This week I’m joined by my friend Allie, who endured passing a kidney stone while in her 3rd trimester!! Truly chilling stuff. But, beyond that, Allie shares her experience with high blood pressure near the end of both of her pregnancies that ultimately resulted in two positive, epidural-less inductions that she takes us through beat-by-beat. She also opens up about the difficulty of having a baby who refused to sleep through the night for a whole year and how that impacted her postpartum mental health. Her postpartum experience was then transformed through a few new friendships that serve as a beautiful reminder of the power of community.

Allie’s story is truly uplifting and downright hilarious in many instances. If you’re looking for a motherhood pick-me-up, this episode is for you!

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Meet Allie

00:10:18 - 1st Pregnancy: Inconsistent Periods, 5 Months of Trying, & High Blood Pressure Readings

00:14:57 - 1st Labor: Cervidil Induction at 37 Weeks, Unexpected Transition, & Unmedicated Delivery

00:32:58 - 1st Postpartum: Lack of Sleep, PPA, & Making New Mom Friends

00:48:35 - 2nd Pregnancy: Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction, Staying Active, & Passing a Kidney Stone

01:01:25 - 2nd Labor: Cytotec Induction at 39 Weeks, Rapid Dilation, & Planned Unmedicated Delivery

01:19:41 - 2nd Postpartum: Positive Sleep Training & Supportive Community

01:30:57 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

Today I am joined by me, myself, and I as I recap my 2nd trimester experiences. Y’all sent in questions to guide today’s conversation, and I loved the opportunity to look back on a truly transformative time. We talk about all things cravings, left-field symptoms, baby showers, nursery prep, and where I’m at with my birth plan. It’s such a privilege to deep dive into my journey through motherhood with y’all! Thanks for being here 🩷

This week, I’m joined by my friend Emma, who prepared for an unmedicated birth that actually didn’t come to fruition because her baby was breech. After trying everything in the Spinning Babies handbook, she decided to pivot and use the very same mental coping techniques that she had learned for her natural birth to prepare for an ultimately positive C-section birth.

She shares beautiful memories of the love she felt the first time she saw her son, the joy of skin-to-skin, and the bonding experiences her little family shared together afterwards. Even with a spinal block headache and a painful start to breastfeeding, she was able to stay grounded in her postpartum experience by remembering that things can be difficult and sweet at the same time, but that with motherhood, it always comes out worth it in the end.

Chapters:

00:00 - Meet Emma

07:59 - Pregnancy: Positive Pregnancy, Natural Labor Prep, & Failed ECV

20:51 - Labor: Leaking Water, Working Through Early Labor, & Peaceful C-Section

29:09 - Postpartum: Skin-to-Skin, Instant Love, & Breastfeeding Challenges

52:02 - To My Pre-Mom Self…