In this episode, Sara discusses what to do when family, friends, or others start telling birth "horror stories" at baby showers or in birthing spaces. She uses the framework of narrative analysis to offer ideas about constructive ways to respond in these situations. REFERENCE: Riessman, Catherine Kohler. Narrative analysis. Vol. 30. Sage, 1993.

Birth Words: Language For a Better Birth

Narratives: What to Do When Someone Starts Telling a Birth "Horror Story"

In this episode, Sara interviews pelvic floor PT Betty DeLass. Betty discusses the importance of normalizing pelvic health through talking about it! She also makes an exciting announcement about how she's working to improve the perinatal experience for *everyone*! 

Necessary: Talking About Pelvic Floor Health with Dr. Betty DeLass, DPT

Sara summarizes fetal hearing development, then describes the benefits of talking to your baby during pregnancy--for both you and baby!   REFERENCES: Nelson, Lauren J., and Anthony F. Fazio. "Emotional content of talk to the fetus and healthy coping behaviors during pregnancy."  Infant Mental Health Journal 16, no. 3 (1995): 179-191.   Moon, Christine, Hugo Lagercrantz, and Patricia K. Kuhl. "Language experienced in utero affects vowel perception after birth: A two‐country study." Acta paediatrica 102, no. 2 (2013): 156-160.

Bonding: The Benefits of Talking to Your Baby in Utero!

In this episode, guest Meredith Ashton Cohen uses the metaphor of the changing seasons to describe the menstrual cycle and how to live your best life by better understanding each season of the menstrual cycle.

Magical: A Conversation with Women's Health Coach Meredith Ashton Cohen About the Menstrual Cycle

This week on the podcast, I'm bringing Birth Words back to its roots. I aired the first episode of Birth Words on June 29, 2019. Since then, I've produced over 70 unique episodes, and gained lots of listeners. And this week, I'm rebroadcasting that very first episode. So, if you haven't yet listened to the story of the birth of Birth Words (or even if you have), give this episode a listen!

Roots: Rebroadcast of Birth Words, Episode 1

In this episode, Sara discusses the concept of communicative repertoires: the idea that we modify the way we speak to fit the circumstances we're in and our relationships (real or intended) with the person we're talking to. Sara poses questions for birthgivers and birthworkers to consider as they communicate with others during pregnancy and birth.

Communication: Changing the Way You Speak to Fit Your Circumstances

In this week's episode, I talk with Michelle Knight about how the process of giving birth was a great teacher that shaped Michelle's approach to life afterward. We also discuss the power of sharing stories about the challenges of our birth and postpartum experiences. Our words can validate these experiences and invite others to find the support they need as we shift identities while moving into parenthood.

Teacher: Learning Life's Lessons During an 80-Hour Labor, with Michelle Knight

In this episode, Sara talks about linguistic relativity, her favorite season shift (from winter to spring) and how the term "due date" can be all kinds of problematic!   Resources: Sapir, Edward, and Benjamin Whorf. "The relation of habitual thought and behavior to language." Language, Thought and Reality (1956): 134-159. Boroditsky, Lera. How Language Shapes the Way We Think. TED. November 2017. Video, 14:04. https://www.ted.com/talks/lera_boroditsky_how_language_shapes_the_way_we_think?language=en#t-855520.

Spring: Reconceptualizing Due Dates

Birthworkers, this one's for you! In this week's special episode, listen to  four birthworkers discuss what they learned from and loved about the Birth Words In-Depth Workshop for Birthworkers. When you're ready to enroll in the workshop, head over to www.birthwords.com/classes and choose the option that works best for you: ONLINE or LIVE (03.27.21 in Lehi, UT).   Earn 8 ICEA contact hours, learn things about language that will improve the care you give your clients and benefit ALL of your interpersonal relations, and have fun while you're at it!   Can't wait to see you there!

Workshop: A Sneak Peek into the Birth Words In-Depth Workshop for Birthworkers

In this week's episode, Nikki Shaheed talks about how to discover your heart's question to guide your birth, the various archetypes for approaching the birth experience, and the etiquette for Laborland. Nikki's powerful interview highlights the power of leading with questions, respecting the individuality of each birther and birth experience, and being okay with the unknown.

Unknown: An Interview with Birthing from Within Trainer Nikki Shaheed

In this episode, we consider how and to whom we show respect through language. Specifically, we consider the use and impact of titles (or lack thereof) by birth care providers. Sara invites you to be reflective about the care providers you choose, the titles they use or don't use, and the relationships these honorifics support.   REFERENCES: Wardhaugh, Ronald. An introduction to sociolinguistics (2nd Edition). Vol. 28. John Wiley & Sons, 2015.

Respect: Honorifics and the Circle of Support

In this week's episode Kayte Gardner talks about the stories we tell ourselves about birth, birth trauma, and "high-risk" pregnancy and birth. Tune in to hear her tell her stories of loss and feelings of brokenness and of surprising herself and finding a passion in birth work. 

Intricate: Kayte Gardner Tells Her Birth Stories

In this episode, Sara discusses the conduit metaphor identified by linguist Michael Reddy. The conduit metaphor is an oversimplification of communication and language. This metaphor assumes that communicating is a simple act of packaging up your meaning in words and sending it to another person, who unproblematically opens it and understands precisely your meaning and intention. But anyone who has ever conversed with anyone knows that this is oversimplified and that communication is fraught with misunderstanding! How does this apply to pregnancy, birth, and postpartum? Sara discusses the role and mission of Birth Words and how, through all of its resources, we dig into the complexity and the power of language and commit to being reflective, intentional, and empowering with our words. REFERENCE: Michael Reddy, "The Conduit Metaphor," in Metaphor and Thought 2, edited by Andrew Ortony (Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1979), 284-324.

Conduit: Communication Isn't a Matter of Boxing Up Meaning

In this conversation, Alisa, doula and mother to two (soon to be three) talks about her birth stories. She discusses the people who guided her on her path to her beautiful births, and her orgasmic first birth. She also tells about the work she does with her clients to guide them as they discover and claim their power in parenthood.

Exalted: A Conversation with Alisa Crawshaw about the Noble Work of Parenthood

This episode is the last in the series on figured worlds. (Other episodes in this series include episodes 59, 61, and 63.) In this episode, Sara discusses her narrow lens and assumptions with regard to figured worlds and birth. Then, we conclude the series on figured worlds by discussing prominent environments, institutions, and values in the birth experience.

Assumptions IIII: Figured Worlds and Birth IIII

Utah-based birth doula and applied linguistics scholar Sara Pixton digs into the language of pregnancy and birth to help expectant women claim their power as life-giving agents engaged in a praiseworthy work.

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Birth Words: Language For a Better Birth

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