Tools to Process Your Birth Story with Birth Debriefing and Postpartum Wellness [40]
The C-Section Experience: Empowering C-Section Education and Support
Release Date: 06/10/2025
The C-Section Experience: Empowering C-Section Education and Support
Download our FREE C-Section guide here: In this heartfelt milestone episode, Jen and Bethany share a big announcement: The C-Section Experience is taking a temporary hiatus. They open up about the full mix of emotions—gratitude, pride, tenderness, and excitement for what comes next. They look back on their favorite moments from the past 64 episodes: unforgettable listener messages, the conversations that changed them, the topics that stretched them, and the episodes that resonated the most with the community. They revisit lessons learned, the guests who left a lasting impact,...
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Download our FREE C-Section guide here: Jen and Bethany get real about one of the most universal - and universally dreaded - postpartum milestones: the first poop after a C-section. With equal parts humor, honesty, and medical expertise, they unpack why it can feel so intimidating and what you can do to make it easier. They share personal stories and professional insights, break down the real reasons constipation happens after birth, and offer practical, evidence-based strategies to help new moms feel more prepared. You’ll learn: Why...
info_outlineThe C-Section Experience: Empowering C-Section Education and Support
Download our FREE C-Section guide here: Jen and Bethany discuss elective C-sections, also known as cesarean delivery on maternal request (CDMR)—exploring why some women choose a planned C-section without a medical indication, what the research says, and how obstetricians view these requests in real clinical practice. Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, Jen and Bethany cover: Why some women prefer a planned C-section Fear of labor pain, a history of birth trauma, the desire for predictability and control, anxiety around fetal...
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Download our FREE C-Section guide here: The first week home after a C-section is a mix of exhaustion, emotions, and endless questions - and Jen and Bethany are here to help you navigate it all. In this episode, they walk through the first seven days after coming home, sharing realistic, day-by-day guidance for rest, recovery, and sanity. From managing pain and medication to setting up your space and remembering to eat (and breathe!), this conversation covers the things that really matter when you’re healing from surgery while caring for a newborn. They discuss:...
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Download our FREE C-Section guide here: Jen and Bethany unpack one of the most serious, but fortunately rare, complications in obstetric anesthesia: high spinal anesthesia. Their goal is to help listeners who may have experienced this event, or who have questions after hearing about it, find clarity and reassurance through understanding. Dr. Jen explains what a high spinal is, how it happens, and what signs and symptoms patients and providers look for. The conversation covers how anesthesia providers recognize and manage this emergency—especially focusing on...
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Download our FREE C-Section guide here: Jen and Bethany break down what to pack in your hospital bag for a C-section—so you feel calm, organized, and fully prepared for your big day. You’ll learn: C-section hospital bag essentials — including your ID, insurance card, nursing bra, comfortable clothes, breast pump, cozy blanket, and toiletries. What to pack for your baby — swaddles, newborn outfits, diapers, wipes, and feeding supplies. What your partner should bring — comfort items, snacks, entertainment, and supportive reminders. How to create a calm environment...
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Download our FREE C-Section guide here: Most parents don’t know they can request an anesthesia consult during pregnancy—yet it can change your birth experience. Dr. Jen (obstetric anesthesiologist) and Bethany break down what an anesthesia consult is, who should get one, ideal timing (late 2nd–early 3rd trimester), and how to ask. They cover medical reasons (cardiac, respiratory, clotting disorders, scoliosis/back surgery, Chiari malformation, neurologic conditions, airway history), pregnancy-specific scenarios (anticoagulation, placenta accreta, Jehovah’s...
info_outlineThe C-Section Experience: Empowering C-Section Education and Support
Download our FREE C-Section guide here: Jen and Bethany unpack the recent Tylenol-in-pregnancy panic—where it came from, what the evidence actually shows, and how risk–benefit thinking should guide real decisions (especially if you’re having a C-section or surgery in pregnancy). We talk association vs. causation, sibling-matched data, fever and infection risks, NSAIDs across trimesters, opioids, and why blanket “never” statements hurt moms. What you’ll learn Why association ≠ causation—and how sibling studies change the picture The difference...
info_outlineThe C-Section Experience: Empowering C-Section Education and Support
Download our FREE C-Section guide here: What’s it really like to be a dad during a C-section? In this episode of The C-Section Experience, Jen and Bethany shine a light on the often-overlooked experiences of fathers and partners in the operating room and beyond. Bethany shares her own family’s story while walking through responses to ten candid questions answered by dads who’ve been through C-sections with their partners. From the emotional weight of watching surgery unfold, to advocating for their partner, to figuring out how to best help at home—this episode gives...
info_outlineThe C-Section Experience: Empowering C-Section Education and Support
Download our FREE C-Section guide here: In this episode of The C-Section Experience, Jen and Bethany conclude their two-part discussion on intraoperative pain during cesarean deliveries—a topic rarely talked about but deeply important for moms. They revisit the pain assessment challenges explored in Episode 4 and highlight Heather Nixon’s innovative approach of continually assessing pain levels throughout surgery. The conversation dives into practical solutions, system improvements, and how communication and trust between patients and providers can make all the...
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How to initiate a birth debrief before leaving the hospital or at your postpartum visit
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The value of talking through your birth story with trusted friends or professionals
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Using affirmations, goal-setting, and nature as tools for healing
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Why partners need space to process the birth, too
Website: csxpodcast.com
Birth Services + postpartum support: lemontreebabies.com.
This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The content in this podcast should not be considered medical advice.