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PODCAST

Down to Birth

Cynthia Overgard & Trisha Ludwig

Join Cynthia Overgard and Trisha Ludwig once per week for evidence-based straight talk on pregnancy, birth and postpartum --- beyond the clichés and beyond the system. With 40 years" combined experience in midwifery, childbirth education and advocacy, publishing, research and postpartum care, we"ve guided thousands of families toward safer, more empowered choices. Down to Birth is all about safe childbirth, while recognizing a safe outcome isn"t all that matters. We challenge the status quo, explore

health & fitness alternative health

All Episodes

32:38

#328 | Jessie's Vaginal Breech Birth: The Way it Was...

Down to Birth ·

2025/08/06

Send us a text At 28 weeks, Jessie found out her baby was breech—but instead of panicking, she trusted her gut. She felt strongly that her baby was meant to be born this way. After initially planning a home birth, Jessie began exploring other options and considered traveling to Pennsylvania for a hospital birth with experienced breech providers. But when labor started at 39 weeks, everything shifted. Mid-drive to Pennsylvania, Jessie and her husband decided to turn around and head to Yale New...

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41:00

#327 | July Q&A: Folic Acid & Tongue Tie, Nuchal...

Down to Birth ·

2025/07/30

Send us a text Welcome to the July Q&A! Today, we kick off the show with a conversation about your experiences of unnecessary, frequent stressors that we have the power to change or eliminate: For Trisha, it's taking phone calls while grocery shopping. Next, we get into your questions, beginning with: Did taking folic acid in pregnancy cause my baby's tongue tie? Is having the cord wrapped three times around a baby's neck a legitimate reason for c-section? Is it true that I can't ha...

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48:40

#326 | Trisha's Three Home Births

Down to Birth ·

2025/07/23

Send us a text Finally, after all these years, Trisha tells the stories of her three home births. Pregnancy, birth, & midwifery are woven into her life story, from her early obsession with pregnancy to her decision to pursue a career in midwifery, allowing her to understand every aspect of birth from a physiological and intellectual perspective. Hear how she became a midwife, how she got herself into labor with her first, grueling, long birth, to her wildly different second birth, and her...

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44:26

#325 | Breast Cancer While Pregnant: Leslie’s Story...

Down to Birth ·

2025/07/16

Send us a text In this extraordinary episode, Leslie shares her deeply personal story of discovering a lump in her breast at 34 weeks pregnant—an aggressive, triple-negative breast cancer. A wellness coach who hadn’t taken over-the-counter medication in five years, Leslie spent her adult life doing everything she could to prevent disease. As she prepared to welcome her second baby at home, she was forced to face a diagnosis that would alter her life on every level. She confidently insisted on...

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47:05

#324 | The Impact of Beliefs on Birth: Changing Our...

Down to Birth ·

2025/07/09

Send us a text Drawing from our their personal experiences, your words, and our intimate birth story processing sessions, Cynthia & Trisha delve into the neuroscience around beliefs and birth. Our brain constantly wants to make sense of things, but it often lands on unhelpful conclusions. This episode is about recognizing those negative beliefs and actively replacing them with empowering ones. It's about taking charge of your internal narrative to foster healing and confidence, no matter ...

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39:27

#323 | Two Planned Home Births at the Hospital:...

Down to Birth ·

2025/07/02

Send us a text Emily Woodward is a mother of two who planned a home birth for each of her babies. Her first labor began with confidence and joy—and stretched across multiple days, testing her endurance, her trust in her birth team, and her ability to surrender when the path ahead took an unexpected turn. She transferred from home to hospital with a crowning baby. Her second pregnancy was smooth and uneventful—until 31 weeks, when she awoke in the middle of the night to a pool of bright red bl...

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41:57

#322 | June Q&A: VBAC Induction, Birth Plan...

Down to Birth ·

2025/06/25

Send us a text Welcome to the June Q&A with Cynthia & Trisha. This month we kick things off with a conversation about a midwife who dropped her client in early labor because her HBAC labor was taking too long to get going--as you can imagine, we have a lot to say about this! Next we take your questions: One mom writes about her 3rd attempt at a homebirth after two hospital transfers and wonders if it is ok to keep her birth plans from her family with whom she is very close with. ...

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51:14

#321 | Spoil Your Baby: The Neuroscience of Thriving...

Down to Birth ·

2025/06/18

Send us a text Neuroscientist and author of The Nurture Revolution, Dr. Greer Kirschenbaum, PhD, joins us today to discuss the profound impact of nurturing care in the first three years of life. Drawing from decades of brain research, Greer explains how responsive, connected parenting in early life lays the neurological foundation for emotional regulation, mental health, and lifelong resilience—and why this critical window is so often misunderstood, underestimated, or dismissed. We also explo...

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45:13

#320 | Breastfeeding Q&A: Nipple Shields, Restricting...

Down to Birth ·

2025/06/11

Send us a text Welcome to the June Breastfeeding Q&A episode with Trisha & Cynthia. Today, we open with a follow-up discussion to our recent Patreon discussion on the predatory marketing of formula companies followed by a listener's comment about a hospital who forbade a mother and baby from doing skin-to-skin. Next, Trisha answers the following questions: Does a baby need to feed in the first 24 hours?What are your tips for gently weaning a 20-month old?Did I sabotage my milk supply ...

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34:11

#319 | Devon's Footling Breech Birth Story: Accepting...

Down to Birth ·

2025/06/04

Send us a text Devon Stockton was deeply rooted in health and wellness and armed with years of medical experience. She had only ever envisioned a natural, low-intervention birth and took all of the necessary steps to prepare herself. But her birth took an unexpected turn upon arrival at the hospital when she discovered her baby was footling breech and a cesarean would be necessary. Devon recounts the emotional shift, the support of her husband, and the unexpected calm of her labor before surg...

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43:56

#318 | May Q&A: Precipitous Births, Tearing Tips,...

Down to Birth ·

2025/05/28

Send us a text Welcome to the May Q&A with Cynthia & Trisha. If you have been wondering what you should plan to eat after giving birth, we've got the answers in today's episode, and we think they'll surprise you! For today's regular episode, we answer the following: Can you remove an epidural for pushing?Can the cervix swell shut if you push before it is fully dilated?Can you prevent a tear in a precipitous birth when the baby comes flying out?Can I still have a VBAC if I had a big ba...

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53:46

#317 | The Risk of Uterine Rupture: Breaking Down...

Down to Birth ·

2025/05/21

Send us a text What's the one question every woman wants to answer when considering a VBAC? Is it safe for me and my baby? In today's episode, Cynthia & Trisha break down the available data on VBAC, why we should discard the term TOLAC, the actual risks of uterine rupture, whether induced with Pitocon versus a prostaglandin or having spontaneous labor versus expectant management. We present the few cases in which a woman should not choose to VBAC and help mothers understand their decision...

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46:34

#316 | The Body Ready Method for Optimizing Labor...

Down to Birth ·

2025/05/14

Send us a text Did you know that how you breathe on a daily basis can influence how your birth goes? Yes, your rib cage impacts your pelvic tension! On today's episode, we have Lindsay McCoy, a birth doula, exercise physiologist, and co-founder of the Body Ready Method. She explains how breath, mobility, and pelvic balance all come together to support a smoother, more efficient labor—and how a few simple daily practices in pregnancy can reduce the need for interventions in birth. She reminds ...

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67:52

#315 | The Preeclampsia Puzzle: Misdiagnoses,...

Down to Birth ·

2025/05/07

Send us a text Preeclampsia is an increasingly common diagnosis, but are we getting it right? This episode tackles the alarming reality of misdiagnosis and the rush to intervene prematurely with induction. Join us and functional medicine expert Sarah Thompson, researcher and author of Functional Maternity, as we dive into the deeper nature of preeclampsia, beyond simple blood pressure readings. Learn about the crucial roles of sleep, stress, and your body's detox pathways in the prevention of...

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43:13

#314 | April Q&A: Epidurals, Pushing Too Soon, Castor...

Down to Birth ·

2025/04/30

Send us a text Welcome to the April Q&A episode! Today's episode begins with your answers to our question: How do you cope when you are at your breaking point in parenting? If you are looking for some creative ideas, you will find them here! And someone, please tell us where one Mississippi, two Mississippi came from? Next, we get down to birth and answer the following questions: Why do some women choose unmedicated, physiological births despite societal pressures and perceived diff...

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47:06

#313 | Including Children at Birth: Should They Be...

Down to Birth ·

2025/04/23

Send us a text What happens when we invite our children into the sacred space of birth? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Morgan MacDermott, a naturopathic doctor, perinatal health specialist, and mother of four, to talk about the transformative experience of having siblings present at birth. We tackle the key questions: Should all children be present at birth, and if not, which considerations should be considered? Will they be scared? Will the mother be able to stay focused? What happens ...

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48:35

#312 | Avoiding the Unnecessary Cesarean: A Five-Step...

Down to Birth ·

2025/04/16

Send us a text Today we’re talking about one of the most important—and misunderstood—topics in maternity care: the unnecessary cesarean. In the U.S., about one in three babies is born by C-section, but in physiologic birth settings, that number can be as low as 2–4%. So what’s driving the difference? In this episode, Cynthia and Trisha unpack the many layers behind the rising cesarean rate and offer a grounded, evidence-based approach for avoiding surgery when it isn’t truly needed. From prov...

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42:57

#311 | Listen to Me: Black Maternal Health, Tragedy,...

Down to Birth ·

2025/04/09

Send us a text In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, we’re joined by Stephanie Etienne and Kanika Harris, creators of the documentary Listen to Me. The film follows the pregnancy and birth journeys of several black women. It reveals a devastating reality: Black mothers in the U.S. and U.K. are dying in childbirth at far higher rates than white women regardless of education, income, or resources. Kanika shares the heartbreaking story of losing her twin babies after a sudden onset of preeclam...

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58:11

#310 | The Co-Sleeping Controversy: Overcoming Fear &...

Down to Birth ·

2025/04/02

Send us a text What if sleeping beside your baby isn’t dangerous—but actually protective? In this episode, we talk about one of the most instinctive things mothers do—and one of the most feared and judged: co-sleeping. Today's guest is Isadora Ambrose, founder of Happy Co-Sleeper and a certified holistic infant sleep specialist. Why are parents told to never sleep with their babies when every cell in their body wants to keep them close at night? Isadora breaks down what makes co-sleepin...

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40:25

#309 | March Q&A: Uterine Rupture Risk; Weaning...

Down to Birth ·

2025/03/26

Send us a text Cynthia and Trisha are back with the March Q&A episode! This one kicks off with a fun discussion on things that our Instagram followers think people should know but don’t—like how, when you say you’re eating a kiwi, you’re actually referring to either a kiwi bird or, worse, a person from New Zealand! In today’s Q&A episode, we answer these questions: Do I need to schedule a cesarean at 40 weeks if I’m planning a VBAC? My OB says I do.How do I know when it’s time to wean...

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