April is cesarean awareness month. Approximately 1.3 million women in the United States undergo a cesarean section every year. It is the most common surgery done in the United States. And our cesarean rates have actually gone up in recent years, meaning it's more important now than ever to understand the risks, especially of repeat cesareans, and how to avoid an unnecessary c-section. In this episode I discuss: C-section being a neutral tool with risks and benefits, that is being...

The Washington Post said women are spreading “misinformation” about birth control in a recent article and many women in our community were PISSED. Myself included. SO I asked my good friend Carly Hartwig on today to talk about it- the REAL reason women are not okay with hormonal birth control and why we are choosing just as effective alternatives to the IUD, nuvaring, and the pill. Carly is a holistic reproductive health practitioner and certified fertility awareness educator. In this episode...

You’ve got a medicine cabinet full of herbs and natural remedies but are you applying the same approach to your birth? You have left the mainstream version of healing your colds but are you still taking the mainstream route to birth? Let’s talk about it! Get your medal for your unmedicated birth In this episode I discuss: - Why I don’t take prescription drugs or typical over the counter remedies for both my headaches and my anxiety, even though I am the perfect candidate for zoloft. - The...

Just like a batch of cookies has directions to bake for 10-13 minutes, your baby has a range to bake for 37-42 weeks. Yet, hospital practices have lowered the average length of gestation because they are inducing almost everyone. What are so many moms being induced? And are you really overdue after 40 weeks? In this episode I discuss: -The accuracy of due dates and why it should be called a guess date instead.  -The controversy around inducing just because a mom is 40 weeks-Why women risk...

People pleasing shows up in birth a LOT. But this one sneaky way of people pleasing also tends to show up even in the most experienced, assertive and unapologetic birth spaces. In this episode I discuss: -People pleasing practices in the birth space are what hospitals are used to and staff may be shocked when you are assertive. -Evidence can be a useful tool in decision making but we don't need to use it to please others. -Evidence is based in the medical model and not physiology, it's not...

When an OB takes to the internet to say “women’s bodies are historically bad at birth” you better believe the birth community is showing up. Today we are talking about the viral #dontpagedrfran movement on Instagram, exactly what the OB said that has the birth community enraged, and the lessons you can apply to your birth. In this episode I discuss: -The reel from @pagnigdrfran where she said “women are historically bad at birth” and that “our bodies are trying to off us every time we are...

Episode 2 for World Doula Week. In this episode I am answering all your doula questions from finding and hiring a doula to what it’s like being a doula! I answer the following questions: Where do I find a doula local to me? Questions to ask before hiring a doula. How much do doulas cost? How to become a doula What does getting started with a new client look like? Why don’t they protect physiologic birth anymore? Do you think doulas should have babies before becoming doulas (i low key...

Welcome to World Doula Week! Did you know that doulas love to bring awareness to the benefits of doulas during WDW? If you've wondered what a doula does during your birth, or maybe what a doula doesn't do, or If you have questioned wether you need a doula or not, you are in the right place. In this episode I discuss: -The role of the doula and how it is different than the midwife. -What I do with my client as their doula -Why you still need childbirth education, even with a doula....

If you are having your baby in the hospital, you need to be informed about the epidural, whether your plan is to utilize it or not. In fact after this episode you may decided to definitely not use the epidural and it may be easier for you to avoid the epidural after you learn all about it. Let’s get informed on the epidural! In this episode I discuss: -Risks and benefits of the epidural, the most popular form of pain management in the hospital birth. -How the epidural is placed and the two...

There is no quick fix, one and done, just do this and get the birth you want. But there IS one thing that is going to help you encompass all those 'tips and tricks' and that is taking radical responsibility. In this episode I discuss: -Taking responsibility IS radical, because the average mom walking into the hospital is asking to be told what to do. -Why taking radical responsibility is needed, and all because of phrases like "we need to.." and "you're not allowed to" -Four tips on...

Academy mom Kerissa Ransbury shares her two birth stories. Her fist where she was underprepared and ended up pushing for 6 hours versus the birth she loves to share because it was so positive. She prepared the right way and everything went exactly how she imagined, she labored at home, had zero pain, and her husband caught her baby. All in the hospital! In this episode, Kerissa discusses: -Her first birth started with cytotec after her waters broke. She ended up getting an epidural, which...

DESCRIPTION What if I start an induction and it doesn’t work? What if I change my mind? You have the right to stop an induction and leave the hospital. And if you want to keep that option open NEVER let them break your waters. In this episode I cover: -Avoiding an induction in the first place is the best way to support physiology and an unmedicated birth plan -The difficulties of going from a medicated birth routine to an unmedicated birth. -The options you have if you decide to stop...

No, birth is not like pooping out a watermelon. But birth is a lot like pooping in other ways. Take the squatty potty for an example, we have completely normalized and accepted an upright pooping position but not upright birth. Are you ready to learn about REAL birth? Unmedicated Academy will teach you how birth works and how the hospital works so you can support the birth you want even in the medicalized setting. Want to skip cervical checks, inductions, pitocin, unnecessary drugs,...

In honor of pregnancy after loss month, we have PAL (pregnancy after loss) doula Sarah Lingle. “It was probably the most emotional time of my life” Pregnancy after loss is hard, it can be full of anxiety, and it’s also a time of so much hope and joy. For many loss moms, there are more interventions in both their pregnancy and birth, wether by choice or by coercion. Sarah gives her best preparation tips for moms experiencing pregnancy after loss for them to feel informed and confident.  In...

Everyone wants a pain free birth, but in reality, only 1% of moms are experiencing one. Is a pain free birth possible? It is! Is it common, no. There are a few reasons you may not experience a pain free birth, some within your control, some not. And there are three things you can do to help increase your chances of experiencing a truly pain free birth.  Get on the NORA waitlist Listen to episode #25: An Exposè On Vaccines and Pediatrics with THE Dr. Paul Thomas on Moms off the Record  In...

Part 2 with Sydney Taylor. The conversation with Sydney continues as she shares how her birth experience led her to birthwork and becoming a homebirth midwife. We talk about being doulas who only take on clients who want unmedicated births and the benefits, to both client and doula, of showing your biases as a doula. In this episode we discuss: -How being a mother prepares you to be a doula more than any doula training program -The affirmations we love to hear from dads in the birth...

Part 1 with Sydney Taylor. In this episode she shares about her “as pleasant as expected” hospital birth where she accidentally said yes to breaking her waters and pitocin. Tune in to see how a type A, over prepared, RN ended up achieving her unmedicated birth a first time mom with just a couple regrets.  You can watch the raw unedited version over on You Tube In this episode, Sydney shares: -How her experience as an RN led her doing everything right in preparing for her hospital...

The epidural is so common, that it is making it nearly impossible for moms to go unmedicated in the hospital. The true epidural rate may shock you once I break it down in this episode. If you are the average mom, planning a hospital birth, you are going to need to bring your own ingredients (aka support tools) because the natural birth is not something the hospital has experience with.  Shop the Perfect Supplements sale on 2/29 and use code LIZZIE10 to stack discounts. In this episode I...

Should I be drinking red raspberry leaf tea in pregnancy? When do I start? Yes, and likely… now! You can start sooner than you think. Let me introduce you to NORA. You are not the average mom, so lets upgrade the typical red raspberry leaf routine with a NORA routine that has the power to transform your whole birth prep routine. Subscribe to Moms off the Records and listen to Episode 4: Debunking Infant Sleep Myths and the Truth About Bedsharing Order NORA The cold brewer I...

You want to know how to have an unmedicated birth in the hospital, it is the perfect combination of being prepared and having the right support. Ariana prepared for her unmedicated birth with the me inside of Unmedicated Academy and the additional support of her sister. She was able to find a unicorn midwife in the hospital setting, hired a doula, and a husband that wasn’t afraid to get into the birth tub. Listen in for Ariana's beautiful birth story, where she shares… -How she prepared for...

It's true, you will get more support in your goal to have an unmedicated and physiologic birth while you are laboring during the first stage. But all of that will change once it's time to push. This is when the doctor or midwife typically come in and want to "help." You will not get a hands of second stage of labor if you are having the standard hospital birth. If you want to have a truly physiologic second stage of labor, there are two things you can do to take control. Learn about the...

You shouldn’t be weaning if you have a full supply, and it doesn’t take lying or deceiving your child to wean either. Here I share the gentlest way to wean a toddler who has dropped all but the last bedtime feeding of the day, including the most adorable clip of my youngest demonstrating where we are at in the weaning process. In this episode I discuss: -What I would do if my mental health was pitted against breastfeeding. -Two popular ways to wean that I do not agree with because they are...

Every mom is wishing, hoping, and praying that birth is fast and simple. But that is not always the case. Here are three things you can do, starting in early labor through, ‘oh crap, my labor is long’ to help you get through a labor longer than 24 hours. Enter the 100k giveaway Get the FREE Birth Prep Class In this episode I discuss: -The lengths of my three labors, and the mistake I made twice that made my labors longer. -Ways to physically prep for a faster and easier labor. -How...

You've heard the stories about birth plans going out the window, and maybe you've wondered, how can I create a strong plan or have a birth that doesn’t as easily get so far off track? Here are 3 things to avoid to help your birth plan stand strong so you can get the birth you want. In this episode I discuss: -Why you don't need to change your birth plan to "preferences" -The priorities of the hospital that go directly against your plan for an individualized birth -How cute templates are...