Happy Homebirth

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

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!  

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.  

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:

1. 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!
2. 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!

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

 

1. 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. 
2. 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.

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

1^st 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 4^th 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 3^rd 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.

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.”

Pregnancy and postpartum.  Many of us strive to maintain a healthy diet during these pivotal times, but what does a healthy diet look like?  Should we stick to the guidelines?

 

Enter Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE.  Lily is an expert on all things nutrition pertaining to the pregnant mother.  She is the author of two books: Real Food for Gestational Diabetes, and Real Food for Pregnancy.  

 

Lily sheds light on what it looks like to eat nutrient dense foods, how our food choices affect ourselves and our babies, and how real food can set us up for real success in the postpartum period.

 

Check out these links from the show!

Birth is an intertwining of souls, and the community a mother surrounds herself with can make all the difference. 

 

Show Notes: 

• Mandy didn’t know about homebirth, but she did know that she wanted a doula. Her doula introduced her to the childbirth method.
• Mandy’s water broke dramatically in bed with her first child. Even after 10 hours, she was only about 2 cm.  She went on Pitocin for about 2 hours.
• Contractions stopped after several hours because baby was posterior. They thought he flipped, but he did not—not until the very end, after pushing for several hours.
• Mandy’s doula was amazing at recognizing that her getting an epidural was quite possibly the best way to save the vaginal birth.
• Between births, Mandy and her husband saw The Business of Being Born.
• At the time, she felt almost ashamed to tell people that she wanted to have a homebirth.
• “You don’t get a gold star for going natural”- No, I’m liking for an oxytocin high!
• With her second birth, after choosing midwives, Mandy’s appointments were typically 1.5-2 hours long. This was perfect for her, as she had many questions about how birth would go compared to her previous experience.
• During the birth, at one point, she was in the water and felt the urge to push. Her water broke, and there was lots of meconium.  With a quick check, her midwife determined that the baby was breech. 
• Mandy was asked to get out of the water—the midwives informed her that the protocol is to transport to the hospital—likely to have a c section.
• The second midwife checked to confirm, and Mandy was 10 cm—birth was imminent, and Mandy felt unsafe and scared. She didn’t even know that you could deliver a breech vaginally.
• A panic attack was coming on for Mandy—and her doula came and got right in her face and told her that she could do it. It was everything she needed to say to help Mandy get the baby out.
• Mandy remember shouting, “My vagina!” as the baby came out.
• She discussed how women can go through something so traumatic, yet the first question still be, “is the baby okay?”
• The birth team who came were both backups—and they happened to have been to a breech birth previously to this.
• 6 months postpartum, Mandy found out she was pregnant again (a bit surprised!)
• At the anatomy scan, Mandy had a slight placenta previa, but the doctor felt it would move before the birth- She would just get checked again towards the end of pregnancy.
• At the recheck, Mandy found out that her placenta was completely covering her cervix. Even more so, where the umbilical cord was attached was right above her son’s head, which could have caused a lack of oxygen.
• She got a second opinion ultrasound with the same results.
• The doctors kept referring to her as “the homebirth transfer”
• For the last few days, Mandy had to be on bedrest.
• Her midwives continued prenatal care with her and remained as a support system.
• At the home visit, the midwives and doula came and surrounded her when she needed it.
• The day of the birth was very hard- Mandy had to walk into the OR by herself. Her husband and doula weren’t allowed to be there until she was completely prepped.
• Mandy was able to do vaginal seeding for her son, thanks to the help of her doula.
• She was able to lean into her doula very heavily as the doctors were sewing her back up after her son was born. This 45 minutes were the hardest for her, and she was so grateful for her doula’s presence.
• Mandy’s midwives host a C-Section support group that meets monthly.
• “Birth is this intertwining of souls”

 

Episode Roundup

 

 

 

1. “You don’t get a gold star for going natural.”   It’s important to keep in mind that those who say these kinds of statements are uneducated about the benefits of experiencing physiological birth.  Of course, this isn’t a conversation you can have in the throes of labor, or ever, but it might be worth educating these people on why you’re making the choices you’re making.  Feel free to direct them to this podcast!  Of  course, if medication is relied upon during birth, this doesn’t make your experience any less valid or important!  But to speak down to women who are attempting to give birth without intervention is so unnecessary.
2. I also want to acknowledge just how divinely Mandy’s second birth occurred. Praise God for putting exactly the right people at her birth who could knowledgeably and confidently support her through such a shocking turn of events when her baby was found to be breech.
3. Finally, let’s end where we began. Mandy said it so beautifully, “Birth is an intertwining of souls.”  Mandy was surrounded not only by her husband, but also by a community of women who could comfort and encourage her.  These relationships are so intimate, so deep.  They can carry you through both the highs and the lows.  I want to encourage everyone to foster those relationships in your own community.  If you can be the shoulder for another mother to lean on, be it.  And if you need that shoulder, ask for it.  We need each other. 

 

Loss.  A painful subject, but a subject so near to so many women.  With statistics showing that 1 in 4 women experience miscarriage, I feel it’s incredibly important to process these types of events. 

I want to be completely transparent about the content of this episode, as I understand that even the mere mention of miscarriage and infant loss can bring a mother and father to their knees with a wave of grief.  This episode goes into detail about Ashley’s experience with loss, how it affected her life, how it affected her subsequent pregnancy, and how it has changed her as a woman today.  I am so grateful for her willingness to share, and to those who need to hear it, I pray this episode serves as a glimmer of hope, or a message that you are not alone. 

 

Show Notes:

• Ashley’s first pregnancy was under the supervision of a traditional OB group.
• She spent her time considering how she would care for her baby
• Unfortunately, at 19 weeks, Ashley experienced the pain and grief of miscarrying her little baby.
• She was taken by complete shock and surprise, as she assumed she was already in the “safe zone”
• At her follow up appointment after her miscarriage, her OB prescribed her antidepressants without so much as a talk with Ashley about her mental state.
• What’s worse, the subject of her loss was taboo—she was young, so many of her peers had not experienced such a situation, and though surely well-meaning, she was consoled with many “Well, at least you’re young” and other demeaning phrases.
• She struggled for 6 years with her grief, with anxiety and depression until she finally found a therapist who helped her through meditation and relaxation practice.
• She then met her husband, Kevin
• They became pregnant the first month of trying to conceive
• Ashley was surprised at the amount of anxiety she experienced during pregnancy
• She took Hypnobabies and treated it as though it was a college course- using her 3^rd trimester to prepare herself for pregnancy and postpartum
• Ashley felt she could doula herself
• Unfortunately, she neglected to prepare for early labor and felt lost during this time.
• After a long early labor and being admitted to the birth center earlier than active labor, she found herself stuck in the fear-pain-tension cycle
• After a midwife shift change, she felt even more off-kilter
• Eventually, her midwife broke her water, which provider relief
• Her labor stalled, and she could see that her family could feel her pain
• At one point, her midwife, whom she had never met before, bent down to her face and said “Remember—this is not something that is happening to you—this is something that you’re doing.”
• Ashley began to push immediately after, and baby was born within 20 minutes.
• Her postpartum experience was incredibly hard, as her husband had to travel to Germany 3 weeks after her baby was born. She moved in with her parents for help.
• Physically she feels it took about 5 months to return to baseline
• Psychologically, however, she felt it took more like a year, and even then she still felt misunderstood and uncomfortable
• Finally, once she weaned her daughter, she noticed one day that she felt back to normal.
• She waited two years and began to pursue doula work.
• Now Ashley is certifying as a doula through DONA and Still Birthday, and pursuing a certification in childbirth education, too.

 

 

Episode Roundup:

Such a powerful story.  Ashley’s heart for mothers is so apparent, and I’m so grateful for the work that she is doing.

 

Episode Roundup:

As we roundup this episode, I want to focus on one key aspect:  When we experience loss, it is okay, normal, and right to grieve.  I beg you not to bottle up your feelings.  I beg you to seek help and comfort.  Ashley mentions that it took her six years to finally start to truly work through her grief.  I also want to acknowledge the fact that…. Gosh, people just don’t know what to say, and that can cut so deeply.  Phrases that start with “at least…” are typically not going to end well.  I hope that this can serve as an educating point to those who have not experienced such a situation.  Putting ourselves in the shoes of others can be difficult work, but it’s always worthwhile.

Thank you for tuning into such a powerful episode, my friends.  I’ll see you back here next week.