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Down to Birth
Cynthia Overgard & Trisha Ludwig
334 episodes
6 days ago
Send us a text Doulas play a critical role in supporting women through childbirth—but their work is anything but easy, and their work isn't for the faint of heart. Many face disrespect from providers and routinely witness coercion, misinformation, and violations of informed consent. Even with their deep commitment to the women they serve, doulas often feel powerless in the face of hospital systems driven by profit and control. Still, many doulas are called to this work—and despite everything,...
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Parenting
Kids & Family,
Health & Fitness,
Alternative Health
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All content for Down to Birth is the property of Cynthia Overgard & Trisha Ludwig and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Send us a text Doulas play a critical role in supporting women through childbirth—but their work is anything but easy, and their work isn't for the faint of heart. Many face disrespect from providers and routinely witness coercion, misinformation, and violations of informed consent. Even with their deep commitment to the women they serve, doulas often feel powerless in the face of hospital systems driven by profit and control. Still, many doulas are called to this work—and despite everything,...
Show more...
Parenting
Kids & Family,
Health & Fitness,
Alternative Health
Episodes (20/334)
Down to Birth
#327 | July Q&A: Folic Acid & Tongue Tie, Nuchal Cords, VBAC & Pregnancy Intervals, IUGR & Induction, Fundal Massage, Fetal Heart Rate Variations
Send us a text Welcome to the July Q&A! Today, we kick off the show with a conversation about your experiences of unnecessary, frequent stressors that we have the power to change or eliminate: For Trisha, it's taking phone calls while grocery shopping. Next, we get into your questions, beginning with: Did taking folic acid in pregnancy cause my baby's tongue tie? Is having the cord wrapped three times around a baby's neck a legitimate reason for c-section? Is it true that I can't ha...
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3 days ago
39 minutes

Down to Birth
#326 | Trisha's Three Home Births
Send us a text Finally, after all these years, Trisha tells the stories of her three home births. Pregnancy, birth, & midwifery are woven into her life story, from her early obsession with pregnancy to her decision to pursue a career in midwifery, allowing her to understand every aspect of birth from a physiological and intellectual perspective. Hear how she became a midwife, how she got herself into labor with her first, grueling, long birth, to her wildly different second birth, and her...
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1 week ago
48 minutes

Down to Birth
#325 | Breast Cancer While Pregnant: Leslie’s Story of Faith, Birth & Healing
Send us a text In this extraordinary episode, Leslie shares her deeply personal story of discovering a lump in her breast at 34 weeks pregnant—an aggressive, triple-negative breast cancer. A wellness coach who hadn’t taken over-the-counter medication in five years, Leslie spent her adult life doing everything she could to prevent disease. As she prepared to welcome her second baby at home, she was forced to face a diagnosis that would alter her life on every level. She confidently insisted on...
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2 weeks ago
44 minutes

Down to Birth
#324 | The Impact of Beliefs on Birth: Changing Our Thoughts to Serve Us
Send us a text Drawing from our their personal experiences, your words, and our intimate birth story processing sessions, Cynthia & Trisha delve into the neuroscience around beliefs and birth. Our brain constantly wants to make sense of things, but it often lands on unhelpful conclusions. This episode is about recognizing those negative beliefs and actively replacing them with empowering ones. It's about taking charge of your internal narrative to foster healing and confidence, no matter ...
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3 weeks ago
47 minutes

Down to Birth
#323 | Two Planned Home Births at the Hospital: Emily's Birth Stories
Send us a text Emily Woodward is a mother of two who planned a home birth for each of her babies. Her first labor began with confidence and joy—and stretched across multiple days, testing her endurance, her trust in her birth team, and her ability to surrender when the path ahead took an unexpected turn. She transferred from home to hospital with a crowning baby. Her second pregnancy was smooth and uneventful—until 31 weeks, when she awoke in the middle of the night to a pool of bright red bl...
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1 month ago
39 minutes

Down to Birth
#322 | June Q&A: VBAC Induction, Birth Plan Boundaries, Nuchal Hand Presentation, 36-Week Cervical Exams, Episiotomy, Newborn Transition
Send us a text Welcome to the June Q&A with Cynthia & Trisha. This month we kick things off with a conversation about a midwife who dropped her client in early labor because her HBAC labor was taking too long to get going--as you can imagine, we have a lot to say about this! Next we take your questions: One mom writes about her 3rd attempt at a homebirth after two hospital transfers and wonders if it is ok to keep her birth plans from her family with whom she is very close with. ...
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1 month ago
41 minutes

Down to Birth
#321 | Spoil Your Baby: The Neuroscience of Thriving Baby Brains with Dr. Greer Kirschenbaum, PhD
Send us a text Neuroscientist and author of The Nurture Revolution, Dr. Greer Kirschenbaum, PhD, joins us today to discuss the profound impact of nurturing care in the first three years of life. Drawing from decades of brain research, Greer explains how responsive, connected parenting in early life lays the neurological foundation for emotional regulation, mental health, and lifelong resilience—and why this critical window is so often misunderstood, underestimated, or dismissed. We also explo...
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1 month ago
51 minutes

Down to Birth
#320 | Breastfeeding Q&A: Nipple Shields, Restricting Skin-to-Skin, Formula Marketing, Gentle Weaning, Nursing Strikes, Night Feeding
Send us a text Welcome to the June Breastfeeding Q&A episode with Trisha & Cynthia. Today, we open with a follow-up discussion to our recent Patreon discussion on the predatory marketing of formula companies followed by a listener's comment about a hospital who forbade a mother and baby from doing skin-to-skin. Next, Trisha answers the following questions: Does a baby need to feed in the first 24 hours?What are your tips for gently weaning a 20-month old?Did I sabotage my milk supply ...
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1 month ago
45 minutes

Down to Birth
#319 | Devon's Footling Breech Birth Story: Accepting the Necessary Cesarean
Send us a text Devon Stockton was deeply rooted in health and wellness and armed with years of medical experience. She had only ever envisioned a natural, low-intervention birth and took all of the necessary steps to prepare herself. But her birth took an unexpected turn upon arrival at the hospital when she discovered her baby was footling breech and a cesarean would be necessary. Devon recounts the emotional shift, the support of her husband, and the unexpected calm of her labor before surg...
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1 month ago
34 minutes

Down to Birth
#318 | May Q&A: Precipitous Births, Tearing Tips, Best Foods After Birth, Epidural Removal for Pushing, Induction & VBAC, Cord Clamping, Jaundice
Send us a text Welcome to the May Q&A with Cynthia & Trisha. If you have been wondering what you should plan to eat after giving birth, we've got the answers in today's episode, and we think they'll surprise you! For today's regular episode, we answer the following: Can you remove an epidural for pushing?Can the cervix swell shut if you push before it is fully dilated?Can you prevent a tear in a precipitous birth when the baby comes flying out?Can I still have a VBAC if I had a big ba...
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2 months ago
43 minutes

Down to Birth
#317 | The Risk of Uterine Rupture: Breaking Down ACOG's VBAC Bulletin
Send us a text What's the one question every woman wants to answer when considering a VBAC? Is it safe for me and my baby? In today's episode, Cynthia & Trisha break down the available data on VBAC, why we should discard the term TOLAC, the actual risks of uterine rupture, whether induced with Pitocon versus a prostaglandin or having spontaneous labor versus expectant management. We present the few cases in which a woman should not choose to VBAC and help mothers understand their decision...
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2 months ago
53 minutes

Down to Birth
#316 | The Body Ready Method for Optimizing Labor With Co-Founder Lindsay McCoy
Send us a text Did you know that how you breathe on a daily basis can influence how your birth goes? Yes, your rib cage impacts your pelvic tension! On today's episode, we have Lindsay McCoy, a birth doula, exercise physiologist, and co-founder of the Body Ready Method. She explains how breath, mobility, and pelvic balance all come together to support a smoother, more efficient labor—and how a few simple daily practices in pregnancy can reduce the need for interventions in birth. She reminds ...
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2 months ago
46 minutes

Down to Birth
#315 | The Preeclampsia Puzzle: Misdiagnoses, Misconceptions and Prevention with Author Sarah Thompson
Send us a text Preeclampsia is an increasingly common diagnosis, but are we getting it right? This episode tackles the alarming reality of misdiagnosis and the rush to intervene prematurely with induction. Join us and functional medicine expert Sarah Thompson, researcher and author of Functional Maternity, as we dive into the deeper nature of preeclampsia, beyond simple blood pressure readings. Learn about the crucial roles of sleep, stress, and your body's detox pathways in the prevention of...
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2 months ago
1 hour 7 minutes

Down to Birth
#314 | April Q&A: Epidurals, Pushing Too Soon, Castor Oil Risks, Parental Coping, Gestational Diabetes & Big Babies; How Tall Is Arnold Schwarzenegger
Send us a text Welcome to the April Q&A episode! Today's episode begins with your answers to our question: How do you cope when you are at your breaking point in parenting? If you are looking for some creative ideas, you will find them here! And someone, please tell us where one Mississippi, two Mississippi came from? Next, we get down to birth and answer the following questions: Why do some women choose unmedicated, physiological births despite societal pressures and perceived diff...
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3 months ago
43 minutes

Down to Birth
#313 | Including Children at Birth: Should They Be There? with Dr. Morgan MacDermott
Send us a text What happens when we invite our children into the sacred space of birth? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Morgan MacDermott, a naturopathic doctor, perinatal health specialist, and mother of four, to talk about the transformative experience of having siblings present at birth. We tackle the key questions: Should all children be present at birth, and if not, which considerations should be considered? Will they be scared? Will the mother be able to stay focused? What happens ...
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3 months ago
47 minutes

Down to Birth
#312 | Avoiding the Unnecessary Cesarean: A Five-Step Evidence-Based Approach
Send us a text Today we’re talking about one of the most important—and misunderstood—topics in maternity care: the unnecessary cesarean. In the U.S., about one in three babies is born by C-section, but in physiologic birth settings, that number can be as low as 2–4%. So what’s driving the difference? In this episode, Cynthia and Trisha unpack the many layers behind the rising cesarean rate and offer a grounded, evidence-based approach for avoiding surgery when it isn’t truly needed. From prov...
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3 months ago
48 minutes

Down to Birth
#311 | Listen to Me: Black Maternal Health, Tragedy, and the Fight for Change
Send us a text In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, we’re joined by Stephanie Etienne and Kanika Harris, creators of the documentary Listen to Me. The film follows the pregnancy and birth journeys of several black women. It reveals a devastating reality: Black mothers in the U.S. and U.K. are dying in childbirth at far higher rates than white women regardless of education, income, or resources. Kanika shares the heartbreaking story of losing her twin babies after a sudden onset of preeclam...
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3 months ago
42 minutes

Down to Birth
#310 | The Co-Sleeping Controversy: Overcoming Fear & Supporting Instincts with Isadora of Happy Co-Sleeper
Send us a text What if sleeping beside your baby isn’t dangerous—but actually protective? In this episode, we talk about one of the most instinctive things mothers do—and one of the most feared and judged: co-sleeping. Today's guest is Isadora Ambrose, founder of Happy Co-Sleeper and a certified holistic infant sleep specialist. Why are parents told to never sleep with their babies when every cell in their body wants to keep them close at night? Isadora breaks down what makes co-sleepin...
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4 months ago
58 minutes

Down to Birth
#309 | March Q&A: Uterine Rupture Risk; Weaning without Guilt; Home Birth Laws; Timeframes for Placental Birth; Precipitous Birth; Botox and Nursing
Send us a text Cynthia and Trisha are back with the March Q&A episode! This one kicks off with a fun discussion on things that our Instagram followers think people should know but don’t—like how, when you say you’re eating a kiwi, you’re actually referring to either a kiwi bird or, worse, a person from New Zealand! In today’s Q&A episode, we answer these questions: Do I need to schedule a cesarean at 40 weeks if I’m planning a VBAC? My OB says I do.How do I know when it’s time to wean...
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4 months ago
40 minutes

Down to Birth
#308 | Mammogram Myths: Safer Ways to Screen for Breast Cancer with Dr. Jenn Simmons
Send us a text In today's episode, Dr. Jenn Simmons shares her powerful journey from a leading breast cancer surgeon to an advocate for functional medicine and holistic health. Drawing from her personal experience with illness and healing, Dr. Simmons discusses the dangers and limitations of traditional breast cancer screening with mammography and offers insight into safer, more effective alternatives like QT imaging, the ARIA test, and the importance of self-breast exams. This conversation ...
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4 months ago
1 hour 3 minutes

Down to Birth
Send us a text Doulas play a critical role in supporting women through childbirth—but their work is anything but easy, and their work isn't for the faint of heart. Many face disrespect from providers and routinely witness coercion, misinformation, and violations of informed consent. Even with their deep commitment to the women they serve, doulas often feel powerless in the face of hospital systems driven by profit and control. Still, many doulas are called to this work—and despite everything,...