When the Covid-19 pandemic starts getting real in March, Jackie & Michael try everything they can near their due date to help labor to start when their doctor wouldn't agree to induce until after her due date. A few days before her due date, Jackie's surprised when her water breaks. Because she sees meconium in the fluid and she was Group B Strep positive, they head to the hospital. They describe how both the induction and the pushing stage surprise them when it progresses more quickly than most. You'll hear the different ways that, in mid-March when Jackie gave birth, hospital precautions were ramping up moment-by-moment in one specific way that affected them. They also share the ways their pediatrician office's protocols changed across their first 3 visits. Jackie & Michael also talk about how valuable hiring doulas was through this journey into parenthood, even when it had to be virtual support for the actual labor.
Read moreBirth Matters Podcast, Ep 32 - Trying to Change OBs for Vaginal Breech
Christine learns in her 33rd week of pregnancy that her baby has flipped to breech, or heads up, position. She scrambles to change care providers in hopes of having closer to the kind of birth she and her husband, Omri, wanted. While she wasn’t able to have the vaginal, unmedicated birth she had hoped for -- because it’s nearly impossible to find any care providers who are trained to safely deliver breech babies vaginally -- she opts out of the recommended scheduled cesarean and waits for labor to start spontaneously before having a surgical birth at Metropolitan Hospital (NYC). She and Omri advocate for specific things in the surgery that mattered to them, and their doula helps them know the smart questions to ask along the way. This is a story of strong self-advocacy and making informed choices, as well as building in support, to have as positive and healthy a birth as possible.
Read moreBirth Matters Podcast, Ep 31 - A Parent's Cancer Diagnosis During Pregnancy & Postpartum Anxiety
A few days before celebrating their daughter’s first birthday, Nissa & Brit share the story of an unexpectedly quick first labor with the support of a doula. You'll hear about how a preexisting condition Nissa has, Crohn's Disease, caused confusion when she actually went into labor. She shares the emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis her mom got in the middle of Nissa’s pregnancy and mentions a therapeutic method that was helpful to her. She details how she thinks her background and training in acting was helpful in giving birth, while Brit explains how being a parent has helped him become a better, more present professional actor. They'll describe what it was like to meet their daughter for the first time, go through some of the ways they worked together as a team in the early weeks, and will point out strengths they've seen in each other as they've become parents.
Read moreBirth Matters Podcast, Ep 30 - Delaying Induction: Self-Advocacy Strategies
Birth Matters alums Jess & Rich share the story of their firstborn son’s birth. While she had very much hoped for a completely unmedicated birth, she and Rich were able to swing with the curve balls they were dealt toward a satisfying, great birth experience. They go into details about being induced at 41 weeks 6 days after refusing to be scheduled for several days leading up to that, and proceeding with an induction using cytotec, a foley balloon, and artificially rupturing the membranes. This story is an example of an induction in which pitocin wasn’t needed (not the most common road for an induction to take, but can happen), for which Jess was very thankful. They’ll also share about how they chose a doula, how Rich and doula Tia worked together optimally, and about early breastfeeding challenges and receiving the support of both Tia and then an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). Finally, they’ll share a couple of tips for the journey into parenthood.
Read moreBirth Matters Podcast, Ep 29 - Yoda-Quoting Nurse Helps Support Induction w/o Pain Meds
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.
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