Redemptive Maternal Assisted Cesarean Birth after Profound Incontinence Following Vaginal Birth

Nicole was supported by her healthcare team to have an empowering and redemptive elective maternal assisted cesarean birth with the birth of her second son, Harrison. The decision to pursue this option was following a traumatic first time vaginal birth with several postpartum complications (planned homebirth turned hospital transfer for prolonged rupture of membranes and prodromal labor after attempting an at home castor oil induction followed by multiple days of a long labor once at the hospital. Nicole then experiences a retained placenta and cervical laceration with attempt at manual removal of placenta followed by the cervical laceration being improperly repaired and healing abnormally. She ultimately needed a D&C which was followed by having a latex Foley catheter inserted despite a known latex allergy that was listed in her chart. In the months that followed Nicole experienced profound postpartum urinary incontinence requiring multiple interventions and procedures and ultimately a surgery to correct at 6 months postpartum which thankfully worked.  Nicole’s second pregnancy was complicated by a shortened cervix, ptsd, anxiety, and perinatal OCD but her maternal-assisted cesarean birth was the most empowering and redemptive experience she could’ve imagined.

mom delivers own baby c-section

Nicole Minghine Bio

Nicole is a registered nurse and certified nurse midwife. Presently, she is a stay at home mom to her 2 children. Nicole lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband Josh and their 2 sons (Jude 2yo & Harrison 7w). Connect with her on Instagram @nminghine.

postpartum incontinence

Resources

  • Best pads for urinary incontinence: Poise Ultra Thin Incontinence Pads & Postpartum Incontinence Pads, 4 Drop Moderate Absorbency, Long Length, 144 Count (3 Packs of 48), Packaging May Vary https://a.co/d/iSfoF2R
  • The CONfidence app enables people with bladder and bowel leakage to find useful information, self-care tips and links to support – all in one place. The app was developed in collaboration between Expert Self Care Ltd and the Bristol Health Partners Bladder and Bowel Confidence (BABCON) Health Integration Team, and co-produced with public contributors, topic experts, charities and other partners.
  • PMSL: Or How I Literally Pissed Myself Laughing and Survived the Last Taboo to Tell the Tale https://a.co/d/0VknfCy
  • Birth photography: Jennifer Mason 
  • Maternal assisted cesarean inspo: Empowered Motherhood Project Blog

Psychiatry support

  • MC3 offers no-cost psychiatry support to prescribing health care providers who treat behavioral/mental health in youth and perinatal people in Michigan through same-day phone consultations to offer guidance on diagnostic questions, safe medications, and appropriate psychotherapy. MC3 offers direct perinatal mental health services to patients of providers enrolled in MC3 in select counties. This is a pilot program that includes free same-day access to behavioral health consultants that will provide virtual counseling, case management, and care coordination for your patients. The MC3 program offers psychiatry support to health care providers in Michigan who are managing patients with behavioral/mental health concerns. This includes children, adolescents, young adults through age 26, and women who are contemplating pregnancy, pregnant, or postpartum (up to one year). MC3 is part of the Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry. It is funded by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) via general funds, Medicaid Administration funds, Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) funds, and Flint Water Crisis funds.

SNP Therapeutics

Today’s episode is sponsored by SNP Therapeutics, makers of the Genate Test. Based on over 16 million dollars in NIH grants, and more than 30 years of nutrition and genetic research, SNP Therapeutics is leading the charge in the field of prenatal, precision-nutrition genetic testing.

SNP Therapeutics is committed to providing accurate and usable information to help mothers provide the best possible nutrition to their babies through The Genate Test: a prenatal, precision-nutrition, genetic test that offers personalized dietary adjustments and supplement recommendations based on your DNA. 

You can rest easy knowing that your prenatal nutrition has been optimized by tailoring it to your genetic code. Find peace of mind about your prenatal nutrition with the Genate Test by SNP Therapeutics. Learn more at genate.com and Use code BIRTHHOUR15 for 15% off your order.

Two Hypnobirthing Home Births – A Water Birth and A Precipitous Toilet Birth Story

Jen is obsessed with pregnancy and birth. She is passionate about sharing her birth stories, and  discussing all things birth, so more women can have empowering, beautiful, powerful, and  transformative birth experiences. 

Jen and her husband got pregnant on their honeymoon in Bora Bora about 3-4 months after they started  trying to conceive. They were living in Australia at the time, and when Jen was 23 weeks pregnant they  came back to the US to give birth and be near Jen’s family. Jen had transitioned from midwife in Australia  to a midwife in the US. She gave birth to a healthy baby boy in Sunriver, Oregon in her parents’ house  after 24 hours of early labor and about 5-7 hours of active labor. She was adamant about breastfeeding  but nervous on how it would go because she had a breast reduction when she was 21. Surprisingly, all  went better than expected and she was able to exclusively breastfeed. She weaned her son when he  turned two. 

They knew they wanted more children, so when Jen’s cycle returned at 17 months postpartum, they  started trying again. Jen got pregnant with her second child and planned another home birth with the  same birth team. Her first birth went so well that she was nervous that her next birth wouldn’t be as  good. At 39 weeks and two days, to her surprise, she had a precipitous labor and birth and experienced  the Fetal Ejection Reflex. Her mom, midwife, and birth photographer all missed the birth! Jen and her  husband hope to expand their family further in the future. 

waterbirth-at-home-sunriver-oregon

Jennifer Burzic Bio 

Jen has been with her husband, Jasin, for 12 years. They fell in love while she was studying abroad in  Australia. They have two incredible children, Walker who is 4, and Summer, who is 21 months. Jen has  known she wanted to be a mother since she was 3 years old. An OG listener of the birth hour, she  decided years before she was pregnant that as long as she was low risk, she wanted to pursue a home  birth. Prior to becoming a mom, she worked as a nurse, and then on research at The University of  Queensland in the School of Public Health. She loves good vegan food, warm tropical vacations, and  spending time with her family and friends. Reach out to her with any questions or to connect at  jenburzic@gmail.com or on Instagram @jenburzic.

Resources

SNP Therapeutics

Today’s episode is sponsored by SNP Therapeutics, makers of the Genate Test. Based on over 16 million dollars in NIH grants, and more than 30 years of nutrition and genetic research, SNP Therapeutics is leading the charge in the field of prenatal, precision-nutrition genetic testing.

SNP Therapeutics is committed to providing accurate and usable information to help mothers provide the best possible nutrition to their babies through The Genate Test: a prenatal, precision-nutrition, genetic test that offers personalized dietary adjustments and supplement recommendations based on your DNA. 

You can rest easy knowing that your prenatal nutrition has been optimized by tailoring it to your genetic code. Find peace of mind about your prenatal nutrition with the Genate Test by SNP Therapeutics. Learn more at genate.com and Use code BIRTHHOUR15 for 15% off your order.

Unexpected and Positive Home Birth Story in Canada

Amanda overcame a deep fear of childbirth by working to become as educated about labour and birth as possible. Once pregnant, she planned for an unmedicated birth at an independent birth centre.

Amanda went into labor on her due date and progressed quickly. Her midwife, initially evaluating the situation over the phone, did not feel Amanda was far enough along to warrant leaving for the birth center. When the midwife finally arrived at Amanda’s home to assess her in person, she was already 8 cm dilated. Given that the birth center was at least an hour away, Amanda and her husband felt it was safest to transition to a home birth. Amanda’s baby boy was born after 3 hours of pushing, about 11 hours after labor began. She describes the day as being incredibly positive, empowering, and the best day of her life.    

Amanda Fonesca Bio

Amanda lives outside of Toronto with her husband, son, and loyal dog. She is a certified clinical research professional (CCRP) and has focused her work in the area of oncology. Her efforts to overcome an initial fear of childbirth has led to a great passion for all things related to pregnancy, labour, and birth. Amanda enjoys cooking, literature, and music. You can connect with her via email at amandafonzie@gmail.com .

Resources

Sleepybelly

Today’s episode is brought to you by the Sleepybelly Pregnancy Pillow which is guaranteed to give you better sleep in 30-nights or they will give you a full refund! Sleepybelly is a three piece, adjustable pregnancy pillow designed to prevent back sleeping, whilst giving you support for your growing bump and helps align your hips to reduce hip and back pain. Being an adjustable set, it grows with you on your pregnancy journey and can be used in 5 different configurations – it is even used as a breastfeeding pillow postpartum.

Sleepybelly has offered listeners of The Birth Hour an exclusive promo, use the code THEBIRTHHOUR10 for 10% off your order, at sleepybelly.co for a more comfortable night’s sleep! With free shipping and a 30-night money back guarantee, try the Sleepybelly today! 

Hospital Induction with Difficult Hospital Staff and Peaceful Redemptive Homebirth Birth Story

Shelby’s first birth was a hospital induction in April of 2020, during the COVID lockdown. She went into that labor and delivery completely unprepared and the hospital experience left her feeling unheard and misunderstood by hospital staff.  

She went into her next labor and delivery with more knowledge and preparation and had a redemptive homebirth, with labor support from her mom and husband. She gave birth under her own terms and left it feeling completely empowered.  

Shelby Grammer homebirth

Shelby Grammer Bio   

Shelby is a Maternal Fetal Medicine Sonographer who lives just outside of Portland, Maine with her husband and two kids. Connect with Shelby though Instagram @shelby.c.grammer.  

Resources  

Redd Remedies

Today’s episode is sponsored by Redd Remedies. Redd Remedies has strong roots in the natural product industry and crafts Master Herbalist formulated supplements from premium ingredients, ensuring natural and effective solutions for life’s physical and emotional challenges. Peaceful Mama, one of their star products, provides stress support to all moms, including pregnant and nursing women!

To learn more about Peaceful Mama, Rhythm and Flo, and Redd Remedies and to view testimonials, head to www.reddremedies.com and use code BIRTHHOUR at checkout to get 20% off any 2 or
more items.
 And be sure to head over th @thebirthhour on Instagram to enter a giveaway!

Changing Mindset from Painful to Pain-free Birthing and Impact of Yoga on Pregnancy/Birth

Although Mae was super fit, young, and healthy, having maintained a rigorous practice of daily Ashtanga yoga for over seven years prior to her first pregnancy, like any woman, she found herself facing many unknowns. For her first birth, she opted to birth at a small birthing center outside of Fukuoka, in the southwestern region of Japan, where she lived at the time. This was because she wanted to choose “the hand that would touch her baby’s head first.” She was able to have a natural, unmedicated birth with her then-husband, but the experience had her screaming at the top of her lungs in PAIN and left her feeling torn apart–mentally, emotionally, and physically–for weeks afterward. The sense of disconnect left an inkling of a thought in her mind that said: “If I ever get another go at this, I think I can do this a lot better next time.”

Mae went through a difficult divorce from her first husband only six months following this birth, leaving her to be a single parent to her firstborn son. In her mid-thirties, Mae met and remarried a wonderful man. They came together as a family and decided that they wanted another child.

Mae Yoshikawa yoga pregnancy

Eight years after her first birthing experience, thanks largely to the keen intuition of her husband, for the second birth, Mae switched from a clinic birth plan to a home birth at 28 weeks. In preparation for home birth, Mae spent a considerable amount of time intentionally repainting the landscape of her mind, from viewing birth as a painful process to a possibly pain-free one. Her teachers were: yoga, meditation, guided relaxation practices, and a whole bunch of wild animals on YouTube that she watched and learned from.

In the end, Mae was able to have an all-natural and almost all pain-free birth in the bathtub at home in Tokyo, assisted by her midwife and husband. Why “almost”? Wait ’til you hear her full story!

Five months after the birth of her second son, Mae lost the love of her life and the father of her children to a sudden traffic accident. The tremendous grief plunged her into the depths of sorrow and isolation for a few years. However, Mae says, “Everything she needs to know about coping with Pain in Life, she learned from childbirth,” referring not only to her wisdom from all of her years as a yoga practitioner, but ultimately from the redemptive birth experience that taught her this: If you can change your mind, you can change your experience.

Mae Yoshikawa Bio

Mae is an author, yoga & meditation practitioner, teacher, and mother. In 2006, Mae became the first Japanese woman to be authorized by the founding school of Ashtanga Yoga in India. Having graced 42 consecutive covers and penning a widely popular column for Japanese Yogini magazine from 2003~2013, Mae helped to spearhead a cultural shift in Japan—making sure that yoga would not be seen merely as physical exercise, but rather as a holistic practice and lifestyle that would restore health and balance to the busy lives of modern people. Currently, she is known as the face of adidas yoga. Her third book (her first in English) is a heart-wrenching and heart-arousing memoir titled Kizuki, which chronicles her experience of finding herself again through grief by metaphorically weaving through her experiences of childbirth and childrearing (coming soon).

Connect with Mae at https://maey.live/ or on Instagram @maeyoshikawa.

Mae Yoshikawa birth story

Resources

  • https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/tracyholloway
  • https://maey.live/

Needed

Today’s episode is sponsored by Needed. Needed is the leading women’s health supplement brand recommended by nutritionally-trained practitioners. While most perinatal supplements include the bare minimum of the nutrients needed during pregnancy, Needed’s products are based on the latest clinical research and in-practice experience of nearly 4000 practitioners. Needed has all your needs covered, from your prenatal vitamin to pregnancy-specific Pre/ and Probiotics, to egg quality support, sleep, stress, immune and hydration support, as well as your protein needs for blood sugar balance and postpartum healing. Needed’s Complete Plan delivers unparalleled nourishment for every phase — whether you’re trying to conceive, pregnant, or postpartum! Instead of having to pair 6 different products together to meet your needs, I love that Needed has simplified things by bundling together four core products you need, in an easy and flexible monthly plan. Save 20% off your first order of Needed’s Complete Plan or any of their other perinatal nutrition products at thisisneeded.com with code BIRTHHOUR.

Bryn & Richard Share 1st Homebirth Story

A Homebirth Birth Story

For those that haven’t heard our first baby’s birth story yet, I hope you enjoy this episode that I recorded with my husband Richard. This was recorded in 2015 so the sound quality isn’t up to our current standards! You can listen to my second birth here and my third birth here.

Resource Links

The Business of Being Born
Floradix
Chlorophyll
Birthing Ball
Birthing Tub
Milkies Milk Saver
Black and Blue Cohosh

Cozy Earth

Today’s episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. I first learned about Cozy Earth when their sheets were named one of Oprah’s favorite things in 2018 and I was having a baby in the Fall of 2018 and treated myself to the softest sheets I’ve ever slept on! I’ve been sleeping on Cozy Earth’s best-selling bamboo sheet sets (and their pillow too) ever since. Cozy Earth sheets are temperature-regulating and incredibly soft which is so perfect for all of the life stages we talk about on The Birth Hour. Seriously, if you are a hot sleeper these are a game changer and worth the investment! They’d also make a great baby registry item. Cozy Earth provided an exclusive offer for our listener’s today. Up to 40% off site wide when you use the code “BIRTHHOUR”

cozy earth
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