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Alicia Eastes is a screenwriter/writer, documentary filmmaker, and founding co-President of an emerging chapter of Women in Film and Television International in Austin, Texas. She lives with her husband and 3½ year old daughter in the South Austin community, where she’ll be welcoming their second child in December 2019. After her amazing experience of neurological restoration through her first pregnancy, Alicia is passionate about connecting with other mothers whose pregnancies or birthing experiences somehow healed them from previous trauma – especially head injuries. Please share your stories of restoration through pregnancy!
To reach Alicia, email her at achoina@gmail.com, connect with her on Facebook, or Twitter. To read about Alicia’s restoration through pregnancy and amazing recovery experience, follow her on her Medium blog.
Birth Story
Alicia went into her first birth experience intending an un-medicated hospital birth, with very little self education and preparation, beyond a hospital birthing class, acupressure techniques, and prenatal yoga. Her mother having successfully vaginally delivered four babies un-medicated, she wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but didn’t anticipate the outcome she had. Alicia awoke to her water breaking prematurely at 7am on April 21st, 2019, and after walking as much as possible and waiting for her slow, minor contractions to pick up, she checked into the hospital around 2/3 that afternoon, at the recommendation of her OBGYN Practice. With no mention of the possibility of premature membrane rupture being her condition, she was pressured and rushed by the staff in the hospital to get the baby out within 24 hours, to prevent the risk of infection for her and the baby.
The anxiety was intense, and she wanted to do everything possible to protect her baby, so she took Cytotec ‘augmentation’ at the recommendation of the nurses, around 10pm that evening, when she was dilated 1.5 cm. Her labor went from 0-60 instantly after Cytotec, and there was no mention or warning of the frequency of Cesarean Section after Cytotec, or the risk of uterine rupture. Prince died on April 21, 2016, and when she was offered Fentanyl, she took it, in honor of Prince, but it just made her loopy and did nothing for the pain. She struggled through 5-6 intense hours of labor, when acupressure was absolutely useless, before she begged for an epidural at 7.5 cm, which was incredible relief. She rested before beginning to push at 10am that morning. At noon on Earth Day, April 22, she successfully delivered her baby girl into the world, who came out hungry and ready to nurse, after practicing the last month in utero. It was adorable.
Resources
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https://www.facebook.com/wiftaustin/
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