Welcome to the Best of Birthful. Creator and host Adriana Lozada curated and edited each selection in this playlist of the show’s most popular episodes. It’s a tailored introduction to the expansive catalog she amassed over the first five years of Birthful’s 300+ shows. How does your baby’s position affect the flow of labor? Are there things you can do during pregnancy that can help baby get in a better position? Will doing these things help you be more comfortable? Will it make birth easier? The fabulous Gail Tully from Spinning Babies is here to tell us all about baby’s position and labor fl ..read more

Erin Patterson’s birth was in many ways, the reverse of what she expected: It started strong from the get-go when she was expecting it to be slow and sporadic, she loved the car ride even though she had been dreading it, and when it came to pushing, she never imagined she’d be on her back. She shares with Adriana how the most unexpected thing was ending up with pelvic floor muscular trauma that made for a slow and difficult recovery requiring months of PT work, and how laid-back breastfeeding saved her nights.   Powered by RedCircle Listen directly through our website player, or howev ..read more

It’s estimated that 1 in 5 pregnant people will experience urinary incontinence during their first year postpartum! Exercise physiologist and perinatal educator Lindsay McCoy talks with Adriana about how noticing your habitual body movements and establishing easy, daily-life habits to increase your body’s responsiveness can lead to a healthier and happier pelvic floor. They also highlight the mind-blowing connection between your pelvic soft tissues and your nervous system. Powered by RedCircle Listen directly through our website player, or however you usually listen to podcasts.   Re ..read more

Michelle Onaka shares the ups and downs along the way toward having her child, including her fertility journey, then completely gutting their house during pregnancy, and following that up with a fabulous waterbirth. She shares with Adriana how immediate postpartum became a bit of a rude awakening, and how helpful it was to connect with a lactation consultant, a cloth diaper service, to start co-sleeping, and actually learn about how to navigate life with a newborn from a place of confidence (even if you can’t always know what’s going on). Powered by RedCircle Listen directly through our we ..read more

Criselda shares with Adriana the details of her three-day-long birth, which she describes as amazing and transformative. It also truly illustrates how birth is not linear, as it can easily go from prodromal to precipitous! Find out what helped her get through the frustration of not knowing when it was really going to start, the joy of having her partner catch the baby, and why tearing was the one thing that really took her by surprise. Powered by RedCircle Listen directly through our website player, or however you usually listen to podcasts.   Related resources*: How Long Does Prodr ..read more

Alison Spath shares with Adriana the many twists and turns included in her path toward a planned homebirth after two cesareans (HBA2C), including getting things started with castor oil, having to hold at bay the fear-based opinions of random obstetricians, celebrating her victories along the way, and a last-minute trip to the hospital. Powered by RedCircle Listen directly through our website player, or however you usually listen to podcasts. Related resources*: International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) Effect of Castor Oil on Cervical Ripening and Labor Induction: a systematic revi ..read more

Shelley Wylie shares with Adriana how marvelous it can be to see your partner really have your back and tell the nurse to wait until your contraction is over, how birth is not as horrendous as the Machu Picchu trail, and how you can absolutely have a lovely birth, even if you have to come undone and regather yourself in the process. She also highly recommends that if you hate the tub, try the shower!     Powered by RedCircle Listen directly through our website player, or however you usually listen to podcasts.   Related resources*: Birth with Confidence: Savvy choices for ..read more

Kally McConnell shares her glorious VBAC story, along with all the things she did differently from her first birth, how it all started with a literal bang when her bag of waters broke, and how there was no time for the tub. She also shares with Adriana the insights she gained about the difference between labor contractions, pushing contractions, and Pitocin-generated contractions.   Powered by RedCircle Listen directly through our website player, or however you usually listen to podcasts.   Related resources*: Membrane sweeping for induction of labour, Cochrane Membrane Sweep ..read more

Great childcare— so, a solution that you can afford, has availability, works with your schedule, and can provide loving and safe care for your child— can be hard to find! Most often than not, you will have to concede some trade-offs. Leslie Borrell explains the different childcare options out there, the reality behind economic subsidy programs, and how to communicate your non-negotiables to those caring for your child. She also shares with Adriana why it can be life-changing to practice broadening your community circles of support when your baby is little, so that you build a community care ne ..read more

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. Powered by RedCircle Listen directly through our website player, or however you usually listen to podcasts.   Related resources*: Breastfeeding Benefits: Understanding Your Coverage Under the Affordable Care Act, National Women’s Law C ..read more