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

How is your mind space connected with the physical space and environment that you set for your birth? In today’s episode we have a powerful conversation with Kristen and Rodney about their birth journey. From the surprise of the pregnancy news to decision to have a home birth, we get both parents’ perspectives on the experience.  Kristen is a yoga instructor, and used much of her practice throughout her pregnancy and birth.  “My yoga practice afforded me this sweet opportunity to gain an understanding and cultivate an intimate relationship with my baby well before birth…" “Yoga had equipped me with the tools to choose my perspective. Yoga offered me the solace to stay present through uncomfortable times and floods of thoughts.” “Yoga in its essence is a practice of unity--with mind, body and spirit. On a logistic level, the breath techniques learned and practiced in yoga relax and slow the body which is virtuous during birth/contractions. I compare the space between each contraction as the space between each breath. It is a space of stillness, rejuvenation, symbolic of the end and beginning. Yoga strengthens the physical body to help with recovery and the 'bounce back'. Many poses open up the hips, the passageway. Prenatal yoga prepares women for a natural birth, by practicing presence and awareness. Yoga teaches us how to choose surrender over fear.” Plus we talk about the moment of birthgasm - when baby Aniya arrived! Links: Kristen’s Instagram Our website DIAH Shop Parents on Demand Network DIAH Instagram DIAH Facebook Page DIAH Facebook Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

24 Des 201958min

When you’re expecting, it’s very common to hear the question, “Where are you delivering?” If not that specifically, people generally ask about your doctor or your doctor visits. Whether it’s close friends and family or total strangers, most will insert some sort of advice or personal experience to whatever birth plan it is you’ve chosen. It can be even more interesting when you share that your birth plan involves a home birth. Queue awkward silences, uncomfortable jokes and even sometimes downright judgement. That’s what we’re talking about in this episode: what we’re calling the “pushbacks.” They are the often well-intentioned but poorly executed gestures and words to share varying degrees of care and concern for yours and your baby’s well-being. But it’s great because it gives you a chance to exercise patience and understanding. It might even help you confirm why you’re considering or chose home birth. Matthew and I have grown to love the pushbacks, and we share some examples of ones we received. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

17 Des 201941min

Can too much exercise during pregnancy become a detriment to your birth experience? We wouldn’t presume to give you a definitive answer to this question because frankly it’s not our place and we’re not the experts of your physical body, pregnancy, preferences or life experience. This is a question we explored with today’s guest Deb Flashenberg, founder and director of the Prenatal Yoga Center in New York. Deb has her own experience and story around exercising during pregnancy, as well as practicing yoga consistently.  We talk a little bit about Deb’s journey into the work she’s doing now, her own process of exploring birth options, fears around pregnancy and childbirth and honoring motherhood. Deb’s story and message is a powerful one. For her, it’s about “trusting yourself, and being okay when you’re not perfect.” Also to find your personal voice, own your autonomy and proclaim “this is my life!” And you can access Deb and all her wisdom on her own podcast “Yoga Birth Babies” and through the Prenatal Yoga Center’s podcast. LINKS Deb’s Podcast Prenatal Yoga Center Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training Who's Afraid of the Pregnant Yogi. Use the PROMO code HOME BIRTH and receive the free video "Pregnancy Safe Abdominal Toning" “Doing It At Home” book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ Home Birth Support Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

13 Des 201938min

What happens when you’re planning a hospital or birth center birth, but labor starts and moves so quickly that you don’t have time to pack up, get in the car and leave?! Welp, an unplanned home birth, that’s what! And this is our first story of this on the podcast. Meet our guest, Katie Krimitsos, wife, mother of 2 and fellow podcaster, Sarah met Katie at the She Podcasts 2019 event in Atlanta earlier this year, and knew she had to be on DIAH. Katie shares the story of her daughter Savannah’s birth (this episode is actually publishing on her 1st birthday, yay!), which was a total of 20 minutes! Despite the unplanned circumstances, Katie felt calm and describes the whole experience as magical. We also get to hear from Katie about her podcast “Women’s Meditation Network,” and how she’s using meditation to reach millions of women all over the world.  Links: Women’s Meditation Network WMN Instagram “Doing It At Home” book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ Home Birth Support Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 Des 201940min

How do you know you’re making the best choice when it comes to planning for your birth? This is one of the themes we unpack in today’s episode. We’re joined by Nicole and Al, parents to Eli, Karin, Eliza and Atreyu. We get to hear both mom and dad’s perspective on the birthing journey. From the first birth - unmedicated in the hospital, attended by midwives. The second - unplanned twin cesarean. And finally their home birth. Nicole shares her experience as a childbirth educator and Bradley Method instructor and how that influenced her decisions and how she participated in her care and planning. Al talks about his role as her partner and holding the space for her during birth. Links: “Doing It At Home” book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098GVJ9KL?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860 Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ Home Birth Support Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGoKeBfEZ143sWU7V9I5Gdg DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 Nov 201959min

What if...? Probably the biggest question that comes up around the choice to have a home birth. Whether you ask it to yourself, your birth team, or you have other people ask you - it comes up. As today’s guest Janette puts it - “Things did not go to plan, birth never does.” We talk about Janette’s decision to have a home birth - both she and her husband work in a hospital (her as a childbirth educator and doula and her husband as an RN), and so after feeling hesitant to give birth there, she leaned in and took the time to see what felt best. They continued with joint care between their midwives and hospital visits, but planned for a home birth. We hear baby Liv’s birth story, plus the details of Janette’s postpartum transfer to address her blood loss, which had been managed effectively by her midwives and while she was no longer bleeding, a transfusion was the best course of action to support Janette in recovering and feeling better.  In Janette’s words: “When you say you are having a home birth people often respond with "what if there is an emergency?" My postpartum hemorrhage was definitely emergent and my midwife handled it like a bad ass! Most people don't understand the skill set of home birth midwives and the supplies that they carry for such emergencies. My husband and I always felt safe.” Links: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

20 Nov 20191h 12min

When did you realize you wanted a home birth? For our guest Mandy Moss, she shares how she realized the hospital was not the place for her after doing a tour during her first pregnancy. So at 34 weeks, she changed plans. At 41 weeks and 6 days pregnant and after 48 hours of active labor and 5 hours of pushing, she transferred to the hospital where she was able to deliver her daughter vaginally. When she became pregnant for the second time, she and her husband Jake planned for a home birth again.  So you get to hear two different birth stories within this episode. Listen in to hear the rest. Thank you to Mandy for sharing with us! Links: Episode 18 with Maria Mengel Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

12 Nov 20191h 1min

What if birth was like a party? For today’s guest, Ann Kaplan, her fourth birth (second home birth) was exactly that. Seriously. Evites and everything. #birthparty. Ann had about 30 people in the room when she gave birth to her fourth child - friends, family members, and all spectrum of ages. So we dig into that experience and hear Ann’s inspiration for it and how it all played out, and what she’d share with anyone else thinking of doing something like it. Plus we talk about Ann’s work as a birth doula, childbirth educator and parent coach. Ann’s gifting our listeners with free access to her online birth seminar, so make sure you check out the links in the show notes to watch! Links: Ann’s website: https://www.mommeexperience.com/ Free Birth Seminar: https://www.mommeexperience.com/birthseminar Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

6 Nov 201941min