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 This week we're breaking down everything you need to know to prepare yourself physically and mentally for an induction without an epidural. I cannot stress the importance of going into labor with the mindset of possibly having an induction and preparing yourself for that outcome. I'll also discuss all things Pitocin: what it is, what it does, and how it can affect you, your baby, and labor. By getting your body and mind ready before you even go into labor, you can achieve an unmedicated birth despite being induced. 🤱🏼

Show Notes:

[1:16] Our reviewer of the week, iheartdonuts, started listening to the podcast to prepare for her "dream birth." She wanted to be as informed as possible and be prepared to advocate for herself and her daughter. She said, "The evidence based info is exactly what you need to dig deeper and do even more research for yourself and your baby. It'll make you feel more prepared for whatever comes your way in your birth story."

Listening, putting in the work, ...

Madison shares how her birth goals changed over time and a red flag that caused her to change service providers for the better. Madison also discusses the moment she found the perfect birth center for her and what led her to that decision. Madison shares the preparation she did regularly for an empowered birth. She shares the spiritual side of her birth story and how she surrendered her body after a long and exhausting labor. Her story is beautiful and inspiring...and even full of some challenges, especially postpartum, so take a listen! I hope you enjoy this week's episode!

Show Notes:

[1:16] Reviewer of the week, SydneyAdairG, shares that she is 22 weeks pregnant and has been listening to the podcast "Every Step of the Way" since she found out she was pregnant. The podcast has helped her feel informed and in control of the process. She says she's also enrolled in the birth course and cannot wait to dig deeper into birth prep with her husband. Thank you Sydney 💜

[2:27] Madison i...

There are two things that stand out when it comes to how to take care of ourselves prenatally; nutrition & exercise. Mind-blowing right?! Nope...but doing some simple things while you are pregnant will help you feel better and stay in control of your pregnancy and birth decisions. Today I'm speaking with Holly Roser who is a personal trainer and specifically deals with pregnant women. She gives really practical tips and tricks about how to eat during pregnancy, snacks that are easy and good for you, what should be included in your nutrition while you're pregnant, and the very best exercises for every mom during pregnancy. 

Holly is also giving away her entire 6 Week Skinny Jean Program to ONE lucky listener. Leave a podcast review to be entered *details below. 

Holly Roser is the owner of a women’s personal training studio in San Francisco. She helps busy women across the country get results in half the time. Holly and her team of trainers provide online personal training to moms ...

Kayla and her husband, Grant, share about what mattered most when preparing for their first birth and how they are getting ready to meet this baby! Kayla openly shares about her struggle with and ultimate decision to become a mother. Her and Grant discuss the open communication that was so crucial for them prior to and during pregnancy. Kayla also discusses her concern with the changes having a child would make to her body, especially considering she is in the fitness industry. This is a must-listen because I know many, many women struggle with these same things and I love how she was able to work through each of these challenges. 

Her birth story is incredible as well! She talks about how all of her prep left her unconvinced that she was even in labor come birthing time AND how she arrived at the hospital just in time to birth her baby, unmedicated, and exactly how she had planned for. I hope you absolutely enjoy listening to this week's birth story episode!

**PLUS, Kayla is an i...

Birth trauma is real and it can happen to women even when they've have done everything in their power to NOT have it happen, and it's NOT their fault! If you are wondering what you can do to avoid it OR you have experienced birth trauma and want to know how to heal from it, tune in this week! 

Karina Robinson, childbirth educator, doula, and almost midwife 😏 joins me as we walk through what causes birth trauma, how your birth partner can identify when you've experienced it, and how to avoid it with several different tools!

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About Karina: 

I am a trained, certified, and skilled professional doula in the height of my life’s passion. I am in my element when, after weeks of preparation and education, I see a woman and her partner share a secret, knowing look of shimmering emotion that shows all their hard work paid off, in one of life’s most precious moments. This moment is further enhanced for me when the woman’s partner has been encouraged and taught how to help and has bee...

If there is one thing I have learned as a life lesson that is also 100% applicable to all things birth, it's that every single challenge can be an incredible learning lesson and this holds true for what happened while women were pregnant and birthing during the Covid-19 pandemic. Challenges like pulling birth partners out of the birth rooms (unacceptable btw), moving healthy, low-risk moms to out of hospital births (the challenge is in the unexpected), mental health, women being pushed to their limits. They were all so daunting and so difficult.

But...

Tune into this episode because the other side of those challenges are so beautiful. Birth partners figured out what they need to know and how to support these moms - because what if they could get in but the doula wasn't allowed?, women realized how strong they were and that their bodies were made for birth when they moved their care out of hospital, women found their voices and started asking questions about policy and legalities -...

If you haven't heard of "Occupational Therapy," join the club! I literally never heard of this until Kayln reached out to me and it's something I think every mom should be aware of. In case you have NO idea what OT's do - it's holistic care from professionals that are trained to help people get back to all of their normal things they do in life. It can be as "small" as getting in and out of bed, making sure you're showered for the day, getting back to exercises or rock climbing...literally whatever your normal and joyful day looks like - they help.

It is a completely individualized approach to healthcare. You can head to your OB or pediatrician and ask for this kind of care BUT take a listen to see what may or may not qualify. The BEST part? It's usually covered by insurance so it's an inexpensive way to get the support you need no matter where you are at in your pregnancy, birth, postpartum...or life. 💜

Kayln Robertshaw is an occupational therapy doctorate student at Rocky Mountain...

I have had so many questions recently about testing positive for Group B Strep or GBS and the number one concern is, "Will this ruin the birth that I want?" I'm here to break down what GBS is, how it affects pregnancy and labor, ways that you can decrease your chances of testing positive, what happens if you choose to use antibiotics, and also options other than antibiotics should you test positive.

If you're a mom that is wanting to stay at home as long as possible before heading to your birth place, but if you test positive you definitely want the antibiotics, I talk about all of your options AND I want to encourage you right now that being GBS+ does NOT ruin any kind of birth you are aiming for! If you're reading along and have no idea what I'm talking about, that's ok and I know you're not alone. 😂

When a mom tests positive for GBS she can choose to have or not have antibiotics during labor. Antibiotics are strongly encouraged by providers. Should you choose to have them, your p...

Placenta encapsulation was a foreign concept just a few years ago, but now as it becomes more mainstream there are tons of questions around who should have it done, what the benefits actually are, if there are risks involved and when to avoid encapsulation, how Covid-19 has affected placentas, and how to find someone who really knows what they're doing. Today I get to answer all of those questions with doula and almost midwife 😏, Bonnie Baker. For as long as I have known Bonnie in the birth world, she has been involved in finding ways to improve birthing outcomes and take care of mothers during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This includes the wonderful work of encapsulating placentas. Enjoy!

Show Notes:

 1:15 - Our reviewer of the week talks about the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy being her very favorite after listening to thousands of hours of birthing podcasts! Thanks mama!

3:20 - Bonnie discusses the details of the placenta encapsulation process and the history behind consumpti...

You come up to your glucose test between week 24-28 during pregnancy and often there's only one option given - "The Glucose Drink." This drink is filled with artificial coloring, flavors, dextrose, brominated soybean oil (banned in Europe, Japan, and India....and also patented as a flame retardant in the United States). So, yes there are a few reasons moms want to look for another option.

If you're one of those moms, you're not alone! In fact, my guest for this week's episode, Jacquie Berg is a mom and was so taken back by what was being offered to her for this test during her own pregnancy, that she took matters into her own hands to create a solution.

This week we're talking about everything that goes into the testing, why it's done, how glucose is measured, and healthy alternatives for moms everywhere! PLUS we have a really neat GIVEAWAY for not just one mama - but FIVE. 💜

Here's a little bit about Jacquie:

With 15 years of work in Endocrinology, Obstetrics and Medical Device Bus...