Dearest you.

To close season six, I'm dedicating this Ask Me Anything episode to my little girl, Betty. 

So often, the stories we hear about pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period are negative and fear-based. My experience has been more soft than hard, and so I hopes that sharing a different perspective might help you feel more excited than scared about this new chapter.

In this extended episode, I answer listener questions about my pregnancy, navigating pregnancy anxiety, labour preparation, hospital bag must-haves and why I believe I had a soft and positive postpartum experience. I also talk about the sense of perspective I have following two pregnancy losses and the life lessons I hope to teach my little girl.

Alison xo

Books

• WOT Baby ebook
• I didn’t mention it in the episode but loved Dr. Harvey Karp’s Happiest Baby On the Block for general info and newborn settling techniques 
• Ten Moons
• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
• Spiritual Midwifery
• Spirit Babies
• The First 40 Days
• The Motherhood (would have liked more positive stories though!)
• The Montessori Baby 

Conception 

• We saw an IVF specialist after our second miscarriage for testing: AMH levels, reproductive carrier screening, sperm DNA fragmentation test
• I had weekly acupuncture from ovulation until week 12, then moved to fortnightly, then monthly during the third trimester. I see Jade at The Whiteowl Clinic

Pregnancy 

• Our OB is Dr. Alex Owen
• Acupuncture with Jade at The White Owl Clinic 
• I had a few osteo sessions to support some pelvic pain and one session after birth. I saw Nadia (French and amazing) at Sydney Osteopathy in Bondi Junction 

Labour Preparation 

• Epi-No Childbirth Trainer 
• Perineal massage
• Labour preparation session with a women’s physio (to test pelvic floor and learn how to push correctly)
• Hypnobirthing course with Lillian from Woven 
• Antenatal classes through the hospital

Hospital Bag

• I laboured in a black crop top and black maternity underwear
• Papinelle pajamas and robe
• Depends underwear
• Toms maternity pads. I then wore ModiBodi when I got home from the hospital
• Diffuser and lavender essential oil
• Portable speaker and charger

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