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
#272 | Nancy Wainer, CPM and Pioneer of the VBAC, Shares Her Journey from Mother to Midwife
This episode has been a long time coming and is finally here! Meet Nancy Wainer, the legendary woman who began the Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) movement. Not only did Nancy coin …
#271 | June Q&A: Boundaries When Pregnant, Pre-eclampsia & AROM, Mobile Monitoring, Posterior Babies & Pelvic Shape, Placenta Consumption for PPH
Welcome to the June Q&A with Cynthia and Trisha! Today, we start the episode with all the romantic, hilarious, and random ways our community met their spouses, and we finish the episode…
#270 | Trusting Birth: The Journey From Maiden to Mother with Lea @trusting_birth
Can you imagine giving birth without ever "checking on" your baby? Without a test, an ultrasound, a need for reassurance from others that your baby is okay? And, what does it mean to cr…
#269 | Healing, Protecting, and Restoring Your Pelvic Floor with Dr. Lizzie Kieffer
Dr. Lizzie Kieffer is a doctorate of physical therapy with a specialty practice in women's pelvic floor health. She joins us today to let us in on the little-known secret to protecting…
#268 | Navigating Infant Food Reactivity in the Breastfed Baby with Dr. Trill @Free.To.Feed
Dr. Trillitye Paullin is a molecular biologist and founder of Free to Feed, a consultation service for navigating infant food reactivity in breastfeeding dyads. Today, Dr. Trill joins u…
#267 | May Q&A: Pre-eclampsia & Gestational Diabetes, Steroids for Pre-Term Labor, Declining the Anatomy Scan, IM vs. IV Pitocin, Preventing Mastitis
Hello everyone! Cynthia and Trisha are back with the May Q&A episode. Today, we kick it off with an enlightening discussion on the worst parenting advice you have ever received--here's …
#266 | The ARRIVE Trial Reaches Overseas: Birth Culture in France with Nicola Thompson and Her Daughter
Today's episode is a four-way conversation between us and a mother and daughter who are living in France. Nicola Thompson is a former L&D nurse of 30 years who worked in the U.S., and i…
#265 | The Art of Hands-Off Birth with Beautiful One Midwifery
Tiffany and Kelly of Beautiful One Midwifery are a midwife team in California who both began their birth work as doulas. As a result, they designed their practice from a hands-off, han…
#264 | Breastfeeding Q&A: Pacifiers, Pumping, Bottles, Domperidone & IGT, Flat Nipples, Weaning and Breast Implants
Welcome to our first breastfeeding-only Q&A with Trisha & Cynthia. Trisha is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant with thousands of hours of …
#263 | Amanda's Good Birth Despite Abandonment, Harassment and Threats
Amanda Holden was planning a home birth with her first baby, having hired a midwife she loved. When she reached 42 weeks, her midwife terminated her care abruptly, due to Colorado state…
#262 | April Q&A: Prenatal Vitamins, Premature Rupture of Membranes, Painless Breech Birth, Precipitous Labor, HypnoBirthing, Prenatal Hypertension
Welcome to the April Q&A episode with Cynthia & Trisha. Today, we invite you to guess the two things that Cynthia and Trisha will never talk about on the podcast. Hint: They are not sca…
#261 | Emma the Naked Doula on Pleasurable, Orgasmic Birth and Her New Book
Emma Armstrong, author of The Fearless Birth Book, and Instagram birth influencer at @thenakeddoulaofficial, joins us today to delve into the meaning of pleasurable birth. We ask the q…
#260 | Triplets at Home! With Traditional Midwife Kristine Lauria @globalmidwife64
You won't find an obstetrician anywhere in the United States who will birth triplets vaginally in the hospital, but today you'll hear the story of traditional midwife Kristine Lauria wh…
#259 | Resisting Coercion: Carolyn Marrone's Story of a Miscalculated Due Date and Standing Up To Pushy Providers
When Carolyn was pregnant with her first baby, she went past her "due date." After declining an induction at 41+6, her doctor questioned her integrity as a mother, stating, "I am surpri…
#258 | March Q&A: Implants & Breastfeeding, Giving Birth Advice, Ultrasounds, Newborn Transition in Waterbirthing, Posterior Babies, Family Boundaries
We are back with the March Q&A episode with Cynthia & Trisha. We kick off today's episode with an unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime story of an OB who holds off a mother's pushing to ti…
#257 | Labor & Delivery Nurses' Roundtable: How Their Hands are Tied to Doctors' Orders
In today's episode, three current and former L&D nurses join us in a roundtable-style conversation to share their behind-the-scenes experiences on the L&D floor. These three women get r…
#256 | Transforming Your Hospital Birth Experience with Taylor Dilk @taychayy
Like many mothers, Taylor Chamberlain Dilk had no idea where to begin in preparing for childbirth. Lucky for her she has a large social media presence and requested recommendations from…
#255 | What's Up with Intrauterine Growth Restriction: An Off-the-Record-Style Conversation with Dr. Stu Fischbein
In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Stu Fischbein for his third appearance on Down to Birth Show. We start the conversation by catching up on some of the latest problems occurring on …
#254 | February Q&A: Vomiting in Labor, Cord Traction, Pacifiers, Probiotics and Plugged Ducts, Breast Milkshake, PPH, Bicornuate Uterus
Welcome to the February Q&A with Cynthia & Trisha. To kick things off, we share some of your New Year's Resolutions--don't miss this as Trisha makes Cynthia momentarily speechless! Next…
#253 | The ACOG Files: Exploring the Guidelines That Support Physiologic Birth
In today's episode, Cynthia and Trisha break down some of the current guidelines published by ACOG (the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists). You'll see many of these guid…