Birthful – Details, episodes & analysis

A former labor and delivery nurse and childbirth educator, Vanessa Janek thought she knew what to expect from birth. Going into it, she was a bit leery of transition… but nothing could really prepare her for the exhaustion, fear, and overwhelm she felt when contractions went away, just after she got to 10 cms. She shares with Adriana how she was able to get past those feelings to push her baby out just in the nick of time, despite being taken to her edge. 

Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links on its show notes page.  

If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on Rethinking the Pushing Stage and our episode on The Power in Writing Your Story.

You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast on Instagram or email us at podcast@Birthful.com. 

If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Even though you may not have met them before, labor and delivery nurses are an essential part of your hospital birth team. In this episode, Registered L&D Nurse Mandy Irby talks with Adriana about why nurses may love and hate birth plans, how to navigate triage, the difference between hospital rules and body rules, why IV sticks can be so tricky, the poorly named “fundal massage,” how to foster a connection with your nurses, and oh, so much more!

Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links on its show notes page.  

If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on  Cesarean Risk: What’s Your Place of Birth Got to Do With It? and our episode on Informed Consent.

You can connect with Mandy on Instagram @thebirthnurse. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast on Instagram or email us at podcast@Birthful.com. 

If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Some people say that nursing your baby is "free” — and while there certainly are unique cost savings associated with feeding human milk, there can be expenses associated with it, too. How can you maximize your lactation-related benefits? And what does the law have to say? Adriana shares practical tips about the financial side of infant feeding.

Get the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  

If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on How Does Milksharing Work? and our episode on How Nipple Shapes Can Impact Breastfeeding. 

You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. 

If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana’s Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.

Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Adriana has a candid conversation with Professor Monica McLemore about the lack of policies and practices that support new parents in the U.S. They discuss how paid family leave and the Black Maternal Health Caucus’ “Momnibus” legislative package fit into the need to reform, retrofit, and reimagine the perinatal health care system so it can truly support the courageous families that are bringing children into this world.

Listen through to the end for Adriana’s “Two Things to Do: One for You, One for the Rest of Us.” Every week, she selects actions, books, and other resources to further inform your intuition and support others on their birth journeys.

If you liked this episode, listen to this interview laying out your options for parental leave, or this episode about birth rights.

You can learn more about Monica on Twitter @mclemoremr. Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at info@Birthful.com. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! Don't miss even more tips, insights, and news from Adriana and her guests!

Adriana goes through positions for your body before, during, and after birth, and what makes each of them work for different stages of the birthing process.

Download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! Don't miss even more tips, insights, and news from Adriana and her guests! 

You can connect with Birthful on Instagram @birthfulpodcast and email us at info@birthful.com. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Welcome to the Best of Birthful. Creator and host Adriana Lozada curated and edited each selection in this playlist of the most popular episodes. It's a tailored introduction to the expansive catalog she amassed over the first five years of Birthful's 300+ shows.

Somatic practitioner and author Kimberly Johnson shares the lessons she learned while writing about “the fourth trimester” and what it takes to fully recover—physically and mentally—after giving birth, including paying attention to what you eat, who supports you, and more.

Here's the original episode in full.

For more Birthful, visit the show page. For new episodes, subscribe to Birthful. You can connect with us on Instagram @birthfulpodcast and email us at info@birthful.com

Adriana explains all the remarkable benefits of doing skin-to-skin with your baby—immediately after they’re born and through the first months of life—and how such a simple practice can bring your whole family closer together.

Download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! Don't miss even more tips, insights, and news from Adriana and her guests! 

You can connect with Birthful on Instagram @birthfulpodcast and email us at info@birthful.com. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

After an initial cesarean birth due to preeclampsia, IVF warrior Desirae Whittle knew it was paramount to gather a birth team that would truly encourage a vaginal birth. She shares with Adriana Lozada the many joyful moments during the long vaginal labor of her second child, and how her team enabled her informed decision-making at every step of the experience.

Listen through to the end for Adriana’s “Two Things to Do: One for You, One for the Rest of Us.” Every week, she selects actions, books, and other resources to further inform your intuition and support others on their birth journeys.

If you liked this episode, listen to this interview about VBAC facts, or this episode to learn about preeclampsia. For more information on the Walcher's position, visit the Spinning Babies website.

You can follow Desirae at @harmonybirths. Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at info@Birthful.com. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! Don't miss even more tips, insights, and news from Adriana and her guests!

Adriana Lozada explains why and how tearing can occur during birth, and why episiotomies are increasingly rare. Plus, what you can do to avoid tearing.

Download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! Don't miss even more tips, insights, and news from Adriana and her guests! 

You can connect with Birthful on Instagram @birthfulpodcast and email us at info@birthful.com. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Motherhood transition coach Stepha LaFond explains how parents can be weighed down by society’s expectations, and shares many ways for parents and parents-to-be to dismantle that “mom guilt.”

Listen through to the end for Adriana’s “Two Things to Do: One for You, One for the Rest of Us.” Every week, she selects actions, books, and other resources to further inform your intuition and support others on their birth journeys.

If you liked this episode, listen to this interview on helping fathers navigate their transition into parenthood, and this “Best Of Birthful” on the identity shift of becoming a parent.

You can learn more about Stepha on Instagram @mamaslaylife. Connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at info@Birthful.com. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! Don't miss even more tips, insights, and news from Adriana and her guests!