Aligned Birth Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael

In this episode, Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael discuss key pregnancy hormones and their roles in conception, pregnancy, and labor. They emphasize the importance of honoring and understanding these hormones to support a healthy and empowered pregnancy journey.

The hormones discussed include relaxin, HCG, estrogen, oxytocin, progesterone, and prolactin. This conversation explores the role of hormones in pregnancy and childbirth. It covers topics such as nighttime feedings and their impact on ovulation, the hormones involved in labor, the role of prostaglandins in cervical softening, the signaling of the baby for birth, the importance of oxytocin in labor, and the role of endorphins in pain relief.

It also discusses the impact of cortisol and adrenaline on labor, and provides tips for supporting healthy hormones through sleep, movement, and nutrition. The conversation concludes with recommendations for additional resources on hormones.

Resources mentioned in episode:
Hormone Intelligence by Dr, Aviva Romm
Books by Lily Nichols
Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler
The First 40 Days by Heng Ou
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Honoring Hormones
05:50 Relaxin
08:08 HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin)
09:59 Estrogen
11:40 Oxytocin
14:03 Progesterone
16:00 Prolactin
16:28 Nighttime Feedings and Ovulation
18:04 Prostaglandins and Cervical Softening
19:20 Baby Signaling and Due Dates
20:16 Oxytocin and Labor
21:39 Supporting Oxytocin Flow
22:37 Endorphins and Pain Relief
23:06 Transition and Intensity of Labor
24:06 Cortisol and Adrenaline in Labor
25:38 Supporting Hormones through Sleep, Movement, and Nutrition
27:45 Chiropractic Care and Nervous System Function
29:54 Additional Resources for Learning about Hormones
Support the show
Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

In this episode of the Aligned Birth podcast, Dr. Shannon interviews Dr. Twila Blossom Jones, a chiropractor and mother of three. They discuss: 
Dr. Twila's journey into chiropractic, her experiences with pregnancy and birth, and the influence of chiropractic care on her pregnancies. Her decision to choose home birth for her third child and the benefits she experienced. The importance of finding alignment in both personal and professional life, and the impact of chiropractic care on overall well-being. Dr. Twila shares her experiences with chiropractic care during pregnancy and the importance of newborn chiropractic care including the benefits of adjusting a newborn and the impact it has on their overall health (check out our social for a video of her adjusting newborn son!)Dr. Twila also discusses the role of the birth support team and the changes she made in her own team with each pregnancy. She emphasizes the importance of postpartum care and support, including pelvic floor PT and lactation consultants Dr. Twila shares how her faith has influenced her birth experiences and the importance of thriving in life through chiropractic care.Dr. Twila on The Birth Exchange Podcast
Birth By Grace Midwifery
Connect with Dr. Twila
100% Chiropractic Snellville, Ga
Instagram
Facebook 
Support the show
Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

In this episode, Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael discuss labor contractions. They explain what contractions are, how to differentiate between Braxton Hicks and real contractions, and how to time contractions. They also discuss the importance of understanding the physiological changes during labor contractions and the significance of visualization and changing the narrative around contractions.
Takeaways
Understanding the difference between Braxton Hicks and real contractionsKnowing how to time contractions and when to head to your birth location (if not birthing at home)Recognizing the physiological changes during labor contractionsUsing visualization and changing the narrative to empower the birthing experienceChapters
00:00 Empowering Birth, Navigating Labor Contractions and Home Labor Preparation
04:23 Understanding Contractions and Changing the Narrative
05:14 Physiological Changes During Labor Contractions
08:33 Differentiating Between Braxton Hicks and Real Contractions
23:50 When to Go to the Hospital or Call the Midwife
29:02 Visualization and Flipping the Script
Support the show
Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

The process of becoming a mother, matresence.  Much like the process of becoming a teenager and adolescence, there are chemical, physical, and emotional changes that occur as we become a mother.  In this episode, Dr. Shannon chats with maternal mental health counselor Kristina Tucker about the change in our identity in motherhood, where society fails us, and what resources are out there for support.  They also discuss:
How to treat matresence from a holistic and empowering lens The things that change within is in motherhoodSupport vs fixingSelf-compassionFind the gray area of motherhood (the both/and)Trauma - attachment - narrative work Resources mentioned in the show
Episode 132: navigating motherhood and friendships
Episode 90: Holding 2 truths
Connect with Kristina:
Website
Instagram
Substack
Support the show
Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

In this episode, Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael discuss the different types of doulas and the support they provide. The word doula can be traced back to Ancient Greece meaning “female servant”. Most commonly, people are familiar with a doula surrounding childbirth, but a doula can also provide support for end of life care for the client and family.  
Dr. Shannon and Doula Rachael shed some light on several other types of doulas and the support they provide. They cover birth doulas, postpartum doulas, antepartum doulas, end-of-life doulas, and miscarriage doulas. Each type of doula offers unique support and guidance during different stages of life. 
This conversation explores various types of doulas who provide support during different life events and the importance of emotional, informational, and physical support during these challenging times. 
They also discuss the need for trained and certified doulas who can provide individualized care and resources. The conversation aims to raise awareness about the availability of support services and the importance of destigmatizing these topics.
*This episode mentions sensitive topics such as miscarriage, stillbirth, infant death, abortion, infertility, and end of life care.  
Resources mentioned in the show:
Episode 76: five benefits of labor doula support
Episode 17: all about birth doulas 
Episode 80: flipping the script on gift registries - be her village
Planning for Postpartum blog
Episode 143: planning for postpartum 
Support the show
Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.

Birth not only impacts mom, but baby as well.  In this episode, Doula Rachael and Dr. Shannon chat about specific questions she asks during her pediatric chiropractic exams and why those questions are important.  These questions are related to baby position in the womb as well as the entire birth process because the physical aspects of birth (mode of delivery, fast labor, slow labor, baby position) can relate to how baby is processing living outside of the womb (torticollis, constipation, colic, nursing issues)  Birth doesn’t have to be a traumatic event for mom and baby to deal with certain stressors and then for the nervous system to be impacted from those stressors.  But pediatric chiropractic care is a gentle way to help restore optimal nervous system function post-birth for mom and baby.
Your baby doesn’t have to have any “issues” either to benefit from having their nervous system assessed by a pediatric chiropractor!
Resources mentioned:
Episode 95: how birth process impacts infant feeding 
Episode 69: benefits of pediatric chiropractic care
Episode 57: pediatric chiropractic care and cranial adjustments with Dr. Martin Rosen
Support the show
Want to show your support? Want to help us continue doing this important and impactful work: Support the Show (we greatly appreciate it!)

Don't miss new episodes: Join the Aligned Birth Community

Instagram: Aligned Birth

Email: alignedbirthpodcast@gmail.com

Find us online:
Sunrise Chiropractic and Wellness
North Atlanta Birth Services

Editing: Godfrey Sound
Music: "Freedom” by Roa

Disclaimer: The information shared, obtained, and discussed in this podcast is not intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional consultation with a qualified healthcare provider familiar with your individual medical needs. By listening to this podcast you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This disclaimer includes all guests or contributors to the podcast.