took to make sure my book, Babies Are Not Pizzas, is accurate and polished!

I'll take you through the multiple steps of the editing process - including a team of over 30 EBB supporters who have read the book and provided feedback! From fact checking to research, and fine-tuning the stories of all the people mentioned in the book, this process was intense and we were so excited to send it off for the final editing phase!

Listen to hear the whole story, PLUS the tentative release date of the book!

RESOURCES:

You can be one of the first to get a copy of Babies Are Not Pizzas! Click here to get on the wait list.

Direct download: Bonus_Episode_6_-_Sending_the_Book_to_our_Editor.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:03am EDT

In this episode, I am joined by Evidence Based Birth® research editor Anna Bertone to explore the updates we’ve made to the EBB Signature Article on Vitamin K.

Anna received her Master’s in public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and her Bachelor’s from East Carolina University. She currently lives in Huntsville, Alabama. Anna joined EBB as our research editor in 2016, and she works diligently on helping me update our research articles and classes that we teach, as well as helping to draft new articles. Anna also corresponds with investigators in the childbirth research field as coordinator of our peer review process. I asked her to help me update the Vitamin K article, originally published in 2014, and she started diving into the research into the fall of 2018. She has been poring over all the latest studies on Vitamin K, and today we discuss what she’s found!

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:

Click here to read the updated Evidence Based Birth® Signature Article, The Evidence on the Vitamin K Shot in Newborns - as well as the updated one-page handout!

Direct download: EBB_84_-_Vitamin_K_podcast_with_Anna.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

On this week's Bonus Book Update podcast, I want to take you inside the final mile of my writing process. When I was just a few chapters shy of finishing my draft and life was just too crazy to find the time to tap into my creative energy, I decided I needed a few days to get away and concentrate completely on my book!

And you know what? It was a great idea. I'll tell you all about the inspiring place I was able to retreat to, all the resources I brought with me to keep me on task (have you ever travelled with a mini-library?), and the encouragement I carried with me from a close friend who shared her insightful perspective on the creative process.

RESOURCES:

Click here to get all the latest updates on my book, Babies Are Not Pizzas!

Direct download: Bonus_Episode_5_-_Going_on_a_Book_Retreat.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this episode, I am joined by Natalie Telyatnikov, founder and creator of the online holistic program Better Postpartum. She is a certified postpartum support specialist trained in perinatal mood and anxiety disorder support, as well as innate traditions of postpartum care.

Natalie shares her personal journey of postpartum depression and anxiety, and the discoveries she made about how these issues are handled in the health care system. We also discuss the evidence on postpartum education, as well as the ACOG recommendations for optimizing postpartum care. I also share the story of my own postpartum recovery journey.

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:

Evidence Based Birth® Podcast listeners can get the Better Postpartum program (usually $97) at a discounted rate of only $35! Click here to claim that discount.

Connect with Natalie at Better Postpartum and on Instagram.

To gift the Better Postpartum program to mothers and babies in need, click here.

Click here to explore HealthRight International (formerly the Peter C. Alderman Foundation) and their work with maternal health.

Direct download: EBB_82_-_Interview_with_Natalie_Telyatnikov.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

My weekly EBB Book Podcast updates are bringing you a behind-the-scenes look at my new book, Babies are Not Pizzas, which will launch this August!

This week, I want to share with you some personal insights about my emotional journey during the writing process. This book tells my story and I needed to share it just the right way. I also had to take a deep examination of some very difficult times in my life. As many of you know - that kind of introspection is not easy! I learned so much along the way - and I want to share those insights with you.

RESOURCES:

Click here to get on the book wait list - and to get all the latest updates!

Direct download: Bonus_Episode_4_-_What_was_it_like_to_write_Babies_are_not_Pizzasnew.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this episode, we’ll listen to my husband Dan Dekker and our brother-in-law Ryan talk about their experiences on becoming fathers and watching the births of their children. As we are approaching Father’s Day in the U.S., I wanted to do something special and share this interview that I recorded when I was teaching a college class on childbirth. We were discussing the importance of not only listening to the stories of people who give birth, but also their partners - because birth can be a life-altering experience for the partner as well as the birthing person.

You’ll hear both Dan and Ryan recall the experiences of watching each of their three children be born. They will also answer a really fascinating question: What’s good about being a parent? Studies are showing that many of today’s young people are reluctant to start families as they view it as disruptive to their lives. Dan’s and Ryan’s perspectives on fatherhood may surprise you.

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:

Check out EBB’s list of parent resources here!

Direct download: EBB_82_-_Dan_and_Ryan_-__Fathers_Day.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this special bonus episode of the Evidence Based Birth Book Update podcast, I'm going to take you behind the scenes for the most adorable (and the most chaotic) part of the book production process - the photo shoot! I got the chance to work with some of the sweetest babies - but things didn't quite go according to plan...

To hear the whole story, download this week's Book Update podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify!

Resources:

Get all the latest news on my upcoming book via the Evidence Based Birth newsletter - sign up here!


I'm so excited to release my new book this August, Babies are Not Pizzas! I will admit, I spent a long considering how to craft this book... I needed to really think about my message and how it should be written to offer the biggest impact! Is this a guide to pregnancy - or something else? Well, I am happy to tell you what kind of book this is - and how I decided on the genre!

RESOURCES:
Get added to the Evidence Based Birth mailing list here, so you don't miss any updates!

Direct download: Bonus_Episode_2_-_The_Genre_of_our_Book_is.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

In this episode I interview Cat LaPlante about her empowering birth experiences and her life as a birth professional. Cat is a certified doula and childbirth educator, and was also one of the first EBB Instructors. She has a passion for teaching expectant parents and birth professionals about evidence based care - she loves when parents get excited about the labor process! Cat lives with her husband and four boys. 

Learn how Cat’s fourth birth at home was different in many ways to her previous births, and the strategies she used as a result of teaching the new EBB Childbirth Class - including a transformational language shift. Cat also shares fascinating insights into her life as a doula and childbirth educator.

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:

Learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Instructor Program here.

Get information on all of the Evidence Based Birth® parent resources, including the EBB Childbirth class, here!

See all of the Evidence Based Birth® published content on doulas here.

Direct download: EBB_80_-_Interview_with_Cat_LaPlante.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

My new book is coming out this August, and I think you're going to love the title... Download this podcast to hear it!
This book is truly a labor of love, and it's been a fascinating journey crafting the story and message. I am releasing a special podcast series all about it. Download a new episode each Friday - you'll get sneak peeks and announcements, as well as behind the scenes insights into producing this book!

 

RESOURCES:
Get added to the Evidence Based Birth mailing list here, so you don't miss any updates!

Direct download: Bonus_Episode_1-_The_Title_of_our_New_Book_Is..-.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this episode, I interview EBB Professional Membership Coordinator Chanté Perryman about her first cesarean and her super-fast VBAC! Chanté is a professional birth and postpartum doula, certified childbirth educator and a maternity coach at Baby Dreams Maternity Concierge. She is also an Evidence Based Birth Instructor. Chanté is a birth advocate in central Kentucky, coordinating the Bluegrass Baby Expo and publishing a quarterly magazine for parents. She also volunteers with the Kentucky Home Birth Coalition, advocating for certified professional midwives. She will begin her studies to become a midwife in 2020, and she has three daughters.

Hear how Chanté’s first birth led her on a new career journey, and how she relates to clients using her experiences with cesarean and VBAC. We also discuss strategies for birth professionals to reach lower-income communities, and the practical challenges of balancing life as a birth professional.

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:

Connect with Chanté via the Baby Dreams Maternity Concierge website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Direct download: EBB_77_-_Interview_with_Chante.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this episode I bring you the evidence on labor induction for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). A few months ago, we released an article all about the evidence on diagnosing GDM, and we wanted to follow up that article with another focused solely on labor induction versus expectant management for GDM. 

Listen to learn the two most common questions that people ask when they are diagnosed with GDM, as well as all of the situations that may occur under the umbrella term “expectant management”. And of course, I will cover the latest research studies on this topic!

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:

Get free handouts on this topic here!

Find the Evidence Based Birth® Signature Article on Diagnosing Gestational Diabetes here.

Read the Evidence on Induction or C-Section for a Big Baby here.

Direct download: EBB_78_-_Inducing_Labor_with_GDM_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this episode I am joined by three guests to talk about the Evidence Based Birth Comfort Measures for Labor and Delivery Nurses workshop. Our panel includes registered nurse, childbirth educator and EBB Instructor Jessica Hazboun from San Diego, labor and delivery nurse and childbirth educator Lori Lopez from Honolulu, and EBB Instructor, childbirth educator and doula Cat LaPlante from the New Jersey/Philadelphia area.

The Comfort Measures workshop is a three hour event with contact hours, covering a range of non-pharmacological techniques including massage, birth balls, CUBs, hydrotherapy, and more. In this podcast, we discuss the barriers that nurses face in instructing and assisting patients with comfort during labor, and solutions on how to empower nurses in this area. We also talk about the challenges and rewards of being a change maker in your community.

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:

Check out the current list of Comfort Measures for L&D Nurses Workshops here!

Direct download: EBB_77_Comfort_Measures_Workshop_with_edits.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

In this episode I interview Emily Fleenor, a new parent who recently gave birth to her daughter while her husband was in active duty stationed at Fort Campbell in Tennessee. They both took the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class from EBB Instructor Heidi Duncan, and appreciated the flexibility of the online format during times when Emily’s husband was away for work.

Emily worked with a freestanding birthing center, and was very happy with her care. Find out why she was excited and empowered during her birth - despite laboring in her car, a battle with anxiety, and the psychological challenges of getting through the birth 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. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class. 

RESOURCES:

Click here to see the Evidence Based® Birth Natural Labor Induction Series article on Castor Oil.

Click here to see the Evidence Based Birth® Pain Management Series article on Nitrous Oxide During Labor.

Direct download: EBB_76_-_Interview_with_Emily_Freenor.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

In this episode I interview my mother, Carol, about her experience giving birth with “twilight sleep” - a state of sedation and general anesthesia that used to be administered during the second stage of labor. Carol is a mother of six. She has experienced three different types of childbirth: birth with twilight sleep, birth with an epidural, and birth without an epidural fully awake. She’s also a retired nurse and a retired pediatric nurse practitioner. With Mothers’ Day coming up in a couple of weeks, I thought it would be fun to share with you an interview that my mom did with my college students a few years ago. I’m excited for you to hear her incredibly interesting perspectives on birth.

I also want to announce that we are having a special Mothers’ Day sale! We will be sending out an email to our list this coming Saturday (join our email list via the link in the resources below!) to roll out a special limited-edition gift bundle that we have created.

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:

Join the Evidence Based Birth email list to get notified of our special events, sales, and more! Sign up for our “free crash course” on our home page.

Click here to see the Evidence Based Birth Signature Article on Friedman’s Curve and Failure to Progress. 

Direct download: EBB_75_-_Twilight_Sleep_-_Rebeccas_Mom.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

In this episode, I interview Dr. Nicole Rankins about the role of a hospitalist obstetrician, and how families can prepare themselves to have a safe and fulfilling birth in a hospital setting. Nicole is a wife and mother to two girls, an obstetrician/gynecologist, a podcast host, and an integrative health coach. She did her residency at Duke University, and also did a research fellowship at UNC Chapel Hill. Nicole currently practices at a community hospital in Virginia, and she loves helping women enjoy healthy births and healthy lives. She started the All About Pregnancy and Birth podcast in 2019, and she offers online childbirth education. As a hospitalist obstetrician, 99% of her work is on the labor and delivery unit.

We talk about the role of the hospitalist and what women need to know about this model of care, as well as Nicole’s preventative and health promotion work in her community. We also discuss the problem of compassion fatigue, and the struggles and pressures faced by physicians in connecting with the wider birth world. 

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:

Connect with Nicole on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , and her website . @drnicolerankins

Check out Nicole’s podcast, All About Pregnancy and Birth! Get the download links here.

Direct download: EBB_73_-_Interview_with_Nicole_Rankins.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

In this week's podcast, I interview new parents Heather Hyden and Jimmy Earley. They live in Lexington, Kentucky, and were one of the first couples to take the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class in 2018. Heather works at a local university, and Jimmy works at a local nonprofit. Their son Kess turned 9 months on the day we recorded this episode. Theirs is a unique story in that this pregnancy was actually their second. Their first baby had a fatal condition and that first pregnancy was not considered to be viable. Finding care appropriate for their family was difficult.

Heather looked forward to a healing home birth, but plans changed. At 34 weeks Heather no longer felt that home was the right environment for them for a variety of reasons. Thanks to the EBB Childbirth Class, the couple felt a shift in their confidence and no longer feared a hospital birth as they did before. What followed was a winding, 30+ hour journey to meeting their baby.

Heather and Jimmy found out about the EBB Childbirth Class through multiple recommendations from their doula, a local friend, AND their OBGYN. They were attracted to the online flexibility, the tactile learning tools, and the role playing aspects of the class.

What I love about Heather's story is how she and Jimmy had tools to advocate for themselves. They were able to utilize a variety of options in labor, including one of my new favorite techniques - a pre-pushing 'huddle' with the staff! We discuss how to keep a supportive birth team and entering parenthood free from the judgement of others. (And certainly not least, the reminder to have a food plan and proper nourishment!)

RESOURCES

Click here for information on the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.

Click here to see the book The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother.

Click here to find an EBB Childbirth Class near you.

Direct download: EBB_72_-_Interview_with_Heather_and_Jimmy2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

In this episode, I interview Ben Atkinson. Ben has been married for 20 years, and has four children and one angel baby. He attended all five of his children’s births, and caught the last two himself. He has been exploring the masculine role in birth since his first child was born. With encouragement from a group of birth professionals, he developed a course for expectant fathers, to help them use this vulnerable time in their lives to explore and activate positive masculine traits and step into their best selves. 

Ben believes that modern society has knocked down most of the signposts for healthy masculinity, and he believes by accessing the wisdom of older men and practicing some time-honored traits, expectant fathers can become the men their families truly need. 

We discuss the start of Ben’s teaching journey in a local correctional center - the lessons he learned on what men take through life via their experiences and relationships - and the course he is developing for young and first-time fathers. We also cover the research on the experience of childbirth for fathers and partners, how they are regarded in the health care system, and how they can be supported.

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:

For more information on Ben’s course, click here. To access his resources for birth professionals, click here.

Direct download: EBB_70_-_Interview_with_Benjamin.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

In this episode, I interview Noel and Joel Smothers, missionaries who gave birth to their first child last fall. They currently live in North Carolina but will be heading back to Brazil soon. Noel felt it was really important to have a vaginal birth if at all possible, so that she could continue to have future vaginal births when she's living in countries with less developed health systems. They took the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class with Instructor Mary Kury.

I was so impressed by this couple. They had a very challenging birth. Noel managed a vaginal delivery of a large baby who was presenting face first - a very rare presentation that usually triggers a c-section. Noel also had a difficult pregnancy and intense back labor. We talk about how the EBB Childibrth Class prepared both Noel and Joel to face these challenges successfully. We also discuss postpartum and newborn care.

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:

Check out the Evidence Based Birth® blog to read our free Signature Articles on gestational diabetes, big babies, water birth, and more!

Direct download: EBB_68_-_Interview_with_Noel_and_Joel_Smothers.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

In this episode, I am joined by "Mr. EBB" himself, Dan Dekker! Dan is an Accountant with his MBA, the father of 3 children, and also my husband. He has worked for more than 10 years in small business accounting, and five years ago left a successful corporate position to become a full-time stay-at-home dad and to serve as the Chief Financial Officer of Evidence Based Birth®️.

Dan and I dive into the backstory of EBB - including how starting this business has impacted our family. Our Evidence Based Birth®️ Instructors supplied Dan with thoughtful and fun questions for this interview, including what's it like being my birthing partner! We move from the fun and lighthearted to tackling the top mistake we see made by small business owners - especially birth business owners.

By the end of this interview you'll learn what Dan is most excited about with the future of EBB - including how we are planning to release more products for parents! And if you've been struggling to keep your birth business afloat, Dan has some words of wisdom and encouragement for you. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I loved recording it with him!

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: 

For more information about Dan's new class, Birth Business Teacher, click here.

To learn more about becoming an Evidence Based Birth Instructor, click here.

For information on Hypnobabies, click here.

To see Dan in action as our birthing partner role model via the EBB Childbirth Class, click here!

Direct download: EBB_67_-_Interview_with_Dan.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

In this episode, I am joined by EBB Professional Membership and Higher Ed Program Coordinator Chanté Perryman. Chanté is a certified birth and postpartum doula, a childbirth educator, an Evidence Based Birth Instructor, and will begin training as a midwife in 2020. She is a strong promoter of birth choices - coordinating an annual baby expo, publishing a quarterly magazine for local parents, and volunteering with the Kentucky Home Birth Coalition as an advocate for Certified Professional Midwives. 

Together, Chanté and I will tell you all about the Birth Workers of Color Scholarship campaign for the 2019 Evidence Based Birth Conference! Our goal is to raise $25,000 to fund the costs for 30 birth workers of color to attend the conference. We need your help to make this happen! Tune in to hear why this initiative is so important to EBB and our community.

We also unveil more news about our EBB Signature Articles, and the language we will use in them going forward to help combat systemic racism. 

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: 

For more information on the EBB Birth Worker of Color Conference Scholarship Campaign, click here! You can donate through March 11. No amount is too small! All donations are tax deductible, and 100% of all donations will go directly to fund the scholarships. 

For more on the 2019 Evidence Based Birth Conference - Bringing Evidence to Life, click here.

For information on the Evidence Based Birth® Professional membership, including scholarship options, click here.

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: And Other Conversations About Race by Beverly Daniel Tatum, PhD
Setting the Standard for Holistic Care of and for Black Women - The Black Paper, April 2018 by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance
MotheringJustice.org - White Women School
TheGrandChallenge.org

 

Direct download: EBB_67_-_Interview_with_Chant_Perrymannew.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:49am EDT

In this episode, I interview certified nurse midwife Olivia Favela-Gary. Olivia has been a CNM for over five years, and has been a registered nurse for 10 years. She currently practices in Los Angeles and Southern California in a Federally Qualified Health Center, and attends births in a hospital setting working mostly with underserved and high risk populations. She also frequently works as a first assistant for cesarean births. Olivia hosts the podcast This American Midwife, and is mom to a daughter and a son. 

Olivia reveals what it’s like to give care in the L.A. area, and the special needs required by people in vulnerable populations - such as immigrants, women who are trafficked and abused, or those who are homeless or drug addicted. 

We also discuss how to teach doctors about the midwifery model of care, and we cover the evidence on induction of labor.

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: 

Contact Olivia via email (olivia@thisamericanmidwife.com) or Instagram.
 
Check out Olivia’s podcast, This American Midwife, on iTunes and at messy.fm.

For more information on inductions, visit the Evidence Based Birth® blog article on The ARRIVE Trial, as well as our Natural Labor Induction Series.

Direct download: EBB_66_-_Interview_with_Olivia_Favela-Gary.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

In this episode, I interview midwife and Evidence Based Birth Professional member Afua Hassan. Afua has practiced as a midwife since 1984. In 2011, she expanded her home birth practice and founded The Birthing Place, Houston’s first freestanding birth center owned and operated by a black midwife. The name “The Birthing Place” was chosen by Afua in response to her observation that many women felt that they needed a hospital and a doctor to deliver babies. In her practice, Afua’s philosophy is that the mother is the captain of the birth, the partner is the co-captain, and she - as midwife - is the advisor. As of today, she has assisted in nearly 1200 births.

We discuss Afua’s initiatives to educate women on the hospital system and the medical model of care, as well as the steps she is taking to support the women in her community.

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: 
Learn more about Afua and The Birthing Place here. Check out her recent feature on the Today Show at the same link!

You can also find The Birthing Place on Facebook and Instagram.

Direct download: EBB_65_-_Interview_with_Afua_Hassan.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

In this episode, I interview Caley O’Brien about her empowering birth experience and being one of the first parents to take the Evidence Based Birth Childbirth Class. Caley has been married to her husband Kent for two years, and they live in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She is now a stay-at-home parent to her baby Solomon, and describes herself as a “crunchy hippie”. Caley and Kent took the EBB Childbirth Class with their local Instructor, Cat LaPlante. 

We discuss how Caley intentionally and strategically built trust with her hospital birth team, and the impact that had on everyone involved with the experience. While her birth was empowering and positive, Caley also shared some challenges and she and Kent were equipped to handle during labor. 

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.

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.

Direct download: EBB_64_-_Interview_with_Caley_OBrien.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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.

Direct download: EBB_63_-_Interview_with_Nichole_Croft.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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)

Direct download: EBB_62_-_Interview_with_Michelle_Wilson-_parent.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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.

Direct download: EBB_61_-_Interview_with_Anna_Marie_and_Drew_Stoudenmire-parent.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:43pm EDT

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.

Direct download: EBB_59_-_CBE_panel.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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

Direct download: EBB_64_-_GDM.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:36am EDT

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.

Direct download: EBB_58_-_Wrap_up_2018.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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