Wise Birth Radio

#28 Nourishment through a Vegetarian Pregnancy

We’re diving in today on a subject we've been meaning to cover for quite some time. Join us as we go for a walk and discuss some considerations for a vegetarian pregnancy, and how Sara nourishes herself. We are coming from two different perspectives (I chose not to remain a vegetarian at around 6 months postpartum) and we recognize that this can be somewhat of a loaded topic. We hope you can remain open and committed to nourishing yourself and your child as best as you can, however that looks for you. Keep in mind that we are sharing about what works for us, none of this should be viewed as a “protocol” or a plan for anyone else. You need to figure out what feels good for you!
 
We discuss:
A general overview on how we each came to the dietary decisions we are in (for more of my story, listen to episode 12, Reflections on a Year of Big Transitions.)
What Sara eats in a day to feel satiated and confident that she and her baby are getting what they need
Creative ideas around protein intake (which can often feel limited in a vegetarian diet) and how she centers her meals around them
Yummy, nutrient dense snack ideas, both savory and sweet
Supplements she takes during her pregnancy (We have a PDF resource on this as well.)
Knowing your body/listening to what’s working in relation to blood sugar, protein needs, and supplements
Making your own decision and owning it. There can be so many judgements around the topic of food, but at the end of the day, you are the one responsible for your health and that of your baby. Make your own decisions, do your own research, and own it!
How this kind of nourishment doesn’t stop when pregnancy is over, and actually many macro and micro needs are higher when breastfeeding.
A reframe of nourishment and cooking for yourself and your family as a chore, to a blessing of nourishment.
 
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Mentioned in the show:
 
- All the foods and supplements we recommend
 
- The original "yolky" drink
 
- The Seed of Joy's lovely Postpartum Cookbook
(the one with the yolky cacao)
 
- Our friend Aiste's course - Plant Empowered Woman
 
- The Root Cause Protocol
 
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Thanks for listening!
If you’re enjoying our show, please leave us a review!
If you have anything you want to hear more about, or any questions you'd like us to address, please reach out at catskillsbirthcollective@gmail.com. We welcome your feedback. 
 
Follow us on Instagram @catskillsbirthcollective for more musings and information on wholistic pregnancy, physiological birth, and intuitive motherhood.
 
If you’re local, I now offer postpartum care! I’d love to support you through this tender time.

# 27 I Would Choose an Elective Cesarean If...

Today's intentionally provocatively named solo-cast is about... well, exactly what the title says. I had a small revelation the other day where a series of stories led me to understand the conditions under which just picking a date and having surgery instead of experiencing the mystery of birth is a more appealing option. This is not a judgement on anyone's choices, but rather my discussion with myself on that moment of intense empathy. For women who are not educated about what their body's will do in pregnancy and birth. For women who have only heard stories and narratives of birth being scary and dangerous. Of women who have yet to experience the joy and power of being deeply connected to their body's and to other women. And of a society that functions on an artificial clock, while ignoring out natural rhythms and timings. This is for all those women, and for all of you who listening to encourage you to plant the seeds and inhabit your own wilds.
 
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Mentioned in the show:
 
- Petri Mesa's podcast - the Earthside Birth Podcast
 
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Thanks for listening!
If you’re enjoying our show, please leave us a review!
If you have anything you want to hear more about, or any questions you'd like us to address, please reach out at catskillsbirthcollective@gmail.com. We welcome your feedback. 
 
Follow us on Instagram @catskillsbirthcollective for more musings and information on wholistic pregnancy, physiological birth, and intuitive motherhood.
 
If you’re local, I now offer postpartum care! I’d love to support you through this tender time.

#26 Is Birth the Most Painful Thing?

We've been meaning to record an episode on the topic of pain, sensations, whatever you want to call it in birth for quite a while. That's often one of the first thoughts/fears that someone who has never birthed before has "but what is it going to feel like? How much is it going to hurt? Will I be able to handle it?" We share a bit about our own birth stories and how sensations changed throughout, and talk more generally about what pain is and how we choose to perceive sensations.
 
***We had some technical difficulties, and the audio quality is not ideal. It's pretty fuzzy for the first 10 minutes, but gets better after that. And I had to cut out the end, but summarized it for you all in an extra clip.***
 
You’ll hear about:
-Sara's practice at the end of her pregnancy for tapping into the labor space and navigating those sensations
-Our birth experiences and the best description of the sensations we could give. Ranging from early labor, the feeling of easefully surfing through contractions with deep presence, and how subtle it can be to pull a woman out of that space
-How these sensations felt so much bigger and we felt less able to "stay on top of them" when our birth processes were interrupted
-How people in your birth space can have such a huge influence on your experience!
-Pain vs Suffering
-The power of our minds to interpret sensations as pain - or not!
-Our invitation to consider a new channel of curiosity and experience for what these sensations might be like. 
-Previously in our lives, painful sensations are a sign of danger, illness, things out of balance. But birth has intense sensations that means everything is ok. Nothing needs to be done. 
-When we are in a state of hormonal flow, ecstatic hormones going, we might perceive/experience things differently/easier to deal with. 
-If you are deep in it, you now how your body needs to move, which can facilitate labor. 
 
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Mentioned in the show:
Rachel Reed's article on Cervical Lips
Jerry Walsh's podcast - BodhiSpeak
 
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Thanks for listening!
If you’re enjoying our show, please leave us a rating and review!
If you have anything you want to hear more about, or any questions you'd like us to address, please reach out at catskillsbirthcollective@gmail.com. We welcome your feedback. 
 
Follow us on Instagram @catskillsbirthcollective for more musings and information on wholistic pregnancy, physiological birth, and intuitive motherhood.

#25 Your Motherhood is for You - Creating Ease and Pleasure in Postpartum and Beyond with Nicole

Today is a very special episode - I got to sit down and talk with Nicole (@seedofjoy_) about... well, whatever came up! This was such a rich conversation on all the ways she knows this life can be FOR US. We talked about becoming more boundaried as a mother, how to create structure for a deeply restful, healing, and (dare we say) blissful postpartum time (this goes far beyond "freeze some soup, ask your sister in law to help with laundry"), and how to soften and open to receive every beautiful thing life is offering you. 
 
Every nugget in this episode could be expanded into a book, or a life's work of practicing, and I was so moved and inspired personally by this conversation. I hope it touches you too!
 
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You can find Nicole on instagram @theseedofjoy_, or her website theseedof joy.com.
 
Her Raising Sons workshop is this weekend, 11/11/23, and keep a lookout for Rooted, her mentorship program this winter! 
 
She also has a beautiful postpartum course that I am very much looking forward to when I next have a postpartum to plan for, and a yummy postpartum summit.
 
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Thanks for listening!
If you’re enjoying our show, please leave us a rating and review!
If you have anything you want to hear more about, or any questions you'd like us to address, please reach out at catskillsbirthcollective@gmail.com. We welcome your feedback. 
 
Find us on Instagram @catskillsbirthcollective for more musings and information on wholistic pregnancy, physiological birth, and intuitive motherhood.

#24 Connecting with your Innate Mother-Wisdom

Sara is back today! We wanted to share a bit about this deep mother-wisdom that we see activate in women when they are pregnant and become mothers, and that we ourselves have experienced. You could call it mother's intuition, spidey senses, just deeply knowing and noticing her children, or a mother's ability to tune into a universal wisdom of the feminine and specifically of motherhood.
 
You'll hear about:
Little ways to practice connection to body and it's subtle messages
Taking tiny moments to check in
Dancing!!
Honoring cues (hunger, thirst, pee, movement)
Spending time with mamas you admire
Acknowledging your gratitude for them can help remind you of your own
Time with mamas who trust you, and reflect back your own mother-wisdom
Amplifying “mother frequency”
Nervous system work
When we are relaxed and open, we are more tapped in
When we are stressed, have less capacity to listen
When hard things come up, create space to think about it. Allow your nervous system to relax before jumping into something
Honor your partner
In seeing and exalting their contribution, you can see your own in the negative space
Spend time in nature
Messages, signs, come when we are closest to “spirit” feeling aligned. For me, this is in nature
As Maryn Green says - Mother Earth is your kids original mother, you are the imperfect human mother. Returning to nature can help us feel mothered ourselves.
 
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Mentioned in the show:
 
Maryn Green's Magical Mama Circle
 
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Thanks for listening!
If you’re enjoying our show, please leave us a rating and review!
If you have anything you want to hear more about, or any questions you'd like us to address, please reach out at catskillsbirthcollective@gmail.com. We welcome your feedback. 
 
Make sure you are following us on Instagram @catskillsbirthcollective for more musings and information on wholistic pregnancy, physiological birth, and intuitive motherhood.

#23 Sara’s ”Please Do’s” and ”Please Don’ts” for Birth

Sara put together this list to get clear on her desires, values, and priorities for herself, her partner, and her midwife. Keep in mind that this is very individual, and you will probably want different things. We thought it might be helpful for people to see some things to consider discussing with a midwife in preparation for birth.
 
Here's the list that we talk through in this episode:
 
PLEASE DO:
Speak/offer words of encouragement
Remind me that there is a baby in there/to connect with the baby
Remind me to be PRESENT & PATIENT
Offer cold wash cloths
Touch
Remind me to drink and eat
Honor the Golden Hour with as much silence, stillness, slowness, and gentleness as possible
Give me space
Take photos and video!
PLEASE DON'T
Suggest or guide me to push in any capacity
Offer cervical exams
Suggest position shifts
Catch the baby
Have your hands near baby while coming out or touch unless absolutely needed & if so communicate why
Apply cord traction - I will birth placenta & let you know if I needhelp. If you're concerned, communicate
Put blankets, hats or towels on baby
 
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Mentioned in the show:
 
Maryn's Birth Video of Deva
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Thanks for listening!
If you’re enjoying our show, please leave us a rating and review!
If you have anything you want to hear more about, or any questions you'd like us to address, please reach out at catskillsbirthcollective@gmail.com. We welcome your feedback. 
 
Make sure you are following us on Instagram @catskillsbirthcollective for more musings and information on wholistic pregnancy, physiological birth, and intuitive motherhood.
 
If you’re local, we’d love to see you at our MotherCircle in October!

#22 Your Powerful Placenta

Placentas!
I was deep in placenta land after creating this free Powerful Placenta Guide and felt excited to record this episode on placentas. 
 
So often not thought about unless there’s a problem. Thrown away without a second thought. “Medically managed” because labor is over at that point so it doesn’t really matter how this part of the birth goes, right?
 
Wrong! Traditional cultures have always known that placentas are magic! Both nourishing the baby inside, and spiritually protecting the baby for the rest of its life, placentas are worth honoring. I talk about what a placenta actually is and how it functions, the spiritual significance of the placenta, birthing your own placenta, cord cutting options, 
 
You can get my whole guide here, so I’m not going to write too much about this episode.
 
Resources:
 
Life's Vital Link: The Astonishing Role of the Placenta by Y. W. Loke
Placenta: the Forgotten Chakra by Robin Lim
Birthing Your Placenta: the third stage of labour by Sara Wickham
 
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Thanks for listening!
If you’re enjoying our show, please leave us a rating and review!
If you have anything you want to hear more about, or any questions you'd like us to address, please reach out at catskillsbirthcollective@gmail.com. We welcome your feedback. 
 
Make sure you are following us on Instagram @catskillsbirthcollective for more musings and information on wholistic pregnancy, physiological birth, and intuitive motherhood.
 
If you’re local, we’d love to see you at our upcoming MotherCircle starting October 20th!

#21 A Visionary Birth Story - Deep Medicine in the Birth of Makoa

Today’s episode is a special one! Sara and I are back together to interview the lovely Ixchel. We talked with her and her partner during her pregnancy back in episode 4. Now, almost 2 years after their birth, we finally recorded their incredible birth story of their firecracker son, Makoa. This is the story of the "what ifs". But not "what if something goes wrong", instead it's "what if something goes right?" What if birth can be challenging, transformative, visionary, earth, shattering, and so so beautiful? Ixchel is an amazing and powerful woman who's experience and history with inner work and practices guided her in this motherhood journey.
 
***We did record in a shed, with a single microphone, in the middle of a rainstorm, so there’s definitely some background noise noise, especially towards the end of the episode. However, the content is gold and definitely worth listening through! I also play her whole song, Birthing Spiral, at the end of this episode.***
 
You’ll hear about:
-How Ixchel navigated intense pelvic pain and used it as a tool and teacher to guide her through labor.
-A continuation of her pregnancy story, she shares more about the deaths that she had to allow to happen in her underworld journey to rebirth yourself as a mother.
-The magical story of her son's full moon birth
-How Ixchel used water in numerous ways to help support her in her labor.
-The amazing community of sisters who came together, and the power of song, music, and prayer.
-How lessons from pregnancy allowed her to step into postpartum with more grace.
-Her husband‘s experience in supporting birth, and the one moment that clarified his role there for him.
-Amazing stories of Ixchel's visions and understandings that came through this uninterrupted, ecstatic, birth process.
-And her gorgeous song that came as a result of a homework prompt in our birth education course.
 
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Mentioned in the show:
 
Ixchel Prisma's music
Her husband, Jerry Walsh's podcast, BodhiSpeak
Our birth education course, Wise Woman, Sacred Birth!
My local MotherCircle offering
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Thanks for listening!
If you’re enjoying our show, please leave us a rating and review!
If you have anything you want to hear more about, or any questions you'd like us to address, please reach out at catskillsbirthcollective@gmail.com. We welcome your feedback. 
 
Make sure you are following us on Instagram @catskillsbirthcollective for more musings and information on wholistic pregnancy, physiological birth, and intuitive motherhood.
 
If you’re local, we’d love to see you at our MotherCircle in October!

#20 Birth is a (part of but not complete) Rite of Passage

Did you know that birth is only one of the three parts that make up the rite of passage that is the childbearing year? When in first heard this concept spoken by Kimberly Ann Johnson in MotherCircle, I deeply knew this to be true even though I’d never heard it before. 
 
First articulated by anthropologist Arnold van Gennep in a book he published in  1908, these phases are separation, transition, and incorporation. The actual event of birth is only the transition phase of a rite of passage, and by acknowledging and consciously experiencing the separation and incorporation aspects of this rite will deepen our experience and provide greater clarity and orientation. 
 
Not having a cultural or personal understanding of this process is what leaves so many women today feeing lost in motherhood. ‘You lose yourself in motherhood’ is only a true statement if you haven’t consciously left your old self behind in pregnancy, journeyed outside of yourself in birth, and rediscovered your new self in the postpartum time.
 
In this episode I go into the these three phases of a rite of passage, how they apply to the childbearing year, and how we can create an internal and social environment that supports us through this.
 
You'll hear about:
The separation phase of a rite of passage - pregnancy. While often thought of as a time of growth and connection, putting into the context of this greater rite of passage asks us to look at the other side as well.
What do we need to let go of to become a mother (or a mother of more)? What habits, thought patterns, beliefs, relationships do we need to let go of? How can we allow the maiden to die in order to step into being mother?
My own experience with morning sickness and first trimester fatigue as a call to enter this ‘separation phase’. In the “go-go-go, you can do anything and don’t need help” culture of today, many of us need a wake up call that things need to change. That we ARE irrevocably different now and will need to let some things go.
Some thoughts on our cultural need to rewrite out relationship with death. With darkness, and letting go. It can be a beautiful process.
The transition phase - Birth. Often marked with blood, physical pain and hardships, and some kind of sacrifice, birth fits this description perfectly.
This stage is a “jumping across the canyon”, being between two worlds.
How the ecstatic (ex meaning “out of” and static coming from “to be firm in place, grounded, in yourself) hormones of an undisturbed birth direct this process by allowing you to go outside of yourself during birth on all levels. Leaving behind your normal, thinking brain, allowing your spirit to leave your body and go collect the soul of your baby from the cosmos, being able to transcend/transmute intense physical sensation, and come face to face with death in order to bring new life.
The incorporation phase - postpartum. From the Latin ‘incorporare’ meaning “to unite into one body, embody, include”. This final stage requires community support and witnessing.
Rites of passage are not just for the growth of the individual, but also for the growth of the culture. When people successfully make it through a rite of passage, they bring back seeds from their journey, messages for their community. These stories need to be heard and these women held by people who understand that they are coming back changed, and need the space and love to reconfigure their whole beings around this rite of passage and their new identity.
Rites of passage exist to evolve cultures! Whether this is Inanna in her underworld journey, Vision Quests, Moon Lodges, or other traditional rites of passage, when we are able to journey through this liminal space of the transition phase after having allowed the separation phase to happen, we come back with gifts and visions for our people. We need our stories to be heard and held, and those stories have special medicine.
These phases can also be acknowledged in the moon cycle every month. The luteal phase is the separation; PMS is trying to tell you what you need to let go of. Bleeding is the liminal space, and returning to life and ovulation after is the incorporation.
 
So how to make this knowledge actionable despite not having a greater cultural awareness of these phases?
Make space in pregnancy to allow yourself to let go and be separated. Rest. Say no to things.
Create an environment for an undisturbed birth. Find a care provider who can support this hormonal orchestration and the golden hour after birth.
Gather women around you in the postpartum time who can hold you and your story in your transformation.
Physically care for yourself in the postpartum time.
Come to MotherCircle!
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Mentioned in the show:
 
MotherCircle
Of Water and the Spirit by Malidoma Some
Go Diaper Free - Our potty training guide
My favorite podcasting outfit - Indie Birth's Keep Birth Wild sweatshirt
 
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Thanks for listening!
If you’re enjoying our show, please leave us a rating and review!
If you have anything you want to hear more about, or any questions you'd like us to address, please reach out at catskillsbirthcollective@gmail.com. We welcome your feedback. 
 
Make sure you are following us on Instagram @catskillsbirthcollective for more musings and information on wholistic pregnancy, physiological birth, and intuitive motherhood.
 
If you’re local, we’d love to see you at our MotherCircle in October!

#19 A Who’s Who of Birth Workers

Demystifying the nomenclature of the birth world! What is a midwife vs a doula vs a birthkeeper? Starting with obstetricians, we work our way through the “food chain” of people who attend birth; what their roles and responsibilities are; what they fundamental beliefs MAY be; and how they might practice. But don’t be fooled by labels! Each care provider comes with their own stories, backgrounds, beliefs, training, fears, and traumas that influence how they support women, meaning that just because someone is a “something-something”, doesn’t mean they will behave exactly in the way you think a “something-something” should.
 
You'll hear about:
 
Obstetricians. Their general scope of practice is emergency medical situations around pregnancy and birth. Many of them may have never seen a physiological birth! While crucial in true emergency scenarios, I think it’s pretty wack that they are the standard of care for normal, healthy pregnancies.
 
Quick detour into the history of the medical system in the US. (Hint: it was founded by one dude so he could make money) And a further detour into how I have politely stepped out of those mental programs of control and money and disease.
 
Midwives
CPMs, CNMs, DEMs, CMs, oh my word! I get into the acronyms and the certifications for these sorts of midwifery, at least as far as I understand it because it’s very complicated! These licensed midwives have attended at least 2 years of school (either accredited midwifery school or nursing school and a masters program in midwifery), have attended a certain number of births in various capacities, are all up to date on their testing and their certifications (and fees).
A lot of these differences in titles are bureaucratic and I express some strong feelings about everyone running around asking for, and paying for, permission to do what they already know they are ready to do. All these systems of certification and accreditation are entirely made up (recently), and I have no reason to believe that those standards are absolutely the best.
A brief mention of my displeasure with the term “medwife”. Do we really need more labels to talk done about  other women?
Unlicensed midwives - exactly what it sounds like! Women who have been trained to support birth but are consciously choosing not to be licensed! Maryn and Margo from Indie Birth (the organization I studied midwifery with) both are in this category. It’s semi legal or maybe just not legal depending on your state. We believe that it’s impossible to truly and deeply serve women while also being responsible to a set of rules and regulations and their governing body that may or may not be aligned with the way they practice.
Birthkeeper - originally coined by Jeannine Parvati Baker in the 70’s as a combination of birth worker and earth keeper, meaning one who safeguards, and is an activist for physiological birth. This is a term that doesn’t really mean anything in particular, but in recent years has been coopted by certain folks.
All those other titles! I would sum it up as people who may feel they are similar to a midwife, but don’t want to use the term. Either because it doesn’t resonate with them, or maybe because they don’t truly have that skills of experience of a midwife.
Doula:
While originating from the Greek word for ‘slave’, the doula training I took told me that the word dula means talking stick in an African language. This for me is a great picture of what doula support is; a walking stick for women in this pregnancy and birth journey.
A birth doula (generally) provides emotional, physical and informational support but is not a primary care provider. In my opinion, doulas take the role of what our friends and sisters used to provide. We are all now so disconnected from community support and the natural rhythm of the childbearing year that we now need professional doulas to walk through this time. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t great support! Doulas don’t have any big picture governing board or requirements, but many doula trainings push being certified to promote professionalism in the trade.
Why we (especially as women) feel the need to have certification to do what we know we can do. Why are we dependent on someone else’s stamp of approval to offer the support we know we can.
I admit that I’m nuts!
Postpartum doulas - they provide a wide range of support in the postpartum time, from the more mundane (laundry, dishes, hold the baby so you can shower, listening), to the specific and healing practices (postpartum massage, cooking, heat treatments, digestion support and evaluation). It seem like there are some trainings that teach you more how to be the helpful friend next door, and some that go deeper into trainman healing professionals for the postpartum period. (Sacred Window Studies that I studied with falls into this second category.)
Regardless of what someone calls themselves, find someone who feels right to you. Someone who feels aligned with your core values and beliefs, and offer the care that feels most nourishing to you. These labels and certifications may or may not be helpful in this process.
So what does this mean if can’t find someone to support your birth that feels right for you? Get creative! Call it in! Open your field to beyond the labels you were previously looking through. And you might have to travel or come up with some alternative solution. But please, don’t settle for a care provider that you don’t really feel comfortable with.
 
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Mentioned in the show:
 
Indie Birth
Margo's reel about settling with care providers
Sacred Window Studies' Conscious Postpartum Caregivers Program
 My Postpartum Cooking offering
 
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Thanks for listening!
If you’re enjoying our show, please leave us a rating and review!
If you have anything you want to hear more about, or any questions you'd like us to address, please reach out at catskillsbirthcollective@gmail.com. We welcome your feedback. 
 
Make sure you are following us on Instagram @catskillsbirthcollective for more musings and information on wholistic pregnancy, physiological birth, and intuitive motherhood.
 
If you’re local, we’d love to see you at our monthly prenatal and mother circles!