Evidence Based Birth®

Research shows that queer and trans parents face significantly higher rates of perinatal depression and anxiety, but affirming and community-centered support can make a big difference. In this episode, clinical psychologist and researcher Leiszle Lapping-Carr joins Dr. Rebecca Dekker to talk about the unique mental health challenges 2SLGBTQ+ parents may experience during pregnancy and postpartum and what providers, birth workers, and communities can do to create safer, more supportive care. Dr. Lapping-Carr shares how stigma, discrimination, isolation, and lack of affirming healthcare spaces can affect mental health outcomes for queer and trans parents. She also explains how evidence-based approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy can be adapted to better support 2SLGBTQ+ families, especially when distress is rooted in experiences of discrimination and loss of safety. Learn how protective factors that support mental health, chosen family and community, and inclusive healthcare providers can make perinatal spaces more affirming for all parents. (01:43) Dr. Leiszle Lapping-Carr's background and research journey (04:31) Perinatal depression rates among queer and trans parents (07:19) Minority stress, discrimination, and mental health risks (11:08) Protective factors and the importance of community support (12:52) What is the Mothers and Babies intervention? (15:17) Adapting Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for queer and trans parents (20:09) Common thought patterns and challenges for LGBTQ+ parents (22:57) Behavioral strategies and "pleasant activities" for mental health (28:58) Barriers to affirming perinatal mental healthcare (32:42) The role of doulas and community recommendations (37:33) Common mistakes providers make when caring for queer and trans parents Resources Learn more about Dr. Lapping-Carr and her research: feinberg.northwestern.edu/faculty-profiles/az/profile.html?xid=49272 Postpartum Support International Online Support Groups: postpartum.net/get-help/psi-online-support-meetings/ Mothers and Babies preventive perinatal depression intervention: mothersandbabiesprogram.org/providers/ For more information about Evidence Based Birth and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

Pregnancy fitness advice has changed dramatically over the last few decades, but many parents still receive outdated recommendations rooted more in fear than evidence. After receiving outdated advice during her own pregnancy, exercise physiologist and prenatal/postnatal wellness practitioner Ashley Reid was inspired to help moms stay active through every stage of motherhood. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with Ashley about the latest evidence on exercise and strength training during pregnancy and postpartum. Ashley shares why old recommendations like keeping your heart rate under 140 beats per minute are outdated, what the research actually says about lifting weights during pregnancy, and how to safely build strength in ways that support your changing body. She also explains her "Core, Function, and Fitness" framework and how to approach postpartum recovery as a gradual progression instead of a rush back to exercise. (03:55) Outdated pregnancy exercise advice and the "140 beats per minute" rule (06:27) Fear around heart rate monitoring and exercise intensity in pregnancy (08:42) What the research says about exercise safety and pregnancy (13:20) Ashley's "Core, Function, and Fitness" framework (17:20) Why core strength matters during pregnancy (20:47) Is lifting weights during pregnancy safe? (25:25) Signs it may be time to modify or pause exercise (27:23) How pregnancy exercise supports postpartum recovery (30:01) Returning to exercise postpartum and the new 2025 guidelines (36:27) Ashley shares what readers will learn in her book Active Mom (37:56) Sample workout progressions and making exercise work for you Resources Learn more about Active Mom Fitness: activemomfitness.com/ Get your copy of Ashley's Book, "Active Mom": activemomfitness.com/books For more information about Evidence Based Birth and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

What happens when your carefully planned, low-intervention birth transforms into something entirely unexpected? In this replay episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker revisits her conversation with Leah Bergman, a graduate of the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class, and her birth story of navigating a surprise diagnosis of fetal growth restriction (sometimes called intrauterine growth restriction or IUGR) in late pregnancy. Together, they unpack the emotional rollercoaster of changing birth plans, wrestling with uncertainty, and making tough decisions around induction while still finding space for empowerment, advocacy, and joy. Leah opens up about leaning on evidence-based education, support from her husband and doula, and a compassionate midwifery team as she faced a challenging induction process complete with surprises, setbacks, and two trips to the hospital. You'll also hear practical strategies for advocating during labor, the realities of taking a break from an induction then "starting over", and how to build a positive birth experience even when things go off script. Content Note: Discussion of the risk of stillbirth associated with fetal growth restriction. (03:44) Discovering Evidence Based Birth® (09:15) Deciding to induce labor(10:43) Placenta health and birth timing(14:50 Discussing timing of delivery(17:41) Labor induction experience(23:29 Beginning stages of labor induction(25:55) Advocating for rest during labor(28:48) Unexpectedly quick delivery experience(31:51) Managing baby's low birth weight For the full list of resources from this epiosde, click here. For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is one of the most common reasons families are advised to plan for an early birth. But what does the evidence actually say about induction for GDM? Does it lower the risk of Cesarean? Prevent big babies? Reduce stillbirth? Or does the timing matter more than the induction itself? In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker and Dr. Morgan Richardson Cayama walk through the updated research on induction for gestational diabetes. You'll learn how outcomes differ before 39 weeks, between 39–40 weeks, and after 41 weeks, and why blood sugar control (diet-controlled versus medication-controlled GDM) can change the conversation entirely. They also review what major professional organizations recommend and discuss the role of extra fetal monitoring in the third trimester. Most importantly, they talk about informed consent, respectful maternity care, and how to navigate conversations if you're feeling pressure to schedule an induction. (00:02:40) Background & research update (00:05:34) What is GDM? Risks & induction rates (00:08:34) Research challenges & study limitations (00:15:36) Timing of birth: 38, 39, 40+ weeks (00:19:26) Big babies & health risks (00:24:27) Professional guidelines (ACOG, NICE, SOGC) (00:27:14) Birth before 41 weeks: common recommendation (00:27:54) Extra fetal monitoring in late pregnancy (00:32:49) Navigating pressure & informed consent View the full list of references here. Resources Read the updated Evidence on: Induction for Gestational Diabetes: ebbirth.com/inducingGDM Get the free respectful care handout: ebbirth.com/369 Grab your Pocket Guide to Labor Induction here. EBB 370 - Updated Evidence on Diagnosing Gestational Diabetes For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

In EBB 350, Krista DeYoung called in from her hospital room after weeks of inpatient monitoring for partial placental abruption. She and Dr. Rebecca Dekker had just finished a crash course on preparing for a Cesarean, not knowing that information would be needed just 30 minutes later. In this follow-up episode, Krista returns to share what happened next: the urgent decision-making, the move to labor and delivery, and the Cesarean birth that unfolded just days before her scheduled 37-week surgery. Krista walks through the physical sensations of an urgent Cesarean, the grounding techniques that helped her stay calm during surgery, and the emotional reality of recovering after major abdominal surgery. She also opens up about NICU life, bringing her baby home on oxygen, and the unexpected emotional release that came after finally leaving the hospital following more than a month of inpatient care. (04:04) Krista's extended hospital stay & partial placental abruption recap (09:39) Preparing for a Cesarean just hours before it happened (011:07) Realizing there are Cesarean birth options (12:59) Staying calm: grounding, breath, and mental preparation (13:59) Labor begins & the shift to an urgent Cesarean (18:10) Epidural, tugging sensations, and what Cesarean feels like (20:54) Baby Jace is born! (23:40) Focusing inward during surgery (27:25) First moments with Jace & NICU transfer (31:42) Leaving the hospital after a month-long stay (38:10) Feeding challenges after NICU (41:26) Physical & emotional recovery after a Cesarean (45:52) Advice for families preparing for a Cesarean (47:38) Gratitude and shout-outs to nurses & care teams Resources EBB 266 – Advocating for your Newborn during an Unexpected NICU Stay with EBB Childbirth Class Graduates Priscilla and Nathan Layman EBB 284 – How to Help NICU Families Find Empowerment and Healing During their Challenging Journeys with Hollis Wakefield EBB 305 – A High-Risk Pregnancy and Miraculous Birth with Krista and John DeYoung, EBB Childbirth Class Graduates EBB 350 – Surviving a Long Antepartum Hospital Stay and Preparing for a Scheduled Cesarean with Krista DeYoung, EBB Childbirth Class Graduate EBB 356 – NICU-Informed Doulas: What are they and how can they change the NICU narrative? with Mary Farrelly, RN, Doula, and Founder of the NICU Translator For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

A healing birth can change the way you understand everything that came before it. In this episode, Dr. Dekker talks with EBB Childbirth Class graduate Michaela Raines about experiencing a deeply healing birth after a first birth that didn't go as planned. Michaela shares her first hospital birth story—including unexpected interventions, a long pushing phase, perineal trauma, and a NICU stay—and how those experiences shaped her postpartum recovery. She then walks us through how education, intentional preparation, and support helped her approach her second pregnancy differently, leading to a fast, unmedicated water birth at a freestanding birth center. Michaela also reflects on how this birth felt both physically and emotionally redemptive and what she would share with parents preparing for a subsequent birth after a challenging experience. (03:13) Michaela's first birth expectations vs. reality (04:15) Unexpected interventions, epidural, and long pushing (08:16) Postpartum recovery and feelings of embarrassment (09:27) Discovering Evidence Based Birth® and choosing a birth center (12:10) Preparing mentally for an unmedicated birth (13:26) Birth center transfer protocols and emergency preparedness (14:34) Early labor and false starts (19:40) Arriving at the birth center and a rapid water birth (21:13) The healing impact of her second birth (24:58) Freedom of movement and choosing birth positions (30:35) Birth affirmations that carried her through labor (31:36) Advice for parents preparing for a healing second birth Resources EBB 292 – Confronting the Unknowns in Childbirth with Liesel Teen of the Mommy Labor Nurse EBB 318 – Advocating for Waterbirth in Hospitals with Dr. Liz Nutter, DNP, CNM, and Retired Lieutenant Colonel

From heat waves to winter storms to hurricanes, extreme weather events are increasingly part of everyday life, and learning how they intersect with pregnancy and birth can empower families and birthworkers alike. Alicia Race, a climate resilience policy advocate with the Union of Concerned Scientists, is joining Dr. Rebecca Dekker this week to share how these events—especially during what experts now call "Danger Season"—can impact pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding families. As we enter 2026, educate yourself now about what scientists consider to be "Danger Season," why extreme heat and extreme cold can be dangerous for pregnant families, and how compounding climate hazards like heat waves, hurricanes, flooding, and wildfire smoke can increase risks such as preterm birth, low birth weight, hypertensive disorders, and mental health stress during pregnancy. Alicia also shares real-world examples, research findings, and tools that families and birthworkers can use to stay informed, prepared, and connected. (02:43) Climate displacement and the idea of "climate refugees" (04:30) What is Danger Season? (07:27) Research linking extreme weather to preterm birth and labor outcomes (08:36) How hurricanes and flooding affect pregnant families (11:29) Birth during disasters: access to care, transportation, and feeding infants (13:55) Extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and air quality risks in pregnancy (18:59) Power outages, utility shutoffs, and climate-related health equity (25:27) Apps and free tools for tracking air quality and heat alerts Resources Read Alicia's story, What to Expect When You're Expecting During Danger Season: https://blog.ucs.org/alicia-race/what-to-expect-when-youre-expecting-during-danger-season/ Use the UCS Killer Heat tool: ucs.org/resources/killer-heat-interactive-tool Take a look at the Danger Season Map: dangerseason.ucs.org/ Map your heat risk with the National Weather Service: www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/heatrisk/ Check the air quality where you live: airnow.gov/ Learn about air quality and smoke near you: airnow.gov/wildfires/ Read about the potential privatization of weather resources: pbs.org/newshour/politics/as-trump-slashed-weather-agency-his-appointees-have-ties-to-companies-that-stand-to-benefit-from-privatizing-forecasts For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

As 2025 comes to an end, guest host Dr. Sara Ailshire turns the tables and interviews Dr. Rebecca Dekker about the biggest childbirth trends, lessons, and breakthroughs of 2025, and what exciting changes are coming to EBB in 2026. Together, Sara and Rebecca dive into the shifting landscape of birth: the unprecedented rise in labor inductions, how AI is complicating the search for evidence-based information, changes in doula access and Medicaid coverage, and how politics continues to shape pregnancy and postpartum care. They walk through the most impactful EBB research updates of the year—including new evidence on vitamin K, gestational diabetes testing, induction timing, big babies, and respectful maternity care—and reflect on the episodes that resonated most with our global community. Rebecca also opens up about what she personally learned this year, including how unresolved childhood trauma impacted her own labor years ago, and how that insight is shaping her thinking about the emotional and spiritual dimensions of birth. Plus, Rebecca reveals a major new direction for Evidence Based Birth in 2026 that could transform hospital birth culture around the world and bring evidence-based care to thousands more families. Want to provide input on EBB's new direction? Fill out this survey here! (02:12) The #1 trend of 2025: inductions everywhere (03:50) How AI is reshaping (and complicating) birth information (07:51) Doula coverage, Medicaid changes, and fewer parents seeking childbirth education (11:55) Miscarriage care, politics, and the impact of Dobbs (13:42) Biggest EBB research updates: vitamin K, GDM, and more (21:40) The new Respectful Maternity Care handout (22:21) The new "big baby" trial and why it likely won't shift U.S. practice (25:37) The top five EBB podcast episodes of the year (32:58) Highlights from the 2025 EBB Conference & Summer School (41:22) How trauma shaped Rebecca's own labor (53:50) The big reveal: what's coming for EBB in 2026 Resources Vitamin K Signature Article (Updated 2025): ebbirth.com/vitamink Gestational Diabetes Signature Article (Updated): ebbirth.com/gdm Get the Respectful Maternity Care Free Handout: ebbirth.com/RMC Sign up for the Big Baby Signature Training for Pro Members: ebbirth.com/classes Get the My Doula Visit Workbook: ebbirth.com/doula-workbook/ Referenced EBB Episodes EBB 349 – An L & D Nurse's Advice for Advocating in the Birth Room with Trish Ware the Labor Nurse Mama EBB 357 – Making Decisions about Elective Induction of Labor with Dr. Ann Peralta & Kari Radoff, CNM, from Partner to Decide EBB 377 – Medicaid Coverage for Doula Care with Amy Chen, Senior Attorney at the National Health Law Program EBB 352 – Calming Breathing Techniques for Pregnancy with Dr. Shilpa Babbar, Obstetrician and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist EBB 343 – Top Ten Evidence-Based Strategies for Lowering the Risk of Cesarean EBB 347 - Updated Evidence on Vitamin K EBB 350 – Surviving a Long Antepartum Hospital Stay and Preparing for a Scheduled Cesarean with Krista DeYoung, EBB Childbirth Class Graduate EBB 372 – Comfort Measures and a 41-Week Induction with Hopey Fink and Ben Levin, EBB Childbirth Class Graduates EBB Doula Trainer Rewards Lorie Michaels, BirthPro Advanced Doula Training: birthpro.org Lorenda Lewis, Healing with Dignity: healingwithdignity.com Heather McCullough, HMBirth: hmbirth.com Heather Christine Struwe, Community Aware Birthworker: communityawarebirthworker.com Charlotte Shilo-Goudeau, Community Birth Companion: communitybirthcompanion.org Naima Beckles, For Your Birth: foryourbirth.com Leiko Hidaka, Leiko Hidaka: leikohidaka.com Ruth Kraft, Birth Professional International: birthprofessionalinternational.com Jennifer Anderson, Birth Fusion: birthfusion.com Chanté Perryman, Baby Dreams Maternity Concierge: babydreamsmc.com For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.