053: How To Have a VBAC: Part 3, Emotional and Physical Readiness
Release Date: 11/07/2024
Birth Education Center
In this episode, I welcome April to share her labor denial birth story and the journey of overcoming fears related to pregnancy. April opens up about her past struggles with an eating disorder and how it impacted her initial fears of weight gain during pregnancy. This is an issue that many women face in pregnancy and isnโt talked about enough in my opinion. April emphasizes the importance of mental health, surrendering control, and trusting one's body and baby throughout the process. She put in the work to figure these things out for herself before labor began. She also talks about the...
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I canโt wait for you to hear Courtneyโs incredible birth story. From her experiences with pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, to raising her seven-year-old, Courtney's journey is filled with resilience and practical life skills. Courtney shares her initial vision of a natural birth with a midwife, through her unexpected medical diagnoses of gestational diabetes, cholestasis, and preeclampsia, and the necessity of induction. She discusses navigating the steep changes to her birth plan with the help of hypnobirthing, her husband, and her steadfast community support. Expected challenges...
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In this episode, we have an incredible birth story for you. This is a story where Hannahโs natural birth was quickly overshadowed by an extensive NICU stay with their son. Hannah and Greg took my Hypnobirthing class early in her pregnancy and did extensive preparation. What started as a planned birth center birth became a hospital transfer due to the babyโs early gestation. Hannah had become the โplanner for the unplannableโ due to her knowing her birth ideals well over a year before she became pregnant. Little did she know that all of that thinking ahead helped her establish great...
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I'm excited today as we have Sierra to share her incredible birth story with us. If you are watching on YouTube you can see her adorable little one. Sierra took my Hypnobirthing class from her work location and her partner joined from home. A definite advantage of attending an online childbirth series! In this episode, Sierra dives into the nitty-gritty of her unexpected pregnancy journey, her fears surrounding birth, and the real-deal experiences she faced in the hospital. We'll talk about how she stayed strong and knew exactly what she wanted for her birth and her baby, even when things got...
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In this episode, we dive into the topic of birth plans, or as we prefer to call them, 'birth preferences.' This is a more energetic view of how to create an plan that fits your family and what's important to you. The internet is filled with templated plans - but how to you keep it specific without overwhelming yourself and the staff? We emphasize the importance of informed consent and how it allows for autonomy during childbirth. We'll cover the difference between hospital and out-of-hospital birth classes and how they can affect your birth plan. Since we donโt know what your baby is...
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In this latest episode in our Birth Educator series, we dive into the power of autonomy in childbirth with Maggie, a birth educator who transitioned from student to educator. We find out what the birth world is like in her area and Maggie tells us about an amazing birthing place that left me wanting! Maggie took every set of classes we offered before the birth of her first son. She studied birth education like she was attaining a college degree. She worked through her fears, physical limitations, handpicked a birth team and rocked her birth. She also shares the unexpected birth of her second...
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In this episode, Ashley and I are talking about pushing and why we encourage you to advocate for freedom of movement during the pushing phase of labor. You do not have to be on your back and you are โallowedโ to move and push in any way that your body is instinctively telling you to push. In Hypnobirthing we have multiple discussions on how to communicate your needs effectively with your birth team, the benefits of moving freely, and the positions that optimize the birthing process. We want you to practice having these conversations with each other during the series and make sure...
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In our final February love fest episode, I chat with Alenna, who shares her personal Hypnobirthing birth story. From how she and her husband accidentally found Hypnobirthing to what happened on delivery day, Alenna and her husband were on the same page about not using medication and did a lot of proactive practice ahead of time. You may hear about the peanut ball and its magic for the first time in this episode! Alenna did great with remembering to ignore early labor to save energy for the real stuff later. A tip that most of us ignore and then regret later. As a self proclaimed control freak,...
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In this February episode, we welcome back Jeanne Marie Paynel, a seasoned Montessori mentor and host of 'The Art of Parenting' podcast. We are so excited for Jeanne Marie to share with you insights on how Montessori principles can transform your home into a nurturing environment for your children. Youโll also get a sneak peak into what goes on in a Montessorri classroom and how it supports your childโs natural brain development with no harsh timelines and expectations. We will learn about the critical first six years of your child's development, the importance of a 'yes' environment, and...
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In our February love fest we are focusing today on your โnether regionsโ as we dive into the importance of maintaining a connection with your body during pregnancy. Our guest, Dr. Lauren from Thrive Physical Therapy, shares her experience and expertise on pelvic floor health, from understanding its role and how to keep it flexible and functional, to discussing prenatal pelvic floor therapy. The visuals will best be seen on our YouTube channel. You will see the full scope of the pelvic floor model and see what is done in your first appointment. This is a great baseline for helping you...
info_outlineEpisode three of our VBAC series delves into the "journey" of preparing for a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). We cannot emphasize enough the importance of emotional and physical readiness. We want you to look at your stuff- the challenging stuff and the parts that have hurt or disappointment around them. We have found that parents who can be really honest with themselves, possibly look at their birth from other angles and gather more support, have better births the second time around.
We talk about the significance of storytelling, ownership of past birth experiences, and the role of vulnerability in healing and growth. We will help you explore the impact of fears, the value of education, and the support from therapies and spiritual practices. This discussion also covers recommendations for resources like Hypnobirthing, VBAC classes, and therapies, offering some solid ideas for those seeking a different birth outcome with empathy and informed decision-making.
Tune in next week for a VBAC birth storyโฆ
๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐!
Letโs connect: Have questions or comments for this episode?
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