Anna shares her stories of pregnancy and two very different but equally positive birth experiences. The first birth experience was a planned epidural hospital birth and the second was an unmedicated birth center birth. Both were very good, empowering, positive birth experiences with lots of support.
Anna Stadick Bio
Anna lives with her husband, Rob, and their two beautiful boys, Auden and George, in the Denver area. Anna blogs about topics like motherhood, mental illness, body image, and faith at https://annashanestadick.wordpress.com/
While you’re planning for the arrival of your baby, now is a great time to think about saving for their future learning opportunities. Backer is a smart way to save together for your kid’s college education, starting from birth all the way to graduation. You can create a college savings account at any time, and invite family & friends to contribute. When you’re ready, invest your savings and watch it grow as fast as your little one does!
And, with Backer 529 you can upgrade to a gold-rated 529 Plan, and invest your savings tax-free. So when your child is ready, they’ll be able to achieve the career of their dreams. Over time, your savings could grow four times as big as you could manage alone. Don’t wait until the baby is here when you probably won’t have time to think about it. Open your first fund today, share the link, and ask family and friends to pitch in from day one. Go to backer.com to get started and as an added bonus, click this link for a $10 voucher to get you started saving today!
Amelia was certified to teach HypnoBirthing® in 2017, after experiencing calm births with both her children born in 2007 and again in 2017. She has a passion for helping women and birthing people discover and embrace their power as they journey through motherhood and parenthood. In 2021, Amelia left her Human Resources job after being in the field for 15 years to pursue birth work full time. Amelia and her husband, Diego, a college professor of Theatre and Performance, live in Sarasota, FL with their three children: Aiden (14), Isla (5) and Ezra (2). They also have one fur-baby, Tyrion. They enjoy traveling, dancing to the latest toddler craze, sports, and the arts. In her free time Amelia enjoys playing tennis, photography, reading, and a competitive game night.
KiwiCo Panda Crate
This episode is sponsored by Panda Crate from KiwiCo. With Panda Crate, your baby receives a new crate filled with two-months’ worth of products and content every other month that help build a foundation for early learning! Get 50% off your first month on ANY crate line with code BIRTHHOUR at kiwico.com.
Yay, you’re pregnant! Now what? It is so exciting to get that positive pregnancy test, but it can feel a bit overwhelming to navigate all of the different to-dos and stages of pregnancy—that’s why we are so thankful for tools like the Ovia® Pregnancy app that make life a little easier.
The Ovia Pregnancy app (completely free!) is your all-in-one pregnancy tracker offering you peace of mind as you reach pregnancy milestones, navigate symptoms, and plan for baby’s arrival. With Ovia Pregnancy, you’ll find answers to all of your prenatal questions — read weekly updates, find symptom relief, learn what’s safe to eat, share bump pictures, and even use a baby name feature! Your pocket companion for each trimester (and beyond)!
Many apps have the option to see the size of your baby each week but Ovia takes it a step further and makes it so fun to track! When I was pregnant with my 3rd baby, I absolutely loved seeing how big my baby was week-by-week with Ovia’s fun and unique size comparisons (like fruits & veggies, weird but cute animals, Parisian baked goods, and fun and games). My older kids would ask me every week to show them how big the baby was and would giggle over their little sibling that was the size of a gameboy or a croissant!
Every day on your Ovia timeline, you’ll also see a true-to-size version of your baby’s tiny hand and foot right there on the screen which really helps you and your family visualize the little human growing inside of you! You can also find the perfect baby name with the ‘My Baby Names’ feature. You can sort options by gender and first letter and make a list of all your favorites!
Aside from fun tracking features and baby name help, Ovia offers helpful tips like what’s safe to eat, what medications you can take during pregnancy, and how to find symptom relief by using their easy to use lookup tool.
I actually first discovered Ovia by using the Ovia Fertility app and love that Ovia has an app for every stage of the way — from cycle tracking to pregnancy to parenthood. The Ovia apps offer health tracking, features, and tools to help you navigate fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and baby health.
Despite feeling prepared, Amanda’s first birth experience ended in a cesarean birth when her baby started struggling with heart decelerations. Before the doctor even made the cut, she already knew she wanted a VBAC experience with her next birth. The postpartum experience with her first was challenging, but things settled after a few months.
When Amanda became pregnant over a year later, she did everything she could to prepare for a VBAC. She went into labor at 41 weeks and had an amazing labor but experienced a complete uterine rupture after one hour of pushing. She was rushed into emergency surgery. Once delivered, her baby was rushed to the NICU and remained there for 9 days. While recovering in the hospital Amanda experienced chest pain, and a CT scan revealed a pulmonary embolism. Postpartum had other challenges related to low breastmilk supply and she had a physically and emotionally painful recovery.
Amanda Jamison Bio
Amanda lives near Denver, CO with her husband Jonathan and two kids: Rowan (2.5 years old) and Aria (8 months). She can be found on Instagram at @amanda_moves or on Facebook under Amanda Jamison.
Today’s 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 that we discussed on the podcast!
Ashley shares two unmedicated birth stories. The first story of her son’s birth was drastically different from her daughter’s birth. Her son was born at a birth center after being in labor for over 26 hours (and pushing for two hours). Her daughter was born in the backseat of her car, after 15 hours of mild contractions and 5 hours of more intense contractions. She appreciates both of her experiences and is grateful to her husband, her main birthing partner in both births. She is also grateful for the Hypnobabies training that she and her husband completed in preparation for childbirth.
Ashley Boone Bio
Ashley is an excited full-time mommy of two. She lives in Orlando, FL with her husband, three year old son, and one year old daughter. She was a Personal Fitness Trainer and a Sales Engineer before she decided to dedicate all her time to her young children. She loves almost all forms of exercise, especially running and hot yoga. She wants to encourage every pregnant Momma to have faith and trust in your body’s abilities! Contact IG: a_marie_fit
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.
Clarké embarked on the journey of pregnancy and birth with a specific vision in mind – a peaceful, undisturbed home birth. She was interested in home birth since she was young, knowing internally that she could trust her body and wanting to bring a child into the world in a ceremonious environment.
After years of birth work, being the daughter of a midwife, and seeing first hand the health disparities and treatment of younger and women of color in the healthcare system, she had her visions for herself confirmed – home was the right place to be especially as a black mother.
Making the decision to add people into her birth space was taken with great care, tossing up between choosing an unassisted birth and a midwife-attended birth. After numerous interviews, she found a midwife that was the perfect fit for her family and had the joyful, peaceful, and undisturbed birth she dreamed up for herself all those years ago.
Clarké Lunara Bio
Clarké is a birth worker (or doula) & childbirth educator who focuses on the spectrum of health from conception to postpartum (or life forever after). She is a wife, mother, daughter, community herbalist, & teacher at a forest school as well. She lives in the Shenandoah Valley with her husband and son-shine and loves cooking new recipes, learning new crafts and skills, and gardening.
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.
Jewel shares her story in her own words, listen to the podcast to hear the full story!
My husband and I started talking about babies a little over a year after we got married. I had gotten off the pill after being on it for ten years, so I was off of it for two when we started. I was really familiar with FAM, so when we started trying it only took three months to actually conceive.
I found out I was pregnant on our delayed honeymoon. We were supposed to go to Vietnam when the pandemic started and that went out the window so we went to Louisiana a year later. I packed a box of soft cups and a few pregnancy tests since we were trying and I would need one of those two things no matter what. I was a day late, and that seemed suspicious, so I took a test but it was negative. Then on the second day, I was supposed to start, nothing. So I lad a pregnancy test on top of the toilet to take the next morning. I rushed to the toilet when I woke up on the third day, took the test, and while waiting…which felt like forever, I finally saw two faint lines. I sat in there for about five minutes making sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me and called my husband in to look at the test with me. I cried from excitement, he’s the more level headed one so he was really excited but told me to wait until we could confirm at home since I was barely three weeks along at this point. We had to keep it from family and friends until we could come home and make sure with about five more tests. Which were also positive.
I, like countless other women, watched The Business of Being Born before getting pregnant and was determined to have a natural labor with midwives. I received care from The Bastrop Birthing Center under Ellie Noble and that could not have been a better choice.
Pregnancy was great, I never had any complications until after my due date. I went to the gym, got some funny looks in the weight room, and took long walks. When I got ultrasounds the techs commented on how good the oxygen delivery was from placenta to baby so that’s what encouraged me to keep some sort of active routine. I did suffer from some serious pelvic pain and swelling. Since I’m black, my midwives monitored me closely for preeclampsia, protein in the urine, and hypertension, (plus my mother ended up having both when she was pregnant with me) but I think from a combo of reducing stress and exercising often I was able to avoid developing those issues.
My body was trying to go into labor for about two weeks but nothing was progressing past evening contractions. One night I was convinced we would have to go to the birth center but once the sun came out, contractions stopped. Since I was so far past my due date, my midwife scheduled me at Austin Perinatal and I had a biophysical done on the baby. This was scheduled when I was 41 weeks and 5 days pregnant.
He was a 4 out of 8 on where he should be and his amniotic fluid was almost halfway gone. The head nurse came in, sat down, looked me in the eye, and said, well, you will be having a baby in the next 24 hours. I immediately resigned all my lovely Birth Center plans and accepted the fact that I would be having the hospital birth I did not want.
I called my midwife and she immediately got all my labs and paperwork sent over to St. David’s Main in Austin. I was admitted to L&D and the nurses were wonderful, one of them even told me she was sorry I didn’t get to have the Birth Center experience I wanted and that made me feel a lot better.
I scarfed down some Soup Peddler while she went over paperwork with me and then waited for my husband to show up with my truck and my hospital bag. The initial plan was to induce with a foley bulb but I was actually at 3 cm when I came in, so they offered a combo of cervidil, Cytotec, and Pitocin. I kindly asked them if I could just do the Pitocin and see how I progress and they were fine with that. The Pitocin contractions were so intense I caved and asked for the nitrogen, which did nothing other than made me feel sick. Then I needed an epidural because the contractions were sending me out of my body and I really could not handle the pain. After three rounds, it wasn’t really working, but my body progressed to 8cm. Unfortunately, it stayed at an 8 for almost 10 hours or so. By this point, I had intense shivers, had developed a fever, and the head midwife came in to let me know I had developed Chorioamnionitis. The baby was rather large and in a sunny side up position (I think) so a C-Section was recommended. I cried and agreed to it, nothing about this experience was going the way I intended but at this point, all I wanted was our baby boy to get here safely.
A lot of what happened next is a blur because of the surgery but I remember my midwife being the best cheerleader I could have asked for during the process and she really kept my husband and me calm. Her energy was absolutely perfect and she turned a less than ideal situation into a positive one. My husband was encouraging me letting me know our baby boy would be here soon.
There was a point where they struggled to get him out of me because apparently my abdominal tissue was so dense it required an extra hand and the sight (from what I’ve been told) was NOT pretty. I’m glad I was told this after the surgery and not during. They got the baby out and once I heard his cry my life changed forever. I cried, my husband cried, and he was the first to hold him
and do skin to skin while I regained my energy and awareness. He latched like a champion and he’s gained 7 pounds since birth.
His birth weight was 9.86 and he was 21 inches, now he’s about 25 inches long, 16 pounds, and he fits in 6-month-old clothing at 3 months lol.
Postpartum
I had a lot of help after surgery, but since I could walk the same day I really overdid it and had to remind myself to rest. I was walking around in the recovery room of the hospital and the nurses were like, “What are you doing?!?!” So if any other athletic mommas have a cesarean planned or think they won’t have one, just keep in mind not to overdo it.
I have some diastasis recti and my pelvic pain is better but hasn’t completely gone away. It’s really flared up by laying on one side the entire night or wearing my baby too long.
Even though I had the opposite birth experience of what I wanted, it was still really positive and my baby boy never had to do any NICU time so I have that to be grateful for. And even though I had a c-section, my breastfeeding experience has been wonderful. I thought my milk would never come in since it took a full five days to show up, but it did, and now I’m a little bit of an oversupplier so I donate to a national service called ni-q HDM. So if you find yourself having an unplanned or surprise c-section, keep latching your baby as much as possible and use balm if there’s any pain. I didn’t even have to use my pump to get my milk supply started!
Jewel Broussard Bio
Jewel lives in Smithville, TX with her husband Wyatt, their 3 month old son named Theodore, a cat, dog, and two donkeys. Jewel is a graphic designer and Wyatt is a jeweler. They met through jiu-jitsu almost five years ago. Connect with her on Instagram @ruraljewel.
Resources
The Birth Hour – I am grateful for the women who shared their experiences, especially when things didn’t go as planned. Because of that, I went into my induction and surgery very calm knowing that medical interventions might not be ideal, but they can save lives.
Babywearing – I use an Ergobaby and a Moby wrap and it does wonders for bonding and nap time.
Kindred Bravely
Part II of this episode is brought to you by Kindred Bravely. From adorable maternity wear to comfortable nursing bras, this mom-owned company has you covered. See all of their comfy clothing at kindredbravely.com! I especially love their Simply Sublime nursing tank, their high waisted leggings (for pregnancy AND postpartum). Listen to this episode for a special coupon code and to hear about my new favorites in their summer line of clothing and loungewear!
After Liz and her husband Eric experienced a miscarriage in Fall 2018, they thought a few adjustments like addressing slight hypothyroidism would mean another pregnancy within months. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and they ended up undergoing fertility treatment during 2020 and early 2021. Following a failed IVF embryo transfer in February 2021, they conceived their baby girl naturally while waiting for their next embryo transfer.
Liz sought care during her pregnancy from a group of midwives associated with a large hospital in Chicago. Because of a neuromuscular disease Liz was diagnosed with as a child (Charcot Marie Tooth), Liz also saw a neurologist and Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor, to ensure she and Eric were fully aware of possible complications associated with CMT (those included possible fetal growth restriction, malpresentation, postpartum hemorrhaging, and need for assisted delivery using forceps or vacuum). During pregnancy, Liz aimed to do all she could to prepare her mind and body for birth, including visits with a Webster-certified chiropractor, pelvic floor physical therapist, acupuncturist, and a therapist focusing on pregnancy and early motherhood. Liz also stayed active, keeping up with regular workouts through her 38th week of pregnancy.
Liz went into labor during the late evening two days before her due date. After laboring all night at home and having contractions 3-4 minutes apart for a couple hours, she, Eric, and their doula Becca headed to the hospital the following morning. Liz was very discouraged to find out she had only dilated to three centimeters, after being at two centimeters at her midwife appointment earlier that week. Because of elevated blood pressure and the midwife’s request to do some labs to check for preeclampsia, Liz was admitted to the hospital. Upon admission, they also determined via manual exam and a quick ultrasound that baby was sunnyside up.
Liz labored into the afternoon with the support of Eric and Becca, but only progressed to four centimeters during that time. She worked with her midwife and team to decide that interventions would be helpful to allow for some rest and progress for her body. An epidural was placed and Pitocin was administered an hour later. After an additional cervical check showed Liz was still at four centimeters dilated, her midwife suggested breaking her waters. That did the trick and between 6 and 9 p.m., Liz’s cervix dilated from four to ten centimeters and baby turned to an ideal position for pushing!
Pushing was Liz’s favorite part of labor, supported by her amazing team, with Eric holding one leg and their doula Becca holding the other. After just 45 minutes of pushing, their baby was born, healthy but quite calm and quiet. After a couple minutes, baby’s cord was cut by daddy and they realized no one had checked the baby’s sex. Liz was convinced throughout pregnancy it was a boy, so it was a complete surprise when Eric announced it was a baby girl! The team spent a few minutes clearing her airways and checking her vitals before Liz and Eric enjoyed a magical golden hour with baby Emmeline Mae.
Liz and Emmeline’s postpartum journey so far has included significant sacroiliac joint pain and treatment for Liz and a milk protein intolerance for Emmeline. Liz is extremely grateful for a long period of parental leave, by US standards, and is looking forward to springtime adventures at home with Emmeline!
Liz Parker Bio
Liz Parker and her husband Eric live in Chicago with their first baby Bug the Pug and their newest addition, Emmeline Mae, who arrived in December 2021. Liz and Eric both work for a large accounting and consulting firm, where they met while recruiting at their shared alma mater. They love exploring different neighborhoods, parks, and restaurants in their city, and traveling to new places together. They can’t wait to take Emmeline on future adventures, especially to visit family and friends all over the US! Connect with her on Instagram at @lizzyleigh17 or on Facebook under Liz Byrum Parker.
Chicago area – Chicago Family Picnic for childbirth, breastfeeding, and bringing home baby courses, mom & baby group, doula services
Premama Wellness
Today’s episode is sponsored by Premama Wellness. Premama creates doctor-backed supplements that support every stage of your maternity wellness journey. From balancing hormones, to trying to conceive, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and breastfeeding nutritional support. All Premama supplements are gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan or vegetarian, with no additives and no synthetic flavors. Discover why moms (and dads-to-be!) trust Premama wellness for their nutritional support by visiting Premamawellness.com. You can use the code BirthHour25 for 25% off your purchase!
Sophie is a lifelong planner, managing nonprofit events for a living. When it came to birthing and then raising her now 2.5 year old Claire, Sophie faced many unknowns, causing her a lot of anxiety. Prodromal labor and sleepless nights didn’t set Sophie up for success in her early postpartum days. The pandemic, nursing challenges, and postpartum depression ultimately made for a tough first eight months of bonding with Claire. After various means of support, Sophie’s mental health improved, along with her confidence as a mom and her bond with Claire. Connect with Sophie on Instagram @sophchroem.
Ergobaby
Today’s 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 that we discussed on the podcast!
Nicole and her husband, Kyle, were excited to try to start a family in 2019. Nicole had a prior medical history of anxiety and had been taking the same anti-anxiety medication for the past ten years without any issue. Prior to trying to conceive, Nicole made a family planning appointment with her OB in order to check the medication’s safety or to be prescribed an alternative that was safe to conceive on. When told by her OB that nothing was 100% safe and she should consider weaning off her medication, Nicole did so. Ultimately, this sent her into an emotional tailspin.
Upon receiving that positive pregnancy test, Nicole and Kyle were elated. Heightened anxiety after weaning off her medication coupled with first trimester hormones led Nicole to seek out a second opinion in regards to starting medication. To her relief, she found a OB who prescribed her a medication that had been used in pregnancy and had an overall good prognosis. Around 12 weeks, Nicole switched to midwifery care and focused on learning how to cope with labor pain and fulfill her dream of having a natural vaginal birth. Nicole went into labor at 40 weeks and one day and delivered Claire in what she describes as “the perfect natural birth” that she was able to achieve with the help and support of both her husband and her midwife.
Nicole’s postpartum was extremely difficult as she was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder during the height of Covid. She experienced breast-feeding issues with Claire which led her to exclusively pump. She ended up not returning to work after her maternity leave ended as she continued to battle her diagnosis during a time when the world had shut down. It was with the help of a psychiatrist and the proper medication dosage that Nicole started to feel somewhat normal. The overall anxiousness did not completely subside until she had ended breastfeeding when Claire was 11 months old.
After Claire’s first birthday, Kyle and Nicole decided to try to conceive again and to their surprise it happened quite quickly. The couple had reservations considering Nicole’s last pregnancy and postpartum but her psychiatrist assured them that relapse was highly unlikely as long as Nicole remained at her current medication dosage. Nicole’s pregnancy was uneventful until she contracted Covid at 24 weeks pregnant. Thankfully, her symptoms were mild but she contemplates that this may have been the reason she went into preterm labor at 36 weeks 6 days as Covid has been linked to preterm labor. After 7 hours of active labor and dilating to 6 cm, labor ended abruptly after an IV fluid bolus. Charlotte was born two weeks later after a four hour labor which almost ended in a car delivery.
Nicole’s second postpartum was nothing short of redemption. She felt that she was able to enjoy her newborn daughter in ways she never was able to with her first. The only anxiety she felt was what she described as “normal for a new mom of two”. While redeeming and at times blissful, it brought about a sense of guilt for her experience with Claire. Nicole was able to breastfeed Charlotte who was diagnosed with a dairy and soy intolerance two weeks after birth. Nicole was able to eliminate both from her diet and Charlotte is currently thriving.
Nicole hopes that by sharing her story it may provide a glimmer of hope for mamas with similar experiences.
Nicole Turcotte Bio
Nicole and her family reside in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. She and her husband, Kyle, share daughters Claire (2 yrs.) and Charlotte (4 mo). Nicole is a registered nurse/current stay at home mom and Kyle owns a landscaping/tree removal company. Instagram handle – @nicole.m.turcotte
Panda Crate subscription from KiwiCo, your baby receives a new crate filled with two-months’ worth of products and content every other month. Build a foundation for early learning this new year with Panda Crate from KiwiCo! Get 30% off your first month on ANY crate line with code BIRTHHOUR at kiwico.com.
After finding out she was pregnant with her first child, Destiny did a lot of research on birth. After watching The Business of Being Born, she desired to have an unmedicated vaginal birth if she was able. Her pregnancy went smoothly, but after her due date came and went, it was suggested that she schedule an induction due to low amniotic fluid. Destiny labored for 13 hours and reached 7cms before getting an epidural. She was given an episiotomy and forceps were used to deliver her son.
Kendyll (2021)
For her second pregnancy, Destiny was determined that she didn’t want to be induced. She really wanted to avoid any interventions this go around. She hired a doula and just like her first pregnancy, her due date came and went. Although her non-stress test results came back normal, she scheduled an induction. The day before her induction, labor started naturally in the early hours of the morning. After calling her doula, and family members who would be driving an hour to watch her son, she began timing the contractions. The time between contractions quickly started decreasing, and her husband feared that they wouldn’t make it to the hospital (which was a half hour away) in time. Deciding to meet their family at the hospital, they packed up and made their way to the hospital. Experiencing transition in the car, Destiny feared she waited too long and would have the baby in the car. Thankfully, they made it to the hospital, and 9 minutes after arriving Kendyll was born.
Both photos by Heart Love Photography
Destiny Barr Bio
Bio: Destiny lives in Mt. Wolf, PA with her husband Keon and their two kids, Kash (age 4) and Kendyll (7 months). She is a government employee and does family portrait photography occasionally. She is a birth nerd, and can listen to birth stories for hours. She enjoys spending time with her family and watching her kids experience new things. You can connect with Destiny via Instagram @destiny_byrd_
While you’re planning for the arrival of your baby, now is a great time to think about saving for their future learning opportunities. Backer is a smart way to save together for your kid’s college education, starting from birth all the way to graduation. You can create a college savings account at any time, and invite family & friends to contribute. When you’re ready, invest your savings and watch it grow as fast as your little one does!
And, with Backer 529 you can upgrade to a gold-rated 529 Plan, and invest your savings tax-free. So when your child is ready, they’ll be able to achieve the career of their dreams. Over time, your savings could grow four times as big as you could manage alone. Don’t wait until the baby is here when you probably won’t have time to think about it. Open your first fund today, share the link, and ask family and friends to pitch in from day one. Go to backer.com to get started and as an added bonus, click this link for a $10 voucher to get you started saving today!
Sarah and her husband were ready to have a second baby in late 2020, but had to wait for Sarah’s pregnancy-induced hypothyroidism from her last pregnancy to be properly treated and under control in order to avoid miscarriage risks. Once that was resolved, Sarah got pregnant in February of 2021. Like her first pregnancy, Sarah experienced no morning sickness, but found the crushing first-trimester fatigue difficult to navigate with a toddler in tow. The second half of the pregnancy was more challenging- Sarah experienced severe Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD), also known as Pelvic Girdle Pain, and struggled to walk and deal with the constant pain. She also received a highly debatable Gestational Diabetes diagnosis, and struggled with high blood pressure readings during her midwife visits.
At 38 weeks 6 days, on Halloween, Sarah went into labor naturally. She took her 3 year old daughter trick-or-treating through active labor, put her to bed, and headed to the hospital. She was 6 cm when she arrived. She immediately received her epidural, and gave birth to her second baby girl, Clementine Hazel, 5 hours later on November 1. This birth was a truly redemptive experience after her first wild birth- peaceful, joyful, and absolutely perfect.
Postpartum ended up being much more difficult than expected, as Clementine came down with RSV at 11 days old. She fought it like a champ and never had to be hospitalized, but it was very scary! Adjusting to being a mom of two was also challenging from an emotional perspective- much more than Sarah expected. She also dealt with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety again.
Sarah Deming Bio
is 35 years old and lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband Misha, daughter Savannah, age 3.5 yrs, and daughter Clementine, age 4 months. She is the Manager of Business Operations for a strategic communications consultancy, and a mixed media artist with a small business, Sarah Deming Art. In her spare time, Sarah loves to read, garden, bake, knit, and enjoy the great outdoors. You can connect with her on Instagram @sarahdem418 or @sarahdemingart or by email: sae124@gmail.com.
You can listen to Sarah’s first birth story along with all of our archived episodes by becoming a Birth Hour Patreon supporter.
This episode is sponsored by Fairhaven Health. Fairhaven Health offers a wide range of products for fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding and women’s health. Today, we’re highlighting a product from their vaginal care line – BabyIt Perineal Massage and Postpartum Gel. BabyIt is a water-based, isotonic and paraben-free gel designed specifically for perineal massage during pregnancy, and to soothe sore tissues postpartum. Fairhaven Health is generously offering 15% off of all products with the code BirthHour15 at www.fairhavenhealth.com
