Evidence Based Birth®

Pregnancy and birth don't require perfection to be empowering. In this solo episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker shares share five life lessons she's learned over 14 years as a nurse, mother, and founder of Evidence Based Birth. She offers grounding guidance for navigating pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood with more trust, self-compassion, and calm.
This episode centers on the idea that you don't have to know everything to have a positive birth experience. Instead, Dr. Dekker explores how building a supportive team, staying connected to your body, and focusing on what you can control can transform how you approach birth. She also reflects on the value and meaning of childbirth for those who choose it, the importance of respectful and empowering care, and the lifelong practice of letting go of what's outside your control.
(02:05) You Don't Have to Know Everything About Pregnancy and Birth
(07:01) Being the Expert of Your Own Body
(13:39) Childbirth is Worth It
(20:46) It is Possible to Have an Empowering Childbirth Experience
(27:11) Controlling What You Can, Letting Go of What You Can't
(36:56) Final Thoughts and Words of Comfort

For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

The evidence shows that vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is a safe option for many families, but it's still frequently inaccessible to them. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker and Dr. Nicholas Rubashkin discuss the systemic barriers that limit families' opportunities to choose a VBAC. They explore how hospital policies, outdated guidelines, and clinical tools like the VBAC calculator have shaped who's a "good candidate" and who is not.
 
Dr. Rubashkin also shares insights from his research on inequities in maternity care, including how race-adjusted algorithms reinforce disparities, why the "immediately available" standard still impacts hospital policies today, and how geography, provider practices, and induction policies can influence VBAC access. Plus, hear evidence-based strategies for advocating for a VBAC, including how to evaluate providers and interpret VBAC rates.
 
(01:36) Dr. Rubashkin's background and path into obstetrics
(08:32) Major barriers to VBAC access in the U.S.
(11:37) The "immediately available" standard explained
(14:38) Misconceptions about emergency cesarean availability
(16:58) Ethical and legal implications of VBAC restrictions
(18:02) Institutional barriers
(20:17) The VBAC calculator and how it influenced access
(26:12) Racism, bias, and interpretation of VBAC data
(30:02) Induction and VBAC: evidence vs. practice
(36:17) What informed consent for VBAC should include
(37:18) Identifying supportive vs. reluctant providers
 
Resources
ACOG's VBAC guidelines and recommendations: acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-bulletin/articles/2019/02/vaginal-birth-after-cesarean-delivery
Human Rights in Childbirth: humanrightsinchildbirth.org/
UCSF's Better Birth Research Initiative: betterbirth.ucsf.edu/
International Cesarean Awareness Network: ican-online.org/
 
For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

Learn more about EBB's upcoming Induction Bootcamp on Tuesday, April 28 from 2:00 - 4:30 PM EDT.
To save your seat or access the replay, join the EBB Pro Membership for just $39 for your first 30 days: ebbirth.com/membership.

Postpartum care wasn't always rushed, clinical, or isolating. In many African-American communities, the weeks after birth were treated as sacred time where families and communities gathered to care for the mother so she could focus on caring for her baby.
 
In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with renowned midwife, cultural historian, and author Shafia Monroe about the traditions documented in her new book Mothering the Mother: African-American Postpartum Traditions, Recipes, and Healing. Mama Shafia shares how historically rooted postpartum practices—from the 42-day "lying-in" period to nourishing soups, herbal teas, and hands-on community support—helped mothers rest, recover, and bond with their babies.
 
They explore what's missing from the modern Western postpartum model, how traditional wisdom from Black midwives supported physical and emotional recovery, and why caring for mothers is essential for healthy families and communities.
 
(02:43) Why Shafia wrote Mothering the Mother and the lack of resources on African-American postpartum traditions
(07:47) The love letter to Black mothers and words of affirmation for postpartum parents
(11:56) What's missing in modern postpartum care and how Western systems differ from traditional community care
(19:06) Hypervigilance, stress, and supporting postpartum healing
(21:26) The 42-day "lying-in" period and traditional postpartum rituals
(25:45) Postpartum food traditions, soups, and healing foods from African and African-American culture
(33:50) Why these traditions matter for all families, not just one culture
(37:45) "Mother wit": trusting intuition about your body and your baby
(41:25) Advocating for yourself in healthcare and trusting your body during pregnancy and birth
 
Resources
Get Mama Shafia's book, Mothering the Mother: African-American Postpartum Traditions, Recipes, and Healing: shafiamonroe.com/mothering-the-mother/
Learn about the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC): thenaabb.org/
Read about SMC Full Circle Doula Birth Companion Training: smcdoulas.com/
EBB 152 – Shafia Monroe on Traditional Black Midwifery, Spirituality, and Community Advocacy
 
For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

Every pregnant person deserves the information and support they need to make truly informed decisions about labor induction. In this encore episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with Dr. Ann Peralta and Kari Radoff, CNM, the co-creators of Partner to Decide, a nonprofit improving decision-making in perinatal care. They discuss their free, multilingual decision aid that helps families understand their options around routine induction of labor and empowers them to advocate for their own values, preferences, and autonomy.
Ann shares how her own birth experience, shaped by access to education and privilege, sparked the creation of the tool. Kari offers insight into how the decision aid has changed conversations in clinical settings, bringing clarity, reducing bias, and fostering truly shared decision-making. Together, they illuminate how access to balanced information can reduce anxiety, improve trust, and shift the culture of perinatal care.
(03:02) What Is a Decision Aid and Why It Matters
(07:12) Ann's Birth Story and the Origins of Partner to Decide
(11:09) Gaps in Shared Decision-Making from a Provider's Perspective
(14:24) Personal Values, Intuition, and Cultural Differences
(18:19) Designing the Decision Aid with Equity and Accessibility
(23:49) The Power of Absolute vs. Relative Risk in Birth Conversations
(25:01) Surprising Patient Feedback: From Access to Empowerment
(30:31) Provider Reflections and Challenging Bias
(36:11) Why "Routine" Induction Language Matters
(43:59) How to Respond to Pressure or Coercion Around Induction
(46:16) How to Access the Free Decision Aid and Support New Tools
 
Resources
Access the free Induction of Labor Decision Aid in seven languages: www.inductiondecisionaid.org

Learn more about the nonprofit: www.partnertodecide.org

For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Want more resources? Check out our Signature Articles or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.