Down to Birth
Join Cynthia Overgard and Trisha Ludwig once per week for evidence-based straight talk on pregnancy, birth and postpartum --- beyond the clichés and beyond the system. With 40 years' combined experience in midwifery, childbirth education and advocacy, publishing, research and postpartum care, we've guided thousands of families toward safer, more empowered choices. Down to Birth is all about safe childbirth, while recognizing a safe outcome isn't all that matters. We challenge the status quo, explore women's rights in childbirth, and feature women from all over the world, shining shine light on the policies, culture, and systemic forces that shape our most intimate and transformative of life experiences. You'll hear the birth stories of our clients, listeners and numerous celebrities. You'll benefit from our expert-interviews, and at any time you can submit your questions for our monthly Q&A episodes by calling us at 802-GET-DOWN. With millions of downloads and listeners in 90 countries, our worldwide community of parents and birth professionals coms together to learn, question and create change, personally and societally. We're on Instagram at @downtobirthshow and at Patreon.com/downtobirthshow, where we offer live ongoing events multiple times per month. Become informed, feel empowered, and join the movement toward better maternity care in the United States and worldwide. As always, hear everyone, listen to yourself.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 39 minutes
- Episodes
- 337
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
#16 | March Q&A: COVID-19 Update for Expecting Parents, Uterine Scars & Childbirth, When Your Partner's Birth Plan Differs from Yours, Taking Hot Baths & Sleep Positions in Pregnancy, Missing Out on the Golden Hour Postpartum
Before we get into our regular Q&A episode, we bring you the current information we have on COVID-19 and its impact on pregnancy and breastfeeding. After reviewing the information from …
#15 | Julia's Birth Story: When Bonding Doesn't Happen
If you look up Julia Dzafic’s blog, Lemon Stripes, you’ll find a vibrant young mother sharing her tips on fashion, decor, motherhood, and lifestyle. But today on the podcast, Julia shar…
#14 | Roundtable: Mothers of Stillbirth and What They Can Teach Us
Stillbirth is defined as the loss of a baby between 20 weeks' gestation and birth. Globally 1 in 160 expecting families experience stillbirth, and that incidence is ever greater in the …
#13 | Is Your Provider Right For You? The First Three Questions to Ask.
The person we choose to attend our birth is one of the most impactful decisions we can make. Unfortunately, all too often the decision is made by default, choosing our gynecologist or o…
#12 | February Q&A: The Banned Frida Mom Ad, Weaning, Ideal Intervals Between Babies, Being High-Risk, High-Lipase Breast Milk, Eating vs. Vomiting in Labor
Let's talk about the Frida Mom ad depicting the real truth of a newly postpartum mom, which was banned from airing during the Oscars. Then, what's a mother to do when the pediatrician i…
#11 | Building Community and Trusting Ourselves as Parents: Interview with Award-Winning Author Peggy O'Mara
Peggy O’Mara has been a role model and icon for generations of mothers, including us. As an award-winning author and journalist and the owner of Mothering magazine, Peggy became the voi…
#10 | Cynthia's First Birth Story: Taking Charge of Giving Birth
The story of Cynthia's first birth has been published internationally in various print media between 2007 and 2020, under the the original title Off Her Back and, later, Taking Charge o…
#9 | Birth Plan 101: Evidence Based Birth as the Safest, Smartest Approach
"Can I just say 'No' to an episiotomy? Do I have to give birth on my back? I want to be free to walk around in labor. I don't want to be hooked up to an IV. I believe in skin-to-skin co…
#8 | Q & A: Waterbirthing, Postpartum Anxiety, Breastfeeding, Velamentous Cords, Self-Advocacy, & When To Go To The Hospital
It’s time for more Q&A! Today we talk about considerations around water birthing, dealing with your feelings around students/interns providing your care, when and how to introduce a bot…
#7 | Jessica's Birth Story: A Footling Breech Baby Coming Through
It isn't often we hear stories of women who change providers when their baby is full-term. At her 39 week check-up, Jessica learned her baby was breech...feet first!
After facing an impe…
#6 | Amazing Husband Syndrome
Every week, Cynthia and Trisha moderate a postpartum support group, where women gain validation and unique insight into one another's thoughts, experiences and comments. Over time, it's…
#5 | Preterm Babies & the Case for Midwifery Care: Interview with Midwife/Author Amy Romano
Certified Nurse Midwife and award-winning author of Optimal Care in Childbirth: The Case for a Physiologic Approach, Amy Romano, joins us today to share dramatic trends ranging from phy…
#4 | Q & A: Induction, Due Dates, Placenta Previa, Glucose Drink, Ultrasound & Baby's Size, Plugged Ducts, Family Boundaries
Tune in to our first Q & A session where Cynthia and Trisha offer their thoughts on your questions: to induce or to wait at 41 weeks, alternatives to the one hour glucose tolerance test…
#3 | Roundtable: Postpartum Moms on Isolation, Anxiety, Sex, and Marriage
Today's episode was recorded on location at HypnoBirthing of CT in Westport, where we brought together three women between 8 and 16 months postpartum to reflect on their experiences. Yo…
#2 | Lee's Birth Story: A 42-year-old Mother's Fast, Unplanned Home-Birth
Today on the podcast we're debuting our Birth Stories segment with an incredible account of a woman whose planned hospital birth had a plan of its own. Lee is here today to share her re…
#1 | Is A Healthy Mother & Baby All That Matters?
Tune in to our very first episode where Cynthia, Trisha, and Zuzana talk about how they met and why they do what they do. They discuss the significance of birth choices and why a health…
Trailer: Let's Get Down!
Please join us and share with your pregnant and postpartum friends!
Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the…