Evidence Based Birth®

Pregnancy fitness advice has changed dramatically over the last few decades, but many parents still receive outdated recommendations rooted more in fear than evidence. After receiving outdated advice during her own pregnancy, exercise physiologist and prenatal/postnatal wellness practitioner Ashley Reid was inspired to help moms stay active through every stage of motherhood. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with Ashley about the latest evidence on exercise and strength training during pregnancy and postpartum.
Ashley shares why old recommendations like keeping your heart rate under 140 beats per minute are outdated, what the research actually says about lifting weights during pregnancy, and how to safely build strength in ways that support your changing body. She also explains her "Core, Function, and Fitness" framework and how to approach postpartum recovery as a gradual progression instead of a rush back to exercise.
(03:55) Outdated pregnancy exercise advice and the "140 beats per minute" rule
(06:27) Fear around heart rate monitoring and exercise intensity in pregnancy
(08:42) What the research says about exercise safety and pregnancy
(13:20) Ashley's "Core, Function, and Fitness" framework
(17:20) Why core strength matters during pregnancy
(20:47) Is lifting weights during pregnancy safe?
(25:25) Signs it may be time to modify or pause exercise
(27:23) How pregnancy exercise supports postpartum recovery
(30:01) Returning to exercise postpartum and the new 2025 guidelines
(36:27) Ashley shares what readers will learn in her book Active Mom
(37:56) Sample workout progressions and making exercise work for you
Resources
Learn more about Active Mom Fitness: activemomfitness.com/
Get your copy of Ashley's Book, "Active Mom": activemomfitness.com/books
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.

Many neurodivergent people move through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum feeling misunderstood and unsupported in healthcare settings that were not designed with their minds in mind. In this episode, doula and founder of Neurodivergent Birth Victoria White shares how her own later-in-life autism and ADHD diagnoses reshaped her understanding of her postpartum experiences and why many neurodivergent parents struggle in systems that often assume everyone processes in the same way.
Learn about how sensory processing, communication, and executive functioning challenges can shape the perinatal experience for neurodivergent families and the small changes that can help neurodivergent people feel safer, more supported, and empowered.
(04:30) The four support pillars of neurodivergent birth
(10:11) How sleep deprivation impacts neurodivergent parents
(12:02) Hormones, estrogen, ADHD, and postpartum changes
(19:05) Barriers to adult diagnosis and self-identifying as neurodivergent
(22:14) Strategies for sensory support, communication, and birth planning
(25:50) Supporting executive functioning during pregnancy and postpartum
(28:27) "Think neurodivergence first": what healthcare workers need to understand
(30:33) Supporting neurodivergent partners during birth
(31:31) Neurodivergence and cesarean birth experiences
(36:53) Victoria's book Why Neurodivergent Birth Matters
(38:27) Research groups, mental health resources, and the Neurodivergent Birth Podcast
(39:22) Reasonable accommodations and disability protections in maternity care
Resources
Learn more about Neurodivergent Birth: ndbirth.com/
Get free, downloadable fact sheets and planning resources: ndbirth.com/downloads
Listen to the Neurodivergent Birth podcast: ndbirth.com/podcast
Maternity Autism Research Group: maternityautismresearchgroup.co.uk/
PANDAS Foundation: pandasfoundation.org.uk/
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.

What happens when your carefully planned, low-intervention birth transforms into something entirely unexpected? In this replay episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker revisits her conversation with Leah Bergman, a graduate of the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class, and her birth story of navigating a surprise diagnosis of fetal growth restriction (sometimes called intrauterine growth restriction or IUGR) in late pregnancy. Together, they unpack the emotional rollercoaster of changing birth plans, wrestling with uncertainty, and making tough decisions around induction while still finding space for empowerment, advocacy, and joy.
Leah opens up about leaning on evidence-based education, support from her husband and doula, and a compassionate midwifery team as she faced a challenging induction process complete with surprises, setbacks, and two trips to the hospital. You'll also hear practical strategies for advocating during labor, the realities of taking a break from an induction then "starting over", and how to build a positive birth experience even when things go off script.
Content Note: Discussion of the risk of stillbirth associated with fetal growth restriction.
(03:44) Discovering Evidence Based Birth®
(09:15) Deciding to induce labor
(10:43) Placenta health and birth timing
(14:50 Discussing timing of delivery
(17:41) Labor induction experience
(23:29 Beginning stages of labor induction
(25:55) Advocating for rest during labor
(28:48) Unexpectedly quick delivery experience
(31:51) Managing baby's low birth weight
 
For the full list of resources from this epiosde, click here.


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.

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.