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Birth Center & Hospital Unmedicated Births + Getting Help with PPD

Posted on February 25, 2020 - 4:00 am by admin

To listen to this episode, and hundreds more birth stories in The Birth Hour archives, join our listener supporter Patreon here!

Karyn Brown had two unmedicated births with midwives, but both experiences were very different. Her older child, Cecily’s birth was an empowering Birth Center experience: she went into labor at 41 weeks and arrived at a full birth center on Thanksgiving day. She spent time laboring in an empty birthing classroom, eventually moving into a birthing room, then Cecily was born after a long pushing phase.

Her younger child Caleb’s birth was in a hospital due to moving towns. Labor started at 38.5 weeks with a water leak, and a slow early labor at home that took a lot of walking and distraction to progress to active labor. Once at the hospital, after transitioning in the tub, her water broke and her body began pushing baby out on its own. Baby came out fast and furious, and then Karyn had a postpartum hemorrhage. The next morning, Caleb was taken to the NICU for Tachypnea (fast breathing due to fluid) and he was there for 5 days. Karyn experienced Postpartum Depression and NICU PTSD and ultimately found a postpartum counselor to help her through it.

Karyn Brown Bio

Karyn is a working mom who lives the greater Philadelphia area with her husband Julian and her two children, 4 year old Cecily and one year old Caleb. She is a babywearing educator with Central New Jersey Babywearing, a sewing and crafting enthusiast, and a regular contributor on the Everything Is Permitted podcast. Connect with her on Instagram: @orangutangy

Resources

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
Mama Natural visual birth plan template
www.cnjbabywearing.com
Clue cycle tracking app

Kindred Bravely

Today’s 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), the comfy Jane pajamas, and their high waisted underwear! Listen to this episode for a special coupon code!

Bradley Method Birth & Overcoming Breastfeeding Challenges

Posted on February 20, 2020 - 4:00 am by admin

To listen to this episode, and hundreds more birth stories in The Birth Hour archives, join our listener supporter Patreon here!

Having attended the home births of three of her siblings, Victoria knew she wanted an unmedicated birth from the start. Living on an island notorious for its horrible traffic made Victoria nervous about birthing at home (if by chance there was a medical emergency), so after touring a local birth center, she decided that was where she felt most comfortable.

She completed the Bradley Birth Method course that the center offered on site, and credits the Bradley Method with allowing her to speak up for what she wanted, and not be pushed into an induction by an OB-GYN in her group practice who also swept her membranes without permission.

After a long walk up and down a steep hill in her neighborhood, Victoria went into labor at 39 weeks and 4 days, and proceeded to vomit non-stop from 3:30am until arriving at the birth center the next day at 1:30pm. She received fluids to help with her dehydration, and then labored for three more hours until she was ready to push. Her daughter Frances was born at 5:02pm, after 40 minutes of pushing.

Despite having attended many La Leche League meetings as a child with her mom, breastfeeding did not come as intuitively as Victoria had imagined it would. A cracked and bleeding nipple and her infant throwing up blood convinced her to seek out her local La Leche League, as well as a Mommy Hui, where she felt very supported, and most importantly, not alone. She went on to nurse her daughter for 3 years and 3 months, and is grateful to the example that her mom set as a home birthing and breastfeeding mom.

Victoria Hill Bio

Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Victoria Hill has lived mostly in Honolulu since 2005. Victoria has worked in higher education as an Administrator and ESL teacher, and is currently the Director of Online and Graduate Admissions at Chaminade University of Honolulu. In her free time she enjoys hiking with her daughter (now 5), and spending as much time as she can at the beach. You can see pictures of her life in Hawaii, and reach out to her on her Instagram at @victorialoha.

Resources

Crate & Kids

This episode of The Birth Hour is sponsored by Crate and Kids. Crate and Kids believes in rooms that welcome little ones and their grown-ups. Ready for each stage of childhood, their inspiring, versatile designs celebrate your family’s unique way of living, and help make yours a creative home to grow in. Use code TheBirthHour10 at checkout to receive 10% off your full-price purchase of Kids furniture and more at crateandkids.com. It’s valid online only, and some exclusions apply, so see their website for details.

Transferring Care at 30 Weeks & Birth Center Birth Story

Posted on February 18, 2020 - 4:42 pm by admin

After taking a year and a half to get pregnant, Jana and her husband Mikey found out they were expecting their first baby in November 2018. Jana started her care with an OB that a friend recommended while researching options to deliver at a birthing center. She and her husband both wanted an unmedicated birth experience. At 30 weeks they switched care to a birthing center. After a very easy pregnancy, her 38 hour labor started at 41 weeks, with over 5 hours of pushing, she almost gave up at the end and wanted to transfer to a hospital. She is grateful that she pulled through and gave birth to her son, Zion Marley, at the birth center.

Jana Iankova Bio

Jana and her husband Mikey met 15 years ago in Vail, Colorado (now they live in California). She went there from Bulgaria to snowboard and work for just one winter. They met at the ski shop where she worked and they fell in love but after the winter she had to go back home. They kept in touch during the summer and Jana went back again for the next winter following her heart and never looked back. They enjoyed snowboarding and working together at the ski resort and during the off-seasons, they traveled around the world for about 4 months out of the year. They were in their late 20’s and not ready to settle.

After 7 years of dating and traveling to over 30 countries together, they got engaged in Morocco and married in the Dominican Republic. After 11 years in Colorado, they decided to move to California. Being 35 and 36 years old at that time they were still not ready to settle and have kids despite all the pressure from friends and family. Two years later they decided that finally they are ready and they can try to have kids. They wanted it to happen naturally and unplanned which took a year and a half to get pregnant. At the end of 2018 their dream came true and they were expecting their first son. You can follow them and their travels on Instagram @onelove.ourlove @onelovewithzion and their blog www.oneloveourlove.com

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.

Patreon Member

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Plus Size Pregnancy & Advocating for Unmedicated Birth Plan

Posted on February 13, 2020 - 4:00 am by admin 1

To listen to this episode, and hundreds more birth stories in The Birth Hour archives, join our listener supporter Patreon here!

Alle had her heart set on an unmedicated birth. She spent her entire pregnancy educating herself on what that might look like with being overweight; however, she also had to deal with fear mongering from her OB. She was encouraged by her support team, which included her husband and her mother, but constantly questioned by her medical care provider.

She was tested for gestational diabetes early, but wasn’t diagnosed with it until 28 weeks and was later diagnosed with gestational hypertension – which ended up being a misdiagnosis. At Alle’s anatomy scan, a technician claimed it was difficult to get the best read on the baby because of her weight. However, in later scans Alle was told that her weight should not be a problem and that technician should not have told her that. They also found a calcium deposit on baby’s heart called an EIF. The gestational hypertension diagnosis led to twice-weekly non-stress tests, a mention of scheduling a c-section at her 33 week appointment, 2 growth scans, and the constant talk of induction.

Alle wrote a detailed birth plan with everything that she wanted for herself during labor and delivery, and advocated for herself during appointments throughout her pregnancy to inform her medical care professionals that she would not make any of these drastic decisions unless it was medically necessary. At her 38 week appointment, the doctor sent her to Labor and Delivery for a failed non-stress test. At this time her doctor yet again mentioned induction, and also found protein in her urine. Instead, Alle asked for a membrane sweep. With her birth plan in hand, she headed to the hospital for monitoring. On the way there, she had her first contraction in the car. Only 6 hours later she was holding her baby boy after having the best birth experience she could have dreamed of.

Alle Sanchez Bio Summary

Alle lives in the Metro Detroit area with her husband, William, their 18 month old son, Henrik, and their dog Boba. She is a photographer, aspiring birth worker, and is currently working as a marketing coordinator/event planner.

Alle and William met in High School and started dating her freshman year in college. She graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree concentrating in photography. William proposed at the Detroit Institute of Arts after 6 years of dating, they got married in October of 2016. One year later, to the day, they conceived their first child, Henrik Wolf. He was born in June 2018. Alle is currently expecting their surprise gender baby #2 in March.
Alle is working on building her photography business to become her full time job, with a focus on women, their growing families, and the beautiful process they go through to become mothers. She has goals to become a doula and birth educator in the near future. Connect with her on Instagram: @allesanchezphoto or @alle.wolfmama and Facebook: Alle Sanchez: Photographer or via her website www.allesanchezphoto.com.

Resources

Sweet Momma Yoga for the southeast Michigan Momma’s
Expressions! Lactation Services Facebook Group run by lactation specialists
Birth Becomes Her – find a local birth photographer
The Wonder Weeks App
The Birth Hour
Aeroflow Breastpumps
Grove.co

Aeroflow Breastpumps

Aeroflow Breastpumps has helped thousands of new and expecting moms find the perfect pump for her lifestyle. They offer all major pump brands including Medela, Spectra, Motif, Lansinoh, Ameda and more. And the best part, they take care of everything – including getting all required paperwork, dealing with your insurance company, and explaining your options in order to get your free pump shipped straight to your door.

Bonus — you may also qualify for free maternity compression garments like compression socks, maternity support band, and a postpartum recovery garment PLUS breast pump resupply products ranging from new bottles, tubing, and flanges to duck valves and pump membranes.

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 I sent you!

Unmedicated Hospital Births & Postpartum Bliss vs PPD

Posted on February 11, 2020 - 4:00 am by admin 1

To listen to this episode, and hundreds more birth stories in The Birth Hour archives, join our listener supporter Patreon here!

Zahra Kassam, an early childhood education entrepreneur, delivered her two children with unmedicated hospital births using midwives and the hypnobirthing method. Having experienced both postpartum bliss and postpartum depression, she contrasts her two births, her miscarriage, and discusses the importance of mothers caring for themselves.

Zahra Kassam Bio

Zahra Kassam is Founder and CEO of Monti Kids: the only subscription service for children ages 0-3 that provides an authentic Montessori education, proven in schools for over 100 years. Zahra holds a BA in Psychology from Harvard and a Master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is an internationally certified Montessori teacher at the infant, toddler, and preschool levels and a mother to two young boys.

Through Monti Kids, Zahra is filling the education void from birth to preschool, the most critical years of development when 85% of the brain is formed. Zahra has been invited to the White House Early Education Summit, named a Global Education Influencer, named a ‘World Changing Woman’ by Conscious Company Media, and was nominated for the Dalai Lama Unsung Heroes of Compassion Awards for her work with children. Zahra has appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank and recently gave a TEDx talk on education for babies. Follow Zahra on Instagram @zahraikassam.

Resources

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 lets you add any item from any store. Even add cool services and favors like prenatal yoga, doula support, home-cooked meals or dog walking. Start your registry today to be eligible for a free Hello Baby Box of goodies for baby worth up to $190 while boxes last.

Gestational Diabetes, Induction, and Becoming a Single Mother by Choice

Posted on February 6, 2020 - 4:00 am by admin

To listen to this episode, and hundreds more birth stories in The Birth Hour archives, join our listener supporter Patreon here!

After 10 years with her partner, Liz was facing two daunting life changes simultaneously: a failing relationship and a positive pregnancy test. 35 years old and pregnant for the first time, Liz had the amazing opportunity to become a mom, but she grappled with the fact that for her and her child to be safe and happy, she must leave an abusive relationship. Although difficult, with the support of her friends and family, Liz was able to safely start her life over and pregnancy gave her focus and great joy.

Liz’s pregnancy was physically pretty easy, but emotionally the 9 months were very trying. With her doula best friend at her side, Liz was able to plan for the labor and birth she had been wanting ever since she started dreaming of having a baby. With advanced maternal age and gestational diabetes, she was told an induction was unavoidable, but Liz was determined to have a medication (aside from Pitocin) free labor and birth.

A slow start to the induction and a few “old school” nurses who doubted her plans didn’t deter Liz from what she was focused on accomplishing. Once her labor kicked into gear, it was only six hours until she pulled her baby girl onto her chest for the first time. The experience changed her in so many more ways than just becoming a mother. Liz wants other women to know that no matter what circumstances surround the conception of your baby, you are entitled to celebrate, love, and be fulfilled from the experience of pregnancy and birth.

Liz Ekelund Bio

Liz and her 2.5 year old daughter, Neila, live in rural Southwestern Oregon. They enjoy time outdoors and traveling around the state to visit friends and family. A self-proclaimed “birth nerd,” Liz loves to study all things pregnancy and birth related when she is not working her “9-5” job in the mortgage industry. They are hoping to expand their small family in the near future, as Liz is actively trying for baby #2 by way of becoming a “Single Mother by Choice” to a little sibling for Neila.

FamilyAlbum Photo Sharing App

Today’s episode is sponsored by FamilyAlbum. FamilyAlbum is a family-focused photo sharing app with over 5 million users worldwide. FamilyAlbum helps you save, share, and remember the special moments in your baby’s life. You can even get started before baby is born and document your pregnancy.

FamilyAlbum app offers unlimited free storage, is completely ad-free, and provides smart, automatic organization. But my absolute favorite thing is that you can invite friends and family to view your photos privately and securely. You can even specify which family members see which photos. Your family will be notified when new photos are added and they can leave comments creating a fun conversation! You can also use suggested ideas for monthly photobooks, or create your own and then have them shipped straight to your door. The app keeps your memories safe, allowing you to recover them even if your phone is lost or damaged. To download this fun app head to the apple or google play app store and search for FamilyAlbum, or go to family-album.com!

10 Safe Essential Oils for Babies

Posted on February 5, 2020 - 8:07 am by admin 7

You may be new to essential oils or have used them for a long time but you’re wondering which ones are safe to use with your new baby. We will go over some guidelines and tips for using essential oils with your baby so you can use them with confidence!

Are essential oils safe for babies?

Essential oils can be an amazing addition to your home and you may already be using them in lots of ways with your family but when baby arrives of course you are more concerned about their sensitive little bodies. Essential oils can be safely used with baby but you should keep a couple of things in mind first.

Always consult your healthcare provider

When starting anything new with your baby, it never hurts to ask your care provider! Some may not be knowledgeable in the use of essential oils so it may be important to you to find one who is.

Dilute heavily

Diluting essential oils is always recommended for people of any age because they are super concentrated. For babies especially, you’re going to want to dilute oils even more! There’s no one answer when it comes to diluting essential oils for babies but since I use Young Living oils, I like to follow their dilution guidelines. For ages 0-1 they recommend 8 drops carrier oil to 1 drop essential oil. A carrier oil that’s great for babies is coconut or jojoba oil.

Start Slow

When starting to use essential oils with your baby it’s a good idea to start slowly! When my littlest one was born, I liked to wear Lavender or a blend called Gentle Baby on my own skin and knew he would be smelling it as well when we cuddled. If you’re using it on your baby, after diluting do a test patch on their leg to make sure they don’t have an adverse reaction before using again. Diffusing before using topically is a good idea (again use less drops than you normally would), and babies shouldn’t be ingesting oils.

10 essential oils that are safe for babies

1. Gentle Baby

Gentle Baby is a special blend from Young Living formulated with Coriander, Geranium, Palmarosa, Lavender, Ylang Ylang, Roman Chamomile, and other sweet-smelling essential oils. It will become one of your favorites to use on your baby. It smells so dreamy (basically smells like a new baby!), offers a sense of calming and is so perfect for baby’s skin (remember to dilute!).

The uses for Gentle Baby essential oil are countless, but its soft fragrance is perfect for diffusing in your home or child’s bedroom in the evening or for applying topically because the Gentle Baby blend has all kinds of great oils for your skin. I use it in a homemade diaper balm for my baby!

2. Lavender

Lavender is known for bringing on the sleepy vibes and is a well-loved essential oil for use in baby’s nursery. Simply use one or two drops in the diffuser or create your own linen spray to use in baby’s crib before bedtime.

3. White Angelica

White Angelica is a blend of Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Melissa, Rose, Bergamot, Myrrh, Northern Lights Black Spruce, Hyssop, and Sacred Sandalwood. It’s citrus and woodsy and smells like heaven. Use this oil to create positive vibes and feelings. I love to wear it as perfume and then cuddle with baby and it’s one of our absolute favorites to diffuse in baby’s room at bedtime.

4. Roman Chamomile

Roman Chamomile is another wonderful essential oil for sleep and calming vibes. You may already drink chamomile tea before bed and be familiar with the fragrant scent. I love to diffuse Chamomile with Lavender and Cedarwood as well as use it in a roller before bedtime.

5. Cedarwood

As I mentioned above, I love to add Cedarwood to my bedtime diffuser blends as well as homemade rollers. You can even use the roller on baby’s feet before bed just remember to dilute more than you would when making a roller for yourself.

6. Copaiba

This has been a very comforting oil to my baby when he’s getting a new tooth. We dilute one drop in a tablespoon of coconut oil and apply it to his jawline. At age15 months, he now asks for his “oils” when a new tooth is trying to come in.

7. Citrus Oils – Bergamot, Tangerine, Orange, Lemon

There are so many amazing citrus oils that can be so lovely to use with your baby. I especially like to add a drop of a citrus oil in with other oils like lavender or cedarwood for a sweet dreams bedtime diffuser blend.

8. Ylang Ylang

Ylang Ylang is a very special essential oil that you will often see listed on the ingredients of high end hair and skin products. I love to add it to our baby lotion or body wash for a baby spa-like experience! It’s also in the Gentle Baby blend that we love so much.

9. Peace & Calming

Peace & Calming is one of Young Living’s most popular blends and comes in the starter kit. It’s a blend of Ylang Ylang, Orange, Tangerine, Patchouli, and Blue Tansy. It has a very calming and sweet smell and we use it often during our bedtime routine or even prior to that when the kids are all a little wired. It’s always such a nice reset for the whole house and is a very potent essential oil blend that only requires a couple of drops in the diffuser to fill the whole room with the best vibes!

10. Calm

This is a newer blend from the Young Living Seedlings line which was especially formulated for babies. It includes Lavender essential oil, Coriander essential oil, Bergamot essential oil, Ylang Ylang essential oil, and Geranium essential oil. It has a lot of similarities to Gentle Baby and is pre-diluted with coconut oil for your little ones.

9 essential oils you shouldn’t use on your baby

There are a few essential oils that should be avoided with babies. Generally, they are going to be the strongest smelling oils that can be too much for sensitive little noses. You will also want to be sure you are using a reputable brand because so many essential oils have fillers and synthetics that may or may not be listed on the label. This is by no means an exhaustive list but these are the essential oils that are frequently mentioned in my research as oils to avoid with babies and small children.

Basil
Sage and Clary Sage
Wintergreen
Peppermint
Eucalyptus
Hyssop
Idaho Tansy
Juniper
Basil

How to use essential oils on your baby

Baby massage

Baby massage has many benefits for your little one including soothing, bonding and even easing discomforts like tummy troubles. Try adding a drop of lavender, Gentle Baby, or the Calm blend to a carrier oil like coconut oil and then giving your baby a massage. There are lots of videos on youtube on baby massage and this book is also a great reference.

Bath time

You shouldn’t drop essential oils right into the bath water because babies are likely going to get some water in their eyes! Plus essential oils need a carrier to blend with or they will simply float on the surface of the water. I recommend adding your favorite essential oils to use with baby into the non-toxic bath products you’re already using.

Diffuser

This is our absolute favorite way to use essential oils with our little ones. We have integrated the diffuser into our bedtime routine and will add a couple of drops of our favorite sleepy oils (lavender, white angelica, roman chamomile, cedarwood, and more) into the diffuser and turn it on while we are getting pajamas on and reading books. It creates the most peaceful vibes for both parents and baby!

DIY Baby Products

Baby’s don’t need a lot of products for their skin and I love to keep it really simple. I like to be able to pronounce all of the ingredients in the products that I use on my baby. One of my favorite things to make is a homemade diaper balm for our baby. I simply melt organic olive oil with beeswax in a double boiler and add 2 drops of lavender, 2 drops gentle baby, plus one drop cypress in a 1 oz jar.

Ready to get started using essential oils?

Essentials are a great addition to any home whether you have little ones or not! You will love the aromatic uplifting vibes they bring to your day and the more you dive into using essential oils, the more you will learn about how to integrate them into other areas of your life. I’d love to be the one to help you discover essential oils and if you’re curious about how I got started using oils, this is a great place to start.

Two Hospital Birth, Two Homebirths (one accidental unassisted)

Posted on February 4, 2020 - 4:00 am by admin 1

To listen to this episode, and hundreds more birth stories in The Birth Hour archives, join our listener supporter Patreon here!

Logan Randazzo Four Birth Stories

Logan is mama of four girls, with two hospital births and two home births. Logan and her husband, Brian, always considered home birth but after their second daughter, Willow, was almost born in the car after only a 90 minute labor, they felt it was best to explore birthing at home. Labor number three, Aspen, was again 90 minutes and at home with their midwife arriving 15 minutes before the birth.

As expected, baby girl number four, Primrose, came into the world even quicker than her three big sisters, after a fast and furious 40 minutes of labor, leaving Brian and Logan at home for an unassisted birth with their three other children. Midwives arrived shortly after the whirlwind birth to a healthy 8lbs, 2oz Primrose! All was well and Logan shares how empowering the experience was for their whole family. Connect with Logan on Instagram @loganrandazzo.

Ergobaby

Today’s episode is sponsored by Ergobaby. Founded in 2003, Ergobaby is dedicated to building a global community of confident parents with smart, ergonomic solutions that enable and encourage bonding between parents and babies. Ergobaby offers a broad range of award-winning baby carriers, strollers, swaddlers, nursing pillows, and related products that fit into families’ daily lives seamlessly, comfortably, and safely. At the end of today’s episode I spoke to Kelly all about the new Embrace carrier from Ergobaby.

A Labor & Delivery Nurse tells her Hospital Birth Story

Posted on January 30, 2020 - 4:00 am by admin

Isabel went into labor while working a night shift as an L&D nurse at the hospital she was delivering. Her contractions started at about 1am and were mild and regular. By 6am, they were strong enough for others to notice and she was sent home by her charge nurse. Prior to leaving, Isabel’s OB checked her cervix and found she was already 5cm dilated. She drove home in hopes of getting through early labor in the comfort of her own home. Luckily, her parents had come over for the weekend and were home when she arrived. She woke her husband and shared the news.

Everyone returned to the hospital by 8am. Isabel continued to labor with the support of her husband, family, and co-workers until she was completely dilated around 3:30pm. She pushed for approximately 30 minutes and delivered a vigorous baby boy at 4:04pm who weighed 7lbs 8oz.

Isabel Jean Bio

Isabel lives in the outskirts of Raleigh/Durham, NC with her husband, 1.5-year-old son, and 9-year-old dog. She recently had a career change and started working as a certified nurse midwife in a local hospital. Prior to that, she worked as a labor and delivery nurse for 8 years. Currently, she is focusing on developing her career and associated skills while balancing her new-ish mom role.

Resources

www.globalhealthmedia.org for great videos on breastfeeding
A local IBCLC – https://uslca.org/resources/find-an-ibclc
The Bradley Method – find a local teacher on their website
Facebook due date groups for general support

Kindred Bravely

Second Unmedicated VBAC

Posted on January 28, 2020 - 4:00 am by admin 1

Listener favorite, Caitlin Shrum, is back to share her second VBAC birth story. You can hear this as well as her first two birth stories (episodes 185 & 244) in our archives. Archives are accessible to listener supporters via Patreon!

Caitlin’s First Birth – Unwanted Cesarean

Cooper’s pregnancy was textbook, and like most eager first time parents, once labor started, Caitlin went to the hospital too quickly. Instead of being sent home, the doctor on-call told Caitlin she was too comfortable, and started unnecessarily intervening with her birth. After breaking her water and starting her on pitocin at 3 cm, it was clear her body and baby weren’t handling things well. After 24 hours of labor, Caitlin and her husband found themselves in the operating room having an unplanned cesarean birth and welcomed their first baby, Cooper Andrew, on August 10, 2015. He was 8 lbs 2 oz. Caitlin was over the moon in her new role as a mother, and knew that she wanted something different for her future birth(s).

Caitlin’s Second Birth – Unmedicated VBAC

Before getting pregnant with her second baby, Caitlin had immersed herself in all things birth in order to prepare and educate herself for a different outcome. After about 4 months of trying, Caitlin and her husband, Andrew were expecting their second son. On New Year’s Day 2018, Caitlin was officially in labor. Having labored at home for 12 hours, Caitlin, her husband, and mother headed to the hospital. With the support of her family and doula, Caitlin managed through about 5 more hours of labor. After an hour and a half of pushing, Charlie Maxwell made his entrance on January 2, 2018! He weighed 9 lbs 3 oz and allowed Caitlin to have the healing experience she was hoping for.

Caitlin’s Third Birth – Second Unmedicated VBAC

While 10 months postpartum with her second, Charlie, Caitlin and her husband found themselves with a surprise pregnancy. It was a lot for Caitlin to wrap her head around as they were still adjusting to life as a family of four. All that said, Caitlin was thrilled and knew the kind of birth she wanted and hired the same doula. Thankfully she had an easy pregnancy, minus the aches and pains and after 2 weeks of prodromal labor, Caitlin finally went into labor on her own at exactly 41 weeks. She knew things would be relatively quick given how dilated she was at her previous doctor appointment. While in labor, Caitlin wrestled with the idea of pain medication after anxious thoughts about the pain of birth made her doubt herself. Thanks to a quick transitional phase and the support of her husband and doula, Caitlin and Andrew welcomed their third son, Liam Connor, in just two pushes weighing in at a whopping 10 lbs 3 oz.

Caitlin Shrum Bio

Caitlin lives in the Bay Area, California with her husband Andrew and their three boys, Cooper (4), Charlie (2), and Liam (3 months). She has worked for Netflix for close to 9 years in their Talent organization, starting in recruiting and now human resources. Caitlin loves spending her time with her family, going to playgrounds, frequenting their local farmers market, and walking to get coffee for the adults and croissants for the boys (their favorite). You can connect with her on Instagram @caitshrum.

Motif Medical

How to Design a Montessori Room for Your Baby

Posted on January 24, 2020 - 1:00 pm by admin

All three of our kids have attended Montessori or Montessori-based preschools and we love the minimalistic and practical approach to toys (or works), furniture, and daily rhythms. When we were planning to transition our one-year-old into a room that was more for him than an afterthought/sometimes guest room, I knew I wanted to bring in some of the Montessori designs I had come to love. I fell in love with the simple Montessori furniture from Sprout and partnered with them on this post. You can use the code birthhour for 10% off at Sprout.

6 Things to Consider when Designing a Montessori Bedroom for Baby

There are a few key elements when designing a Montessori room for your baby or toddler.

Montessori Floor Bed for Baby

While you can definitely just put a mattress on the floor, we decided to go with a beautiful, yet simple, natural wood bed frame that can grow with our baby. This bed from Sprout keeps him from rolling over the back side and then as he gets older you can flip it over and have it a little higher off the ground. We have a few furniture items from Sprout and my favorite thing about their products is how easy everything is to put together. I can put it together by myself without any tools and very quickly! Floor beds are a staple in Montessori because they encourage independence, allowing baby to get in and out of bed as needed.

Organic Mattress for Baby

Another important aspect of the bed, for us, was having a non-toxic mattress. Conventional mattresses are filled with all kind of nasty ingredients that no one should be spending half of their day laying on! We decided on a twin mattress from My Green Mattress that is GOTS Certified organic and comes in a bunk size that is the perfect thickness for our floor bed! We also got their Organic Cotton Waterproof Protector because, well, accidents happen, but at the same time I didn’t want to cover our organic mattress with a mattress protector that wasn’t toxin-free as well.

I personally love having a comfortable mattress to lay down on when I’m in our little one’s room too! We still nurse before naps and bedtime and it’s so nice to cozy up together on a mattress that’s big enough for me too!

Play and Movement Space for Baby

We have a simple infant shelf, also from Sprout, in our baby’s room that is great for pulling up on and choosing his own toys to play with. We rotate out toys periodically to keep it interesting and prevent the shelf from being overwhelming with too many items. We always have blocks, some sort of puzzle toy, a stacking toy, books, and musical instruments (current favorite is a very loud drum!)

Finding high quality toys that will last a lifetime is important to us and we find that all three of our kids have enjoyed these items more than the flashing/noise-making toys that flood many store shelves. We are currently loving the quarterly subscription box of Montessori materials selected by age from Monti Kids. You can use the code BIRTHHOUR40 to save $40 + free shipping on your first Monti Kids order! Monti Kids provides Montessori subscription boxes and access to child development experts for children ages 0-3. Monti Kids subscription boxes come with toys and guidance in an easy to use program to give your baby the best education from birth.

Mirror

Mirrors are a frequent component of Montessori spaces and a great addition to a bedroom. We have ours behind the play area so our baby can make silly faces and watch himself play. For a younger baby, many parents will put the mirror next to the bed or changing area so baby can see themself while laying down on the floor. An easy tip for getting a mirror (and what we did), is to use one of the giant mirrors that many home builders install in bathrooms. You can remove it and hang a mirror in the bathroom with a bit more character! Or check online for people giving away these old bathroom mirrors.

Dressing and Self Care Area

Allowing your child to choose their own clothes and dress themselves from an early age is one of my favorite Montessori ideas. Not only does it make life easier when you are avoiding battles over clothing but I love to watch the creative outfits that come together! Obviously with a one year old, their ability to dress themselves is limited but even at 14 months, our baby knows that hats go on his head, socks go on his feet, and pants go on his legs. He will pull clothing out of his child-size wardrobe and place them where he thinks they belong on his body and then we can help him actually get dressed.

I love our Alba wardrobe from Sprout because it is customizable— we can add and remove shelves and doors based on the stage our little one is at. Right now we use all of the shelves and left the door off of the hanging clothes side so that our baby can see his jackets and sweaters and grab one when we ask him if he’s ready to go outside!

Simple Decor

Babies and Toddlers don’t benefit from a character-themed bedroom (it’s more for the adults, right?) and Montessori rooms tend to include neutral colors and natural materials without a lot of excess clutter. If you do add wall decor, make it something that’s safe to hang at their eye level so they can enjoy it—it’s their room after all! We actually have a couple of canvases that our older kids made for the baby’s room before he was born that I still need to lower to his level since I doubt he even knows they are there currently! One of our baby’s favorite things in his room is the sheepskin rug. It’s so soft and he will often crawl over to it just to roll around for a bit!

Conclusion

Creating a Montessori based room for your baby doesn’t have to be perfect! Have fun with the design elements but focus on keeping it simple! Less is more and it won’t always be a picture-perfect space (see below!) but the goal is for baby’s room to be a place that he (and you!) want to spend time and explore together!

Sources:

Floor bed, wardrobe, and infant shelf – c/o Sprout code “thebirthhour”
Montessori Materials/Toys – c/o MontiKids code “BIRTHHOUR40”
Twin Bunk Mattress – c/o My Green Mattress
Wooden Bins – Target
Olive Wood Bowls – Trader Joes (seasonal)
Child Size hangers
Sheepskin Rug – Costco

Unmedicated Hospital Birth with Birth Tub, Therapy Balls, and Labor Bars

Posted on January 23, 2020 - 4:00 am by admin

To listen to this episode, and hundreds more birth stories in The Birth Hour archives, join our listener supporter Patreon here!

As a first-time mom, Kayla Bruccoleri spent the majority of her pregnancy educating herself on the female body and just how capable it truly is. She let that education empower her to have an unmedicated birth. Though she had a hospital birth, she labored on therapy balls, using labor bars, and spent almost the whole time in a labor tub. After about a twelve hour labor and an hour of pushing, she got her precious son placed right on her chest and they enjoyed every moment of that precious, golden-hour untouched together. Kayla would love to connect with you on Instagram over at @k_bruccoleri.

Crate and Kids

This episode of The Birth Hour is sponsored by Crate and Kids. Crate and Kids understands the joys, surprises (and challenges) that come with having a baby. That’s why their warm and modern designs are made just for your growing family while also allowing you to keep your sense of style.

Use code TheBirthHour10 at checkout to receive 10% off your full-price purchase of kids furniture and accessories at crateandkids.com. It’s valid online only, and some exclusions apply, so see their website for details.

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