{"podcast":{"title":"Healthy As A Mother","slug":"healthy-as-a-mother-5954766","podcast_index_feed_id":5954766,"rss_url":"https://feeds.cohostpodcasting.com/MQNyj2Aa","website_url":"https://www.cohostpodcasting.com","image_url":"https://files.cohostpodcasting.com/quill-file-prod/d327bde3-70f1-46d3-ad63-2f237bd79db1/shows/b3adfa38-b8ee-4686-8e33-91615f89e249/cover-art/original_82ca9fbbdb119ac0eed4fc5742791ae7","author":"Dr. Morgan MacDermott & Dr. Leah Gordon","episode_count":173,"summary":"Healthy As A Mother is a podcast for becoming and being a mother, hosted by Dr. Leah Gordon and Dr. Morgan MacDermott, two naturopathic doctors passionate about helping women navigate fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and motherhood through a natural health lens. Each week, we share conversations and education designed to help you become the healthiest mother possible through evidence-based and holistic approaches to wellness. From preconception and pregnancy preparation to postpartum recovery and motherhood, we cover the topics many women are not hearing elsewhere. Real conversations. Honest education. Support for every stage of motherhood.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-16T02:32:47.409503+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/healthy-as-a-mother-5954766"},"episode":{"title":"Epidurals: What They Don’t Tell You (Risks, Myths & When You Actually Need One) | #158","slug":"epidurals-what-they-don-t-tell-you-risks-myths-when-you-actually-need-one-158","published_at":"2026-04-01T13:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/healthy-as-a-mother-5954766/epidurals-what-they-don-t-tell-you-risks-myths-when-you-actually-need-one-158","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/healthy-as-a-mother-5954766","url":"https://audio-delivery.cohostpodcasting.com/audio/d327bde3-70f1-46d3-ad63-2f237bd79db1/episodes/75e9ff8b-03e9-4ebd-9b2b-2b5af7882261/episode.mp3","audio_url":"https://audio-delivery.cohostpodcasting.com/audio/d327bde3-70f1-46d3-ad63-2f237bd79db1/episodes/75e9ff8b-03e9-4ebd-9b2b-2b5af7882261/episode.mp3","summary":"Epidurals are one of the most common, and most misunderstood, parts of modern birth. In this episode, we break down everything you actually need to know: what’s in an epidural, how it works, when it helps, and when it can create more complications than expected. We also get honest about the parts most people don’t talk about, including side effects, the cascade of interventions, and why so many women feel blindsided after the fact. This isn’t about telling you what to do. It’s about giving you the clarity to make the right decision for your birth. 00:00 — Trailer & Intro 01:33 — Why This Conversation Matters 03:33 — Epidural vs Spinal: What’s the Difference 06:03 — “Do No Harm” Framework for Birth Decisions 08:03 — The History of Pain Management in Birth 11:33 — What’s Actually In an Epidural 15:33 — What It Feels Like to Get One 19:33 — When You Can (and Can’t) Get an Epidural 23:33 — The Timing Mistake Most Women Make 26:33 — When an Epidural is Actually Helpful 30:33 — Guilt, Shame & Birth Expectations 35:33 — Common Side Effects Explained 41:33 — The Cascade of Interventions 45:33 — What Happens When It Doesn’t Work 49:33 — Effects on Baby (Myths vs Reality) 53:33 — Why Women Feel Misinformed 57:33 — Epidurals & Postpartum/Bonding 01:00:33 — How to Decide What’s Right for You Resources From This Episode: The Vital Importance of Baby's Position During Birth with Ann Gilligan, RN, LNC, RYPT | #32 5 Things That Ruin Breastfeeding | #146 Dr. Morgan's Pregnancy Call Lessons Healthy As A Mother Podcast | YouTube Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Instagram Healthy As A Mother Podcast | TikTok Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Merch Store Find more from Dr. Leah: Dr. Leah Gordon | Instagram Dr. Leah Gordon | Website Womanhood Wellness | Website Find more from Dr. Morga…","meta_description":"Epidurals are one of the most common, and most misunderstood, parts of modern birth. In this episode, we break down everything you actually need to know:…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4434,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/healthy-as-a-mother-5954766/episodes/epidurals-what-they-don-t-tell-you-risks-myths-when-you-actually-need-one-158/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/healthy-as-a-mother-5954766/epidurals-what-they-don-t-tell-you-risks-myths-when-you-actually-need-one-158.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}