Birth Naturally

After a 3 year struggle with infertility, Lindsay and her husband both decided from the jump that a natural birth was their ideal birth space for their first baby. Labor was quick and easy and exactly what Linsday hoped for. Lindsay touches on the baby blues she experienced after her first and how she struggled with postpartum depression after baby #2. The importance of speaking to someone when you're having a similar experience can't be stressed enough. Asking for help doesn't make you weak - it makes you stronger!

Lindsay recommends (and so do we!) Ina May's Guide to Childbirth - https://amzn.to/2H1a5sg

Follow Lindsay's story on Instagram. And also, make sure you're following us, too!

We have to thank Lindsay again for being so kind and sharing her story with us TWICE! She was our very first interviewee and our recording situation wasn't quite up to par in the beginning!

Thanks again for the feedback and great reviews! We appreciate each and every one of you who has stuck with us.

Until next time,

Kali + Cait

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Miranda‘s 3 birth experiences couldn’t be any more different, which is why we loved chatting with her and following the journey that led her to a birth center eventually.

Miranda suffered with HG (basically, extreme morning sickness) with all 3 pregnancies and experienced a NICU stay with her last baby, but she managed to keep positive. We loved chatting with her and hearing her stories and know you will, too!

You can follow Miranda on Instagram - she and her 3 daughters are too cute! 

And don‘t forget to follow us on Instagram and leave a 5 star review on iTunes, if you will! We really love hearing your feedback and positive reviews help others find us!

until next time,

Kali + Cait

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Danielle came to natural birth accidentally.. her second labor just went way too quickly for an epidural and the result was a birth experience Danielle loved. Tune into episode 5 to hear  Danielle's second birth story.

Needless to say, we were so excited when Danielle had baby #3 and wanted to share her story with us again! She offers a unique perspective, giving birth during the Covid-19 pandemic. Things didn't go quite to plan, but in the end, Danielle was able to achieve the epidural-free birth she desired and has a beautiful, happy, healthy baby to snuggle with while she's sheltering in place!

I think we all can relate to some of Danielle's feelings these last few months. Pregnant or not, we've all had to make concessions. I understand first hand what it's like for  pregnancy and, potentially, birth, to be progressing not in the way I thought it would. Just know that however you feel- you aren't alone! Make the decisions in your birth that bring you the most peace, no matter what chaos is happening in the world today.

Thanks again, as always, for sticking with us and a huge thank you to all the mamas who have shared their birth stories with our community. The strength we can draw from each other is so sacred!

Don't forget to follow along on Instagram or send us an email anytime - [email protected]

Until next time,

Kali + Cait

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Megan's pregnancies were both so different.. a lot like her births! Her second birth story was so exciting and fast. She woke up IN TRANSITION! Can you imagine? I loved how her husband tried to complete their labor checklist, even when Megan only had 60 seconds between contractions. So cute!

My pregnancy update was a little out of order but you get the idea! :) I have changed midwives now and feel very much at ease with my decision!

Megan loved the Boba Wrap for baby and muslin swaddle blankets. She's also one of our many Haakaa fans! (PS - Thanks Cait for my pre-baby Haakaa!! Can't wait to use it)

Megan has a YouTube channel (featuring a beautiful video of her birth!), Instagram and a website, so there's plenty of ways to follow along on Megan's beautiful journey.

As always, thanks for coming along for the ride with us. We appreciate you all! Follow us on Instagram or send us an email anytime - [email protected]

Until next time,

Kali + Cait

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Jenna was blessed with an easy pregnancy and stayed active her whole pregnancy, including running and doing yoga. She hadn’t considered a natural birth until she was pregnant- until she chatted with her doula. She even attributes her easy recovery because of how active she stayed during her pregnancy. Go Jenna! Follow Jenna on Instagram and get in touch. 

And don’t  forget to follow us on Instagram! We are loving hearing from you all and being able to share your beautiful birth stories with our listeners.

until next time,

Kali + Cait

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Annie is a powerhouse in the wellness and essential oil communities. She speaks her truth and does her research. That's why we were so excited to chat with her about both her natural hospital birth and empowering home birth!

Not only does Annie discuss what led her to her natural births, but she talks so passionately about striving for wellness  and finding what works for her and her family. Follow Annie's journey on Instagram and learn more about Annie and Young Living on her website.

Like we mentioned, don't forget to send us a snapshot of where YOU listen to Birth Naturally on Instagram @birthnaturally! Both of us #hideinthekitchen and catch a few moments of peace when we listen to our fav podcasts, so we'd love to see how you enjoy a moment to yourself. We would also love to chat with you about your birth story, so if you're interested in sharing, just fill out this simple form and we can send you a link to schedule a time!

As always, we hope this episode finds you and yours well during these uncertain times. I keep hoping and praying by the next time I have to write up show notes, life will return to normal. Maybe next week...

Until next time,

Kali + Cait

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So guys, here we are. Week 5 of quarantine and I gotta say - it's not getting any easier! One day at a time...!

Erin is, in a word, awesome. She's sure of herself and confident and you'll see exactly what we mean when you listen to her story. She had an unmedicated birth in a hospital with her first and decided homebirth was for her with her second. What she didn't plan for was her midwife taking her sweet time and completely missing her birth, but Erin and her husband never wavered and never panicked! 

Erin had a few things to note about her breastfeeding experience so I will just include a note from Erin here:
I just thought of something pretty major that effected me. My 1st born didn't latch well. It was hell. I could barely breastfeed because my nipples bled and the baby wasn't happy latching and would just bite down, so I wound up exclusively pumping. Which, to fellow crunchy mamas, you can understand my dismay in not being able to breastfeed. The thought had NEVER crossed my mind. I had a lactation consultant, as well. I later found out that he needed lip-tie and tongue-tie revisions. I didn't discover this until he was 18 months old though. My friend who is a PT (same one who made me get pelvic floor rehab) was adamant that I get him revised even though he is on solids and doesn't need to breastfeed anymore. Her reasoning was because she personally had hers revised as an adult. It immediately gave her more flexion in her ankles and the range of motion in her neck was instantly greater. There's lots and lots of research on this. I had him revised with Dr. Paul Bahn at Infant Laser Dentistry down in Philly.

So! When I was pregnant with my 2nd, I was so much more confident that I'd be able to breastfeed right away, given that I now am the greater Philadelphia's expert and advocate for lip tie and tongue tie revisions and I was a member of every la leche league & IBCLC group. (obviously not really an expert, just crazy researcher mom status) Alas, my second child needed both revisions the first week of his life. He latched and I was able to breast-feed him for 9-10 months.

(soap box)

It was comforting knowing that it wasn't "my fault" that breastfeeding was so difficult. They had told me I had 'flatter' nipples or that my child had a high palate. But in reality, today's practitioners aren't as well versed in this area of dentistry/medicine. In this safe crunchy granola mom world, we mostly all know about this. But outside of us, it's the first time people are hearing about it when I mention it. That's not right! And if people say.. my child has a tongue tie but didn't need the revision because they fed fine.. that's wonderful, but keep an eye out for issues in the future that may lead back to that. (It's an easy fix.) Some identifying things that could pop up later would be speech issues, range of motion issues, etc. Some people even need the laser revisions multiple times! And how the heck would a first time mom having a relatively normal hospital birth know about this? They wouldn't. Just like they wouldn't know that they can refuse the Hep B if they're happily married and not sleeping around. Or that they could ask for more mama skin-time after the baby is more and not to take the child away for measurements, or even delayed cord clamping, .. etc. I hope more people find midwives, practitioners, doulas, therapists locally to help advocate for them. Because doing it on your own is EXHAUSTING.

Some of Erin's favorite items are Weleda Skinfood, Motherlove Baby Oil and Witch Hazel Spray.

Follow Erin on Facebook or Instagram!

Until next time,

Kali + Cait

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Sarah has been a dear friend of Cait since elementary school. so we were so excited to get to share her story with you all! In addition to being a pediatric speech pathologist, Sarah is a doula as well as homebirth mother of 3.  Sarah has such a refreshing view on birth - she never felt fearful and has always accepted birth as a natural process. Her calm energy makes her an amazing doula! I love that Sarah grew up with a pediatrician mom and still chose a different, less medicalized approach to birth.

We think you'll love Sarah's relaxed take on birth, and hopefully it will ease any fears you have about giving homebirth a go!

If you are considering a doula and live in the Lehigh Valley, we highly recommend reaching out to Sarah at The Growing Place. Follow her on Instagram for pics of her 3 adorable boys! And - bonus - Sarah's husband is a winemaker! So check out his website if you love wine!

Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe.

Chat with you all soon,

Kali + Cait

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Breastfeeding seems like the most natural thing a mom and baby can do, right? Well, as Kara explains, it's a learning curve for both! Moms often don't know who to turn to for breastfeeding advice - the internet is teeming with incorrect information and your well-meaning pediatrician or midwife may have outdated information. An IBCLC, or lactation consultant as most of us know them by, are often covered by your insurance company and can really help you build a strong breastfeeding relationship.

Kara has been a friend of mine for over 15 years and we could've talked to her about breastfeeding for hours! She does such a great job normalizing all of the things deemed "problematic" for new moms. Since we both became moms, Kara has had a passion for breastfeeding. We hope you find our talk as helpful as we did!

Kara loves the Haakaa Manual Breast Pump 4oz/100ml,2019 New Style">Haakaa, like so many other moms we talked to. I know a product I will absolutely be buying for this baby! :)

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and send us your funny pregnancy/parenting moments! We always like to hear from you, so send us an email - [email protected]

Stay happy and healthy! These are some crazy times but they, too, shall pass.

Until next time,

Kali + Cait

Wow, what timing! We talked to Ana a few weeks ago (pre-coronavirus)  and couldn't have chosen a better time to share this episode! Ana is a brand new midwife, just awaiting the passing of her national exam (which, unfortunately, COVID-19 has delayed!)  We know so many moms are now considering an alternative to hospital birth and Ana does a beautiful job normalizing midwifery care. If you have general questions about what a midwife is and how the model of care is different than that of an ob/gyn, this is the episode for you! Ana advocates for you as a mom, taking your prenatal care into your hands and continuing to do so throughout your motherhood journey!

Get in touch with Ana and follow her journey into midwifery on Instagram @the_modernmidwife_mum - she is so fun and easy to chat with!

We hope you're all doing well during these uncertain times. Remember not to let the fear take hold of you and take some time to just breathe during what may be chaos in your home these days. We hope our podcasts offer a little reprieve and a chance for you to sneak away and do something for yourself today, mama!

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @birthnaturally or send us an email - [email protected]. A 5-star rating on iTunes or a review on your favorite podcast player is SO appreciated. We thank you for being a part of this podcast along with us!

Be well and stay healthy!

SPONSORS:

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