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Kate is a first-time mom, and had an unmedicated hospital birth. Baby’s arrival was quite unexpected and happened during a stressful week of life. In the end she ended up laboring at home as long as possible, gave birth in a hospital, and although she was supposed to deliver with midwives, she ended up having to deliver with an OB.

Kate Eskuri Bio

Kate is a registered nurse, college instructor, board-certified health coach, and has her doctorate of nursing specialized in Integrative Health. Kate’s healthcare experience is a unique blend of modern and traditional– having worked in an ICU setting and also getting her doctorate degree specialized in integrative health, she respects and understands modern medicine, but prefers to start with natural remedies, nutrition, mindset shifts, and other proactive approaches to health. Kate strives to make a healthy lifestyle SIMPLE and REALISTIC for her clients. Over time, Kate has built a social media following by sharing her holistic (and realistic) hacks for health. She created The Foundation Blog as a place to inspire women to invest in their health through simple, foundational daily practices that are easy-to-understand and actually REALISTIC to implement in busy day-to-day life. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota with her husband, Adam, her son, Miles, and her dog, Summit. Connect with her via instagram: @kate.eskuri
and check out Kate’s pregnancy journals 20% off coupon: BIRTHHOUR.

Resources

• Expecting Better by Emily Oster
• Natural Hospital Birth by Cynthia Gabriel
• Freya App for tracking contractions
• Making a “quick reference” sheet for your partner, Bradley Method, research the common interventions ahead of time, journaling, etc.

Motif Medical

This episode was sponsored by Motif Medical. Motif designs insurance-eligible products for busy moms. With a focus on innovation and empowerment, Motif’s line of breast pumps and maternity compression garments are sophisticated, yet discreet, and made to support mothers as they navigate new motherhood. Discover why moms are reporting more milk in less time with the Luna breast pump, and see how you can get it covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. 

After dealing with hyperemesis throughout pregnancy, Katie was so excited when her water broke unexpectedly at 37 weeks. After a birth center transfer, pitocin, epidural, and 41 hours of labor, Roman was finally born vaginally. His delivery was complicated by a shoulder dystocia, leaving Katie with several second degree tears. Roman had a week long NICU stay, and during that time, Katie and Roman had a difficult time breastfeeding. She was hoping this would improve when they got home; but the breastfeeding struggles and colicky infant was stressful and nobody was sleeping. Katie found that exclusive pumping gave her the resources to enjoy time with her newborn without the pressure of getting baby to latch. Katie describes some difficulties she has dealt with her pelvic floor postpartum and how she has found improvement working with a pelvic floor therapist.  

Katie Barnes Bio 

Katie lives with her husband, Bobby, son, Roman (3), and daughter, Elia (7 months) in Pittsburgh, PA. Katie works as a physician assistant, and Bobby works as a physical therapist. They spend a lot of their free time in the local community enjoying parks, children’s museums, breweries, and renovating their home. Connect with Katie on Instagram at thebarnesfamily_   

Resources  

• The HER Foundation 
• Exclusive Pumping  
• Taking Cara Babies on instagram and blog @takingcarababies 
• The Formula Mom on instagram @theformulamom
• Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool by Emily Oster
• Bringing up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Drunkerman

Ergobaby

This episode is sponsored by Ergobaby. Founded in 2003, Ergobaby has pioneered the gold standard for comfortable, ergonomic soft structured carriers. Their commitment to providing parents with the foundation to thrive has launched the company into creating a broad range of award-winning products that fit into families’ daily lives seamlessly, comfortably, and safely – where function and quality are not compromised. In 2020, they launched Everlove by Ergobaby, a first of its kind baby carrier buy back and resale program, a sustainability effort to support families and the planet. Check out Ergobaby’s Embrace in Soft Air Mesh and new Evolve 3-in-1 Bouncer that we discussed on the podcast!

Kate was anticipating a week’s head start of maternity leave before expecting her baby boy to be born, but she realized he had other plans when she went into labor 4 days before her due date. She woke up in the middle of the night with waves of pain radiating down the front of her legs but kept falling asleep in between the waves, until at one point she realized she must be having contractions. She timed them for a while and eventually couldn’t get back to sleep, so she woke her husband and decided to call her OB, who told her to come in. She got up, took a shower, and they called their family members as they headed to the hospital around 5am. Once there, Kate labored for a bit in her L&D room before requesting an epidural, and afterward rested and watched The Office while chatting with some family members who were also there at the hospital with them. Once she was 10 centimeters and fully effaced, she learned it was time to push, pushed for two hours and delivered her sweet baby boy! It was a great, uncomplicated experience with an epidural and a relatively easy physical recovery, which she feels increasingly grateful for. 

When Kate found out she was pregnant again at the end of February 2020, she had a different intention for this pregnancy, labor and delivery. She decided she wanted to give birth unmedicated – without the use of epidural – and decided to hire a doula. When COVID-19 spread throughout the United States in March, Kate was faced with a lot of uncertainty and anxiety over herself, her family’s health, and the health of her baby, but her Christian faith kept her afloat through the most difficult moments of that year. Kate’s main goal throughout this pregnancy was to be informed about her rights and her options for birth, instead of just accepting what might be considered “the norm”. She didn’t want to think of herself as just a “patient”, and her baby’s birth just a “medical event”, she believed that labor and birth are something that can be enjoyed, and she wanted to feel fully confident in herself and her support team, informed about her options, and calm despite the chaos of the world.

Kate went into spontaneous labor 2 days before her due date very early in the morning. She was tempted to call her OB again right away (like last time), but called her doula first who encouraged her to continue timing contractions and distract herself if possible. She and her husband got up, enjoyed some time around the house with their toddler, took a walk, played Scrabble and watched their favorite comfort show – The Office. Once her contractions were getting a little bit too intense to talk through, she headed to the hospital where she was 7cm at arrival. With the help of her doula and husband, Kate gave birth to her daughter unmedicated feeling perfectly at peace, confident in herself, and so overwhelmed by the intensity of the experience yet how beautiful it was. This birth experience ignited Kate’s passion for pregnancy and birth, and inspired her to become a birth doula, so that she could support other women and their families during such a monumental and vulnerable time of their lives, and help them know that they too have the right to feel informed, can be empowered in making decisions about their care, and be confident in themselves no matter what their birth situation might look like. 

Kaitlyn DelloStritto Bio

Kate is a wife and mom of two living in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is passionate about supporting women throughout pregnancy, labor and delivery and has been working as a birth doula since March of 2021. She also enjoys spending quality time with her family, thrifting and collecting mid-century vintage, cooking, and picking up any hobby that piques her interest. Connect with her at soteriabirthdoula.com or via @soteriabirthdoula on instagram.

Resources

• evidencebasedbirth.com 
• Holy Labor: How Childbirth Shapes a Woman’s Soul

Motif Medical

This episode was sponsored by Motif Medical. Motif designs insurance-eligible products for busy moms. With a focus on innovation and empowerment, Motif’s line of breast pumps and maternity compression garments are sophisticated, yet discreet, and made to support mothers as they navigate new motherhood. Discover why moms are reporting more milk in less time with the Luna breast pump, and see how you can get it covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. 

Liz gave birth to her second baby, Adelaide, at 41 weeks. Her labor was longer than she anticipated since her first baby came in only 8 hrs. Addie was malpositioned and willing to take her time to come out. Liz labored upright with the support of her husband Isaac and her doula Sarah. Her midwife and birth team utilized many resources to try to help Addie descend, including facetiming Liz’s pelvic floor physical therapist for tips. Pitocin was also utilized to help with how inconsistent Liz’s contraction pattern was. When Addie was ready, she finally came out quickly in three pushes weighing 8lbs 7oz. Liz was shocked at the speed of the pushing stage but so glad she was finally out. Liz had only a few minor tears but did have a postpartum hemorrhage that was managed with medications. Liz is so grateful to her amazing birth team – her midwife, doula, pelvic PT and husband. They supported her and provided her with the space to birth Addie in the way Addie needed! 

Liz Marnik Bio

Liz lives on the coast of Maine with her husband Isaac, her son Owen, and her daughter Adelaide. She is an Assistant Professor in Biochemistry and Microbiology at a university in Maine. In her spare time, she is an avid runner, hiker and runs a science communication Instagram account. You can find her there @sciencewhizliz 

Resources

• Mamastefit
• Mommy Labor Nurse
• Expectful App
• Expecting and empowered 
• Low supply mom
• SI joint adjustmentAccupressure for labor

Aeroflow Breastpumps

Today’s episode is sponsored by Aeroflow Breastpumps. Aeroflow has helped millions of new and expecting parents discover the breastfeeding and postpartum essentials covered by their insurance including breast pumps, maternity compression, and lactation education & support.

They take care of everything – including all paperwork, working with your insurance company, and explaining your options to get these free essentials shipped straight to your door. Aeroflow offers all major breast pump brands including Medela, Spectra, Motif, Lansinoh, Ameda, Elvie, Willow and more.

All you have to do is go to the Aeroflow Breastpumps website and fill out their free and easy Qualify Through Insurance form. Be sure to go to aeroflowbreastpumps.com/birthhour so they will know we sent you! Bonus — use the promo code “TBH15” in their online shop for 15% off all supplies and accessories.

Teddy’s Birth

Whitney got married in 2015 and spent the first 4 years of marriage completing her education and settling into her career. She was overjoyed to discover she was pregnant in October 2019. She planned for an unmedicated hospital birth with a family medicine doctor. Despite some first trimester food aversions and exhaustion, her pregnancy was smooth and free of complications. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the US at the beginning of Whitney’s third trimester, leading to a furlough from her job and a lot of uncertainty regarding her birth and post-partum experience. She made the most of her time at home, listening to every episode of The Birth Hour, walking miles per day, and reading every birth book she could get her hands on. Despite her desire to go into labor on her own, Whitney ended up with a long post-dates induction at 41+3. Even though she did not achieve her goal of an undmedicated birth, the birth of Whitney’s son Teddy was one of the most beautiful, empowering days of her life. 

Harvey’s Birth

After a chaotic post-partum after Teddy’s birth (selling and buying a house, a new job, and a big move all in his first year), Whitney and her husband were excited to add a second child to their family. Whitney became pregnant in October 2021 and her pregnancy quickly followed the pattern of her first – food aversions, nausea, exhaustion – but thankfully remained complication-free. Whitney established care with a midwife and planned again for an unmedicated hospital birth with the goal of going into labor on her own. Despite trying everything (except castor oil) to start labor at home, Whitney had the medication-free post-dates induction of her dreams. Baby Harvey entered the world with the fetal ejection reflex in one of the coolest experiences Whitney has ever had. Postpartum with Harvey was joyful and relaxing!

Whitney Stock Bio

Whitney is an optometrist who lives in the Minneapolis suburbs with her husband, Ben, her two sons, Teddy and Harvey, and her labradoodle, Violet. She is an avid reader, and loves to bake, hike, and plan intricate travel itineraries. You can usually find Whitney hanging out at the lake, chasing her toddler around, or cozied up with a good book. Connect with her on IG @whit.stock or on Facebook Whitney Stock

Resources

• The Birth Hour podcast and Patreon group
• Mommy Labor Nurse
• The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
• Taking Charge of Your Fertility
• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
• Infant Play Subscription — MontiKids

Simply Magnetic Me

This episode is sponsored by Simply Magnetic Me. Simply Magnetic Me is the new sister brand to Magnetic Me, beloved for its smart magnetic fasteners that make changing baby practically effortless. We love that they make shopping for baby clothes easy by offering curated multi-packs with built in savings – with outfits as low as $15 each. Create your own bundle by mixing and matching prints, styles, and sizes – the more outfits in your cart, the more you save. Made from certified, 100% organic cotton, Simply Magnetic Me fabrics are as soft as they are sustainable. So head over to simplymagneticme.com/birthhour and use Promo code: BIRTHHOUR

Reel Paper

Reel Paper makes a sustainable toilet paper that uses 100% bamboo with no inks, dyes, or BPAs so it’s safe for even the littlest members of your family. The great thing about Bamboo is that it’s a fast-growing grass. Some species of bamboo can grow up to 3 feet per day and because it’s a grass they’re able to harvest the same stalk over and over without disrupting the plant or soil. Reel paper is available in easy, hassle-free subscriptions or for one-time purchases on their website. All orders are conveniently delivered to your door with free shipping in 100% recyclable, plastic-free packaging. If you head to reelpaper.com/birthhour and sign up for a subscription using code BIRTHHOUR at checkout, you’ll automatically get 30% off your first order and FREE SHIPPING!