The BirthCircle | Birth, Pregnancy, & PostPartum Conversations

Today we talk to Lorene Mah,  founder and CEO of Glitter & Spice, a company that sells safe and beautifully designed teething products for babies and toddlers. Since it's founding in 2015, Glitter & Spice (and Lorene herself) has won multiple awards for innovation and product safety, and has provided countless parents and infants with fashionable solutions to all of their teething and sensory development needs.   We talk about the symptoms of teething in infants that compel them to chew, and the difficulties in knowing how to soothe them while also not allowing them to chew on things that are unhealthy. We also talk about how brightly colored silicone beads provide a natural allure for an infant to chew on once they are finished nursing as an alternative to pulling hair or finding other things to put in their mouths.   We discuss Lorene's process of development for her teething products, and how her experience with her son's early teething and sensory needs drove it along. We talk about how reliable teething aids can help to encourage longer and less distracted nursing, especially in infants with sensory needs. We also talk some about Lorene's experiences in building her business while also being present for her kids and developing product based on their needs.   Finally, we talk about the different grades of silicone and what makes silicone ideal for teething products in terms of safety and durability. We talk about sensory needs in children, particularly with Autism or other developmental disorders that involve a need for tactile stimulation. We discuss how having an awareness of each child's individual needs and treating them as something entirely unique to the child in question will help both parent and child to have a smoother learning experience throughout the development journey.   To Learn More Visit: https://www.glitterandspice.ca/   For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Bettina Gordon-Wayne, Journalist, Certified Mental Strength Trainer, and bestselling author of The Joy of Older Motherhood. Bettina became a mother for the first time at age 44, and since then has dedicated her life to coaching other women over 40 through limiting beliefs that keep them from starting their own journeys into motherhood. She is a huge advocate for over-40 motherhood, and through her coaching and writing, hopes to reshape some of the societal stigma around having babies at an older age.   We talk about the barrage of negativity and fear that a woman over 40 can run into when she decides to start a family. We discuss Bettina's experience of realizing how much stigma was involved in older motherhood, and her decision to write her book to encourage other older mothers. We also talk about some of the considerations an older mother should make in order to ensure that she is able to conceive and have a healthy pregnancy.   We talk about the data that is used to determine the success rate for pregnancy over 40 , where it comes from, and why statistics in this area tend to be inaccurate. We talk about cultural perceptions of what is "too old" to have a baby, and how those perceptions came about, as well as why they aren't necessarily true. We talk about menopause as the end of a woman's fertility, and how greatly the time frame for it varies, and how fertility prior to menopause shouldn't be a concern at any age if there are not any previously existing fertility issues.   Finally, we talk about other things to consider when thinking about the "best" age to have children, including how financial stability may affect maternal health, and how the experience and emotional maturity of an older mother may help better equip them after the baby is born. We quickly look over the main myths about older motherhood and debunk a few final concerns for any potential older mothers listening.   To Learn More Visit:  https://www.bettinagordon.com/joy For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Kristin Mallon, obstetric nurse,  author, midwife, and medical strategist. Kristin is an expert in business for birth professionals, and particularly in birth professionals who operate out-of-network, and helping them to navigate potential pitfalls in order to run a successful practice. She has been called a visionary in the field of medicine as a business, and she has touched the birth world both by attending births herself, and by helping others to offer the best possible birth care for their clients.   We talk about Midwifery as a field and birth as a business of necessity, as well as how the insurance industry complicates a birth provider's ability to be paid properly. We discuss how the reality of birth providers operating in-network, and how the demands and limitations can make birth more dangerous and less personal. We also talk about how providers are reimbursed by insurance networks for birth, and some of the reasons for the structure, as well as some of the benefits and downfalls of that structure for both the patient and the provider.   We discuss some of the reasons why more birth providers aren't leaving the network structure, and some of the fears holding them back from starting off into an out-of-network practice structure. We also talk about birth costs, and the ways that in-network providers have to calculate billing in order for the insurance to pay for it, and the ways that it can create problems for how providers are paid for prenatal and birth care.   Finally we talk about how billing works out-of-network, and why providers shouldn't be afraid to switch, as well as why patients shouldn't be afraid to go out-of-network. We discuss the transition from in-network to out-of-network, and then from OON to cash pay, and what each model implies.   To Learn More Visit:  www.kristinmallon.com   For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Tamara Hiller, midwife, herbalist, and trainer in the field of pre/postnatal herbal medicine.  Tamara has worked in the health field for over 23 years, and dedicates her practice to helping people to address current and chronic health issues through herbs and natural healing. She is a particular expert in bringing herbalism into the sphere of pregnancy and birth, which she has done for many years through her midwifery practice, and she continues to pass on her knowledge by training other doulas and midwives in the practice of perinatal herbalism.   We talk about herbalism and its place in healing, both ancient and modern, and how herbalism should not be considered "alternative medicine", but rather our primal method of healing, and a complimentary aid to modern medicine. We also talk about how an approach to health should not be to wait until a person is sick to support their health, but instead to support good health from the start and adjust as needed to prevent illness.   We discuss various herbs and their uses in the preconception and pregnancy stages, and how optimizing your overall health before trying to conceive makes for much higher chances of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy. We also discuss how to research which herbs are safe for pregnancy, including how to understand warnings and guidelines, and how to separate whether something is known to be dangerous, or whether it just hasn't been officially tested for efficacy.   Finally, we talk about a range of pregnancy complaints and what sorts of herbs might help to improve each issue. We discuss some more severe issues like bleeding, which herbs can help, and how to know when direct medical intervention is needed. We talk about using comfrey for tearing, and the controversies over that. We also touch on how to safely use essential oils in pregnancy.   To Learn More Visit:  http://herbalhelp.net/   For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Annette Presley, registered dietician, nutritionist, author, and creator of the Mommy Maker Method. Annette is an expert in functional nutrition and nutrigenomics, and has spent over 28 years studying the ways in which our nutrition affects how our genetics express potential health issues. Her program has helped women all over to take charge of their genes as an important step in their fertility journey.   We discuss the ways that Iodine deficiency affects health, including fertility and rates of miscarriage . We also talk about how Bromide, Chlorine, and Fluoride affect the body's ability to absorb Iodine, and how the levels of them in our diets can lead to iodine deficiency. We discuss the sorts of food that one can eat or avoid to help adjust the levels in order to help with fertility.   We talk about different types of fats, and how much of the nutrition advice we get about saturated fat is misleading and is leading to greater health problems in the population. We also discuss the diagnostic processes for fertility issues and how some of the methods are lacking. We talk about what a particular diagnosis might indicate in terms of nutritional deficiencies, and how that can be adjusted.   Finally, we talk about chronic illnesses that may affect fertility, and how they may be related to nutritional deficiency even when a person isn't trying to conceive. We talk about environmental toxins that are also contributing to ill health in our society, and how the Mommy Maker Method addresses those toxins.   To Learn More Visit:  https://getpregnantplan.com/   For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Julie Sawaya, Founder and CEO of Needed, which provides health education and nutritional supplements for all stages of pregnancy. Needed supplements are based on intense research into the needs of both a pregnant woman and the developing fetus. Julie has been recognized nationwide for her work in ensuring optimal nutrition for both mother and baby.   We talk about how the vast majority of available prenatal vitamins are not sufficient  to meet optimal prenatal nutrition needs, and the way that Needed went about developing supplements that would correct the usual nutritional deficiencies that tend to happen during pregnancy. We also talk about what some of the basic nutritional needs are in a normal pregnancy and discuss what the various nutrients do to support a healthy pregnancy. We discuss the importance of Choline and what makes it so difficult to get into nutrition supplements that are still easy to take during pregnancy.   We discuss the reason for nutritional deficiency during pregnancy, and why this was not a problem for our ancestors but has become a problem for us now. We also talk about some health issues that can be caused by critical nutrient deficiencies, as well at what foods or nutrient supplements can help to correct the issue. We talk about Folates and their potential benefits and issues with the ways they are currently used.   Finally we talk about if and how nutrition affects morning sickness during pregnancy, what some of the factors might be, and how beginning to plan nutrition before getting pregnant can help. We talk about bioavailability in nutritional supplements and the way that Needed uses nutrients that are easiest for the body to absorb. We talk about where Needed sources their vitamins and the care that goes into the process to ensure a reliable quality for the supplements that they formulate.   To Learn More Visit: https://thisisneeded.com/   For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Patty Brennan, founder of Lifespan Doulas, and author of The Doula Business Guide. She offers doula education, training, and certification through her program, as well as the business training needed for independent workers to establish a stable practice. Over her 40 year career, Patty has personally trained over 2000 doulas, in addition to being a doula and a midwife herself, running a company and nonprofit, and authoring vital business resources for doulas around the world.   We talk about the struggles that recently certified doulas face when they are first trying to establish a practice, and how the right type of guidance and support can help them to avoid an early burnout. We also talk about some  things new doulas can use to establish themselves, and what they should avoid when getting started, as well as when they should be willing to serve on a volunteer basis and when they should avoid working for free. We discuss what to do as a doula when you are burning out or losing your passion for your work.   We discuss some of the business models that doulas can establish their practice under and some of the benefits of each, as well as the importance of being aware of the way that you personally work best when determining how you will approach your business and payment model. We also talk about how to get started as a doula and which states require licensing, as well as some of the potential issues with governmental regulation versus the benefits.   Finally we talk about how doulas can overcome the aversion to "selling" their passion-based work rather than giving it for free so that they can sustain themselves while doing what they love. We discuss authentic ways of marketing yourself as a doula, as well as the effect that underselling yourself has on the ways potential clients think about your service. We talk about differentiating yourself from other doulas operating in your area to draw in attention of clients, and how to advertise to the community of people that you most want to focus on serving.   To Learn More Visit: https://lifespandoulas.com/ For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

  Today we talk to Jessica Diggs,  one of the most sought after Doulas and Midwives in the San Francisco area and Education Lead at LOOM, an empowering digital education platform that brings accessible sexual and reproductive health education to all communities, including its debut program centering on pregnancy, birth, and postpartum topics. Jessica's work goes a long way in helping to provide wider access to the sort of inclusive and comprehensive education that is vital for health and safety at any stage of reproduction. We talk about how Jessica's journey to be knowledgeable about sexual and reproductive health for herself and her friends led her into the birth world and becoming a doula and reproductive health educator. We also talk about the inception of LOOM and the value of accessible reproductive education. We discuss the lack of resources for teen parents, and the ways in which teen parents are able to thrive when they have proper support and education.   We discuss, as a doula, supporting a wider variety of pregnancy and birth experiences than what most people consider the "usual" and how every birth is improved when the individual experience of the parents is acknowledged and uplifted, including their gender identity, family structure, supporting partner, and individual values. We also talk about what the curriculum of LOOM covers, starting with the very basics of what many people may not know about their body or their pregnancy and working up.   Finally we talk about the ways that LOOM supports birth partners, regardless of parental status. We talk about giving the partners or chosen family of the birthing person the resources that they need to give the proper support and to be an active part of the experience. We also talk about what it means to normalize the experience of childbirth and how doing so can reduce the amount of fear that people experience going into pregnancy and improve birth outcomes and the overall experience of living in our bodies.   To Learn More Visit:  http://loomhq.com For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Elizabeth King, a Fertility Health Coach, ICF Life Coach, Birth & Bereavement Doula, and new parent educator. Through her practice, she helps clients through the trials of infertility and trauma of miscarriage and works with them through all possible avenues to help them conceive and bring a healthy baby to full term.   We discuss the process of preserving her own fertility that led to her wanting to specialize in fertility support. We talk about common myths about fertility that commonly lead to frustration in people who are trying to conceive. We also discuss the importance of managing stress and mindset as a part of the overall fertility treatment process. We define secondary infertility as an issue that some women face in trying to grow their family.   We talk about how working with a fertility coach before you even start trying to conceive can help to get your body on track to combatting any fertility issues before you even encounter them. We also talk about some of the things that may be affecting your fertility in the pre-conception phase. We clarify the difference between a fertility coach and a fertility doctor and how the former supports the client's relationship with the latter.   Finally, we talk about pregnancy loss and the journey of recovering from miscarriage while also trying to conceive again. We talk about a fertility coach's role in helping with miscarriage or infertility grief, and the sort of support that may be required. We also talk about male fertility and how important it is to look at and educate both partners when addressing fertility issues.   To Learn More Visit: https://www.elizabethking.com/   For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Dr. Betty DeLass, a physical therapist and world-class pelvic health expert.  Through her practice at Reborn Pelvic Health Wellness, she works with patients to craft personalized treatment regimens for patients at every stage of pregnancy or postpartum to help them return to or maintain the best quality of life possible through adjustment and strengthening of the pelvic floor.  To date she has assisted thousands of patient in improving their quality of life through their pelvic health. We discuss Kegels and their function in pelvic health, as well as their limitations. Betty walks us through the orientation and function of the pelvic floor, and emphasizes that the pelvic floor affects alignment in all other areas of the body. We discuss the process of diagnosis that Dr. DeLass uses in order to assess pelvic floor issues in her clinic. We talk about the differences in practitioners that are involved in pregnancy and when a Midwife or an OB may refer a patient to a Physical Therapist, as well as the importance of collaboration between different perinatal practitioners in facilitating healing. We discuss how pelvic misalignment affects fertility. We also touch on Diastasis Recti and how it can be prevented or repaired with physical therapy. Finally we talk about postpartum rehab and how it should be started very shortly after birth in order to help the body heal properly. We discuss how someone can find a specialized pelvic floor therapist if they need one. We also talk about whether patients can have their physical therapy covered by their insurance. To Learn More Visit: https://www.rebornphw.com/ For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to returning guest Bailey Gaddis, Author of Feng Shui Mommy, about her new book, Asking for a Pregnant Friend. Bailey is a certified Doula, Hypnotherapist, and founding member of the Ojai Valley Birth Collective, among many other accomplishments, and she uses her passion for both birth and writing to help make pregnancy and birth a comfortable and shame-free experience for everyone who reads her work.   We talk about Bailey's process in deciding to write her new book, and the way that shame around certain topics prevents pregnant women from getting all the information that they need. We discuss orgasmic birth as well as the culture of shame that forces a lot of us to separate sexuality from birth.   We discuss feelings of arousal or anger during breastfeeding and the feelings of shame that can arise from that and why the shame is not necessary. We discuss partner infidelity during pregnancy and the need for communication between to help allay fears about the partner straying. We talk about the causes of why a partner might not want sex as much after the baby arrives and the ways that couples can work through that with communication.   We talk about the disappointment some parents may experience when finding out the sex of their baby and how not to beat yourself up about it. We also discuss the feelings that can arise when a mother is pregnant with her second baby and how to ease the worry about not loving the second baby as much as the first.   Finally we talk about intrusive thoughts that a lot of women have about potentially hurting their baby or about scary situations that might arise. We discuss what might cause those and when it's a problem. We also discuss the fear of death during childbirth and how to navigate the fear of something that is very real and complex and when to seek help to deal with it.  We talk about the bottom line of shame and how shame affects the journey into motherhood, and how learning to release and do away with that shame as a culture will help to make pregnancy, birth, and motherhood a more joyful experience on the whole.   To Learn More Visit: https://www.baileygaddis.com/   For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Julie Tupler, registered nurse, childbirth educator, physical therapist, and developer of the Tupler Technique for repairing Diastasis Recti. She is a world renowned expert in Diastasis and repairing the "pointy tummy" effect that many women experience after giving birth. With over 30 years of experience in abdominal repair, Julie trains medical and fitness professionals all over the world to repair split abdominal muscles and improve the quality of life for their patients.   We talk about what Diastasis Recti is, what causes it, and who it can occur in besides pregnant women. We discuss how to tell if somebody has a Diastasis in need of repair, as well as what the side effects can be if the Diastasis is left untreated. We also talk about how splinting, exercises, and effective pushing during childbirth can help to avoid muscle damage that may cause later issues.   We discuss Diastasis repair via the Tupler Technique, and what the technique entails and what it accomplishes in the body. We talk about the importance of adherence to the program in order to ensure that the Diastasis closes fully and properly.   We talk about how Julie got started in the field and how she came to specialize in Diastasis Recti, as well as how she developed the Tupler Technique. We discuss what a woman can do at the start of her pregnancy to begin to strengthen her abdominal muscles and keep them together in order to prevent Diastasis. We touch on how to tell the difference between Diastasis and insulin resistance.   Finally we discuss how Diastasis Recti can make a woman more at risk for a C-section during birth, and the internal mechanics of why a Diastasis makes it harder for labor to progress. We discuss the long term affects of a bad Diastasis, and at which point it's too late to fix.   To Learn More Visit: DiastasisRehab.com   For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Marinah Farrell, Midwife, Activist, and  Executive Director of Changing Woman Initiative, a Native American centered health and justice organization. Marinah's work serves to help indigenous peoples reclaim sovereignty over reproductive medicine, and provide safe, culturally integrated healthcare to Indigenous women in New Mexico and Arizona. We talk about the Changing Woman initiative, the meaning behind the name, and what the organization does for tribal communities in healing through birth and midwifery. We also talk about Marinah's induction to the birth world and what led her to what she believes is her life's calling. We discuss the historical course of midwifery being overtaken by obstetrics and the resulting loss of midwifery traditions in indigenous communities. We also touch on the different types of midwives, particularly in the Americas. We discuss cultural misalignment between birth providers and birthing people and the issues that can arise when people don't have access to birth providers from their own communities. We discuss the way that the current North American midwifery associations are still not doing much to uplift or encourage midwives of color, particularly in indigenous communities, and what needs to be done in order to help overcome the issue. We also talk about how governments shift blame to midwives for maternal mortality rates to avoid prioritizing maternal health. We talk about restoring traditional culture to midwifery in order to strengthen the practice as a whole, as well as some of the perceptions of midwives in our modern world and how the stigma makes it difficult for traditional midwifery to regain a foothold in society. We also discuss how all women regardless of cultural origin can reach back to reclaim their ancestral birthing traditions and restore life to their own communities without appropriating another culture's roots. Finally, we discuss the nuance of trying to determine one's own roots, especially when we are separated from our roots by adoption or other circumstance, and how to approach finding the traditions that are authentic to you. We talk about way that connection to our traditional birth cultures and our foremothers works to heal individuals and communities. To Learn More Visit: changingwomaninitiative.com For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Dr. Rosita Arvigo, Naprapathic physician, International author and lecturer, and founder of The Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy®. She has dedicated her life and practice to preserving and elevating traditional Mayan abdominal massage practices, and using them to heal patients from all manner of reproductive system dysfunction in both body and spirit.   We talk about Dr. Arvigo's apprenticeship in Mayan abdominal massage with her mentor Don Elijio Panti, and how she merged those methods with her existing work in Naprapathy to develop the Arvigo method. We also talk about uterine displacement and the way that Mayan abdominal therapy is intended to help correct it.   We talk about how the displacement of the uterus disrupts blood flow, and the sorts of issues that can cause, as well as how correcting the placement and blood flow can help with a large number of reproductive issues. We also talk about how easily the uterus can become misaligned during a woman's life, which contributes to how common menstrual pain is for most women.   We discuss fertility challenges and the mechanics of how lymphatic blockages caused by uterine displacement may heavily contribute. We talk about Premenstrual mood issues and which parts of them are normal and natural, and which parts may be aggravated by misalignment.   Finally, we talk about some of the spiritual elements of menstrual regularity, and the ways that being misaligned be emotionally and spiritually damaging for a woman. We talk about the affects of birth control on uterine flow and discuss the considerations involved.   To Learn More Visit: https://abdominaltherapycollective.com or  https://rositaarvigo.com   For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Adriana Lozada, advanced birth doula,  postpartum educator, child sleep consultant, and host of the Birthful Podcast. In her work she focuses on helping clients to trust in their body's natural birthing instinct without allowing fear and overthinking to complicate the process. We discuss Adriana's call to birth work after her first birth experience made her realize that birth is a lot more complicated and messy than most people understand, and that it takes much more than a proactive brain to create a positive experience. We also talk about her journey to discovering how birth can be better approached to support the physiology of it and do so without fear so the body can do its job.   We talk about the process of shutting off the 'thinking' brain and learning to trust the instinctive brain during labor so that your body can carry out its natural process. We talk about the way that medical measurements (checking of dilation, etc…) can be a mental and emotional distraction from the natural process, and how to overcome that. We also talk about which things 'activate' the thinking brain and how knowing what might distract you gives you power.   We discuss some of the natural physiological reflexes that both the birthing person and the baby have that allows for birth to flow in a certain way. We also talk about the chemical responses that happen in birth to support the process of birth and aid the baby's vital responses during and after birth.  We discuss the ways that medical interventions might interfere with this process, but also how some natural birth moments can be recreated after the fact.   Finally, we briefly talk about Adriana's Venezuelan roots, and the way that birth has been over-medicalized in Latin America and the way it is affecting the birth culture in those areas. We discuss the way that Venezuela's culture around plastic surgery creates less fear around C-Sections than around the natural birthing process. We briefly discuss birth revolutions happening in some places in Latin America that are helping people to reclaim the birth process.   To Learn More Visit: https://birthful.com/   For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Cortney and Stephanie, certified childbirth educators and doulas, and creators of My Essential Birth -- an evidence-based and holistic online childbirth education course -- as well as The Pregnancy and Childbirth Made Easy Podcast. They are dedicated to bringing the best that the birth world has to offer into one place so that new parents have the best possible head-start in preparing for their birth. We talk about how both Cortney and Stephanie got into the world of childbirth education and the different kinds of birth experiences they've had that have influenced their desire to help others. We also talk about the problems they had with other birth courses that led to them wanting to create their own that didn't feel quite so rigid in their expectations for what an "ideal" pregnancy and birth looks like. We once again cover one of our favorite topics: the importance of education in helping birthing parents to plan for the birth that they want and protect their choices against institutions and providers. We talk about the reasons that new moms seek out My Essential Birth, and how they come out knowing much more than they had originally thought they needed, and how the course's integration of everything the birth world has to offer can help them know what to seek out more information on. We talk about the first things that a pregnant mother can do to set herself up for success, including finding the right provider and doing certain daily exercises to prepare their bodies for labor.  We talk about getting clear on what sort of birth experience you want so that the experience and reality aren't dissonant. We also talk about preparing to negate and avoid birth trauma or to heal previous trauma. Finally we discuss the importance of birth education to our legacy, and how empowered births can shape generations. We talk about how the sons and daughters of mothers who have had their lives changed by positive birth will go forward and improve the birth experiences in their own lives. To Learn More Visit: https://www.myessentialbirth.com/ For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Aisha Al Hajjar, Midwife and founder of AMANI Birth, an Islamically founded childbirth education and doula training program designed to empower and support women in the birthing decisions that they make. She works together with her husband to make this education widely available, and to date, AMANI Birth has trained over 900 educators and providers and supported over 10,000 mothers worldwide with their evidence based childbirth education.   We talk about Aisha's birth experiences and how they led her to become a childbirth educator. We also talk about the ways that Aisha saw women suffering from lack of choices and birth education after converting to Islam, and how she allowed her faith and knowledge to guide her in knowing how to help.   We talk about what is needed in an Islamic birth space and how AMANI birth helps to provide for those needs. We also talk about how a country's culture can affect a woman's needs for her birth space, as well as how AMANI education can help a woman to know whether or not she wants to adhere to cultural practices. We discuss how training birth workers all over the world can help women to preserve their own culture and empower their communities. Aisha tells us the story of AMANI Birth and how she and her husband both knew that women in the Middle East where they live were in need of Islamically based birth education and protection, and how they built AMANI birth out of that need. We discuss the scope of AMANI and how it changes lives and communities.   Finally we talk about the impact that birth empowerment has on a woman's entire life and how the mission of AMANI is to spread that empowerment as far as possible.   To Learn More Visit: https://amanibirth.com/   For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Nikia Lawson, Certified Birth Doula and Birth Doula Trainer through DONA international. Nikia is an international lecturer,  thought leader, and birth educator who uses her expansive knowledge to help expectant families go into their births feeling prepared. Her non-profit organization, The Natural Way Birthing Project, offers programs and services to help reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in the Texas counties where she serves. We talk about Nikia's induction into the birth world and what drew her to birth work. We talk about her education and how she shifted courses to meet her calling as a birth worker.  We also talk about Nikia's approach to helping new families to start thinking about what they want for their birth and about hiring a doula We talk about what Nikia teaches in her courses and the questions that new parents need to consider when they're approaching their birth so that they can feel confident and prepared, and so that they can stand up for their choices and prevent trauma. We talk about how to create a 'see something, say something' situation in the birth space where the birthing person's choices are being protected in the moment. We talk about intersectionality in the birth space and the sorts of things that need changing, as well as how change can be made on a wide scale to protect black birth. We talk about how education and availability of birth support in every birth space can help to improve birth outcomes in marginalized communities. Finally we talk about normalizing doula work and birth support for everyone so that advocacy for birth decisions can become the mainstream rather than the exception. We challenge new parents to become educated and empower their birth space to achieve this end. To Learn More Visit: http://www.nikialawson.com/ For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Nefertiti Austin, Author of Motherhood So White: A Memoir  of Race, Gender, and Parenting In America. Fourteen years ago she took a journey toward adopting a child from the Los Angeles foster system as a single woman and she shares her experience and the insight she gained from it with us today. Our Digital Media Coordinator and Executive Assistant for Birth Circle, Erin, also joins us as a guest interviewer.  We talk to Nefertiti about her initial journey toward deciding to adopt, and what informed her decision on the specifics of what she wanted from the adoption. We also talk about the stigma she came up against in choosing to adopt outside of her own community, and the way informal adoption commonly works in communities of color.  We talk about the things that surprised Nefertiti about raising her children, particularly in regards to protecting them from racial bias at school. We then talk about how important it has been for her to have a community to rely on while raising her children.  Finally we talk about the image of what 'adoptive parents' are thought to look like, and how falling outside the 'norm' can be a deterrent for single parents and parents of color against adopting from the foster system. Nefertiti talks about her book and gives her advice for people preparing to navigate the system as she did. To Learn More Visit: https://nefertitiaustin.com/ For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com

Today we talk to Kimberly Seals Allers, founder of Irth, an app where Black and brown parents can rate practitioners in order to address bias and racism in maternity and infant care. She is also the host of Birthright, a podcast about joy and healing in Black birth that seeks to change the narrative around Black birth being a necessarily traumatic experience. Kimberly is an award-winning journalist and five-time author, and she is an outspoken advocate for maternal and infant health in marginalized communities.  We talk about Kimberly's introduction to the birth world as a young black mother and the fear she felt facing down the statistics of birth outcomes for black mothers. We then talk about the negative birth experience that Kimberly had in a hospital that had come highly recommended by her friends and how the realization that she had been treated differently due to her race led her toward her advocacy and eventually toward the development of Irth.  We talk about what Irth is and how it helps black and brown women to be able to research and find a birth provider that is not going to bring racial bias into their care, as well as how it helps those women to report on their own birth experience with a provider in order to inform their community and provide data that can then be used to incentivize birth providers to improve their quality of care. We talk about how racial bias shows up in the medical community and how we can tell whether a birth provider is allowing those biases to influence their practice.  We then talk about how the Irth team approaches providers that need coaching on their practices, and provides them with the data that shows where improvement is needed. We talk about cultural alignment in the birth space and how that can help to improve overall outcomes. Finally, we talk about the Birthright podcast and how sharing stories of success and joy in Black birth helps to move the narrative away from fear and allows more space for healing and progress. To learn more, visit https://irthapp.com/ For Any Questions, Email Us at media@birthcircle.com