Birth Matters Podcast, Ep 62 - A Wellness Practitioner’s Early Induction for HELLP Syndrome

A yoga teacher & clinical nutritionist shares her firstborn's birth story. Jennifer had hoped to have a peaceful, unmedicated birth with a midwfie, but the fact that she developed HELLP syndrome in late pregnancy required an emergency induction. When presented with what felt like an unrealistic deadline to give birth vaginally, she and baby defeat the odds and successfully accomplish just that.

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Birth Matters Podcast, Ep 59 - Reframing a Challenging Vaginal Birth

Manhattan couple Jen & Zach share their son’s birth story. Desperate to avoid induction, having sex seems to do the trick and Jen’s water breaks. When they show up to the hospital hoping to just confirm the water broke and go home, they get checked into the hospital. While Jen does get to have the vaginal birth she hoped for, most of her other birth preferences require adjustment — including getting a different OB and doula than planned as well as several interventions she had hoped to avoid being used. As a Jewish couple, they’ll also describe their son’s bris.

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Birth Matters Podcast, Ep 56 - Fertility Doula & 2 IVF Birth Stories (Pt 2)

Today we continue our fertility journey series and share the second part of fertility doula Alison Wehr’s 2 IVF and birth stories. Alison’s second path to conception was a smoother one; today she shares how quickly IVF worked this time around, how she wasn’t nearly as anxious this time, and will detail her second born’s birth story that started with her water breaking a few days before her estimated due date. After she shares her son’s birth story, she discusses how she got into fertility doula as well as birth and postpartum work.

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Birth Matters Podcast, Ep 55 - Fertility Doula & 2 IVF Birth Stories (Pt 1)

In this and next week's episode, birth & fertility doula Alison Wehr shares stories of her two babies’ IVF conception and birth stories. *Trigger alert: this first part includes some stories of loss in the process of trying to conceive.* She spends early labor at a Broadway play with her husband and then shares about a post-Hurricane Sandy blackout just after they came home with baby.

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