Hi Baby. You don’t really understand, but today is your FIRST BIRTHDAY. We made it! And of course, we are celebrating in style by waking up at 5 AM! Little Brother, you have taught me so much this year. This past year has radically transformed the way I view the world, and I owe that … [Read more…]
August 25, 2015 – 39 weeks, 6 days I had originally planned to title this post “Strong enough? Finding the balance between female empowerment and dependence on God.” And I’m going to talk about that, I promise. But I realize, at 1 day shy of 40 weeks up at 5:30AM having contractions, that I can’t … [Read more…]
Each week that passes of Little Brother’s life, I’m more grateful. Not just for him, but for Ezra too. And for the cesareans that brought them into the world. I’ve spent the last 29 posts talking all about this experience of trying for VBAC and everything that went into it for me. I’ve given advice and shared … [Read more…]
Dear CBAC Mom: I just want you to know that I get you. For nine months you carried your baby within you. And for nine months – maybe even longer – you dreamed about pushing that baby out of your body with your own strength. You planned. You prepared. You hired a doula. You probably spent hours reading books and websites, … [Read more…]
Cut, Stapled, and Mended: When One Woman Reclaimed Her Body and Gave Birth on Her Own Terms After Cesarean by Roanna Rosewood was the only book I read while I was pregnant. Roanna is a HBA2C mom who wrote her story in a memoir format. This book covers not only her three pregnancies but also story from … [Read more…]
Today I’m opening up my blog to friend, fellow blogger, and “stand in the gap” friend Jessica Hoover. Jessica is a doula with a heart for moms whose births don’t go to plan. She’s here today to share a bit about her births and how to best form a birth plan. I gave birth naturally … [Read more…]
July 22, 2015 I’m 35 weeks pregnant today. Last night, we attended the 2nd week of our two-week “childbirth refresher” course at the hospital where we will be having Little Brother. Another mom asked a question about catheter procedure during epidurals and spinals, and I almost gasped. Just like that I remembered that the night … [Read more…]
Written on April 30, 2015 23 Weeks, 1 day Last week I realized that I didn’t remember what the pain felt like. I know it was bad and there was screaming, but it’s a blur, and I have no physiological memory of it. All that changed last night. I had a nightmare. I was at … [Read more…]
Optimal fetal positioning is a hot buzzword in the natural birthing world, especially when it comes to VBAC. So what is it all about, and why does it matter? More importantly, what does the scientific research say? My Story I remember lying there on the operating table when they came back and told me my first … [Read more…]
Birth affirmations. Those wonderful mantras that mamas repeat to themselves in pregnancy and birth to maintain a positive outlook on birth. When I was preparing for my VBAC, I ATE THEM UP! (You can view the complete list of birth affirmations I used in pregnancy here.) Looking back, I almost find it humorous. Other times, … [Read more…]
Music was one of the most instrumental things that provided comfort, healing, and hope for me during my pregnancy and birth. I started looking for songs for my playlist in the first trimester. By second trimester, I had all of the songs on my phone, in a Youtube pregnancy and labor playlist, and burned to … [Read more…]
Little Brother arrived Thursday, September 3rd, 2015 at 5:58PM. He weighed in at 10 lb 1 oz, 22 inches long. I went past my “due date.” This was not all that concerning to me, although my husband and son were quite ansy. {Read my 40 week update here.} I continued having prodromal labor, soft bowels, mucus, … [Read more…]
I started preparing for VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) pretty much from the moment I brought Ezra (my first child) home for the hospital. His birth was scary, traumatic, and disappointing. I knew that the next time, I wanted a vastly different experience. I did a lot of research over the five years between his … [Read more…]
Little Brother arrived Thursday, September 3rd, 2015 at 5:58PM. He weighed in at 10 lb 1 oz, 22 inches long. I plan to share his birth story in a lot more detail with pictures and video (we have over 240 pictures of labor and birth alone!) in the month of October, when I’ll be sharing 31 … [Read more…]
I honestly am hesitant to write this post, because I am trying to not be a reactionary person. But I felt like some things needed to be said. Not for my sake, but for the sake of young moms all over who are struggling in their mothering because their ideals of a “being a good … [Read more…]
