Welcome to the November Q&A! Today, we start with a topic that always stirs strong feelings—birth partners. From the gestures that truly helped to the ones that fell short, we chat about your experiences of your partner's support, presence, connection or not.

Next, we respond to an emotional call for help from a sleep-deprived and emotionally exhausted mother whose husband threatens to call the cops on her for how she handled an overwhelming moment with her toddler.

Today's episode includes a special guest appearance from Nancy Wainer, world-renowned midwife and the woman who coined the term VBAC. Nancy answers a listener’s question about an anterior placenta in a planned VBAC and explains what her decades of experience tell us about how placentas behave in utero. We also discuss endometrial polyps and whether a biopsy could affect future fertility, how to handle conversations about home birth within a hospital work environment, and how to choose a midwife when you have numerous options and like them all.

In Quickies, we cover making baby-wearing more comfortable, the myth that labor “starts” at one centimeter, chiropractic versus pelvic floor PT in pregnancy, relieving newborn gas, timing big changes during teething, postpartum nutrition, and even whether to skip airport scanners while pregnant. We end with each of us pondering which baby names we’d choose today and our favorite ways to spend a slow morning at home.

VBAC: How to Plan for Success

#257 | Labor & Delivery Nurses' Roundtable: How Their Hands are Tied to Doctors' Orders

#273 | Special Q&A Featuring Nancy Wainer on VBAC and More

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#344 | November Q&A: Birth Partners, Postpartum Rage, VBAC, Infant Gas, Baby Names, Placenta Accreta, Endometrial Biopsy, Choosing Homebirth, Physical Boundaries with Your Toddler

Down to Birth

#344 | November Q&A: Birth Partners, Postpartum Rage, VBAC, Infant Gas, Baby Names, Placenta Accreta, Endometrial Biopsy, Choosing Homebirth, Physical Boundaries with Your Toddler