Hannah found out she was expecting her first baby very unexpectedly two days after her husband left for a six-month-long deployment. After an easy pregnancy, she was again surprised to find out she had developed preeclampsia at 34 weeks. She had a three-day long induction at 37 weeks that neither she nor her husband felt fully educated or prepared for.
For their second child, Hannah wanted a different experience than her first, namely an unmediated spontaneous labor. She sought out different providers who had a reputation for low-intervention births in her area. She hired a doula and took an extensive in person 7 week childbirth course. She got half of her wish when she went into labor naturally on December 22, but it stalled out overnight and she had prodromal labor for several days. She decided to opt for an epidural when she finally did go into active labor late on Christmas Eve 2021, after several nights of prodromal labor with no rest.
During her third pregnancy, she again desired a low intervention, unmedicated, spontaneous birth, but her care was much different this time. After a blood pressure issue at around 32 weeks, she was cleared when her pressures returned to normal. However, at her 38-week appointment, her blood pressure was in the severe range and did not come down. Her providers recommended an immediate induction due to gestational hypertension. Many issues from her first induction were present again this time, and she also developed a postpartum complication from her epidural by way of a spinal headache. After two trips back to L & D at three and four days postpartum, she finally received a blood patch to fix the spinal headache. It was not the redemptive birth she had hoped for, but she hopes that by sharing her story more parents can be inspired to advocate for themselves with their providers.
Hannah Garguilo Bio
Hannah and her husband Nick live in Virginia Beach, VA with their three daughters. They are avid Philadelphia sports fans and enjoy traveling in their downtime. You can connect with her via Instagram at @hannahabigaill.
Resources
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.
SNP Therapeutics
Today’s episode is sponsored by SNP Therapeutics, makers of the Genate Test. Based on over 16 million dollars in NIH grants, and more than 30 years of nutrition and genetic research, SNP Therapeutics is leading the charge in the field of prenatal, precision-nutrition genetic testing.
SNP Therapeutics is committed to providing accurate and usable information to help mothers provide the best possible nutrition to their babies through The Genate Test: a prenatal, precision-nutrition, genetic test that offers personalized dietary adjustments and supplement recommendations based on your DNA.
You can rest easy knowing that your prenatal nutrition has been optimized by tailoring it to your genetic code. Find peace of mind about your prenatal nutrition with the Genate Test by SNP Therapeutics. Learn more at genate.com and Use code BIRTHHOUR15 for 15% off your order.
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