[Birth Stories] Can You Wait to Push Until the Doctor Arrives?

Birth Stories, Labor & Birth, Podcast, TBPodcast

After a difficult first labor with interventions she was unsure about, Alyssa Jennings was determined that her next birth would be on her terms. Little did she know that she’d be having to contain the fetal ejection reflex until her doctor arrived! Alyssa shares with...

[Birth Story] How She Navigated a Long Birth While Waiting for Her Support Team to Arrive

Birth Stories, Podcast, TBPodcast

For weeks, Julia Cooper had been nervous that her baby would arrive while her husband and mom were away, and sure enough contractions started merely hours after she dropped her husband off at the airport. What follows is a testament to how hard it can be to shut off...

Why Your Team Isn’t Complete Without a Doula

Activism, Labor & Birth, Podcast

The mounting evidence is clear: having a doula can help decrease the risk of having a cesarean birth and significantly improve birth experiences. In fact, doulas have even been called a form of pain relief themselves, as people tend to want fewer pain medications and...

[Birth Stories] Why It Mattered That Her Team Prioritized Her Emotional Safety

Birth Stories, Perinatal mental health, Podcast, Postpartum Stories, Pregnancy, pregnancy humor, Stories

Nana Eyeson-Akiwowo, co-founder of the socially impactful Fourth Phase aftercare boxes, shares how her expectations of when and how she should bond with her baby tarnished her otherwise wonderfully supported and respected birth experience. She tells Adriana how this...

[Birth Stories] Pivoting From Wanting an Immediate Epidural to an Unmedicated VBAC Over Four Births

Birth Stories, Labor & Birth, Podcast, TBPodcast

After having three hospital births— that included inductions, vaginal births, and a cesarean— Mariah Robinson couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing from her experiences. She shares with Adriana how she searched far and wide for a collaborative care...