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In this episode, Allison Angelini shares the profound and challenging story of her second pregnancy and birth. From the start, Allison had a premonition that her birth might not go as planned. Compounding her worries, she experienced a traumatic event while camping with her toddler, which left her grappling with PTSD and anxiety throughout her pregnancy.

Despite her fears, Allison pursued a home birth. Her labor was long and intense, complicated by an anterior cervical lip and an instinctive sense that something was off. After her baby’s head was born, his shoulders became stuck—a shoulder dystocia. He entered the world pale, limp, and not breathing. However, his umbilical cord remained intact and pulsing at a strong 150 bpm, allowing him to recover after eight tense minutes in his mother’s arms, still connected to his placenta.

In reflecting on her experience, Allison wonders if her mental state influenced her labor progression and contributed to the shoulder dystocia of her 9 lb. 13 oz. baby. Despite this difficult birth, she later went on to have a smooth home birth with her third child, who weighed almost exactly the same as her second.

Tune in to hear Allison’s honest and introspective journey as she wrestles with the question: Did my PTSD cause a shoulder dystocia?

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Needed -- Our favorite nutritional products for before, during, and after pregnancy. Use this link to save 20%
Use promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH for all sponsors.
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Call us at 802-GET-DOWN

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Work with Trisha:
734-649-6294

Please remember we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed medical provider for all your healthcare matters.

Send us a text

Welcome to the first Q&A episode of Season 6 with Cynthia & Trisha! We’re kicking things off by discussing some lesser-known causes of cervical scar tissue that could impact labor progress. It’s a good reminder to consider how any procedure or reproductive intervention might affect future births.

In this episode, we answer a new collection of listener questions, including one about a mom-to-be who wants a home birth but is feeling uneasy about having someone else in the house to watch her child during labor. Is a birth center a better option for her? We also talk about postpartum aches and pains—specifically knee, calf, and foot discomfort—and what supplements and activities might help during recovery. Plus, we dive into the rise of shoulder dystocia: why is it happening more often, and what can be done to prevent or address it?

In our extended episode, available to Apple subscribers and on Patreon, we answer more questions, such as: How can you tell if you’re bleeding too much after delivering the placenta in water (with expert advice from Barbara Harper of Waterbirth International)? Do prenatal vitamins actually play a critical role? And when, if ever, does a low fetal heart rate in labor mean you need to cut the cord and separate mom and baby for resuscitation?

We also wrap up with a quick-fire round of Quickies covering everything from laboring on your back and diaper rash to ultrasounds, precipitous labor, and the foods we, personally, could eat every single day.

Tune in for all that and more!

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Our sponsors:
Silverette Nursing Cups -- Soothe and heal sore nipples with 925 silver nursing cups.
Postpartum Soothe -- Herbs and padsicles to heal and comfort.
Needed -- Our favorite nutritional products for before, during, and after pregnancy. Use this link to save 20%
Use promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH for all sponsors.
DrinkLMNT -- Purchase LMNT with this unique link and get a FREE sample pack

Connect with us on Patreon for our exclusive content.
Email Contact@DownToBirthShow.com
Instagram @downtobirthshow
Call us at 802-GET-DOWN

Work with Cynthia:
203-952-7299
HypnoBirthingCT.com

Work with Trisha:
734-649-6294

Please remember we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed medical provider for all your healthcare matters.

Send us a text

As an active member of the military, Alexandra was required to take various medical products. After experiencing multiple adverse reactions, she started researching the benefits, safety and risks of each, leading her to create the platform, "Just the Inserts." Just the Inserts provides all the publicly available information on vaccines and other medical products to help parents make informed choices about what they will accept or decline for themselves and their children.

This episode is not about being "anti-vax" or "pro-vax", labels that we reject, and there is no implication about whether any vaccine or medical product is right for you or your child. It is about our right as citizens to true informed consent, knowing your available resources, learning to trust your own decisions, and becoming a steward of health for yourself and your family rather than outsourcing it to a medical provider or the government.

Additionally, Alexandra answers questions from our audience such as:

• What is a black box warning, and do they apply to children?
• What is shedding, and should you be concerned about it?
• How did the current vaccine schedule come to be?
• What resources are available for parents to become educated?
• Why are medical professionals so poorly informed about the downsides of vaccines?
• How can you have a productive conversation with friends and family about choices, accepting or declining medical products?
• As a reminder, this episode does not provide medical advice or recommendations on what products are right for you and your family. These choices require every individual to look deeply into their health, environment, and medical history.

As a reminder, this channel does not provide medical advice or recommendations on what products are right for you and your family. These choices require every individual to look deeply into their health, environment, and medical history.

Links to our recommended resources:
Just the Inserts
National Vaccine Information Center
Well Considered: A Handbook for Making Medical Decisions
FDA: Vaccines Licensed For Use in the USA
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System

**********
Our sponsors:
Silverette Nursing Cups -- Soothe and heal sore nipples with 925 silver nursing cups.
Postpartum Soothe -- Herbs and padsicles to heal and comfort.
Needed -- Our favorite nutritional products for before, during, and after pregnancy. Use this link to save 20%
Use promo code: DOWNTOBIRTH for all sponsors.
DrinkLMNT -- Purchase LMNT with this unique link an

Connect with us on Patreon for our exclusive content.
Email Contact@DownToBirthShow.com
Instagram @downtobirthshow
Call us at 802-GET-DOWN

Work with Cynthia:
203-952-7299
HypnoBirthingCT.com

Work with Trisha:
734-649-6294

Please remember we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed medical provider for all your healthcare matters.