PODCAST · health
Birth Agni
by Divya Kapoor
This Podcast explores how indigenously Birth has always unfolded, among women - our tribe, where children could see how breastfeeding was done and how birth happened. This an attempt to fetch the stories of the past as well as bring out the new India’s Birth culture to expose the defining features in both. This shall join the dots to where the increasing problems of postpartum anxiety, rising rate of surgical births and poor breastfeeding outcomes are coming from. Birth Agni - Agni meaning Fire, the Fire that brings us alive, transforms us and has the ability to burn. Birth is designed to affect a woman’s integrity. It is the fire of awakening that makes her life experience wholesome. Deep down her body knows what Birth is supposed to feel - a euphoria of bringing a new life on Earth. The cocktail of hormones are designed to give her a high. However, birth today has quickly swayed away from a phase of joy to the one marked by Fear, the c
Episodes
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#157 - Postpartum Anxiety in Men with Joshua Maze ( Dad Coordinator for Postpartum Support International)
We talk a lot about postpartum anxiety in mothers. But what happens when it’s the father who is struggling? And what if we’ve been so focused on the mother and baby that we’ve forgotten to ask the person standing beside them “How are you doing?” I’m bringing back my conversation from the…
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#156 : Postpartum healing : Pelvic Floor Issues, Leaking Urine, Posture with Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist Melissa Desaulles
I read somewhere, "May your coffee, pelvic floor, intuition and self appreciation stay strong!" Cannot describe this episode better. This episode discusses pelvic floor issues early postpartum and the common concerns regarding postpartum health with Pelvic Health Physiotherapist Melissa…
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#155- Krupa Desai's Home Birth Story | Role of a Doula and Inner work
A Primary Home Birth We often hear women say, oh this is my first time, so I would prefer a hospital but for my second, I will choose a home birth. This is rooted first in fear and that home births are essentially unsafe, second a trust that is yet to develop in our bodies. Hence, we expect when…
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#154 - Dr Prity's HBAC story after a previous VBAC at the hospital
A VBAC at home, also called an HBAC Why did Dr Prity , a dentist , a medical professional, now a Diastasis Recti Specialist Vaginal Steaming Practitioner Postpartum Doula Prenatal Postnatal fitness expert , decided to have a homebirth after a prior VBAC in the hospital? What did she know that...
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#EP 153 - Exclusive Breastfeeding, Elimination Communication and Fathers in Postpartum with Surabhi
Everywhere you look, someone has advice on feeding your baby. But what does it actually take to exclusively breastfeed while running a business, handling endless unsolicited opinions, and still trusting yourself? In this conversation, Surabhi shares her Postpartum journey after taking Birth…
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Update : Season 6 to be launched on 5th August'26
We took two more months to ensure the best comes to you. Thankyou for waiting dear listeners. I know the wait seems long. We will be back on August 5th'26. We will also release all episodes in the format of one season. Season 6 in a bundle. Support the show Sign up for Childbirth Preparation...
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Announcement : Season 2026 - Home Birth | Pregnancy Series
Three weeks into February, in the soft glow of postpartum, our host, Divya shares a tender life update : welcoming her son in the quiet hours of December after a birth she deeply cherishes. Supported by her husband, daughter, and doula, this experience has begun a powerful season of slowing down,...
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#152 - Surabhi 's Birth Story | Glucose IV | Self Acceptance | Placenta Birth
Note - This is the last episode of the year 2025 We will be back in 2026! Happy festivities! Part II of Surabhi's birth story takes you through her journey of labor and birth. Discussion points Laboring at home to reaching the birth centre 2 hours away Experience of labor on the way Experience of...
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#151- Surabhi and Darshan's Birth Preparation | Advocacy at a Birth Center
In this conversation, Surabhi Shekhar, founder Gubbi Gudu, women’s wellness specialist, prenatal/postnatal yoga guide, and doula-in-training joins us with her loving husband, Darshan, to share the story of their preparation for a birth center experience. They speak at length about the thorough...
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#150 - Pregnancy at 40: Myths, Facts, and Real Stories
Ever wondered why the age of 35 suddenly becomes this big red sign in conversations about pregnancy? In this episode, we discuss fertility and the age of a woman’s egg. We will understand biology of what actually happens to your egg each cycle and how aging really affects fertility and a...
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#149 - Oxytocin and its profound role in Pregnancy , Labor, Birth and Breastfeeding with Dr Sarah Buckley
Oxytocin is a hormone whose effects on the body are hugely celebrated yet largely unknown. Dr Sarah Buckley's work on Oxytocin has extensive insights into how it affects women in pregnancy and birth. Focus points The Oxytocin, Pregnancy and Due Dates Hormones and the essence of Pain in childbirth...
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#148 - Traditional midwifery , regulations and midwifery care for plus sized women with Maryn Green and Margo from the Indie Birth Association
Series: Midwives around the world What is traditionally midwifery and what do midwives have to say about Birth work, licensure and the shifting dynamics among birthworkers. As a pregnant couple listening to this episode you will have clarity in your decision making when choosing a midwife or...
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#147 - Birth and Inner Work for Parents and Birth Workers with Reba Daniel
Birth work is a complex territory. It is coming together of an expecting family with a birth worker and they work together with consistent dialogue about the changing desires and needs of a family and in Reba , our guest's words, the line or boundary of the Birth worker. Reba Daniel is a health...
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#146 - The road to Free Birthing with Sarah Schmid
Sarah Schmid is a medical doctor, author, and mother of ten children. Nine of her children, including a set of twins, were born in planned unassisted home births. For many years, she has been active online in various ways on the topics of self-responsible pregnancy and autonomous childbirth. She...
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#145: Our Gateway into menarche and essence of childbirth the spiritual container
What if we learnt that our menstrual cycles were a tool for growth. It is something that makes us women special and powerful. If we are looking at helping women see the Shakti or the power in themselves, the road begins at Menarche. I have been meaning to have an episode on this topic and keenly...
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#144 - Fertility and The Traditional Chinese Medicine with Nicole Lange, founder LifeHealingLife | IVF | PCOS
There was a news article recently that said India’s fertility rate is down , First dip in two years. Generally , we are all observing a rise in the need for fertility as well. More and more IVF clinics and centers are coming along. When we think of supporting our conception or having a baby, we...
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#143 - Part II Kriti's Birth Story - the story of surrender to inner calling | Meconium | Self Directed Birth | Inner Strength
This is the story of Kriti's Labor and Birth and how they made the decisions moving through each phase. The highlight of the story is 'Self direction' . It is not important where you really birth, what is important at the core of it all is how 'self directed' a family is in their birth choices....
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#142 - Part I - Why Kriti Chose a Home Birth – Her Pregnancy Story
Kriti and Ashish left behind a city life to build a farm and live in a remote village - all because it meant a slower life of connection. "We would not have had a baby had we been in the city", Kriti says and then goes on to share how living with nature, they started craving to have a third…
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#141 - Postpartum Depression - my experience - Retake
Postnatal Depression - My experience... This is a Retake of the first episode of Birth Agni, postpartum depression, because it is an important discussion area. It’s me, vulnerable, traumatised by the Birth experience , cornered in the family power dynamics and sleep deprived. I share what my own...
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#140 - Releasing Fear in Birth - The Hypnobirthing Approach with Katharine Graves , founder KGhypnobirthing
Fear and birth—two words that often get tangled together. Katharine Graves, an internationally recognised hypnobirthing expert and trainer , founder of KGhypnobirthing takes us through the grounding methods in hypnobirthing and working with fear in Birth. We discuss: Overcoming fear in Birth...
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#139 - Birth then and Now - 40 years of difference in the Indian Maternity Care with seasoned Birth Educator, author and former journalist Nutan Lakhanpal Pandit
Nutan L Pandit has been teaching birth preparation since 1978. Back then, the Indian birth scene was very different. Nutan aunty gave birth using breathwork taught by a foreigner — so calmly, in fact, that the nurses were shocked she was already pushing while chatting! This was in Mumbai, with no...
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#138 - Best way to Interview your Doula, Birthkeeper, Midwife
Choosing the right doula, midwife, or birthkeeper for your birth journey is more than just credentials and experience — it’s about alignment. In this episode, we walk you through a heart-centered approach to choosing your birth team. We start with a self-inquiry activity to help you tune into…
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#137 - Aishwarya's VBAC Birth Story at a Birth Center
VBACs are often dreaded in the medical system. Birth Centers are open to supporting them. This story is about a successful VBAC in a birth center, yes, but its not just that. It is about a woman trying to find her way back to herself, back to her Birth wisdom and her empowered self. It is also...
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#136 - VBACs - Do you have a choice? Risk of Uterine Rupture
Once a Cesarean , always a Cesarean - you must have also heard this common notion. Fortunately, this is far from truth. Yet , So many women feel cornered and helpless when they become pregnant again, like the decision has already been made for them. In this episode, we’re getting real about that...
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#135 - Miscarriage and Preventive use of Progestrone
A Listener reached out sharing her regret over taking Progestrone the first time around, reason Age 35+ Women are given progestrone in Pregnancy routinely for the following reasons: Bleeding in Current Pregnancy History of Miscarriage Age - 35+ In this episode, we discuss Are all these reasons...
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#134 - Natural Pain Relief - What they do not teach you in traditional Birth Classes - The Embedded Gift
The Embedded Gift of Pain Relief is the name I have given to the very foundation you need first in your laboring journey, without which no pain relief technique works efficiently. And this has come from experience. When I started out as a childbirth educator, the techniques I taught fell flat for...
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#133 - The Painless Delivery Promise- Why it is not what you think!
Painless delivery’ sounds reassuring, but it’s often misleading. The truth is what’s sold as painless birth is often false advertising. Parents are rarely told about the downsides, or how numbing all sensation can actually interfere with birth. In this episode, we talk about Why no epidural takes...
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#132 - The uncomfortable truth behind the current condition of the Indian Maternal System with Dr Uplabdh
What’s really driving birth practices in India today? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the Indian medical system—where convenience often takes priority over physiology, and where C-sections are rising not always because of necessity, but because they fit better into hospital…
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#131- What No One Tells You About Ultrasounds in Pregnancy
Ultrasounds have become a routine part of modern pregnancy care — but how much do we really know about their origins, benefits, risks, and accuracy? We’ve all been told that ultrasounds are just a normal part of pregnancy — a way to “see the baby” and make sure everything’s okay. But have you…
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#130 - Shilpi's home birth story- meconium, true knot and a geriatric pregnancy.
Shilpi was guided into a home birth through various channels — one of them being how the medical system was too keen to label hers as a geriatric pregnancy and potentially schedule her into a surgery. Often, women over 35 are labelled as geriatric — meaning care for old people in the medical...
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#129 - Too Big to Birth, or too small a pelvis? The Truth About CPD in Indian Hospitals
In this episode, we discuss one of the most commonly used—and misused—reasons for cesarean in India: Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD), or the claim that a woman’s pelvis is “too small” for her baby’s head. We dig into: What CPD actually is (and what it isn’t) Why true CPD is extremely rare—yet…
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#128 - Decoding Meconium -the good and the bad with Dr Vijaya Krishnan, CPM and founder Sanctum Natural Birth Center
It’s all too common—women being rushed into surgery at the very sight or even assumption of meconium in conventional hospital settings. Add to that the pressure many women face to deliver before 40 weeks, based on general risks that may not even apply to them personally. In today’s episode, we’re...
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#127 - 5 ways to make postpartum a smoother experience - What can Partners do?
Postpartum in India is celebrated in rituals, gatherings and expectations—but what about the actual needs of a new mother? In this episode, I unpack 5 ways Indian women can experience a gentler, more supported postpartum phase—especially in the midst of complex family dynamics. From the emotional...
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#126 - Nipple Shields - A breastfeeding Cure or a Crutch!
In this episode, we explore the often misunderstood world of nipple shields—thin silicone covers used during breastfeeding. We’ll discuss why they’re so commonly recommended in the Indian hospitals, and how it can impact your breastfeeding journey. As a Lactation Counselor, I see numerous cases...
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#125 - Afeeda's surreal birth story in a Birth Center - the Power of Intuition
The primary aspect of birth is finding a place that supports us. For some women, no institution feels like a safe space where they can truly let go and allow their intuition to guide them—where they can allow the process to unfold in its most optimal form. For others, a birth center that supports...
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#124 - Chapter II - Vikki and Raj's Second Half of the Home Birth Story
In the last episode, we spoke of Henry's Birth. In this part, we go through the experience of the transfer to the hospital and the reason behind. Often, people are worried about a Home Birth and transfer, here we see what it can look like and that should help parents in their decision on where…
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#123 - Chapter I - Vikki and Raj's Home Birth Story
Vikki and Raj decided on a Home Birth as life directed them to . They found a midwife after one referred to another and then another until finally they met Ditta. Their experience of a home birth is discussed in detail here. The one thing that stands out with them is the team work and mutual...
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#122 - Is Routine Vaginal Examination Needed?
Routine Vaginal Examinations were never a part of traditional midwifery accross various ethnicities around the word. It was used sparingly as it was also considered an intervention. In this episode, you will learn about Vaginal Examination in Late Pregnancy Vaginal Examination during Labor…
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#121 - All About Episiotomy - from routine to outdated!
Women have long feared an episiotomy over Surgical Birth aka Surgery. In experience, women felt numb, scarred and pain at the site of episiotomy. Yet , this procedure has been routine in vaginal births, Why? Can women birth without it? Listen to the episode to learn more about History of...
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#120 - Swati's normal birth with the presence of meconium
Did you know that meconium at birth is very common? Did you know that meconium is not always threatening for the baby? Did you know that normal delivery with meconium is possible when we individualise care and see the benefits vs risk from a case to case basis? Swati's story of natural birth with...
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#119 - Normal Breech Birth - Kanika's Birth Story
Breech is normal and a surgery for Breech is often the inexperience or pressure from hospitals or lack of skill from the doctor. This is a woman and a family's loss. If you wish to learn more about breech vaginal births , explore Dr Stuart Fischpien's work - http://www.birthinginstincts.com…
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#118 - Stem Cell Banking - What you must know!
Off late, numerous marketing events and strategies have been used by private cord stem cell banks in India to lure parents with the promise of potential benefits of storing stem cells for future malignancies their child may face. While this may seem like a lucrative and logical form of biological...
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#117 - Yashoda's Birth story - Hospital vs Water Birth experience at a Birth center
Yashoda is a Sports Physiotherapist and an Aquatic therapist and a mom of 2 precious ones- is currently working at Aastrika midwifery centre. She had her first one born in a hospital after induction and her baby was separated from her after birth. The second time around she decided to take...
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#116 - Language around Birth and Breastfeeding with Effath Yasmin
" I wonder Divya, if women today can escape a pill........a vaccine.......or being under the knife." - Effath Yasmin Calling this a reality of today's maternal healthcare system is not enough to point out the issues that need dire resolution because the problems are far more complex than 'one'...
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2024 Wrap up - Winter Break
This episode has an yearly wrap up on the podcast and the following 1. How the next year will look like. 2. Top 4 episodes for this year. 3. Personal journey as a birth worker this year. 4. Goals for the podcast 5. Seeking your support and love, topics for 2025 Drop your topics at...
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#114 - Part III - Ariel and Nitin's postpartum experience: Ayurvedic Postpartum
Postpartum is a crucial part of parenthood. There are many healing modalities that are available to help women heal. Often overlooked, is the emotional aspect of caring for a new life and work with the new changes in the relationship of couple's What stands out as a learning from Ariel's story is...
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#113 - Part II - Ariel's Experience of Labor and Birth
This is Part II of Ariel and Nitin's Home Birth story. Here, we go through Ariel's experience of Labor from the onset to the birth. She describes her state of mind , the sequence of events in detail in this episode. Expect : The change of scene with the intensity of labor increasing. The intense...
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#112 - Part I - Ariel and Nitin's preparation for a Home Birth
I received an email from Ariel sharing how listening to this podcast was a part of her preparation for a home birth and she wanted to payback by contributing her story to the podcast. We are excited to have this homebirthing duo in a three Part series through their journey of Preparation,...
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#111 Part II - Meenakshi's Home Birth story
This is Meenakshi's home birth story and interestingly her discovery of pregnancy when she was breastfeeding her twins already. She learnt pretty late and went on to discover it people started saying your belly seems different. In this episode, we discuss Discovery of pregnancy while…
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#110 - Part I - Meenkashi's twin normal / vaginal birth in a hospital
Meenakshi birthed her twins vaginally in the only normal birth supportive hospital in Delhi, Sitaram bhartiya. After she was denied normal birth by her already consulting doctor, she switched her OBGYN and had a generally good experience. It was the second time around that she was inclined at...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
This Podcast explores how indigenously Birth has always unfolded, among women - our tribe, where children could see how breastfeeding was done and how birth happened. This an attempt to fetch the stories of the past as well as bring out the new India’s Birth culture to expose the defining features in both. This shall join the dots to where the increasing problems of postpartum anxiety, rising rate of surgical births and poor breastfeeding outcomes are coming from.
Birth Agni - Agni meaning Fire, the Fire that brings us alive, transforms us and has the ability to burn. Birth is designed to affect a woman’s integrity. It is the fire of awakening that makes her life experience wholesome. Deep down her body knows what Birth is supposed to feel - a euphoria of bringing a new life on Earth. The cocktail of hormones are designed to give her a high.
However, birth today has quickly swayed away from a phase of joy to the one marked by Fear, the c
HOSTED BY
Divya Kapoor
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Birth Agni have?
Birth Agni currently has 160 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Birth Agni about?
This Podcast explores how indigenously Birth has always unfolded, among women - our tribe, where children could see how breastfeeding was done and how birth happened. This an attempt to fetch the stories of the past as well as bring out the new India’s Birth culture to expose the defining features...
How often does Birth Agni release new episodes?
Birth Agni publishes regularly with 160 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Birth Agni?
You can listen to Birth Agni on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Birth Agni?
Birth Agni is created and hosted by Divya Kapoor.
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