Birth Story: Quick Labor and Unmedicated Hospital Birth with Hana Naamani
Show Notes:
[2:05] Our Reviewer of the Week, KAHerr, said: "First time mom here. I have learned so much during this pregnancy listening to multiple podcasts. I came across this podcast going into my 3rd trimester and it became my favorite to listen to. It was both educational as well as positive and empowering. It just made me feel good. Stephanie knows what she is talking about and her presentation is very down to earth and easy to understand. My favorite episodes are the birth stories. I love the way Stephanie approaches them and the questions she asks. I love hearing the different ways birth looks for every mom. I also loved the mindset they put me, filling me with confidence that I can do this too. We are planning a unmedicated home birth, and I will be listening to this podcast till that day comes and even after. Thank you for helping me prepare for this birth!"
[2:52] Today's birth story is from Hana Naamani, a My Essential Birth student! By the time this podcast airs, she will have announced the pregnancy of her 2nd baby!
[3:44] Hana shares about her pregnancy experience. She had a miscarriage before her son. After a few months, she got pregnant with her son and had a textbook pregnancy. She did not get any morning sickness and didn't even feel pregnant until 7-8 months!
[5:56] Hana started listening to the podcast because she was terrified of birth. She realized that she should have been asking her provider questions about birth but by the time she had listened to the podcast, it was too late to switch. She was apprehensive about her provider because she was pushing for induction even though Hana had a low-risk, healthy pregnancy.
[9:38] Hana's birth partner read a book Hana got for him that made him feel more involved in the process. She did the birth course on her own. She would share the info that she thought he'd need. He would also encourage her to stay active and eat good food while pregnant.
[11:55] At 22 weeks, Hana started the birth course. She started doing the 3 Free Exercises. She loved the exercises and felt like the stretches were helpful when she experienced tightness. She did them every day!
[15:40] In preparation for labor, Hana started taking primrose oil around 37 weeks. Her nurse recommended that she take castor oil, but it gave her very vivid dreams which impacted her sleep.
[17:48] Hana was at a hospital where there were a lot of students. So she had a few cervical exams from them. At 39 weeks, a student did a cervix check but she also did a membrane sweep as well, which Hana did not ask for. She went out to dinner with her friends to get tacos. Afterwards, she came home to watch a movie. She would wake up every hour or so to go to the bathroom. She started using a timer to see how far her contractions were. Her husband packed the car and kept insisting she was in labor, but Hana didn't think she was.
[18:55] By the time Hana got to the hospital, she was 5 cm dilated. Once she was in the hospital room, she was 7 cm dilated. Her water broke and after 2 pushes, her baby was born! Her contractions started at 2:30 AM and her son was born at 5:39 AM!
"I always had the mindset that labor isn't pain. Labor is uncomfortable. You're never in pain, you're uncomfortable. The "uncomfortability" is going to pass in a little bit. Just get through being uncomfortable and then you'll be fine. I remember reading this thing about when you picture yourself giving birth, picture a flower blooming. Once the flower is done blooming, that's when the baby's going to come out."
[31:03] Do quick labors run in the family? Hana's baby was born within 24 hours of the membrane sweep. Her mom and sister both have quick labors.
[33:03] What is your best advice for moms and for birth partners?
"My best advice for moms would definitely be stay as active as you can. Do your research, do your stretches, try to eat as much iron as possible, and just believe in your intuition because we were literally made to give birth. So at the end of the day, you got this. For dads, I would say, support your wife. Definitely read a little on your own so that the wife isn't the one driving driving the car."
To Leave a Review ⭐️
- Open Apple Podcasts
- Find “Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy” podcast
- Select “Ratings and Reviews”
- Click the stars!
- Select “Write a Review” and tell us what was the most amazing, comforting, eye-opening thing that you loved!
ALL the best,
Links Mentioned:
