The MamasteFit Podcast

Gina (doula/perinatal fitness trainer) and Roxanne (certified nurse midwife) walk through how birth has evolved, from mostly home births with midwives pre-1700s (but high death rates from infection, bleeding, obstructed labor, and blood pressure issues) to increasing hospital-based, physician-led care in the 1800s–1900s. They discuss key shifts like antiseptics, anesthesia (including twilight sleep), antibiotics, transfusions, prenatal care, and safer C-sections—improving survival but often reducing autonomy and satisfaction. They cover the 1970s natural childbirth and feminist movements, and the later push for evidence-based, family-centered care (partners/doulas, skin-to-skin, breastfeeding support, delayed cord clamping, shared decision-making). Their takeaway: modern interventions save lives, but they’re tools—not requirements—and blending safety with physiologic support matters.

00:00 Welcome to MamasteFit
01:02 Birth History Setup
02:06 Pre Modern Birth
03:21 Why Mortality Was High
05:16 Forceps Enter the Scene
06:10 Early Medicalization 1700s
07:44 Standardized Midwife Training
10:22 Modern Obstetrics Begins
11:11 Hospitals Take Over Birth
12:41 Twilight Sleep Era
21:53 Antibiotics and Safer Birth
25:59 Routine Interventions Peak
29:29 Natural Childbirth Movement
32:18 Evidence Based Care Shift
34:54 Epidurals And Twilight Sleep
35:56 Unmedicated Birth Tools
38:03 Stop Romanticizing The Past
41:52 Partners Enter The Room
43:59 Evidence Based Birth Shift
44:52 Modern Practices And Tools
50:55 Social Media And Misinformation
53:19 Trust Medicine Own Harm
59:53 Why Birth Got Safer
01:06:36 Balance Safety And Experience
01:07:45 Course And Final Wrap

————

🎉 Grab Your Copy of Training for Two → https://amzn.to/3VOTdwH
Your go-to guide for prenatal fitness, birth prep, and postpartum recovery.

👇 Start Preparing for Birth Today
📥 Download our free Birth Prep Circuit Guide → https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-for-birth-circuit
📥 Grab our free Pelvic Floor Prep Guide → https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-your-pelvic-floor-for-labor/
Learn how to relax and lengthen your pelvic floor to support a smoother labor and pushing phase.

💻 Explore Our Online Programs:
Whether you're pregnant or postpartum—we’ve got you covered with expert-led fitness and education:
🏋🏻‍♀️ Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Programs
🎓 Childbirth + Postpartum Education Courses
→ https://mamastefit.com

🤱 Just Had a Baby?
📥 Grab our free Postpartum Core Workouts → https://mamastefit.kit.com/core
Start reconnecting with your core and feeling strong again—safely and confidently.

———

📲 Follow Us on Instagram for Daily Tips + BTS
https://instagram.com/mamastefit

———

✨ Shop Our Favorites:
⚡️ Electrolytes we love → https://drinklmnt.com/mamaste
🌿 Supplements we trust – 20% off with code MAMASTEFIT → https://thisisneeded.com/ginaandroxanne
👖 Maternity clothing we actually wear – 10% off with code MAMASTEFIT → https://rstr.co/lovesteady/3500
——

This episode breaks down gestational diabetes (new insulin resistance in pregnancy—not type 1 or 2), how insulin and glucose work, and why pregnancy naturally raises insulin resistance (but sometimes the pancreas can’t keep up). It covers who’s at higher risk (higher BMI, inactivity, prior GDM, certain ethnic groups, prior 9+ lb baby, PCOS, hypertension, heart disease) and how screening works at 24–28 weeks: the non-fasting 1-hour 50g test, followed by a fasting 3-hour 100g test if you “fail” (two elevated values = diagnosis). It explains why the test is a glucose “stress test,” alternatives like at-home fingersticks or CGM, and drink options (Glucola, Fresh Test, jelly beans). Finally, it outlines risks (C-section, shoulder dystocia, preeclampsia, baby hypoglycemia) and care differences between diet-controlled (deliver by 40+6) vs medication-controlled (NSTs/ultrasounds ~32 weeks, deliver ~39).

00:00 Gestational Diabetes Overview
00:52 How Insulin Works
02:31 Risk Factors Explained
03:20 Glucose Test Basics
05:43 One Hour vs Three Hour
07:06 At Home Monitoring Options
09:42 Drink Alternatives
13:52 Why It Matters Risks
18:46 How Care Changes
21:27 Final Recap Next Steps
24:24 Closing Resources

————

🎉 Grab Your Copy of Training for Two → https://amzn.to/3VOTdwH
Your go-to guide for prenatal fitness, birth prep, and postpartum recovery.

👇 Start Preparing for Birth Today
📥 Download our free Birth Prep Circuit Guide → https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-for-birth-circuit
📥 Grab our free Pelvic Floor Prep Guide → https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-your-pelvic-floor-for-labor/
Learn how to relax and lengthen your pelvic floor to support a smoother labor and pushing phase.

💻 Explore Our Online Programs:
Whether you're pregnant or postpartum—we’ve got you covered with expert-led fitness and education:
🏋🏻‍♀️ Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Programs
🎓 Childbirth + Postpartum Education Courses
→ https://mamastefit.com

🤱 Just Had a Baby?
📥 Grab our free Postpartum Core Workouts → https://mamastefit.kit.com/core
Start reconnecting with your core and feeling strong again—safely and confidently.

———

📲 Follow Us on Instagram for Daily Tips + BTS
https://instagram.com/mamastefit

———

✨ Shop Our Favorites:
⚡️ Electrolytes we love → https://drinklmnt.com/mamaste
🌿 Supplements we trust – 20% off with code MAMASTEFIT → https://thisisneeded.com/ginaandroxanne
👖 Maternity clothing we actually wear – 10% off with code MAMASTEFIT → https://rstr.co/lovesteady/3500
——

This episode breaks down elective induction (inducing labor at 39–41 weeks with no medical reason besides still being pregnant) and reminds you that “we scheduled your induction” still requires your consent. It explains why 39 weeks is the risk-benefit sweet spot (mature baby lungs) and why providers avoid going past 42 weeks (stillbirth risk rises from 1/10,000 at 37 weeks to 32/10,000 at 42 weeks). The 2018 ARRIVE Trial is reviewed: low-risk, first-time, single, head-down pregnancies; similar neonatal outcomes; slightly lower C-section rates with induction (19% vs 22%), plus fewer hypertension diagnoses, though study limits include low midwife representation and protocols not matching every hospital. You’ll weigh values (low-intervention vs convenience), provider/hospital C-section rates, accurate due dates, and risks like longer labor, more interventions, failed induction, and tachysystole.

00:00 Induction Decision Intro
00:16 What Elective Means
01:02 Why 39 Weeks
02:21 Stillbirth Risk Numbers
03:15 ARRIVE Trial Explained
06:22 Study Limits And Context
09:40 Personal Decision Factors
11:46 Benefits Of Induction
14:14 Risks And Tradeoffs
16:19 Putting It Together
20:06 Autonomy And Consent
21:25 Wrap Up And Resources

————

🎉 Grab Your Copy of Training for Two → https://amzn.to/3VOTdwH
Your go-to guide for prenatal fitness, birth prep, and postpartum recovery.

👇 Start Preparing for Birth Today
📥 Download our free Birth Prep Circuit Guide → https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-for-birth-circuit
📥 Grab our free Pelvic Floor Prep Guide → https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-your-pelvic-floor-for-labor/
Learn how to relax and lengthen your pelvic floor to support a smoother labor and pushing phase.

💻 Explore Our Online Programs:
Whether you're pregnant or postpartum—we’ve got you covered with expert-led fitness and education:
🏋🏻‍♀️ Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Programs
🎓 Childbirth + Postpartum Education Courses
→ https://mamastefit.com

🤱 Just Had a Baby?
📥 Grab our free Postpartum Core Workouts → https://mamastefit.kit.com/core
Start reconnecting with your core and feeling strong again—safely and confidently.

———

📲 Follow Us on Instagram for Daily Tips + BTS
https://instagram.com/mamastefit

———

✨ Shop Our Favorites:
⚡️ Electrolytes we love → https://drinklmnt.com/mamaste
🌿 Supplements we trust – 20% off with code MAMASTEFIT → https://thisisneeded.com/ginaandroxanne
👖 Maternity clothing we actually wear – 10% off with code MAMASTEFIT → https://rstr.co/lovesteady/3500
——

In this MamasteFit Podcast: Birth Story, Hanna shares her home VBAC story after two C-sections, delivering a 9 lb 11 oz baby despite being told her pelvis was “too small” in previous births. She recounts a first pregnancy shaped by COVID stress, a long induction ending in C-section, and a discouraging postpartum comment about never birthing vaginally. Her second pregnancy included deep VBAC research, doula support, a 42-week induction attempt, painful positioning, a partial epidural, a repeat C-section, and alarming (later contradicted) claims of uterine rupture. After reviewing her op report with her provider, Hanna pursued a third pregnancy with improved nutrition, fitness using Training for Two, and spontaneous labor at 42 weeks; after 2.5 hours of pushing, an OB and midwife resolved a shoulder dystocia, and postpartum was physically tough but emotionally healing with smooth breastfeeding.

Find Hanna here!: 
@hanna_elisabeth_turner  on Instagram
@joysofbirth doula page on Instagram

00:00 Welcome and Episode Preview
00:48 Meet the Hosts and Mission
01:35 Introducing Hanna’s HBAC Story
02:08 First Pregnancy During COVID
03:54 Induction to First C-Section
05:36 Pelvis Comment and Postpartum
07:16 Second Pregnancy and TOLAC Plan
10:12 Labor Struggles and Walchers
13:07 Repeat C-Section Trauma
16:03 Uterus Scare and Grief
17:57 Second Opinion Changes Everything
25:02 Choosing Home Birth Support
27:20 Training for Two and Pain-Free Pregnancy
32:41 Choosing Gentle Induction
34:07 Pelvic Mobility Theory
35:45 Membrane Sweep Plan
38:17 Active Day Sparks Labor
41:31 Early Labor and Support
46:12 Water Breaks Intensity Hits
48:20 Two Hour Push Marathon
52:35 Shoulder Dystocia Emergency
58:09 Big Baby Aftermath
01:00:01 Postpartum Recovery Reality
01:05:09 Advice After Two C Sections
01:07:23 Final Thanks and Resources

————

🎉 Grab Your Copy of Training for Two → https://amzn.to/3VOTdwH
Your go-to guide for prenatal fitness, birth prep, and postpartum recovery.

👇 Start Preparing for Birth Today
📥 Download our free Birth Prep Circuit Guide → https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-for-birth-circuit
📥 Grab our free Pelvic Floor Prep Guide → https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-your-pelvic-floor-for-labor/
Learn how to relax and lengthen your pelvic floor to support a smoother labor and pushing phase.

💻 Explore Our Online Programs:
Whether you're pregnant or postpartum—we’ve got you covered with expert-led fitness and education:
🏋🏻‍♀️ Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Programs
🎓 Childbirth + Postpartum Education Courses
→ https://mamastefit.com

🤱 Just Had a Baby?
📥 Grab our free Postpartum Core Workouts → https://mamastefit.kit.com/core
Start reconnecting with your core and feeling strong again—safely and confidently.

———

📲 Follow Us on Instagram for Daily Tips + BTS
https://instagram.com/mamastefit

———

✨ Shop Our Favorites:
⚡️ Electrolytes we love → https://drinklmnt.com/mamaste
🌿 Supplements we trust – 20% off with code MAMASTEFIT → https://thisisneeded.com/ginaandroxanne
👖 Maternity clothing we actually wear – 10% off with code MAMASTEFIT → https://rstr.co/lovesteady/3500
——

Gina (doula/perinatal fitness trainer) and Roxanne (CNM, former L&D nurse) unpack how a decade in birth work—plus Gina’s first, distrust-filled hospital birth—shifted them away from polarizing “all natural” vs “all medical” takes. They discuss how social media fuels hate on both ends, how tension between doulas and providers can hurt the birthing person, and why an empowering birth isn’t defined by epidural vs unmedicated, hospital vs home, or vaginal vs C-section. Their big takeaway: the goal is informed consent, autonomy, and a trusted team—plus asking good prenatal questions early to find the right provider fit. They also share how their childbirth education evolved to be judgment-free, option-rich, and confidence-building, and they plug their courses (including pelvic mechanics) with code mentioned in this episode!

Check out all our courses here!: https://mamastefit.com/fitness-programs/

00:00 Welcome and Episode Setup
01:09 Meet Gina and Roxanne
02:32 Social Media Polarization
07:23 What Really Matters
09:23 The Catalyst Gina’s First Birth
11:22 From Indifferent to Unmedicated Plan
12:26 Distrust and Traumatic Hospital Start
15:11 Early Doula Era and Fighting Mindset
20:29 Growth Through Many Births
21:43 Trust the Team Above All
23:36 Nuance Debriefs and Client Perspective
25:23 Roxanne’s Shift Begins
25:39 Postpartum Nursing Reality
26:59 Labor Unit Wake Up Call
28:17 Learning Comfort Skills
30:07 Ginas Birth Catalyst
32:02 Questioning Interventions
34:57 Autonomy And Consent
41:11 Team Tension In Birth
43:37 Trust Building Questions
46:31 Judgment Free Birth Choices
50:50 Course Philosophy And Growth
55:49 Wrap Up And Resources

————

🎉 Grab Your Copy of Training for Two → https://amzn.to/3VOTdwH
Your go-to guide for prenatal fitness, birth prep, and postpartum recovery.

👇 Start Preparing for Birth Today
📥 Download our free Birth Prep Circuit Guide → https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-for-birth-circuit
📥 Grab our free Pelvic Floor Prep Guide → https://mamastefit.com/freebies/prepare-your-pelvic-floor-for-labor/
Learn how to relax and lengthen your pelvic floor to support a smoother labor and pushing phase.

💻 Explore Our Online Programs:
Whether you're pregnant or postpartum—we’ve got you covered with expert-led fitness and education:
🏋🏻‍♀️ Prenatal & Postpartum Fitness Programs
🎓 Childbirth + Postpartum Education Courses
→ https://mamastefit.com

🤱 Just Had a Baby?
📥 Grab our free Postpartum Core Workouts → https://mamastefit.kit.com/core
Start reconnecting with your core and feeling strong again—safely and confidently.

———

📲 Follow Us on Instagram for Daily Tips + BTS
https://instagram.com/mamastefit

———

✨ Shop Our Favorites:
⚡️ Electrolytes we love → https://drinklmnt.com/mamaste
🌿 Supplements we trust – 20% off with code MAMASTEFIT → https://thisisneeded.com/ginaandroxanne
👖 Maternity clothing we actually wear – 10% off with code MAMASTEFIT → https://rstr.co/lovesteady/3500
——