Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond

Obstetricians and Normal Childbirth.Normalising a deviation from normal, in any field, directs the baseline off track, misleads us as to what normal is and sets us on a course that becomes very difficult to correct the further down the track we go. When we normalise trauma, we no longer see it. When we normalise bad behaviour, it becomes less apparent and when we normalise a deviation from normal physiology it confuses everyone involved. So what happens when we normalise deviating from normal physiology? When practices such as routine episiotomy (or when the vulva leading to the vaginal passageway is cut open because of a belief that that the tissues cannot or will not expand by themselves), routine induction of labour (thats when a person giving birth, overwhelmingly women, are told that their bodies will be better off being forced to go into labour rather than initiating the process of physiological labour itself), when in Australia one third of babies are born through major abdominal surgery and in some hospitals in Brazil there is an 85% cesarean section rate? What happens when a deviation from the normal physiological process of childbirth - that’s when a complex living organism separates itself from another complex living organism which has been growing inside it for ten months, what happens when this occurs? Well, we don’t know the full extent of the impacts of these deviations individually or as a whole, short term and long term. But what we do know is that much unnecessary suffering occurs along the way, for everyone involved. Even, for those that are not aware of it. In my interview with Dr Fischbein he discusses his incredible journey into becoming LA’s ONLY homebirth Obstetrician and how in a country that is leading in mechanical, managed and assisted childbirth, he practices good old fashioned sticking to the blueprint. If you have any questions about this interview or our work at PBB Media, shoot us a line at hello@pbbmedia.org.Some fun facts:> In the Netherland over 15% of babies are born at home.> In Australia 98% of women labour and birth in the hospital, 1.5% in a birth centre or on the side of the road and 0.5% at home. > In Brazil, some hospitals have an 85% Cesarean Section rate.> If you live in America or the UK and you are a black woman you are five times more likely to die during or not long after childbirth. > The US has a 31% C section rate, Australia has 34% rate (that's 1 in3!). New Zealand babies are 1 in 4 with a 25.9% rate. > 1 in 3 women in the Australia and the UK will have their labour induced.> Induction of labour for selected women giving birth for the first time in Australia in 2017 - 43.1%> 78% of Australian mothers who gave birth in 2016 had pain relief. That’s almost 4 out of 5 women. 36% of these were epidurals. > The C section rate in Finland, Iceland and Norway stay steady at around 15% (with increasing age of pregnant mothers, diabetes and other diseases). “You would never do to another mammal what you do to a human female.. no other mammal would labour like that, they would get up and run away”.Find Dr Stu here: www.birthinginstincts.comLinksWHO Statement on Cesarean Section rates: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/161442/WHO_RHR_15.02_eng.pdf;jsessionid=FE71548F72C15166C4C9D770D1F41C11?sequence=1C Section Rates around the world (article, Belly Belly): https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/highest-c-section-rates-by-country/AIHW (Australian statistics on...

Obstetricians and Normal Childbirth.Normalising a deviation from normal, in any field, directs the baseline off track, misleads us as to what normal is and sets us on a course that becomes very difficult to correct the further down the track we go. When we normalise trauma, we no longer see it. When we normalise bad behaviour, it becomes less apparent and when we normalise a deviation from normal physiology it confuses everyone involved. So what happens when we normalise deviating from normal physiology? When practices such as routine episiotomy (or when the vulva leading to the vaginal passageway is cut open because of a belief that that the tissues cannot or will not expand by themselves), routine induction of labour (thats when a person giving birth, overwhelmingly women, are told that their bodies will be better off being forced to go into labour rather than initiating the process of physiological labour itself), when in Australia one third of babies are born through major abdominal surgery and in some hospitals in Brazil there is an 85% cesarean section rate? What happens when a deviation from the normal physiological process of childbirth - that’s when a complex living organism separates itself from another complex living organism which has been growing inside it for ten months, what happens when this occurs? Well, we don’t know the full extent of the impacts of these deviations individually or as a whole, short term and long term. But what we do know is that much unnecessary suffering occurs along the way, for everyone involved. Even, for those that are not aware of it. In my interview with Dr Fischbein he discusses his incredible journey into becoming LA’s ONLY homebirth Obstetrician and how in a country that is leading in mechanical, managed and assisted childbirth, he practices good old fashioned sticking to the blueprint. If you have any questions about this interview or our work at PBB Media, shoot us a line at hello@pbbmedia.org.Some fun facts:> In the Netherland over 15% of babies are born at home.> In Australia 98% of women labour and birth in the hospital, 1.5% in a birth centre or on the side of the road and 0.5% at home. > In Brazil, some hospitals have an 85% Cesarean Section rate.> If you live in America or the UK and you are a black woman you are five times more likely to die during or not long after childbirth. > The US has a 31% C section rate, Australia has 34% rate (that's 1 in3!). New Zealand babies are 1 in 4 with a 25.9% rate. > 1 in 3 women in the Australia and the UK will have their labour induced.> Induction of labour for selected women giving birth for the first time in Australia in 2017 - 43.1%> 78% of Australian mothers who gave birth in 2016 had pain relief. That’s almost 4 out of 5 women. 36% of these were epidurals. > The C section rate in Finland, Iceland and Norway stay steady at around 15% (with increasing age of pregnant mothers, diabetes and other diseases). “You would never do to another mammal what you do to a human female.. no other mammal would labour like that, they would get up and run away”.Find Dr Stu here: www.birthinginstincts.comLinksWHO Statement on Cesarean Section rates: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/161442/WHO_RHR_15.02_eng.pdf;jsessionid=FE71548F72C15166C4C9D770D1F41C11?sequence=1C Section Rates around the world (article, Belly Belly): https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/highest-c-section-rates-by-country/AIHW (Australian statistics on...

In this episode, Oni speaks to Laura Latina. Laura is a midwife originally from Italy. She graduated as a Midwife in 2008. Her curiosity and inspiration for the world took her to travel around the world to meet many women and know different cultures. Laura spent a few years in Africa working as a midwife in birth centres or villages and then went on to graduate with a Master Degree in London in Reproductive Health in 2014 while she was working as a caseloading midwife for 4 years. In 2015 she went to Afghanistan to work as midwifery manager for a hospital providing care for 20.000 women a year. In 2016, she moved to Sydney where she started work as women's health advisor for the NGO - Medecins sans frontieres/doctors without borders. Laura aims to give technical support to maternity hospitals and to improve midwifery care. She is passionate about supporting women in their journeys as women, to assist them in learning more and learning what is important to them. "Everyone is unique and I am fascinated by what people learn and what people bring to this world. I love providing continuity of care in my work as a midwife. To work deeply with women and to bring their inner power, connecting with their body wisdom. In the job I am doing now I am focusing on quality of care (specifically midwifery) including improving teamwork and learning culture in the hospital system."Enjoy this podcast.

In this episode, Oni speaks to Laura Latina. Laura is a midwife originally from Italy. She graduated as a Midwife in 2008. Her curiosity and inspiration for the world took her to travel around the world to meet many women and know different cultures. Laura spent a few years in Africa working as a midwife in birth centres or villages and then went on to graduate with a Master Degree in London in Reproductive Health in 2014 while she was working as a caseloading midwife for 4 years. In 2015 she went to Afghanistan to work as midwifery manager for a hospital providing care for 20.000 women a year. In 2016, she moved to Sydney where she started work as women's health advisor for the NGO - Medecins sans frontieres/doctors without borders. Laura aims to give technical support to maternity hospitals and to improve midwifery care. She is passionate about supporting women in their journeys as women, to assist them in learning more and learning what is important to them. "Everyone is unique and I am fascinated by what people learn and what people bring to this world. I love providing continuity of care in my work as a midwife. To work deeply with women and to bring their inner power, connecting with their body wisdom. In the job I am doing now I am focusing on quality of care (specifically midwifery) including improving teamwork and learning culture in the hospital system."Enjoy this podcast.

In this episode, Oni Blecher speaks to Madi Luschwitz about her triplet pregnancy, birth, and postnatal period. Madi, an artist, and her partner Nic, a movement and life coach based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, got quite the surprise when finding out that their first pregnancy was triplets ! Young and healthy, Madi and Nic expected to conceive their first baby. They conceived more than they expected and now have three 1-year-old boys; Woody, River, and Tiger. Madi explores her journey as a mother in this beautiful and raw interview and we are lucky enough to hear her birth story. Madi talks about choosing her maternity health provider/s and the multi-layered experience of navigating a first pregnancy carrying triplets. Enjoy this conversation.

In this episode, Oni Blecher speaks to Madi Luschwitz about her triplet pregnancy, birth, and postnatal period. Madi, an artist, and her partner Nic, a movement and life coach based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, got quite the surprise when finding out that their first pregnancy was triplets ! Young and healthy, Madi and Nic expected to conceive their first baby. They conceived more than they expected and now have three 1-year-old boys; Woody, River, and Tiger. Madi explores her journey as a mother in this beautiful and raw interview and we are lucky enough to hear her birth story. Madi talks about choosing her maternity health provider/s and the multi-layered experience of navigating a first pregnancy carrying triplets. Enjoy this conversation.

Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2020 runs from 7-13th September. Throughout the week, tune in to insightful, thought-provoking and deeply honouring stories and discussions with people who have experienced birth trauma, clinicians and researchers in this area and maternity advocates working to change the system. In this episode, Oni Blecher speaks with founder of Birthing Dads founder Steven Kennedy. After a traumatic birth experience and subsequent postpartum depression, Steven explored and investigated his own experience and the wider culture's attitudes toward fathers and birth partners within the pregnancy, birth and postpartum realms. Through his journey proessing his own trauma, Steven now seeks to support men, birth partners and birth support in educating and preparing themselves for pregnancy, birth and beyond ! In this interview, Steven shares personally from his experience and speaks about the more vulnerable and tender times during his early parenting journey. Steven also shares his visions for the future and his work in changing a dysfunctional system.

Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2020 runs from 7-13th September. Throughout the week, tune in to insightful, thought-provoking and deeply honouring stories and discussions with people who have experienced birth trauma, clinicians and researchers in this area and maternity advocates working to change the system. In this episode, Oni Blecher speaks with founder of Birthing Dads founder Steven Kennedy. After a traumatic birth experience and subsequent postpartum depression, Steven explored and investigated his own experience and the wider culture's attitudes toward fathers and birth partners within the pregnancy, birth and postpartum realms. Through his journey proessing his own trauma, Steven now seeks to support men, birth partners and birth support in educating and preparing themselves for pregnancy, birth and beyond ! In this interview, Steven shares personally from his experience and speaks about the more vulnerable and tender times during his early parenting journey. Steven also shares his visions for the future and his work in changing a dysfunctional system.

Maternal Mental Health Matters talks Birth Trauma with mother of two Kristyn Begnall. DEAR LISTENER, PROCEED WITH CAUTION (TRAUMA TRIGGER WARNING): in this episode we speak with Australian mother of two Kristyn about her traumatic birthing experience. The content may be upsetting for some - please proceed with caution. Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2020 runs from 7-13th September. Throughout the week, tune in to insightful, thought-provoking and deeply honouring stories and discussions with people who have experienced birth trauma, clinicians and researchers in this area and maternity advocates working to change the system.If you or anyone you know needs or wants support you can connect with these resources:www.birthtalk.orgwww.panda.org.auhttps://headtohealth.gov.auLifeline (crisis support) 13 11 14Original score 'Opening' by Romy Agam Rom from her album of the same title.Produced, edited and presented by Annalee AtiaPregnancy, Birth and Beyond comes to you from Bundjalung Country at Cavanbah or Byron Bay and we acknowledge with respect and reverence the Arakwal people of the Bunjulung nation, neighbouring clans and people for caring for this country since time immemorial. This special series on Birth Trauma is hosted by Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond and brought to you by Maternal Mental Health Matters Australia, a collaboration between four peak Australian consumer advocacy groups: Safe Motherhood For All, Maternity Choices Australia, Maternity Consumer Network & PBB MediaThe Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond show is part of a wider nonprofit community media and journalism project, PBB Media.All rights reserved. www.pbbmedia.org

Maternal Mental Health Matters talks Birth Trauma with mother of two Kristyn Bengal. TRIGGER WARNING: in this episode we speak with Australian mother of two Kristyn about her traumatic birthing experience. The content may be upsetting for some - please proceed with caution. Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2020 runs from 7-13th September. Throughout the week, tune in to insightful, thought-provoking and deeply honouring stories and discussions with people who have experienced birth trauma, clinicians and researchers in this area and maternity advocates working to change the system.If you or anyone you know needs or wants support you can connect with these resources:www.birthtalk.orgwww.panda.org.auhttps://headtohealth.gov.auLifeline (crisis support) 13 11 14Original score 'Opening' by Romy Agam Rom from her album of the same title.Produced, edited and presented by Annalee AtiaPregnancy, Birth and Beyond comes to you from Bundjalung Country at Cavanbah or Byron Bay and we acknowledge with respect and reverence the Arakwal people of the Bunjulung nation, neighbouring clans and people for caring for this country since time immemorial. This special series on Birth Trauma is hosted by Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond and brought to you by Maternal Mental Health Matters Australia, a collaboration between four peak Australian consumer advocacy groups: Safe Motherhood For All, Maternity Choices Australia, Maternity Consumer Network & PBB MediaThe Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond show is part of a wider nonprofit community media and journalism project, PBB Media.All rights reserved. www.pbbmedia.org

Maternal Mental Health Matters talks Birth Trauma with Dr Sarah Buckley.Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2020 runs from 7-13th September. Throughout the week, tune in to insightful, thought-provoking and deeply honouring stories and discussions with people who have experienced birth trauma, clinicians and researchers in this area and maternity advocates working to change the system.Sally speaks with Dr Sarah Buckley about the hormones of birth and how we can maximise them for the most efficient (and maybe even enjoyable) birth. The key to this is to feel private, safe and unobserved, then we instinctively release the right cocktail hormones at the right time.Dr Sarah Buckley on the hormones of birth. Dr Buckley is a GP/family physician with qualifications in GP-obstetrics and family planning. She is the mother of four home-born children, and is also a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland,, where her research is focused on oxytocin and the autonomic nervous system in labour and birth, and the impacts of interventions. She is the author of the groundbreaking report Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing, which you can download for free at sarahbuckley.com. She is also the author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering.Dr Buckley can be found at:www.sarahbuckley.comProduced and presented by Sally CusackGuest: Dr Sarah BuckleyOriginal score by Romy Agam Rom - 'Openings'Copyright 2020 PBB Media and Sally CusackAll rights reserved.www.pbbmedia.org

Maternal Mental Health Matters talks Birth Trauma with Dr Sarah Buckley.Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2020 runs from 7-13th September. Throughout the week, tune in to insightful, thought-provoking and deeply honouring stories and discussions with people who have experienced birth trauma, clinicians and researchers in this area and maternity advocates working to change the system.Sally speaks with Dr Sarah Buckley about the hormones of birth and how we can maximise them for the most efficient (and maybe even enjoyable) birth. The key to this is to feel private, safe and unobserved, then we instinctively release the right cocktail hormones at the right time.Dr Sarah Buckley on the hormones of birth. Dr Buckley is a GP/family physician with qualifications in GP-obstetrics and family planning. She is the mother of four home-born children, and is also a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland,, where her research is focused on oxytocin and the autonomic nervous system in labour and birth, and the impacts of interventions. She is the author of the groundbreaking report Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing, which you can download for free at sarahbuckley.com. She is also the author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering.Dr Buckley can be found at:www.sarahbuckley.comProduced and presented by Sally CusackGuest: Dr Sarah BuckleyOriginal score by Romy Agam Rom - 'Openings'Copyright 2020 PBB Media and Sally CusackAll rights reserved.www.pbbmedia.org

This week is Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2020, where we are working with other maternity health advocacy groups to raise awareness around traumatic birth and the wider implications for inadequate care throughout the pregnancy, birth and postnatal periods of life. Here, Oni Blecher speaks to Rhea Dempsey; esteemed and highly sought after childbirth educator, counsellor, speaker, author and birth attendant with experience at over one thousand births. She is respected, both in Australia and internationally, as an insightful thinker and presenter on the topic of working with pain- both physical and psychological- in childbirth, and the implications of this for normal physiological birth and postnatal wellbeing. Here, Rhea explores, within the context of her work, how we can move forward in a culture that normalises traumatic birth.

This week is Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2020, where we are working with other maternity health advocacy groups to raise awareness around traumatic birth and the wider implications for inadequate care throughout the pregnancy, birth and postnatal periods of life. Here, Oni Blecher speaks to Rhea Dempsey; esteemed and highly sought after childbirth educator, counsellor, speaker, author and birth attendant with experience at over one thousand births. She is respected, both in Australia and internationally, as an insightful thinker and presenter on the topic of working with pain- both physical and psychological- in childbirth, and the implications of this for normal physiological birth and postnatal wellbeing. Here, Rhea explores, within the context of her work, how we can move forward in a culture that normalises traumatic birth.

Maternal Mental Health Matters talks Birth Trauma with Professor Jenny Gamble. Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2020 runs from 7-13th September. Throughout the week, tune in to insightful, thought-provoking and deeply honouring stories and discussions with people who have experienced birth trauma, clinicians and researchers in this area and maternity advocates working to change the system.Professor Jenny Gamble is Head of Midwifery at Griffith University (Australia) and Director of the Transforming Maternity Care Collaborative. She speaks to the coontributing factors to psychological trauma in childbirth, women and birthing pooled reporting that their birth was traumatic and the development of trauma symptoms. Professor Gamble also looks at helpful early responses and supportive preventive practices.Transforming Maternity Care Collaborative:https://www.transformingmaternity.org.auProduced, edited and presented by Annalee AtiaPregnancy, Birth and Beyond comes to you from Bundjalung Country at Cavanbah or Byron Bay and we acknowledge with respect and reverence the Arakwal people of the Bunjulung nation, neighbouring clans and people for caring for this country since time immemorial. This special series on Birth Trauma is hosted by Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond and brought to you by Maternal Mental Health Matters Australia, a collaboration between four peak Australian consumer advocacy groups: Safe Motherhood For All, Maternity Choices Australia, Maternity Consumer Network & PBB MediaThe Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond show is part of a wider nonprofit community media and journalism project, PBB Media.All rights reserved. www.pbbmedia.org