Transformed by Birth

Britta Bushnell, PhD

Transformed by Birth is a podcast that goes far beyond due dates and diaper bags. Hosted by Britta Bushnell, PhD, mythologist, award-winning childbirth educator, and author of Transformed by Birth, this show explores the profound rite of passage that is pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.

  1. The Time Warp of Pregnancy, Birth, and New Parenthood

    -7 H

    The Time Warp of Pregnancy, Birth, and New Parenthood

    In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by certified advanced birth doula, perinatal educator, international speaker, bestselling author, and the voice behind the Birthful podcast, Adriana Lozada, for a conversation that feels like it needs its own music intro. Together, we explore the time warp of pregnancy, birth, and new parenthood. We talk about why minutes can feel like days while months disappear in a blink, how modern clock time clashes with physiology, and why timing contractions can become the first intervention in labor. We also explore postpartum as baby time, what it means to hold a "both and" reality when life demands productivity while your body and baby move slowly, and how to build real support with intention. This episode is a grounding reframe for anyone wondering what happened to their ability to get anything done. LEARN MORE

    1 h 4 min
  2. Building Resilience When the World Feels Like a Poly Crisis

    24/02

    Building Resilience When the World Feels Like a Poly Crisis

    In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by perinatal care specialist and Resilience Toolkit facilitator Mikaela Lynn for a grounded conversation about stress, nervous system regulation, and what it means to build resilience in the perinatal year. Together, we explore why stress isolates us from our bodies, our relationships, and our sense of choice, and why resilience is not about pushing through but about strengthening flexibility and restoring connection. Mikaela shares a practical framework for self-assessment, how to find pockets of relative safety in a time of systemic stress, and why stabilization is the priority during pregnancy, birth, and early postpartum. This episode is for parents navigating this turbulent time, for anyone recovering from birth trauma, and for perinatal professionals who want to support others without abandoning their own nervous systems. LEARN MORE

    1 h
  3. Matrescence: You're Not Broken, You're Becoming

    17/02

    Matrescence: You're Not Broken, You're Becoming

    In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I am joined by coach, doula, and author Jessie Harrold for a rich and deeply validating conversation about matrescence, the profound identity transformation that unfolds as we become mothers. Together, we explore motherhood as a rite of passage rather than a pathology. Jessie shares her four elements model of radical transformation and helps us name what so many parents feel but rarely have language for: the grief, anger, ambivalence, and disorientation that accompany this becoming. We talk about why losing yourself in motherhood is not failure but part of the developmental arc of transformation, how adult development theory helps us hold paradox with more skill, and why reclaiming motherhood from cultural extremes matters. This episode invites you to honor both the unbecoming and the becoming, and to remember that you are not broken. You are becoming. LEARN MORE

    1 h
  4. Holding Fear, Power, and Possibility in High-Risk Pregnancy

    10/02

    Holding Fear, Power, and Possibility in High-Risk Pregnancy

    In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by somatic trauma consultant, author, and maternal health advocate Parijat Deshpande for a deeply grounding conversation about high-risk pregnancy, preterm birth, and the NICU experience. Together, we explore what the term "high-risk" actually means, how it is often misunderstood, and why hearing that label can be so destabilizing to the nervous system. Parijat brings clarity to the psychology and physiology of stress in pregnancy, helping us understand how fear, uncertainty, and incomplete stress responses affect the body and the birth experience. This episode centers the lived experience of parents. We talk about trauma, grief, self-blame, and the often unseen emotional toll of high-risk pregnancy and NICU stays. We also explore practical, embodied tools for working with stress, supporting the nervous system, and reclaiming agency in moments when parents feel powerless. LEARN MORE

    1 h
  5. When Motherhood Doesn't Feel Like the Story You Were Sold

    3/02

    When Motherhood Doesn't Feel Like the Story You Were Sold

    In this episode, I'm joined by licensed therapist and author Vanessa Bennett for a powerful conversation about the stories we've inherited about motherhood, identity, intimacy, and worth. Together, we explore what Vanessa calls "the motherhood myth," the cultural narrative that tells parents they should feel endlessly fulfilled, selfless, and complete through parenting alone. We unpack how patriarchy, capitalism, and shame-based conditioning shape modern family life, why so many parents feel isolated and overwhelmed, and how reclaiming agency and selfhood becomes part of the rite of passage into parenthood. This conversation is honest, layered, and deeply validating. It invites you to question what you've been taught, reconnect with your inner authority, and remember that feeling stretched, disoriented, or dissatisfied is not personal failure — it is a response to a system that was never built to truly support families. LEARN MORE

    1 h 3 min
  6. Pelvic Floor Health as a Lifelong Practice, Not a Postpartum Fix

    27/01

    Pelvic Floor Health as a Lifelong Practice, Not a Postpartum Fix

    In this episode of Transformed by Birth, we explore the pelvic floor as a powerful and often misunderstood center of physical, emotional, and relational health with pelvic floor physical therapist, educator, and author Dr. Sara Reardon. Together, we unpack why pelvic floor care matters not only during pregnancy and postpartum, but across the entire lifespan. We talk about the deep connections between the pelvic floor and identity, sexuality, confidence, movement, and healing, and why so many people are left without education or support during some of the most transformative seasons of life. This conversation invites you to step out of shame and silence, reclaim agency in your body, and understand pelvic floor health as essential, not optional. Whether you are pregnant, postpartum, navigating midlife changes, or supporting families professionally, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and practical wisdom. LEARN MORE

    1 h 2 min
  7. Babies Borrow Your Brain: The Neuroscience of Nurturing

    20/01

    Babies Borrow Your Brain: The Neuroscience of Nurturing

    In this episode, we explore the neuroscience of nurturing, connection, and early brain development with neuroscientist, author, and mother Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum. Together, we unpack why the first three years of life are such a critical window for mental health, emotional regulation, and relational resilience. We talk about how modern parenting culture often pulls families away from what babies actually need, and how understanding the science of nervous system regulation, co-regulation, and attunement can simplify parenting rather than adding more pressure. This conversation is an invitation to slow down, reconnect with your instincts, and remember that nurturing is not about perfection. Whether you are pregnant, postpartum, parenting young children, or supporting families professionally, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and a powerful reframe for what truly supports both babies and parents. LEARN MORE

    58 min
  8. Redefining Fitness After Birth with Robin Arzón

    13/01

    Redefining Fitness After Birth with Robin Arzón

    In this episode, we explore pregnancy and parenthood through the lens of identity, embodiment, and the ways our relationship to strength is reshaped during profound life transitions. In conversation with Peloton instructor, author, and advocate Robin Arzón, we reflect on how pregnancy interrupts productivity culture and invites a deeper redefinment of worth, power, and presence. Together, we talk about ambition, performance, and the pressure to "optimize" every stage of pregnancy and recovery, and what happens when the body asks for something different. Robin shares candidly about slowing down, listening to the body, and meeting the discomfort of change without trying to muscle through it. This conversation is an invitation to soften rigid expectations, honor the identity shifts that accompany pregnancy and parenthood, and remember that strength is not always loud or visible. Whether you are pregnant, postpartum, or navigating another season of becoming, this episode offers perspective, honesty, and permission to redefine what resilience looks like from the inside out. LEARN MORE

    52 min
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Excerto

Sobre

Transformed by Birth is a podcast that goes far beyond due dates and diaper bags. Hosted by Britta Bushnell, PhD, mythologist, award-winning childbirth educator, and author of Transformed by Birth, this show explores the profound rite of passage that is pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.

Informação

  • Autoria
    Britta Bushnell, PhD
  • Anos em atividade
    2025 - 2026
  • Episódios
    32
  • Classificação
    Explícito
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Site do programa
    Transformed by Birth