EBB 65 - Navigating the Hospital Birth System with Midwife Afua Hassan
Release Date: 02/13/2019
EBB 403 - Why Is My Hospital's Cesarean Rate So High (or Low)? with Dr. Emily White VanGompel, Family Medicine Physician and Research Scientist
Evidence Based Birth®
Even when caring for similar patient populations, some hospitals have significantly higher Cesarean rates than others, and factors like teamwork, psychological safety, leadership, staffing, and beliefs about childbirth can affect outcomes. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with family physician and researcher Dr. Emily White VanGompel about how the culture of labor and delivery units can shape decision-making and influence the birth experience for families. Dr. White VanGompel explains the NTSV (nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex) Cesarean rate, why it is used as a quality...
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Special Announcement: Join me in Summer School!
Evidence Based Birth®
This summer, join Dr. Rebecca Dekker and the EBB Research Team for a four-part live series on "How to Read Research," starting June 30. Get access to the full Summer School Series by joining the Quarterly EBB Pro Membership at a special summer rate! Plus, enroll by June 28 and receive a free digital EBB Pocket Guide to Labor Induction! Learn more and save your seat in our virtual classroom:
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REPLAY: EBB 196 - Pelvic Biomechanics and Movement in Labor with Brittany Sharpe McCollum
Evidence Based Birth®
The way we move during labor shapes far more than our comfort. It helps determine how a baby navigates through the pelvis, and whether a birth can unfold with fewer interventions! In this replay episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with Brittany Sharpe McCollum, a childbirth educator, doula, lactation counselor, and pelvic biomechanics educator. Brittany explains how the bones of the pelvis move during labor, why that movement matters for fetal positioning, and how everyone can benefit from intentional position changes during labor-- whether you're planning an unmedicated birth or not! They...
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EBB 402 - Cultural Aspects of Lactation and Infant Feeding in India with Yogyata Wadhwa, IBCLC and Young Child Feeding Specialist
Evidence Based Birth®
The ways we feed and care for babies are shaped not only by research, but also by family traditions, cultural values, and generations of shared wisdom. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with Yogyata Wadhwa, an IBCLC, childbirth educator, birth doula, sleep consultant, and infant feeding specialist based in India. Drawing on her experience supporting more than 10,000 families, Yogyata shares how parents can honor cultural traditions while making informed decisions about breastfeeding, introducing solids, and navigating the postpartum period. They explore common...
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EBB 401 - Perinatal Mental Health for 2SLGBTQ+ Parents with Dr. Leiszle Lapping-Carr, Clinical Psychologist
Evidence Based Birth®
Research shows that queer and trans parents face significantly higher rates of perinatal depression and anxiety, but affirming and community-centered support can make a big difference. In this episode, clinical psychologist and researcher Leiszle Lapping-Carr joins Dr. Rebecca Dekker to talk about the unique mental health challenges 2SLGBTQ+ parents may experience during pregnancy and postpartum and what providers, birth workers, and communities can do to create safer, more supportive care. Dr. Lapping-Carr shares how stigma, discrimination, isolation, and lack of affirming healthcare spaces...
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EBB 400 - Best of Evidence Based Birth®
Evidence Based Birth®
Happy EBB 400! In honor of this milestone, Team EBB is looking back on some of our and your favorite episodes of the EBB Podcast from the past nine years. From advocacy in birth and improving maternity care to exercise in pregnancy, postpartum support, Vitamin K, and upright birthing positions, this anniversary episode highlights the stories and evidence that have shaped the EBB community since 2017. Whether you’ve been here since episode one or just recently found the podcast, this episode is a celebration of evidence-based information and the families and professionals who make this work...
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EBB 399 - Benefits and Safety of Exercise during Pregnancy with Ashley Reid, Exercise Physiologist and Author of "Active Mom"
Evidence Based Birth®
Pregnancy fitness advice has changed dramatically over the last few decades, but many parents still receive outdated recommendations rooted more in fear than evidence. After receiving outdated advice during her own pregnancy, exercise physiologist and prenatal/postnatal wellness practitioner Ashley Reid was inspired to help moms stay active through every stage of motherhood. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with Ashley about the latest evidence on exercise and strength training during pregnancy and postpartum. Ashley shares why old recommendations like keeping your heart rate under...
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EBB 398 - Supporting Neurodivergence in Birth and Postpartum with Victoria White, Doula and Author of "Why Neurodivergent Birth Matters"
Evidence Based Birth®
Many neurodivergent people move through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum feeling misunderstood and unsupported in healthcare settings that were not designed with their minds in mind. In this episode, doula and founder of Neurodivergent Birth Victoria White shares how her own later-in-life autism and ADHD diagnoses reshaped her understanding of her postpartum experiences and why many neurodivergent parents struggle in systems that often assume everyone processes in the same way. Learn about how sensory processing, communication, and executive functioning challenges can shape the perinatal...
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REPLAY: EBB 253 – Preparing for a 38-week Labor Induction due to Intrauterine Growth Restriction with Leah Bergman, EBB Childbirth Class Graduate
Evidence Based Birth®
What happens when your carefully planned, low-intervention birth transforms into something entirely unexpected? In this replay episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker revisits her conversation with Leah Bergman, a graduate of the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class, and her birth story of navigating a surprise diagnosis of fetal growth restriction (sometimes called intrauterine growth restriction or IUGR) in late pregnancy. Together, they unpack the emotional rollercoaster of changing birth plans, wrestling with uncertainty, and making tough decisions around induction while still finding space for...
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EBB 397 - Words of Wisdom about Birth that Can Bring You a Sense of Calm and Peace
Evidence Based Birth®
Pregnancy and birth don't require perfection to be empowering. In this solo episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker shares share five life lessons she’s learned over 14 years as a nurse, mother, and founder of Evidence Based Birth. She offers grounding guidance for navigating pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood with more trust, self-compassion, and calm. This episode centers on the idea that you don’t have to know everything to have a positive birth experience. Instead, Dr. Dekker explores how building a supportive team, staying connected to your body, and focusing on what you can control can...
info_outlineIn this episode, I interview midwife and Evidence Based Birth Professional member Afua Hassan. Afua has practiced as a midwife since 1984. In 2011, she expanded her home birth practice and founded The Birthing Place, Houston’s first freestanding birth center owned and operated by a black midwife. The name “The Birthing Place” was chosen by Afua in response to her observation that many women felt that they needed a hospital and a doctor to deliver babies. In her practice, Afua’s philosophy is that the mother is the captain of the birth, the partner is the co-captain, and she - as midwife - is the advisor. As of today, she has assisted in nearly 1200 births.
We discuss Afua’s initiatives to educate women on the hospital system and the medical model of care, as well as the steps she is taking to support the women in her community.
For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.
RESOURCES:
Learn more about Afua and The Birthing Place here. Check out her recent feature on the Today Show at the same link!
You can also find The Birthing Place on Facebook and Instagram.