We are WOMEN!!! NOT “birthing people!!!!!!!!”

You might share great information on birth but it’s pretty hard to take you seriously when you use the idiotic term “birthing person”. Please explain how that is evidence based. Affirming mental illness at the expense of dehumanizing the majority of WOMEN is completely asinine. You all should be embarrassed.

I have been a birth doula since 2011, and a childbirth educator since 2013. Evidence Based Birth is my first choice for the latest research and for thorough and unbiased assessment.

As an educator serving mostly families planning to give birth in a variety of hospital settings, I love being able to offer EBB as a resource for my students. It can be dangerous and unfair to families to neglect the evidence and the wider view of birth practices in the local area, the country, and even the world and only discuss the practices and policies they are most likely to encounter in their facility. EBB gives educators and providers this kind of information as well so we can empower families to know their options and ask questions.

I enjoy all of the birth stories, interviews and information!

Rebecca and her amazing team summarize such big articles of data for the use of the general public as well as clinicians and they make our world a better place every day for doing so!

Seriously? It’s pregnant woman. Women get pregnant. As a WOMAN it is so hard to listen to this “inclusive language”. It’s disgusting that you pander to people who don’t even know their own sex/gender. They have a mental disorder and you are not helping them, you are hurting them, who aren’t the majority, along with the rest of us, who are ACTUALLY WOMEN. I had hope for this podcast since it was EVIDENCE BASED. But it’s clear you don’t follow any evidence in the basic form. I’d give negative stars if I could.

Thank you for this podcast! I have learned so much and I recommend it to everyone who is expecting!

To rename a feedback loop because it was named after the male scientist who discovered it is unscientific and arbitrary. I agree with the women who find "Evidence Based Birth" ironic when the entire organization overlooks basic biology and cares more about being woke than factual.

What a fantastic podcast. As a soon-to-be parent and a non-binary person, I appreciate the inclusive language. My wife is the gestational parent this time around, but that could change in the future knowing that there are healthcare providers who can/do respect and value the input of gender expansive pregnant people. I found the podcast while searching for science-backed info surrounding birth. My wife is a clinician and I am so excited to share this podcast with her! I know she’ll appreciate the analyses and evidence even more than I can. Thank you!

Excellent information on evidence-based practices presented so well, very easy to listen to. Thank you also for using inclusive language!

I am a woman. I was born a woman, I have female parts. I am a biological woman. I don’t trust any medical professional who calls me a birthing person or a chest feeder. It’s not inclusive, it’s delusional. Thank God for reviews. I almost listened to this junk.

This podcast literally refuses to use the words woman or breast milk or anything that would signify that a female is the one giving birth. It’s honestly absurd and insulting - the very opposite of inclusive. I had to turn off.

It is extremely distracting, like nails on a chalkboard, every time the host calls us "birthing person," "pregnant human," "chestfeeder," "human milk," "laboring person," and so forth. To me, who has only felt the pangs of femininity or womanhood a few times in my life and the most right now, being pregnant for the first time, this kind of language makes me feel invisible or like some kind of cattle. I want to be proud of my womanhood—not ashamed of it.

I’m shocked, and saddened, that so many people were triggered that the author uses inclusive language! Not using the word “woman/en”, should not take away from the great information you can get from this podcast, nor take away from your ‘womanhood’. I think you need to ask yourself why you’re so triggered. The author is not the problem.

This podcast and website were a truly invaluable resource throughout my pregnancy, and I’m so glad it exists!!

The irony of saying your research is evidence based but are calling biological females “birthing people” is absurd. Why aren’t you worried about offending all the women who actually want to be called a WOMAN? I can’t stomach listening to someone who claims to be scientifically based and is brainwashed by political agendas and propaganda

I got 15 minutes in and turned the episode off. I cannot stomach the pronouns, birthing persons/birthing people/pregnant people garbage language. SAY THE WORD WOMAN! Only WOMEN can give birth. Men who dress up in lipstick and stilettos cannot give birth. Please stop participating in this ridiculous WOKE trash. Evidence based? How about the evidence that there are two genders: Male and FEMALE. It sickens me to see a woman participating in a culture that is trying to erase womanhood. So disappointing and infuriating. I will not continue listening!

I’d like to preface by saying I’ve just started listening to this in 2024 and Dr. Rebecca Dekker has used inclusive language since 2018. It’s interesting to see who’s been listening since them and only now bothered by the language. Anyway, I’m listening during my first pregnancy and I have not found this information easily or accessibly anywhere else. In a world where I find it hard to trust the medical society and constantly do my own research on any advice given to me by a practitioner, this podcast has been beyond enlightening. I’ve also had conversations with several women close to me of all ages, friends and family, who have had all experiences of childbirth and are not even aware of the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their options and all outcomes of birth. Though it shocks me how much I and others didn’t know, it still doesn’t surprise me that this information isn’t readily available for everyone seeking care and options for their birth. At least those of us who are diligent have EBB as a resource.

I listened during my first, second, and third pregnancy, but had to stop listening in 2020 because of the political tone of the podcast. Now I’m pregnant with my fifth and thought I could use a refresher on a few birthing topics. I tried to give EBB another try, but I swear the episode I was listening to could have been done in half the time if they didn’t focus so much on pronouns, apologizing for the language used in their sources, explaining racism and sexism, and using nonsense like human milk or birthing person or chest feeding. It’s not worth my time to trudge through the nonsense to get to the actual information.

Thank you for an informative and very easy to understand podcast! As a woman currently TTC, this is great for what to expect going forward. ALSO I love the inclusive language. I don’t understand the negative reviews just because you’re being inclusive. I prefer she/her pronouns and I identify as a woman. That doesn’t mean that I need to be offended by inclusive language. Keep it up. Ignore the hate. They’re being ignorant and intolerant <3

I didn’t find EBB until preparing for my third birth, and it’s been so eye-opening and helpful. I equally love the information episodes and the birth story episodes. All information is shared thoughtfully and respectfully for anyone looking to educate themselves. Low ratings primarily come from people who do not like the inclusive language.

This is hands down the most useful/informative/clear/helpful resource I’ve found for free online. I’m so glad my midwives recommended it to me. Looking through reviews all the low ratings appear to be from people who don’t like the term “birthing person,” which is just an inclusive way to refer to people who are pregnant/giving birth instead of saying “woman” or “mother” which is not how all pregnant people identify. There is truly no way to make everyone happy but I’m really glad for the inclusive language and appreciate it. So don’t let that relatively low rating scare you, this is an incredibly rich resource!

You’d think an “evidence based” podcast of all places wouldn’t cave to the ridiculous “inclusive” language permeating our society. You of all people should know that only WOMEN give birth and they BREASTFEED their babies. Come on. I appreciate the information given but it’s very annoying to hear the eye rolling terms every 2 minutes.

People are so triggered by the use of inclusive language (as if being a woman means you’re not also a person) but it’s truly a breath of fresh air. This pod is so well researched and presented, I wish I’d listened before giving birth this year

Women. Is it really that hard to refer to us as women.

So hard to listen to this podcast when she calls women “birthing people” and always has to make her and her guests pronouns clear. Yuck. I’ll stick with Birthing Instincts.

Women birth babies. It is extremely inconsiderate to the millions of women before us who birthed children. Ignoring this fact to cater to the emotions of someone confused about gender and sex is not science.

The science and careful discussion in this podcast has been so helpful for finding my footing during my pregnancy. Thank you for your great work and advocacy! And to the one sad transphobe making multiple accounts to spam this review page: get a life, your kids are embarrassed of you.

Don’t get me wrong, I have gleaned a lot of knowledge and wisdom from this podcast over the years. It really helped me prepare for a natural birth in the hospital with my first baby. Now that I’m listening to it in 2024 while I’m pregnant with my second baby, I cannot get passed the language being used. While this language might be comforting for certain demographics, it is demeaning and frankly annoying to me. I would never choose a provider/doula who referred to me as a “birthing person”. I am a mother and a woman. Maybe consider throwing those terms around just as much as you use “birthing person”.

It’s incredibly hard to listen to a podcast where pronouns are shoved down your throat, and references to “birthing person” occurs incredibly often. If you can’t recognize that men cannot get pregnant, there are only two genders, I’m not sure how reputable your research and reporting abilities are. I try to listen to all sides of a topic or discussion before forming an opinion on something because I find that’s the best way to grow and learn. But if you’re looking for a podcast where the respect is given to women versus the desire to completely right off women as being special and unique, this isn’t for you.

Started listening and after a one episode could not take the use of language. Chest feeding??? Breast milk comes from breasts, there isn’t a study out there that changes that fact.

I soooo wish for a podcast that has just real factual evidence without all of the highly offensive comments. I couldn’t even listen anymore but desperately crave solid information. The podcaster makes racist, sweeping remarks about the whole race of white people that is so disgusting and derogatory. She also degrades woman and all of our progress as can’t even bare to say the word “women”. I can’t trust any of the evidence she is saying as she sways and skews information to match with her offensive political beliefs rather than just stating the facts. So sad.

I have been listening over the course of my pregnancy (since September 2023) and I have thoroughly enjoyed the podcast and have referred it to friends of mine on this same journey. I sincerely appreciate the efforts the hosts make to be inclusive of different cultures and identities. I know it must be difficult to try to share information in a world where identity is so fluid and people are so easily triggered, but I am glad she is trying and doing so in a way that does not take away from my identity as a PERSON/PEOPLE/HUMAN. Thank you for the work you do an I hope you continue to fight the good fight.

Honestly, there is very good information on this podcast. But I can’t even subscribe to it because how do you take someone’s research information and explanation seriously, especially someone who has “Dr” in front of their name yet thinks that anyone other than a biological female/woman can have a baby. I am not a pregnant “person” I am a pregnant “woman” and I don’t “chest” feed I breast feed. This is ridiculous, and honestly absolutely offensive. I have a BSN and not one thing taught me that anyone other than a female can breastfeed or have a child. If you want to be inclusive then research and medicine might be the wrong profession since it’s hard to take you seriously if you choose to ignore undeniable scientific and biological evidence for those facts, how can I take you seriously on everything else you’re saying?

They are good at breaking down and explaining studies but it’s ironic they don’t know only women get pregnant given they’re all about the “evidence”. It’s an immediate no for me when I hear “pregnant people” over and over.

The neutered language used is off putting

I used to absolutely love this podcast especially as a woman who is planning for a vba2c. The scientific evidence really helped me feel confident in my decision. However, I have grown disappointed in the hosts usage of the terms “birthing person”. I was absolutely disgusted by the content warning of “gender terms” because the guest host used the word mother. To claim yourself as an evidence based podcast and then completely erase the words mother, female, woman etc etc is contradictory and insulting.

The podcast claims to be rooted in science & references many research papers, but the host speaks in divisive language that I find diminishing as a woman. She frequently replaces the term mother with “birthing person”, which undermines the significant & traditional term “Mother”. It’s sooo hard to listen to & hits my ear wrong every time. Mother is a special term reserved for women, if the pod is truly rooted in science, a fact based understanding of biology is necessary. It’s really too bad the host has chosen to use divisive terminology that makes me feel extremely alienated. I hope the host will someday understand…

The Wokeness displayed on this podcast is so performative and silly. I simply cannot stomach it anymore.

I appreciate all the research reviewed and poured into this podcast. Our host does an excellent job explaining things in layman’s terms so it can be understood by everyone, both in and out of the field of birthwork. I really love the interviews and her ability to explain science behind an evidence based decision (or why it was not…) gracefully and in the moment. I have a 2-year-old and have been listening since about 3 years prior to my pregnancy, so I’d consider myself a long time listener. I have learned so much and am very grateful for the existence of platforms like this podcast. It’s on the top 5 things I recommend to pregnant friends. If my husband and I decide to have more children I’d like us to take the actual course because I’m sure we will learn even more. On a side note, inclusivity does not mean exclusivity. To all the evangelicals complaining about “woke-ism” or whatever the latest culture war made up by Fox News that they tell you to be upset about: being kind hurts nobody. Nobody is “erasing your motherhood,” or whatever your complaint is - it’s simply realizing that not everybody who gives birth is a mother. This not only includes transgendered people, but also surrogates, those pursuing adopting out, etc. Mothers and birthing people is an accurate description. Also… I mean come on… This is a FREE podcast, if it’s truly not for you - beat it. No need to announce your departure. If you can get over your bias and be open to learning new things, stay. Get what you can out of it, and if some of it isn’t for you, then that’s ok too — realize it’s for other people who DO exist. Let’s have the humility to understand that. The world is a very interesting place. P.S. Your anger may be better directed at legislation looking to actually harm mothers (and birthing persons!).

It’s sad we live in a culture where this kind of insanity is tolerated. We are women. We are mothers. Someone’s feelings don’t change that. Also sick of the racism.

Was a great resource when it first started but the bias the last few years has gotten out of control. This is not just talking about the woke language, though that is extremely offensive, racist, and sexist. But anyone who takes the time to think critically about how they present things can see bias behind how they share on topics. One glaring example is that they completely fail to share the lack of safety trials for vaccines now being pushed and recommended for pregnant women and don’t even share the manufacturer’s own STATED risks of vaccines when they are discussed. Only presenting the supposed benefits and government lobbied recommendations while ignoring the lack of quality safety trials, the risks, and without questioning the necessity for every woman and baby despite individual circumstances, value systems, cultural context, and risk/benefit assessment is reckless and unethical.

By using politically triggering words like “birthing people”, you make “mothers” feel like a bad word. Considering that 99.9% of anyone who’s given birth is a mother, you are excluding everyone to make who happy? WHO is your audience?

I can’t trust anyone who uses language like “birthing person” to be truly unbiased when use of such language is a clear political bias. No thanks.

I appreciate and love evidence based information to help make my decisions which initially drove me to this podcast and why I’ve listened to it for years.. but I just can’t anymore. it seems completely contradictory for an “evidence based” podcast to go against the most basic scientific fact that women give birth. It feels when listening to this podcast and the amount of times women are called “pregnant persons” or “birthing people” that they are intentionally avoiding the word “woman” or “mother” . “Woman” and “mother” are not a bad words, and avoiding them is a blatant disregard to the the 99.99% of people who listen to this podcast and come here to feel empowered in their journey to become a mother . I get trying to be inclusive, but when did including people become ignoring women and stripping them of their title and role to do the one thing women are uniquely designed to do. Birth is our superpower and it disempowers women by saying any “person” can grow and bring life into this world. Its an insult to women AND science. I am a mom, I am a woman, and I won’t listen to a podcast that claims to be scientific but refuses to acknowledge basic human biology. So Disappointed.

Great source for unbiased, current, inclusive information about birthing

This is a good podcast, that does exactly as the title promises, educates you on evidence based care regarding Childbirth, newborn care, and pregnancy. Ignore the conservatives in the reviews upset about pronouns or chestfeeding…everything can’t be centered around WW. The facts about birth remain relevant whether you like inclusive language or not. Get over yourself and get into this evidence based podcast.

“Hi my name is Dr.X. My pronouns are…”. That’s how the podcast begins. And of course she says “birthing person” constantly . I cannot listen to this without feeling like throwing up. How can you call yourself a “doctor” and yet you don’t even know that ONLY women give birth?? If a woman thinks she is a man then she has a mental disorder. I’m not going to go along with sick peoples delusions. She also says the Orwellian phrase “chest feeding.” Is she implying that I can hand my baby over to my husband and he can feed the baby using his chest ?? And everything is somehow “sexist” & “racist.” Is quiet funny the mental gymnastics she uses to tie the most obscure concepts back to these 2 “isms.”

I absolutely love this podcast and learned so much and I’m still continuing to learn. This podcast helped me advocate for myself, and not just with the medical profession, but with my family as well. A lot of you who reviewed one star because pronouns are used need to do your research on the difference between sex and gender and do some research on gender dysphoria. I don’t understand how some of you can have so much hate. A person who is born with XX chromosomes and reproductive organs can be referred to as a male gender and become pregnant at some point, but still identify as a man, therefore not just “women” have babies. Therefore using terms as “birth person” would be a good term to use. Science says there is two sexes not two genders. Gender is not a biological term. The only people “erasing gender” are the one star reviews not acknowledging there is more then two genders and the difference between sex and gender. Just do a search on gender vs sex and gender dysphoria. Sex refers to “the different biological and physiological characteristics of males and females, such as reproductive organs, chromosomes, hormones, etc.”Gender refers to "the socially constructed characteristics of women and men – such as norms, roles and relationships of and between groups of women and men. It varies from society to society and can be changed. The concept of gender includes five important elements: relational, hierarchical, historical, contextual and institutional. While most people are born either male or female, they are taught appropriate norms and behaviours – including how they should interact with others of the same or opposite sex within households, communities and work places. When individuals or groups do not “fit” established gender norms they often face stigma, discriminatory practices or social exclusion – all of which adversely affect health”. This podcast has nothing to do with politics, and has always been an evidence-based podcast and still is. I recommend this one to everyone and anyone no matter what your beliefs are or what your political status is. This is non biased. I agree with the review “The one star reviews are from people who need to sit with their biases and anger for a while.”