The Unmedicated Girlies | Empowered & Informed Birth Education with Fierce Lizzie

There are many reasons women choose unmedicated birth. One of those reasons is that they feel more in control when they support physiology. And feeling more in control, instead of chaotic, results in a more positive birth experience. In this episode, I discuss: How supporting physiology puts your body in control, not the hospital routine, not prescription drugs, and that can help you feel more in charge of your birth. You have more options in your birth when you stick with your unmedicated birth plan. When you walk into birth prepared, there is less anxiety, less fear, we can take control of our births now by doing the right birth prep. Full immersion into your birth prep can get you so prepared that you know what to do automatically when things like interventions, slow labor, transition, etc. come up

The ONE thing I wish someone had told me when I was pregnant with my first. Here I am telling it to you if you haven't heard me say it already. In this episode I discuss: The 7Bs of attachment parenting and the intuitive way to parent your baby. In 2013, I read food blogs when I should have been finding the home birth corner on the web. The gaps in our prenatal care, specifically the lack of options and informed consent that come with the typical hospital prenatal. Subscribe to Launch Your Micro Mom Business - NOW on Apple and Spotify Grab a spot in Home Birth in the Hospital on May 23 at 6pm Download the FREE Birth Prep Class Get educated, informed, and empowered with Unmedicated Academy

Hundreds of women have used the boss birth method to have the unmedicated birth of their dreams. First time moms, second time moms, even fifth time moms!! YOu can have a powerful birth where you feel prepared, informed, and empowered to birth YOUR WAY even in the hospital. And here are the four things you need to know to get your dream birth too. You’ll learn… The most challenging part of having an unmedicated hospital birth and how the level of support can vary greatly from hospital to hospital. How the basic birth prep is not enough for the typical hospital birth mom, and my story of getting lucky with my first birth. Skip the trial and error of birth and instead prepare for your next birth to be the best it can be. The four steps to having a boss birth, exactly what you need to know and prepare to have an unmedicated hospital birth

In my experience hospital staff tend to be more supporting of a natural, hands off birth in the first stage of labor. They may still push for pitocin or cervical checks, but they still tend to leave you to labor on your own. And all that changes once a mom hits transition or starts to feel pushy, then even the most hans off birth may turn intervention heavy. You'll learn: What it means to support physiology and how walking into the hospital disrupts natural labor. The stages of labor and the difference between interventions from beginning to end. The three things you must know to support physiology at any stage or birth. ---- Join the unmedicated girlies and get informed with Unmedicated Academy

Look it's not you, it's the hospital. The hospital routine medicalizes your birth and makes it really hard to support physiology. Which means it's really hard to have an unmedicated birth in the hospital. And the epidural rate proves it. The good news is, there is a way to have a hospital birth where you support physiology and you avoid unnecessary interventions. You'll learn: What really happens when you go with the flow is that you hand your birth over to the hospital's routine which usually includes an induction, pitocin, epidural, amniotomy, coached pushing, etc. How the hospital birth looks like birth because you meet your baby, but in reality it is not a physiologic birth at all. Statistics on inductions and statistics when you avoid an induction too. How birth education can improve birth for first time moms, second time moms, hospital birth moms, and moms with a doula. ----- Grab the last October spot inside the Academy

Your baby & body want an unmedicated birth, even if you are scared, even if you have a low pain tolerance, even if you aren’t having a peaceful water birth in your living room. And that's because there are a ton of benefits that come with physiologic, unmedicated birth. You'll learn... How a recent client ended up with an unmedicated birth even though that wasn't her goal, and no her birth wasn't fast or easy. The cascade of interventions vs the overflow of positive outcomes and how unmedicated birth has benefits to you and your baby. The reason so many moms chose natural birth over and over again, even though it's the hardest thing they have ever done. Ready to go all in with your birth prep? Join the Academy Enter the photo contest and show off how the unmedicated girlies do it 💃

Today's episode is inspired by the fact that I have had too many mom in my DMs concerned about their low lying placentas. A low lying placenta is totally normal at 20 weeks, so why are so many women worrying about it?? In this episode, I discuss: The difference between a low lying placenta and placenta previa, and what it means for your birth prep. The overuse of technology causing doubt in our pregnancies. How our maternity care system infantilizes women by giving us minimal information and making decisions for women instead of giving them options. ____ Enter the photo contest and tag me @theunmedicatedgirlies and #theunmedicatedgirlies Join Unmedicated Academy to get informed and make your own decisions.

Margot Robbie is pregnant. Will she invest in getting informed? Will she hired a doula? Will she invest in a physiologic birth at home? Celebrities have all the resources available to them, and very often they are opting for the most detached version of birth, elective cesarean or even worse, surrogacy. Join me in this rabbit hole of celebrity hospital births. In this episode I discuss: How Queen Elizabeth had her power taken away during her first three births and how she demanded different for her fourth. The hospital is the hospital and it can and will take control if you let it, regardless of how rich, famous, and powerful a woman is outside of the hospital. The average rate of cesarean in the United States in 2022 is 32.1% and the World Health Organization’s statement that cesarean rates over 20% lead to worse outcomes for moms and babies. Los Angeles hospital, Cedars-Sinai Hospital, does not disclose their rate of cesarean and that is likely due to a higher than average rate. What it costs for a bougie maternity suite at Cedars-Sinai, Lenox Hill, and Mount Sinai. And did Beyonce really rent out the maternity ward for $1.3 million??

Let's get informed on postpartum hemorrhage, so you can make the best decision in the third stage of your birth. Bleeding is a completely normal part of the birth process, but how much is too much?? Hospital providers are terrified of PPH and are treating every single woman preventatively, even when she just had a physiologic birth and there is no reason to assume this stage of birth needs help as well. In this episode I discuss: The current definition of PPH versus the older definition that labels a normal amount of blood loss as concerning. How PPH is assessed and what can cause a hemorrhage in postpartum. If you birth in the hospital, you will have PPH actively managed. Know the difference between active vs expectant management. All of your options and how to avoid PPH ---- Start the 5 Day Empowerment Challenge Get informed on all the stages of hospital birth (and how to support physiology instead) inside Unmedicated Academy

Allow yourself to get obsessed with your birth. Go all in. Instead of hoping for an unmedicated birth, be committed to having your best birth. Going all in with your birth education can only help you to be more confident and more prepared for walking into the hospital to birth your way. In this episode I discuss: Many hospital birth moms have births that don’t go as planned. The typical birth outcomes IS a birth that doesn’t go to plan so if you want to plan for something different, you have to do things differently. The difference between hoping for an unmedicated birth and being committed to an unmedicated birth. And how you can become obsessed with birth to have a more positive birth experience. If you want a different hospital birth, you are going to have to tell someone no. To do birth differently you are going to have to inconvenience someone at best and piss them off at worst.  Get obsessed with doing birth your way inside Unmedicated Academy.

Have you experienced the Bobbie formula shortage? This mom-founded and-led infant formula company appears to be pro mother-baby, when in fact all they are good at is marketing and making profits off of how you feed your baby. They are a multi million dollar corporation that has used predatory marketing tactics to grow a "cult like" following that has created more demand then they can keep up with. In this episode, I discuss: The new age predatory Marketing tactics that Bobbie formula has pioneered and abused to get moms hooked on their product. Bobbie falsely claims that their organic formula is a solution to mothers' mental health struggles, and now these moms are more stressed than ever as they struggle to feed their babies. The new push towards combo-feeding that enables Bobbie to gain more customers as they directly compete with breastfeeding. One mom's story in choosing Bobbie, what she did during the shortage to feed her baby, and how Bobbie responded to her outrage. Listen to the episode with the Radical Moms Union: Episode 114 We Crashed a Formula Marketing Meeting Join Unmedicated Academy and get access to the BONUS breastfeeding module

How are cervical checks going to affect my labor? I know something as small and simple as a cervical exam doesn’t seem like much of an interruption to the labor process, but it actually is. When we introduce pain, tension, or fear into labor it can cause labor to stall and make it harder for you to access your coping tools. And let’s flip the script, I actually would love for you to think of cervical exams as small and insignificant in actually helping labor, because there are truly no benefits to including multiple cervical checks in birth. In this episode I discuss: A risk and benefit analysis of using cervical checks in labor so you can make an informed choice on if you want to include them in your birth or not. In home births we don’t typically see cervical exams unless the mother requests them, and how requesting a cervical exam shows some doubt in your body’s ability to birth. The story of a mom who dilated from 2 to 10 cm in an hour and the mom who stayed dilated to 5 cm for a whole week. When to expect cervical exams as part of your prenatal care and exactly when ones you can decline. --- Join Unmedicated Academy to learn all about physiologic pushing!

Saying yes to an induction, or pitocin, is like saying yes to an epidural. Once you start pitocin your birth is medicalized and that includes a higher chance of wanting the epidural. In this episode, I discuss: How pitocin and oxytocin are the same chemical compound but work very very differently in or bodies. If you had pitocin in the past and it felt like your birth was out of control, it was. Pitocin means your birth is being control outside your body. Starting pitocin can mean that your coping skills are less accessible which can lead to an unwanted epidural. ---- Download the free Birth Prep Class Get your NORA - restock this week! Join the Academy Moms in learning how to support the birth plan YOU want

Just like with all things birth we are talking about the risks and benefits, pros and cons of doula certification, and insurance reimbursement today. This is a must listen if you are a doula, or thinking of becoming one, or if you are a mom wanting to hire a doula. In this episode, I discuss: Recent posts from Elite Doula Training on new legislatures from Texas and Ohio that are trying to control doulas and that can have a big impact on how your doula can support you. The motives behind certification agencies, lawmakers and hospital systems work together, and it’s not to benefit you. Examples of rules and regulations that doula certification programs and insurance companies put on doulas, and the parallels to how the medical system stole midwifery. What you can do as a doula and as a mom to opt out of doula regulations from your state or hospital. Episodes you’ll love: 70 | Doula certifications suck 100 | Becoming a self taught doula 134 | How to find and hire a doula 133 | What doulas do for you 124 | Biased doulas for biased moms ---- Listen to the new business podcast for moms and follow along on instagram @micromombiz Enroll in Unmedicated Academy for the confidence to tell your hospital no. 

Thinking, hoping, and assuming your hospital is going to be supportive of your natural birth is not enough. And thankfully there is a lot that you can do to take control of the situation so that you are prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. In this episode, I discuss: The two ends of the spectrum, a hospital that is 100% on board with your birth plan, no questions asked versus the most coercive and manipulative of hospitals. How being informed and educated on birth and your rights will change your birth experience in hospitals with varying levels of support. How being empowered means you do not let anyone tell you want to do, including me! An amazing hospital birth story of a positive induction of labor without an epidural. Enroll in Unmedicated Academy and join our community call this week Restock your NORA tea Download the FREE Birth Prep Class

Yes, this is important knowledge to have and you need to understand the stages of labor on a deeper level than just centimeters dilated. Knowing the stages of labor is even more important for hospital birth moms and can help you take control of your labor in severals ways. In this episode I discuss: The idea of surrender versus taking control and how that balance can change based on where you are giving birth. Understanding the stages of labor can help you to avoid cervical checks. The knowledge is power approach included knowing the stages of labor in depth and it has many benefits for the mom wanting an unmedicated birth. ___ Ready to start your birth prep? Birth Prep Class: This 30 minute class will teach you what you can do now to help prepare your mind and body for an unmedicated birth. It's FREE ️ Want to work with me? Unmedicated Academy: The signature program for moms who want to be the boss of their unmedicated birth and be educated, informed and empowered. We will chat each week and you'll be blown away by how much support is inside. Join the empowered mom club

The term fear mongering comes up often in the discussion of our medical system, and our maternity care is no different. Knowing what it is and isn't is helpful in being able to identify the red flags and stand up to fear mongering if it happens to you. In this episode I discuss: The definition of fear mongering and what it can look like in your maternity care. The red flags of fear mongering and what the opposite of fear mongering, which is the informed consent process. Fear isn't a bad thing and can actually be helpful as you prepare for birth. How the knowledge is power approach can help you feel confident, even when faced with fear mongering. Mentioned on the show: Get NORA notifications for the upcoming restock. Grab the replay for Home Birth in the Hospital - limited time only! Enroll in Unmedicated Academy and work with me each week

Have you ever said, "the hospital won't let me..."? Then you need to learn more about the role of your OB, midwife, MFM or really any medical provider because they hold no power over you. Tune in to learn more about informed consent and evidence based care and how you are the actual boss of your medical care. In this episode, I discuss: Informed consent is a discussion that includes getting fully informed so you can make the final decision. Why I think the term shared decision making actually is making the power dynamic worse for mothers. The three components to evidence based care. Birth is a physiologic event that doesn't typically need intervention. Ready to start your birth prep? Birth Prep Class: This 30 minute class will teach you what you can do now to help prepare your mind and body for an unmedicated birth. It's FREE ️ Want to work with me? Unmedicated Academy: The signature program for moms who want to be the boss of their unmedicated birth and be educated, informed and empowered. We will chat each week and you'll be blown away by how much support is inside. Join the empowered mom club Submit a question or testimonial for the show: Leave me a voice message

What is WILD pregnancy? We have one of our good friends from the Moms off the Record podcast, Kat Sigblad, sharing about her current pregnancy with baby number two. With her first birth, Kat thought she prepared the right way, from firing her provider and switching to home birth to being educated on all things natural birth, but what she learned is even home birth midwives can be captured by the system. Not wanting her next birth to be sabotaged as well, Kat did everything differently, starting before conception and by doing her own prenatal care and having a truly autonomous pregnancy. In this episode, Kat gives all the juicy details on her wild pregnancy, including: The scare tactics and manipulation from her home birth midwives that ultimately led her to having a 72 hour induction and failure to descend leading to an unnecessary cesarean. Her promise to not outsource her intuition to someone bound by rules and regulations and the experts she is turning to instead. The typical mindset and belief that more technology and more experts equals a safer birth, and the fallacy of having technology in the birth space. The downsides of the prenatal routine and exactly what Kat will be opting out of and including in her prenatal care, including gestational diabetes screen, blood pressure monitoring, ultrasounds, gbs and fetal monitoring. More resources for wild pregnancy: Kat's Substack - https://katherinesigblad.substack.com/ Moms off the Record Podcast Follow MOTR on IG Anisa Woodall - Holistic fertility & nutrition Free Birth Society Podcast

This is an incredible birth story that you won't want to miss. Katie shares her amazing journey from finding the online birth community in pre-conception to her long, tough back labor in the hospital, completely unmedicated. Katie's favorite part of her story, was reaching down to catch her own baby. She calls it the best gift she's ever received. In this episode, Katie shares: What she did to prepare for her natural hospital birth, and all the mindset work behind believe she could do it. Why she chose to birth in the hospital, even though she wanted a home birth. How preparing her husband with Unmedicated Academy helped him to trust birth too. All 31 hours, starting a home with losing her mucous plug, to her doula walking in to help, to leaving for the hospital to use their birth tubs, to finally catching her baby. The feeling of empowerment that came with her birth, and how she feels like she can do anything now. Grab a spot inside Home Birth in the Hospital Due in August? Enroll now in Unmedicated Academy