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by Cynthia Overgard & Trisha Ludwig
Join Cynthia Overgard and Trisha Ludwig once per week for evidence-based straight talk on pregnancy, birth and postpartum --- beyond the clichés and beyond the system. With 40 years' combined experience in midwifery, childbirth education and advocacy, publishing, research and postpartum care, we've guided thousands of families toward safer, more empowered choices. Down to Birth is all about safe childbirth, while recognizing a safe outcome isn't all that matters. We challenge the status quo, explore women's rights in childbirth, and feature women from all over the world, shining light on the policies, culture, and systemic forces that shape our most intimate and transformative of life experiences. You'll hear the birth stories of our clients, listeners and numerous celebrities. You'll benefit from our expert-interviews, and at any time you can submit your questions for our monthly Q&A episodes by calling us at 802-GET-DOWN. With millions of downloads and listeners in 90 countries, our worldwide community of parents and birth professionals comes together to learn, question and create change, personally and societally. As always, hear everyone, listen to yourself.
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Welcome to the September Q&A! Today we kick things off with your answers to the question, “What did people say when they found out you were planning a home birth?” From being told you’re putting your baby in danger and that you’ll end up in the ER to family members questioning your midwife, calling you brave, or even threatening to tell your husband not to let you, you had a lot to say. Then we get into your questions. One mother is seven weeks pregnant after a 12-week miscarriage earlier...
When Marine Corps officer Jacob Dubois's wife, Madison, told him she wanted a home birth, he was skeptical. He assumed the hospital was the safest place to have a baby until he began asking questions, researching, and meeting midwives. That journey inspired Jacob to write Why Home Birth?, a book written for fathers who want to better understand birth and confidently support the women they love in chooseing birth outside of the medical system. In this conversation, we discuss why birth e...
The tragic case of Lindsay Clancy has ignited a national conversation about postpartum psychosis, maternal mental health, and criminal responsibility. Clinical psychologist Dr. Roger McFillin of The Radically Genuine Podcast believes a critical part of the story has been largely overlooked: the psychiatric care Lindsay received in the months leading up to what happened. Roger returns to Down to Birth to examine Lindsay’s medical history, severe sleep deprivation, reported reactions to psychia...
Tara was pregnant and stationed with her husband in Sicily, where military rules required her to give birth at the naval hospital on base. What followed was a birth marked by pressure, fear-based counseling, an induction she did not want, repeated talk of a C-section, and a series of interventions that often seemed to create more questions than answers. In this episode, Tara shares how late fetal heart rate decelerations led her care team to tell her that refusing induction could result...
Birth doula and mother of two Carson Meyer joins us to share the story of her second home birth and the very different emotions that came with approaching birth after such a positive first experience. Carson talks about the anxiety she carried in the final weeks of pregnancy, the problem with predicting when labor will begin, and her persistent worry that her midwife might not make it to the birth. We also discuss what it means to feel safe enough to be completely uninhibited in labor, why so...
Welcome to the August Q&A! Today we kick things off with your answers to the question, “What’s one thing that happened during your birth that no one prepared you for?” From 53-hour labors and projectile vomiting to postpartum shakes, swollen labia, running out of hot water during a home birth, and yes, pooping in labor, you had a lot to say. Then we get into your questions. One mother experienced nearly identical prodromal labors with both of her babies, never dilating beyond five centime...
Clothing is one of the most overlooked sources of chemical exposure in modern life, and it sits on our skin all day, every day, literally from birth until death. In this episode, we’re talking with Hannah Dunning, The Clean Clothing Chick, about what no one is regulating, no one is disclosing, and very few are questioning: the chemicals in our clothes and textiles. Many of these chemicals are believed to act like estrogen in the body, binding to receptors and interfering with normal signaling...
More than twenty years ago, Henci Goer's renowned book, The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, profoundly shaped Cynthia's understanding of pregnancy and birth, setting her on the path that eventually led to her own natural births and a career in birth education and client advocacy. In this special conversation, we sit down with the author herself, now one of the most influential voices in evidence-based maternity care. Today, we discuss Henci's newest book, Taking Charge of Your Birth...
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Join Cynthia Overgard and Trisha Ludwig once per week for evidence-based straight talk on pregnancy, birth and postpartum --- beyond the clichés and beyond the system. With 40 years' combined experience in midwifery, childbirth education and advocacy, publishing, research and postpartum care, we've guided thousands of families toward safer, more empowered choices. Down to Birth is all about safe childbirth, while recognizing a safe outcome isn't all that matters. We challenge the status quo, explore women's rights in childbirth, and feature women from all over the world, shining light on the policies, culture, and systemic forces that shape our most intimate and transformative of life experiences. You'll hear the birth stories of our clients, listeners and numerous celebrities. You'll benefit from our expert-interviews, and at any time you can submit your questions for our monthly Q&A episodes by calling us at 802-GET-DOWN. With millions of downloads and listeners in 90 countries, our worldwide community of parents and birth professionals comes together to learn, question and create change, personally and societally. As always, hear everyone, listen to yourself.
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