128: How Multiple Cesarean Births Inspired a Family Business Centered on Postpartum Healing and Recovery with Bellefit's Carolina Suarez-Garcia

Did we ever imagine ourselves hosting a home birth podcast for 4 years? Answer: no. We didn’t even know what home birth really was when we first got pregnant. And yet now here we find ourselves: almost 300 episodes in. The podcast and our daughter Maya are 4 years old! So join us while we celebrate and reflect on our birth experience, some of our favorite things about doing the show, and we thank you for being along for the ride! Links: Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/diahpodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diahpodcast/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/diahpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1904721379788084/?ref=bookmarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Sep 202039min

What’s your priority when it comes to your birth plan? The answer to that will help guide you in circumstances when there are big changes going on. Like COVID-19 for example. We’ve heard a number of situations where families shifted their birth plan from a hospital to home in light of the hospital conditions and policies. Our guest today is Julie Sawaya, mother to her 7-week-old daughter Leni. She and her husband Joe were planning for a hospital birth, but COVID-19 gave them an opportunity to reevaluate their options and decide what mattered most. Julie desired Joe and her doula to be present. This wouldn’t be possible in the hospital.  So she did a lot of research, looked at the numbers, and made the choice that worked best for her and her family. Spoiler: her birth was “the most incredible experience and feeling of empowerment.” Julie is the co-founder of Needed, a nutrition company serving women when it comes to nourishing their bodies during preconception, pregnancy and postpartum. To hear another interview we did with her co-founder Ryan Woodbury, be sure to join our private Facebook group and learn more about nutrition before, during and after pregnancy.  Links: Visit Needed and use the code DIAH to get 15% off your order: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/diahpodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diahpodcast/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/diahpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1904721379788084/?ref=bookmarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Sep 20201h 10min

Do you believe pleasure is your birthright? If you don’t - what if you did? And if you do - how can you magnify that? Today’s episode is a conversation with our friend Debra Pascali-Bonaro, creator of the famous documentary “Orgasmic Birth.”  This interview, which is really like a masterclass, walks us through Debra’s 9-step process of PLEASURES, ways to create better sex and intimacy.  We talk about sexual energy as life energy that fuels us and feeds our creativity. We also discuss our partners’ roles in all of this as well as how trauma can be addressed while working on cultivating deeper sexual intimacy within ourselves and our partners.  And click the link below to check out Debra’s class “Sex After Baby.” Links: Sign up for Debra’s “Sex After Baby” class: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/sexafterbaby/?oprid=5519&ref=56552 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/diahpodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diahpodcast/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/diahpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1904721379788084/?ref=bookmarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 Sep 202045min

What is the difference between sex and intimacy? How does this play out in your relationship and how you feel about your own sex and intimacy both before and after kids? Back by popular demand: a sexpisode! We’ve talked about sex quite a few times on the podcast. But it’s been a while. So here we are.  And this conversation took a lot of turns that we didn’t expect, and we share a lot of our own personal experiences in healing our relationship to ourselves as individuals and then as a couple. Our desire is that someone listening can take something from our examples and use it to create magical and pleasurable experiences that they are so worthy of! Links: Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/diahpodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diahpodcast/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/diahpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1904721379788084/?ref=bookmarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 Sep 20201h 12min

How do you create the pregnancy and birth experience you desire? First thing - let’s acknowledge that YOU ARE a powerful creator who is capable of doing this. Looking at your “whys,” reflecting on what matters to you and getting intentional about the process makes a huge impact as well. Our guests today are Erica James-Strayhorn and Anthony Strayhorn. We’ve known Erica and Anthony for over 7 years now and in that time they’ve become family. Well folks...they’re pregnant! And they’re planning a home birth. Needless to say we’re beyond thrilled for them. It was a no-brainer to have them on the show.   So they came over and the four of us chatted in our office/recording studio to talk about their journey. From moving through a miscarriage earlier in the year to advocating how Erica would like to be communicated with regarding her care (asking to not be referred to ask “geriatric” or “high-risk” because she’s 36) to finding the midwife that resonated with them to envisioning birthing time, we cover a lot of ground in a short period of time.  So enjoy part 1, because we will most certainly be having a followup conversation after baby arrives in December! Links: Erica’s website: https://www.ejcounselingatl.com/ Erica’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ejcounselingatl/ Anthony’s website: https://www.anthonystrayhorn.com/ Anthony’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strayfit.lifestyle/ Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/diahpodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diahpodcast/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/diahpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1904721379788084/?ref=bookmarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 Aug 20201h 3min

Do you like to be left alone during birth? Or if you haven’t given birth yet, have you thought about whether or not you might want people around you, or prefer to be undisturbed? For our guest today Jillian Anderson, she was by herself for the majority of both of her birth experiences. Her partner Aaron was always close by in case he was needed. But Jillian knew what worked for her. That stems back to her decision to have a home birth over 6 years ago with her son Gabriel. It then carried into her pregnancy and birth prep for her daughter Serena. During her second pregnancy, Jillian was her own care provider and had a “wild pregnancy” (meaning without any outside assistance, we learned this term for the first time during this conversation - love how we’re always learning!).  Now as a mentor, writer, birth and fertility activist, Jillian’s birth experiences have greatly influenced the work she does with women. A few other topics we discuss: fetal ejection reflex, pleasurable birth, placenta delivery and lotus birth, family members calling child protective services upon learning about the unassisted home birth and postpartum doulas.  Links: Jillian’s website: www.jillian-anderson.com  Jillian’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillianaanderson/ Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/diahpodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diahpodcast/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/diahpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1904721379788084/?ref=bookmarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 Aug 20201h

How can an experience like birth have such a mix of thoughts and emotions around it? It’s so complex and yet so simple. There’s such a vastness to it and the unique quality of each experience can make it difficult to summarize. This is why each story is so important and why we love sharing as many as we can with you. Today we’re speaking with Ashley McGuirk, and she tells us the birth story of her son Keegan. Ashley is a holistic health coach, personal trainer and yoga instructor. With her mother having 3 unmedicated hospital births, a natural birth plan resonated with her. After watching “The Business of Being Born,” aka “the gateway to natural and home birth” as she put it (haha!), she was clear she wanted a home birth. Ashley’s husband Ben was on board and a big support during the pregnancy and birth experience. In addition to the birth story, we talk about some of the things that Ashley brought into the pregnancy and birth based on her training and the work she does. Plus a conversation on “pregnant you and non-pregnant you,” fetal ejection reflex and a positive GBS result. Links: Ashley’s website: https://www.staysweetwellness.com Ashley’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staysweetwellness Ashley’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/staysweetwellness Ashley’s Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/staysweetwellness/ Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/diahpodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diahpodcast/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/diahpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1904721379788084/?ref=bookmarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Aug 202056min

What is intuitive birthing? It can look different for each of us. But the general philosophy of allowing for the process to be what it is for you in your own unique way is a beautiful concept that comes up in our interview today. Katherine Ward shares her home birth story of her daughter Remi with us. Katherine started her doula training at 18-years-old. Through this experience she determined that when the time came for her to give birth, she wanted something different from what she witnessed in the hospital. By the time she met her husband Connor, she knew she wanted a home birth. This sparks a great dialogue in the interview about how “yet-to-be” mothers can approach conversations with their partners about birthing plans in a loving, open and empowered way.  Katherine also shares about some of the challenges in pregnancy in staying connected as a couple and preparing for the birth experience, as well as some unexpected postpartum challenges. And of course, we’ve got all the details of birthing time! Links: Katherine’s Business Instagram: @genesisbirthmassage Katherine’s Business Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/genesisbirth.massage/ Katherine’s Email: genesisbirth.massage@gmail.com Lacy from Central Iowa Midwife - https://centraliowamidwife.com/ Birthing from within - https://www.amazon.com/Birthing-Within-Extra-Ordinary-Childbirth-Preparation/dp/0965987302 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/diahpodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diahpodcast/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/diahpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1904721379788084/?ref=bookmarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 Aug 202058min