The Birth Rebel Podcast

A High Risk Home Birth Journey: Angel Coleman's Story

In this episode of the Birth Rebel podcast, Angel Coleman shares her experience of having a high-risk home birth after two C-sections for her sixth baby. She brings her doula, Emma Whitlock, to discuss the journey from a professional perspective. Emma talks about her transition into birth work following a challenging first birth experience and emphasizes the importance of advocacy, education, and choice in childbirth. They discuss the different experiences of hospital and home births, highlighting the empowerment and individualized care possible in a home birth setting despite Angel being considered high-risk. Angel and Emma also explore the significance of nutrition in pregnancy, the role of a doula, and provide advice for families considering home birth, advocating for thorough research and the importance of a supportive partner.

00:00 Welcome to the Birth Rebel Podcast: A Home Birth Journey

01:03 Introducing Emma: A Doula's Path to Birth Work

02:53 The Transformative Power of Home Births

04:59 Navigating Hospital Births and Embracing Home Births

13:49 The Importance of Research and Understanding Birth Options

22:17 The Journey to a Successful Home Birth

27:34 The Unpredictable Nature of Labor and Delivery

34:37 The Start of Labor: Recognizing the Signs

35:53 Understanding and Applying the Miles Circuit

37:22 Transitioning Through Labor: Positions and Support

38:44 The Intensity of Active Labor and the Role of Support

46:01 Reflecting on the Birth Experience: Favorite Moments and Insights

49:23 Navigating High-Risk Pregnancy and Home Birth Decisions

55:31 Postpartum Recovery and Nutrition Strategies

57:31 Identifying Active Labor: Insights for First-Timers

01:02:36 Concluding Thoughts on Home Birth and Professional Support

Resources from this Episode:

Welcome to another episode of the Birth Rebel podcast with your host, Angel Coleman! In this solo episode, Angel dives into a controversial topic, true to the spirit of the Birth Rebel podcast. Today, she explores and shares her personal and professional opinions on two articles – "The Many Costs of Breastfeeding" from Vox and "The Actual Cost of Breastfeeding" from Today's Parent.

As a certified lactation counselor with a decade of personal breastfeeding experience and 6 years of professional experience, Angel provides unique insights into the misinformation surrounding breastfeeding costs. She challenges the claims made in the Vox article, published during the national baby formula shortage, pointing out that breast milk could indeed be a solution to such shortages.

She scrutinizes the Vox article's debunking its inaccuracies and highlighting the importance of promoting breastfeeding during formula shortages.

Tune in as Angel dismantles the myths surrounding breastfeeding costs and advocates for informed decisions. Don't miss this thought-provoking episode that challenges conventional narratives and invites listeners to question the sources of information in the realm of infant feeding.

Resources From The Episode:

In this episode, we dive into the world of Radical Accountability with special guest Nathan Riley. The conversation kicks off with a shared frustration towards the conventional medical model for childbirth, especially in the United States where 99 percent of births happen in hospitals. The alarming rise in induction and C-section rates, averaging close to 40 percent nationally, sparks a crucial discussion on accountability.

Nathan Riley, a passionate advocate for radical responsibility, challenges the common narrative of blaming healthcare professionals and institutions while neglecting personal responsibility. The episode explores the disruptive potential of making the existing system obsolete and emphasizes the need for individuals to invest resources, energy, and willpower in preventing reliance on hospitals.

Nathan is a father of two, the second of home was born at home. He’s married to his high school sweetheart, Stephanie. He grows food, reads more than he probably should, and enjoys coffee, mountain biking, and being in nature. He and his wife are perennial Burners. Nathan is also a psychonaut, procuring his own ceremonial medicines for fellow travelers.

In his spare time, he supports clients through fertility challenges, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. He also supports fathers-to-be through the spiritual transformation of childbirth. He manages a private practice called Beloved Holistics, a private contract association. He also attends home births, and he provides collaborative care for midwives across the country who struggle to find a friendly OBGYN with whom to consult on clients. He also recently started training in jiu jitus.

Brad Bootstaylor, MD, MFM Atlanta, GA:

🎙️ Hey rebels! Join me, Angel Coleman, on this episode of "The Birth Rebel Podcast," where we're breaking down the myths and shedding light on the legal rights every mom should know during pregnancy and birth. 🌟 No fluff, just real talk about maternity care, featuring insights from Childbirth Connection. Moms, you have rights—let's dive in and own our birth experiences! 💪🤰 Tune in now for a no-nonsense guide to navigating pregnancy like a true rebel.

Resources from episode:

In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of the nervous system in birth and birth trauma with our special guest, Jennifer Summerfeldt. Jennifer is a Certified Canadian Counsellor with an MA in Counseling Psychology, the Chief Empathy Officer of ASK Therapy and JS Coaching, and a passionate advocate for trauma-informed care and maternal mental health. With over two decades of experience in maternal health, childbirth, and psychological studies, Jennifer sheds light on the importance of regulating the nervous system and finding harmony during the perinatal journey. She has authored two self-published books, "Healing After Birth" and "Midwifery for The Soul." Join us as we explore the transformative power of therapy, connection, and co-regulation in nurturing emotional well-being during pregnancy, birth, and beyond. In this episode, we delve into the intricacies of the nervous system, therapy, and co-regulation with Jennifer Summerfeldt. Discover how regulating the nervous system can lead to harmony and healing during the perinatal journey. Jennifer's insights will challenge your perspective on self-regulation and highlight the vital role of connection in our socially driven species. Join us on this profound exploration of perinatal health and wellness.

Resources from the Episode

In this episode, titled "Five Tips to Overcoming the Fear Of Birth," we're going deep into the heart of why women are scared of childbirth. We're talking about Hollywood's crazy scary birth scenes, the generational fears passed down through the generations, and the anxiety that women have about labor discomfort and complications. Plus, five game-changing tips to help you embrace a more fearless birth,

Resources from this episode:

People make the choices they do for birth in hopes of avoiding fetal demise, birth trauma, or mistreatment by staff. Fear is the common denominator of all these things. However, despite whatever choice you make, you may still end up with the outcome you were trying to avoid. So should our decisions really be fear-based? Today I talk about the struggles women have as they try to decide where to give birth and other decisions in regard to birth and delivery.

Resources from the Episode:

As I prepare for the birth of baby number six I share some of my birth plan along with things that I consider non-negotiable in my birth. This is the last episode of the season! I will see you next fall!

This is part 3 of my skin-to-skin series where we address the importance of getting babies skin-to-skin on mothers and stressing how critical this life-saving care is. Today Kate a nurse practitioner gives us some insight into what she's learned about having babies skin-to-skin on mom during a c-section.

Kate (Katherine Chokan, DNP (Doctorate of Nursing), BSN, RN ) has been a maternity nurse (Labor and Postpartum) for 6.5 years. She recently graduated from a Nurse Practitioner program in December where she conducted a doctoral research project. The project was a quality improvement initiative to implement Kangaroo Care in the OR after C-section. She will be advancing her nursing career as a Family Nurse Practitioner starting in March. She has a 2.5-year-old son. She and her husband have enjoyed traveling and exploring around Cleveland trying to instill adventure in their son and explore the world through his perspective. She is always trying to maintain good physical health through various exercise outlets; running, hiking, biking, skiing, and swimming.

Did you know up to 150,000 infant lives could be saved if we had babies do skin-to-skin immediately whether they are considered stable or not? Today we discuss how skin-to-skin saves lives, improves health outcomes for baby, and helps babies develop socially and emotionally and develop resilience that last a lifetime.

Episodes in this Series

Madison and I talk about the unique job of being Kangaroulas, a unique birth worker that was developed by Dr. Nils Bergman and his wife Jills Bergman to focus on bonding and attachment of baby and mother. We also talk about our unique premature baby stories.

Madison Hendry (aka Mama Bird), transitioned into motherhood in 2014. As a visual artist and recent graduate in 2011 with a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY, she began to see a shift in her artwork, career, and perspective on life. Her artwork has been exhibited and published internationally and included in pioneering events such as Project AfterBirth; the first-ever international exhibition based on the subject of early parenthood.

With the premature birth of her second son, Madison became fascinated with the dynamics of the mother/infant relationship. She realized her touch, sound, smell, milk, and relationship with him were not only beneficial; she was essential and played an active role in his development. The process of having a premature infant taught her to listen to her instincts and her child's needs and respond to them. Madison received a scholarship and completed her Breastfeeding Educator Certification with Birth Arts International in 2018. She went on to become a Certified Birth Doula with BirthWorks Int. And Certified Kangaroula with Jill & Dr. Nils Bergman in 2020.

Madison has over 9 years (and counting) of personal breastfeeding experience. She lives in a 1950s Sears Home in Cleveland, OH suburbs with her husband, tattooer, Angus Hendry, two boys, Angus and Huckleberry, daughter, Evergreen, and a baby on the way.

In this episode of the Birth Cafe podcast, host Angel Coleman discusses her evolving views on the necessity of doulas, pointing out that not everyone benefits from or values having a doula during birth. She shares her experience and observations to argue against the mainstream belief that everyone should have a doula, stating that some individuals may not fully utilize or understand a doula's services, which can lead to wasted resources. Additionally, Coleman expresses concern over insurance companies covering doula services, fearing it could lead to a lack of appreciation for doulas' skills and increased control over the profession by the healthcare system. She also advocates for doulas to be recognized as patient advocates and possibly reclassified as bodyworkers to allow for more comprehensive training in physical support techniques.

00:00 Welcome to the Birth Cafe Podcast!

00:33 Diving into Hot Topics: The Doula Debate

07:29 The Controversy of Insurance Coverage for Doulas

18:36 Advocacy: A Core Aspect of Doula Work

28:01 Exploring the Role of Doulas as Body Workers

32:13 Engaging with the Audience: Your Thoughts?

Resources from the episode:

Today Laurel chat's with me about the Infant Microbiome and why breastmilk is one of the key components to children's and humans' long-term health. We also discuss how modern cleanliness habits may be negatively affecting our microbiome and why our obsession with cleanliness is having some detrimental impacts on our health.

Laurel Wilson, IBCLC, RLC, BSc, CLE, CCCE, CLD is a TEDx and international speaker, pregnancy and lactation specialist, consultant, educator, and author. Laurel is the co-author of two books, The Attachment Pregnancy and The Greatest Pregnancy Ever; original editor of The CAPPA Lactation Educator Manual; as well as a contributing author to Round the Circle: Doulas Talk About Themselves. Her passion is blending today’s recent scientific findings with mind/body/spirit wisdom to highlight the magnitude and importance of the perinatal period. Spending 17 years as Executive Director for Lactation Programs for the Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association formed the foundation of her inquiry into the science of human milk. She acted as a board director for the United States Breastfeeding Committee from 2016-2019 and currently serves as an advisor for CAPPA, InJoy Health, Kindred World and is a board member at large for Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition. Laurel also acts as the Education Manager for GOLD Learning. Laurel has been joyfully married to her husband for three decades and has two wonderful grown sons, whose difficult births led her on a path toward helping emerging families create positive experiences. She believes that the journey into parenthood is a life-changing rite of passage that should be deeply honored and celebrated.

Resources:

Enjoy this inside sneak peek of my better birth foundations course. Today we talk about the different types of prenatal care doctors and red flags that may mean you need to run in the other direction and find a new doctor/midwife. We also briefly discuss the lamaze healthy birth practices.

Resources:

Alia Wright is a doula who attends FreeBirth/Unassisted Births. Alia talks with me about why women may choose to deliver without a midwife or OBGYN present, and why people view free birth as dangerous.

Alia is a wife, mom of 3(one special needs), homemaker, and birth worker. She is multi-passionate but overall loves supporting women in all facets of life in a very holistic and intuitive way.

Resources from Episode:

I acknowledge that some of this information may be hard to hear and that feelings of guilt may occur. Know that I present this information to educate, bring awareness and prevent harm to the next generation. We all do what’s best with what we know at the current moment. That goes for moms, birth professionals, dads, grandparents, and other caregivers. However, use this information to educate the next generation of parents. It would be unethical however not to bring awareness to this topic.

Supplementation Protocol

Today I am going to talk about why I cannot ethically promote formula feeding and fed is best rhetoric and why we need to understand why downplaying formula feeding risks is dangerous and unhelpful to parents. We'll also chat about how our government and healthcare agencies are actually part of the problem.

I acknowledge that some of this information may be hard to hear and that feelings of guilt may occur. Know that I present this information to educate, bring awareness and prevent harm to the next generation. We all do what’s best with what we know at the current moment. That goes for moms, birth professionals, dads, grandparents, and other caregivers. However, use this information to educate the next generation of parents. It would be unethical however to not bring awareness to this topic.

Safe Sleep and SIDS:

In this episode, we review a youtube video about Group B Strep that Dr. Momma Jones discusses. We're examining this video from our holistic & autonomous perspective on perinatal health!

 Stuart James Fischbein, MD was Board Certified in 1989 and became a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology in 1990. Dr. Fischbein now practices community-based birthing and works directly with home birthing midwives www.birthinginstincts.com to offer hope for those women who prefer and respect a natural birthing environment and cannot find supportive practitioners for VBAC, twin, and breech deliveries. He is an outspoken advocate of informed decision-making, the midwifery model of care, and human rights in childbirth, receiving the 2016 “Most Audacious” award from HRIC and the Association for Wholistic & Newborn Health. 

Links Referenced in this Video:

Things I'm Doing Different.

1. Using my due month instead of the due date
2. Seeing a pelvic floor therapist and webster certified chiro earlier in pregnancy
3. Doing a Mother's Blessing
4. Seeing a Functional Nutritionist that specializes in Prenatal Nutrition 
5. Taking Iron Bisglycinate as an iron supplementation 
6. Doing a Home Birth
7. Created a Mother's Registry instead of a Baby Registry

Resources:

In today’s episode, Amanda evaluates the research on IUGR ( Intrauterine Growth Restriction) and SGA ( Small for Gestational Age). We also take a look at how accurate the diagnosis of IUGR and SGA is and how parents can make an informed decision when presented with a possible IUGR/SGA situation.

Amanda is a pharmacist turned birth and women’s health educator, whose own traumatic first birth experience motivated her to get educated about physiologic birth and informed consent. She is passionate about moms and birth workers truly understanding the options when it comes to birth - including interpreting research - and what truly informed choice looks like. Amanda has over 18 years of experience interpreting medical literature, and 2.5 years of experience being the mom of daughters for whom she hopes to change the outlook of women’s health and maternity care.

Links Referenced:

Today I'm talking about how my 2022 went as a birth worker and what I'm looking forward to in 2023. Change is coming and some of that change means no longer offering some services. Check out my latest episode as I show you the behind the scenes of being a mom and business owner.

Today we talk about what America's current philosophy is on breastfeeding and how the formula shortages negatively targeted breastfeeding in the news media, revealing our society's true feelings on breastfeeding.

Episodes to reference:

• What Doctors Don't Know About Breastfeeding with Dr. Jack Newman - 03
• Relactation and Maintaining Milk Supply with Tomesha Walker - 11

World Health Organizations Guidelines to Marketing Artificial Milk

• https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9241541601
• FAQ: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/254911/WHO-NMH-NHD-17.1-eng.pdf 

Harms of Formula Marketing:

https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/strategy9-addressing-marketing-infant-formula.pdf 

Aubrey is a Registered Dietician, Registered Kangaroula, and Lactation Counselor. She specializes in perinatal and pediatric nutrition, and integrative and functional medicine, she supports women in improving their health, cycles, and fertility so they can have a healthy pregnancy and reduce their risk of complications and preterm delivery. Today Aubrey chats about breastfeeding babies and if mothers should worry about transitioning their babies to cows milk once they hit one year of age.

Find Aubrey:

Dr. Stetzer is a Maternal Fetal Medicine Doctor that works with a lot of women who want to achieve a VBAC. Dr. Stetzer completed a residency at Michigan State University, Bi-County Community Hospital, and Henry Ford Hospital. He currently practices at MetroHealth. Today we talk about how he works with patients to achieve a VBAC in the hospital he works with. 

VBAC Resources:

ICAN: https://www.ican-online.org/ 

Find me:

www.fruitofthewombirth.com

Lactation Counselor vs Lactation Consultant... I've seen Lactation Professionals excluded from continuing education training because... they're not International Board Certified Lactation Consultants. I've seen IBCLCs call other Lactation Professionals dangerous and harmful or have heard them tell parents to only seek the advice of an IBCLC. Well, I'm here to clear the air and tell you what the difference is between an IBCLC & CLC. You'll be surprised to know they're not that different. 

*CORRECTION* CLC Training is 5 days. It just felt like a week*. 

Resources from the episode: 

Alexis is a healing mentor and energy worker who supports mothers transitioning from being overwhelmed to thriving in motherhood through energy management and intentional living practices.   Alexis uses energy work and coaching to help families in designing the lives they have dreamed of while freeing themselves from the impacts of generational trauma and difficult birth experiences.   Alexis had an emergency cesarean with her first child and didn’t realize how much it impacted her life until she was pregnant three years later and terrified! Since becoming a parent, Alexis has dove into personal development books and training, yoga, and meditation. As she transitioned from special education teacher and nonprofit work to healing mentorship, she began focusing on the importance of energy healing, inner child healing, and living a more intentional life.   She has taken many trainings focused on trauma, energy healing, and mindset. 

This episode goes over the domino effect of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I chat about the microbiome of moms and infants and how that impacts babies' risk for disease, allergies, and mental health.

Find Tomesha Walker 

 Instagram: @yourbirthdestiny

Aubrey is a Registered Dietician, Registered Kangaroula, and Lactation Counselor. Today she talks about the nutrients contained in breastmilk and the use of milk fortifiers for premature babies. She covers why they are used, the potential benefits, and the potential downsides to using human milk fortifiers.

Find Aubrey:

Maternal Mortality is a huge concern and many lately have been focusing on Maternal Mortality rates among BIPOC women. There's been a huge push in having more BIPOC people join the medical field to help lower rates. However, when looking at the structure of medical school and health care system I believe that will not help the rates.

VBAC Resources: ICAN: https://www.ican-online.org/

Find me: www.fruitofthewombirth.com 

My Childbirth Classes: https://www.fruitofthewombirth.com/cleveland-birth-classes

Dr. Trill from Free to Feed chats with us about breastfeeding babies that have food allergies and busts myths on elimination diets, formula, and types of food allergies.  

Resources in the video: 

Drs. Rosen is a 1981 summa cum laude graduate of Life Chiropractic College. Over the past 4

decades he has taught pediatrics, craniopathy, primary healthcare management, practice

management and chiropractic philosophy nationally and internationally to thousands of

chiropractors, chiropractic students, healthcare providers, and on public forums.

He is a certified SOT ® advance practitioner and craniopath, certified pediatric chiropractic

practitioner, past president of SOTO-USA and SORSI Research Board, and former instructor for the

ICPA, developer of Dr. Rosen’s seminars and has written several books on SOT and pediatric

adjusting as well as had numerous articles published in chiropractic journals and research

conferences.

With his wife Dr. Nancy Watson, they also run the Peak Potential Institute, offering premier

educational programs for healthcare professionals. Their most recent book “It’s All in the

Head”, was written to inform and bring awareness of the implications of growth and

developmental challenges in the early stages of childhood development. Their book empowers

parents with the ability to understand typical developmental milestones and to recognize problems in

the earliest stages allowing them to seek appropriate care before problems become entrenched

and create diagnosable disease processes.

The Peak Potential Institute also offers other educational tools including hands-on and online

workshops and seminars, guest lectures, instructional videos, written books, and articles,

published research papers, and one on one interviews. He is dedicated to giving chiropractors,

healthcare providers, and parents a new perspective on children’s health.

As parents of two daughters, Drs. Rosen and Watson have been committed to helping other

parents learn from their personal and professional experiences. Through their combined 80

years of teaching, writing, and clinical experience they have brought a unique insight, motivation,

and support to thousands of lay and professional individuals in numerous fields.

Where to find Dr. Martin:

Emily is a Doula and Childbirth Educator serving the DFW area. She is a mother of two, with 2 incredibly different birth & postpartum experiences.  She has certified continuing education in VBAC births, TENS unit for labor, and advanced peanut ball skills for labor & birth.

Emily shares five things you should know before you decide to VBAC. Topics include:

1. History of VBAC
2. Mental Prep
3. Support Team
4. Gentle C section

Find Emily:

Dr. Jack Newman graduated from the University of Toronto medical school in 1970, interning at the Vancouver General Hospital.  He did his training in pædiatrics in Quebec City and then at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto from 1977-1981 to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada in 1981 and Board Certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1981.  He has worked as a physician in Central America, New Zealand, and as a pediatrician in South Africa. He founded the first hospital-based breastfeeding clinic in Canada in 1984.  He has been a consultant for UNICEF for the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, evaluating the first candidate hospitals in Gabon, the Ivory Coast, and Canada.

Kathleen chats with me about how breastfeeding protects a mother's mental health but also how mental health comes into play with successful breastfeeding and how postpartum support and health is a major player in the equation.

Dr. Kendall-Tackett is a health psychologist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and the Owner and Editor-in-Chief of Praeclarus Press, a small press specializing in women's health. Dr. Kendall-Tackett is Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Psychological Trauma and was Founding Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Lactation, a position she held for 11 years. She is Fellow of the American Psychological Association in Health and Trauma Psychology, Past President of the APA Division of Trauma Psychology, and a member of APA’s Publications and Communications Board. 

In this episode I share with you all about how my births went and if I could go back what I would change and do differently.

What I would change for each birth:

1st Birth: Taken a childbirth class

2nd & 3rd Birth: Hired a doula

4th Birth: Had a support team that supported my goals

5th: Avoid Social Media Mom Groups 

*side note: with my fifth baby I would also have had a homebirth because that environment would support my birth goals*

"The Birth Cafe Podcast" is a thought-provoking podcast that fearlessly delves into the most controversial topics surrounding childbirth. Hosted by a certified Birth Doula, Lactation Counselor, and Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and mama of 6Angel Coleman, listen as she interviews healthcare professionals in obstetrics, midwifery, and maternal health. Each episode confronts and explores the contentious issues that often surround the miracle of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
From discussing the pros and cons of medical interventions during childbirth to the ongoing debate over home births versus hospital births, "The Birth Cafe Podcast" provides a platform for open, respectful, and research-based conversations. Listeners will gain insights into topics like giving birth without a doctor, the ethics of formula, and the impact of cultural and societal influences on birthing choices.
Join us as we navigate through the complexities of birth, challenging conventional wisdom, and shedding light on the diverse perspectives that shape the way we bring new life into the world. "The Birth Cafe Podcast" aims to empower parents, caregivers, and anyone interested in the childbirth process by presenting well-researched insights and sparking constructive dialogues on controversial aspects of pregnancy, birth, and parenting.