Ep 26 Due Dates and the Holidays

If you’ve watched a movie or TV show where a woman is giving birth, most often, it’s in a hospital, she’s in a semi-reclined position, and she’s typically screaming at someone.  But…….your birth doesn’t have to look like that!

This conversation explores the importance of pushing positions during labor and childbirth. Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael discuss the downsides of a single pushing position and emphasize the benefits of using gravity and changing positions. They highlight the importance of listening to your body's natural instincts, the role of comprehensive childbirth education, and the support of a doula in advocating for pushing positions in a hospital setting are also discussed.

The conversation concludes with a focus on upright pushing positions and the benefits of water birth. This conversation explores the importance of movement during labor and the limitations of medical interventions.  You'll learn the impact of epidurals on the pushing stage and how to maintain movement.

The conversation also highlights the role of chiropractic care and pelvic floor physical therapy in facilitating efficient pushing. It emphasizes the importance of advocating for one's desired pushing positions and staying curious throughout the birthing process.

Topics covered:

• Different pushing positions
• Why changing positions is beneficial during labor
• How chiropractic care can help with the pushing stage
• What pushing positions can look like with an epidural (also check out Episode 92: all about epidurals )
• How childbirth education courses can help you have an empowered birth experience and learn pushing positions (check out Episode 50: hospital based classes vs independent childbirth ed classes) 

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

 Amanda Gorman joins the show today, and through her own two birth and postpartum experiences, she made a career change to share her perinatal knowledge with other moms and families.  She is a Birthing From Within childbirth education instructor, a doula, and is the Program and Policy Manager with Postpartum Support International Georgia Chapter.  We go in-depth with how her births led her to become a childbirth educator, how her own postpartum struggle with mood disorders led her to create a podcast to spread awareness and knowledge, and how all of that ultimately led to her doula work and her work with PSI Georgia.

Connect with Amanda:
Website
Podcast
Instagram
TikTok

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

Takeaways:

• Planning for the postpartum period is crucial and often overlooked.
• Education and resources are essential for understanding the changes and challenges of the postpartum period.
• Creating a postpartum support team, including professionals and trusted individuals, is important for receiving the necessary support.
• Preparing the home and creating a supportive environment can contribute to a smoother postpartum recovery.
• Self-care planning is crucial for both parents to ensure their physical and emotional well-being during the postpartum period.
• Open communication with partners is essential for understanding each other's needs and creating a supportive postpartum experience. Understanding the bigger picture of postpartum helps individuals identify what's most important to them and set themselves up for success.
• Emotional wellbeing during the postpartum period can be protected by front-loading communication, preparing for support, and seeking professional help from prenatal or perinatal mental health counselors.
• Seeking help and support early in the postpartum period can lead to quicker healing and a better overall experience.

Resources mentioned in the episode:
Dr. Shannon's Postpartum Planning Blog
North Atlanta Birth Postpartum Planning
Postpartum episodes:
#117 - navigating postpartum - physical healing
#101 - postpartum terms to be familiar with
#36 - tips for the 4th trimester

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

(rebroadcast) Are there things we can do during pregnancy to help prepare for postpartum?  Sure thing!  Dr. Brandie Freeman of Connect Pelvic Health shares some of her wisdom and knowledge from working with postpartum moms.  Her own birth and postpartum experience shape how she runs her practice, and her passion is contagious!  

Topics discussed:

• Preparing for postpartum recovery of the pelvic floor
• Her recommendations for moms during immediate postpartum
• Postpartum cesarean recovery for the pelvic floor (including scar healing)
• How a pelvic floor PT visit is different from an OBGYN visit
• How her birth experience influences her work
• Common issues and problems she helps with
• Her favorite prenatal resources

Be sure to follow Dr. Brandie on social media because she shares so much knowledge in creative ways. 
Resources
Connect Pelvic Health Physical Therapy
@Connect Pelvic Health on Instagram
@Connect Pelvic Health on Facebook 

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

*Rebroadcast* Doula Rachael shares the framework that can help guide you along your unique path to giving birth. The Lamaze 6 Healthy Birth Practices are foundational, practical, and effective in helping to ensure you have the best chance at having a safer, healthier, and more satisfying childbirth.  

Use these birth practices to help increase your knowledge and confidence and to have conversations with your care provider about how they support these healthy birth practices.  

You can also use these practices to begin filling your tool bag with resources, tips, and information to help you navigate the unpredictable events that can often lead to additional and oftentimes unnecessary or unwanted consequences later in labor or birth. 

In this episode, Rachael shares the Lamaze 6 Healthy Birth Practices:

1.Let labor begin on its own

2.Continuous Support

3.Move around, change positions during labor

4.Avoid unnecessary interventions

5.Avoid pushing on your back

6.Keep mom and baby together

If you can root in these guiding principles, you will be able to achieve the safe, healthy, and empowering birth experience you deserve!

Your Birth Your Way Online Childbirth Education Course (by Doula Rachael)

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

There’s lots of ways to start off the new year - setting goals or resolutions, being intentional about tasks, starting new habits, etc.  In this episode, we chat about an exercise that Dr. Shannon has been doing for several years now - picking a word of the year.  It can be a word, a mantra, a phrase, but something that you can meditate on, pray about, and reflect on throughout the year.  And as you pick this word, it can help you focus, stay grounded, and remember your vision, dreams, and aspirations for the year.  Sounds kind of like a birth affirmation too, right?  Check out Dr. Shannon’s blog about her journey with picking a word of the year.  And doula Rachael jumps in on the fun of picking a word, so be sure to listen to the whole episode.  

Resources mentioned in the episode:

#130 - birth affirmations and journal prompts

#85 - Visualization for Birth and Life

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

Welcome to a new year!!  In this episode, Rachael and Shannon celebrate the growth they’ve seen over the past year with the Aligned Birth Podcast.  We list out the top episodes of 2023, as well as listing out some lesser known episodes you might have missed.  With over 17K downloads and 140 episodes under our belt, we’re looking forward to continuing our conversations about pregnancy, labor, birth, motherhood, and beyond!  

Top Episodes of 2023:

1. #92 - All about epidurals
2. #84 - A Tale of 2 Home Births - Dr. Baley
3. #85 - Visualization for Birth and Life
4. #87 - Maternal stress and posture - what’s the connection?
5. #75 - TummyTime! Method with Michelle Emanuel

Top Episodes of all time:

1. #75 - TummyTime! Method with Michelle Emanuel
2. #62. - Signs of Labor and How Labor Progresses
3. #15 - Inside Look with Homebirth Midwife Rachel Hart
4. #55 - Tips for Optimal Fetal Positioning
5. #76. - Five Benefits of Labor Doula Support

Our Favorite episodes of 2023:

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

In this episode Doula Rachael is talking with Perinatal Mental Health Therapist, Shannon Weist of Maternally Mindful. Shannon Weist is a licensed clinical mental therapist that provides both in person and telehealth services in the state of Georgia. She specializes in infertility, pregnancy and postpartum. Shannon helps to bring awareness and shed light on the importance of creating a therapeutic alliance during infertility, pregnancy, and postpartum. Having a safe, unbiased space to share your most vulnerable thoughts and feelings is vital in effectively and meaningfully supporting birthing people.  In this episode we learn:

• What exactly a Perinatal Mental Health Therapist is and the work they do.
• What led Shannon to do this important work
• What to look for when deciding to hire a Perinatal Mental Health Therapist
• The benefits of seeking mental health therapy during infertility, pregnancy, and postpartum
• Universal screening and who provides this screening and how to make the most of it.
• Warning signs for anxiety, depression, and/or mood disorders during infertility, pregnancy, and postpartum.
• Tips for the partner and loved ones.
• What to expect during your visit.
• Plus Shannon shares her favorite resources

Connect with Shannon: www.maternallymindful.org
Instagram: @maternallymindful
Resources mentioned:
The Pregnancy Workbook by Dr. Katayune Kaeni
Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts by Karen Kleiman
Postpartum Support International
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

Dr. Shannon sits down with pediatric chiropractor, author, and instructor, Dr. Martin Rosen to talk about all things pediatric chiropractic care and craniopathy.  In most of our episodes, we’re talking about prenatal care and pregnancy, but if you’ve listened to any of our postpartum episodes, you know we talk about ways to support yourself after birth.  Not only do we discuss continuing under chiropractic care, but the impact the birthing process can have on your baby and what you can do to facilitate their healing as well.  

In this episode, we discuss Dr. Rosen’s book about Common vs. Normal when it comes to cranial distortions and pediatric neurological development and lots of other topics including:

• How birth impacts the infant cranium
• Why cranial shape is important
• What is the dura mater, dural tension, cerebrospinal fluid and how all body systems are impacted by birth
• The importance of the first 2 years of life
• What are milestones and primitive reflexes (and yes - why crawling is important!) 
• Specific pediatric conditions we’ve both worked with: torticollis, tongue tie, plagiocephaly
• Why tummy time is important
• When to seek outside help
• What pediatric chiropractic and cranial adjustments looks like 

Resources: 

Dr. Martin Rosen

Peak Potential Institute

Wellesley Chiropractic 

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

Welcome to part 1 of a 2 part series we shared back in 2021, but this interview with LaToya is timeless.
 
As a self-described “Christian, doula, wife, mother, certified birth nerd” LaToya Murray-Johnson the owner of DoulaviewLLC and founder of The Birth Impact is sharing what it means to be a doula and what it’s like working with her.  She loves being the catalyst that sets mom on the path of success when it comes to their birth.  She considers herself a birth servant and someone who helps educate women about birth to dispel some of the misconceptions that are rampant in society.  By educating women and helping them understand their values and formulate their birth plan, she is able to help break down those misconceptions, and ultimately build back up the knowledge of the normal physiology of birth.
 
Be sure to check out Part 2 of our interview here! 

Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.