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The Happy Homebirth podcast is your source for positive natural childbirth stories, and your community of support, education and encouragement in all things homebirth and motherhood.
Episodes
Monday Jun 08, 2020
Monday Jun 08, 2020
Did your birth live up to your expectations?
Now, you all know by now that I’m all for the happiest, most rewarding childbirth experiences ever. I mean, come on. Pretty clear by the Show Title. But in today’s episode with Anna, we’ll discuss the reality that sometimes birth isn’t a fairy tale. Even if it goes relatively well each time, it might not be your “dream birth” I’m really looking forward to unpacking this through Anna’s stories, and I’ll share more of my thoughts, as always, in the episode roundup.
Announcements
There’s a giveaway going on over on Instagram this week. My good friend Helen is an artist, and one of her specialties are birth related! She paints custom baby in utero designs on pebbles. Check out the details at @happyhomebirthpodcast, and go ahead and give @rosiebluebirdart a like
Take a screenshot of you listening to this episode and post it in your stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast so I can share it in my stories!
Similarly, if you’ve ordered a shirt from myhappyhomebirth.com/merch, please send me a picture or tag me in your stories! I would LOVE to see the apparel out and about, and you know I’ll feature you in my stories!
Show Notes:
- Anna is the mother of 3 babies.
- Her first 2 births were unmedicated at the hospital with midwives. At the time, she was too nervous to give birth at home.
- She feels that her first birth was the perfect amount of time for labor.
- Second birth, family decided to use the hospital again. Her husband was a resident at the time, so their birth in the hospital would be free
- Anna spent most of her second labor in triage. Once she got to her L&D room, she jumped into the birth tub and had a baby 7 minutes later
- Her second birth taught her that she might be able to do things easier at home without all of the transitions of going to the hospital, waiting in triage, etc.
- Her 3rd birth: Her husband agreed to having a homebirth, provided they could find a CNM
- There was a CNM 30 minutes away, and she even scheduled all of the prenatal for when he would be home
- Labor began at 9pm on her due date. Anna went from feeling uncertain that she was in labor to deep, deep labor within just a moment
- Her husband called everyone to the house while Anna roared through contractions in the shower
- Because everything happened so quickly, the midwife did’t have time to grab gloves, so Anna’s husband was able to catch the baby. He narrated the whole thing.
- “I wasn’t sure I was in labor until she was basically born”
- “I never got that YouTube perfect birth, and that’s okay”
Episode Roundup
As we head into the episode roundup, I really want to discuss this quote from Anna: “I never got that YouTube perfect birth, and that’s okay.”
As I mentioned in the episode, and as is abundantly clear in my childbirth education program, the goal is an empowered birthing experience. And truth be told, I believe there is SO MUCH we can do to move the needle in the direction of this outcome. Taking preparation seriously, working with our mindset, learning the tools and techniques that can encourage presence… it can all do so much. In fact, the results my founding members have experienced through Happy Homebirth Academy really make me feel this is possible for so may. But at the same time, we’ve got to remember that birth isn’t a fairy tale or a pinterest pin. It varies vastly, and your perception of the events can be just as varied. I say this as a reminder to be kind to yourself. Even if on the outside you had a birth that was “good” or “positive”, remember that your feelings of the situation are valid and worth discussing.
And this brings me to another point, which is NOT related to Anna’s experience, but a tangent I arrived at later: Remember that not everything is as it seems. Social media is flooded with the most gorgeous birth photos, and perhaps it leaves you feeling like your experience was somehow less. Please remember that the beautiful photo of the mother glowing with twinkle lights behind her might have been taken mere minutes after that mother barfed her entire lunch on her midwife’s shoes. Birth. It’s messy and unpredictable and beautiful and everything in between.
Monday Jun 01, 2020
Monday Jun 01, 2020
When did you begin experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions? And… What did they feel like?
Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by Happy Homebirth Academy! The premier childbirth education program for homebirth mothers seeking a peaceful, empowering, mindful homebirth. www.myhappyhomebirth.com/hha is where you can find all of the details.
Today’s guest, Meagan Brown had quite an intense go with BH contractions So much so, that I hate to even call them that. But we’ll learn exactly what she did to cope, and we’ll see how that served her in her two labors.
Updates/Reminders:
There are new shirts in the store! With…matching onesies for your babe and shirts for your child! Adult shirts read “homebirther” and onesies/kid shirts say homebirthed. I can’t wait to get my matching shirts. Just head to myhappyhomebirth.com/merch to check out all of the cuteness.
Take a screenshot when you’re listening to podcast episodes and upload them to your insta stories. Tag @happyhomebirthpodcast and I’ll share in my stories!
Would you mind leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts? This helps the show get found!
Please remember that the opinions of my guest might nit necessarily reflect my own and vice versa, and neither one of us are medical professionals, so continue to see your doctor, midwife, or if you’re like me, your chiropractor.
Show Notes
Meaghan Brown is a wife and mother of two living in Ontario. She and her husband became pregnant with their son just weeks after getting married… not their plan, but they jumped into parenthood excitedly! Unfortunately, Meaghan experienced painful Braxton Hicks contractions begging at 20 weeks. So uncomfortable in fact that she was constantly worried she was heading into labor.
In her 36th week, while out to dinner with her friends, Meaghan experienced contractions that she of course assumed were her constant Braxton Hicks contractions. Only this time… her water broke. She sprinted to the bathroom, where her waters fully released. And then… the mucous plug followed.
Her friend drove her home, where she met her husband and doula and headed to the hospital (in transition)! She arrived to the hospital, had a team of doctors descend upon her room (because baby was not term), and because Meaghan struggles slightly with Claustrophobia, her husband Jonathan announced to have everyone step back (which they did!).
Meaghan’s baby was safely born and did not need a NICU stay.
With her second pregnancy (this one was planned!), the contractions started even earlier… at 16 weeks. Luckily, her daughter decided to stay put until term.
Meaghan was able to have her desired homebirth this time around, with her midwife making it just in time.
Once her baby arrived, Meaghan was excited for her contractions to finally stop. Unfortunately, they did not. For 8 days, she continued to experience the contractions of her uterus shrinking. Terrified that something was wrong, she finally went to her doctor. Upon examination, he found all to be well. He proposed that Meaghan may be acutely aware of her uterus, which would explain why she was feeling contractions all along.
If you have a sensitive uterus, check out this podcast episode about Vaginal Steaming by Wine & Gyn!
Episode Roundup
- Pregnancy, like birth, is wild! It can be experienced differently from person to person ad pregnancy to pregnacy. And let’s be honest. Sometimes it just does not feel good. Meagans constant experience of brat nhicks contractions during her two regencies is a great example of things just kind of stinking sometimes. This is why it’s so important to listen to your body… when it says rest, rest. Meagan did this when needed, and it’s so important to remember, even if your experience isn’t as intense as hers
- This is just me taking a moment to celebrate those loving, in-tune partners. When at the hospital, Meagan’s husband jonathan realized she was struggling with having so many people descend upon her room. He was not afraid to speak out and let everyone know that they needed to back up. I’m sure Meagan will never forget that kind act. Working on your relationship with your partner during pregnancy and connecting as much as possible is such a good reminder for all of us.
Monday May 25, 2020
Monday May 25, 2020
The Podcast Application is Live (through June 7th)! Click Here to Apply!
This episode is sponsored by Happy Homebirth Academy, the premier childbirth education program for homebirth mothers looking to have a peaceful, empowering birthing experience.
Take a screenshot of you listening to this episode and share it on your instagram stories! Ta @happyhomebirthpodcast and use the hashtags #givebirthonyourturf or #homebirther
Show Notes:
- Shante is the mother to 4 children ranging from 11 years to just a few months old.
- Shante’s became pregnant with her first child at 16, so she was working two jobs and in school. She recognizes that she didn’t have much time to relax and enjoy the pregnancy, but she remembers
- Her first baby’s labor was only 3.5 hours from start to finish! The experience with the hospital was not terrible, but she thinks because she was young, people told her what to do instead of giving true informed consent.
Her second pregnancy, 6.5 years later, was not so easy. She was very sick for the first 17 weeks.- Even more interestingly, her second labor was 25 hours long (with a posterior baby boy)!
- As Shante began pushing, her midwife noticed that Shante was bleeding. She had her get on her back on the bed, as she was worried about the amount of blood. Her baby had a bit of a shoulder dystocia that shante didn’t realize she had until afterward.
- Because she was expecting a repeat of her first birth, Shante felt her second birth was traumatic.
- “You cannot decide not to prepare simply because a previous birth was easy— because each birth is different.”
- With her third pregnancy, Shante felt active and energized and ready to do anything.
- Shante did more childbirth preparation for this birth. She mentally prepared herself for a longer labor.
- “Good Births Don’t Just Happen- I need to prepare mentally and I need to prepare physically and be ready for whatever may come”
- Shante’s way to get things going:
2nd trimester- Red Raspberry Leaf tea - 2 date bars per day at 37 weeks on and 1 full quart of red raspberry leaf tea
- Lots of walking and light hiking
- This labor was only 1 hour and 20 minutes!
- The midwife had not yet arrived, so it was just Shante and her husband.
- At the end of Shante’s care, her main midwife had to have surgery, leaving Shante in the care of another midwife that she never felt very comfortable with.
- The midwife was clearly irritated with Shante for having her baby without her.
- Shante had a piece of retained membrane that was obvious to see. She is extreme in her belief of not intervening at all- So she did not remove the membrane, even though Shante was continuously bleeding.
- The midwife told her to go to the bathroom, but as Shante stood up, she began to black out.
- She forced her to crawl to the bathroom. Shante continued to pass out and felt completely humiliated.
Finally, the attending midwife catheterized Shante - A year later, Shante found out from her main midwife that her charts were incomplete and the midwife had lied about a number of issues.
- Another client had a similar experience, the midwife left the practice and started her own practice.
- Shante struggled with deep postpartum anxiety and depression. She was able to manage this through homeopathy.
- During her most recent pregnancy, Shante worked with a homeopath and worked with a therapist who specialized in prenatal and perinatal mood disorders. She was able to heal and process through these two modalities.
Shante developed food sensitivities during her most recent pregnancy so she had to avoid many carbs and sugars.- She did a homeopathy pregnancy protocol, which helped a lot. Cell Salts.
- Shante prepared a homeopathy chart with the symptom, the remedy and the frequency of the dose. She felt incredibly prepared.
- Shante’s contractions never got incredibly close together, and she did not experience transition. Her baby was born after only 2.5 hours of labor!
- Her most recent birth was incredibly healing and helped her recover from her previous birth.
What an amazing set of stories. As we head into the episode roundup, I have a few topics I’d love to discuss.
- The first thing I want to mention is just the quick little reminder that each and every pregnancy and labor (and heck, baby) is different. Shante learned this when she went from a 3.5 hour first time labor to a 25 hour long labor with a posterior baby the second time around. I loved when she said “Good Births Don’t Just Happen- I need to prepare mentally and I need to prepare physically and be ready for whatever may come.” Such sound advice.
- I love how Shante added to her preparation routine as she continued having babies. From red raspberry leaf tea, to dates, to delving fully into the world of homeopathy… Shante continued to learn and add methods of preparation to her routine.
- And even more significant, Shante spent time truly coming to terms with a traumatic birth situation and postpartum. She saw a therapist who specialized in postpartum mood disorders and worked with a homeopath. She was serious about healing herself, which we all know goes a long way for the health of your entire family, even the littlest of babes. I am so encouraged to hear mothers taking those kinds of steps.
- And finally, this is where we need to discuss care providers. Although in Shante’s situation she did not choose the care provider who caused such trauma, it’s important to remember that just like in every profession, there will be some midwives who either do not jive with you, or perhaps who really are just… not great midwives. I don’t want to sell you a false narrative that every single midwife is perfect and beautiful and a unicorn, though I do think that’s often the case. No, midwives are people and people can range the spectrum from incredibly helpful to harmfully abusive, as we saw in Shante’s experience. Do remember this and remember that in choosing homebirth you’re making an awesome decision— but that’s not the ONLY decision. It’s the first in a long line of decisions. If ever you feel your care provider is not in it for you, find someone who is. There are plenty of wonderful ones out there who would love to take you on. And…. we need to #makemoremidwives
Monday May 18, 2020
Monday May 18, 2020
This Episode was Brought to you by: Happy Homebirth Academy The Premier Childbirth Education Program for Homebirth Mothers
Do you really need to prepare for birth?
Show Notes:
- Amanda's plan with her first child was a beautiful birth center birth
- The first 20 weeks of her pregnancy were full of sickness— She even partially dislocated her shoulder after throwing up once.
- After laboring for quite a while, her midwife came over to check her and see if she could go to the birth center. She was checked and was only 2 cm, so she said they could not go to the birth center yet.
- She began saying to herself during contractions, “Open, open, open. Everything open.” Her attention was specifically on opening and relaxing.
- Suddenly, soon after getting out of the tub, she feels the fetal ejection reflex.
“Breathe this baby down?! I’m going to eject this baby across the state!” - The midwives made it just in time, and Amanda found out that what she thought were her insides coming out was actually just her baby’s head!
- Once he came out, she was in a state of confusion. He looked different than she’d expected, and she had clearly been through a shocking experience. When her midwife said, “Do you want to hold him?” Amanda’s immediate response was, “No, who is that?!”
- During her second pregnancy, she had Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction
Monday May 11, 2020
Monday May 11, 2020
Did you know that you could be so intimately aware of what's going on in your labor that you could be the one to reach down and catch your own baby?
I sure didn't with my first daughter, and there's absolutely no way I would have been able to take the death grip off of my husband to do any such thing.
But Emily... Emily planned and prepared for a mindful homebirth, and her goal was to catch her own baby (her first birth!). She was a founding member of Happy Homebirth Academy, and I'm so excited to say that darn it, she did it! Listen in to hear just how she achieved her goal.
Show Notes:
Emily's start to motherhood was different from the traditional route: She and her husband were called to foster-to-adopt immediately after Emily met her son at work. She knew he was hers, and she would do anything for him.
After a long and stressful road, their son finally legally became a part of the family. At this point, he was 3 years old. Emily was suddenly hit with baby fever!
Emily began looking into homebirth. She had had a traumatic time in the hospital at 19 and did not feel that it would be a healing place to have a baby.
After watching Katelyn's birth video of her second baby, Lillian, Emily decided she wanted to have the same type of empowering birth. She joined Happy Homebirth Academy and put in all of the effort required to achieve her goal.
Emily woke up at 2:30 am in active labor. She labored on her side for several hours, knowing that this was the position she was comfortable in.
Once she moved to the tub, she stayed in the same kneeling position for the remainder of her labor... except when she did her best to switch positions for just a moment. Although she decided to return back to her previous spot, this movement was enough to dislodge her baby's head (turns out she way asynclitic!) and begin the process of crowning.
Emily reached down and caught her own baby--triumphantly!
If you're interested in having a similar birthing experience, make sure you join Happy Homebirth Academy for your childbirth education program. This program is the first of its kind- geared specifically towards homebirth mothers!
Monday May 04, 2020
Monday May 04, 2020
How do you picture your birth?
I this weeks episode, we learn how Amy Lutz, a founding member of Happy Homebirth Academy prepared for her first homebirth.
With a combination of books, positive stories, and Happy Homebirth Academy, Amy went into her birthing time feeling confident and at ease (even with her husband having a virus at the very same time)!
If you are interested in having a mindful, peaceful homebirth, get ready for Happy Homebirth Academy-- The premier childbirth education program for homebirth mothers. HHA launches May 11th, 2020.
Monday Apr 27, 2020
Monday Apr 27, 2020
By your fourth birth, there’s no way you’re trying anything new, right?
Hey there Happy Homebirthers, and welcome to episode 71 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast, where we’ll be speaking with Kerrie, who went from a string of 3 inducted hospital births to an intervention-free homebirth.
Before we jump in, I’ve got news! Happy Homebirth Academy is set to launch in just a few short weeks! Tell all of your friends! And if you’re a birth worker interested in checking out the program, give me a holler at katelyn@myhappyhomebirth.com or DM me on instagram. I’m hopeful to let some fellow birth workers take a look before launch day… provided I have it ready.
I am so excited about the content of this course. It’s perfect for your first, fifth or tenth birth, whether you’ve had them all at home or all in hospital, and it gives you the tools have an empowered, mindful, peaceful homebirth. It’s my third baby. SO. To keep updated with the launch, be sure to join the Happy Homebirth Pop Up group on facebook, or check out my free homebirth essentials mini course! It’s a quick little guide to some of the most important aspects of having a peaceful homebirth. Just go to myhappyhomebirth.com/essentails for your download.
Show Notes:
Kerrie used a traditional obstetrician practice for her first baby.
At the end of her pregnancy, she was diagnosed with Cholestasis of pregnancy, which is when the liver stops filtering out bile acids, which can be dangerous for the baby.
She was induced at 38 weeks pregnant
Looking back, there were several aspects of the labor she was unhappy about. They did internal fetal monitoring, so her baby had a probe stuck in her head, and Kerrie wasn’t able to move around because of this.
The doctor threatened to wheel her to have a c section, and then said she was going to cut an episiotomy, which she also was very unhappy about.
At that point Kerrie roared the baby out!
For her next pregnancy, she thought that she had Cholestasis again. She felt uncomfortable, so she went in at 37 weeks to have an induction.
Her second labor took a very long time.
Once her water was broken, her son came 15 minutes later. She had been asking them to break her water for a long time!
Her third pregnancy, she had no symptoms of Cholestasis.
At 39 weeks, she was given the option to have an elective induction, and she said, “Yes, please!”
With her third baby, she elected to get an epidural. Once she finally got it, she laid back and his head emerged.
Her third birth was the first time that she had requests that went against the typical routines of the hospital. She didn’t want the baby bathed or vaccinated, and she felt that she had to fight and wasn’t being heard
When she found out she was pregnant again, she was confident that she was having a homebirth.
When she began telling people she was going to have a homebirth, people told her she was crazy.
Her midwife connected Kerrie with a neighbor who had also had a homebirth. This neighbor introduced Kerrie to an entirely new, crunchy tribe, who accepted her family with open arms.
With her 4th baby, she was convinced she wasn’t in labor because she was so used to pitocin contractions.
Kerrie’s water broke, and she got in the tub. Her neighbor called the midwife, and the midwife told her not to let her get in the tub. She knew Kerrie’s baby was big, and she knew that getting in the tub would likely let her relax, and she worried she’d have the baby without her.
Her labor was only an hour and a half in length.
Kerrie’s community gets together with all 40 children for dinners weekly. This was so special for her postpartum. Everyone was checking in on her and taking care of her— never expecting to hold the baby, only doting on her.
Episode roundup:
- Just because you’ve had 2, 3,4 or 10 babies one way doesn’t mean you automatically have to do it the same way next time. Kerrie went from 3 inductions to an unmedicated, untouched homebirth. You can change your situation!
- Wasn’t it beautiful to hear how Kerrie gained such a supportive community? This is so important postpartum, and it sounds like she was truly cared for and doted upon postpartum. I loved hearing how she was cared for so well as her baby struggled with breastfeeding. What a difference our community can make. I encourage you to reach out to the other mothers around you. Even having one or two friends or family members who can walk through the postpartum journey with you can make a world of difference.
Okay my friends, that’s all I have for you this week. Go download that free mini-course, and I’ll see you next week!
Monday Apr 20, 2020
Monday Apr 20, 2020
Homebirth… on a school bus?
If you think that’s the wildest part of this upcoming episode, buckle up, baby.
My guest, Caroline Campbell is a homebirth mother of two, and both of her experiences were intense to say the least.
I always like to be up front when episodes contain difficult topics, and this one contains quite an emergent situation during her first birth. Be prepared for that, but know that she and her midwife do an absolutely bangin’ job of handling the situation. It’s truly powerful. However, if you’re close to giving birth and are concerned that hearing a story of an emergent situation might upset you, you might want to come back to this episode.
Before we jump in, just giving another quick update on Happy Homebirth Academy. I’m in the home stretch! Just a bit more work to go, and it will be ready for all of you lovely women seeking a homebirth-centered childbirth education course.
Secondly, I’m a few weeks behind on sending out stickers for reviewers of the week. You’d think that being at home all of the time would give more opportunity to keep me on track, but I feel like it totally doesn’t. So if you’re waiting on a sticker… sorry! I’ll get it in the mail! To add to my list of mail, I’d like to thank this week’s reviewer: Bailadora Del Mundo
And if you would, go ahead and take a screenshot of you listening to this episode, upload it to your instagram stories and tag @happyhomebirthpodcast. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #givebirthonyourturf!
Finally.. if you aren’t in the Happy homebirth pop up group on facebook, you’ve got to get over there. So many stories, so much amazing, supportive homebirth goodness.
Show Notes
- Caroline is the mother of a 2.5 year old daughter and 4.5 month old son.
- Her husband was born at home (freebirth!), so she was familiar with the idea of homebirth once she became married.
- In high school, her friend became pregnant and the father was not in the picture—she stepped in and took birthing classes/witnessed her friend’s birth. Though her friend had a healthy pregnancy, Caroline was uncomfortable with the hospital birth.
- During her first pregnancy, Caroline glowed. It was easy and beautiful—she did prenatal yoga, she focused on her diet, and had a wonderful time.
- She and her husband were living in Virginia, but knew they were going to move to Ohio. They traveled 6.5 hours to their midwifery appointments.
- They planned to have a structure prepared to live in before the birth—that didn’t happen. They ended up moving into a school bus conversion!
- Caroline went from living in her childhood home in Virginia to living in a school bus… without running water (they had a spring on the property)
- She and her husband nested in their school bus- they spent time with the dogs outside, with their new chickens. They worked on the property and enjoyed their time.
- Little known fact: 2015- I bought a school bus!
- Caroline went through early labor during the night. She woke up in labor with contractions that were 5 minutes apart.
- She didn’t have cell phone service where the bus was parked, so she would walk up and down a big hill to text and call her midwife.
- Caroline’s birth team arrived around 11. Her midwife checked her, and found out that she was 8 cm dilated.
- With her first baby, Caroline didn’t feel an urge to push, which frustrated her.
- After her baby was born, her first words were, “That was so easy!”
- Caroline experienced a legitimate emergency during her first homebirth.
- Postpartum was also difficult, as her child had severe tongue and lip ties.
- Caroline decided to wait a bit before getting pregnant again. She wasn’t ready to commit to a homebirth again quite yet.
- They waited a year and a half to become pregnant again, and her second pregnancy was not a fun one. She was very sick, and her pregnancy lasted 42 weeks.
- Once she finally went into labor, she felt everything in her back and was unable to find relief.
- Once her son was born, she had him nurse so that contractions would continue and she could deliver the baby.
- The placenta was born 20 minutes labor.
- Caroline’s pregnancies and labors were total opposites of each other.
- Breastfeeding went much better with her son than with her first baby. She jumped quickly into action, and she had her mom visiting for the first few weeks postpartum, which was of great help.
- Because Caroline was so concerned about breastfeeding, her baby developed a “breast aversion,” which was very difficult for her because of her strong desire to achieve, especially in relation to breastfeeding. After 36 hours of pumping and using a bottle, he accepted the breast again.
Episode Roundup
- Emergencies DO happen at home. Luckily, midwives are highly trained professionals who are prepared to do what they must. I love the fact that Caroline was still involved in the decision-making process, even during an emergency.
- When it comes to breastfeeding, it’s an amazing idea to know the resources at your disposal. There are certainly hiccups that can be had, and as Caroline shared, it was much easier for her to navigate the second time around when she already had a plan. Even if this is your first baby, it’s a great idea to learn of the different care providers in your area, should you need them postpartum.
Monday Apr 13, 2020
Monday Apr 13, 2020
Oxytocin- it’s a powerful drug!
In this episode, listen to hear how Bess, a mother of 3, experienced more and more oxytocin and bonding with each birth. From a medicated hospital birth, to an unmedicated hospital birth (where the baby was still whisked away quickly), to an intimate birth center setting… it becomes quite clear that the less we intervene with physiological birth, the more room we give to oxytocin. This allows mothers the ability to connect deeply with their babies from the beginning- forming that unbreakable love bond.
Be sure to check out the new Facebook group. It's so empowering! www.facebook.com/groups/happyhomebirthpopup
Happy Homebirth Academy... it's coming to you soon!
Show Notes
1st pregnancy- Bess says she was young, and even though she knew about homebirth (her mom had 4), she opted for a hospital birth for financial reasons
- Bess had a low-lying placenta. Fun fact! The placenta can move as the uterus grows (it also can move on its own!)
- Bess went into labor on the night before her due date
- Bess had a horrific first birth. She had a terrible nurse who bullied her and coerced her into receiving fentanyl. She then had an epidural. As baby emerged (with both her hands by her face), Bess received a 4th degree tear.
- She did not have a loving feeling towards her daughter when they first handed her over. They pushed her to breastfeed immediately, though she could barely even comprehend what had just happened.
- Bess was living in Korea during her second pregnancy. She began prenatals at a local Korean hospital.
- In this hospital, Bess was made to wear a gown each time in public, and she had to have an ultrasound at each appointment.
- At 20 weeks, after her doctor told her that he was concerned with how big her baby was, Bess switched to an army hospital.
- She asked far more questions this time around and had a successful unmedicated birth. Her husband was a huge support.
- She and her husband decided they didn’t want more children… until one day, suddenly, she knew she wanted one more baby. She bought her husband some beer, they discussed the matter, and they conceived that night!
- With her 3rd pregnancy, Bess started back at Ft. Hood hospital.
- At 16 weeks she decided to look into other options and found a birth center.
- Her final birth was redemptive of her previous experiences. She was able to experience the full effect of oxytocin.
Episode round up:
What a redemptive story. Bess was able to improve her birthing experiences each time, ending with a beautiful water birth at a birth center that allowed for physiological birth to take place. As we head into the episode round-up, I want to focus on just that: The importance of staying out of the way.
The ability to bond with your baby is critical—it sets the two of you up for success in the days, weeks, months and years to come. When babies are unnecessarily removed from their mothers, as so often happens in the hospital setting, a new hurdle is added to the mother/baby team.
I love how Bess’s joy over her third birth was so palpable. It is the true proof that the ability to give birth on your own terms, without unnecessary intervention, and of course—to actually hold your baby immediately after—allows oxytocin to do its magical work. What a joy to hear so much love in a mother’s voice.
Monday Apr 06, 2020
Monday Apr 06, 2020
There's a first time for everything. Sometimes midwives miss births, sometimes they *almost* miss births, and sometimes.... Well, you'll have to listen in to hear the odd in-between!
Important Updates:
Happy Homebirth Academy is almost ready to launch! In the meantime, check out my free mini-course, and join the facebook pop-up group!
myhappyhomebirth.com/essentials
facebook.com/groups/happyhomebirthpopup
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
Coming Alongside A Friend Who Has Experienced Loss
Show Notes:
- Cierra is a Le Leche League Leader who love supporting parents in breastfeeding.
- Cierra’s first pregnancy ended in miscarriage weeks after she thought she was in the “safe zone”
- Cierra never forgets the compassion of the OB that was on call when she learned that her baby had passed. She gave her a massive hug and support in a time of need.
- The “at least” comments are so painful to the grieving parent
- stillbirthday.com
- Second pregnancy was several months later—this time there was less jubilation, more “survival mode”
- Cierra opted for an epidural, which she says began the “cascade of interventions”.
- The delivery was very difficult, requiring forceps.
- The next birth was much faster, and she had a baby at a hospital-based birth center.
- On the way to the birth center, as Cierra was very far along, she said, “THIS IS WHY PEOPLE HAVE HOMEBIRTHS”
- Their baby was born only 30 minutes after arriving
- With their third baby, it was easy to decide to have a homebirth
- Cierra’s midwife helped her as she decided to stop tandem nurse during the pregnancy of her most recent baby.
- Cierra experienced prodromal labor with this pregnancy
- Cierra is laboring on the tub. She stood up to walk to the birth pool, but as she stood, she felt that her baby was coming immediately.
- Her third baby “birthed herself”—fetal ejection reflex!
- The bathroom was dark, and nobody could see. Everyone thought the baby was about to be born…..
- The baby had already been born! She caught herself on the toilet seat.
- There was a true knot in the cord
- Cierra’s midwife said, “I’ve missed some births, and I’ve almost missed some births. I’ve not missed a birth right in front of me before.”