When we started Outlawed, we really had no idea what we were getting into. A podcast seemed like the right format to share interviews and information. Luckily, we connected with an amazing producer - Jane- who had a creative vision that helped us make this idea a reality. We were able to deliver information about abortion in a format that many listeners found helpful. Now that are reflecting back on the first season, we did learn a thing or two.
If you don’t plug the computer in to the sound board, it won’t record. Who knew? Multiple friends who regularly record interviews had warned me of the ways I could screw up the recording. But it was really a believe-it-when-I see-it-situation. I only had two major sound snafus, but geez, they left a mark. Now I have a checklist to keep me out of trouble. And sometimes, I make Jonas do the recording to take the pressure off.
Good sound is everything. I accidentally bought a gluten-free biscuit mix the other day and made some horribly sub par biscuits. Coming from a family of county fair blue ribbon winners for biscuits, this was a disgrace. Now that we’ve experienced a real sound studio, any other sound is like gluten-free biscuits. Yes you can put sausage on it, but you won’t achieve nirvana.
Really good music makes everything better. I knew this already, but we are incredibly grateful to Maker (also known for the theme song for Abbott Elementary), Nick Thorburn (who wrote the theme music for Serial), and Patrick Ford for donating their art to the score for the show! These songs were exactly what we needed and make the show more impactful.
When watching unjust laws impact patients’ lives, saying something is better than staying silent. Creating this podcast and sharing our knowledge has been cathartic and a positive force. While it has been a lot of work with a steep learning curve, it’s been a bright spot in the chaos. One of my favorite listener reviews said that the podcast “strangely left me more inspired than discouraged.” When I read that, I thought “We did it!” That was exactly what we hoped to achieve.
Speaking out has connected us to some amazing storytelling, abortion care providers, advocates, and listeners. It is hard to convey how appreciative we are to all the people who have shared their stories, knowledge, and wisdom.
Given the success of season 1, we are preparing for the next phase of Outlawed.
One of the goals for this short break is to brainstorm ideas for the next season and raise some money to support our production team. If you would like to support our work, you can use this link to make a tax-deductible donation.
Jonas and I have a lot of experience solving problems and thinking through complex laws, the pandemic, Dobbs, etc. Below is a picture from a problem solving session that involved a field trip to the operating room. I honestly can’t remember what sort of problem we were solving but I remember putting on those ridiculous suits and coming away with some good ideas. For our colleagues in medicine in this moment, we are faced with many new problems and obstacles to our work. And many parts of medicine are currently being outlawed. If not being outright outlawed, our jobs caring for people have certainly gotten more complicated. We have already generated a list of topics that we didn’t get around to covering in season 1, including some other ideas of care being banned by laws. If you have an idea for guests, topics, or episodes - please pass them along. What would you like to hear about next season?
Photo of Bev and Jonas in their problem-solving suits
As promised, I finally got my act together and worked on a listener guide for episode 1. Enjoy!
Listener Guide for Episode 1: Why learn about abortion?
So I guess the first question is why are you motivated to learn about abortion? Where do we typically learn about abortion? For me (Bev), I didn’t really learn about abortion until medical school and even then, I didn’t learn about specifics of care until residency. Where did your first learn about abortion? How did that shape your views about abortion care?
We discuss how there are many areas of early pregnancy care that are adjacent/similar to abortion care. In this episode we discuss how even the care of ectopic pregnancy can be impacted when abortion bans are in place? Can you imagine how this care might be impacted when other pregnancy-related care is banned?
In NC, the state legislature implemented in-person, biased counseling that must be performed 72-hours before care can be provided. After hearing Bev read through examples from the state-mandated counseling, what parts stood out? What is the motivation of this requirement? Do you think it contributes to improved safety of care? How does in-person required counseling contribute to delays in care or barriers to care?
We discuss how care in rural areas is impacted when abortion bans are in place. This can include lacking legal expertise when navigating complicated bans, being a distance from abortion clinics, and rural areas being maternity care deserts which results in a lack of reproductive health care providers. What are some other challenges for patients in rural areas seeking abortion care?
What are some of the hesitations that you experience when having conversations about abortions with family and friends?
Did Bev and Jonas share information in this episode that was surprising? Or information that helps you frame the issues in a helpful way?
Need something to listen to this week? Check out Jane Marie’s other show - The Dream. She has two recent interviews that we really enjoyed. In “Babies not having babies” she speaks with a former anti-abortion influencer about her life path and her interactions with anti-abortion extremists.
This episode with Anna Merlan about RFK Jr was also fantastic.
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