Father's Day Special: The Men Behind the Doulas

Father's Day Special: The Men Behind the Doulas

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461216/fan_mail/new] The phone rings at 2 a.m. and suddenly everyone’s plans, sleep, and schedules change. That’s the reality of on-call doula life, and for Father’s Day we hand the mic to the people who live beside it: our husbands. They share the parts nobody puts on an Instagram highlight reel, from missed dinners and middle-of-the-night wakeups to the strange feeling of being a “birth widow” when your partner disappears into a long labor support shift.  We talk about what surprised them most, what they thought a doula was before this work entered our home, and how the job changes family life even when kids are older. You’ll hear funny stories about rushing out the door, the “professional voice” that turns on the second a client calls, and the very real truth that birth work is not just about the birth. Postpartum reality, community building, and ongoing support are a huge part of what doulas do, and our partners see that up close.  We also dig into common misconceptions about doulas, including the idea that doula support is only for people without strong partners. Our take is clear: a great birth doula helps the whole team, including the partner, by bringing calm, education, and steady emotional support. If you’re a doula, midwife, birth photographer, postpartum doula, or a partner trying to understand this world, you’ll leave with language, perspective, and practical ways to support each other without burning out.  If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a birth worker or a supportive partner, and leave a review so more families can find the show. Thanks for listening!  Always feel free to message us for more information or, if you have information you feel we should see, please send that. We LOVE to hear and learn from you!

PROM Without Panic: Hollywood Lied To You

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461216/fan_mail/new] Your water breaks, you freeze, and your brain immediately plays the movie version of birth. We get it, because PROM (prelabor rupture of membranes) is one of the most misunderstood ways labor can begin. We’re Misty and Tammy, two doulas who see this all the time, and we’re here to replace panic with a clear plan and evidence-based context. We unpack what PROM actually means at term, how often it really happens, and the biggest surprise for first-time parents: contractions do not always start right away. We talk through timelines we see in real life, plus the data we lean on, including the Term PROM study and what it suggests about waiting for labor versus choosing induction. We also explain why providers worry about infection after the waters rupture, what monitoring typically includes, and how your GBS status can change the recommendation. Then we get practical. We share our COAT checklist (color, odor, amount, time), the red flags that mean “go in,” and the simple pad and rest trick that helps answer the classic question, “Is this my water or did I pee?” We also cover what to avoid after PROM, why unnecessary cervical checks can increase infection risk, and how protocols can differ at a hospital, birth center, or home birth. Our goal is shared decision making, where you know your options and you still get to lead. If this helped you feel steadier, subscribe, share it with a pregnant friend, and leave a review so more families can find calm, clear birth education. Questions to ask your provider about PROM: 1. What are my options? 2. What are the benefits of induction in my situation? 3. What are the benefits and risks of waiting? 4. What signs of infection should I watch for? 5. How does my GBS status affect the recommendation? 6. How will baby and I be monitored? Evidence Based Birth handout on PROM [https://evidencebasedbirth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/PROM-Handout.pdf?shem=rimspwouoe,] TERMPROM Study [https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199604183341601] Instagram Reel, DON'T PANIC! [https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgIzJMhDxPd/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet] Thanks for listening!  Always feel free to message us for more information or, if you have information you feel we should see, please send that. We LOVE to hear and learn from you!

Meet Lauren: A Vaginal Breech Birth & Introducing Full Circle Birth Collective

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461216/fan_mail/new] We sit down with our business partner, Lauren, to demystify breech birth, explain why it’s not automatically an emergency, and name the real reasons families feel pushed into one path. We share Lauren’s personal breech story, talk through ECV and provider training gaps, and come back to informed consent and what it means to feel safe while making birth decisions.  • who Lauren is and why breech birth shaped her path into doula work  • what “breech” means and why the panic is often bigger than the facts  • how vaginal breech birth became rare as training and support declined  • what an ECV is and how it’s typically done • the stress of being late in pregnancy and suddenly losing your planned setting  • why choice matters and how different families carry different risk thresholds  • how we think about safety, support, and provider willingness in any birth plan  • specialty consults, breech consults, and finding reliable resources  AND....our official announcement of Full Circle Birth Collective! If you love this episode, like it, share it, tag it, leave a review.  And if you know somebody who’s navigating pregnancy and maybe they just found out their baby is breach, please share this with them.  The Birth Hour [https://thebirthhour.com/advocating-for-a-vaginal-breech-birth/](Lauren's full birth story) MamasteFit [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birth-story-15-laurens-vaginal-breech-birth/id1676328336?i=1000624840168] (Lauren's full birth story) Breech Without Borders [https://www.breechwithoutborders.org/directory/](Find a breech provider & learn more about breech birth) Full Circle Birth Collective website [https://www.fullcirclebirthco.com/](Lauren's 1:1 breech consult) Thanks for listening!  Always feel free to message us for more information or, if you have information you feel we should see, please send that. We LOVE to hear and learn from you!

Preparing For Birth: Beyond the Hospital Bag

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461216/fan_mail/new] We talk physical birth preparation that works for medicated and unmedicated labor: everyday movement that meets your body where it is, yoga ball posture habits, hip mobility, and why we love Spinning Babies for balance and space rather than “moving” baby. We also get specific about hydration and electrolytes, especially for dry climates like Denver, and why rest is not laziness but part of training for the marathon of labor. Then we talk how pelvic floor work can help with pushing, breathing, and even back and hip pain. Mental and emotional birth preparation matters just as much. We unpack the fear tension pain cycle, how to protect your headspace from horror stories, and how to choose the right people in your birth room so you feel safe being vulnerable. Finally, we compare coping tools for unmedicated birth like counterpressure, hydrotherapy, TENS units, and labor combs with pain management options like epidurals and nitrous, plus the truth that positioning and movement still matter either way. If this helped you feel more grounded, subscribe, share it with a pregnant friend, and leave a quick review so more families can find practical birth education that doesn’t trade on fear. Spinning Babies Daily Essentials [https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/daily-activities/] Mamaste Fit Birth Prep [https://mamastefit.com/the-mamastefit-birth-prep-circuit/] Briget Teyler YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RACaToXf8jU] Misty's PT [https://www.jeenhealth.com/](located in Parker, Co.) Birth Ball [https://a.co/d/0dreJUFA] Positive Birth Stories [https://www.mamanatural.com/birth-stories/] Christian Hypnobirthing [https://www.christianhypnobirthing.com/] Thanks for listening!  Always feel free to message us for more information or, if you have information you feel we should see, please send that. We LOVE to hear and learn from you!

Midwife Or OB? What You Need To Know

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2461216/fan_mail/new] Midwife or OB? Most parents don’t realize they’re choosing more than a title, they’re choosing a care model. We’re Misty and Tammy, two doulas who spend a lot of time in hospital birth rooms, and we keep getting the same question: what’s the real difference between hospital-based midwives and obstetricians during pregnancy and labor, and how do you know which one is right for you? We walk through it with nuance, because we’ve worked with amazing providers on both sides.  We talk about what changes in prenatal visits, including time, education, and how thoroughly options get explained. We unpack how CNMs are trained, why bedside communication can feel different, and how labor support often shifts depending on whether the mindset is “manage labor” or “let labor unfold.” You’ll also hear our on-the-ground perspective on inductions, epidurals, pushing positions, and intermittent versus continuous monitoring, plus why personality fit matters so much when you’re at your most vulnerable.  Then we get practical with a list of questions to bring to any provider: how they feel about inductions and their cutoff dates, what they do when labor stalls, what their C-section rate means in context, who will actually deliver your baby, and how they work with doulas. The biggest takeaway: there’s no single right answer, but you do deserve to feel safe, respected, and informed and you can change your mind if you don’t. Subscribe, share this with a newly pregnant friend, and leave a review with the question you wish you’d asked sooner. Thanks for listening!  Always feel free to message us for more information or, if you have information you feel we should see, please send that. We LOVE to hear and learn from you!