Today, Alicia shares details about her hospital induction, which she was able to manage without pain medications. Before she gets into that, she talks about the various ways she equipped herself with as much knowledge as she needed to feel confident going into the process of giving birth. Because her blood pressure read high and amniotic fluid looked borderline low at 39½ weeks, the decision was made to induce labor. She describes the many hours that proceed from there, how their doula provided comfort measures, and how praying helped center her through to the pushing stage. Alicia also shares some details of early breastfeeding, cloth diapering, and her tips for expectant parents on building support and a knowledge base.
Read moreBirth Matters Podcast, Ep 28 - A Prenatal Yoga Teacher’s Unmedicated Hospital Birth on Long Island
In today's story, Nicole shares about an unexpectedly brief, 6-hour, unmedicated first labor in a Long Island hospital with midwives and with the support of her husband and a doula. Before she goes into her birth story, she describes her background as a child life specialist in a hospital setting as well as her love for teaching prenatal yoga and pursuit of education in aromatherapy. She also details the ways she learned to really listen to and honor her body in slowing down, reflecting and journaling to connect with her baby. Listen to hear how, after her water breaks at home, Nicole decides to calmly make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast for not only her and her husband, but for a house guest from Japan whom JP brings home from the airport the very morning she goes into labor. They join up with their doula for the hour-long drive out on Long Island to their hospital, arriving simultaneously with their midwife pretty much just in time to push and give birth. She goes over newborn protocols and special requests she made and provides details about early challenges she and her baby faced in breastfeeding. Learn about a model of care that Nicole found to be super supportive, whereby a lactation consultant was in-house at her pediatrician’s office. Finally, Nicole shares about the benefits of prenatal yoga from the perspective of both a yoga teacher as well as from having continued the practice as a pregnant person.
Read moreBirth Matters Podcast, Ep 27 - Induction w/o Pain Meds for Autoimmune Condition Sjogren’s
Today, Desire shares her son’s birth story just a few weeks after the birth, which was a 3-day long hospital induction at Forest Hills Hospital in Queens.
Read moreBirth Matters Podcast, Ep 26 - A Pediatric Nurse's 2 Preemie Births with Hospital Midwives
Today Ellen shares the birth stories of her two daughters, who were both born prematurely. We discuss the benefits of midwifery care and why Ellen chose midwives for both of her births, as well as some of the insurance challenges that we face when attempting to choose midwives. She details how both of her daughters were not only preemies but also how her bag of waters broke as the first sign of labor both times. Ellen describes specific ways she coped with the challenges of labor and how her training as a prenatal yoga teacher and meditation habits as a couple informed her strategies. She also shares about early breastfeeding challenges and both of her daughters’ diagnoses with and treatment for tongue-tie.
Read moreBirth Matters Podcast, Ep 25 - 911 to Hospital for Unmedicated Birth Inspires Doula Work
In today’s episode, Ann shares details of her experience giving birth for the first time. Her labor progresses more quickly than most first labors, and she explains how they called an ambulance when she thought she felt the baby’s head. She’ll describe that she was, indeed, very close to pushing upon arrival at the hospital, though not quite as far along as she had thought. After she shares her birth story, she’ll also explain how her birth inspired her to move into birth and postpartum doula work as she relocated to be closer to family in southwest Florida. She also talks a bit about her Christian faith and her favorite song for labor, which is linked in the show notes for this episode at birthmattersshow.com.
Read more