
Today I get to talk with Dr. Michelle Aristizabal an OBGYN and author of “Natural Labor and Birth.” She’s an advocate for low intervention, natural birth whenever possible, and has personally assisted in the delivery of over 2,500 babies.
As a mom of 6, I’m no stranger to the birthing process! While not all of my births went as planned (ahem… emergency C-section), having the safest, healthiest birth possible was important to me. Dr. Aristizabal and I dive into how moms can have a better birth experience, the real data behind natural birth, and how to advocate for yourself as a patient.
Episode Highlights With Michelle
- The resistance she runs into as a doctor trying to support natural birth
- Why doctors and patients often have trouble having a low intervention birth in some settings
- The reason the c-section rate has risen so drastically in the last few decades
- Some factors to consider when approaching birth
- The real data about if low intervention birth is more dangerous
- Ways women can advocate for themselves in labor
- Interventions you actually have a choice about in labor and can refuse
- The factors women can do to increase their chances of a natural birth
- Stats on the real safety of home birth vs hospital birth and why home birth isn’t as safe in the US as it can be in other places
Resources We Mention
- Natural Labor and Birth: An Evidence-Based Guide to the Natural Birth Plan by Michelle Aristizabal
- Facebook page – Wombkeepers Scottsdale
- Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care by Jennifer Block
More From Wellness Mama
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- 279: Dr. Elizabeth Pearce on Creating a Personalized Birth Plan
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- 076: Genevieve Howland on How to Optimize Your Pregnancy & Birth Experience
- 359: All About Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum, and Avoiding Mom Burnout With Midwife Diana Spalding From Motherly
- 069: Heather Dessinger on Birth Freedom, Gut Healing, & Healthy Starches
- Shattering Six Common Pregnancy and Childbirth Fears
- Natural Birth Options and Tips
- The Hospital Birth of My First Baby
- My Natural Hospital Birth Story After 26-Hour Labor
- My Breech Water Birth Story
- My Calm Hospital VBAC Birth Story
- My Unexpected Cesarean Birth Story
- My Healing Birth
- Natural Labor & Birth Kit
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