Happy Mother's Day
Pregnancy Podcast
Happy Mother’s Day! Whether you are expecting your first baby, already have kids, or listen to this podcast because you help support new moms, I hope you feel celebrated today. I want to thank you for being a part of this podcast and for the honor of allowing me to be with you on your journey to motherhood. To celebrate Mother’s Day, you can get 50% off Pregnancy Podcast Premium through Sunday, May 19th, with the code MOM50. https://pregnancypodcast.com/premium Join Pregnancy Podcast Premium to access the entire back catalog, listen to all episodes ad-free, get a copy of the Your Birth...
info_outline
5 Tips to Maximize Every Prenatal Appointment
Pregnancy Podcast
You see a midwife or OBGYN because they are the experts in prenatal care, pregnancy, and birth. They are trained to identify risks, ensure you and your baby are healthy, and assist you in navigating pregnancy and childbirth. In the nine months you are pregnant, you can expect to have around 14 prenatal appointments. Each appointment allows your care provider to monitor you and your baby, administer tests, and perform procedures. These visits are your opportunity to discuss your symptoms and prenatal care options, plan for birth, and ask questions. There is so much to cover in each of these...
info_outline
Choosing (or Changing) Your Doctor or Midwife
Pregnancy Podcast
Your care provider is the cornerstone of your prenatal care and birth experience. You will work with this expert resource throughout pregnancy to make critical decisions. Choosing your care provider is more nuanced than having a midwife for a home birth or an OB/GYN for a birth at a hospital. Your comfort and trust in your care provider is more important than their qualifications, where they went to school, and how many babies they have delivered. Ultimately, who your care provider is will significantly impact your experience and how your baby enters the world. When choosing your care...
info_outline
10 Steps to Craft Your Birth Plan
Pregnancy Podcast
A birth plan is a document that outlines your preferences for labor and what happens directly following the birth of your baby. A birth plan is much more than a piece of paper you hand to your care provider. It is the process you go through to prepare for your desired birth experience. This process will lay the foundation for preparing you for the scenario in which everything goes exactly as planned and what should happen if things do not go as planned. The value of a birth plan has a lot more to do with the process of creating it than it does with the finished product. This simple process...
info_outline
Pros and Cons of Erythromycin Eye Ointment for Your Newborn
Pregnancy Podcast
Administering erythromycin eye ointment to newborns is a standard procedure in the United States to prevent ophthalmia neonatorum. Ophthalmia neonatorum is a newborn eye infection that affects 1-2% of newborns in the United States. This infection can be caused by sexually transmitted infections, viruses, and bacteria. As with any intervention, there are pros and cons to consider. This episode examines the evidence on the efficacy and safety of erythromycin eye ointment so you can make an informed choice for your baby. Thank you to our sponsors Zahler goes above and beyond...
info_outline
Benefits and Risks of Vitamin K for Newborns
Pregnancy Podcast
Newborns naturally have low levels of vitamin K at birth. The danger of low vitamin K levels is the risk of vitamin K deficiency bleeding. This is a rare but severe complication. You can decrease the risk of vitamin K deficiency bleeding by giving your baby a vitamin K shot shortly after birth. Administering vitamin K to newborns is standard in the United States and many other countries. As with any intervention, there are pros and cons to consider. This episode examines the evidence on the efficacy and safety of the vitamin K shot so you can make an informed choice for your baby. ...
info_outline
Options To Make a Cesarean More Mom- And Baby-Friendly
Pregnancy Podcast
In the United States, one in three babies is born via cesarean. Every expecting mother should be knowledgeable about cesarean birth, even if that is not your primary birth plan. As cesarean births have become more common, options have expanded to make the procedure more mom- and baby-friendly. In recent years, the idea of a gentle cesarean has emerged. This is also called a family-centered cesarean, family-centered birth, or natural cesarean. A gentle cesarean involves adjustments that make the surgical procedure more mom- and baby-friendly and has many evidence-backed benefits. ...
info_outline
What to Expect in a Cesarean Birth
Pregnancy Podcast
A cesarean section, also known as a C-section, is a surgical procedure to deliver a baby through incisions in the mother's abdomen and uterus. You and your doctor may plan a cesarean birth if you have a complication that would make a vaginal delivery difficult. Every expecting mother should be knowledgeable about cesarean birth, even if that is not your primary birth plan. In the United States, one in three babies is born via cesarean. Often, unplanned circumstances in labor lead to a cesarean birth. Labor is an intense experience, and a lot can happen that puts you in a position where...
info_outline
Optimal Labor Positions for a Shorter and Easier Birth
Pregnancy Podcast
For most of human history, a mother in labor was free to move around and change positions at will, with the most common positions being upright. In the mid-1600s, obstetricians started putting mothers on their backs. Thankfully, in recent years, more evidence has supported allowing a mother to choose the positions in which she labors. How your body is positioned during labor can significantly impact the discomfort of contractions, your baby’s ability to descend, the likelihood of some interventions, and even the length of your labor. Learn what positions are most helpful in specific labor...
info_outline
Your Options for the Third Stage of Labor
Pregnancy Podcast
The third stage of labor starts after your baby is born and ends with birthing the placenta. Even after your beautiful baby is born your uterus will continue to contract. These contractions are generally more mild than the contractions you experience during birth. As your uterus begins to contract and shrink, your placenta will detach from your uterine wall. The blood vessels are closed off, and the placenta is pushed out. You have many options for what interventions are employed during this stage. This includes the timing of clamping the umbilical cord, medications, and physically pulling on...
info_outline