17. Herbs in Pregnancy Part 1

I have a guest wisdom holder who is bringing a unique view of the pelvic floor and how the practice of grounding can be a powerful tool for pelvic floor function. My guest here is Jenn Lormand of the duo that is Tighten Your Tinkler, two women who are authors, researchers, and moms on a mission to help people live with functional pelvic floor health whether that's after having children or any other reason a person is living with an under-functioning pelvic floor. 

This conversation, as you will hear me say a few times in the recording, really sparked some interesting connections for me about the pelvic floor and the earth and our feet as she brings together the pelvis and grounding. And as I'm recording this intro, I'm realizing even more how timely this was as Jenn and I actually recorded this back in September, and a busy schedule has sadly, but necessarily put the podcast on hold for a time. Part of what has kept me busy is a month long course I've been doing that is all about assessing and activating the chain of our body that connects the foot to the pelvic floor and core with Dr. Courtney Conley of Gait Happens and Lauren Ohayen of Restore Your Core. So as I listened back to this recording with Jenn in getting it ready to publish I heard even more great wisdom in what she shares here.

Connect with Jenn & Christina:
Website: TightenYourTinkler.com (use coupon code UNSCHOOLED)
IG: @tighten.your.tinkler
Previous episode from Tighten Your Tinkler with Christina Walsh, PT - #75: Reclaiming Functional Pelvic Floor Health

Watch now at NaturalBirthCompass.com/FreeClass

After watching this 15 minute video, you will know:

• What physiologic birth really is and why stages of labor, lists of hormones, and cervical dilation rates are not enough
• The most common points in labor where tissue damage occurs and how to prevent the causes of tears or episiotomies
• The difference between being 10 cm and being ready to push

_______________________

Further info & opportunities:

• Open your breath, connect to your pelvic floor, and prepare to relax with the Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree.
• Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Prenatal Wellness Program Here

Welcome to the last, but far from least, of the wisdom holder episodes I have for you so far this year. I have been eager for this episode to come out for you because it is so relevant and packed with insightful information from a courage coach named Brittany Wittig. Brittany and I met in a business program we both attended and after meeting her, I was so intrigued by her work I started listening to her podcast, called Coming Out of the Spiritual Closet. Then in October 2022, she released an amazing episode that I will link to here titled, How I Faced my Biggest Fear (again…), and there was so much there that resonated with what many women face in pregnancy and birth, and what I see as the root of a lot of dissatisfaction with birth outcomes, and a path to a birth that feels out of your control. So I wanted to invite Brittany on to talk about this revelation she had, on her own medical journey.

We also spent a lot of time talking about fear and courage and the nervous system, because it's an important topic for birth. Brittany also shares some nervous system regulation tools and we talk about getting comfortable with the unknown and the ideas of control and surrender when it comes to unknowns in life and birth. This was such a fun and enlightening conversation and I know you are going to hear some valuable gems from Brittany on how to go to your birth or postpartum with more courage in your life. 

After you listen here, you can connect with Brittany on her instagram @Brittany.Wittig, listen to her podcast, Coming Out of the Spiritual Closet, or take her free class, Discover Your Inner Super Hero.

Useful Links:
Coming Out of the Spiritual Closet: How I Faced my Biggest Fear (again....) to hear her amazing insight about being in the medical system on her podcast
Discover Your Inner Super Hero - Free Masterclass with Brittany
@Brittany.Wittig to connect on IG

Watch now at NaturalBirthCompass.com/FreeClass

After watching this 15 minute video, you will know:

• What physiologic birth really is and why stages of labor, lists of hormones, and cervical dilation rates are not enough
• The most common points in labor where tissue damage occurs and how to prevent the causes of tears or episiotomies
• The difference between being 10 cm and being ready to push

_______________________

Further info & opportunities:

• Open your breath, connect to your pelvic floor, and prepare to relax with the Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree.
• Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Prenatal Wellness Program Here

In this episode, my guest, Kristen Stevens of Discover Yoga and I talk about why the pelvic floor is so important, how it's so much more than just thinking about the cervix, and we'll share a bit about a workshop we will be hosting in June of 2023.

If pelvic floor health is of interest to you, find the link to register below before June 4th, 2023.

This is a live workshop with real feedback and time for Q&A from Kristen and myself, and because of that, space is limited, so reserve your spot soon if you would like to attend on June 4th, 2023 at 12 noon PDT, 3 pm EDT either at Discover Yoga in Redmond, WA or virtually. I hope to see you there!

🔗Click here to find the registration link & info for Yoga & More for a Functional Pelvic Floor Workshop

Watch now at NaturalBirthCompass.com/FreeClass

After watching this 15 minute video, you will know:

• What physiologic birth really is and why stages of labor, lists of hormones, and cervical dilation rates are not enough
• The most common points in labor where tissue damage occurs and how to prevent the causes of tears or episiotomies
• The difference between being 10 cm and being ready to push

_______________________

Further info & opportunities:

• Open your breath, connect to your pelvic floor, and prepare to relax with the Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree.
• Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Prenatal Wellness Program Here

Take a tour of the pelvic floor, learn why a reflexive pelvic floor is more important than a tight pelvic floor, and learn the first steps to increase the suppleness of scar tissue in this interview with wisdom holder Pauli Hannan, PT of @beyondthev.bypauli.

This episode of the Unschooled Homebirth podcast will have you looking at your pelvic floor from a whole new perspective and Pauli has great explanations of the anatomy and physiology of our bodies. 

Plus, she covers a topic that few people are talking about in regard to postpartum healing, and that is scar formation. Pauli will walk you through what to do to support supple scar tissue for anything from the smallest tear to a c-section.

If you have ever had a question about your pelvic floor or about healing from tissue trauma, this episode is for you!

Connect with Pauli:

Beyond the V by Pauli Website

@beyondthev.bypauli on IG

Click here for free access to the No Leakage Starter Kit for Unschooled Homebirth listeners!

Watch now at NaturalBirthCompass.com/FreeClass

After watching this 15 minute video, you will know:

• What physiologic birth really is and why stages of labor, lists of hormones, and cervical dilation rates are not enough
• The most common points in labor where tissue damage occurs and how to prevent the causes of tears or episiotomies
• The difference between being 10 cm and being ready to push

_______________________

Further info & opportunities:

• Open your breath, connect to your pelvic floor, and prepare to relax with the Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree.
• Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Prenatal Wellness Program Here

My dear friend Laura Otter of Birthing Mamas will be sharing stories of her forthcoming album, Birth and Beyond: Sacred Songs for Mother and Baby, she will share how this album came to be, how the songs came to her, how they are impacting the families she works with, her own birth stories and how they were the portal to the music, and how music is such an important tool for birth.

If you are listening to this episode before April 25th, 2023, Laura and her team have a Kickstarter to help fund the costs of producing the album. After costs are covered, all additional profits will be donated to special causes that raise money to improve access to midwifery care and family health in low resourced areas. If you believe in midwifery care and the magic of rhythms, rituals, and keeping traditions alive in birth, this is a project you won't regret supporting.

Reach out to Laura on instagram @laurabirthingmamas or facebook @Laura Birthing Mamas Doula.

All the Links:
🎧Hear the full version of Yemaya Assessu here
🔗Visit Laura Birthing Mama's website here
🙏Visit the Kickstarter page here by April 25th, 2023
All profits from album sales will go to support projects like these:
💛Robin Lim's Birth Centre Bumi Sehat in Indonesia
💚Ruth Ehrhardt's work in South Africa, with Zimbabwean Refugee Midwives
🧡Angelina Miranda Martinez, Traditional Mexican Midwife
🎶Listen to Welsh Folk Music from Eve Goodman, one of the musicians involved in Birth and Beyond: Sacred Songs for Mother and Baby

Watch now at NaturalBirthCompass.com/FreeClass

After watching this 15 minute video, you will know:

• What physiologic birth really is and why stages of labor, lists of hormones, and cervical dilation rates are not enough
• The most common points in labor where tissue damage occurs and how to prevent the causes of tears or episiotomies
• The difference between being 10 cm and being ready to push

_______________________

Further info & opportunities:

• Open your breath, connect to your pelvic floor, and prepare to relax with the Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree.
• Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Prenatal Wellness Program Here

My guest for this episode, Courtney, had two very different out-of-hospital births to share and each one brings so many lessons. 

Courtney's first birth is a beautiful story, that also taught her a lot about who she was, who she wanted to become, and what she needed to do to become that woman for herself, for her family, her new little daughter, and for her next birth when that time came. 

And between her first and second birth, she did the work and exploration and growth she needed to transform into that version of herself she knew she was, but hadn't embodied fully prior. She learned what it meant to trust her intuition to advocate for the care she needed, to find a birth team that would respect and support her just as she was. 

 If you want to connect with Courtney, you can find her on Instagram @southwestbirthworker and on her own podcast The Intuitive Mothering podcast.

Watch now at NaturalBirthCompass.com/FreeClass

After watching this 15 minute video, you will know:

• What physiologic birth really is and why stages of labor, lists of hormones, and cervical dilation rates are not enough
• The most common points in labor where tissue damage occurs and how to prevent the causes of tears or episiotomies
• The difference between being 10 cm and being ready to push

_______________________

Further info & opportunities:

• Open your breath, connect to your pelvic floor, and prepare to relax with the Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree.
• Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Prenatal Wellness Program Here

Today I have an episode to share about a topic that I know is on the minds of just about every expecting mom, and that is the pelvic floor and postpartum recovery. Christina Walsh of Tighten Your Tinkler, will share her wisdom of functional pelvic floor health.
This episode is definitely for you if you want to hear about why and how to use functional movement and non-invasive techniques to experience a holistic, restorative approach to postpartum pelvic floor health.
Christina will share about how she and Jenn developed their approach after a multiyear research study that was published in the Journal of Women's Health Physical Therapy in 2020, and she will talk about why Kegel's are not the best approach for birth or postpartum recovery, why you don't have to settle for peeing at night or too many times, and much more.
Find Christina at TightenYourTinkler.com, use Coupon Code: UNSCHOOLED for $50 off the signature program. IG: @tighten.your.tinkler.

Watch now at NaturalBirthCompass.com/FreeClass

After watching this 15 minute video, you will know:

• What physiologic birth really is and why stages of labor, lists of hormones, and cervical dilation rates are not enough
• The most common points in labor where tissue damage occurs and how to prevent the causes of tears or episiotomies
• The difference between being 10 cm and being ready to push

_______________________

Further info & opportunities:

• Open your breath, connect to your pelvic floor, and prepare to relax with the Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree.
• Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Prenatal Wellness Program Here

I am honored to share the birth story of one of my past students who had an extraordinary amount of growth and revelations of her own power and agency in her pregnancy and birth. This is one of those stories that really gets to the heart of the change I would love to see in our birth culture. 

In this story, you’ll hear my guest share:

• How she navigated a system where she wasn't feeling that her choices were being respected
• How she came to find the strength in herself to become fully aware and responsible for all the choices she made for her birth to have the birth of her dreams 
• Why she chose to not only transfer from a hospital to home birth, but to even opt out of her midwifery care to hire traditional birth keepers

I know if you have been leaving your prenatal visits questioning your choices, feeling like your choices aren’t being heard or respected, if you are questioning whether your birth team is there for what's best for you rather than simply there to follow the standard routine, then I know you’re going to find inspiration in this episode as we glean insight into how to make autonomous choices in birth from an inspiring mother.

Find info about Rh blood type & Rhogam (Anti-D) from Sara Wickam 

Watch now at NaturalBirthCompass.com/FreeClass

After watching this 15 minute video, you will know:

• What physiologic birth really is and why stages of labor, lists of hormones, and cervical dilation rates are not enough
• The most common points in labor where tissue damage occurs and how to prevent the causes of tears or episiotomies
• The difference between being 10 cm and being ready to push

_______________________

Further info & opportunities:

• Open your breath, connect to your pelvic floor, and prepare to relax with the Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree.
• Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Prenatal Wellness Program Here

I am so excited to bring you  a guest expert episode today with on of my mentors in birth work, Rachael Jean of Elemental Birth Rites. This conversation was so much fun to record and I know if you've been a listener of this podcast, you are going to love what Rachael shares here. 

Rachael Jean is a midwife and wise woman birth keeper who offers birth teachings and awareness programs that take you inward, rather than outward.

Within that context, she offers programs for families on their pregnancy journey and holds a beautiful 9-month container for birth workers to go through her program with a very unique framework.

In this conversation, we discuss the unspoken and unknown aspects of birth, how Rachael came to an expanded view of prenatal care and birth preparation that involves deep spiritual work, inner development practices, and rituals, and how the elements are within all of us and influence our birth.

If you are listening in January, 2023 and you would like to learn more about the Elemental Birth Rites Practitioner Program, you can find out more by clicking here, and use code GROW500 if you would like to join and save $500.*

If you are pregnant and would like to learn about Elemental Birth Rites for birth preparation, visit ElementalBirthRites.com

Connect with Elemental Birth Rites on Instagram @elementalbirthrites

*This is NOT an affiliate link, your investment goes toward your wonderful facilitators :)

Watch now at NaturalBirthCompass.com/FreeClass

After watching this 15 minute video, you will know:

• What physiologic birth really is and why stages of labor, lists of hormones, and cervical dilation rates are not enough
• The most common points in labor where tissue damage occurs and how to prevent the causes of tears or episiotomies
• The difference between being 10 cm and being ready to push

_______________________

Further info & opportunities:

• Open your breath, connect to your pelvic floor, and prepare to relax with the Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree.
• Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Prenatal Wellness Program Here

What happens when birth doesn't go as you planned, when things are more challenging than you expect? As a birth worker, one of the comments I hear frequently is about a birth experience that didn't unfold smoothly, maybe there was a stall in dilation or the baby had decelerations, or maybe mom and baby experience dystocia and hard decisions have to be made, and families always want to know what they could have done differently. As the parents in that situation during labor, it's difficult to know what the next best step is when you're depending on your birth team knowing all the choices that could be available, but here's the thing, that is an unrealistic expectation for any care giver. I wish I could say otherwise, but we all have blind spots, we all have things to continue learning on our journey, so answering the question what you could have differently is always difficult, but that's what we're going to explore together today. 

Watch now at NaturalBirthCompass.com/FreeClass

After watching this 15 minute video, you will know:

• What physiologic birth really is and why stages of labor, lists of hormones, and cervical dilation rates are not enough
• The most common points in labor where tissue damage occurs and how to prevent the causes of tears or episiotomies
• The difference between being 10 cm and being ready to push

_______________________

Further info & opportunities:

• Open your breath, connect to your pelvic floor, and prepare to relax with the Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree.
• Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Prenatal Wellness Program Here