Giving birth is the most athletic event a woman will ever do. Now don’t get me wrong, alll babies are worth the trouble, but some have a special calling on their life. Meet first time mom Taylor Vining. She has some tips for first time pregnant and laboring mom that she would like to share with our YBH Blog readers. First as a healthy mom, she would like to express her personal thoughts in regards to elective induction. Readers should consider Pros / Cons after receiving informed consent regarding continuing to remain pregnant until spontaneous labor occurs (bearing mom and baby are both fine) or choosing elective induction if that is what they truly feel is best for them. One must consider this simple sentence. Elective induction means there is a choice and induction is not medically necessary to resolve a problem Mom or Baby is facing. I asked Jeremy to share from a husband & Dad’s perspective his take away from both the two hour YBH Labor Workshop and elective induction: My biggest take way from the labor workshop was the information. I was able to get more comfortable with the whole process mostly because I had no idea what to do. You seemed to do well managing contractions in the tub & with your deep breathing... honest answer, did you actually practice relaxation techniques to better manage labor or just try to wing it at the time? What relaxation techniques do you feel worked best for you and why? Both. 🥴 Once in the tub and they turned down the pitocin it allowed that break to relax and reset my mind and focus. I watched a lot of YouTube videos on relaxation, I practiced a few, but honestly not enough. When it stared to get tough I was focused on my breathing and I pictured an image in my mind, focused on it and the memories that came with it to distract myself. It was emotionally and mentally challenging from start to finish. I had to choke back a few tears many times while helping Taylor go through labor and dealing with everything. I knew it wouldn’t help if I broke down. Taylor and the baby were my only concern so I did what I could to help. - Jeremy Could you share with readers how you and Jeremy came to make the decision about c-section after baby’s negative response to pitocin and epidural use? Was there one particular issue that solidified your decision other than no station change? We had tried everything we could and nothing was changing. I had a feeling there was something going on where it wasn’t allowing him to drop in my pelvis after being checked multiple time and no change. Jeremy and I were on the same page when he started to have negative reaction to the contractions. We didn’t really have to talk much about it, we both just knew we needed to do what would be the safest for him and me at the time and we ran out of options at that time too. Honestly we were just ready to get him out and finally hold him. What parts of your surgery allowed you to still embrace the JOY of your baby’s birthday? Just knowing he was finally here, hearing him cry and knowing he was healthy and we finally get to hold him was the best joy and happiness of it all. When it came to c-section at first, I wanted to avoid it, because I knew it was not what Taylor wanted. I was hoping we could avoid it, but after seeing that the baby wasn’t dealing with the contractions well and the midwifes telling us that the best thing for the baby at that point was a c-section, I was able to make peace with it. Plus, I knew that Taylor was ready for a baby and she had made peace with it as well. When it comes to cesarean surgery honestly there is nothing you can do but be present, there for your spouse and watch the procedure take place. It is actually an awesome experience. I got to watch the whole thing and see how they do what they do (which may not be for everyone lol) we smiled and laughed through the whole thing. — Jeremy Do you think early breastfeeding and postpartum challenges looked differently than what you expected and why... any tips for readers in making post surgery easier or more manageable? I honestly didn’t know what PP and BF life would look like. I knew it would be hard, but how hard was still to be determined. To be the only one to feed him, trying to not use bottles, etc., is extremely tiring, but also so rewarding when he’s latched on and eating. Sometimes, I wish Jeremy could breastfeed so I can nap a little longer. But it’s definitely worth it! The first few days were hard as I couldn’t move fast and it hurt if I moved in a certain way or tried to do something. All I could really do is feed him. It was even hard to burp him and get him in that position. Jeremy has been so great in helping me and doing things I needed him to or helping me up and down from the chair. Definitely having a great support person made the healing time so much easier. Even now, that I can get around better and do more with out hurting, Jeremy has continued to be a great helper in making sure I don’t over do it. Looking back as a first-time father, I don’t know that I would change anything. Our birth plan didn’t go as we wanted, but we tried everything we could to follow it. It just doesn’t always go as planned all the time. We constantly prayed over it and God had it go the way it needed to. Taylor and the baby were both safe and healthy Our ultimate goal. My advice for expecting fathers: • If you are able to take leave from work do so and take as much time as you can. All the time is worth it to be with your spouse and the baby. • And while you are supporting mom through labor, one I suggest you take a labor class to help get information and knowledge on what to do to help. Two, I suggest you hire a doula (aka Mrs. Pam) Having her there to help through the whole thing made the stress go away for me and helped me through it also. • Make sure to bring snacks for yourself more so than for your spouse. YOU will need it to help you keep your energy up so you can help your spouse through labor. Also be sure to pack comfortable cloths so you will stay comfy too. —Jeremy Now that you have your body back and some sort of sleep, what would you do differently in terms of preparations for labor, birth & postpartum? My whole birth experience was definitely not as planned. I wanted to do my best at all natural, not be induced, let my water break on it own, etc. With Jeremy’s time off work, I ended up choosing induction and it wasn’t what I wanted to happen. In the end, I’m okay with that. I was prepared to be unprepared in what was going to happen as a first time laboring mom. I am proud of myself for trying everything I could before resorting to a c section. Once I’m healed, I’m going to prepare my body for a VBAC next time and pray we don’t make a stubborn big headed baby again. 😂 Birth is a learning experience and preparation is key to experiencing the least amount of discomfort possible. Childbirth Education is key to learning all your options and helping navigate through hurdles as Taylor and Jeremy experienced. There is something to learn from everyone’s experience as labor and birth has many variations. In the end, healthy mom and healthy baby is always our number one goal! It is, after all your baby’s first “BIRTH” day party! Embrace the JOY and celebrate! Congratulations Vining family!

Meet Staci Freed a mom, wife and local fitness trainer in Athens, Ga. Meet Justin supportive husband and father who recently helped catch his own baby at home. A very empowering and life changing moment for both of them. Allow me to backup just a moment, introduce myself and share how and where I fit into this story. Baby #1 for Justin and I, was baby #2 for Staci, as she had a 12 year old daughter at the time they found me and came to the farm for a two hour labor workshop. Staci had expressed she had a miserable first baby experience in which she felt terribly misled and disappointed by her epidural experience. She shared her lack of education and knowledge of how to best manage labor with as few medical interventions as possible left her feeling powerless. With baby #2 she wanted to do things differently. I had informed her based on her choices of what she desired for her birth she wasn’t at the right practice or birth place to be best supported. Near term she received the failure to thrive speech and really felt in her gut her baby was just fine. She would come to later agree, but she did move forward with the medical induction despite reservation. However, she did accomplish an epidural free experience, but last minute IV narcotics being administered by a nurse at Piedmont Athens, instead of natural birth support through her transition phase, left her feeling powerless yet again just minutes before her baby was born. The narcotic meds made her feel as if she couldn’t even hold her eyes open, let alone properly push a baby out and she couldn’t understand why the "medwife" (a medically inclined midwife) wasn’t offering any instruction on how to best get through this overwhelming few minutes, nor any coaching suggestions as she continued to endure strong contractions back to back. She felt disassociated from her own body while yelling and screaming a baby out. I mean she had been administered IV drugs which led her to believe she would be able to rest, sleep and calm herself for pushing. There was nothing calming about this late labor experience. She still had to push a baby out shortly after the administration of narcotic meds. Although, she was happy she did not cave into an epidural last minute before push phase, she still felt as if she was very misinformed. Staci definitely did not feel as if she had been properly "Informed" regarding use of such mind altering drugs. Now in the staff's defense, labor and push phase is NOT the time to be learning "how to best manage labor pains"... it is also not their job to educate you in the natural process. She also later come to understand why a two hour workshop on childbirth is just not quite sufficient for most people. With baby #3 she came to understand she needed to learn more and it just made sense to “TRAIN for Childbirth!” I asked Justin and Staci to share how they made the decision to have a home birth, how the experience enhanced their relationship, along with other tips and suggestions. Okay hang on here we go.... Staci shared: For my second pregnancy a year earlier, I knew I needed a birth class of some sort and I thought I’d be good with a 2 hr workshop. Pam was great and packed as much useful info as she could, but the truth is lady’s, if you don’t do your homework and practice you may not be prepared for a natural birth. My hospital "medwife" was not really in alignment with a truly natural birth. On December 31st, she advised me to go straight to the hospital for an induction 2 weeks early, because Audrey’s weight was measuring 5lbs, give or take a pound. She was worried the baby might not be getting enough nutrients. After the whole thing played out and my daughter was here, I realized that all of the worrying was complete nonsense. My daughter was born 1/1/2020 at 5:22am, measuring a healthy 6lbs. I felt I let myself be manipulated. I realized the hospital and their staff knew nothing about natural child birth, only medical intervention. I will spare you the “movie scene worthy” hospital birth with screaming and cursing. I decided on a natural home birth after my less than desirable experience with a "medwife" in the hospital. This being my 3rd full term pregnancy, I was looking forward to doing everything different. A home birth was really my only option anyways since the hospitals were locked down with masks and minimal visitors and the medical community having lost their ever-loving minds with the plandemic. When I got pregnant again I didn’t even go to the doctor until I was 6 months. I instinctively knew that I didn’t need a “practicing physician” to monitor my growing baby considering my active and very healthy lifestyle. This time around I secured a four week YBH training, and also choose the YBH 8hr package for doula support during labor and birth. The training and exercises (physical and mental) were so important. Learning about the reproductive system and the uterus being a muscle really struct a cord with me. Exercising and stretching were an absolute must to be physically ready for the demands of labor. Pam also referred me to the best prenatal chiropractor, Dr. Anthony-Puckett. She had my body in alignment and I literally went into labor the same day as my last adjustment. I had been experiencing Braxton Hicks for probably a couple of weeks, but there was nothing that really stood out as far as consistent measurable contractions, so my husband and I weren’t really prepared when labor started. Labor came hard and fast promptly at 9pm and lasted for exactly 3hrs and 33mins. I honestly couldn’t think straight until Pam arrived and started reminding me of everything we had learned in her training. The slow deep breaths made all the difference. It was painful, but only when I stopped focusing on slow deep breathing, and it helped tremendously to also add in a deep sound when breathing out. This birth was by far the best experience I’ve ever had and if another child is in our future I will most certainly be having a natural home birth again and again and again! Lastly and on a side note regarding morning sickness- I am a naturalist and opted for smoking cannabis in place of anti-nausea pharmaceuticals. I smoked “cannabis” almost my entire pregnancy, but transitioned to CBD about 30 days before I gave birth. The CBD was far more efficient without the side effects of sleepiness, feeling foggy, and overeating! CBD also made it possible for an amazing recovery. What I’ve learned about CBD is that it begins to bring the body back to a state of balance through the endocannabinoid system. CBD works synergistically with any healthy measures one is engaging in and actually speeds up the body’s healing process. It’s also an amazing tool to aid in weight loss. If you are interest learning how, check out my blog on CBD for exercise and weight loss> https://fitmomonfire.com/my-blog/f/cbd-for-exercise-weight-loss I had taken Staci to the bathroom to empty her bladder. Justin said she had not used the bathroom in the last hour or so. Although she could not go, she did not want to get off the toilet. She found the contractions much more manageable there. Her midwife had to drive to north Ga from Atlanta and had not arrived and well, I heard vibrations in Staci’s voice during her exhale. This is a sound I am very familiar with as the uterus commences trying to expel a baby. I asked her was she pushing. She said no I don’t think so. I took my cell phone and snapped a photo downstairs to make sure, because she didn’t want to get off the commode. As a doula, I don’t intentionally catch babies and I needed to know for sure. When I looked at my phone I was like Justin (who was on the phone with midwife trying to assist her with directions as it was dark & no street lights) tell your midwife I have about half the head peeking. After the next contraction, we moved quickly back to the bed for Staci to labor down and if baby should be born before her midwife arrived I would walk Dad through catching his baby safely on the bed. Their midwife Simone made it just in time. The first question she asked was when is the last time you emptied your bladder? I smiled and Staci said she wasn’t able to. Her midwife asked her to try again. Basically, she had just enough time to walk to the bathroom, sit down and try again when the expulsion contractions commenced. After a few more contractions back to back, the midwife asked her did she want to try to shower? Staci stood up took a step into the shower and baby proceeded to emerge. I called out to Justin to help catch his baby. At this point the midwife is on the bathroom floor and Justin quickly bent down and extended his arms to help. Justin came to realize babies are quite slippery. Dad did an excellent job helping catch and we captured the power pic of Staci, baby and her placenta which was also born in the restroom. A very empowering moment! Something tells me they probably reminisce that moment often. I was just ecstatic Staci did not break my #1 YBH doula rule, “NO TOILET BABY“ BIRTH... shower birth sounds way better! LOL I asked Justin to share from a man’s perspective answers to the following... As a man do you feel you had a preconceived idea that you weren’t needed in the labor and birth process and why? In a way I felt needed, but more for support rather than hands on, because I’m used to and knew only the ole fashion, if you will, “birth process in the hospital.” 👎🏻 As a man speaking to another man, what do you think men need to know to be better prepared for labor/ birth whether In hospital or home? Answer: To better understand the whole birth process. Knowing what “mom” is dealing with internally regarding the body changes and making room for the baby to the wife(mom) that will be irritable, but that’s understandable and you have to be more supportive than you normally are. Strong stomach 😊 will help! Also really understand contractions and listen to “mom”. How would you compare your experiences with Your Birth Helper training & doula support: from a two hour workshop and hospital birth to more in depth understanding of the coaches role and a medical free natural experience at home? And, from a man’s perspective, why was it worth your investment of time and money? Answer: Hands down HOME BIRTH with your birth helper/Doula over hospital birth! It was the best experience we had. It was an experience you definitely won’t get in a hospital room. Free range of your house and comfort knowing you’re at home to get comfortable however you need to. It’s definitely worth everything you put in. To trusting your birth helper and doula to getting the knowledge you need to be prepared for labor and birth. You can google things, but nothing compares to your birth helper/doula and the hands on learning, going through the motions and actually connecting with your spouse through this process versus rushing to the hospital and laying in a hospital bed hooked up to all these machines and doing what is asked of you. I would encourage men to both educate and be open to mom’s choices of how she desires to “give birth” and where. Consider risks and benefits and make the decisions best for you guys and your baby. Of course, more options come with being healthy and low risk. That is how to avoid medical interventions. Pregnancy in itself is not an illness. Explore your options. Again, congratulations on your latest addition 😍 such a beautiful family! The pleasure was all mine! Couples are sure to be empowered and encouraged from your journey from first baby being “delivered”(epidural use) to second baby (IV narcotics) feeling completely out of it in a hospital setting to an empowering educated and trained mom and dad experiencing a peaceful home birth for baby number three! What a fabulous redemption birth story. Thank you for transparency and honesty with our readers. It is so rewarding for me to see you both come to appreciate the JOY of giving birth naturally.

Meet Charlotte Ramberg. Busy counselor by day, wife and mom to a busy toddler by night. First allow me to preface, often times, medical staff expects to encounter women who are no where near having a baby, but acting like they are and therefore, things don’t always happen as quickly as they should. In childbirth class, I call this their Oscar winning performance. Then there are my star students, comprised of Your Birth Helper trained, 12 weeks of Bradley Method® natural birth trained and whose goal is to avoid unnecessary medical interventions and just use the bed to give birth. Simply put, clients who do their homework, stay healthy and low risk, like Charlotte & Kevin are prime candidates for home birth. Many find These clients prefer a much later arrival and avoiding unnecessary routine interventions or what we like to call individual care or Symbiotic Birth (the best of normality coupled with only medically necessary interventions). It takes a level of skill and understanding of how labor works and how to work with your body in labor, as well as, how the coach can help. Let me explain. Charlotte knew what to expect and so did her husband coach. They also knew they preferred to labor at home, uninterrupted by constant knocks on the door for medical protocol that was not warranted for her based on her level of health. Her baby, healthy. Her prenatal care, a top priority, just as it was for her first baby. Despite her former OBGYN retiring and having to get acclimated to a new practice, her second pregnancy had been very similar to her first, uneventful and free of medical concerns. She knew exactly what she would do to accomplish her second low intervention, drug-free birth. Their decision would be a second hospital birth and they chose to remain at Gwinnett Medical Center based off logistics, as it was the closest hospital. Now, this isn’t always the best choice for many clients (especially those who plan to arrive at birth place much sooner), but for The Ramberg Family, they were not planning to be there long enough for unnecessary interventions to happen anyway. They chose to utilize Maternal Gynerations. It was conveniently located to them and the hospital. Despite not having midwives in the practice, many of the OBGYN’s were known for being supportive of couples birth wishes. The couple had formerly trained twelve weeks in The Bradley Method(r) under me for baby number one. With their busy work schedules, having moved and relocated during the pregnancy, they chose a Your Birth Helper Labor workshop to review their birthing skills. A week earlier, we met up in Athens, Georgia at The Oconee Greenway and refreshed knowledge for both her job during contractions, as well as, his role as labor coach, positioning and best techniques. A few days later, with the full moon upon us, we talked strategy of natural ways to prep her body for labor and more specifically to get labor going, should she pass her due date. We had a fun girls day. She relaxed as I performed trigger point work, Amanda Allen, later joined us for lunch at Taqueria Tsunami. We consumed some unique Asian Fusion foods like, hot Avocado Cilantro Eggrolls and some spicy Shrimp De Fuego with all the amazing sauces. Now seeing as though Charlotte has some Thai in her bloodline, our lunch wasn't even close to what her father’s family would call spicy, but it was delicious! After lunch, we headed to the state botanical garden and enjoyed hiking down the path (toward the chapel) descending all the way to the bottom creek bed (shall I say Charlotte walking me back up to the top...lol). We enjoyed the shade through the wooded paths and especially our tour through the new children's garden. What a wonderful time at The State Botanical Garden. The new Children’s Garden is a fabulous addition and a must see for kids! After a restful evening, during the night, contractions commenced. Kevin used the full term contraction timing app to track her progress. They had called me to come to their home and I could definitely tell her labor was progressing. Amanda Allen, YBH Doula Apprentice, was called to join us shortly after. She captured these shots as mom, dad and I, worked through late labor contractions. Charlotte went from birth ball, to shower, to bathroom counter, to hands and knees, to side lie and overcame constant back pain, in addition to, classic contractions, utilizing techniques learned in her Your Birth Helper workshops. Shown below, Inversion positions, allow mom to tip baby out of the pelvic bones and increases circulation, as well as, eases back pressure. Also, if head is misaligned, it also allows baby an opportunity to hopefully realign in a more favorable position for it‘s grand entrance into the world. Your Birth Helper & Teams, encourage women to consider how have you eased pain in past without medication? Dr. Robert Bradley would do the same. Don’t forget things like hot or cold packs, electrical stimulation such as portable TENS unit, massage tools (as shown in this photo below) specialized suction cups, similar to what’s used in cupping therapy, which create their own sort of counter pressure and all can be self applied. In labor, proper positioning matters, changing positions frequently matters. Having the ongoing support of your labor coach / husband matters. And, for some even the addition of doula assistance matters. Our Your Birth Helper Doula Teams do not do Dad’s job. We do not take Dad’s place. It is important to us that we properly prepare the labor coach to understand their role and how significant it is. We only compliment Mom & Dad during their important work and help navigate along the way. The time had come to make our way down the staircase and into the car. we stopped to take each contraction along the way. Mom helps ease her strong late labor contractions while leaning in across my back for more support. We arrive within 15m to their chosen birth place. Registration grabbed a wheel chair, because mom was no longer able to stand and walk without the pressure of the descending baby creating an expulsive pushing sensation. The girls at the registrar desk wrapped up very quickly and with a little teamwork, had us right down the hall to LDR within minutes of arrival. The nurses were all sitting at the nurses station as we were wheeled by into the open triage area. We were awaiting room and nurse assignment. Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to believe there was urgency to move quickly. In their defense, most women are not 10cm upon arrival. Finally, when the nurses came around the corner, they asked Charlotte to stand on the scale to be weighed. I politely suggested they may want to reconsider, get us quickly to a room, because her uterus was already pushing and her water bag was still intact. I did, however, acknowledge, I am just the doula, it’s possible, I could be wrong, but I believe we are very close to baby being born. Then they took us directly to a room and handed me a hospital gown to help get Charlotte out of her clothes, out of the wheel chair and into the bed. At this time, I adjusted the bed to a comfortable position for MOM. She was doing an amazing job laboring down and being patient delaying actively pushing with her uterus as best she could. To our surprise, this close to birth, a nurse still offered her an epidural. Note: Expectant moms & dads, need to be aware, that despite being ready to give birth, even with a head right between your legs, some are still offered and administered epidural anesthesia. Natural birth is so few and far between in today’s world, that I think some medical staff truly feel they would be doing you a favor to stop your push phase and administer drugs. And, even of those who unknowingly accept, some end up having a baby and then twenty minutes after giving birth the medication kicks in. Sadly, you do not get a refund either. Charlotte proudly said, “No thanks.” Several nurses began admitting protocol, simultaneously trying to get monitors on her, etc. few were listening to us that her body was pushing and to get the doctor. I had expressed we had been trying to labor down, but urge to push began in the car and uterus was pushing. Charlotte herself was not adding to the push it was all involuntary work of her uterus. We all were in shock with what happened next... Her uterus began to try to expel the baby and the nurse physically closed Charlotte‘s legs and said, “No we are not doing that, the doctor isn’t here yet!” I immediately took my hands and physically adjusted Charlotte’s legs back to an open pelvis position comfortable for her and replied, “Well we are not playing that, so, I suggest you get the Doctor in here to catch this baby.” It was obvious to all in the room, Charlotte could not control the involuntary urge to bear down and she had avoided actively pushing for as long as she physically could. Now in the Doctor’s defense, she was not advised they were on their way, but she was present in the hospital at the time of arrival. Charlotte had wanted to chose a comfortable pushing position such as full squat or 45 degree angle reclined classic, but unfortunately was denied her choice of pushing. There simply was no time left to adjust position. We improvised and created the classic position all by ourselves . Her former birth at same hospital with Dr. V (now retired), she had used the aide lie position and found it extremely comfortable. This time, the Doctor proceeded to adjust the bed and instruct Charlotte’s position. When Charlotte spoke up and said, what are you doing? She said adjusting the bed so I can catch your baby. The adjustment may have been easier for the doctor, but for a woman having natural birth, flat on her back with legs in stirrups is one of the worst positions to give birth. It creates a stronger felt contraction and is way more uncomfortable. It puts all of the baby’s weight onto the perineum which often causes tearing. And, if mom doesn’t have the energy left to curl herself up, well, let’s just say this is a very old school way of doing business in the natural realm, but the most popular for epidural moms who are numb from waist down. Charlotte, of course, did her entire labor completely natural. She was a very active participant in “Giving Birth” not just having her child delivered from her body. It’s a totally different level of competency and way of doing business with trained, educated and prepared couples. Most doctors aren’t used to our highly skilled couples who confidently execute birth together and drug-free. I leaned in and whispered to MOM, don’t worry I will help you up into classic position myself. With some help from DAD and I, Charlotte used her abs, curled around her baby and approximately 3 active pushes later, baby began to emerge. She did not need or want to use stirrups. Shown above, Doctor Dark supports the Baby’s head as it rotates like a key in a lock down and out the birth canal. I reminded MOM to take a deep breath, hold steady, easy - easy, as the head was crowning and open her eyes... As the baby exits the body, mom’s body is filled with a rush of hormones known as the birth climax. This rush of natural hormones allows mom to be quickly rejuvenated and energized to interact with her new baby. What a HANDSOME BIG BOY!!! Wide eyed looking right at MOM!! Dad cuts the cord and the happy “BIRTH” day party commences... The Ramberg Family has a very healthy baby boy with a very full head of hair! Baby Alaric was born on July 18, 2019 at 5:56 pm. weighing 8lbs 5oz and was 20.5 inches long. Your Birth Helper and Teams, could not be more proud of our amazing team mate, Charlotte, now mother of two and also a newly fully licensed Counselor, as the board was issuing her new credentials, she was welcoming her new family addition! Below: Special thanks to Dr. Dark of Maternal Gynerations in Lawrenceville, Ga for catching baby on such short notice. Unfortunately, in late labor rush, Dad forgot to phone ahead. It happens. Baby also enjoyed his first feeding and was not going to stop for photos...poor fellow, he worked up and appetite on his way out! Below: Ms. Pam, aka Doula Your Birth Helper, gives baby his very first hair do during his physical exam... that hair! 😍 Amara sure is enjoying her baby brother! After her maternity leave, Charlotte will continue her amazing work serving couples in need of counseling services and we are happy to share and thank her for her awesome work assisting moms with postpartum trials, as well. Please don’t hesitate to reach out, should you find you need help in this area. Parenting comes with lots of challenges, but can also strengthen relationships and the family as a whole when both mom and dad are working together! We cant wait to share dates for our upcoming YBH Fourth Trimester workshops, in which Charlotte will help instruct couples segments. So stay tuned!! Mom and Dad executed their labor/birth exactly as planned and with great confidence. Kevin and Charlotte wants you to know they fully believe the key to “Your Birth-Your Way“ is staying healthy and low risk, having your body physically prepared for labor/ birth, being mentally aware of how your body works and how DAD can help, being physically and emotionally prepared to overcome labor pain/ discomfort while managing a variety of sensations like pressure - lots of pressure! Congrats again Kevin & Charlotte! Two completely drug-free, low intervention (as in one internal exam and a few minutes of EFM) under your belts!! It’s couples like you, educating, preparing and executing labor beautifully together, that further fuels my passion to share my #SymbioticBirth movement with as many couples as possible. Thanks for being such a wonderful part of our #AthensBirthFamily!

There are countless couples I have helped prepare for labor, in a multitude of ways, over the last thirty years. There are also those extra special couples of whom I share the love of Jesus with. Tony and Emily are devoted Christians. They're confident in not only their faith, but also in their decision making. They would tell you that's because they regularly take their concerns and petitions to the Lord in prayer (not just in the aspect of labor and birth), but in general. Likewise, John 16:21, is a scripture reference this couple is very familiar with. They combined their Faith with their training and successfully birthed their son drug-free using the techniques they learned in their Bradley Method® 12 week course. They know firsthand the benefits of childbirth education and preparation of the body, mind and spirit for such ennobling yet difficult work. This pregnancy would have its own unique challenges for Emily including things like varicose veins, chasing a toddler around, the concern of possibly birthing at home (since they lived about an hour from their birth place) and even hospital restrictions due to the Corona Virus, masking, etc., but as. you can see below none of those things robbed them of the Joy of their baby's birth. Now, continue reading. Remember, the work doesn't stop just because the baby exits your womb, nope... in fact, the work is just getting started. In the world of medicine and science, second stage labor is known as the push phase. Third stage labor is known as the birth of the placenta, but are you aware the hours and days to follow postpartum are now more specifically labeled the "Fourth Trimester." Emily had an amazing birth, but little did she and her husband Tony know what the coming days would reveal and what new challenges would lie ahead. Regardless of unforeseen challenges, religious beliefs, marital status, etc., I gladly serve all people regardless of their religious preferences, but there is something extremely unique and difficult to describe when I get to attend a “BIRTH” day party where our Savior is glorified, welcomed and present. Such as the special invitation from Tony & Emily extended to me, to accompany the couple as Doula for their second birth! Emily, Tony and River (their three year old son) was very excited to learn a new addition was on the way. They also learned they were having a GIRL! Emily continued good nutrition throughout and met her exercise and relaxation goals as best she could daily. The two, after prayerful consideration of their options, with confidence passed on offers to have internal exams during late pregnancy. They also decided to pass on the offer to “sweep her membranes and get into labor sooner.” Tony and Emily had prayed in advance of this offer and just didn’t feel comfortable abandoning the natural process. They felt more comfortable allowing baby #2 to cook a little longer and wait for their estimated due date to come and go, just as it did the first time. They knew the statistics have shown a healthy mom will usually carry 8 days over her anticipated due date. Their due date was officially on July 31, 2020. Emily had continued prepping her own body for labor with several natural methods including: primrose oil capsules, red raspberry tea, eating dates, walking, etc. and her final midwife appointment was the morning of August 7th. Since she was beyond her due date, they lived so far away, the couple brought their things and planned to remain in Athens and take the midwife up on the offer to check her cervix and potentially sweep her membranes, if her cervix was favorable. The two did all the things they could to help her uterus along and baby down. It wasn't long after they had lunch and began actively working together to get into active labor before they called me to meet them in the parking deck. Tony grabbed a wheelchair, because Emily's contractions were starting to change from classic contractions to expulsion contractions and we still had to get from the parking deck, through first floor clearance to enter hospital during pandemic not so fun protocol and finally, we were all reunited in registration on the third floor of Piedmont Athens hospital, formerly known as, Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens, Georgia. Much to Emily's surprise she was 9.5cm dilated and while the nurse was getting her twenty minute strip of monitoring we began to labor down. Emily's contractions were like clockwork and very close together. She was finding it more and more challenging to relax and not actively push. Despite Emily's calm and kind demeanor, she did manage to tell the staff several times to please be quiet, (she preferred complete silence during contractions) of course, she still used her manners. She enjoyed the cool cloth especially during an occasional wave of nausea. At one point, she opened her eyes and asked, "Why does this have to be so hard?" Tony and I, calmly reassured her baby would be in her arms real soon! Admitting at 9.5cm dilated can have its advantages, especially when you are healthy, low risk and desire a low intervention natural birth. However, laboring down and waiting for an overwhelming urge to bear down instead of just pushing at 10cm dilated, also has its challenges. For Emily, having her quiet environment TESTED with constant questions regarding Covid_19 testing, further affected her ability to completely relax. Not having any symptoms of the virus, the couple chose to decline multiple times. The nurse gave numerous reasons as to the "why Emily and Tony may want to change their mind." Emily replied, "No I don't want it." Again, "No Thank You." And, lastly after the nurses last explanation, "No Thanks." Then the midwife entered and proceeded to push for Covid testing after the couple had declined three different times politely. It wasn't until the final Covid_19 test sales speech, that I felt compelled to intervene on behalf of the couple. Seriously, imagine walking into to hospital ready to give birth and the last words you hear before pushing your baby out is, "There is absolutely No benefit in declining the Covid test, we are not going to take your baby from you if you test positive for Covid." Emily had said, No, No Thanks, No Thank you...geez how many more ways may one say "I do not consent" before a realization is made the couple has been informed and has repetitively declined the test. Let alone the fact that test results would take approximately two hours or more and this baby was ready to be born. I expressed to the midwife, as soon as I flip her over you are going to need to catch a baby. The only reason she is still sitting here is we were trying to let you get your 20 minutes of base line monitoring of the baby. As soon as I flip her over, get ready to catch! Alexa had the nurse remove the electronic fetal monitor. Tony and I assisted Emily into a raised hands and knees position over top of the bed and pushing immediately commenced. A few short pushes after her baby girl began to emerge... Rotating as she exited, the midwife helped guide her as Dad's eyes began to swell and a huge smile lit up his face! Most women wait for that moment when their baby emerges and is placed upon their chest for initial bonding. However, every so often the umbilical cord is shorter than normal and baby can not be placed on mom’s chest until the cord has been cut. This was the case for Baby #2 in this story. That’s where Dad comes in. After a few minutes of delayed cord clamping, midwife Alexa holds the umbilical cord so Dad can set his baby girl free. Tony makes the cut just above the clamp and baby was finally placed on mom‘s chest for the golden hour. Welcome to the world Baby Willow!! Your parents did an amazing job of bringing you into the world completely drug and intervention free, having only one internal exam, admitting upon early urge to push and twenty minutes of external fetal monitoring. The timing of their arrival was key to reducing routine medical interventions. Mom, Dad and Big Brother are happy to present... Willow Lucille Rudolph weighing in at 8lbs at 6:21p.m. on August 7, 2020 making the Rudolph's a party of four! The couple was back home the next evening, but little did they know more challenges were on the horizon. I asked Emily to share her postpartum challenges after her second birth. You see many people think the process gets easier with each child. Well, that is not always the case. The second labor does tend to be shorter in length than the first, but every body is unique and every baby is unique. For example, just because you had one baby and everything went smoothly, does not mean your second pregnancy will also be free of challenges, nor the labor, postpartum or fourth trimester. In fact, we have no determining factors to know this ahead of time, with the exception of doing what you can control in terms of overall health of mom, good nutrition, daily exercise, etc. what we can do is our best to stay healthy and low risk. Some moms have an easier birth, but maybe endure postpartum blues, breastfeeding issues, sleepless nights, etc. I asked Emily to share her personal challenges with baby #2 to give readers a more accurate view of what women could experience, although it varies greatly from pregnancy to pregnancy, labor to labor and beyond... Emily shared her initial postpartum challenges: The morning after birth I had a Monster varicose vein show up. I had dealt with them all during my pregnancy, but the new one came down both thighs extending from the pubic area. They were super red, very painful and hot to the touch. I requested to see the midwife on call that morning which was Janna. After examining them she was very concerned especially because they were so red and hot to touch. She requested an ultrasound and thankfully it revealed they were not in an important major vein. That eased my immediate worry. The monster varicose veins have since diminished more and more during my postpartum weeks. The ultrasound tech shared it occasionally happens during the process or after pushing a baby out. After being home a few days, we went in for our first well baby visit at 1 week and were sent directly to the hospital that day by the pediatrician. Our daughter was experiencing an eye infection that was concerning to the doctor. The hospital staff was never fully able to determine what type of bacteria specifically caused the eye infection, because all of the tests kept coming back negative?? The doctor guessed it was a type of newborn conjunctivitis or more commonly called pink eye . We did decline the routine administration of erythromycin after birth and it is unknown if that could have prevented my baby’s eye infection or not. Just something to consider when determining which routine interventions are right for you and your baby. Also, I am pretty sure I was on the verge of a postpartum infection from my perineal repair/ sutures. Having to sit at the hospital with our one week old baby and not having the comforts of home didn't seem to help with the discomfort. My perineum was crazy painful. I chose to apply colloidal silver topically and it cleared right up. Initially it was very red with foul smelling discharge classic signs of infection. I am sure being back in the hospital with our sick baby didn't help my healing in those first two crucial weeks which are supposed to be rest for mom. Maybe, more challenging than the physical discomfort was the mental exhaustion of being back in hospital after having such a wonderful birth experience. I am still wrestling daily fears, if something were to happen and we have to go back to the hospital. Sadly, it is very mentally straining, to date, even with our now healthy baby. Emily’s tips for moms: I used something for breastfeeding that helped tremendously with preventing pain and damage for nipples. They were called Silverette nursing cups...worth every penny! I attribute the use of those to nursing going way better this go round. I also purchased a tincture called Happy Ducts from Wish Gardens (ordered both these items from Amazon) the tincture helped prevent mastitis and relieve any clogged ducts. I highly recommend them. Congratulations Tony, Emily on your second low intervention, drug-free #SymbioticBirth Thank you for entrusting Doula Your Birth Helper for your second happy "BIRTH" day! The pleasure was all mine and Congrat's to you too, River, on being such an awesome big brother already!!!!

Every now and then, life has a way of bringing two special people together. Some say, "It was fate", "we were destined to be together", "our paths crossed" and some have even used the phrase, "our souls connected." You can describe the feeling when you find your person however you would like. These two described it as "extra thankful" especially when the two that came together created the best surprise ever! Meet Cara & Bryan of Charlotte, North Carolina! They have assisted me in writing this awesome birth story, because Covid hospital restrictions tried to screw up our in person doula support and birth photography. Of course, Your Birth Helper & Team, was not going to have that! We worked together to create a new strategy. One that would benefit the "mom and dad to be" in freely laboring in their own relaxing environment, as long as possible, mask free! Stay with us, you are going to be empowered from their ability to remain positive and focus on the JOY of their first born's happy "BIRTH" day, despite Covid_19. When Bryan and I found out we were pregnant, we were not married, and actually had not been together for that long. Bryan's excitement at becoming a father and interest in the drug-free natural birth that I wanted, made all the difference in our ability to birth naturally. I think it's vital for both mom and dad to be on the same page, as I don't think I could have been successful without his presence, love, and knowledgeable coaching, thanks to our training! Cara It is very common for healthy first time mom to carry up to 8 days or more, beyond their estimated due date as calculated in doctor's office. Sometimes, couples decide to put in the work at home to better prep mom's body for spontaneous labor. Is it frustrating watching your due date come and go?... YES! But, again, if you EXPECT it. then it is not such a shock when it happens to you. Also, consider telling others your due date is two weeks later initially. Then at least folks aren't driving you crazy at the end or stressing you out for quote, "being overdue!" Simply carrying a baby beyond your estimated due date is not a medical condition requiring medical induction. So ask your medical provider and yourself a simple question, "Is mom and baby okay?" If the answer is yes, make the decision best for you. Induction is not a cake walk and can potentially robe you of your low intervention natural birth. If you decide remaining pregnant and waiting for labor to begin on its own, please be prepared to at least use your time wisely to raise your Bishop score, in case induction does eventually play out for whatever medical reason. The universe in all its mighty power controls so many aspects of our lives and sometimes, even the uterus, when deciding the timing of when mom goes into labor and expels her baby. Now, according to Scientific studies, there is no evidence of such, but just ask medical or law enforcement personnel how their work load varies during Full moons, New moons, Storms or an Eclipse. Whatever and however the universe and its weather contributes to the uterine activity we don't know. In general terms, more moms are laboring during these times, such as this one below. I captured this photo of a crazy thunderstorm on my way to meet Cara and Bryan at Atrium Health Maternity Center in Pineville, North Carolina. Things that make you go.....hmmmmm? When baby girl did not arrive on her due date (July 6, 2020), Cara began getting impatient and thought "how could she get any bigger?!". Mom and dad began trying every technique to help induce labor, including tea, hilly walks, and getting in the right mindset. Without our doula, we definitely would not have known how to best proceed and what to ask for at our midwife appointment on July 7. Who knows- we may have agreed to interventions that we didn't actually need or want just to get things going. However, we found out at that appointment that we were on our way, at 2cm dilated, 75% effaced, and -1 station! This was Cara's first exam (again, thanks to the advice from our wonderful doula). With the good news, we agreed to a membrane sweep, and returned home to keep on trying to get baby moving in the right direction. Bryan We had spoken multiple times on the phone that day. There was so confusion over her appointment and a little office frustration. It happens on occasion, but the Corona virus scare had several OB offices closed to cut exposure of staff going in and out. Unfortunately, that meant some visits would be virtual and all office visits were fed into the same location. I encouraged Cara to have her cry and put those emotions away. We had work to do. I gave Cara and Bryan some homework for our Operation Baby Evacuation the all natural way. They both went straight to work and even more determined than ever to get Cara's uterus contracting on her own without medical induction. She was moving real slow and not talking much at all during her late first stage contractions. She did muster up a smile for me as she exited her vehicle(especially since I had driven up from Athens, GA for this exciting baby evacuation plan). Labor really started to get going around noon on July 8th. I was determined to labor at home as long as possible, since we had been so well-trained by Pamela and Bryan was prepared to coach. We went for our last hilly walk that afternoon, and Bryan even brought a camp chair for me to squat on during the stronger contractions! Bryan quickly prepared me a nutritious dinner for the work we would be putting in (even though mine didn't stay down long!). Cara As soon as she stood up, another contraction consumed her. Change of positions and relaxing with each contraction helps promote progress. We can't camp out in the same position for hours during labor and expect positive changes to occur. We have to get mom a little uncomfortable to promote cervical dilation and station change. Leaning in often takes the edge off the contractions. Cara found this position eased her discomfort. She continued her deep abdominal breathing, as I played the role of her literal countertop. After a little more curb walking, her pressure was starting to intensify. The joy for Cara and Bryan in actually laboring on the hospital sidewalk... they didn't have to mask up! Cara could actually deep breath which a mask can seriously challenge at times. Sinking into a contraction and staying out of the uterus' way is very important to allow the uterus to naturally push your baby down during contractions. A loose pelvic floor and consciously releasing your bladder during the peak is especially helpful. By 7pm after a chat with Pamela, we knew it was time to get going. We are so lucky that Pamela was able to meet us in the parking lot of Atrium Pineville, where we all 3 labored together for an hour and a half. I'm sure we were a sight to see - a few people even stopped to make sure we were ok! After Cara vomited up that dinner I prepared (all over Pamela and my shoes!), we were admitted for our triage initial exam. Pamela had advised us NOT to find out the results - and thank goodness we listened! Cara was only 4cm dilated- after all of that work! However, we were admitted to Nurse Nancy's room (again, thanks to Pamela & Nancy!) to keep laboring since behavioral and physical signs reflected Cara could be in transition phase.  Bryan Lena had also arrived to show her support. The Your Birth Helper Team was sad they had to remain outside and would not be allowed to accompany us to our room. Why we decided on virtual education and doula services: When I asked my mom friends the one thing they wish they had known/had done differently, 100% of them said they wish they had gotten more training and/or hired a doula. In March, when all of our classes were cancelled due to COVID, we started to take this seriously. We knew that we wanted a natural drug-free birth, especially after hearing so many friends recently for whom this was a struggle. While many people say "childbirth is natural, people have been doing it for hundreds of years, it will just happen", this is not the case. There are so many factors these days that interfere with a woman's ability to give birth naturally, including the complicated medical system that is focused on money and in-and-out care, poor diet, stress, and a myriad of other factors. We knew that in order to have the natural birth we wanted, we had to adequately prepare, and have someone on our side in the medical system who could not only advocate for us, but coach us along the way with what to ask, and steps to take. We got all of that and more with Your Birth Helper!  We now know why they call them the Charlotte Doula Dream Team. Cara was also surprised to learn that baby Olivia was posterior, causing very painful back labor. Some positions that seemed to help the most were standing leaning over the bed, throne, and side lying. When the pain got really tough, we labored in the bath for awhile, and the warm water helped soothe Cara. Nancy used the peanut ball in side lying position to help turn Olivia, and pretty soon we were ready for push phase! Cara started using the squat bar. Nancy called Jennifer Crumpler, CNM, our midwife, and Cara got eager to start pushing. However, things started to slow down as the pain got stronger. Nancy offered Cara Pitocin to speed things back up, but that only made Cara's resolve stronger. I called and got Pamela on the phone, and together our team coached our daughter into the world drug-free!  Bryan Nancy suggested changes in positioning to help the baby flip anterior with use of the peanut ball. Showing off in late first stage, supported by Dad and definitely making that full squat look easy. Olivia Marley Stewart, born July 9, 2020 at 3:47am. 8lbs 1oz (bigger than expected as mom is only 5'4" 110lbs pre-pregnancy!), 19 1/4inches long. Olivia received a 9 apgar, began breastfeeding immediately and is thriving. We are so grateful to our doula team and the wonderful help we received at Atrium Pineville! I asked Cara and Bryan a few specific questions to benefit expectant couples who may be reading. I hope you can be encouraged and empowered by their answers! Do you feel your virtual classes and labor assistance were key to your success? (From being more confident to labor at home, to not arriving at hospital too soon to talking you through rough spots in labor, strategizing with you and dad to overcome hurdles, etc.: Definitely, the classes and virtual doula help were vital in helping Cara labor at home and while in the hospital drug-free!! Do you feel you could’ve managed labor drug free without your advanced training? Maybe, but since I had back labor for so long, I'm not sure what interventions may have been suggested (and accepted) had Pamela and Nancy not been there to help us navigate alternatives and stick to our birth plan. What did you enjoy most from your labor and birth? It seems the stars aligned for us, because when I went into labor Pamela was in town and Nurse Nancy was on duty that night for our labor. We felt so cared for from the time we were admitted until we left the hospital. Having all of the labor tools available, and the knowledge of how to use them, made things go much more smoothly. Congratulations on the execution of your happy "BIRTH" day ~the all natural way! Not everyone puts in the work needed during their nine months to endure countless hours of labor, back labor on top of that. You worked hard. You two trained. You both labored with confidence making great decisions along the way and you #NAILEDIT.

Well, this couple missed out on a 2016 tax deduction but something tells me their precious baby boy was worth waiting for a few more days! On January 3rd her early labor started about 10pm. She followed tips on how to keep Labor progressing and follow her normal routine as long as possible. Dad checked in for suggestions during the wee hours of the morning & for help to assess labor along the way. Her active labor followed around 3:30am on January 4th, when she woke to 5 minute apart contractions. When Contractions were 4 minutes apart, lasting one minute for over an hour aka the "4-1-1 of labor" they headed to their birth place. Upon arrival to the hospital, @7am found she was 5cm dilated and they decided to admit. She labored on her side, with the peanut ball and focused on her relaxation. Unfortunately, she had one of the rooms @ CMC Main that did not have a tub 😔Finally, dad text for me to depart & grab him a Chik Fil A biscuit* on the way (don't judge -he was starving 🤣) *special thanks to Matthews location for proving dad his biscuit free of charge bc they knew I was in a rush to CMC Main during RUSH hour 😳it's not my first stop @ Chik Fil A to feed laboring couples, nope they have seen me before 😉. After my gps rerouting me nearly a half a dozen times to get me around bumper to bumper traffic, I finally arrived and of course, the parking deck was full as usual but something told me to hurry. Even though Melissa & Adam had only a couple of hours training with me, they clearly did their homework! She meant business with her relaxation! And, although I was unaware at the time their baby boy was in a race to beat me into the room. Luckily, I ran from parking deck to the 8th floor as quickly as possible. Baby & I arrived @ the same time! With supportive nurses and dad cheering, as well as 8 entered the room. Bright eyed and with precious white vernix still present on his velvet skin, he weighed in @ 7pounds 6oz, 20 3/4 inches long. Drug free & perfect in every way!! Very attentive to mom & dad, staring straight into their eyes. Shortly thereafter, joined by both sets of grand parents it was quite the happy "birth"day party! The party drink of choice, The Bradley Cocktail aka Orange Juice, which never tasted so good till after you have given birth and ran your labor marathon!! Dad finally was able to enjoy that biscuit, mom enjoyed a new baby in her arms and then they switched off. Dad kept baby warm skin to skin as I pampered mom with a well deserved lavender leg & foot massage. I am so proud of these two for their dedication to bring their baby into the world in the safest way possible, low intervention and drug free! YourBirthHelper.com commends you both for educating, applying, believing & achieving Your Birth, Your Way! Another what I like to call the John 16:21 birth marathon well ran!! I asked Melissa to share some tips for all the upcoming moms as to what she felt helped her progress while in the comfort of her home: The few days prior to labor I sat on my exercise ball a good bit a bounced, stretched, ate all kinds of different cuisine and half glass of wine, and walked some. Yup, it really can be that simple. Don't complicate labor, your body knows what to do and 94% of the time, interventions are not needed. #OneProudDoula #OneProudChildbirthEducator #naturalbirth #YourBirthHelpercom #BirthFamily #DoulaAssistance #ChikFilA

How well do you know your expectant wife? Well, Gabe matched almost every one of Lindsay's answers in our workshop! The question to the photo below was, "What is MOM most looking forward to?" Answer: Getting the baby out!! More specifically Lindsay strongly desired a baby naturally. She knew she had her work cut out for her as VBAC carries its own set of challenges, but she knew it could be done. In fact, our YBH teams help couples successfully VBAC regularly and many also achieve it naturally, as well. Lindsay and Gabe had their initial consult with Doula, Nancy Cook, BSN, YBHD to discuss a plan for VBAC success. Nancy shared, yes it can be done, but very honestly the couple had their work cut out for them. You see, in a VBAC scenario, we must get mom into natural labor as induction is not offered to attempt vaginal birth after cesarean. Also, she would be subject to more constant monitoring after 6cm so freedom to move about and use tub could be challenged. Even with the wireless monitor, there are still limitations. Also with VBAC, comes a higher use of epidural, in which she was not completely opposed. However, she firmly believed the epidural is what created the issue in which she had surgery the first time. Her ultimate goal was Drug-free labor and birth, if all possible. Nancy explained with good nutrition, daily exercise/ staying low risk and preparing her birthing muscles, it was very possible she could do just that! She understood her homework and immediately began preparing both her body and mind. Together, with her husband, acquiring the knowledge to overcome obstacles they could experience along the way, she gained more and more confidence. They were functioning as a solid team and this newfound determination would soon play a huge part of their success! When we talk about labor averages and giving birth, statistically speaking, the length of uninterrupted rhythmical contractions for a first time mom in active labor is around 15-17 hours, with the average length of push phase 1-2 hours unmedicated and 3-4 hours with use of epidural. The funny is, labor and birth are so unique, not just for each woman, but also for each individual child they give birth to. In the second birth story of Gabe and Lindsay Beverly, the goal was vaginal birth after cesarean surgery. Her first labor progressed well. She achieved 10cm dilated, but sadly at Gastonia hospital pushing with an epidural was not very supported. Little if any assistance, in fact, what was encouraged was giving up and going into surgery. Unfortunately, we hear these stories all the time. Now, understand we are all grateful for life saving interventions. However, when these same interventions are used simply to shorten labor or push phase, or routinely on the masses when not medically necessary, this is when couples feel very cheated. Particularly, when a near term hormonal woman in the heat of labor is not encouraged... well you see where this ends up. One way to help prevent such outcomes is GET EDUCATED! Shown below, Lindsay and Gabe attended several Your Birth Helper Intensive Labor workshops. Our YBH workshops are currently held in Charlotte, NC and Athens, GA. Couples invest two hours packed full of specific information, activities and practice to understand basics of labor, how to work with their body, how Dad can help, how to overcome common obstacles/ variations of labor, how to understand and acquire informed consent in the event of complications, positioning, push phase techniques, etc. As you can see, we have a Fun time while cramming as much into workshop as possible. Then our work was cut out for us keeping mom a viable candidate for VBAC, as around 34 weeks midwife Lisa Nona suspected Lindsay’s fluid level was high. She was sent for ultrasound and everything checked out fine. One hurdle jumped! Also, mom had an internal exam check at 36 weeks when Dr. Alvarez did the strep b swab. Of course, mom was nothing dilated, etc. as few are this early, but since induction is not an option for VBAC candidates, any release of natural prostaglandins can be helpful. Typically, our clients try to delay internal exams to around 39/40 weeks, because most carry 8 days over their due date. At 38 weeks, Lindsay was 50% effaced. At 39 week appointment, mom chose to not be checked again. The 40 week appointment, midwife, Lisa Nona said she couldn't determine if baby was still head down. This, of course, stressed mom out. She didn't want to have another internal exam (she just wasn’t feeling it), but midwife insisted she thought baby's head wasn't down. Then, mom was informed, the midwife couldn't reach cervix or baby internally and once again Mom was sent for ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed Baby was in fact head down. That same appointment midwife sent Lindsay home with Hibicleanse and a scheduled section date. This is where VBAC clients have to dig down deep and do their best to keep stress down. Stress will not help us get into natural labor in fact it further releases adrenaline in the pregnant body and adrenaline keeps contractions at bay. As anyone can imagine its a tough situation to not become discouraged and disparaged. But again, sometimes you must follow your gut and assume the risks associated with your personal decision making. Mom was not ready to give up and did not feel comfortable with repeat surgery. In fact, she was feeling cheated all over again. She and Gabe were doing everything in their power to get labor going, even scheduled acupuncture with our own Stephanie Crowley (in our #CharlotteBirthFamily) but unfortunately, it started out far from relaxing and helpful as someone backed into her in the parking lot and they had to wait almost an hour for an officer to arrive... more stress. Stephanie was able to work her back in and still see her and even offered relaxing tea while she waited. The other stress was what to do with their two year old white they tried to commence labor, during night try to get full nights sleep and tending to another child when we are trying to get another one out can be far from relaxing. The day was drawing near and labor was still absent. She had experienced some small bouts of contractions, but they always seem to fizzy out. The surgery date was rapidly approaching and Lindsay had to do some soul searching. She simply was not prepared to have a repeat c-section simply because she was 41 weeks. She canceled her appointment and asked for it to be rescheduled. She also solidified her decision with a visit to Dr. Alvarez to once again verify both she and baby were fine. Everything checked out fine and she went home to work work work and prep her body for labor. Her efforts paid off. Contractions intensified and Dad was right there assisting and supporting her along the way. Lindsay endured hours of labor Kudos to Mom and Dad for educating, preparing, executing and achieving such a special all natural journey! It was no doubt, quite a different, much happier outcome, from the first epidural / cesarean experience they had been encouraged to have after 10cm in Gastonia when things got tough. Lindsay and Gabe would like to strongly express; the time, energy and work associated with properly "training and giving birth" may sound overwhelming at times, but the benefits after are so vast and so worth your best efforts! Know this, if mom and baby are okay, you still have options to stay the course both are evidence based choices. Also, consider wisely how medical interventions may serve you in meeting your goals. For example, after four long hours of pushing Lindsay was very exhausted, as pushing in any position is taxing physically. Dr. Lauder suggested the use of the Kiwi vacuum, due to baby's asynclitic head position and longer than normal crowning phase. Mom and Dad weighed the risks and benefits and agreed. Trained in its use, Tammy Reyes, CNM easily applied since head was in full crown and easily with one push, mom helping moved baby right along. I was fortunate to have arrived from Georgia shortly after and with couple more contractions baby emerged and the birthday celebration began! Twelve hours of hard labor - four of which were pushing. Lindsay displayed great strength, power and was such a warrior woman throughout it all and Gabe, never left her side. Lindsay's recipe for success: "train with Your Birth Helper, switch to supportive practice, (if mom & baby are fine) avoid induction by doing the work to get into labor, have a trained husband coach, Doula support with the #CharlotteDoulaDreamTeam! That's what helped me remain drug free during labor and just keep pushing, pushing, pushing even when tired." As an English teacher and writer herself, she now finds that words could never adequately express her gratitude to all who supported her. I replied, "no worry, the smile on your face after pushing your baby out said it all!"

Our own Nikki Reeves, happened to be teaching a childbirth class at Emory- Decatur hospital when she found herself giving a live demo on PROM, commonly known as, premature rupture of membranes. It seems as so many babies love to do, her plans for Easter Sunday would be crashed. But, before we move forward and exchange the Stork with the Easter Bunny, let's go backward to what led up to this special day. Nikki was selected as a YBH candidate to train in our elite Doula Apprenticeship Program. In her initial application essay, she expressed she formerly experienced two traumatic epidural births, followed by postpartum depression. She was hoping to explore options and be better informed for her third birth. We simply say it this way, plan for "Your Birth - Your Way." She expressed a strong desire to then share the knowledge she obtains to help others have happier "birth" days! And, that is exactly what Nikki did. She began training with me over a year ago. She completed her course in The Bradley Method®. She became a YBH Certified Childbirth Educator. She holds certificates with ICEA, as well. She completed training in KOPA BIRTH prep and is eager to share how preparation is key to success with others. On Nikki's first trip to Charlotte with me, she was able to experience the excitement of the many couples who attended, how they valued the extensive information and desired more. You see sometimes, we have to expose couples to little nuggets of information so they can see the value in what we share. Once those couples have seeds of childbirth knowledge, they then long to have their seeds watered and then before we know it, that little seed has transformed into a "strong power team" plant ready to thrive and hold up to the elements of labor and birth. Education makes all the difference. Nikki and her husband know this first hand. Todd is a school teacher and formerly Nikki was also. They both know quality education matters! The above photo alone represents three epidural free births: one all natural surprise caught by dad at home(Bradley Method students), a 3 day medical induction for pre-eclampsia/ use of nitrous during transition (trained in YBH workshops) and a second spontaneous drug free labor. Nikki had lots of exposure to women who with education were acquiring their target birth experiences and she was very encouraged. Then the couple began training together. Todd attended a Your Birth Helper labor workshop where he learned how to assist his wife in managing contractions. Nothing like getting your learning on in the country @ M2b Family Farm. It was a fun filled two hours of coaching techniques, positioning and labor tips. Nikki was also able to attend her YBH weekend Doula Training in the north Ga mountains. She enjoyed all the practice / demonstrations. Nikki had formerly accepted a position at Emory Decatur hospital teaching childbirth classes. With four weeks out from her own due date, the last thing she was anticipating during her last class, was have her own water break. But, crazier things happen and what better way for the class to learn. Shown below, minus her wet matching leggings... lol. Nikki phoned me from the restroom, (poor thing). I reminded her of early water break precautions: possibility of cord compression unless head engaged, smaller baby, NICU help, taking temperature once an hour, wiping front to back, unknown group b strep, etc. many reasons to excuse herself from class and make her way back toward her house. They would welcome their surprise gender in Athens using St. Mary's hospital as their choice of birth location. A few hours later in triage Nikki learned she was 5cm dilated, 80% effaced, confirmed water break and she would be admitted. The birth was attended by Hillary Midler, CNM of Women's Healthcare Associates and the Your Birth Helper Athens Doula Team. I also had planned a very special honorary doula of the day, Alisha Berkland. Alisha was the first mom in labor that Nikki attended bedside as Doula! How special to have Alisha pay it forward and not only be there for her, but be empowered bedside, as well. It wasn’t long after that with walking and key positions labor started progressing. Her husband Todd was a very attentive labor coach and reminded her to sink down with each contraction. We dimmed the lights, put some relaxing music on and focused on finishing the job and getting Nikki a baby in her arms. Pitocin was utilized to help lengthen and strengthen her contractions. As the labor progressed, Todd encouraged and supported his wife physically, emotionally and mentally. They had created life together and together they would bring forth life. We finished off her cervix in the tub and attempted labor down, until suddenly Nikki proclaimed, “pressure -pressure- it’s coming!” We had just enough time to transition Nikki back from tub to the bed before involuntary uterine urges began taking over and pushing for her. Literally, with the first contraction in which I corrected her pushing technique, out emerged her baby like a rocket in it’s own astronaut capsule. Midwife Hillary and Dad had just enough time to help catch. Born “en caul“ her midwife attempted to peel the membranes off baby‘s head, but ended up needing scissors to cut and remove baby from its own Easter Egg shell. We just love a surprise gender birth... Nikki announced the gender, “It’s a BOY!” to the room and the cheers erupted! Skin to skin she speaks directly to him and encourages him to breathe and talk to her. Dad does the same. Shown below, (left to right), Doula Appentice Amanda Allen, Alisha Berkland, Doula Candidate, the proud mama and Your Birth Helper. We were so excited to be part of Nikki’s #SymbioticBirth journey and no doubt, her training and practice paid off, as she experienced her first epidural free birth. Baby weighed in 4lbs 5 oz and NICU worked their magic. Todd gives mom a congratulations kiss and accompanied the baby upstairs. Having achieved a natural birth, Nikki was thrilled about how good she felt afterwards. And, just a short time later, she was able to head upstairs to feed her baby. Congratulations, Reeves family party of Five! Something tells me your Resurrection Sunday, April 20, 2019 will forever bring special memories for us all. Welcome to the #BirthFamily Stryker! With your sudden appearance into the world, I just bet you will live up to your name!

How do you uncover the JOY of your BIRTH when everything that played out near term is still completely surreal? When you have a free moment to ponder... but, I had an uneventful pregnancy, how did everything go wrong so quickly and my birth plans loss in the process? This is the story of John and Rebecca Hopkins of Greensboro, Georgia. In one of their childbirth classes Dr. Emily Parham shared how she received news of her baby having heart defect requiring surgery and was also faced last minute with medical induction... hard news to swallow, but when John and Rebecca and classmate Jennie heard her story none of them had any idea the stumbling blocks they themselves would face during their own labors. This is why we prepare couple for a little bit of everything and teach how to receive and give informed consent, understanding how medical interventions can help and benefit them, etc. I call it #SymbioticBirth for short. The best of normality, coupled with medically necessary interventions to keep mom & baby safe. Some think the best plan of action is do whatever their medical team suggests, avoid childbirth education, save your money, even skip labor altogether and just plan surgical removal of your baby, but they don't quite understand what they are signing up for. It may be that you are in agreement with what the medical team is suggesting, it may be you would like to be made aware of your other options. Here is the problem in allowing others to make those decisions for you, there is no turning back ~ no re do's in labor and birth. Therefore, we must be confident in our decision making and accept both the risks and benefits of medical intervention. There are so many things that could potentially play out the last few weeks of pregnancy, during labor, birth and during postpartum. If you do not possess a basis of understanding of such, you could very quickly find yourself overwhelmed, totally stressed out and feeling completely helpless during what is commonly known as the domino effect: one routine intervention, that leads to others to medical intervention, then another and then another. BREATHE... that you have control over. Deep breath in and deep breath out and repeat. Stay in order no skipping bases when we are faced with medical induction, because there is no going backward. If we skip ahead we may loss an option that is no longer available to us. We must press toward progress when trying to get a baby into this world. Sometimes that progress comes naturally and sometimes that progress is man made for example, an amniotomy (artificial rupture of membranes). John and Rebecca had their share of challenging decision making. Text From Rebecca: This is the first time I’ve checked my phone since coming to the hospital. It’s been a whirlwind and the scariest 2 days of my life. Long story short- had super large hemorrhoid that they lanced on Monday then scheduled induction at 8pm. I was having contractions on my own when I got here. Did cervidil for about 10 hours. Lidocaine jelly to the rectum. Two doses of stadol through the night. Epidural at 0630 then pitocin. Labored a while. Baby tanked with heart rate in 40's for what seemed to be 10-15 min after I moved positions. They brought in the Calvary. Baby recovered. We tried pushing a bit then labored down for an hour. At 530 I pushed for two hours with no change. Baby's head was cocked to the side and he wouldn't descend. They tried a lot of manual repositioning. I had temp spike of 101. Group B strep positive. Sent over to OR at that point. Emergency c-sec. baby is in NICU for meconium aspiration. I still haven’t held him yet. John has been up to see him several times. I went up around midnight. He was born at 8:10pm last night. 6lbs 15oz 20.5 in long! And yes ITS A BOY!!!!!! Mom shared postpartum blood loss / other concerns: Just pumped for the first time. Trying to help contract the uterus. I lost 300ml blood standing up from the wheelchair last night. It was a bit worrisome. Warrior mom Rebecca endures unexpected surgery, coupled with borderline hemorrhage, combined with a hemorrhoid requiring surgery to repair and it didn’t stop there... she later learned the baby had a skull divet from excessive pushing which would also require surgical repair. Below is her personal motherhood journey from surprise conception to mommy guilt. Her story is full of raw emotion, is extremely transparent and written by Rebecca in her own words. If you are a struggling new mom, YOU are NOT ALONE! Read on and be encouraged... My Birth Story: The months before... So let's back up to when the pregnancy test came out positive and I almost had a panic attack. My husband, John, and I had decided to 'try to have a baby' just one month before. I thought we would have AT LEAST a couple months of fun before this happened but God thought otherwise. I was with my sister in law when I took the second test, you know the expensive one that says PREGNANT in really big bold letters, and I nearly choked when she said those words out loud. The only thing I could think of was 'If I could turn back time' by Cher. I then get a text from John that states "ummmm is this a positive pregnancy test?". Turns out I left the cheap one on the bathroom counter when I left the house like a mad woman. So I came home and that was that. I gave him the chocolate bar that was labeled 'best dad ever' we received the previous Father's day at church and we sat on the couch in silence and disbelief. And so the adventure began. We decided to go 'all natural' and take a 12 week Bradley Method course with a doula and everything. I didn't realize how little I knew about pregnancy, labor and birth until we started those classes in January of 2019. We met up near Athens every other week for a couple months at Pam's (our doula) house and got our learn on. John and I practiced labor techniques, meditation, meal plans and so on as we prepared for our little one's grand entrance to this world. I learned to do kegels like a BOSS. We didn't know the gender, which drove most people insane, but we absolutely loved the anticipation and surprise factor. I had our bags packed and several playlists ready at week 36. Got a stomach bug from work at week 37 and thought I was going into labor but nope. I worked my last shift in the ER at week 39 and then came home to rest and nest. Week 40 came and went without any signs of labor. I floated in the pool, drank olive oil, tried weird food and walked until I could walk no more. Then Don came... Rewind to about week 26 when I had, what I thought, was the biggest hemorrhoid of all time. We even named it Don just because. Work was stressful and I have had hemorrhoid flare-ups since nursing school when I get super stressed/nervous. THEY ALWAYS GO BACK WHERE THEY CAME. This time was a bit different. We tried every preparation H product available, witch hazel, epsom salt baths, sitting on the donut and even sugar. That's right. John LITERALLY poured sugar on it without much change. Husband of the year award (while Def Leppard plays in the background). After many prayers and tears, The Good Lord took Don and put him back...or so I thought. Fast forward to 40 weeks and 6 days. DON RETURNED WITH A VENGEANCE. Not only was this thing the size of a plum, I was super pregnant and the pressure was out of this world. I cried for 3 days. Sat on ice packs, used essential oils on top of my usual methods as mentioned above and prayed my heart out. Don was here to stay. How could I possibly push out a baby if I couldn't even walk? I called the OBGYN and scheduled an appointment at 41 weeks. The nurse asked if I had tried witch hazel and I could've come through the phone in frustration. I get it. Hemorrhoids. How bad can they be? Slap some witch hazel on it and float on, right? NOPE. So we went to the office and I waddled in slowly with my husband in tow. The midwife took a look and said "I'll be back shortly. Gonna consult with the senior midwife on call real quick". She came back and sent us to the colorectal surgeon's office to have this thing lanced. You don't want to know the details of that visit...trust me. Once again, John received the husband of the year award. Long story short, they lanced Don and told me to soak in a warm tub asap and that the lidocaine would only last 45 minutes. We about ran to the van, got a hotel room and put my bum in the tub. Those 45 minutes of numbification were sweet, sweet bliss. Then the real fun started. We were told to check in to the hospital at 8pm for my induction, since things went south.. literally! When that lidocaine wore off, I was in complete MISERY. I called the hospital and they said we could go ahead and come in at that time, which was about 7:15pm. John helped me wobble to the van and to the hospital we went. I wasn't able to sit in the wheelchair, as sitting caused extreme pain, so I shuffled myself to L&D and stood there waiting for my room to open up. The nurse was clearly not expecting me until 8pm and I was totally throwing a kink in her chain. I get it. As a nurse myself, I have given the looks and been frustrated when things get a bit off kilter. We walked to the very last room at the end of the hallway and I attempted to get into a gown and stretcher without completely losing my mind. Turns out I was already having contractions and didn't know it. The midwife came in, took a peek then proceeded to tell me that the midwife I saw at the office called her and said "it's the biggest hemorrhoid I've ever seen and I don't know what to do". If that's not some perspective on what we were dealing with, I don't know what is. Labor... So at this point I was 1-2 cm dilated and my entire body was shaking from being so tense and in pain. I GOT THE DRUGS. Stadol was my very best friend for a couple of hours. Did it take the pain away? Not even a little. But I was able to relax some and lay somewhat still while in a strange Stadol trippy fog. Cervidil was then started and yes, it does in fact, feel like sandpaper in the vagina. They don't tell you these things before you decide to get knocked up. John helped me to the bathroom several times where I straddled the toilet to pee and then globbed on the lidocaine jelly to ole Don. It was as terrible as it sounds. At 5:30 am, I was at about 4cm. Time for the epidural. I was absolutely freaked about this part. So many horror stories of going numb forever and being paralyzed from the epidural going wrong. This was the sole reason I wanted a natural birth. Too bad my rectum had other plans. So I received my epidural around 6:30am, and after 2 attempts, I couldn't feel from my waist down. HALLELUJAH and PRAISE THE LORD for this relief. Amp up the Pitocin and let's get this show on the road! They started my antibiotics because I was Group B Strep positive and I took a little nap to gear up for the big event. So, every time I changed positions, baby's heart rate would drop significantly for a couple minutes and then come back up. We played that game the entire time I was in labor. My parent's were there for a visit and I suddenly felt really weird. Chest pains and nausea. Something wasn't right. I told John, my parents stepped out and we called the nurse. I decided to try a different position, but this time, baby did not recover in a timely fashion. The next thing I remember is the nurse calling for help, dropping the stretcher down so I'm on my head, holding my own oxygen mask to my face and everyone getting flustered. "Call the doctor! Get the midwife!" I thought to myself, we've made it this far little one. You can't go out on me now. John's face was white as snow. They turned me and mashed on my belly over and over. The doctor came in and checked on things, then baby's heart rate came back up. Thank the Lord. The midwife made it to the room shortly after this and decided to break my water and possibly start pushing. I was about 9-10cm and it was around 4:30pm when this happened. So she broke my water and it was filled with meconium. Of course it was. I was not the LEAST bit surprised. We pushed for about 15-20 minutes without any progress so we decided to labor down for about an hour and see what baby wanted to do. 5:30pm. Let's push this baby out. The plan was to only push a short amount of time due to the hemorrhoid and pressure. Nobody wanted that thing to rupture and bleed. Well, we ended up pushing over 2 hours and nothing happened. Contractions were every 1.5-3 minutes now and baby wasn't descending down the birth canal at all. They tried several times to manually turn his head to help with the descent, since I wasn't able to move and change positions on my own. I felt like this lasted an eternity and pushed with everything I had at each contraction. Then I vomited and spiked a temp of 101 which was concerning given my Group B strep status. Then these words came from my doctor's mouth..."We need to get the baby out by c-section". The words I did NOT want to hear. I burst into tears, my midwife hugged me and said, "Baby needs to come out. He can't do this for much longer and isn't moving at all. I know you don't want this, but we have to get him out now". My husband and I said okay, let's have this baby. John prayed over me and they rushed us over to the operating room. At 8:08pm, our little baby was born. I couldn't help but weep tears of relief and joy when I first heard him cry. John went over to assess the situation and came back to me whispering "It's John Amos. We have a son!" The NICU team began bedside working on little man for what seemed like forever. I saw our precious boy for a couple seconds and they whisked him off to NICU for breathing issues after taking in some meconium. They stitched me up and we went back to the room. I couldn't stop shaking, which was very annoying and also common after a spinal. I actually asked (with tone and feeling) the nurse for a muscle relaxer or something and she kindly replied no. My sister in law and I laugh at that request now. I was pretty much done emotionally, physically and spiritually at that point. After our visitors left for the evening, it was my turn to go up to the NICU. I mustered up every ounce of strength that I had left to get up and see that precious gift from God. What a strange visit...I felt like I had been hit by a bus or something. I did not feel like a mother. I did not feel a bond. I forced myself to look at him and pretend but it felt like a dream. I wanted to see him so that I felt like a mom but that's not what happened. I honestly didn't feel like I had a baby...just some weird and terrible surgery. We went back down to the room and I stood up out of the wheelchair to get in bed. Blood poured down my legs and the nurse acted fast. We worked together and got me lying flat and started massaging my uterus to stop the bleeding. She called for help and they all came running. In the end, we got it taken care of and I didn't dare move for the next 12 hours. During the next 4 days we moved rooms twice, made a hundred trips to the NICU, cried while trying to pump and run the colostrum up to the baby, cried while taking care of Don and cried because I felt like a complete failure. On the last day, he was circumcised and sent home with 2 people he had barely spent any time with. Talk about a rough night. Over the next 3 weeks, I continued to struggle emotionally. I guess it was a combo of PTSD and depression/anxiety. I stopped breast-feeding after a month of agony and sleep deprivation. This decision to stop was a HUGE battle between myself and my husband. He wanted me to keep it up and I wanted to stop and go full formula. At some point, I realized I was losing myself and needed to give something up to breathe again. I felt like a slave to the pump and that I couldn't catch up. John Amos was already used to a certain amount of formula from being in the NICU. Someone would be feeding him and I just sat and pumped for the next round staring out the window wishing I was someone else, somewhere else. I did not feel a bond with JA. I wanted to abandon ship and walk away from my family. I had some seriously dark thoughts during these couple weeks that I didn't know were possible. This baby was prayed over a thousand times before and after conception. I read and printed out bible verses and encouraging quotes weeks before he came. I DRENCHED myself in songs of worship and praise the entire time I was pregnant. Why did this happen? Why can't I bond? Why am I not happy or joyful? When I decided to strictly feed with formula, I felt a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders. It was like a breath of fresh air. I was also starting to move around a little better and heal quickly from the c-section. By the way, c-sections are no joke. They are major surgery and should not be taken lightly. When JA was born he had a depressed skull fracture, meconium aspiration and a fever. He was pumped with IV antibiotics, given an oxygen tent, had an MRI of his brain and an xray of his chest. This kid had gone through a lot by the end of his first week on this Earth. We were referred to a neurosurgeon at Scottish Rite in Atlanta and were scheduled to have his skull repaired before he was a month old. My last time pumping was in the hospital on the night of his surgery. Talk about a roller coaster. Seeing your baby come out of anesthesia is quite scary. As weird as it sounds, I think I finally felt like a mother when he had his craniotomy. The bond was beginning to form and it has continued to grow since. He was 10 weeks old at the time I journaled our birth story and is doing so well. Buutttt...getting used to the extra weight, stretch marks and scar tissue is an ongoing battle. My abs still burn most of the time and Don is still hanging around...literally...but I hope to wipe on a smooth surface by the end of the year! Moral of the story... Women ROCK. I longed to have a natural vaginal birth. My birth plan was super crunchy granola and I was so proud of the prep we did prior to that day. BUT things don't ever go as planned. Do I regret taking Bradley classes and preparing with our Pam? Not even a little. We used all that knowledge to make educated decisions during labor and never once hesitated. I have learned so much about empathy through these past 10 weeks and I know it will help me as a nurse. Working in the ER for 10 years can make you pretty jaded and harsh at times. I have looked at my patients the way that nurse looked at me when we checked in because I didn't believe them. I get it; we've all been burned. But sometimes it's real, and empathy can change the way I care for people and treat them throughout their stay. I have so much more respect for women, mothers, depression and anxiety. I judged pretty hard before experiencing birth and I'm glad the Lord opened my eyes. 'Maternity Leave' should really be called 'Maternity Grieve'. It's a time of intense change and a lot of grieving, depending on the trauma of labor and the postpartum experience. We have to grieve to heal. Being a mom is HARD. I saw a post on facebook that was a game changer for me when dealing with "mom guilt". I felt guilty for using drugs during labor, having an epidural, having a c-section, not solely breastfeeding, giving up breast feeding completely, having thoughts of abandonment and not bonding with my son. For a while, it was like I was babysitting and he wasn't even mine. The post basically said, "If you have grown a baby in your body, you are a rock star!" PERIOD. Seeing this changed my mindset and I started to not only accept my birth story, but become proud of it. After reading that quote, I began a new kind of healing and thinking. Instead of 'breast is best', I started saying 'fed is best'. I decided to no longer beat myself up and begin focusing on my sweet son who I hadn't really seen amidst the anxiety and stress after labor. The nurse practitioner reminded me and John that all a baby really needs is food and love. It's easy to get lost in how your baby arrives and how to care for him or her. I was more than glad and thankful for the reminder. Things did NOT go like I thought or planned. But God is GOOD and His love never fails. So I'm gonna wrap this up by saying, Tits up. Women rock and mothers are super heroes. Feed your kid. Love your kid. The End.

A very special shout out to new DAD aka husband Drew, for being such an attentive supportive labor coach and my hands during their virtual doula support! It was super fun to enjoy active labor with Rose by phone while we were awaiting Drew's arrival home from work. Also, what a testament that even when their cell phone died in late labor, they felt so ready & prepared that baby followed not long after! Special thanks to all the medical team who encouraged this couple in meeting and exceeding their goals for their birth! They prepared for natural birth together and together they brought their precious daughter into this world drug-free! Your Birth Helper and Team was thrilled to have helped them train and execute labor. Rose's amazing hospital team included awesome labor and delivery nurses & lots of TLC provided by the NICU unit during Miss Lottie and her parents stay! We can not thank the newest addition to the Tina Hayes team, midwife Sarah Schubert, CNM, enough as well!!! Sarah welcome and thank you for taking such good care of our Your Birth Helper Birth Family!

Many couples experience a vast array of challenges. For some it begins with attempting to conceive, for others during pregnancy, trying to get into labor, obstacles during labor or birth and even postpartum and breastfeeding. Any of these scenarios can be extremely frustrating. For years, I have educated and encouraged women to manage such anxiety and stress in the best individual way possible for them. What may help some women, does not work for others. That's where the word "individual" comes in. Ever noticed, most women love to have control over certain situations, gain control over others and often fear losing control? It is not our fault. It is how the creator decided to wire us. However, one of the greatest lessons I can teach a woman is how to release the desire for "more control and simply keep it simple" each day. Simple as in focus on what you DO have control over. Take pregnancy for example. You do have control over daily nutrition, daily exercise, avoidance of harmful things, to educate and train for labor, learn how to relax and best manage contractions, etc., but we do not have direct control over some variations and/ or complications which could present. Therefore, to eliminate undue stress and anxiety, one must keep it simple and do what we CAN control each day. We must leave the rest to mother nature complimented by excellent healthcare providers. This was also the case for second-time mom, Mallory McCall. Mom Mallory had faced multiple challenges the first pregnancy including being placed on bedrest at 33 weeks due to growth restrictions with her daughter Everly's belly. Maternal fetal medicine kept that monitored. The couple had not trained or planned to manage their first labor drug-free. More challenges followed after Ambien was administered to her. An emergency c-section followed as her baby's heart rate tanked shortly after. Dad was not allowed to witness the birth due to the unexpected turn of events. Mom endured general anesthesia and sadly was not awake to see her baby born and their daughter was isolated in NICU the first 24 hours of her life because of low oxygen and low blood sugar. Needless to say, the couple desired a much different experience the second time around. Mallory & Scotty both desired a much different outcome and began making plans to experience a #SymbioticBirth. We use the term Symbiotic Birth to reflect a birth experience in which Mom gets the best of normality in the childbirth process (as it applies to her individual health), limiting the experience to only medically necessary interventions, not routine care. Therefore, the healthier mom and baby, the less medical intervention that has to occur and when medical interventions are warranted, Mom and Dad play an active role in decision making after informed consent, of course. This pregnancy, Mallory reached out to me to help plan her happy "birth" day. We spoke over dinner how Your Birth Helper could assist her in navigating a completely different more enjoyable birth experience. I referred her to Piedmont OBGYN after she shared her birthing goals with me. Especially, since if she were to experience repeat surgery, however unlikely, she still had options and could have an enjoyable birth experience with a few significant changes. First up was staying healthy and low risk through emphasis on her own well being. She was delighted to have knowledge and assistance from one of our favorite chiropractors, Dr. Kelly Helmendach. She found the information and suggestions on healing her thyroid to be a great benefit to her overall health. With her desk job and the issues that followed Covid with constant mask wearing, she enjoyed the chiropractic care, as well. Special thanks to Dr. K for always taking such good care of our Your Birth Helper mamas and babies! The couple attended a live YBH labor workshop (before the Covid outbreak) and also a virtual class to increase their knowledge of how the body works and managing their labor. Mallory's focus on her nutrition, daily exercise and meditation helped her manage her blood pressure, swelling and avoid poor outcomes near term. In fact, she made it this time successfully carrying to 40 weeks and 4 days. Her body unfortunately refused to join in during her spontaneous labor efforts and her second journey ended with a scheduled repeat cesarean. However, the couple couldn't have been happier. Why? (you might ask) Because, their wishes were not just supported, they were also encouraged. Encouraged to remain healthy and low risk, encouraged to do their part to bring about spontaneous labor. They were part of every decision leading up to their due date and beyond. Unfortunately, medical induction is not permissible in a VBAC attempt due to increased risks for mom including higher incidence of uterine rupture. She did experience some light Braxton Hicks contractions and certainly had some fun with all the long walks, weird food and natural ways to help. She and Scotty, had much peace in regards to their decision to move forward after her due date came and went. They could not say enough good things about Dr. Steele and labor and delivery nurse Karen! Thank you both for the TLC on surgery day. The couple had a few extra requests which were happily obliged including delayed cord clamping in the operating room, photographs (especially since this was dads first time witnessing his baby being born. Congratulations and welcome to the world Briggston Steele McCall, weighing in at 7lbs 15 oz, 20.75" long and an extremely healthy vibrant boy! Mom and dad are so grateful to all of those who contributed directly or indirectly in their happy "Birth" day!

Dear World, This is the real life fairy tale journey of how little Princess Edin Lee came to be. It all began far, far away in the Queen City of Charlotte, NC. She weighed in 7 lbs and 15.4 ounces and was 19.75 inches long. To her royal family, Father Bryan and Mother Jenny, did she so belong. Her arrival was hastened by doctors that day. She would come in the form of medical induction, otherwise known as, her "BIRTH" day. She exited her Mother's tired womb after twenty-one long hours of travail and thus entered into the realm of Charlotte, otherwise known as, Pineville. The year was 2020, the said day the second of the month of April. You see, Once upon a time, there was a handsome prince, who took the hand of a young princess. Their love for each other led to laughter, fun times and much bliss! A fertilized egg appeared soon after their love began to grow. It was once smaller than the size of a grain of sand, did you know? In October, month three, mom's belly began to show. While preparing to become parents of a little princess... Mom and dad attended Bradley Method® natural birth prep which is the best! Your Birth Helper and team would help them navigate their way through all the hard work Mom & Dad would go through that fine day. Pitocin, followed by amniotomy, hastened the levels of pain. And, soon mom was tired and thinking she couldn't bear much more, if no gain. Her nurse, thought she was helping, by suggesting an epidural, to bring your mom relief. Not once, not twice, not three, not four, but five times, I counted in disbelief. I frankly informed her, talking about medication was not in her birth plan and should cease. You see, Covid germs had entered the world and made everyone sad. Doula Pam and her YBH Team, were restricted from being present to help Dad. I reminded the couple to release all their fears, help would remain constant in the form of what they call FaceTime, my dear. Mom and Dad assumed various positions on the hunt for their baby, while using deep breathing, low registered noises and even little grunts. Helping to guide the way, Pam stayed on the phone twelve hours that day. The marathon into motherhood requires both strength and endurance. Jenny's expulsion contractions were quite different than most experience. The time it takes to expel a newborn baby can vary greatly. From a few short minutes, to many long hours and can definitely break you. Bryan became her Knight in shining armor and helped his wife, overcome every obstacle to help bring baby Edin into the world with support and love, drug-free and all natural. Doula Pam, captured as many special moments as she could along the way, in hopes when Edin is older and has questions about labor/birth you will say... that proper education, physical preparation and weekly training is what helped them achieve Symbiotic Birth, which most find impossible to accomplish, unless they BELIEVE! Your Birth Helper and Teams, would like to extend a ginormous Congratulations and a very HAPPY "BIRTH"DAY to you ALL... THE END!