INTERVIEW OVERVIEW
HeHe, the founder of Tranquility by HeHe and the Birth Lounge, shares her journey into the birth advocacy space and the importance of informed and confident birth experiences. She emphasizes the need for physical and mental preparation, understanding the benefits and risks of interventions, and practicing grounding techniques. HeHe encourages women to have a birth plan that allows for flexibility and to advocate for their goals in the birth room. She recommends resources such as books, documentaries, and online platforms that provide education and support for navigating the birth process.
TAKEAWAYS
Physical and mental preparation are key for a positive birth experience.
Understanding the benefits and risks of interventions allows for informed decision-making.
Having a flexible birth plan that accounts for different scenarios is important.
Advocating for your goals and desires in the birth room is crucial.
There are various resources available, including books, documentaries, and online platforms, to educate and support women during the birth process.
WORDS OF WISDOM
I know that it's worth it because of the stories that women come and tell me about how much our resources helped change their birth and truly give them back control in a system that was kind of designed to take that control away from women.
Knowing you're open to an epidural is not enough. You have to have clearly defined boundaries about what is a situation that you would be okay with it.
An average first-time birth should really be expected to be between 24 and 36 hours. That's not all active labor. People typically think like, oh my God, 24 hours of like, oh, I can't do this. This hurts so bad. It's not. It's not. You're looking at six, eight, 12, 16, even 18 hours of very manageable labor.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction and Background of HeHe
04:08 Preparing for a Confident and Informed Birth
06:46 Navigating Interventions: Benefits and Risks
11:30 Flexibility in Birth Planning
15:28 Advocating for Your Birth Goals
21:03 40 Weeks and Placental Health
24:19 Creating a Birth Plan and Being Prepared for Birth Pivots
30:49 Mental Preparation and Accepting Different Birth Outcomes
37:01 Recommended Resources for Birth Education and Support
TALKING POINTS
birth preparation, birth advocacy, informed birth, confident birth, physical preparation, mental preparation, interventions, birth plan, flexibility, birth resources
RESOURCES
BOOKS
The Labor Progress Handbook
“Movement is not only a comfort measure, but also a tool to enhance labor progress by using gravity and changing pelvic dimensions to facilitate the baby’s descent.”
Dr. Christopher's Birth Prep
Pink Stork Labor Prep
Born in the USA
Catching Babies
Why Not Home Documentary
HeHe Stewart
HeHe Stewart is the Founder of Tranquility by HeHe Maternity Concierge, the creator of The Birth Lounge, and Dad Daze, a birth prep course for fathers. With a Master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies and 10 years in the Family Life Education field, HeHe helps women prepare for childbirth with research-backed education and expert support to have a confident birth experience while feeling informed and in control of labor (without fear or coercion). She is also a pro with preparing for postpartum, helping you master feeding your tiny human and understanding newborn sleep! She and her team serve pregnant people and their families across the US and internationally with prenatal, birth and postpartum care. She hosts The Birth Lounge Podcast which has over 150K listeners in over 28 countries. The show features leading experts in pregnancy, women's health, and childhood development so parents can understand how to have an informed and confident birth!
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