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Home Birth Story of Joseph Strother Skolos

By Motherhood 5 Comments
Childbirth was one of my biggest fears. Facing intense physical pain felt so overwhelming to me! I used to want a scheduled c-section because I thought I could just get knocked out and bypass the difficulties. (I elaborate more about this in Evelyn’s birth story on my blog). But then I learned the benefits of a natural labor and wanted to overcome my fear of pain. I had Evelyn in a hospital, as natural as I was able. I had no epidural which was a big win for me in overcoming my fear. I am now very passionate about empowering women to pursue a natural labor! (if possible, there are definitely circumstances where medical intervention is necessary). American women tend to be afraid of child birth, to think they cannot do it on their own and they need pain meds (epidural) to get through it. But your body was made for this!!! Your body was made to bear children! If I can do it, anyone can!
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I was two weeks late with Evelyn and assumed I would be late as well with my second. To my surprise my water broke Wednesday at 2pm, two days before the due date. Let’s just say I wasn’t mentally or physically prepared! We had just moved four weeks before and didn’t have everything ready. But here I was, sitting at a park table, with water leaking everywhere!!! đŸ€ŠđŸ»â€â™€ïž
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I was with a mom friend, our first time hanging out might I add, luckily at the park that was across the street from our new place. I was wearing a tight blue dress and was too embarrassed to walk home with water pouring out everywhere! She walked across the street to our place to grab me towels. I wrapped a towel around me and waddled to my house. I honestly couldn’t believe it was happening, it felt like a movie!! (It is actually pretty rare to have your water break before any contractions or labor starting, unlike what movies portray.)
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It took hours for contractions to kick in. But this allowed us to get more things ready for the home birth etc. Because we had just moved, I didn’t feel very prepared for labor & a home birth. I asked the Lord for a warning for when I would go into labor and this was definitely an answered prayer! It helped me to mentally & physically prepare for labor and feel more at peace.
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I pre-labored that evening but then went to sleep and for a full nights rest. Contractions came and went all day the following day. I was getting discouraged bc my contractions weren’t progressing very much. My contractions still weren’t close enough to be active labor yet or to call the midwife over. But it had been 30 hours since my water broke so my midwife came to check on me before I went to bed. She wasn’t able to see how far I was dilated since my water broke at risk of infection. When she came, I was having back labor, which is more painful, and means the baby is facing the wrong way. The midwife did all these random things to get the baby to flip sunny side up.
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And then BOOM! it sent me into active labor & transition very quickly!!!! It got very painful super quickly !!!. This got me to the point where I felt like I couldn’t do it. I felt overwhelmed by the pain and thought to myself “I’m never doing this again.” Classic thoughts of a woman in transition haha. Luckily, you really do forget the pain. I prayed for a short labor, but didn’t realize “fast & furious” births can be difficult for your body to handle since your body is doing the same amount of work in a shorter time. I use the analogy to ripping off a bandaid quickly rather than slowly. The pain is short but more intense. I was grateful it was shorter but will say it was more painful than Evelyn’s birth and that birth I had pitocin half way through. Evelyn’s birth I didn’t make a peep, no yelling or screaming. This birth I was screaming & yelling, very primal like, which surprised even myself đŸ€Ș
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Things escalated so quickly we didn’t even have time to tell my birth coach/mother-in-law to come over. Luckily, she brought Evelyn over to put to sleep around 9pm, right when I was in active labor. I went in the shower to try to get some relief. They were hurrying to the the birth tub ready. (It has to be a certain temperature for the baby to be born in it) I was starting to have urges to push & was begging to go into the birth pool. Well kiddie pool actually. Because of covid, I could not rent a birth tub from my midwife.
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Finally, they walked me over to the pool & I started to push. My mother in law was my birth coach & was coaching me through the contractions, trying to help me breathe through them instead of panicking. My sister in law walked in as I was starting to push and began filming. My friend walked in later to take photos. They both barely made it in time! Michael woke up Evelyn & brought her out to see the birth.
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I continued to push in the pool. I was much more aware and present this time around compared to my last 18 hour labor with Evelyn. This birth my active labor was only 1 hour!!!!! The baby was finally out. IT WAS A BOY!!!
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Waiting to find out the gender was SO FUN! It was something I said I would NEVER do, but my husband desperately wanted a surprise. Honestly, it was easier than I thought and we will do it again for the next child.gap
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Michael caught him underwater and pushed him up towards me. I turned around and put him on my chest.  He was very purple which my midwife said is normal for babies born in water. It was a lot to take in – I had a son! All I felt initially was relief. I was just so relieved to not be in pain anymore and to be done. It took me a little to soak in what just happened. It takes me a little bit of time to feel emotionally connected to the baby I just pushed out.
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They walked me to my bed where I did skin to skin. Then it was time to deliver the placenta. Which didn’t hurt but felt weird and uncomfortable. I just wanted to be done with pushing things out of me haha. (I didn’t experience this last time bc I had a 4th degree episiotomy so my placenta just fell out haha)  We kept the umbilical cord attached to him for an hour. So when Michael and Evelyn held him they had to hold my placenta in a bag as well đŸ€ŁÂ  The hospital cut Evelyn’s cord right away so we didn’t experience that last time!
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(All pictures by Kimberly Hope Photography!)
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I had a 4th degree episiotomy with Evelyn which means I was all scar tissue which doesn’t stretch like normal skin. I had met with a pelvic floor specialist when pregnant to see how I healed up and learn how to prep for labor to prevent tearing. If I tore past a 2nd degree the midwife couldn’t stitch me up and I would have to go to the hospital. So I was determined not to tear too much. & by the grace of God I didn’t tear at all!!! I was so grateful and healing & recovery is much, much easier than last time!
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They left me my placenta in the fridge. It is common these days to encapsulate it to balance hormones & prevent baby blues or postpartum depression. I opted it out mostly bc of cost & I never experienced baby blues. There isn’t much research on it proving its benefits of eating the placenta but some moms swear by it! I ended up throwing mine away. I would have donated it to the midwife (they use it for training and research) but weren’t taking any bc of covid. If you want to get real granola, you can cut it up and put it in smoothies!
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I was SO grateful I chose a home birth this time around, especially with covid. If I had this birth in a hospital I would have only had Michael there. I loved having a birth coach / my mother in law, friends and family documenting it & Evelyn witnessing the birth of her brother. Also, we could have any visitors we wanted after as well. If you want to see my birth video, message me on Instagram and I will send you the YouTube link!!
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Many people ask what I liked about a home birth versus hospital birth. My first birth was at Mission Hospital in Orange County. It was alright. Not terrible, not amazing. (You van ready full birth story on my blog.) but I did have complications with Evelyn’s birth that I don’t think would have happened with a home birth. This was my main motivation for having a home birth this time around. My contractions stopped half way through my labor with my first. A midwife would have waited as long as needed for them to come back. The hospital only let me wait an hour until they gave me pitocin (a drug that makes you contract but they are different than natural contractions.) Pitocin can put the baby in stress bc the contractions are more intense than natural ones. Also, Evelyn was turned the wrong way giving me back labor. If I had a midwife she could position me to change this, speeding up my labor. As I was pushing, the cord around her neck was stopping her heart beat. They had to give me a 4th degree episiotomy and vacuum her out quickly. I personally believe these complications could have been avoided if I was with a midwife at home.
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Other things I liked with the home birth over a hospital birth:
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  • in Covid times: I was able to have whoever I wanted at my birth rather than just my spouse. If I did give birth at a hospital my birth coach / mother In law couldn’t be there, Evelyn wouldn’t have witnessed her brother being born, & my friend and sister in law couldn’t have been there taking photos and videos!
  • Midwives trust that your is made to give birth & empower you
  • You get to sleep in your own bed
  • You don’t get Waken up by nurses every 2 hours
  • No one is pressuring you get an epidural or vaccinate or any additional and maybe unwanted things
  • A midwife stays with you the whole time while doctors and nurses just come to check in / once you’re pushing
  • At a hospital you are hooked up to all sorts of monitors which is a nuisance when you need to go to the restroom
  • Midwives let you opt out of certain things like antibiotics for b strep etc
  • There is a much lower risk for c-section when with a midwife & at home
  • Midwives are trained for natural labors, ObGyn doctors are trained surgeons (for c-sections)
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Now many hospitals let you have a midwife there as well as birthing tub. The hospital I was at with Evelyn now has this option! This wasn’t an option when I had Evelyn 5 years ago. This is a great blend if you can’t decide or are nervous bc it’s your first labor.
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Some downsides of a home birth:
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  • I didn’t realize how much stuff I would have to prep & provide for the home birth (towels and blankets that can get dirty etc)
  • Labor is messy and it was hard for me at times since it was my own bed bc I’m kinda a clean freak haha
  • Resting in my own home was difficult since there was so much to clean & so much laundry to do! (Midwives make you stay ideally bedridden for a week!)
  • Having other children home wanting your attention while in labor & recovering

 

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There is a concept called a pain free birth in some Christian circles. Since, painful childbirth was part of the curse, and Jesus reversed the curse on the cross, some women have experienced no pain in labor! I read the book Supernatural Child Birth when I was pregnant with Evelyn and was hoping for a pain free labor at first. But since pain in labor was my biggest fear and I wanted to overcome it, so I actually wanted to experience pain, which I know sounds strange. Jesus endured so much pain to give us life, I received so much cool revelation experiencing pain to give Evelyn life. We live in a very comfortable society where we want to escape pain or discomfort as much as possible. But painful moments can have so much benefit and teach us so much. I told the Lord this second birth I wouldn’t mind being pain free 😀 But I would have to say it was very, very painful. But enduring the pain of child birth makes you feel like you can overcome anything. Which I think you need going into parenthood!! I am grateful that he answered many of my other prayer requests such as a quick labor,  a “warning” of when I would go into labor and no tearing.
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If you’re worried about insurance not covering a home birth I suggest you check out Samaritan. It’s a Christian insurance. I’ve tried three different Christian insurances that all cover home births (Medi-share, Christian Healthcare Ministries & Samaritan) Samaritan is the cheapest monthly for same or better coverage. One level covers 5K of home birth (most cost $6500-6800) & the highest level covers 100% anything maternity!!
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Lastly, we decided not to circumcise. It was something I thought a lot about. It is now very common to not get circumcised. Which can be weird to hear for some. I was thrown off by it when I first heard my friends choosing to not circumcise.  I went back and forth and asked many of my friends what they decided and why. Both sides had good points to think about. Some of my friends who circumcised were concerned the boy would feel different from his circumcised father. Some parents who didn’t said their kids didn’t even notice theirs looked different. Another concern is since the dad is not circumcised (generally speaking) then it’s difficult for him to teach the son how to cleanse it well. Everyone was circumcised back in the day because there was a high chance of men going to war where good hygiene wasn’t easy and infection could happen easily. Biblical reasons are some people deciding factor to get circumcised. But I learned that back in the Old Testament they cut only a very small slit, where as today they cut off the entire foreskin. But in the Old Testament they would circumcise on the 8th day. That is when the baby has enough Vitamin K to stop the bleeding. In the hospital, they circumcise the first or second day, when the baby doesn’t have enough Vitamin K. But its routine to give them a Vitamin K shot right out of the womb. Most of my friends went to a Mohel, a rabbi or doctor that waits until the 8th day. After much thought, Michael and I decided to not circumcise.

Baby Registry

By Motherhood, Nontoxic Living No Comments

Baby Registry!

 

This is a list of things I personally registered for or already had from Evelyn. There are things that are much “cleaner” or more non-toxic, but I also like things to not break the bank & also, to be practical in what people will actually buy you. Unfortunately, the “healthiest” baby gear etc, is very pricey & on websites or stores people typically do not shop at. There were “healthier” options, but I had to compromise on some because of price (especially things like stroller & carseat.) These are things I recommend for a baby registry that balances health, price & availability.

The registry I used was Babylist because you can put things on there from any website!!! Also, if items are available at multiple stores & websites it will show all the buying options. I noticed people tend to buy items that are from the more common places (amazon, target, buy buy baby) so I searched on those first.

Life Factory Glass Bottles

Comotomo Glass Bottles

Non-toxic Baby Wipes

Low EMF Baby Monitor

Diaper Cream Earth Mama

Non-toxic Bamboo Diapers

Baby Soap Earth Mama

Organic  Hooded Bath Towel

Baby Bath Baby Delight

Organic Nursing Cover

Organic Zip Onesie O2Baby

Organic Zip Sleep Swaddle

Organic Cotton Onesies

Bamboo Zip Onesie Kyte Baby

White Noise Dohm Fan

Snot Sucker

Hand Breast Pump

Silicone Pacifier


Baby Wrap Moby

Ergo 360 Baby Carrier

Ergo Infant Insert

Arms Reach Co-Sleeper

Arms Reach Sheet Organic

Bamboo Changing Pad Cover Kyte Baby

Boppy Nursing Pillow & Positioner

Compact Baby Swing 4moms rockaRoo

Infant Carseat with Stroller Evenflo Pivot

Rider Board Stroller Attachment for Older Sibling

Steel Diaper Pail

Diaper Bag Backpack

Car Mirror

Bumbo Table Top Seat & High Chair

Feeder Pacifier

Bamboo & Silicone Bowl & Spoon

Silicone Bib

Wood & Silicone Teether & Rattle

Wellthy Kids Christmas List

By Motherhood, Nontoxic Living No Comments

WELLTHY KIDS
CHRISTMAS LIST

 

Kids and baby toys can be full of toxins these days. It’s important why they are still developing to limit their exposure to the toxins in plastics and dyes. Here are some great ideas to add to your children’s gift list!


Flower Maker Dough Activity Set
(BPA & Phthalate free, made in the USA entirely of recycle products, packaged in 100 percent recyclable cardboard)


Solid Fruit Cutting Toy Set
(made from rubber trees that no longer produce latex, as well as chemical-free glue, organic color pigment and water-based dyes)


Organic Giraffe Rattle
(completely non-toxic and biodegradable)


Flower Builder Activity Set
(BPA & Phthalate free, made in the USA entirely of recycle products, packaged in 100 percent recyclable cardboard)


Busy City Train Set
(finishes that are all non-toxic, child safe and of the highest quality)


Numbers Activity Set
(made from rubber trees that no longer produce latex, as well as chemical-free glue, organic color pigment and water-based dyes)


Car Carrier Vehicle Set Toy
(BPA & Phthalate free, made in the USA entirely of recycle products, packaged in 100 percent recyclable cardboard)


Tea Set
(BPA & Phthalate free, made in the USA entirely of recycle products, packaged in 100 percent recyclable cardboard)


Scoot Along Bike
(finishes that are all non-toxic, child safe and of the highest quality)


Bath Toys Play Set
(BPA & Phthalate free, made in the USA entirely of recycle products, packaged in 100 percent recyclable cardboard)


Drum Set
(made from rubber trees that no longer produce latex, as well as chemical-free glue, organic color pigment and water-based dyes)


Color Pyramid Clutching Toy
(made in Germany with wood, non-toxic plastic, free of chemical glues and adhesives)


Letters Puzzle
(finishes that are all non-toxic, child safe and of the highest quality)


Castle Playset
(made from rubber trees that no longer produce latex, as well as chemical-free glue, organic color pigment and water-based dyes)


Toy Cashier
(finishes that are all non-toxic, child safe and of the highest quality)


Elephant Stuffed Animal
(100 percent organic materails using environmentally sound methods, PVC-free and dyes without harsh chemicals)

(Click pictures for more info/to purchase. These are affiliate links. Help contribute to what I do at no cost to you when you buy through these links!)

Birth Story & Benefits of Natural Labor

By Motherhood, Tips No Comments

I remember when I was younger telling people, “I hope I can just schedule a C-section, they can cut the baby out of me while I’m knocked out.” I had such an intense fear of childbirth. I’m sure everyone does to a certain extent. But I would think about labor, get pale, sweaty, and nauseous. Just like I do with needles. I had a fear of physical pain and wanted to do whatever I could to escape it.

So, seven months into marriage we get pregnant without trying 😀

and honestly, I cried when I found out. I wasn’t wanting to be a mom yet & I had just lost my mom to cancer the month before!!! It felt overwhelming to have to deal with overcoming my biggest fear of physical pain while recovering overcoming the biggest fear of emotional pain. All within the first year of marriage. If it weren’t for Michael and Jesus, I would have completely fell apart.

So here we are, fresh out of ministry school, pregnant, super broke with no plans of how to be successful in life. It felt like the worst timing ever and I dreaded having to overcome this fear and give birth.

This was right in the beginning of my health journey. I began learning about the health benefits of a natural birth. I watched a documentary, yes it was biased like most documentaries, but very educational and something I think every pregnant should watch called The Business of Being Born. It showed the benefits of a natural birth & inspired me to want one regardless of the intense pain. Something I never, EVER thought I would want.

There’s NO shame in not having a natural birth. Everyone’s story is unique. Sometimes it’s totally necessary to have a medicated birth or c-section & it saves lives! But this is my story & I personally wanted to overcome my fear of pain, and try my best to have a natural birth. (see list of benefits below)

 

First off, I was 12 days late. It was ROUGH. They pressured me to get induced after 7 days but I had just researched that the average first baby is 8 days late!!! I learned your due date is not very accurate and is just an estimate. So I decided to wait as long as I could for her to come when she was ready. And she finally came on her own with no induction.

I went into labor Friday at 9pm. Contractions were already close together. About a minute or two apart by 1am. According to the books I should have been far along! I get to Mission Hospital and come to find I’m only 4 cm. I was definitely discouraged. I labored until morning and only dilated 1.5 more cm. The most difficult thing for me was that I kept thinking I was almost done, and I had awhile more to go.

Labor really is a mental game. Expect a marathon and you will do alright. I am so thankful I had a birth coach. I think most women think the nurses, doctors or husband will help them. But most of the time, no nurses or doctors are very present at all, and husbands do not know what they are doing haha! My mother in law was my birth coach, my husband just copied everything she did, and it made all the difference.

I had a lot of painful back labor. She wasn’t in the best position. They broke my water but I still wasn’t progressing much. Then late morning, my contractions stopped for an hour! I really tried to wait it out because I didn’t want Pitocin. Pitocin causes contractions but makes them longer and way more intense. This can cause stress for the baby and is very painful for the mother when not getting an epidural. I really wanted a fully natural, unmedicated birth, but at this point I really had no choice but to get Pitocin. Looking back, if I had a midwife, she probably would have changed my positions during the labor and I may have not been in this situation of my contractions stopping. But what can you do at that point!

They administered the Pitocin drip, and once the contractions started to kick in they were way more intense and plateaued at the peak of pain. If I didn’t focus mentally I would start to panic when one was coming. It sent me into transition fairly quickly though. I was finally in transition (7cm) and I threw up on my pillow from the pain. Oh glamorous labor 😀 At this point, the pain felt unbearable and I was crying, “I can’t do it anymore.” But everyone always says this when there is light at the end of the tunnel. The thoughts running through my head were: “This is the worst thing ever, I’m never doing this ever again.” (Luckily you really do forget the pain!)

I had urges to push but they wouldn’t let me yet. The most frustrating thing ever! I was crying “can I push yet please” over and over. It was so difficult to try to relax, not tense up, and let my body do the work. Everything in me wanted to tense up. Pushing felt relieving because you actually got to work with your body. I was finally able to push after 18 hours. I pushed as hard as I could. Fifteen minutes in her head was almost out. The cord was wrapped around her neck and her heart rate was decelerating. I was unaware of how scary this was at the time, thank God. They told me a very quick episiotomy was necessary. Before labor, I was very against an episiotomy and very scared to tear, but I didn’t care at this point and wanted her out. They numbed me, did the episiotomy and quickly vacuumed her out and before I knew it I had a baby on my chest! It was the biggest feeling of relief to be done with labor.

To be honest, I didn’t have this magical “oh my gosh my baby is here I am so in love” moment. It honestly felt like this random stranger was on me sucking on my boob! I was really just happy to be done giving birth. It took me awhile to really process what happened. I was also being stitched for an hour and half while having skin to skin and my first hour with her. I had a 4th degree episiotomy/tear. In other words, as bad as it can get! (Giving birth to the placenta was really uneventful because it just fell out of me. That’s one plus to having a 4th degree episiotomy.) I had so much adrenaline from the natural birth that the needles from the long stitching process didn’t bother me (usually needles make me want to pass out). The nurses kept saying how bad they felt for me but I didn’t really know any different.

[FYI this paragraph is TMI!] I went to the bathroom after everything was done and it looked like a bloody war scene. I thought this was from the episiotomy and stitching haha but it was the normal uterus lining shedding. Imagine 9 months of your period all coming out. That’s something I was not aware of. You practically have to wear diapers for a couple of weeks after. This may feel TMI, but after you give birth nothing really phases you. I thought I would care about being naked in front of people during labor but I definitely had more important things to worry about haha.

Once everything settled in, she slept on my chest all night, and that’s when I fell in love. That’s when I felt connected and bonded to her. But to be real, the birth and recovery didn’t feel worth it to me right away. Labor was just so intense and recovery wasn’t fun. And being a new mom was difficult. But as time went on, and now that she’s three years old, my love for her is so deep, and labor is so worth it. I would give birth a million times again to have her. Becoming a mom had led me to understanding God’s love for us in a whole new, immense deep way. 

The doctor after the labor said, I think I need to go to your church because of the peace you had during that labor. This was encouraging to me because I felt I didn’t do as well as I hoped. Mostly because it was way harder and more painful than I was expecting! Overcoming my fear and giving birth without pain medication was THE MOST empowering thing in the world. And that feeling came in handy before becoming a mom because if I can do that, I can do anything!

We have been told a lie our whole lives that we should fear labor, that we are not capable without drugs and medical intervention. That’s definitely what I believed. I believed I wasn’t capable without numbing the pain. But women’s bodies are MADE to give birth to children.

You are strong. You are able. You were made for this.

 

Of course, always be open minded and know that some things are out of your control and may not go as planned. Mine definitely didn’t go as planned. I was very grateful I didn’t need a c-section and could have a vaginal birth without an epidural. But I really didn’t want pitocin, an episiotomy or for her to be vacuumed out. But if it means a healthy baby then it’s a must! (see her conehead in picture from being vacuumed out!)

[And again, there is no shame in not having a natural labor. It does NOT make you a bad mom, weak or less than. Sometimes it’s your only choice and sometimes it saves lives. All births are amazing and powerful.]

I am glad I learned about the natural labor benefits beforehand because it encouraged me to fight for it. Do not disqualify yourself from having a natural birth because of fear or lack of confidence in yourself.

Benefits of Natural Labor:
  1. Labor is often shorter. Epidurals can interfere with body’s natural way of laboring and slow down contractions. It’s also difficult to not feel contractions or the body’s queues of when to push, leading to a longer time of pushing. 
  2. Epidurals can often increase use of medical interventions. Epidurals can cause prolong labors which can lead to Pitocin drip to speed up the labor or vacuum or forceps to move fetus through canal.
  3. Breastfeeding can come easier. Babies born through natural childbirth can be more alert and show more interest in breastfeeding once delivered. The babies can be affected by the epidural pain medication and interfere their innate suckling behavior that normally comes after birth.
  4. More endorphins are released. An euphoric feeling comes after a natural, unmedicated birth which relieves pain and calms the mother.
  5. Greater connection to the experience. When drugs are not used during labor, women are very alert and fully conscious. Pain medications can dull the woman’s senses which can lead to a physical detachment from the birthing process.
  6. In vaginal birth, the baby receives beneficial bacteria. As your baby passes through the birth canal, it ingests bacteria that contributes to its gut health and microbiome.
  7. Recovery time for the mother is faster. Less intervention and drugs lead to a quicker recovery.
  8. It’s cheaper! Less intervention = less money spent
Advice for New Mothers:
  1. Be prepared for a marathon. Labor is long, especially your first one. My biggest struggle was thinking I was almost done, and being far from it. It discouraged me mentally. Mentally prepare yourself for a long, difficult process. Then imagine it being harder than that :p
  2. It’s all mental. Labor is 90% mental, 10% physical. It’s important to not have fear, relax your body, prepare for the long haul, and stay on top of the contractions.
  3. Get a doula or birth coach. This is VERY important. Your husband will most likely be overwhelmed and not sure what to do to help. The doctors and nurses will not be there 90% of the time. You will need someone who knows how to coach you mentally and physically. You will need that emotional support. You will also need an advocate if you are at a hospital and wanting a natural birth. The doula can help stand up for what you wanted in your birth plan.
  4. Let your body do the work. One of the hardest things to do in labor is to not tensing your body. Contractions naturally push the baby down, but since they are painful your body naturally wants to tense up. This actually is fighting against the process your body is trying to make and stopping the baby from progressing down the canal. It feels counterintuitive but you have to try with everything in you to relax, not tense up, and let your body do the work. This is why it feels good to push, because you finally feel like you get to work with your body rather than fighting against it.
  5. Educate yourself beforehand. I think it’s important to know what you are getting into and what to expect. This will help you mentally prepare.
  6. Remind yourself the labor may not go as planned and that’s okay. We all have a birth plan or have in mind what labor will be like. But like most things in life, things don’t always go as planned. Have grace on yourself, go with the flow if needed. Remember, the goal is to get that baby out and have everyone healthy regardless of how it happens 🙂
  7. When pushing, don’t push with your face. You could pop an eye vessel! And it won’t get you very far. It’s very important to focus the pushing and strength in your lower body, not your upper body. It’s harder than it sounds but will make your pushing time go way down!

 

IF you want to know my opinion about vaccines & shots during and after pregnancy. These are purely my opinion. Always do your own research!

  1. Flu shot when pregnant: I don’t recommend getting this. I believe it’s unnecessary and could do more harm than good. 
  2. Hep B and TDap when pregnant: I do not recommend getting these as well. There are many harmful things inside vaccines these days. This is my personal opinion based off my own research, always do your own research. I suggest researching from sources that aren’t receiving profit from vaccinations 😀
  3. Hep B once baby is born: I do not recommend this either. My pediatrician, who was more conservative with vaccines, said this one is not necessary and is outdated.
  4. Vitamin K shot. This one is pretty neutral. I do’nt think its necessary really, but I haven’t heard of it doing much harm. I have heard needles can be somewhat traumatic for babies who just got out of the womb so that is why I opted out of it.
  5. Eye goop. This is the only one I got for Evelyn. This one is also pretty neutral. I don’t think it’s super necessary, but also can’t harm. It’s to prevent any infections they could get in their eye from passing through the vaginal cavity. My pediatrician said it’s harmless and can be beneficial so that is why I got it.

My opinion on vaccines from after delivery is another topic of conversation and something you can always message or email me about!