The Tranquility Tribe Podcast

Inductions are one of the most common interventions when it comes to birthing a baby. Some people welcome inductions, and some want to avoid it at all cost! Today,  I am joined by Certified Nurse Midwife, Becca Helie, to discuss inductions, the methods in which you can be induced, and how to evaluate the risks and benefits of each option. Becca and I are going to dive into 'failed inductions,' too. Did you know that you may go in for an induction and not leave with a baby? Meaning that your body was not receptive to being induced, so it 'failed.' This is *NOT* a reason for an automatic c-section!!! If you are headed into an induction, this is an episode that you will not want to miss!  Connect with Becca on IG: @becca_helie_cnm   To learn more ways to take control of your birth experience: www.thebirthlounge.com

Today I am sharing the 7 tools that will change your breastfeeding life! Feeding your baby can be tough--cracked nipples, mastitis, clogged ducts, over supply, undersupply! This list goes on and on! The tools I share in this episode will aid in a smooth feeding journey for you and your baby. I'm going to share why I chose these specific things and when you would use them!    You can find all the products I mention here!    Join The Birth Lounge here! *If doors are closed, join the waitlist! We have flash sales randomly and you'll want to be the first to know! 

In today's episode, HeHe is joined by Certified Nurse Midwife, Skyler Jacobs, to discuss how the current US postpartum care schedule sorely fails birthing people in getting them appropriate support after having a baby! Skyler is a big proponent of every birthing person getting a 2-week follow-up in addition to the expected 6-week check-up! We chat about how beneficial both visits would be and for different reasons. At the 2-week appointment, Skyler shares that providers would be assessing totally different things than at the 6-week appointment. She even shares how you can have a conversation with your provider to inquire if this may be an option for you!    Shop Well + Worthy Co (15% off with code: TBHL15 ): www.wellandworthyco.com Join The Birth Lounge: www.thebirthlounge.com  

I recently attended a birth where the provider was forcibly suggesting that my client allow for an IV hep-lock to be placed. The issue arose when my client asked if there was any medical reason to have the IV placed at that time and the provider began to spew fear-based rhetoric and painted the picture (actually, just confirmed) that the placement of an IV was 'just in case' something bad happened there would already be easy IV access. In this episode, I dive into the legality of this interaction, how we navigated it, the outcome of the IV situation + the outcome of the birth! We teach you how to have these tough conversations with your providers AND share all the research you need to make your birth plan as ideal as possible!    Join the waitlist for The Birth Lounge: www.TheBirthLounge.com/waitlist

Let’s rewind the clock—and I means AGES— I want to talk about how we used to birth—before we moved it to hospitals. Lets go all the way back to how physiological birth is expected to work. Today, Katelyn Fusco, Host of Happy Homebirth Podcast, is going HeHe to chat about home birth and how birth has transformed over the years. Katelyn is sharing who is right for home birth and the top home birth myths. We are also diving into stickier topics like the business side of birth and how legislation can impact women’s health. We shine a spotlight on consent and continuity of care as well. If you are an expecting parent, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew about birth. Buckle up, my friend, we are about to embark on a life-changing conversation!    BOOKS MENTIONED:  Dr brad bootstaylor —book: Shared decision making https://amzn.to/3lTUflE   Tina Cassidy— book: Birth, The Surprising History of How We are Born https://amzn.to/3dxGHcY     PODCAST MENTIONED: https://podcasts.apple.com/u

Today is all about inductions and how to know if you are a 'good candidate' for one. HeHe is diving into a tool that the women's health field uses to rate a a pregnant person’s cervix in order to determine their readiness for induction. The original Bishop score (Developed by Dr. Bishop, OBGYN in 1964)  is based on 5 criteria: dilation, effacement, station of baby, position of cervix, consistency of cervix. Since it's creation, there has been a simplified Bishop score that has come along and HeHe is going to share the differences. Interestingly enough, it is not a great tool for people who have had a baby before. It is a flawed tool, but it is the best we have at the moment.³ It does a pretty good job of indicating your body’s receptivity to a medical induction. This is definitely a tool to be aware of and to know your personal boundaries of what you consider a good number to induce your body. Remember consent is a discussion with your provider--make sure that is being done around the topic of induction espec

This episode is all about your child’s physical development in the first year of life! Pediatric Physical Therapist, Kara Masse, joins HeHe on the show to take about muscle development, rolling, crawling, and walking! What if your child’s physical development appears to be behind? What constitutes behind? Where do you go from there? What specialists do you see? Can you self refer? Kara is sharing all the deets so parents can be proactive in protecting and supporting your child’s physical development in those months where they grow rapidly! We are going to end on the note of how to avoid setting adult expectations for your baby!    Join The Birth Lounge: www.thebirthlounge.com/join   Instagram: @the.birth.lounge and @tranquilitybyhehe

Inside The Birth Lounge, HeHe does a weekly group prenatal visit with our members! We chat about all things pregnancy, planning for birth, and preparing for postpartum. This week's episode of The Birth Lounge Podcast is a blurb from last week's prenatal inside the membership! After supporting over 200 birthing people, HeHe has a keen eye for things that hinder the birth process and disrupt the birthing space. She is sharing how nurses can sometimes unknowingly be perpetuating the patriarchy and stripping birthing folks of their power in doing so. This is an eye-opening episode to say the least!    The Birth Lounge: www.TheBirthLounnge.com

Today’s guest is a dear friend of mine and a fitness expert specializing in prenatal and postnatal corrective exercise! Kayla Mehr, Founder of Your Fit Mom, is joining HeHe in an episode that is getting down and dirty about the truth of exercise in pregnancy and postpartum! Kayla is sharing how to determine who is qualified to help support your fitness goals during pregnancy (an unqualified instructor can seriously hurt you and your baby!), the top workout myths, and the best fitness routines to help you prepare for labor! We also dive into easing back into postpartum fitness, how to make c-section modifications, and Kayla’s opinion on Belly Bands! This episode is one you won’t want to miss!    Work with Kayla: https://www.yourfitmom.com   The Birth Lounge: https://www.thebirthlounge.com

When people check in with us, it's generally done with good intention, but sometimes "checking in" can do more harm than good! There are multiple places in women's health and birth work where this rings true! When it comes to checking in with a pregnant person at the end of their pregnancy, it can be tricky! You can easily cross into the territory of annoying, overwhelming, and sometimes infuriating. What if I told you that cervical checks in the end of pregnancy aren't always evidence based? As in, 'checking in' on your cervix regularly can be counterproductive to your birth goals! I'm sharing my full list of places where humans "checking in" needs to be reconsidered and a new standard of practice needs to be created!    Learn more about the science behind common birth practices at blog.thebirthlounge.com   You can join The Birth Lounge here! 

Have you ever heard the term “obstetrical violence” and wondered what it meant? Or maybe you envisioned this blatant act of disrespect or an assault of sorts. These are both examples of obstetrical violence, but is another side to it, too. A sneaky side. Today’s episode is going to share a few instances of medical manipulation in the birth room that were silent and coy and draped in not-so-graceful wordsmithing from providers. I am sitting down with Tranquility by HeHe team member and doula, Caitlin LeBeau, to chat about the things we have witnessed in labor and delivery rooms across the nation. Some cases are blatantly  obvious and some cases are as covert as 007 himself. Note to listener: we do not give traumatic recounts of these instances. You need not be worried about hearing content that may cause trauma. Nonetheless, this episode is focused on obstetrical violence so listener discretion advised.   To learn your rights as a birthing person and understand how to protect yourself during your birth exper

Inside The Birth Lounge, I teach my Secret Sauce to Pushing. Part of that formula is based on your baby's position in your pelvis! I actively advise against what's called 'directed pushing,' where birthing people are told how and when to push (primarily talking about unmedicated births). It is not new that directed pushing can be less effective than letting the birthing person push with their body, but what about being told not to push? Nurses are notorious for saying 'don't push' for this reason or that. (This is obviously not applicable to all nurses and is a generalization.) Whether it be that you are not fully 10cm dilated yet or the doctor isn't in the room, your body is telling you to push. I am diving into the science behind this urge to push and what you should do when you feel it!    Sources: Longer labor times with directed pushing: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871519218304025 EPU: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0266613812001805 Dilation: https

  Today’s episode is all about planning for the unexpected parts of postpartum! HeHe is joined by MaMa MD, Ariana Within, to dive into how to thrive (not just survive) in the weeks right after birth! Postpartum is often feels like one of the most isolating times in a parents life, so how can you feel empowered during such a challenging space in life? Shifting the perspective to how amazing postpartum women are is huge in this—we grew and birthed a baby and now are keeping that baby alone! Shifting the way you think about productivity, prioritizing needs, and asking for help can make an incredible difference, too! Ariana is here to share that you have control over how your postpartum period goes with the proper planning! We talk about the importance of community and communication plus how important it is to reign in the negative self-talk that can cause ‘comparisonitis!’ Join us for this honest conversation about what life after birth looks like!    Ariana”s Website: arianawitkin.com. IG: @arianawitkinmd

Everyone in the birth room has a job—your provider, your nurse, your partner, and you…but, what does your job really look like? Probably different than you think if your goal is to have your dream birth! Deep breathing and movement, sure, but what’s your ultimate job? To stay in control. Today’s episode is going to share with you the number one responsibility that a birthing person has to keep their birth on track! You have so much control and this one tip will make sure you don’t have over control at any point during your labor experience!    Join The Birth Lounge: www.thebirthlounge.com/join  

Today, HeHe is joined by Ginny Parham, a Period Coach who help women with bed bound periods turn them into kick ass periods so they can live their lives to the fullest. She created the 90-Day Pain-Free Period Method that changed my life and I want to share it with you!! Ginny is going to break down the basic understanding of our menstrual cycle plus quick, simple switches you can do in your home to better support your hormones and having a healthier period. ! The fluctuations of your hormones each month will impact everything—your sleep, you mental clarity, your anxiety, your appetite, and your ovulation! We are diving into the length, color, odor, and flow of a typical period , plus how to know if your period is ‘normal.” Ginny is also going to share what we need to know about birth control and how this impacts our menstrual cycles (and our brains!) on a hormonal level. This is for anyone who has a period or knows someone with a period!     Mentioned: EWG app (Clean 15 and dirty dozen)   The Birth Lounge

Do you really need childbirth education classes? Wondering if you can get all the information you need for a good birth by reading books and taking a one-hour online course? This largely depends on how you define 'good birth." This episode is breaking down exactly how to decipher what the best way to prepare for your birth might be! HeHe is going to share the 7 slippery slopes of birth that is taught in The Birth Lounge. These are the seven most common places where folks slip down the slippery slope of losing control in labor! If your goal is to have an informed and confident birth, then this episode will show you exactly how to do that!    Join The Birth Lounge: www.thebirthlounge.com/join  Free Masterclass: www.thebirthlounge.com/youridealbirth  

Did you know that 98% of all feminine care products has at least 1 toxic ingredient? That's scary! Healthy products are my jam! I’m always looking out for things like fragrances and perfumes in products around my house. I’m a big fan of Thinx instead of traditional period products because of the bleach and parabens and hormone disruptors…We store our food in glass containers and use eco friendly detergent. So, it should be no surprise that you sexual health is important to me too! Especially in pregnancy & postpartum! Rebecca Alvarez Story earned her BA in Women’s Health & Sexuality from UC Berkeley and her MA in Sexuality Studies from San Francisco State and is the founder of The Bloomi. She is joining me to dive deep into what’s wrong with traditional sexual wellness products, how to spot harmful ingredients and false labeling, and what you need to know about long term effects of these issues in sexual wellness and women’s health!    The Bloomi: https://thebloomi.com    The Banned List: https://

Its ironic because Nubain isn't a pill at all--it's an IV narcotic! Do you know your pain relief options during labor? Like, really know them? There are so many more options than just unmedicated birth and epidural birth. Depending on where you choose to give birth, you will have a variety of pain relief options, both natural and medical. There is always a forgotten option that is truly magical and that is Nubain/Staidol. We are going to dive into this option so you can feel confident to have a discussion with your provider about it's availability and any rules you need to know about its use at your particular place of birth! If you are on the fence about what pain relief option is best for you or you are still exploring your pain relief options, this episode is a must-listen!   The Birth Lounge:https://www.thebirthlounge.com Free Birth Prep: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/youridealbirth   Resources: https://americanpregnancy.org/labor-and-birth/narcotics-for-pain-during-labor-849   https://evidenceba

One of the best ways to empower yourself is to dive in head first. Go searching for various birth stories, for various birth approaches, for various pain relief options. Do your research and, in that, you will find your power. In this episode, HeHe is breaking down why you need to allow people to challenge you on your ideas of birth and what your ideal birth looks like. When someone challenges you, be open to thinking, "what if?" This simple question will allow you to find a deeper comfort in your choices or will allow you to explore other options you have and may not have been aware of. Birth can look and transpire in a million different ways and you deserve to know the options.   Join The Birth Lounge: www.TheBirthLounge.com/join   I have a FREE MASTERCLASS for you! Less than 1 hour and jam packed with helpful tips to having an informed and confident birth experience: www.thebirthlounge.com/youridealbirth

Today on The Birth Lounge Podcast, I am joined by Rebekkah Tran, mom of twins, to share about one of her twins’ journey with Plagiocephaly! Rebekkah is sharing the first signs that she noticed, what her first action steps were, and what she has learned along the way of advocating for her child for a “silent” and “cosmetic” condition. There is ZERO education around this for parents before their baby is born and if you do find yourself needing support on the subject, Rebekkah explains how challenging that can be! It’s intentionally designed by nature that your baby’s head is not fused at birth! But, some babies can have variations of Plagiocephaly that causes their skull to fuse before birth which can lead to complications. At their pediatrician appointment, Rebekkah voiced her concerns and was essentially told to do some minimal impact exercises at home (stretching, being intentional with what side she placed toys, etc) and “wait it out.” After months of discussion with the pediatrician but to no avail and fee