EBB 382 - The Power of Your Birth Story with Lisa Greaves Taylor, Host of the Birth Matters Podcast

Evidence Based Birth®

Rebecca Dekker

Kids & Family, Medicine, Parenting, Health & Fitness

4.3 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 7 January 2026

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Long before labor begins, the stories we hear about birth are already shaping our expectations and choices. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker talks with Lisa Greaves Taylor, founder of Birth Matters NYC Childbirth Education, director of the East River Doula Collective, and host of the Birth Matters podcast, about the power of birth stories as tools for education, healing, and self-advocacy.

Drawing from her work supporting families in New York City since 2010, Lisa shares how storytelling helps birthing people move beyond fear-based narratives and reconnect with their intuition, confidence, and voice. Together, Rebecca and Lisa explore the realities of giving birth in NYC—including high rates of induction, limited access to midwifery and birth centers, and postpartum support gaps—while also highlighting reasons for hope, advocacy, and change. They also talk about how birth stories can support preparation during pregnancy, help process trauma after difficult births, and empower families navigating VBAC, repeat pregnancies, and systemic barriers to evidence-based care.

(02:51) What drew Lisa to childbirth education and doula work

(07:45) Giving birth in NYC then vs. now

(09:07) The evidence-practice gap in New York City maternity care

(15:02) Postpartum care challenges and lactation support gaps

(18:05) The role of midwives in improving birth experiences

(23:47) How storytelling activates intuition and self-advocacy

(28:15) When birth stories can be harmful and how to curate wisely

(35:34) Trauma, dissociation, and the importance of processing birth

(42:18) What gives Lisa hope for the future of birth work

(46:28) Stories, Education, and Support

Resources

Learn more about Lisa

Birth Matters NYC: birthmattersnyc.com
Birth Matters Podcast: birthmattersnyc.com/podcast
East River Doula Collective: eastriverdoulas.nyc
Instagram: @birthmattersnyc

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin: share.libbyapp.com/title/5017296

The Story Factor by Annette Simmons: annettesimmons.com/the-story-factor/

The Evidence on: Induction or Cesarean for a Big Baby

EBB 311 – Creating a Community-Led Birth Center in New York City with Myla Flores of the Womb Bus

Organizations & Advocates Mentioned

Ancient Song Doula Services: ancientsongdoulaservices.com
Chanel Porchia-Albert: chanelporchia.com
Jennie Joseph: jenniejoseph.com
Kimberly Seals Allers: kimberlysealsallers.com
Michelle Browder: ebbirth.com/274

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.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, everyone. On today's podcast, we're going to talk with Lisa Graves-Taylor about using
0:05.3	birth stories as a powerful educational and self-empowerment tool for families and birth workers
0:11.4	in New York City. Welcome to the Evidence-Based Birth Podcast. My name is Rebecca Decker,
0:20.2	and I'm a nurse with my PhD and the founder of evidence-based birth. Join me each week as we work together to get evidence-based information into the hands of families and professionals around the world. As a reminder, this information is not medical advice. See eBbirth.com slash disclaimer for more details.
0:41.6	Hi everyone and welcome to today's episode of the evidence-based birth podcast.
0:47.0	Today I am so excited to welcome Lisa Graves-Taylor to the evidence-based birth podcast.
0:53.6	Lisa is founder of Birth Matters, New York City
0:56.4	Childbirth Education, director of the East River Dula Collective, and host of the popular
1:02.6	Birth Matters podcast, which shares mostly New York City area birth stories. Lisa has been working
1:08.7	with New York City area birthing families since 2010 as a childbirth
1:12.8	educator, birth dula, and lactation counselor. She is certified with the Lamas International,
1:19.4	Childbirth Education Association of Metropolitan New York, and Dona International.
1:25.1	Lisa is devoted to helping equip birthing people with the best current evidence,
1:29.8	strategic and coping tools, and self-advocacy strategies towards safer, more empowering,
1:35.7	and positive journeys in parenthood. Lisa is particularly passionate about advocating for change
1:41.4	in birthing and postpartum health outcomes for Black, BIPOC, LGBTIA plus,
1:47.3	and underserved or marginalized populations.
1:50.5	She's been a proud professional member of evidence-based birth since 2019, an evidence-based
1:56.5	birth instructor since 2021.
1:58.8	She teaches the EBB Savvy Birth 101 workshop several times a year, and she
2:03.3	regularly incorporates EBB resources into her teaching and her birth matters podcast. Lisa, welcome to
2:09.9	the evidence-based birth podcast. Thank you, Rebecca, for having me. I cannot be more excited and
	...

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