Birth Story: Triumph Over Adversity

This is another extra special episode because I am here with my sister. If you have been following along for a while you know I said I hoped to have her on the podcast one day and I’m really excited for all of you to listen in to her story. It is one of strength, courage, and resilience. She talks about her many obstacles and wins throughout her pregnancy, different ways in which she advocated for herself, and how at the end she was able to make an informed decision for herself and her baby. She is one of the most powerful women I have ever met, an incredible mother, and I can't wait for you to hear her pregnancy and birth story.

Show Notes

4:43 - Amanda shares a little about her struggle in becoming pregnant in the first place. She talks about her journey with multiple care providers and Endometriosis.

7:39 - I share an excellent resource for Endometriosis, as well as some information about what to look for, how you know if you have it, and differences between surgical procedures. You may NOT know you have it until you realize what the signs and symptoms are...which you may become more aware of during pregnancy (of all times!)

9:01 - I ask Amanda what she knew or was interested in at all about pregnancy before becoming pregnant herself. Listen in! She talks about what it was like to go through the birth course and what she really needed to hear and to know in order to remember the most important things for her pregnancy and birth.

11:30 - Amanda talks about being pregnant past 30 years old. She talks symptoms, how she felt about being pregnant, and the mental/emotional affect that being pregnant during the pandemic & Covid-19 had on her.

16:17 - Amanda goes over her experience with her care providers during pregnancy. You won't believe what she had to deal with, as well as how she handled it. If you listen to nothing else, listen here.

20:30 - Amanda talks about her discovery of gestational diabetes, what goes into testing, and how it could be misread for something else.

27:01 - I ask Amanda about some of the positive experiences she had. She also talks about her plan for labor and birth.

29:03 - Amanda explains what caused her to be put on bed rest & her experience with bed rest. She also talks about her prodromal experience, what she felt, the symptoms, and how long she went through this experience...which is a crazy amount of time!!

33:33 - Amanda talks about the shifting of her birth plan and all the things that were a factor in how she felt about the shift and what happened as a result of this change.

37:08 - I ask Amanda to share her experience when she went to the hospital for a non-stress test. She had quite the run-in with the staff during her pregnancy. She also touches on her experience shortly after birth.

43:04: I ask Amanda to tell me a little bit about her cesarean experience, how she felt about her decision, and all the steps she took prior to having to make this decision.

All the best,

Links Mentioned

1. Nancy's Nook Facebook Group

2. What to Expect When You're Expecting (do not recommend 😂😏)

3. What to Expect When You're Expecting App (also don't recommend, but we mentioned it!)

4. Wipeout (the best show of all time - you're welcome)