
Down to Birth
Join Cynthia Overgard and Trisha Ludwig once per week for evidence-based straight talk on having a safe and informed birth, which starts with determining if you've hired the right provider. If we had to boil it down to a single premise, it's this: A healthy mom and baby isn't all that matters. We have more than 30 years' experience between us in midwifery, informed rights advocacy, publishing, childbirth education, postpartum support and breastfeeding, and we've personally served thousands of women and couples. Listen to the birth stories of our clients, listeners and celebrities, catch our expert-interviews, and submit your questions for our monthly Q&A episodes by calling us at 802-GET-DOWN. We're on Instagram at @downtobirthshow and also at Patreon.com/downtobirthshow, where we offer live ongoing events multiple times per month, so be sure to join our worldwide community. We are a Top .5% podcast globally with listeners in more than 80 countries every week. Become informed, empowered, and have a great time in the process. Join us and reach out any time - we love to hear from you. And as always, hear everyone, listen to yourself.
Show episodes
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 transferre

#322 | June Q&A: VBAC Induction, Birth Plan Boundaries, Nuchal Hand Presentation, 36-Week Cervical Exams, Episiotomy, Newborn Transition
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

#321 | Spoil Your Baby: The Neuroscience of Thriving Baby Brains with Dr. Greer Kirschenbaum, PhD
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 neurologica

#320 | Breastfeeding Q&A: Nipple Shields, Restricting Skin-to-Skin, Formula Marketing, Gentle Weaning, Nursing Strikes, Night Feeding
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, T
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

#318 | May Q&A: Precipitous Births, Tearing Tips, Best Foods After Birth, Epidural Removal for Pushing, Induction & VBAC, Cord Clamping, Jaundice
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