EBB 227 – Amplifying the Need for Intersectional Birth Support for QTBIPOC Birthing People with Xian Brooks of the Dandy Doula
Release Date: 06/08/2022
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...
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EBB 396 - Inequities in VBAC Access with Dr. Nicholas Rubashkin, MD, PhD
Evidence Based Birth®
The evidence shows that vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is a safe option for many families, but it’s still frequently inaccessible to them. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker and Dr. Nicholas Rubashkin discuss the systemic barriers that limit families’ opportunities to choose a VBAC. They explore how hospital policies, outdated guidelines, and clinical tools like the VBAC calculator have shaped who’s a “good candidate” and who is not. Dr. Rubashkin also shares insights from his research on inequities in maternity care, including how race-adjusted algorithms reinforce...
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Induction Bootcamp Coming Soon
Evidence Based Birth®
Learn more about EBB's upcoming Induction Bootcamp on Tuesday, April 28 from 2:00 - 4:30 PM EDT. To save your seat or access the replay, join the EBB Pro Membership for just $39 for your first 30 days: .
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EBB 395 - Postpartum Practices from African American Traditions with Shafia Monroe, Midwife and Author of Mothering the Mother
Evidence Based Birth®
Postpartum care wasn’t always rushed, clinical, or isolating. In many African-American communities, the weeks after birth were treated as sacred time where families and communities gathered to care for the mother so she could focus on caring for her baby. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with renowned midwife, cultural historian, and author Shafia Monroe about the traditions documented in her new book Mothering the Mother: African-American Postpartum Traditions, Recipes, and Healing. Mama Shafia shares how historically rooted postpartum practices—from the 42-day...
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REPLAY: EBB 357 - Making Decisions about Elective Induction of Labor with Dr. Ann Peralta & Kari Radoff, CNM, from Partner to Decide
Evidence Based Birth®
Every pregnant person deserves the information and support they need to make truly informed decisions about labor induction. In this encore episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with Dr. Ann Peralta and Kari Radoff, CNM, the co-creators of Partner to Decide, a nonprofit improving decision-making in perinatal care. They discuss their free, multilingual decision aid that helps families understand their options around routine induction of labor and empowers them to advocate for their own values, preferences, and autonomy. Ann shares how her own birth experience, shaped by access to education and...
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EBB 394 - Team EBB's Stance on AI in our Workplace
Evidence Based Birth®
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how people search for information, including how families learn about pregnancy and birth. As this technology grows, it raises important questions about accuracy, ethics, and the role of human expertise in healthcare information. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker and Dr. Sara Ailshire share a behind-the-scenes look at how Evidence Based Birth® developed its own AI policies. They discuss concerns about misinformation, bias, privacy, and environmental impact, as well as the potential effects on critical thinking and human connection. ...
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EBB 393 - Evidence on Inducing at 41 Weeks or Later
Evidence Based Birth®
At the 41-week mark in pregnancy, conversations and decisions about induction can start to feel more urgent and complex. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker and Dr. Sara Ailshire share why the 41st week has become such a focus in maternity care and what the evidence actually says about induction at this milestone. They discuss elective induction versus expectant management and key findings from major studies like the INDEX and SWEPIS trials. They also talk through potential benefits and risks, including changes in stillbirth risk, newborn outcomes, and maternal experiences. ...
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EBB 392 - Enduring a 54-Hour Long Induction for Preeclampsia with Paige Wener and Kevin Booth, Graduates of the EBB Childbirth Class
Evidence Based Birth®
EBB Childbirth Class Graduates Paige Wener and Kevin Booth hoped for a low-intervention water birth at their midwife-led birth center in rural Vermont. But at 38 weeks and 6 days, a routine prenatal visit led to a surprise diagnosis of preeclampsia and recommendation for induction. In this episode, Paige and Kevin share the story of their 54-hour induction, including misoprostol, a Cook catheter, Pitocin, and eventually an epidural after more than a day of labor, with Kevin supporting Paige with counterpressure, movement, and comfort measures along the way. Paige also shares about recovering...
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EBB 391 - Electronic Fetal Monitoring Advocacy Tips with Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, OB/GYN and Author of The Birth Book
Evidence Based Birth®
Electronic fetal monitoring is one of the most common interventions in hospital birth, but it's also one of the least understood. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Jennifer Lincoln about what continuous electronic fetal monitoring actually does, what the research says, and why it became such a routine part of labor care in the first place. With recent media attention shining a spotlight on this technology, they break down the history, the evidence, and the real-world pressures that shape how it’s used today. Learn why continuous monitoring can increase...
info_outlineXian Brooks (he/him) is a public health professional from Louisville, Kentucky, where he is a community-based birth doula and a Master of Science in Nursing student. Xian completed his Bachelor's of Science in Public Health Education at North Carolina Central University and his Master's of Public Health in Community and Behavioral Health at the University of Colorado. Over time, Xian has accumulated a lot of experience in queer, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming reproductive health education. Xian's training has equipped him to understand the root causes of perinatal death rates among Black individuals, especially how race, gender, sexual orientation, and class are not mutually exclusive when it comes to health disparities. Xian's lived experience recognizes that health disparities are more than just numbers on a page. Xian is currently working towards becoming a nurse-midwife because representation in healthcare is extremely important to Xian. He firmly believes it is necessary to overcome negative health outcomes and revolutionize healthcare.
We talk about what inspired Xian to dive into the work of community and behavioral health as well as his journey as a nurse-midwife. We also discuss what intersectional birth work looks like and the importance to amplify the need to create safe perinatal spaces for queer, trans, and BIPOC birthing bodies.
Content warning: We mention transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, racism, police violence, and birth trauma.
RESOURCES:
Learn more about Xian Brooks and The Dandy Doula here. Follow The Dandy Doula on Facebook and Instagram.
Hoyert DL. Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2019. NCHS Health E-Stats. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc:103855.
Hunter, L., McMahon, E., Graves, B., Wooten, A., Kriebs, J., Pickett, E., Tanner, T., Garcia, R., Apatov, N., Burkman, R., Hodges, K., & Bright, C. (2019). (rep.). 2019 Demographic Report (p. 1). Linthicum, Maryland: American Midwifery Certification Board.
Loewenberg Weisband, Y., Klebanoff, M., Gallo, M. F., Shoben, A., & Norris, A. H. (2018). Birth outcomes of women using a midwife versus women using a physician for prenatal care. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 63(4), 399–409. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12750
Taffe MA, Gilpin NW. Racial inequity in grant funding from the US National Institutes of Health. Elife. 2021;10:e65697. Published 2021 Jan 18. doi:10.7554/eLife.65697.
Tikkanen, R., Gunja, M. Z., FitzGerald, M., & Zephyrin, L. (2020). Maternal mortality and maternity care in the United States compared to 10 other developed countries. Issue briefs, Commonwealth Fund.
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