Down to Birth

We are back with another breastfeeding-only Q&A episode. In today's conversation, we respond to several listener questions related to nursing, sleep, and fertility after breastfeeding. One mother who is co-sleeping with her 15-month-old, who wakes three to five times per night to nurse, asks how she can help her toddler sleep longer stretches without abruptly stopping breastfeeding. Another listener with a 4.5-month-old who has never taken a bottle is planning to attend a bachelorette party when her baby will be about nine months old and asks how best to prepare. We also hear from a mother who recently weaned her two-year-old and then experienced a very early miscarriage, often called a chemical pregnancy, and wonders whether she should consider hormonal support before trying to conceive again.
As for our Quickies: Is it concerning if a 12-week-old drops slightly on the growth curve while still gaining weight, what the issue is with the Boppy pillow for breastfeeding, and can you continue breastfeeding while taking antibiotics for mastitis? We also discuss healing cracked nipples after a tongue-tie release, whether milk will come in normally if you breastfeed during pregnancy, and whether lactation cookies or brewer’s yeast actually increase supply. As also cover oversupply with a second baby, postpartum chills when milk comes in, storing breast milk and keeping pump parts clean on long drives, preventing recurrent mastitis from oversupply, whether a mild tongue tie should be released if breastfeeding is going well, what a “nursing holiday” is and whether it can help supply and latch, and how to help a bottle-fed newborn latch to the breast.
Just us on Patreon for our upcoming all-Quickies episode, exclusive to patrons-only.
Controversial article we discussed in this episode:
My Decision Not to Breastfeed with Elise Hewitt
#239 | The Cost of Breastfeeding Versus Formula Feeding with Dr. Rhonda Trust, PhD

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In today's episode, one of Trisha's clients, Holly, shares the story of two very different births and two equally different breastfeeding experiences, and what shifted between them.
Her first labor began spontaneously but ended with a vacuum delivery, and the demoralizing message that her “pushes weren’t productive.”  Breastfeeding was just as difficult, leading to a year of mostly exclusive pumping and undiagnosed postpartum anxiety. 
Four years later, she approached birth with real preparation, a clear plan, and a timely transfer of care to a midwife who immediately changed the tone of her birth experience.
This episode examines how preparation, autonomy, and the right support can change not only the course of a labor, but the way a mother understands her own strength.
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Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
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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.

Water birth has long been controversial, but more recently, a wave of claims has emerged from the natural birth community that water birth is dangerous for babies and disruptive to the physiologic process of birth. In this episode, we sit down with midwife Barbara Harper, the world's leading expert on water birth and founder of Waterbirth International, to explain the preponderance of evidence supporting the safety of water birth and to dispel circulating fallacies.
We talk about the idea that babies can aspirate water, whether the diving reflex can fail, and the claim that water immersion interferes with a mother’s ability to respond to her baby during birth. Barbara explains what actually initiates a baby’s first breath, how the transition from fetal to newborn circulation works, and why arguments that water immersion causes a disruption to physiology that compromises babies don't hold up when you truly understand the physiology.
 Join us for yet another educational and fascinating discussion with Barbara.
Catch our other episodes with Barbara here:
#200 | Physiologic Birth of the Placenta in Water, Optimal Cord Clamping and Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage with Barbara Harper

#122 | Provider Green Lights: Interview with Barbara Harper on Holistic, Respectful & Supportive Birth Providers

#100 | The Benefits of Water Birth: Interview With Barbara Harper

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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
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IG @downtobirthshow
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 the March Q&A!
We begin today’s episode with a conversation about the strange, intrusive, and sometimes downright insulting comments women receive in public while pregnant. We also share a listener story about a home birth that took an unexpected turn when a woman’s mother, meant to support her during labor, ended up creating some chaos after drinking too much wine.
Next, we address feeling unusually irritable toward an older child during pregnancy, what to consider after experiencing shoulder dystocia in two previous births, and whether an intact bag of waters could contribute to tearing during a very fast birth. We also discuss whether it ever makes sense to remain in an uncomfortable labor position in hopes of helping labor progress.
As for Quickies, we cover questions about nursing pillows, pregnancy spacing, breastfeeding and fertility, bras for labor, sleep regressions, breast pumps, retained placenta, building a freezer stash, one of Cynthia’s favorite homemade salad dressing recipes, and the most famous people we’ve ever met. Thanks for being here, and enjoy today’s episode.
PS: Check Patreon for more from Cynthia on salad dressings!
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Needed <-- this link for 20% off your whole subscription order
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Postpartum Soothe: Organic herbal padsicles for healing. Promo code DOWNTOBIRTH
ENERGYBits: <--this link for 20% off
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IG @downtobirthshow
Down to Birth Show
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In this episode, Abby shares her VBAC birth story following an emergency cesarean. Determined to experience a vaginal birth, she prepared carefully while navigating limited provider options in Alabama. What unfolded during labor and delivery underscores how provider behavior, rather than maternal physiology, often determines birth outcomes. Abby describes how a manual vaginal extraction caused a nearly catastrophic fourth-degree tear, requiring three subsequent surgeries in the months that followed and significantly disrupting her early postpartum period with her newborn.
We ask Abby whether she has considered legal action against the doctor and hospital, and we explore how birth trauma shapes future decision-making. Abby explains why she is choosing a repeat cesarean for her third baby after this traumatic vaginal birth, and what autonomy and dignity can still look like within surgical birth.
She also reflects on how faith, support, and intentional processing helped her move forward, and what she hopes other women will take from her story.
Learn more about Abby here: http://www.abbyevelynphotography.com
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Send us Fan Mail
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.