Just before their due date, Sarah & Spencer receive an urgent call from their obstetrician saying they need to be induced immediately if they want Spencer to allowed to support Sarah in labor. Not wanting to give birth without support, they heed the call and head to NYC’s NY Pres Weill Cornell for an uncomplicated vaginal birth. They describe the ways in which the environment was different in light of the pandemic, including testing, wearing masks, the hospital feeling quieter than normal, and more. They both share that, while they were grateful that Spencer was able to be present to support Sarah through labor and to be present for the birth of their baby, it was very disappointing that Spencer wasn’t allowed to go with her and baby to the postpartum unit and how Sarah regretted agreeing to the default shared room after birth. Sarah also shares how she would have gone home with baby sooner, but baby didn’t pass the first hearing test so she did have to stay for the standard 2 days before being reunited with Spencer at home. They share a bit, too, about the first ~3 weeks of parenthood and adjusting to life with baby.

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Amidst the growing Covid-19 pandemic and stay at home orders, Natalie & Jackson share the stress they experienced late in her 3rd trimester when they learn that their hospital is no longer allowing partners to accompany the laboring person. They scramble to advocate for the decision to be reversed at Mt. Sinai East and are interviewed by multiple reporters along the way. They share how they were surprised when Natalie’s water broke a few weeks before the due date. Thankfully, baby waited to come just long enough for Governor Cuomo to issue an executive order requiring partners to be allowed in labor & the immediate postpartum. They’ll share aspects of the hospital environment across Natalie’s time in the hospital that will be relevant to anyone giving birth during a pandemic, such as there being very little traffic getting to the hospital, being tested for Covid upon admission, the hospital being uncrowded, and having to wear a mask the whole time they were there.

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When the Covid-19 pandemic starts getting real in March, Jackie & Michael try everything they can near their due date to help labor to start when their doctor wouldn't agree to induce until after her due date. A few days before her due date, Jackie's surprised when her water breaks. Because she sees meconium in the fluid and she was Group B Strep positive, they head to the hospital. They describe how both the induction and the pushing stage surprise them when it progresses more quickly than most. You'll hear the different ways that, in mid-March when Jackie gave birth, hospital precautions were ramping up moment-by-moment in one particular way that directly affected them. They also share the ways their pediatrician office's protocols changed across their first 3 visits. Jackie & Michael also talk about how valuable hiring doulas was through this journey into parenthood, even when it had to be virtual support for the actual labor.

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In today’s episode, Christine learns in her 33rd week of pregnancy that her baby has flipped to breech, or heads up, position. She scrambles to change care providers in hopes of having closer to the kind of birth she and her husband, Omri, wanted. While she wasn’t able to have the vaginal, unmedicated birth she had hoped for -- because it’s nearly impossible to find any care providers who are trained to safely deliver breech babies vaginally -- she opts out of the recommended scheduled cesarean and waits for labor to start spontaneously before having a surgical birth at Metropolitan Hospital (NYC). She and Omri advocate for specific things in the surgery that mattered to them, and their doula helps them know the smart questions to ask along the way. This is a story of strong self-advocacy and making informed choices, as well as building in support, to have as positive and healthy a birth as possible.

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 A few days before celebrating their daughter’s first birthday, Nissa & Brit share the story of an unexpectedly quick first labor with the support of a doula. You'll hear about how a preexisting condition Nissa has, Crohn's Disease, caused confusion when she actually went into labor. She shares the emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis her mom got in the middle of Nissa’s pregnancy and mentions a therapeutic method that was helpful to her. She details how she thinks her background and training in acting was helpful in giving birth, while Brit explains how being a parent has helped him become a better, more present professional actor. They describe what it was like to meet their daughter for the first time, go through some of the ways they worked together as a team in the early weeks, and point out strengths they've seen in each other as they've become parents. 

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Today, Birth Matters alums Jess & Rich share the story of their firstborn son’s birth. Jess explains how super-prepared she was, reading up on everything she could get her hands on, hiring a doula in the 2nd trimester, focusing on eating nutrient-dense foods, taking prenatal yoga classes and childbirth education classes. She proceeds to share how, while she had very much hoped for a completely unmedicated birth, she and Rich were able to swing with the curve balls they were dealt toward a satisfying, great birth experience. They go into details about being induced at 41 weeks 6 days after refusing to be scheduled for several days leading up to that, and proceeding with an induction using cytotec, a foley balloon, and artificially rupturing the membranes. This story is an example of an induction in which pitocin wasn’t needed (not the most common road for an induction to take, but can happen), for which Jess was very thankful. They’ll also share about how they chose a doula, how Rich and doula Tia worked together optimally, and about early breastfeeding challenges and receiving the support of both Tia and then an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). Finally, they’ll share a couple of tips for the journey into parenthood.

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Today, Alicia shares details about her hospital induction, which she was able to manage without pain medications. Before she gets into that, she talks about the various ways she equipped herself with as much knowledge as she needed to feel confident going into the process of giving birth. Because her blood pressure read high and amniotic fluid looked borderline low at 39½ weeks, the decision was made to induce labor. She describes the many hours that proceed from there, how their doula provided comfort measures, and how praying helped center her through to the pushing stage. Alicia also shares some details of early breastfeeding, cloth diapering, and her tips for expectant parents on building support and a knowledge base.

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In today's story, Nicole shares about an unexpectedly brief, 6-hour, unmedicated first labor in a Long Island hospital with midwives and with the support of her husband and a doula. Before she goes into her birth story, she describes her background as a child life specialist in a hospital setting as well as her love for teaching prenatal yoga and pursuit of education in aromatherapy. She also details the ways she learned to really listen to and honor her body in slowing down, reflecting and journaling to connect with her baby. Listen to hear how, after her water breaks at home, Nicole decides to calmly make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast for not only her and her husband, but for a house guest from Japan whom JP brings home from the airport the very morning she goes into labor. They join up with their doula for the hour-long drive out on Long Island to their hospital, arriving simultaneously with their midwife pretty much just in time to push and give birth. She goes over newborn protocols and special requests she made and provides details about early challenges she and her baby faced in breastfeeding. Learn about a model of care that Nicole found to be super supportive, whereby a lactation consultant was in-house at her pediatrician’s office. Finally, Nicole shares about the benefits of prenatal yoga from the perspective of both a yoga teacher as well as from having continued the practice as a pregnant person.

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Today, Desire shares her son’s birth story just a few weeks after the birth, which was a 3-day long hospital induction at Forest Hills Hospital in Queens. She was determined to do it without pain medications and was able to do just that. Also determined to breastfeed, Desire shares the varied experiences she had with hospital staff trying to support her in breastfeeding, and how disempowering language was not helpful. With some perseverance and professional lactation support at home once she and baby were discharged, she details how things improved fairly quickly. Desi explains a few ways that her mother expresses strong opinions, and how Desi has to be confident and do what she believes is best for her baby. She shares about her very unpleasant early first experience trying to change her son’s diaper and breastfeed at a shopping mall, and how she identified a store that was a much better environment for young families. Finally, she’ll provide some smart insights on speaking up when you need help and regularly checking in to be sure your partner is doing okay in early parenthood.

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Today Ellen shares the birth stories of her two daughters, who were both born prematurely. We discuss the benefits of midwifery care and why Ellen chose midwives for both of her births, as well as some of the insurance challenges that we face when attempting to choose midwives. She details how both of her daughters were not only preemies but also how her bag of waters broke as the first sign of labor both times. 

You'll hear Ellen describe a difficult 2nd pregnancy and how seeing a chiropractor who was expert in this phase of life helped eliminate all of the severe pain she had experienced. She also shares coping strategies for her second (induced) birth that really helped her cope in a way that enabled her to opt out of the epidural. She discusses the various ways that her midwives advocated for her in both births to avoid a cesarean in the first birth and to push the way she wanted to her in her second. 

Ellen tells how her husband, Lo, almost missed the 2nd birth when he ran out briefly to grab food. She also shares details on having both babies in the NICU for jaundice and ways she advocated for her daughters, along with the nuances of being a pediatric nurse as a new parent and how that dynamic played into the advocacy. 

Ellen describes specific ways she coped with the challenges of labor and how her training as a prenatal yoga teacher and meditation habits as a couple informed her strategies. Finally, she shares about early breastfeeding challenges and both of her daughters’ diagnoses with and treatment for tongue tie.

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