Jasmine dealt with constant nausea for the first 16 weeks of pregnancy, but after it subsided she started to focus on hynobirthing techniques, exercising and maintaining a healthy diet. She worked with her doula each week to prepare for the birth and hoped to have an unmedicated birth without interventions.
At 37 weeks, Jasmine went into the birth center for what she thought was a typical checkup. During the appointment the nurse reported her blood pressure was elevated at around 140/100. She was advised to go to the emergency room, where her blood pressure increased even more and she was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia with severe features. She was admitted to labor and delivery where she discovered she was already 5 cm dilated. Due to the pre-eclampsia she was put on magnesium and could not leave the bed. This meant she could not utilize most of the pain management techniques she had been practicing during her pregnancy.
After 8 hours of seeing if her body would progress naturally, she ended up needing to be induced with pitocin and breaking her waters. After her waters were broken, she started to really feel the contractions and was able to breathe through each one with her husband. At 9 cm and a lip, she got the urge to push. The doctor manually moved the lip and she was able to start pushing.
She pushed for about 20 minutes and the baby’s heart rate started dropping, so she had to get the baby out a soon as possible. Soon after, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Listen to her husband’s perspective of their birth story here by becoming a Co-Producer and gaining access to our Partner Podcast!
Jasmine McFarlin Bio
Jasmine is a first time mom who lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband, Tom and daughter Louise, who is 7 months old. She recently left her job at a tech startup to care for her daughter full time.
Today’s episode is sponsored by Advanced Nutrition by Zahler. Zahler offers complete nutrition at a crucial time when it matters most. Zahler kosher Prenatal + DHA contains a potent blend of 26 vitamins & nutrients including 300mg of DHA and the active form of Folate. Zahler’s Prenatal provides the full spectrum of nutrients you and your developing baby require. Enjoy an exclusive 25% off toward your purchase on Amazon using code PREDHA25.
Logan and Brian are parents to five, four girls and their newest arrival, their son Maverick Moon. This was Logan’s third homebirth and one of the goals was for the midwife to make it this time! Logan shared her previous birth stories on episode 441. You can listen to those here.
With a history of quick labors, and the fourth birth having only 40 minutes start to finish, the midwife and videographer arrived after the birth of their fourth daughter, Primrose, who was born at home unassisted. This fifth birth was a little different. It was the first time Logan went into labor without any natural induction methods, and it took a while before she believed she was actually in labor. So much so that she sent her husband to work only 90 minutes before the birth and he had to turn around on the highway to make it home only 30 minutes before Maverick was born! Unexpected, a tad chaotic, but everything turned out just as it was supposed to as their surprise Baby Moon was born only 12 hours after his Blessingway the night before. Connect with her on IG @loganrandazzo.
Today’s episode was sponsored by @CordBloodRegistry, also known as CBR. CBR has helped millions of parents bank their children’s newborn stem cells. Newborn stem cells have amazing potential for treatments in the future and cord blood stem cells have already been used for thirty years in stem cell transplants. It’s kind of like investing in your baby’s future health.
For a limited time, CBR is offering The Birth Hour listeners some pretty big discounts. Go to cordblood.com and use code: HOUR to get 60% off the Newborn Stem Cell Bundle which includes both cord blood and tissue banking. Visit their website to learn more about how newborn stem cell preservation could protect your whole family and why CBR is the #1 most recommended cord blood bank by families and OB/GYNs.
For Camilla’s first birth, she went into labor when the Blue Angels were flying over San Francisco. Her son was born 6 hours later, with a rush to the hospital. Initially the hospital staff told her to go home, and within a few hours her son was born. It was unmedicated as she had hoped. Her labor was so fast that she says her hypnobirthing techniques did not help.
For her second birth, Camilla was fearful that she would give birth at home due to her fast labor with her son so at 28 weeks she changed to a midwife as her care provider and planned a homebirth. She describes it as a very different experience with her 2.5 year old son present holding her hand for a lot of the time. Her daughter was born at sunset in the water.
For her third birth, Camilla prepared for another homebirth and looked forward to having a lot of help with her older kids and enjoying postpartum. Unexpectedly, COVID changed all of that and her kids’ school was closed down right after her baby was born and even her postpartum care was affected because her midwife became flooded with clients and her postpartum doula switched to virtual support.
Camilla Behnke Bio
Camilla lives in the Bay area with her family. She’s been married to her husband for 10 years. They have 3 kiddos, Benjamin, Cecilia, and Oliver.
This episode is sponsored by Expectful – the #1 guided meditation & sleep app for your fertility, pregnancy, and motherhood journey. Just like you probably take a prenatal vitamin for your body, Expectful’s meditations are like a prenatal vitamin for your mind and can help you have a happier, healthier journey to parenthood. Whether you are TTC, pregnant, or postpartum, everything in the Expectful app was made just for this special moment in your life and created based on interviews with hopeful, expecting, and new parents just like you. Ready to reduce stress, improve sleep, and connect with your little one? Go to expectful.com/birthhour or download Expectful in the App Store to get started with a free trial today.
Shauna has two children. Her daughter, Samindra, is three years old and her son, Jun, is one year old. Both births were very different.
With the first child, you really don’t know what to expect and she wanted to keep the “plan” very open. She hired a doula to prep her and her husband for the birth and to help the day of because they didn’t have any close family around. The doula was a great addition to Shauna’s birth team. She was in labor for at least 16 hours and did it all without medication.
Shauna’s second birth was much different. Her water broke to start the process and things progressed really fast. She got the “nine-centimeter shakes” quicker. They asked a few times if she wanted an epidural and this time, she took it. Just a couple of more relaxing hours later, she delivered her second child.
Shauna Vo Pulayya Bio
Shauna is what you might call a multipotentialite. As Emilie Wapnick described in her Ted Talks, a multipotentialite is a person who has not just one true calling but has many talents and interests and can use those to her advantage.
With a background in marketing, communications, sales, design, manufacturing, teaching and travel, Shauna is able to intersect all of these in her day-to-day professional and personal life and enjoy doing it.
Shauna and her husband, Randy, have been to 50 countries and lived abroad for five years. They were featured on NPR’s Ozarks at Large about their travels. They also have a travel blog at travelneverends.co. You can follow them on Instagram @travelneverendsco and Shauna’s account @shaunamichelle14.
Resources
https://travelneverends.co/
https://www.instagram.com/travelneverendsco/
https://www.instagram.com/shaunamichelle14/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunavopulayya/
https://twitter.com/ShaunaMichelle
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.
During her first pregnancy, Emelie hoped and planned for an unmedicated hospital birth. At her 39 week appointment, her blood pressure was extremely high, but she was sent home after passing a nonstress test. Three days later, she returned to the hospital for a blood pressure check and was officially tested for and diagnosed with preeclampsia. This began a 31 hour induction, with what felt like every intervention under the sun. Fortunately, she was able to deliver their baby girl vaginally after 30 minutes of pushing.
Expecting their second child three years later, Emelie and and her husband, Nathan, took the Know Your Options course and felt very prepared to advocate for the unmedicated birth she again hoped to have. Emelie’s water broke at 39 weeks + 3 days in the middle of the night, and when she stood up, she realized she was hemorrhaging. She immediately knew that she was having a placental abruption, and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Fortunately, she was able to be awake during her son’s emergency Cesarean birth, and the staff of the hospital did everything they could to respect her birth wishes, even in the midst of the pandemic.
Emelie Thompson Bio
Emelie is an actor and singer based in northern Virginia. She lives with her husband, Nathan, two children, Violet and Theo, and cat, Walter Mitty. You can connect with her on Instagram at @emeliefaith, or follow her work at www.emeliefaiththompson.com.
Aeroflow Breastpumps has helped thousands of new and expecting parents discover the breastfeeding and postpartum essentials covered by their insurance including breast pumps and maternity compression and postpartum recovery products, 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.
During her first pregnancy, Brenna planned an unmedicated hospital birth with a supportive OB. Despite an uncomplicated and healthy pregnancy, Brenna agreed to an induction as she approached 41 weeks. After beginning the induction with Cytotec, Brenna experienced minimal progress over the course of 30 hours. However, the introduction of a low dose of Pitocin culminated in the rapid onset of active labor and the birth of her and her husband’s daughter just 2.5 hours later. Rowan was 8 lbs and 20.5 inches long, and healthy.
While Brenna was proud and happy to have had an epidural-free, uncomplicated induction, the rapid finish left the experience feeling chaotic and overwhelming. Brenna also discusses testing positive for GBS, but not receiving antibiotics due to the rapid onset of active labor. Brenna had a fairly smooth and positive postpartum period, finding a sense of community in local and online groups. Following her own experience, Brenna became increasingly interested in the world of pregnancy and birth and began specialized training in perinatal mood disorders in her role as a marriage and family therapist.
Brenna Burke Bio
Brenna lives north of Los Angeles with her husband Weston and their two and a half year old daughter, Rowan; she is currently pregnant with their second child. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and works with individuals and couples in her private practice, and is currently completing her certification in Perinatal Mental Health. Brenna loves spending time with her family, traveling to new places, running, and finding new coffee and ice cream spots. You can connect with her on Instagram @brenna__burke and on Facebook.
BabyCube
This episode is sponsored by BabyCube. Your baby’s first year can really fly by and if you’re like me you may feel guilty for not keeping up with that baby book you got at your shower. BabyCube is a simple & easy way to capture memories by adding photos as you go in a user-friendly platform that organizes your baby’s first year week-by-week in a visual timeline. Then, at the end of the year (or when you’re ready) each weekly note & photo is printed and sent to you in a beautiful engraved wooden box. My favorite part is that you can start and finish at your own pace so it’s perfect for parents who need flexibility! And, it is definitely a great alternative to those baby books or journals we all feel like we should be filling out but somehow never do! For a limited time, BabyCube is offering 20% off to birth hour listeners with the coupon code BIRTHHOUR20 at babycubeglobal.com.
Keelie and her partner decided to start their family while living abroad in the Middle East. Keelie’s first pregnancy was smooth until a concern at 34 weeks of low amniotic fluid levels. While subsequent ultrasounds remained moderately concerning, the health of the baby remained strong. At 38 weeks Keelie began having prodromal labor until she experienced premature rupture of membranes. This resulted in an induction and birth – 3 hours later – without an epidural. Keelie’s second pregnancy included a diagnosis of gestational diabetes and an epidural-assisted birth at a joint midwife/doctor practice at a different hospital in the country. Both births were followed by postpartum hemorrhage which was quickly addressed by the medical professionals. While her first birth was a moderately traumatic whirlwind, her second was a far more peaceful, mother-led birthing experience.
Keelie Sorel Bio
Keelie is an American Student Affairs professional living and working in the Middle East. Originally from Colorado, she and her partner, Jake, have 2 kids: 2-year-old Amara and 2-month-old Nadir, and a fur baby, a 6-year-old mutt.
Zahler Prenatal Vitamins
Today’s episode is sponsored by Advanced Nutrition by Zahler. Zahler offers complete nutrition at a crucial time when it matters most. Zahler kosher Prenatal + DHA contains a potent blend of 26 vitamins & nutrients including 300mg of DHA and the active form of Folate. Zahler’s Prenatal provides the full spectrum of nutrients you and your developing baby require. Enjoy an exclusive 25% off toward your purchase on Amazon using code PREDHA25.
In 2017 Madison and her husband Heath decided that they were ready to start a family and quickly became pregnant. They decided that they did not want to birth at a hospital and were able to receive care from a freestanding birth center located in their town. At 37 weeks and 4 days, Madison’s water broke. Since she was GBS positive and labor did not start after 24 hours she was transferred to a local hospital. This began a cascade of interventions and the surprise inability to receive an epidural due to a spinal deformity. After nearly 3 hours of pushing with no success, Madison opted to have a cesarean under general anesthesia.
Madison discusses her postpartum experience and how she felt her birth significantly contributed to PPD, PPA, and PTSD. She knew that for her second birth she wanted a vastly different experience and that she was willing to put in the footwork to be as prepared as possible for every outcome. They decided to begin trying for their second child in January 2020 and had to navigate being pregnant and delivering during the COVID pandemic. Madison discusses how her preparation made for a positive birth and postpartum experience despite having another repeat cesarean birth under general anesthesia.
Madison Webb Bio
Madison lives in Corvallis, Oregon with her husband Heath and two children; Will and Avery. She works as an Academic Advisor for the local university and is a small business owner. You can find her on Instagram at @mhopewebb.
We are so excited to introduce our new partnership with @CordBloodRegistry, also known as CBR. CBR has helped millions of parents bank their children’s newborn stem cells. Newborn stem cells have amazing potential for treatments in the future and cord blood stem cells have already been used for thirty years in stem cell transplants. It’s kind of like investing in your baby’s future health.
For a limited time, CBR is offering The Birth Hour listeners some pretty big discounts. Go to cordblood.com and use code: HOUR to get 60% off the Newborn Stem Cell Bundle which includes both cord blood and tissue banking. Visit their website to learn more about how newborn stem cell preservation could protect your whole family and why CBR is the #1 most recommended cord blood bank by families and OB/GYNs.
July 2018 – Christian Grace. Aubrey and her husband, Chris, felt so fortunate to have conceived their daughter the first month they decided to try and start a family. The first trimester was relatively smooth other than some bad morning sickness. Aubrey was 17 weeks along when she found out her daughter would be born with a cleft lip and palate. Aubrey and Chris were scared, and they spent the rest of the pregnancy learning everything they could about the diagnosis, interviewing with surgical cleft teams, and going to double the appointments as they were seeing their OB and a perinatologist.
After discussing a birth plan with her OB, Aubrey agreed to an induction at 39 weeks so that a NICU team could be prepped and ready in case of an emergency. Aubrey and Chris checked into the hospital at close to midnight on July 5th. They started Aubrey on cervadil to soften her cervix, which caused some intense back-to-back contractions. They removed the cervadil after only 4 hours because it had worked so affectively; then they began Pitocin to start labor. Pitocin was administered around 7am, and shortly after Aubrey received the epidural she had planned to have. Aubrey and Chris spent the next 12 hours spending time together and watching each contraction come and go on the monitor. They had an amazing nurse that took great care of them, was mindful of their birth preferences, and who was sympathetic towards their feelings about their daughter’s cleft.
Around 6pm, it was time to start pushing! Aubrey pushed for about 45 minutes – and then their daughter, Christian Grace, was born! Christian was born at 7:13pm, weighing 7 pounds 2 ounces and 20.5 inches long. The entire pregnancy, labor, and delivery was very emotional for Aubrey, and it was an incredible feeling to have her daughter safely in her arms. Other than a brief check by the NICU team after delivery, the NICU team was not needed. Aubrey and Chris got to enjoy their delayed cord clamping and golden hour with their baby girl.
Other than a 2nd degree tear and some swelling from the fluids/medications from the induction, recovery went relatively smooth. Overall, Aubrey’s birth was a healing experience after a physically and emotionally draining pregnancy.
May 2020 – Heidi Blake. After 6 months of trying to conceive, Aubrey finally got pregnant with her second child. Although she loved her first pregnancy/delivery, she hoped for her next delivery to look different. Ideally, she wanted a spontaneous birth, no epidural, and to labor freely around her room. Aubrey interviewed with a midwife at a birth center, but she didn’t really feel like it was a good fit and assumed a hospital birth was her best option. Around 7 weeks, Aubrey had a huge bleed at home and feared she was losing her baby. The next day she was diagnosed with a very large subchorionic hematoma and advised to “take it easy” for the remainder of the pregnancy.
Aubrey and Chris spent a lot of the pregnancy anxiously wondering if the SCH would negatively affect the pregnancy. During the second trimester, Aubrey was frustrated that her OB wasn’t supportive of her birth preferences. The OB told her it would be too difficult to catch the baby if Aubrey decided to deliver on her hands and knees, and the OB also suggested that Aubrey wouldn’t be able to go the whole labor unmedicated. Then COVID hit and lockdowns went into place. Hospital policies were changing on a daily basis, and Aubrey hated that she would only be able to have her husband in the delivery room – not her mom, her doula, or her birth photographer. So Aubrey decided to interview with one more midwife/birthing center. It was an INSTANT connection, and Aubrey felt immediately respected, heard, and cared for. She switched from her OB to the midwife at 30 weeks pregnant. She also decided to get a doula to help prepare her for and coach her through an unmedicated birth.
The quality of prenatal care she received from her midwife was unlike anything she received from her OB. After 3 membrane sweeps and going 6 days past her due date, Aubrey’s water finally broke at home on May 20th, 2020 at around 2pm. She immediately notified her midwife, doula, mom, and birth photographer. After laboring at home for an hour, they got in the car to head to the birth center. Traffic and construction made the drive much longer, and the contractions in the car were super painful. However, the atmosphere the moment they walked in the birth center completely switched the mood. The lights were dimmed, her labor playlist was on, essential oils were going, and the bath tub was running.
Aubrey spent about an hour leaned over either a birthing ball or the bed, swaying her hips during each contraction. Her husband was massaging her back, mom was fanning her face, and doula was using peppermint essential oils to help with the nausea and offering words of encouragement and a cool rag. Around 4pm, Aubrey decided she wanted to get in the bath. The contractions immediately felt more manageable. Soon, Aubrey felt like it was time to push. After 15 minutes of pushing, their daughter Heidi was born into her daddy’s hands. Heidi Blake was born May 20th, 2020 at 5:01pm. She weighed 6 pounds 9 ounces and was 21 inches long.
Aubrey and Heidi enjoyed their golden hour in a fresh, herbal bath. It was everything Aubrey ever could have hoped for. Overall, Aubrey loved both of her, very different, births. She doesn’t advocate for any type of birth over the other. Instead, she hopes that women have the options and knowledge to decide what birthing preferences and prenatal care would work best for them. She also urges women not to settle for less than exceptional prenatal care and to interview several OBs and midwives to find the right fit.
Aubrey is a stay at home mom to two beautiful girls: Christian Grace (2) and Heidi Blake (8 months). Her and her husband are raising their daughters in the Texas Hill Country. Aubrey initially began her blog, Raising His Wildflowers, to help other cleft families find peace in the cleft diagnosis and to advocate for children born with craniofacial differences. Along with cleft-related content, Aubrey also shares day-to-day life as a stay at home mom in order to bring transparency to the struggles and joys of being a mom. Along with www.raisinghiswildflowers.com, you can also find Aubrey on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube @raisinghiswildflowers
This episode is sponsored by Expectful – the #1 guided meditation & sleep app for your fertility, pregnancy, and motherhood journey. Just like you probably take a prenatal vitamin for your body, Expectful’s meditations are like a prenatal vitamin for your mind and can help you have a happier, healthier journey to parenthood. Whether you are TTC, pregnant, or postpartum, everything in the Expectful app was made just for this special moment in your life and created based on interviews with hopeful, expecting, and new parents just like you. Ready to reduce stress, improve sleep, and connect with your little one? Go to expectful.com/birthhour or download Expectful in the App Store to get started with a free trial today.
A few days before Jenny was 41 weeks with her fifth baby, she came to the Midwife Center to start a natural induction – pumping and walking. After a few hours, her water broke and her labor began. Her family was planning to be present for the birth as well as her two friends who were photographer friends, and her mom and sister. Everyone arrived and Jenny’s labor continued to become more active. During the hardest parts of labor she used toning and spent some time in the tub. There were no surprises until it was time to push and it was much harder than she expected. She realized she needed to push through the pain and when she did, Norma was born surrounded by her thrilled siblings. Watch the video from Norma’s birth: https://vimeo.com/203038501
Jenny Stein Bio
Jenny Stein lives with her husband and five kids in Pittsburgh, PA. Her oldest child is finishing high school and her youngest is in preschool. She gave birth to all of her children with the midwives at The Midwife Center of Pittsburgh. She has been a support person for friends while they were giving birth and also photographed births for families. She loves taking photos of her family life and also loves talking about family photography on her podcast, The Family Photographer. Connect with her on instagram.
Babylist
Today’s episode is sponsored by Babylist. The people at Babylist believe that you should be able to get exactly what you need for your unique and growing family. That’s why their baby registry easily lets you add any item from any store. Plus, Babylist helps you each step of the way with their customized checklist, product guides and reviews, and personal registry consultants. They’ve even got group gifting! Start your registry today to be eligible for a free Hello Baby Box of goodies for baby worth over $100 while boxes last.
Lori and Petra always knew they wanted to start a family, but when the time came in 2017, it did not go as easily as they had hoped. Lori struggled emotionally as IUI after IUI treatment failed, and even completed an unexpected full Ironman (140.6) to deal with the emotional fallout of the process. After 2 years and 6 failed IUIs to ‘prove infertility’, Lori and Petra were fortunate enough to get insurance authorization for a cycle of IVF. Although the egg retrieval process was successful, resulting in 4 viable embryos, the physical aftermath for Lori included OHSS and intermittent ovarian torsion. Despite the setbacks, the first embryo transfer was successful. The 2020 global pandemic started during Lori’s second trimester, but the pregnancy progressed smoothly. In September 2020, their son was born healthy via induction at 41 weeks. Although the delivery was relatively straightforward, Lori experienced postpartum complications that included vertigo, possible mastitis, a fissure, and stage 2 bladder prolapse.
Lori Vance Bio
Lori and her wife Petra met almost 15 years ago while studying abroad in Heidelberg, Germany. 3 years later they started dating in South Korea and got married in 2012 in Rochester, NY. They now live in New Hampshire with their son Nyle, 2 spoiled pit bulls, and a kitty-cat. As of 2020, they also live in a multigenerational home with 3 of Nyle’s grandparents. He loves it. Connect with her on IG: @doitordonot or visit her blog: https://doitordonot.wordpress.com/2020/02/28/ivf/
Before she was even pregnant, Loi had read all there is to read about pregnancy and childbirth. She knew that she wanted an unmedicated birth, and began to prepare herself by learning all she could about labor and delivery. After a smooth pregnancy, Loi had a home water birth with a midwife attending in Nairobi, Kenya!
Loi Awat Bio
Loi Awat is a creative and business writer from Nairobi, Kenya. She has eight years’ experience as a TV writer, creative writing coach, and organizational grant writer. She’s an aspiring author with a passion for children’s books, fantasy, and Afrofuturism.
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.
