BIRTH Sinc Studios and Christy Williams

What is it like to receive a positive Trisomy 21 diagnosis during early pregnancy and then prepare to give birth to and become a mother to a child with Down syndrome? Today's guest, the talented film director and writer, Amber McGinnis, opens up and gifts us with a very detailed and vulnerable account of her experience with this reality. She shares everything that she wishes she had known before and during her journey, how she got through a completely unmedicated hospital birth, and she also talks about the unique challenges of breastfeeding a baby with DS. In this episode we also explore how to offer better support to our own loved ones if they receive a surprising genetic test result and how all of us would benefit from approaching the differently abled community with love and curiosity instead of fear and ignorance.
This Episode is the Season 2 Finale!
Check out all the links below to learn more about guest Amber McGinnis and find more resources discussed in today's show.
LINKS:
Amber's WEBSITE
Watch the film Amber directed while she was pregnant: International Falls
"The Adventure" - A Short Film about Amber's daughter
Bottles that worked well for Isla: Advent Bottles
The band that Amber listened to during her unmedicated labor: The Gloaming
Additional Resources:
National Down Syndrome Society
Find Support in Your Area with This List of Organizations by State
Down Syndrome Misconceptions vs. Reality
Find Out If Your Hospital Has A Good Rating and low C-Section and Episiotomy Rate at LeapfrogGroup.org
Visit www.birthshow.com for some great free resources that will help you on your own journey into motherhood.
Follow the Birth Podcast on Instagram:
@birthshow
Follow Christy on Instagram:
@christywill
If you find yourself struggling emotionally and mentally after having a baby, you are not alone. Please visit www.postpartum.net for help. There is someone waiting to talk you through this tough moment. Don't wait, help is only a few clicks away.

This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding a medical condition.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/birth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taking care of a brand new tiny little human brings up a lot of questions and surprises. In this special mini-episode Christy shares surprising and fun facts about newborn babies that no one tells you before you give birth!
PLUS Christy also reveals her most favorite newborn life hacks you should know about.
LINKS:
Newborn Educational Resources
GAS DROPS!
Newborn Nail Care Supplies:
Emory Boards to File Their Tiny Nails
and
Awesome Baby Nail Scissors!
Cradle Cap Cure Supplies:
A Gentle Oil
and
A Soft Scalp Brush or a Soft Toothbrush
The BEST White Noise Machine
Find Out If Your Hospital Has A Good Rating and low C-Section and Episiotomy Rate at LeapfrogGroup.org
Visit www.birthshow.com for some great free resources that will help you on your own journey into motherhood.
Follow the Birth Podcast on Instagram:
@birthshow
Follow Christy on Instagram:
@christywill
If you find yourself struggling emotionally and mentally after having a baby, you are not alone. Please visit www.postpartum.net for help. There is someone waiting to talk you through this tough moment. Don't wait, help is only a few clicks away.

This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding a medical condition.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/birth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest Alexis Edwards, LCSW & CD, shares her third and final birth story. We talk about what she learned during her first two birth experiences and how she worked to create a safer birthing environment for herself the third time around. What is it like to prepare for a home birth after having two babies in a hospital? How did she navigate the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic brought to the mix during her prenatal care, birth and postpartum experience? What is it like to have an overnight postpartum doula and what do they do for you? She is answering all of those question, dishing out the full details of her final birth story and uplifting us all with some sage words of advice as well.

PLUS: Have you heard of Padsicles? In Today's Quick Tip with Christy, find out what they are and how to make them before your due date so you're guaranteed some soothing relief for your super sore lady parts in those early days postpartum. This is a great life hack you don't want to miss out on knowing about!
About Today's Guest: Alexis is working to create safer spaces for birthing parents everywhere by helping survivors of sexual trauma become more aware of the special emotional and mental challenges they may encounter by birthing a baby and she’s educating those survivors on how to advocate for a safe environment to birth in. She is also working to train perinatal professionals themselves in understanding how they can better serve trauma survivor clients throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum. 
This is PART TWO of a TWO-PART Episode Series with Alexis.
Thank you for rating, reviewing and subscribing to the show!
GUEST LINKS:
Alexis Edwards' WEBSITE: Birth360.net
Follow Alexis on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK
Trauma-Informed Care for Perinatal Professionals Training
OTHER LINKS:
Birthing From Within Class Information
What is PCOS?
Items you need to make "Padsicles:"
Pads, make sure they are large extra long overnight ones. I love these organic ones but these are great too!
Witch Hazel (make sure it's alcohol free)
Pure Aloe Vera Gel
Lavender Oil (optional, but very nice to add)
Aluminum Foil
Large Freezer Bags
DON'T FORGET to add a Frida Peri Bottle and Dermoplast to your postpartum care kit. These are life savers to have on hand for anyone recovering from a vaginal birth.
Visit BirthShow.com for a video on how to make padsicles and tons of other great tips and resources.
Follow Birth on Instagram:
@birthshow
Follow Christy on Instagram:
@christywill
If you find yourself struggling emotionally and mentally after having a baby, you are not alone. Please visit www.postpartum.net for help. There is someone waiting to talk you through this tough moment. Don't wait, help is only a few clicks away.

This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding a medical condition. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/birth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get ready for TWO very vulnerable birth stories today! Guest Alexis Edwards is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Doula who is an expert in helping birthing parents with a history of trauma have happy and empowered birth experiences. Alexis is working to create safer spaces for birthing parents everywhere by helping survivors of sexual trauma become more aware of the special emotional and mental challenges they may encounter by birthing a baby and she’s educating those survivors on how to advocate for a safe environment to birth in. She is also working to train perinatal professionals themselves in understanding how they can better serve trauma survivor clients throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum. 
This is PART ONE of a TWO-PART Episode Series with Alexis. Subscribe and tune in again next week for PART TWO of our discussion.
Alexis Edwards' WEBSITE: Birth360.net
Follow Alexis on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK
Trauma-Informed Care for Perinatal Professionals Training
TRAUMA TALK
Other Links:
The Business of Being Born Movie
Pregnancy Tests Throughout History
Visit www.birthshow.com for some great free resources that will help you on your own journey into motherhood.
Follow the Birth Podcast on Instagram:
@birthshow
Follow Christy on Instagram:
@christywill
If you find yourself struggling emotionally and mentally after having a baby, you are not alone. Please visit www.postpartum.net for help. There is someone waiting to talk you through this tough moment. Don't wait, help is only a few clicks away.


This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding a medical condition. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/birth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's birth story comes from the very funny actress and improv performer Marie Lively! She not only shares about her pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience, she also shares what it was like to perform on stage while pregnant, how she navigated building a support pod in the early days of caring for a newborn during a pandemic and her favorite books that helped her baby learn to sleep (her baby is 5 months old and sleeping from 6pm to 6am, can you believe it?). We also laugh about newborn poop colors and talk about what's normal, share tips on how to relieve engorgement in your breasts, get real about postpartum sex, birth control methods and much more!
LINKS:
The Happy Sleeper Book
Natural Cycles App
Buy Nothing Groups
Haakaa Pump
Bringing Up Bébé Book
Visit www.birthshow.com to see a video about how to use the Haakaa Pump (under the breastfeeding resources section) and for some other great free resources that will help you on your own journey into motherhood.
Follow the Birth Podcast on Instagram:
@birthshow
Follow Christy on Instagram:
@christywill
If you find yourself struggling emotionally and mentally after having a baby, you are not alone. Please visit www.postpartum.net for help. There is someone waiting to talk you through this tough moment. Don't wait, help is only a few clicks away.


This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding a medical condition. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/birth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ready for a soothing and eye-opening therapy session? Today's guest is therapist and parental mental health expert Ashley Hanna-Morgan. She tells us her TWO BIRTH STORIES (one with an epidural and one without any pain meds!). And she also shares her own experience with miscarriage, what she learned as a result of her own perinatal mental health struggles and how it changed the trajectory of her career and life.
In this episode Ashley dishes out some truly encouraging and helpful words of advice for all new parents everywhere.
Some topics we discuss include:
Finding a "mom-tribe" and better yet creating a wonderful support group. How to understand and honor ALL of your feelings, no matter what they are. What it's like to navigate ambivalent feelings and intrusive thoughts. Why people tend to grieve privately when they experience miscarriage and loss. Why being a "perfect mother" is a myth. The realities of parenting a toddler and a newborn at the same time. Some reasons your sex drive might take a dive in the postpartum period and why every new mom needs an artistic outlet in their postpartum journey. PLUS in this episode a "Fun Fact" allllll about what you need to know about how Pitocin works and how it's different from Oxytocin.
Ashley Hanna-Morgan's Website:
http://ashleyhannamorgan.com
Ashley's Books:
The Afterglow Support Group Curriculum
I Gave Birth to My Heart: A Collection of Poems about Motherhood, Reimagined
Follow Ashley on Instagram
Resources for Topics Discussed in Today's Episode:
Information about Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex  (D-MER): https://d-mer.org
Article about How Pitocin is Different from Oxytocin, it's risk factors and why Pitocin might be medically necessary.
Postpartum Support International Website
ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST:
Ashley Hanna-Morgan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) specializing in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, as well as Grief and Loss. Ashley earned her Bachelor’s in English Literature at UCLA. After attending Baylor University for her Master’s in Social Work, Ashley became more aware of and interested in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety disorders after she and her husband both worked through it personally after the birth of their daughter. In 2016, she wrote the Afterglow Curriculum and started the first free Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy based support group in Los Angeles for parents with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety. In 2017, she published a collection of poetry called I Gave Birth to My Heart that she hopes will throw back the curtains and shed some light on what Postpartum Depression and Anxiety actually feel like, as well as, most importantly, what the recovery looked like. She is currently the Postpartum Support International Regional Coordinator for Reno, Nevada, where she now lives with her husband, Jayson, her Shih Tzu, Obi Wan, and her daughters and inspiration, Emerie Violet & Aerelyn Jayne. When Ashley is not advocating for parental mental health, she loves to explore nature, practice yoga, experiment in the kitchen, read with a cup of tea, meditate, and write.
Visit www.birthshow.com for some great free resources that will help you on your own journey into motherhood.
Follow the Birth Podcast on Instagram:
@birthshow
Follow Christy on Instagram:
@christywill
If you find yourself struggling emotionally and mentally after having a baby, you are not alone. Please visit www.postpartum.net for help. There is someone waiting to talk you through this tough moment. Don't wait, help is only a few clicks away.


This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding a medical condition. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/birth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.