This time of year can bring a sense of magic and joy and at the same time, the holidays can also bring feelings of overwhelm and stress. Michelle airs this special holiday relaxation each year session which is designed to help release the stress and strain you may be feeling and gain a sense of clarity regarding what you value in your life as you prepare to enter the New Year. As a gentle reminder: This guided relaxation recording audio is for just that, relaxation purposes only. It does not constitute medical or mental health advice or treatment, nor does it imply a specific outcome during pregnancy, birth, postpartum, or beyond. Please avoid listening to this guided relaxation while engaging in an activity that requires your full attention. Please stop the podcast and return to it when you can be safely seated or reclining in a supported position. Unless you are the passenger listening to this guided relaxation with headphones on, for everyone’s safety never listen to it while driving or riding in a vehicle. Connect with Michelle at www.birtheaseservices.com
Natasha Solovieff and Michelle discuss Natasha’s signature strategy which helps parents to stay engaged with their children and each other. Her L.O.V.V.E. Way invites families to begin Listening, Om-ing (centering yourself), Voicing, Visioning, and Exploring in order to unwind any difficult feelings, emotions, and situations and determine what is of value to them as a family. The L.O.V.V.E. Way creates a solid path in this time of uncertainty and provides relationship and self-reflection tools that are extremely vital, and yet, rarely taught. {replay of episode 38} "What I wanted to give parents is a default way of moving out of our snappy moments and those things that come up in parenting that are really heightened right now that cause us to disengage with our children and to disengage with ourselves, and our partner. Relationships are this dance being engaged, being disengaged, and bringing ourselves back into engagement and that’s a skill." — Natasha Solovieff About Natasha Solovieff: With a BSN and M.Ed., she has 25+ years as a Maternal Child Health clinical and public health nurse. She is the author of “The Dance of Parenting: Finding Your Inner Choreographer” a book that invites you to energize and strengthen your parenting dance by using your parenting L.O.V.V.E. skills. And she also writes heartfelt and intriguing science-for-parents blogs at OMGparenting.com. Connect with Natasha: OMG Parenting Twitter handle - @OParenting, Facebook- @omgparenting Website - OMGparenting.com https://omgparenting.com/ You can connect with Michelle at www.birtheaseservices.com, on Facebook @thebirtheasepodcast and @BirthEaseMethod, and on Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith
Michelle is excited to interview Natasha Solovieff and Michelle explore the ways that parenting can be compared to an ongoing dance with your child and the importance of acknowledging the needs of both parent and child. Natasha explains the ways you can decrease your stress, filter through all the information and opinions, and connect more fully with your children, your partner, and your own inner wisdom. Natasha shares her L.O.V.V.E. process: Listening, Om-ing (centering yourself), Voicing, Visualizing, and Exploring. Her tools are invaluable when planning a pregnancy, during pregnancy, while communicating with medical providers, throughout your parenting years, and even once your children are adults. {replay of episode 14} You can hear more of Natasha's wisdom in episode 38. “The challenge of all of this is we don’t live in a listening culture and we haven’t been taught how to listen, let alone, what it is to be listened to. But we have to listen to ourselves and ask to be listened to.” —Natasha Solovieff Connect with Natasha: OMG Parenting FB link - https://www.facebook.com/OMGParenting/?ref=bookmarks OMG Parenting Twitter handle - @OParenting Website - OMGparenting.com You can connect with Michelle at www.birtheaseservices.com, on Facebook @thebirtheasepodcast and @BirthEaseMethod, and on Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith
If and when your water might break in labor is often confusing and stressful for expecting parents. Michelle explains when this can happen, what to expect, what to look for, and a helpful acronym to remember- MTACOS, Movement of baby, Time, Amount, Color, Odor, and Status of Group B Strep. Michelle recommends also listening to episode 132 featuring Heidi Snyderburn of Birth Story podcast regarding some recent research on rupture of membranes and labor. You can connect with Michelle at www.birtheaseservices.com, on Facebook @thebirtheasepodcast and @BirthEaseMethod, and on Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith
Each year in October, Michelle is honors Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. This year she shares an episode from her Birth Ease Loss Support Podcast featuring samples of the Calm Birth meditations for perinatal loss. "The loss of a pregnancy or infant is an incredibly common heartbreak. Yet, we are given so few opportunities to grieve a loss that is often invisible to those around us. Calm Birth for Pregnancy and Infant Loss presents an opportunity to move through emotions and to send life on its way with love. If someone you know has lost a pregnancy or infant, this can be a beautiful way of supporting them through this journey. If you lost a pregnancy or infant recently, or in the past, please use these audioguides for healing and moving about life changed but still whole."—Calm Birth To Purchase the Calm Birth Meditations for Pregnancy Loss: https://www.calmbirth.org/audioguides Connect with Michelle on Instagram and Facebook @birtheaselosssupport
The Calm Birth prenatal meditation program now has an app for easier access to the meditations. Michelle shares samples of the meditations for listeners to experience. You can learn more about Calm Birth and the practices in episodes 76-80 and about the similarities and differences between Hypnobirthing and Calm Birth in episode 86. Michelle includes the introduction for each meditation beginning with this 7-minute version of Womb Breathing or Breather as it is named on the App. She also provides a sample of Rest based on the Practice of Opening and Healing based on the practice of compassionate breathing. The app also includes affirmations for pregnancy and birth which parents find extremely valuable. You can listen to the full audio for the Calm Parents meditation breath feeding for nursing in episode 140. The app includes versions of this meditation for parents that are bottle feeding, pumping, and chestfeeding. Michelle also includes the Calm Parents meditation Bond which can be helpful when caring for a crying baby. Please note that there are versions of the Calm Birth meditations for parents planning a cesarean birth, as well. Please find a safe and comfortable spot to relax and enjoy these samples of the Calm Birth Meditations. Go to the App store for the Calm Birth App. Reach out at Michelle@birtheaseservices.com for Calm Birth childbirth classes or the meditations for parents planning a cesarean birth or at www.calmbirth.org. You can connect with Michelle at www.birtheaseservices.com, on Facebook @thebirtheasepodcast and @BirthEaseMethod, and on Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith
Michelle and Keshia Lockett are celebrating the release of Keshia's book, Birth Undisturbed: How to Have an Undisturbed Unmedicated Hospital Birth, on Amazon and the success of her Black Doula Tour as well as the release of Calm Birth's new meditation app for pregnancy, birth, and parenting which features Michelle's voice in the audios. Keshia shares all about The Black Doula Tour and her book. Together, they discuss the sacredness and sanctity of birth and why knowledge, education, and choosing a provider that reflects your values for your pregnancy and birth are vital. "And that's what The Black Doula Tour is really, really all about. It's about connecting with people. It's about finding your soul drive. It's about getting education that you need during pregnancy. It's just about so, so much. Every tour we aim to have different speakers that can come and share their knowledge. So every tour will be absolutely different with different faces. You won't get the same thing out of each tour."— Keshia Lockett Grab a copy of Keshia's book: Birth Undisturbed: How to Have an Undisturbed Unmedicated Hospital Birth and tickets for The Black Doula Tour at www.blackdoulatour.com Connect with Keshia @empoweredblackdoula on social media You can connect with Michelle at www.birtheaseservices.com, on Facebook @thebirtheasepodcast and @BirthEaseMethod, and on Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith
Michelle is incredibly honored to have midwife Jennie Joseph share what is in her heart and on her mind- holding space for families following the birth of their baby. Jennie explains why the United States is dismal in regard to postpartum care practices and support. Jennie stresses that we must listen and hold space for families and each other as birth professionals. We must learn and understand how to do it well so that we are helping and not adding to any potential pain and trauma to what they are already carrying. Jennie clarifies that holding space is simply that. Just be quiet and encourage them to feel comfortable, to feel like they can trust you. And show that trust by listening with respect, maintaining that dignity, and not centering yourself in the sharing. Jennie shares why we must bring into conversations racism, classism, gender discrimination, injustice, and the historically institutional way of being because those are the actual causes of the disparity. Everyone is impacted when we are not supported to be in our humanity. Commonsense Childbirth Inc.'s guiding statement is "We are building a movement to birth a more just and loving world." To make a donation visit: https://www.commonsensechildbirth.org Instagram: @iamjenniejoseph, Facebook: Jennie Joseph - Midwife, Twitter: @JennieJoseph The Birth Place: www.TheBirthPlace.org Easy Access Women’s Clinic: www.EasyAccessClinic.com You can connect with Michelle at www.birtheaseservices.com, on Facebook @thebirtheasepodcast and @BirthEaseMethod, and on Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith
Michelle shares provides an overview of the 4 stages of labor. She sharess that the first stage of labor involves contractions that get longer, stronger, closer together and that it is divided into 3 phases: early labor, active labor, and transition. Michelle also explains braxton hicks contractions and labor contractions and the different ways in which laboring moms may experience their contractions or surges, especially if they are using hypnobirthing. Michelle also shares that the experience of natural birth can be compared to getting a large tattoo. Connect with Michelle at www.birtheaseservices.com, Instagram: @birtheasemichellesmith, and Facebook: @thebirtheasepodcast and @birtheasemethod
World Breastfeeding Week 2022 is August 1-7 and to celebrate Michelle shares the Calm Birth prenatal meditation childbirth program's Calm Parents Meditation for breastfeeding. This meditation is a part of the Calm Parent's collection of postpartum meditations which includes versions of this Breath Feeding meditation- whether that is breastfeeding, pumping, bottle feeding, or chestfeeding. Feeding a new baby can have its joys and its challenges. Breath Feeding helps parents appreciate that they have everything they need to nourish their child. Even if things aren't going by the book, this meditation reminds parents that they have so much more than food to sustain their baby: you have limitless, life-giving energy, and a warm, nurturing body that their baby needs. Focusing on your breath relaxes you and relaxes your baby. The Calm Parent's collection of meditations also includes Energy Breathing- to help you center and restore energy; Calm Parent- a progressive relaxation for rest, sleep, and restoration; Calm with Baby- to bond with your baby, especially useful after a stressful time such as when your baby has been crying relentlessly; and Practice of Healing- compassionate breathing for postpartum healing. You can find out more about Calm parents in Episode 80 of the podcast, on Facebook @Calm Birth, and on Instagram @calm.birth Calm Birth Meditation. You can purchase the Calm Birth and Calm Parents Meditations at www.calmbirth.org You can connect with Michelle at www.birtheaseservices.com, on Facebook @thebirtheasepodcast and @BirthEaseMethod, and on Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith
Michelle and Sunni VonMutius continue their conversation from S2 E1 The Grief and Loss of Placing a Child for Adoption on the Birth Ease Loss podcast. Sunni courageously shares how the circumstances, trauma, fear, and shame from her first child's birth impacted the birth of her second child 20 years later and her experience of postpartum depression. Together they discuss the importance of trauma-informed care, exploring unconscious biases, the mind-body connection, informed consent, understanding trauma triggers, creating a postpartum care plan, self-care versus soul-care, and why the cultural conversation around adoption and placing a child for adoption must change. Notes: Michelle's episode with Sunni's Midwife Elena Rosa is 118 Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy. Sunni mentioned The Natural Pregnancy Book by Aviva Romm. Connect with Michelle for classes and support at www.birtheaseservices.com, on Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith, and on Facebook @thebirtheasepodcast and @BirthEaseMethod
Michelle chats with Barbara Decker, one of the pioneers in the childbirth education movement. With a half-century of experience, Barbara shares her journey, including being one of the firsts to certify as a Lamaze instructor (before it was even called Lamaze) and certify as a doula with Penny Simpkin. Barbara is a long-time HypnoBirthing® Instructor and expert in prenatal & perinatal psychology. She provides a simple breathing technique to help calm and settle our nervous system. Something we, and our babies, can all use during these stressful times. Barbara explains that babies are looking for a trusting relationship with their parent. A parent's job is to respond to their baby. Babies need a healthy attachment figure to be able to build a healthy psychological and emotional journey. Barbara shares that almost half of all pregnancies are unplanned or unwanted. Yet, parents can repair the relationship with their baby at any point in pregnancy. Barbara shares fascinating information regarding babies' awareness and consciousness in the womb. (This episode is a replay of episodes 49 & 50) "This [early nurture period] is critically, critically important for society as a whole and the health and the humanity that we are trying to bring into the world. When parenting in the womb becomes a normal phase, a part of, having a baby, we can change society as a whole."—Barbara Decker "When the mother is included in the decision making, the end result is not traumatization after the birth. It can prevent having an effect on the mother as long as she's part of that decision making. ...It's vital. And then our mothers are not going to have the challenges. We don't want mothers going to the birth, to the labor room, in fear that they are gonna have to do battle. We want them to know that they are going to be treated with respect."—Barbara Decker Connect with Barbara Decker at www.soulofbirthing.com or www.empoweringpregnancy.com Connect with Michelle at birtheaseservices.com, Facebook @ The Birth Ease Podcast, and Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith
Often there is so much focus on the pregnancy and the birth, families may find themselves woefully unprepared for the realities that having a new baby can bring to their lives. Having a new baby can feel overwhelming and isolating for many families and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the stress families may feel. Michelle explains helpful self-care tips for new parents and provides an overview of what the postpartum experience can be like. She distinguishes between baby blues and postpartum depression, gives an overview of maternal mood disorders, and provides resources for families here in the show notes. Michelle ends this information-packed episode with a brief guided meditation. (replay of episode 36) Resources: Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Postpartum Support International, The Blue Dot Project, Baby Makes 3: The Gottman Institute, Dads With Wisdom, Motherly: Eight Ways to Reduce Anxiety for Mothers Baby Care Resources: Dunstan Baby Language, Happiest Baby on the Block, All Babies Cry, No Cry Solution Connect with Michelle: birtheaseservices.com, Facebook @thebirtheasepodcast and @birtheasemethod, Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith
Adam Angel, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, explains the importance of inclusion and recognition for fathers as the baby's parent, as the support person for their partner or spouse, as well as a separate individual by medical professionals and birth professionals. Adam and Michelle discuss that 10% of men can experience perinatal mood disorders such as depression and anxiety and how that can manifest in fathers. Adam also shares the online parenting workshops that he founded and co-facilitates for fathers. His Dads With Wisdom workshop groups seek to build on men's knowledge, skills, and instincts of fatherhood by placing men into teams of potential or current fathers where they can connect, share and receive support from each other and Dad's With Wisdom staff with the goal of becoming wiser dads. The group workshops are structured with 1 or 2 topics per workshop. The workshops are interactive and promote discussion between members so everyone is able to share their experience and wisdom. There are workshops for soon-to-be dads, first-time dads (newborn - 1 year), and dads with toddlers ages 1-3. "I think that a lot of the experience that men have is that unfortunately, and this was my experience too, a lot of our medical professionals aren't supporting the partner in the room. With the intention of supporting the birthing partner, which they should in giving them focused attention at those prenatal appointments, they end up pretty clearly ignoring the dad. It's just an experience that feels very shared across many men."— Adam Angel Connect with Adam on Instagram and Facebook @dadswithwisdom and at his websites: www.dadswithwisdom.com and www.adamangeltherapy.com Connect with Michelle for classes and support at www.birtheaseservices.com, on Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith, and on Facebook @thebirtheasepodcast and @BirthEaseMethod Thanks for Listening!
Kinsey Phifer, doula and the author of "Variations of Normal: The Labors of Love", and Michelle explore the complex feelings and emotions that having a breech baby can bring. They discuss the barriers to breech birth access, the difficulties that come with finding a VBAC friendly hospital- especially when the baby is breech, the unhelpful things people say and how damaging they can be, and why it isn’t as simple as doing "all the right things to turn a breech baby" or "just give birth at home". “Yes, exactly. And I can tell you I've heard that, so often. [Healthy mom. Healthy baby. That is all that matters.] And it's really invalidating. It makes people not want to share their experiences. Which is unfortunate because so many of us feel very similarly. And I think, in order to process these experiences and start our journey to healing, we have to start by talking about it.”—Kinsey Phifer Kinsey Phifer is the author of “Variations of Normal-The Labors of Love”. She is a certified birth and bereavement doula and has a passion for VBAC, breech babies, and parents' rights during childbirth. Kinsey lives in a small town in Iowa with her husband and two children. Connect with Kinsey at Breech Baby Stories on Instagram and Facebook The Hygge Doula on Instagram, Facebook, and her website Connect with Michelle at birtheaseservices.com, Facebook @ The Birth Ease Podcast, and Instagram @birtheasemichellesmith
A birth plan is a way for you to communicate your wishes to your health care team during your labor and after the birth of your baby. Each birth is a unique experience. Creating a birth plan empowers you to become informed of all your options during labor and Michelle provides helpful tips to consider when writing a birth plan.
Beth Sandlin, NCPT explains the Pilates method and its benefits during pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood. She emphasizes maintaining a flexible routine and restorative movements and exercises, especially when recovering after birth and caring for a new baby and small children. Beth also explains the similarities and differences between pilates and yoga. Michelle and Beth discuss her Trauma Informed Pilates Approach (TIPA) program for Pilates teachers worldwide who want to use a Trauma Informed Care framework when teaching the Pilates method. Together, they stress the importance of taking time to heal and recover after giving birth and letting go of external pressures to bounce back immediately. "The first few years, our sleep pattern is disrupted as well. We have more stress. We may be nursing as well. … Our sleep can affect if our body is willing to change and adapt. Our stress levels are also impacted by sleep. There's all these different circumstances. It took us 9 months to prepare for the birth, and just allowing our bodies the time to heal and recover."—Beth Sandlin
Michelle shares one of her favorite episodes of the Doula Diaries podcast hosted by Heidi Snyderburn. In her episode, Heidi digs into expectant management (aka doing nothing) and induction when you experience PROM-Premature Rupture Of the Membranes (water breaking). Heidi shares her doula advice partnered with the Hanah et al TERM PROM trial and the data. So, want to know what Heidi would tell you do if she was your doula and you experienced PROM? Take a listen. There are also some scripts you could use if this happens to you and how to navigate pressure at the hospital for an induction before 24 hours post-rupture.
With 60 years of combined experience between them, Michelle and Kathy Bradley discuss the key things for parents to consider when hiring a doula. Doulas provide non-medical educational and emotional support to birthing families. Doulas can help navigate information overload and differing opinions that expectant parents often face.
March is birth psychology month. Michelle and Sarah Dickey, Pre & Perinatal Psychology Educator and fellow Calm Birth Teacher, discuss the consciousness of babies. Together they explore the importance of prenatal bonding to help babies in the womb feel welcome, loved, and safe, especially when as a parent you may be feeling stressed or overwhelmed. "It can just be as simple as if you have had a day that is overwhelming, that you just pause and maybe place your hand on your abdomen. Connect to your womb and just say, "Baby, I feel you. And I just want you to know today has been really overwhelming. I have felt really overwhelmed. But I want you to know that you are safe and I've got you. And, you don't need to worry about a thing. You're welcome. I love you." Like, that dialogue. How powerful that seemingly simple connection can be, but really helps prevent that stress response from being activated." —Sarah Dickey Sign up for APPPAH's Birth Psychology Summit FILM FESTIVAL March 2022: https://birthpsychologymonth.com/
Katherine Connell
thank you for this wonderful podcast Michelle! and all that you do!