The BirthGuide Podcast

Getting your body "back" after giving birth

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 14:00:00 -0500

Wisdom from three perinatal practitioners -- a physical therapist, a chiropractor and Alexander Technique practitioner -- on caring for your postpartum body.

Please visit us at BirthGuideChicago.com or on facebook or Instagram.

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. You can see the full disclaimer here.

Managing morning sickness and hyperemesis

Thu, 01 May 2025 14:00:00 -0500

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Most women experience some degree of digestive upset during pregnancy, and an unfortunate few suffer from the serious condition, hyperemesis gravidarum. Our guests today -- two certified nurse midwives and two acupuncturists with expertise in Chinese medicine -- offer advice on how to manage morning sickness, and strategies for recognizing, managing and treating hyperemesis.

Learn more on The BirthGuide Podcast page.

Home birth

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:00:00 -0500

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Wisdom from three midwives who have collectively attended nearly 3500 births at home.

Advocating for yourself in pregnancy & childbirth

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:00:00 -0600

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Alicia Fishbein and Meredith Nelson, from Intentional Birth, are doulas, doula-trainers, and childbirth educators. They explain how self-advocacy -- which includes knowing your values, surrounding yourself with a team that is aligned with them, and ultimately being prepared to stand up for those values -- is key to an empowered and empowering childbirth experience.

Understanding the hospital as a foreign country
Why self-advocacy is an antidote to birth trauma
The advocacy role of your doula
Advocacy tools
Your partner's role as an advocate
Informed decisionmaking and consent
Firing your provider as an advocacy tool
Why preparation for childbirth should begin early in pregnancy

Managing anxiety in pregnancy

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 17:00:00 -0600

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If you’re feeling anxious in pregnancy, you’re not alone . . . and you don’t have to gut it out. Featuring insights from a panel of experts — including a licensed clinical social worker, acupuncturist, and two doulas — this episode covers common sources of anxiety, the impact of information overload, therapeutic approaches, the importance of support systems, and strategies for recognizing and managing anxiety effectively.

Coping with a NICU stay

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 18:00:00 -0500

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This episode is for families whose newborn requires a stay in the NICU. Whether anticipated or unexpected, a NICU stay is challenging. If this is your first baby, you're becoming a parent but are reliant on others to care for your newborn. If you have other children, you're balancing their needs and those of your infant. There can be feelings of anxiety, frustration, anger and loss -- not to mention significant logistical challenges. Our guests are three perinatal providers who have experience working in the NICU or have been NICU parents themselves. They offer wisdom and advice on coping with a NICU stay.

Hospital protocols vary! Here are six to learn about before deciding where to have your baby

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 20:00:00 -0500

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By the time you take childbirth classes and make a birth plan, it's typically pretty late to switch providers. That means there are things you need to know now, in your first or second trimester, BEFORE you make a final decision about where to have your baby.

In this episode, host Anne Nicholson Weber outlines six of the most important protocols and policies that can vary widely from one birth setting to another. It's important to learn about these early in your pregnancy, so you can decide what options matter to you and make sure you choose a birth setting that will support your preferences.

Anne's take: "No Regrets Birth"

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 16:00:00 -0500

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Host Anne Nicholson Weber shares her thoughts on how to have a "no-regrets birth".

Chiropractic for the newborn

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 15:00:00 -0500

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Chiropractic care for your newborn may not be something you've considered. In this episode, two pediatric chiropractors explain what treatment for a newborn looks like, how gentle adjustments can impact the functioning of your baby's vagus nerve to help regulate the newborn nervous system, and some of the myriad conditions that treatment can help address -- including sleep issues, constipation and reflux, colic, mobility and latching challenges.

Aligning with your partner on decisions around pregnancy and childbirth

Tue, 07 May 2024 11:00:00 -0500

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A couple needs to make many decisions in pregnancy, and patterns of decisionmaking established now can impact your family’s life for decades. In this episode, two couples counselors and two doulas explore some of the common areas for conflict in pregnancy, and offer advice on how a couple can find their way through conflict to alignment.

Navigating birth trauma, from preparation to reintegration

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 11:00:00 -0500

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Chidlbirth can be traumatic. In this episode, two psychotherapists and a doula talk about what trauma is, how preparing for birth may help, and how to heal from a traumatic birth.

Plan now for a flourishing 4th trimester

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0600

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It can be hard to think past childbirth, but the postpartum period will be a more satisfying time if you’ve made the connections you’ll need ahead of time. Four Chicago-area providers who support postpartum mothers and their families share their expertise on planning for the 4th trimester.

YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT

Thinking ahead of time what will be your needs and who might help you
Confronting your specific fears and anxieties
Childbirth education classes are about more than information
Counseling during pregnancy and postpartum
Preparing for breastfeeding
Paying attention to the needs of your partner
PT for pelvic health during pregnancy and postpartum
Realistic expectations for recovery
Returning to exercise
Finding your village

Join us to learn from Meghan Doyle, Partum Health; Emily Heilman, Flourish Counseling & Wellness; Rebecca Nguyen, Chicago Family Picnic; and Anne Rodney, Chicago Family Doulas

Image courtesy of Maggie Cuprisin.

Better pediatric care outside-the-box.

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 16:00:00 -0600

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Imagine a pediatrician who seems to have all the time in the world to answer your questions. Imagine being able to text her directly any time, day or night. Imagine not having to pack your baby up for a newborn visit because your doctor is coming to you! This week we talk to three Chicago-area pediatricians who have left the managed care system in order to buck the trend towards rushed appointments, impersonal care and long wait times. Join us to learn more about alternative models of care in the fourth trimester.

All about prenatal yoga

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0500

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Whether you already have a regular yoga practice or have never tried yoga at all, prenatal yoga may help you deal with anxiety and depression, prepare your body for labor and ease some of the discomforts of pregnancy -- not to mention provide a support group of other mothers who are navigating their pregnancies right along with you. Our guests on this episode are three yoga teachers who specialize in prenatal yoga: Jenny Barron Fishman, with Sweet Pea's Studio; Kristen Simons, with Grateful Yoga; and Diana Zic, with CocoonCare. They discuss the importance of connecting with your body during pregnancy, explain the physical and emotional benefits of prenatal yoga, and make some helpful suggestions about choosing a class that's right for you.

What three experienced doulas want you to know about VBAC

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 15:00:00 -0500

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If you’re pregnant again after a prior c-section, you may be considering whether to try for a vaginal birth this time around. There are some common misconceptions about VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and lots to know about how to prepare if that’s the course you choose. Our guests on this episode are three doulas with deep experience supporting VBAC families: Rebekkah Carney from Supported Serenity Doula Care; Heather McCullough from 312 Doulas, and Lexi Zuo from The Elgin Doula. They join Anne Nicholson Weber to share their wisdom around this important topic.

Pelvic PT for every postpartum mother

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:00:00 -0600

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Women often assume that minor impairments and annoyances following pregnancy are an unavoidable cost of motherhood. But common doesn't mean normal, as our four guests stress. Learn what pelvic floor therapy actually looks like, what it can do, and why every postpartum mother can benefit from a pelvic floor assessment after birth.

Jessica Kerr with Allied Therapy Partners, Suzanne Badillo with Link PT, Kate Utech with New Journey Physical Therapy, and Sapna Patel with Pelvic Therapy and Fitness join host Anne Nicholson Weber for this exploration of physical therapy in the postpartum period.

Birth satisfaction and your personality

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 15:00:00 -0600

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Dr. Elizabeth Pearce is a licensed clinical psychologist, DONA-certified birth doula, and Lamaze-Certified Childbirth Educator. She is the creator of the Birth Profile Assessment and the The Beyond the Birth Plan course, a childbirth preparation system that is the first and only one of its kind to customize labor preparation to the expectant parent’s unique personality and lifestyle factors.

She joins host Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about tailoring your birth preparation to your personality, and making choices that drive birth satisfaction and prevent birth trauma.

Dads & Doulas

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 12:00:00 -0600

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Five Chicago-area fathers share their experiences working with a birth doula. These generous and candid conversations cover attitudes towards doulas and the decision to hire a doula; what it's like to support labor in partnership with a doula; how doulas support couples as they navigate decision making in labor; the doula's role in birth; and advice for other families.

Join host Anne Nicholson Weber for this exploration of doula care from the partner's perspective.

How family and friends can help fund your circle of support

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 13:00:00 -0500

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Kaitlin McGreyes is the founder of BeHerVillage, a new kind of baby registry that allows friends and family to help you fund your circle of support. She joins Anne Nicholson Weber to talk about the cultural trends that drive her vision for BeHerVillage, how the registry works, and why "support, not stuff" is their mantra. Listen in to learn how your baby registry can help you fund doula care, physical therapy, childbirth education, postpartum care and any other support that will be meaningful for you.

Chiropractic care for a more effective labor

Sat, 20 Aug 2022 16:00:00 -0500

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Dr. Stephanie Maj is a chiropractor with 26 years of experience caring for pregnant women and their babies. She joins us to explain how chiropractic care in pregnancy can help prepare your body for a more effective labor and easier childbirth.

Midwifery care in a freestanding birth center

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 14:00:00 -0500

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Host Anne Nicholson Weber interviews three Certified Nurse Midwives from the Chicago area who are deeply knowledgeable about the model of care offered at freestanding birth centers. Learn why an increasing number of families are choosing this holistic, family-centered, low-intervention approach to giving birth.

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. You can see the full disclaimer at birthguidechicago.com/terms-and-conditions.