Down to Birth

In today's episode, mother of two, Samantha Collignon, joins us to share two very different birth experiences separated by thirteen years. She gave birth to her first baby at 18 with minimal support and limited understanding of her options. At 31, married and deeply informed, she approached birth with education, confidence, and a strong sense of autonomy, resulting in a profoundly different and blissful birth experience.
Samantha reflects on how age and life stage shaped the way she was perceived by medical providers, shares how IVF factored into decision-making during her second pregnancy, and why an induced labor can still be a everything you wished for in birth. 
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In this episode, we talk to Moran of @2lifedoula, a doula whose journey into birth work was born from her own harrowing transition into motherhood. Moran candidly shares the story of her first birth—a clinical, disconnected experience where lack of preparation and resurfaced childhood trauma led to a "full-blown panic attack" and postpartum depression.
Knowing that wasn't how birth was meant to be, Moran transformed her approach for her subsequent birth, ultimately having a euphoric, spontaneous homebirth. This transformation sparked her 14-year career as a doula and inspired her new book, written for the woman she once was: unprepared, overwhelmed, and unaware of her own strength.
Moran explains why birth is a portal of transformation, regardless of the outcome, and offers a roadmap for women to heal and advocate for themselves, whether you are a first-time mother or a birth professional.
2lifedoula
Birthing Without Trauma & Fear
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Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
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Down to Birth Show
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Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Tearing is one of the most common fears around birth—and one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, we talk about what really causes tearing, what the research shows, and what you can do to reduce your risk. We cover perineal massage, positions for birth, breathing and pacing, water birth, warm compresses, and what makes recovery smoother.
Through the episode, we review our followers' real-life "tearing" stories, and provide our commentary, which includes labial tears, scar tissue, pelvic floor recovery, over-stitching and unnecessary repairs, how beliefs and fear affect pushing, poor suturing techniques, the harm caused by routine episiotomies and the so-called, absolutely outrageous, “husband stitch”. 
This is an honest, evidence-based conversation about the perineum—how to protect it, how to heal, and what every woman can know before giving birth.
Watch our full Preventing Perineal Tears workshop on Patreon.com/DownToBirthShow.
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Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order
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Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off
Join Patreon for our exclusive content
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Down to Birth Show
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Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

Welcome to our first monthly Q&A episode of Season 7!
In today's episode, we discuss why C-sections are sometimes framed as “prevention,” how fear around tearing, fetal monitoring, or cord concerns impacts clinical decision-making, and why breaking the bag of waters is still routine practice despite clear risks and limited benefit. We explain what delayed cord clamping looks like during a cesarean and why vague language like “misplaced cord insertion” can unknowingly lead to unnecessary intervention. Additionally, we talk about nursing while pregnant, early breastfeeding challenges, frozen breastmilk, feeding to sleep, and other common postpartum concerns. Lastly, Barbara Harper joins us to dispel the fear around water birth by explaining the exact physiology of newborn transition under the water. 
As always, thanks for calling in with your questions. Call us anytime at 802-GET-DOWN (that's 802-438-3696).
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Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order
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Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off
Join Patreon for our exclusive content
IG @downtobirthshow
Down to Birth Show
Call 802-GET-DOWN
Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.

In this episode, Jessica shares the breastfeeding journey she never expected. After a smooth birth at a birth center, feeding quickly became complicated: flat nipples, an early nipple shield, a missed first feeding window, a significant tongue tie, and a baby who grew increasingly sleepy and underweight. What followed was weeks of pumping, weighted feeds, donor milk, tongue-tie revision, and the ongoing effort to understand why breastfeeding wasn’t working despite doing everything “right.”
Jessica describes the emotional strain of those early weeks, from feeling inadequate to questioning her own anatomy, and the constant fear she was letting her daughter down. This conversation brings needed attention to the realities behind many breastfeeding challenges and the gaps that leave mothers without the support they need. 
**********
Send a text
Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order
DrinkLMNT <-- this link for FREE 8-day supply
Primally Pure: ingredients good for you and the earth. Promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH
Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off
Join Patreon for our exclusive content
IG @downtobirthshow
Down to Birth Show
Call 802-GET-DOWN
Watch full videos of all episodes on YouTube! Please note we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed provider for all healthcare matters.