Becoming Mom
Your BUSY, your smart, and your PREGNANT...Finding out that you're pregnant is a life-changing experience. It can be scary, nerve-wracking, frustrating, and exciting—all at the same time. Tune in every Wednesday for a quick, 15min. coaching call to help you navigate the confusing world of pregnancy and motherhood. This journey will change YOU, you can become a stronger, smarter and even more powerful woman, as you become MOM.
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Episode 9: Choosing Your Birth Environment
11/30/2022
Episode 9: Choosing Your Birth Environment
In 1957, my mother gave birth for the first time in a US army Hospital in Frankfurt Germany, she was all alone in a foreign country. Oddly they allowed her to smoke all through her labor but she was not allowed to drink or eat! She was not allowed to get up and move or to change her position as she felt she wanted to. She had a hard time and so did I, her baby. Contrast this with the fact that my mother herself was born in 1923 at home in the bed she was conceived in, as was my father in 1916. Human beings have only been giving birth in hospitals for about 100 years or less. This means that for millions of years our species gave birth freely and spontaneously for the most part without medical intervention. What has happened to human women that they now NEED medical intervention to do what nature intended them to do for the survival of our species?
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Episode 8: How BIRTH works
11/23/2022
Episode 8: How BIRTH works
In 2015 I had an interesting experience; that showed me many obstetricians do not really care about how birth works. In the 90’s I retired from Primary Homebirth Midwifery to pursue my long-term love of Interior Design. I went back to school and got my degree and opened a residential interior design firm with a specialty in birth centers. In 2015, I had an opportunity to have a booth at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting, in San Francisco. I was offering my services to hospitals wanting to remodel their birthing rooms to enhance oxytocin and physiological birth. I received a contrast of rave support and a completely dismissive attitude regarding the importance of environment on a woman’s ability to give birth. I remember a group of older white-haired men who said, “why would we be concerned with a woman’s natural oxytocin levels or feeling of safety, when we have Pitocin and surgery!”
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Episode 7: Creating Your Own Birth Philosophy
11/16/2022
Episode 7: Creating Your Own Birth Philosophy
In 1977 when I started working as a yoga teacher & childbirth educator, I had no idea that what I was creating was my own “Birth Philosophy”. I remember, easily saying, “85% of all births will occur spontaneously and naturally, in a healthy female body”, and it was very true! I had a fundamental belief based on my education and personal experience that birth was normal. Statistics showed that if a woman was left alone and allowed to give birth naturally, she would be fine. At that time the c-section rate in the USA was low compared to today. Nationally, c-sections comprised just 5.5 percent of all deliveries in 1970. However, the statistics rose steadily to comprise 15.2 percent of all deliveries by 1978. And today the number is much higher. Today, I would like to talk to you about what has happened in just 50 short years to Maternal Child Health Care in the US, and how you can change the statistics and trends in your favor.
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Episode 6: Learning to Listen to Your Body
11/10/2022
Episode 6: Learning to Listen to Your Body
I want to share a story about how I learned to listen to my own body and its wisdom. One year after I gave birth to my second child by c-section due to a miss diagnosis of herpes, I found myself pregnant again with my third child. The trauma I had experience with my second pregnancy was still raw. You see, I gave birth on February 13, 1979 to my second son…and the next day, Valentine’s Day February 14th still in the hospital recovering from major abdominal surgery, the nurse came into my room smiling and happy… she had a beautiful bouquet of roses from my mother and she was grinning from ear to ear… She said she had news… <Intro> In fact, she said, “I have really good news” we just got your lab work back and you don’t have herpes! To say that I felt betrayed would be an understatement! My already overwhelmed and traumatized body breathed a sigh of grief and joy for the confusing message I had just received! So, I didn’t have herpes! That was good news!! BUT I had just endured major abdominal surgery and my poor child had been deprived of his birthright to an undisturbed vaginal birth. I felt devastated, angry and sad! Three months later I moved my little family to Alaska. By 1980, I was living in Alaska with 1- and 2-year-old boys at my side, I discovered that I was pregnant again. At this time, I was an active midwife. I really didn’t think I could handle another child, much less a pregnancy and birth. Someday, I will tell you the details of my third child’s birth, but for today I just want to share with you how I learned, by using this pregnancy and birth, to listen to my own body. Learning to understand the signals that your body sends can help you be a healthier more well-adjusted mother. Today we will explore how pregnancy can be a great time to develop a better relationship with your body and its needs. Next, I will show you how to listen to your body. And finally, we will explore how listening to your body can help you take better care of yourself and become a happier, healthier person When a woman is pregnant, she has heightened body wisdom that is influenced by her Nero-biology. Hormones like estrogen, progesterone, drive the changes in her brain structure and function during pregnancy. Hormones can exert a powerful influence on brain cells, and no time in a person’s life produces more extreme hormone fluctuations than pregnancy. A first-of-its-kind study has revealed that the architecture of women's brains changes strikingly during their first pregnancy, in ways that last for at least 2 years. In particular, gray matter shrinks in areas involved in processing and responding to social signals. In 2016, a team of researchers from the Netherlands and Spain used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study what happens inside the brain during pregnancy. Comparing MRI images taken before women became pregnant with images taken after they had given birth, the researchers found pregnancy shrinks the brain’s gray matter. What’s more, the volume loss persisted for at least two years after childbirth. While losing gray matter might seem detrimental, the effect may be quite the opposite. “Everybody always thinks of volume loss as something negative, as a loss of function,” says Doctor Elseline Hoekzema, a neuroscientist from the Netherlands and lead author of the study. But volume loss can also represent a “fine-tuning of connections.” She compares the change to what happens in the teenage brain when a flood of hormones triggers widespread pruning of synapses, the connections between nerve cells. This makes for more efficient, streamlined brain circuits. Hoekzema concluded, that pregnancy creates a more finely tuned “mommy brain” that is hyper focused on her own needs and the needs of her baby. How exactly do you actually listen to your body? For many people it can be pretty awkward to tune into their body. It can't be easy to tune into your body, and be aware of what it needs, when you’re running around taking care of work, school, and other people. Many of us have learned some pretty useless ways of living that make it hard to tune into our bodies. We tend to ignore or deny things that make us uncomfortable. Sometimes we get stuck in an emotional state and it can be challenging to let it go, instead of listening we get mad or try to numb the feeling with drugs or alcohol. Our modern, fast passed lifestyles do not support tuning in and listening to what our bodies are saying. There are several tools that we can develop and use to tune into what our bodies are saying. One of these is our maternal intuition. Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without resorting to conscious reasoning. During your pregnancy you can learn to trust your intuition. When I became pregnant for the 3ed time I relied heavily on my maternal intuition to guide me, because my conscious mind was screaming, “I can’t do this, again!” By tuning into my maternal intuition, I was guided to the real needs of my other children and myself, and I found the wisdom to care for everyone. It is said that pain is the body's way of speaking to us. If we learn how to decipher this language, we can hear our bodies more clearly and therefore treat ourselves better. Today I want to share with you the number one tool I used to tune in and listen to my body. I learned to meditate very early in my life. The discipline of my practice, taught me how to quiet my mind and tune into my breath and body. The language of body (somatic) wisdom gives us signals as to our real needs. Get in tune with the flow of your breath. Pay attention to the ways you tense up or relax. Learn to breathe deeply, especially when you are anxious. Move in ways that feel good for your body. Make room for all your emotions in a healthy way. By bringing your awareness to your breath and listening to your body you will learn to identify what your bodies different sensations are saying. It is important to be respectful of the demand’s pregnancy puts on your body. Learning to listen to your body is an important skill for all people, but especially when you are pregnant. Pregnancy and motherhood will provide you with opportunities to develop the skills needed to tune into yourself. Do you need to rest? Are you getting enough support? How is your nutrition? All of these things are the ways that your body uses somatic messages to get your attention and turn your focus inward to your own needs. In conclusion, Pregnancy can be a great time to develop a better relationship with your body and its needs. The habit of listening to your body can help you take better care of yourself and become a happier, healthier person. Learning to listen to your body during your pregnancy is a skill that will help you in all areas of life to be more successful. If your interested in learning how to meditate, I have a simple instructional video link in the show notes to get you started.
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Episode 5: Educate Yourself about Your Birth Options
11/02/2022
Episode 5: Educate Yourself about Your Birth Options
Your journey to becoming a mother will teach you many things. Not the least of which, will be to develop your ability to learn new things and make decisions fast. At the end of my second pregnancy, I developed a condition that demanded that I take immediate action. I had to learn and make decisions that tested my ability to be a mother to my core. I was just days away from my due date and I had an upper respiratory infection that was so severe that I was coughing all the time. I really questioned if I could labor safely with this illness. So, I contacted my midwife and told her what I was feeling, her advise was to contact my medical backup doctor and ask what to do. Intro I went into the office the next day and he prescribed an antibiotic to help knock out the infection. He said it sounded like Bronchitis and gave me tetracycline just in case it was bacterial, given how close I was to my due date. After a few days I developed a rash in all my mucus membranes, especially my labia. I went back to the doctor and they cultured the area, he said it looked like herpes! I was so scared because an initial outbreak of herpes could be life threatening to my child. It could cause brain damage or blindness if I choose to give birth vaginally. However, I went into labor the very next day. I tried everything I knew to slow or stop my labor. I called another Dr who was friends of the midwifery and homebirth community Dr. Don Creevy to ask his opinion about what to do next. He said, “if you were my wife and had the possibility of an initial herpes outbreak right before onset of labor, I would not advise a vaginal birth.” And so, with a very heavy heart I made the call to my midwife and headed to the hospital to have a Caesarean-section. I was heart broken and yet I felt that as a mother I was doing the right thing for my son! There is much more to the story of my second sons’ birth, and I will share it with you at another time, but I share this with you now because I want you to think about how much I had to learn and absorb in such a short amount of time. And how much my choices and decisions affected my child’s life and my own. As a pregnant woman you have many options. You get to decide how much time and planning you will give to this life changing event. You get to choose where you will give birth. You get to choose who you will have with you at your birth. You get to decide how you will cope with labor and what tools you will use. And you get to decide just what it means, to you, to become a mother and make decisions for your child’s life. There are many birth options available to mothers. Every mother, regardless of the choices she makes, will grow as a mother - but some birth options may be better suited to you and your family's needs. The important tips that I want you to take away from this pod cast is these three points. First, you deserve respect and support for the choices you make. Next, it’s okay to change your mind. And finally, there are resources available to help you find the right choice for you. In the long run, the takeaway from today’s pod cast is that as a mother, you can and will have to learn how to make informed choices. First about yourself, and how your child will be born, and later about your child’s health, education, and development, these choices will help you to grow as a woman and a mother. Your journey to becoming mom, starts when you decide to create a new human being. This decision puts your feet on the path to becoming a mother. Each decision you make will help shape your journey. And this journey will not end at the birth of your child. Oh, no…the birth is just the beginning of hundreds of decisions you will make regarding another person’s life. Learning to find and build relationships with trusted allies is a good first step. What are you looking for in a person that you add to your team? Well first it is very helpful if they know more than you do about a given subject. They should be transparent with their background, education, and opinions. You need to look for professionals who are not afraid to answer hard questions without getting upset or taking it personally. You shouldn’t feel like you have to please them. It is easy for new moms to feel intimidated by a maternal child health professional who acts like an authoritarian parent instead of a paid professional adviser. Bottom line the people you choose to listen to should make you feel respected and heard. Ultimately, they should help you to feel respected and supported for the choices you make. Next, it is absolutely important that you feel supported to change your mind. Why? Well, the main reason is that you don’t know everything yet. You may have a strong opinion about how you would like things to be. You may have heard other people’s stories and think that your birth will be just like theirs. Your family or friends may have strong opinions about what you should or should not do. But in the end, you will be the final decision maker. Therefore, it is critical that you know and feel supported in the FACT that you can and will change your mind about many different decisions you make on your journey to becoming mom. Finally, one of the most important skills you will build during your pregnancy is learning how to find the resources you need to make the many decisions you will be faced with as you become mom. The internet is an amazing resource, but how do you shift through the massive amount of information. How do you find reliable sources? How do you interview a maternal child health care provider and get your questions answered? These are just some of the important skills that you must learn to really own your body, baby and birth. And these are the skills I am committed to helping all First Time Moms to learn. My website is full of FREE “Pro tips” you can use right now, to help you build your skills. Also, I offer a one hour, Power Pregnancy Boot Camp often, just ck my wed-site for more info. However, if you really want to get off to a transformational quick start with your journey to becoming an empowered mom, you can join me for a deep dive week-end where we will actually create your Power Pregnancy Plan. During this 3-day, FUN, and intensive week-end, you will learn among other important skills, just how to find the resources and allies you need to build your Power Pregnancy Plan PPP. You will learn how to own your Body, Baby & Birth. And you will leave with a game plan that you can use to get what you want from your journey to BECOMING MOM. At the risk of stating the obvious, your body, relationships, and life are about to change… FOREVER! Becoming a mother is a profound transformation. YOU will be changed. I suggest you work with the amazing power of creation, moving in you, and use this important time to become a smarter, stronger, and more powerful woman. You can find a link in the show note for more info about my transformative week-end workshop, and other resources I offer. Find Deb @ : FB Instagram PLEASE head over to my website and download my FREE worksheet and video instructions to help you find your absolute “WHY” for BECOMING A MOM here For more Becoming Mom podcasting tips, subscribe to Becoming Mom on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Episode 2: The Most Important Secret to a Great BIRTH
11/02/2022
Episode 2: The Most Important Secret to a Great BIRTH
If you’re thinking of having a baby, this episode has important information for you. It starts with a warning: being pregnant and having babies is the easy part -- but raising them is not! When you have a child, your whole life changes. Tune in and learn the #1 - Episode 1 most important tool you will need as a mother. PLEASE head over to my website and download my FREE worksheet and video instructions to help you find your absolute “WHY” for BECOMING A MOM here For more Becoming Mom podcasting tips, subscribe to Becoming Mom on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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Episode 1: You're pregnant! Congratulations ...NOW is the perfect time to change your life.
11/02/2022
Episode 1: You're pregnant! Congratulations ...NOW is the perfect time to change your life.
Today on Becoming Mom, Deb Puterbaugh, LPM Licensed, Professional Midwife and champion of First Time Moms (FTMs) everywhere, will show you how to USE your pregnancy and birth to become stronger, smarter, and more empowered as a woman. You have the next nine months to get ready to become a mother. Today on Becoming Mom, Deb Puterbaugh, LPM Licensed, Professional Midwife and champion of First Time Moms (FTMs) everywhere, will show you how to USE your pregnancy and birth to become stronger, smarter, and more empowered as a woman. You have the next nine months to get ready to become a mother.
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Episode 4: YOU ARE CREATING THE FUTURE
10/26/2022
Episode 4: YOU ARE CREATING THE FUTURE
Today we will look at three recent discoveries made by science regarding human development and HUMANITIES dependency on mothers for our very health and survival. Becoming a mother means that you join the long line of mothers who have literally created our human species, all the way back to our first mother. Becoming a mother means that you are nothing less than the creatrix of the human race. Today we will look at three recent discoveries made by science regarding human development and HUMANITIES dependency on mothers for our very health and survival. Becoming a mother means that you join the long line of mothers who have literally created our human species, all the way back to our first mother. Becoming a mother means that you are nothing less than the creatrix of the human race.
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Episode 3: WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO BECOME A MOM?
10/19/2022
Episode 3: WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO BECOME A MOM?
On today’s podcast of Becoming Mom, I would like to devote our time together to more fully understanding the importance of what it means to become something, and specifically what it means to become a mother? I hope this episode will inspire you to realize your importance and claim the respect motherhood deserves. I hope you will understand and claim the power you possess. On today’s podcast of Becoming Mom, I would like to devote our time together to more fully understanding the importance of what it means to become something, and specifically what it means to become a mother? I hope this episode will inspire you to realize your importance and claim the respect motherhood deserves. I hope you will understand and claim the power you possess.
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