Is childbirth education really necessary? Why does your birth experience matter beyond having a “healthy baby”? Dr. Chris Stroud sits down with renowned childbirth educator and doula Hallie Greider from Birth Matters to discuss everything expecting parents need to know about birth planning, childbirth education, and preparing for labor.

In This Episode:

✅ Why your birth experience stays with you for 20+ years (and why “healthy baby” isn’t enough)

✅ The truth about hospital childbirth classes vs. independent education

✅ How to use the BRAIN method for informed consent and better decision-making

✅ Why EVERY family needs education—whether you’re planning a natural birth, epidural, home birth, or C-section

✅ The partner’s crucial role in labor (and how to prepare emotionally, not just physically)

✅ Understanding “pain with a purpose” and coping techniques that actually work

✅ How to choose your birth team and who should (and shouldn’t) be in the delivery room

✅ What “labor land” means and why it matters for partners to understand

✅ How to communicate with your care provider during labor

✅ The difference between informing yourself and truly preparing for birth

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

1. Birth Matters: https://www.birthmatters.com/
2. Penny Simkin research on birth memory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKqPklpTDYE
3. VBAC Facts https://vbacfacts.com/

RELATED VIDEOS:

All Things Breastfeeding with Hallie Greider https://youtu.be/IK8wJhUue-Y?si=F7-LpNkc1pPB5zk7

How Birth Happens at Holy Family Birth Center https://youtu.be/KQnY1qbXw7E?si=AjLanqcyYSQSCGor

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