Down to Birth

In today's episode, one of Trisha's clients, Holly, shares the story of two very different births and two equally different breastfeeding experiences, and what shifted between them. Her first labor began spontaneously but ended with a vacuum delivery, and the demoralizing message that her “pushes weren’t productive.” Breastfeeding was just as difficult, leading to a year of mostly exclusive pumping and undiagnosed postpartum anxiety. Four years later, she approached birth with real preparation, a clear plan, and a timely transfer of care to a midwife who immediately changed the tone of her birth experience. This episode examines how preparation, autonomy, and the right support can change not only the course of a labor, but the way a mother understands her own strength. ********** Send us Fan Mail Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Water birth has long been controversial, but more recently, a wave of claims has emerged from the natural birth community that water birth is dangerous for babies and disruptive to the physiologic process of birth. In this episode, we sit down with midwife Barbara Harper, the world's leading expert on water birth and founder of Waterbirth International, to explain the preponderance of evidence supporting the safety of water birth and to dispel circulating fallacies. We talk about the idea that babies can aspirate water, whether the diving reflex can fail, and the claim that water immersion interferes with a mother’s ability to respond to her baby during birth. Barbara explains what actually initiates a baby’s first breath, how the transition from fetal to newborn circulation works, and why arguments that water immersion causes a disruption to physiology that compromises babies don't hold up when you truly understand the physiology. Join us for yet another educational and fascinating discussion with Barbara. Catch our other episodes with Barbara here: #200 | Physiologic Birth of the Placenta in Water, Optimal Cord Clamping and Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage with Barbara Harper #122 | Provider Green Lights: Interview with Barbara Harper on Holistic, Respectful & Supportive Birth Providers #100 | The Benefits of Water Birth: Interview With Barbara Harper ********** Send us Fan Mail Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Welcome to the March Q&A! We begin today’s episode with a conversation about the strange, intrusive, and sometimes downright insulting comments women receive in public while pregnant. We also share a listener story about a home birth that took an unexpected turn when a woman’s mother, meant to support her during labor, ended up creating some chaos after drinking too much wine. Next, we address feeling unusually irritable toward an older child during pregnancy, what to consider after experiencing shoulder dystocia in two previous births, and whether an intact bag of waters could contribute to tearing during a very fast birth. We also discuss whether it ever makes sense to remain in an uncomfortable labor position in hopes of helping labor progress. As for Quickies, we cover questions about nursing pillows, pregnancy spacing, breastfeeding and fertility, bras for labor, sleep regressions, breast pumps, retained placenta, building a freezer stash, one of Cynthia’s favorite homemade salad dressing recipes, and the most famous people we’ve ever met. Thanks for being here, and enjoy today’s episode. PS: Check Patreon for more from Cynthia on salad dressings! ********** Send us Fan Mail Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

In this episode, Abby shares her VBAC birth story following an emergency cesarean. Determined to experience a vaginal birth, she prepared carefully while navigating limited provider options in Alabama. What unfolded during labor and delivery underscores how provider behavior, rather than maternal physiology, often determines birth outcomes. Abby describes how a manual vaginal extraction caused a nearly catastrophic fourth-degree tear, requiring three subsequent surgeries in the months that followed and significantly disrupting her early postpartum period with her newborn. We ask Abby whether she has considered legal action against the doctor and hospital, and we explore how birth trauma shapes future decision-making. Abby explains why she is choosing a repeat cesarean for her third baby after this traumatic vaginal birth, and what autonomy and dignity can still look like within surgical birth. She also reflects on how faith, support, and intentional processing helped her move forward, and what she hopes other women will take from her story. Learn more about Abby here: http://www.abbyevelynphotography.com ********** Send a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

When Trisha was pregnant with her second baby, she read Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering — a book that completely reframed how she understood labor, and to this day remains her favorite book on pregnancy. Trisha's second birth unfolded in just three hours, a stark contrast to her first. That book was written by Dr. Sarah J. Buckley, and we've long dreamed of getting her on the show. That day has finally come! Dr. Buckley is a New Zealand–trained family physician and leading researcher on the hormonal physiology of childbirth, and today she walks us through the science of oxytocin and why it matters so profoundly in labor. We explore how the maternal brain modulates pain, how safety and privacy influence hormone flow, and why certain features of modern maternity care can unintentionally trigger stress responses that disrupt physiological birth. This episode is a deep dive into the biology of labor — and what women truly need for it to unfold as designed. In this episode, we discuss: ::Sarah Buckley Send a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Six seasons later, we are revisiting one of our first episodes of this podcast: Using evidence-based care to plan your birth. Much of what happens in labor is presented as standard, routine, or unavoidable—but that doesn’t mean it’s evidence-based. Birth care hasn’t become more complex because women need more intervention. It’s become more complex because intervention has become the default. If you’ve ever wondered whether what’s happening in labor is truly backed by research—or simply “standard protocol”—this episode is for you. In this conversation, we get back to the basics, examining how modern birth is typically managed, where that approach aligns with evidence, and where it too often doesn’t. This episode gives you an evidenced-based framework, so you can better evaluate the care offered and recognize when something supports physiologic birth or when it may quietly interfere with it. Listen with your partner, take notes, and use this episode as a guide for thinking more clearly about the choices that shape your birth. #9 | Birth Plan 101: Evidence Based Birth as the Safest, Smartest Approach ********** Send a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Welcome to the February Q&A! We begin with a brief reflection on a mother's need to find time for play (not with her children but for herself) and creativity during early parenthood, before diving into your questions. Today’s episode addresses a common pattern in maternity care: past birth experiences being used by providers to justify predetermined interventions in subsequent pregnancies. One listener asked, do women need to get out of the tub for fetal heart rate decels, and is this based on policy or physiology? Is Pitocin given after heavy bleeding in a prior birth justifiable for routine use in a subsequent birth? Additionally, we explore the long-term impact of episiotomies and membrane sweeps performed without consent, and address myths about posterior (OP) babies and whether those conditions are mother-specific or unique to each pregnancy. Finally, we talk about water breaking before labor and how much time most women realistically have before intervention is generally recommended (and whether it is actually needed). As always, we close with quickies, including our best beauty tips (no, it is not a product you can buy). Thank you for the excellent questions. Call us anytime at 802-438-3696. That's 802-GET-DOWN! Oh, yeah, if you loved this episode, leave us a 5-star review, and thank you! ********** Send a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

In today's episode, mother of two, Samantha Collignon, joins us to share two very different birth experiences separated by thirteen years. She gave birth to her first baby at 18 with minimal support and limited understanding of her options. At 31, married and deeply informed, she approached birth with education, confidence, and a strong sense of autonomy, resulting in a profoundly different and blissful birth experience. Samantha reflects on how age and life stage shaped the way she was perceived by medical providers, shares how IVF factored into decision-making during her second pregnancy, and why an induced labor can still be a everything you wished for in birth. ********** Send a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

In this episode, we talk to Moran of @2lifedoula, a doula whose journey into birth work was born from her own harrowing transition into motherhood. Moran candidly shares the story of her first birth—a clinical, disconnected experience where lack of preparation and resurfaced childhood trauma led to a "full-blown panic attack" and postpartum depression. Knowing that wasn't how birth was meant to be, Moran transformed her approach for her subsequent birth, ultimately having a euphoric, spontaneous homebirth. This transformation sparked her 14-year career as a doula and inspired her new book, written for the woman she once was: unprepared, overwhelmed, and unaware of her own strength. Moran explains why birth is a portal of transformation, regardless of the outcome, and offers a roadmap for women to heal and advocate for themselves, whether you are a first-time mother or a birth professional. 2lifedoula Birthing Without Trauma & Fear ********** Send a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Tearing is one of the most common fears around birth—and one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, we talk about what really causes tearing, what the research shows, and what you can do to reduce your risk. We cover perineal massage, positions for birth, breathing and pacing, water birth, warm compresses, and what makes recovery smoother. Through the episode, we review our followers' real-life "tearing" stories, and provide our commentary, which includes labial tears, scar tissue, pelvic floor recovery, over-stitching and unnecessary repairs, how beliefs and fear affect pushing, poor suturing techniques, the harm caused by routine episiotomies and the so-called, absolutely outrageous, “husband stitch”. This is an honest, evidence-based conversation about the perineum—how to protect it, how to heal, and what every woman can know before giving birth. Watch our full Preventing Perineal Tears workshop on Patreon.com/DownToBirthShow. ********** Send us a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Welcome to our first monthly Q&A episode of Season 7! In today's episode, we discuss why C-sections are sometimes framed as “prevention,” how fear around tearing, fetal monitoring, or cord concerns impacts clinical decision-making, and why breaking the bag of waters is still routine practice despite clear risks and limited benefit. We explain what delayed cord clamping looks like during a cesarean and why vague language like “misplaced cord insertion” can unknowingly lead to unnecessary intervention. Additionally, we talk about nursing while pregnant, early breastfeeding challenges, frozen breastmilk, feeding to sleep, and other common postpartum concerns. Lastly, Barbara Harper joins us to dispel the fear around water birth by explaining the exact physiology of newborn transition under the water. As always, thanks for calling in with your questions. Call us anytime at 802-GET-DOWN (that's 802-438-3696). ********** Send us a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

In this episode, Jessica shares the breastfeeding journey she never expected. After a smooth birth at a birth center, feeding quickly became complicated: flat nipples, an early nipple shield, a missed first feeding window, a significant tongue tie, and a baby who grew increasingly sleepy and underweight. What followed was weeks of pumping, weighted feeds, donor milk, tongue-tie revision, and the ongoing effort to understand why breastfeeding wasn’t working despite doing everything “right.” Jessica describes the emotional strain of those early weeks, from feeling inadequate to questioning her own anatomy, and the constant fear she was letting her daughter down. This conversation brings needed attention to the realities behind many breastfeeding challenges and the gaps that leave mothers without the support they need. ********** Send us a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

In today’s breastfeeding Q&A, we take calls from mothers facing the challenges that often arise well beyond the newborn phase. We begin with a question about nursing an eighteen-month-old who lifts his mother’s shirt the moment she sits down, and what healthy boundaries can look like when a toddler is still deeply attached to nursing. From there, we address concerns about forceful letdowns, oversupply, pumping routines, and the role of pacifiers when feeding becomes overstimulating for the baby. We also take a call from a mother with a three-week-old who experiences gas and discomfort at the breast, and we discuss the differences between oversupply, fast flow, and the possibility of oral restrictions. Today's conversation highlights how individual feeding dynamics are and why a tailored approach is always necessary. Thank you for your thoughtful questions and for your continued support of the show. To submit your questions for a future episode, call our hotline at 802-438-3696, that's (802) GET-DOWN. ********** Send us a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Dr. Morgan MacDermott, NMD, a naturopathic medical doctor specializing in perinatal and postpartum health, joins us to explore why postpartum isn’t simply a recovery period—it’s a complete physiological and emotional transformation. We discuss why American culture celebrates productivity instead of rest, and the critical role of the “5-5-5 rule." As the conversation unfolds, we move into the realities of early motherhood—how high-achieving women struggle with loss of control, the connection between personality type and postpartum mood disorders, and why relying on intuition matters more than parenting scripts, tracking apps, or “doing it right.” We also talk about the myth of the woman who can do it all, the importance of presence over perfection, and how stability—not constant stimulation—is what children remember and rely on most. Together, we examine how modern mothers can reclaim postpartum and motherhood as a sacred and restorative experience, and how that same understanding can shape calmer, more confident parents -- and children -- in the years that follow. Dr. Morgan MacDermott on Instagram ********** Send us a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Welcome to our end-of-year Q&A episode! Settle in with your favorite drink and listen as we play listener voicemails from around the world. You'll hear us reflect on six years of podcasting together, while we share voicemails, questions, and stories as we close out the season and prepare for the new year. We begin by addressing one of our posts that sparked an unexpectedly intense reaction online, and then get into an impassioned conversation on why postpartum life is never 50/50. We also share a personal client story about placenta previa, late-pregnancy ultrasounds, and an unnecessary cesarean narrowly avoided. Prompted by one woman's considerate voice message, you'll also hear Cynthia reflect candidly on grief, resilience, and what this past year has taught her. All bets are off for this episode, where we have spontaneous conversations from one topic to the next. Thank you so very much for being a part of our community, and for listening, calling our phone line, supporting our work, and sharing our commitment to evidence-based conversations about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and motherhood. Season Seven begins next week with a very exciting year ahead! Enjoy today's episode ad-free, and consider joining us for ad-free episodes all the time, for just $29.99 on Apple Podcasts. Finally, as a special end-of-year invitation, we’d love to welcome you into our Patreon community. For a limited time, you can get 40% off an annual membership of any tier using the code WELCOME2027. Patreon supporters receive ad-free episodes, extended content, access to our book club, and our growing library of past workshops and live events. Joining Patreon is the most direct way to support the work we do, deepen your engagement with us and be part of the conversations that shape everything we create. Thank you again for supporting Down to Birth and we'll see you next week for our first episode of Season Seven! ********** Send us a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

In today's episode, we reconnect with Sarah and Lara of Dynamic Doulas, who last joined us in Episode 196: The Toughest Part of Being a Doula. Three years later, we tackle the conversation that is in fact the toughest part of being a doula: Supporting women through the loss of a baby at birth. Sarah and Lara return to talk to us about their recent experiences including when a baby dies or faces a severe adverse outcome. We move beyond business and birth plans and into the realities most childbirth education never mentions. We talk about a stillbirth at 38 weeks, a shoulder dystocia at 42 weeks, an ambulance transfer during a home birth, and what happens to the doula’s mind and body afterward. We explore the ethical tension between educating clients toward physiological birth and supporting every decision they make, even when those decisions give the doula pause. We also look at the limits of “evidence-based” care, why risk can never be reduced to zero, how to think about induction at 42 weeks, big babies, shoulder dystocia, and continuous fetal monitoring without slipping into fear or blind trust in the system. For pregnant women and birth workers alike, this conversation examines responsibility, intuition, and the space between over-medicalized birth and simplistic reassurance. Sarah and Lara share how these losses changed their practice, how they now talk to clients about risk and responsibility, and what it truly means to “hold space” when the worst outcome occurs. We also talk about nervous system strain, how doulas know when they need a break from their work, and why no doula should have to process these experiences alone. For women who are pregnant, this episode offers perspective on how rare events are understood by the people supporting you, and how to stay rooted in your own values, intuition, and sense of responsibility. For birth professionals, we discuss burnout, secondary trauma, why partnership matters so much in this work, and how a strong professional doula partnership can make the difference between quitting and continuing onward with new clients after witnessing a client's loss. #196 | The Toughest Part of Being a Doula with the Dynamic Doulas of London, Ontario D Send us a text Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Send us a text Pregnant women often carry fears about breastfeeding long before their babies arrive — fears of pain, low supply, clogged ducts, or not knowing when to feed. After all, if breastfeeding is so natural, why do we keep hearing how hard it is? In this episode, Cynthia asks Trisha to address the most common concerns from the women in our community. We discuss why these fears are so prevalent, what’s actually normal, and how much of breastfeeding success depends on preparation, support, and confidence—not just luck. If you are worried whether your body will make enough milk, how to know if your baby’s latch is correct, or whether your milk will “come in” at all, this conversation will leave you informed, grounded, and far more at ease about what’s to come. You, along with your baby, can absolutely know breastfeeding success. Watch this episode in full video format on YouTube. ********** Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Send us a text Midwife and mother of two, Sophia Henderson, host of the Born Wild podcast, joins us to tell the story of her children’s births – and how a chiropractor may have saved her newborn daughter’s life. In her first pregnancy, Sophia navigated weeks of unexplained bleeding, chose home birth as a student midwife, and after giving birth learned her son had no anal opening and would ultimately be diagnosed with VACTERL association. She describes what it means to care for a medically complex baby, how quickly those diagnoses unfold after birth, and how that first year reshaped her understanding of risk, normalcy, and surgical intervention. Just as her son's medical journey was unfolding when he was just a few months old, Sophia found herself pregnant again—depleted, caring for a fragile infant, and facing new legal restrictions in California that removed home birth as an option. She entered the hospital as a confident midwife who expected to advocate for herself, only to discover how difficult it is to hold onto intuition when confronted with pressure around breech, preterm labor, and surgery. After her daughter’s premature birth, Sophia and her husband were told the baby’s lungs had collapsed, that there was “nothing more they could do,” and that she was unlikely to survive or at best, would require oxygen all her life. A desperate post to Facebook caught the attention of a chiropractor, who responded that she could see the issue and restore the baby to wellness. Her treatment was performed quietly after being snuck into the hospital, and led to a recovery so dramatic that it reframed Sophia’s entire understanding of newborn physiology and the role of chiropractic care. Born Wild Midwifery ********** Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Send us a text Welcome to the November Q&A! Today, we start with a topic that always stirs strong feelings—birth partners. From the gestures that truly helped to the ones that fell short, we chat about your experiences of your partner's support, presence, connection or not. Next, we respond to an emotional call for help from a sleep-deprived and emotionally exhausted mother whose husband threatens to call the cops on her for how she handled an overwhelming moment with her toddler. Today's episode includes a special guest appearance from Nancy Wainer, world-renowned midwife and the woman who coined the term VBAC. Nancy answers a listener’s question about an anterior placenta in a planned VBAC and explains what her decades of experience tell us about how placentas behave in utero. We also discuss endometrial polyps and whether a biopsy could affect future fertility, how to handle conversations about home birth within a hospital work environment, and how to choose a midwife when you have numerous options and like them all. In Quickies, we cover making baby-wearing more comfortable, the myth that labor “starts” at one centimeter, chiropractic versus pelvic floor PT in pregnancy, relieving newborn gas, timing big changes during teething, postpartum nutrition, and even whether to skip airport scanners while pregnant. We end with each of us pondering which baby names we’d choose today and our favorite ways to spend a slow morning at home. VBAC: How to Plan for Success #257 | Labor & Delivery Nurses' Roundtable: How Their Hands are Tied to Doctors' Orders #273 | Special Q&A Featuring Nancy Wainer on VBAC and More ********** Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Send us a text When it comes to infant sleep, few topics are more misunderstood—or more burdened by cultural myths—than the expectation that babies should “sleep through the night.” Pediatric sleep and development specialist and author of Rest Assured: The Heart and Science of Nurturing Baby Sleep, Louise Herbert, joins us to explain what’s really happening in a baby’s body and brain during sleep. Louise breaks down the biology of circadian rhythms, sleep pressure, and night wakings—clarifying when frequent waking is normal, what can sometimes underlie it, and why responsiveness and proximity are protective, not problematic. We also explore how stress and separation impact early brain development, why sleep training often overlooks fundamental physiology, and how parents can align their routines with their baby’s natural rhythms to improve sleep for everyone. This conversation replaces confusion and guilt with evidence and understanding, helping parents see night wakings as a feature of healthy development—not a flaw to fix. Mouthernourishnuture on Instagram Louise Herbert: Rest Assured ********** Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off Join Patreon for our exclusive content IG @downtobirthshow Down to Birth Show Call 802-GET-DOWN Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.