Ep. 371: The Surprising Consequences of Synthetic Dyes with Whitney & Brandon Cawood

I know tearing in in birth is on your mind-- and something even scarier than tearing is having to have an episiotomy during labor! So, that's exactly what we are diving into on today's episode! HeHe is joined by Dr K, Pregnancy Specialist, to discuss everything you need to know about episiotomies! While no one wants it to be done to them, it is sometimes needed (but, not often AT ALL) and I want you to know the questions to ask to advocate for yourself if you end up being the rare case that calls for one!    Dr. K's Bio: Dr. K earned her doctorate of medicine from the University of Miami in Miami, Florida. She completed a residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Winthrop University Hospital in New York and a Fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the joint program sponsored by the Perinatology Research Branch of the National Institute of Health, Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan. Currently, she works in the midwest of the United States of America. Dr. K has special interests in risk prevention & reduction for pregnant mothers, diagnosing and managing birth defects for children in the womb and encouraging healthy practices after childbirth, such as breastfeeding. She has a panache for clear, non-alarmist communication of complex ideas. Dr. K has published in high-impact peer-reviewed Obstetric Journals. She is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. “I am a wife and mom; I welcomed my first child in fall 2020, during the COVID-19/Pandemic. I am zealous to share helpful insights and advice on all things related to pregnancy and motherhood. I believe my work as a physician is a personal assignment from God.   Connect with Dr. K on IG!   Join The Birth Lounge!  Connect with HeHe on IG! Freebie: Questions to ask your provider    Links mentioned: https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-bulletin/articles/2018/09/prevention-and-management-of-obstetric-lacerations-at-vaginal-delivery   https://www.leapfroggroup.org

24 Jan 20241h 34min

What do you know about blood sugars? Are you aware of the risks associated with high blood sugars? What about low blood sugar? Did you know that irritability is associated with out of balance blood sugars? Your blood sugars play a huge role when trying to conceive and in pregnancy! Join HeHe and Becca Romero to dive into what you need to know about balancing your blood sugars including symptoms of imbalanced blood sugars, foods that support healthy blood sugars and how blood sugar can impact egg quality!    Bio: Becca Romero is the founder of Little Life Nutrition, an online fertility nutrition practice. Becca is a licenced dietitian nutritionist and a certified nutrition specialist. With a specialized focus on addressing infertility, she offers personalized dietary and lifestyle solutions, including menstrual cycle education for women aiming to enhance their conception potential and ensure the birth of a healthy baby. She is driven by the philosophy that optimal preconception nutrition and lifestyle can shape the well-being of generations to come.   Join The Birth Lounge!    Connect with Becca on IG Work with Becca   HeHe's fave organic lube for TTC & Pregnancy, use code HEHE15 for 15% off

19 Jan 202448min

In today’s episode, HeHe is joined by Dr. Samanthan Briguglio, a naturopathic doctor, to discuss how our caffeine consumption may be negatively impacting our hormones, what that does to our bodily systems and how we can effectively curb bad habits that have formed over the years! HeHe even shares about the bad coffee habits she struggles with and what steps she is taking to better support her hormonal health!      Bio: Samantha Briguglio started Walk the Natural Path Women's Health and Fertility Care because of her passion for helping women achieve their wellness and/or fertility goals! As an ND, she is licensed to treat – and teach – patients from a mindset of natural healing that treats the root cause of symptoms! Dr. B focuses in hormonal balancing and fertility support.    Join The Birth Lounge!   Connect with Dr. B Work with Dr. B   HeHe’s favorite magnesium lotion, use code HEHE10 for 10% off

17 Jan 202455min

In today's episode, HeHe sits down with homebirth Midwife, Blyss Young, to talk about understanding if you are a candidate for homebirth. Blyss shares what type of care homebirth midwives do and how it may differ from what you find in the hospital or a birth center environment. We dive into the power that comes along with tapping into your instincts and spiritual experience of homebirth, plus how to know when youre not a good candidate for homebirth! Does having a high-risk pregnancy automatically rule you out of being a candidate for homebirth? Tune in to hear HeHe & Blyss answers all your questions!   Bio:  Blyss Young, LM CPM, is a home birth midwife, childbirth educator, placenta encapsulator and natural birth and family consultant. Through her guidance and love centered approach she supports families to birth in the ways that they feel most empowered. She is a firm believer in intuition, the sacredness and ritual of birth and the power of autonomy in birth. She has studied with both Dr. Stu Fischbein (LA's only home birth obstetrician) and many skilled midwives. She has been fortunate to learn the art of midwifery in addition to the unique skills of delivering Breech, Twins and VBACs. At the heart of all of her work is a deeply rooted belief in the brilliant design of the human body and the symbiotic relationship between baby and parent. She continues to strive to support the sacredness of birth as a rite of passage, in the hopes to resurrect lost traditions that can bring connection to our high tech low touch lives.   Join The Birth Lounge!   Connect with Blyss: https://www.birthingblyss.com/   Listen to Episode 182: Is Homebirth Safer Than Hospital Birth? Listen to Episode 142: The Beginning of Homebirth    Thrive Training Institute CPR course, use code HEHE10 for $10 off your purchase

12 Jan 202456min

In today's episode, HeHe sits down with Allison Yarrow to discuss her new book, 'Birth Control: The Insidious Power of Men Over Motherhood.' What happens when hospital culture is rooted in tradition and not evidence? How does it impact patient care when incentives are set up to reward providers for doing expensive surgeries and seeing as many patients as possible, but theres no incentive for supporting unmedicated, biological labor and meeting patients where they’re at in this journey? What happens when a system that is designed to be FOR PROFIT is faced with the decision profits or people— and, they can only choose one? Join us to discuss how the hospital system was designed to produce specific results and how that may affect your labor experience!    Join The Birth Lounge!    Connect with Ali: https://allisonyarrow.com/ Order Birth Control: The Insidious Power of Men Over Motherhood     Bio: Allison Yarrow is an award-winning journalist, speaker, and author of 90s Bitch: Media, Culture, and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality (Harper Perennial, 2018), finalist for the Los Angeles Press Club book award, and Birth Control: The Insidious Power of Men Over Motherhood (Hachette/Seal Press, July 2023). She has written about health, politics, and gender for many publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, Vox, Insider, USA Today, Time, and Newsweek. She was a national magazine award finalist, a TED resident, an Aspen Ideas Festival fellow, and a grantee of the International Women’s Media Foundation. She produced the award-winning Vice News documentary “Misconception,” and gave a TED talk called “What to Expect Post-Expecting.”

10 Jan 202454min

Is your period your fifth vital sign? Have we been taught to ignore a very insightful patterns and messages from our bodies? Has traditional birth control inhibited young women from properly learning their bodies? Today, Lisa Hendrickson-Jack sits down with HeHe to talk about optimizing your fertility with Fertility Awareness Method. Lisa shares how traditional birth control impacts the female libido, emotional states and the risks that many of us are never told about! She also shares how you can become familiar with your bodies patterns and relearn your menstrual cycle to improve your overall health and feel confident in your reproductive health decisions!    Join The Birth Lounge!    Connect with Lisa: https://fertilityfriday.com/   Grab your Temp Drop and save $10 with code FRIEND-4B3HG7P

5 Jan 20241h 6min

Welcome to 2024! This year's podcast is being aired twice weekly! We get to have twice as much fun each week and chat with twice as many brilliant people to help you have a confident and informed birth experience! This season is about helping you avoid things you don't want in labor, advocate for your goals and take back your power!    HeHe sits down with Jessie Brebner to dive into the subject of using cervical mucus as a way to track your fertility. Whether you are trying for a baby right now, or trying not to have a baby, this episode is for you! Our cervical mucus is constantly changing and those changes tell us a lot about what is happening in your body and with your fertility. Jessie shares how to learn your patterns and how to accurately identify your fertile window! Plus she dives into knowing the best times to time the deed based on your goals-- to make or not make a baby!   Join The Birth Lounge   Connect with Jessie: https://fertilitycharting.com.au/   Save $10 on your Temp Drop Wearable Thermometer: FRIEND-4B3HG7P

3 Jan 202452min

How much does your partner know about your menstrual cycle? How much consideration of your period do you take when planning your monthly schedule? Author of the book, Manstration, Alyx Coble-Frakes is joining me to talk about how to become a 'cycle scientist' to make your cycle work for you! We talk about how to bring your partner into this conversation, using a period planner and how legislation muddles things.    *This episode contains strong language!   Bio: Alyx Coble-Frakes is a passionate social entrepreneur. She has 10 years of experience in business, and 8 years of experience working in health and wellness. When she returned from the Peace Corps in 2015, she felt out of touch with her own health, so she began a path of healing. This led her to launch a health coaching company, and subsequently The Agenda. She has recently authored a book called “Manstruation” which is opening up conversations around periods with men.   The Agenda: https://www.theagendaperiod.com/   Join The Birth Lounge: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/

20 Dec 202355min