Ep 274: Martha’s Birth Story - Low Intervention Hopes, High Intervention Reality, and Joy Despite It All

Birth With Power

Dr. Nicole C. Rankins

Parenting, Kids & Family

4.9 • 637 Ratings

🗓️ 1 October 2024

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Martha hoped and prepared for a low intervention birth and ended up getting just about every intervention! She tried everything to get labor to start on its own but she ultimately was induced at 41 weeks. After 40 hours of labor with no pain medication other than nitrous oxide, she opted for an epidural. Soon after she was advised to get a non-emergency C-section because unfortunately things had plateaued.

The C-section was fortunately not traumatic but it was the opposite of what she wanted. Her postpartum was beautiful but she also needed time to grieve the loss of the birthing experience she had hoped for. Today, she is feeling grateful to be bonded with her baby and wants listeners to take this story as a reminder that even if you have a challenging pregnancy and birth you can have a joyful and "easy" postpartum.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

How she was envisioning her birth when she was preparing for it
Why she opted for midwives in a hospital setting
How she bargained for specifically 41 weeks and 3 days
Which methods she used to try and induce labor
Why she preferred Cytotec to Cirvidil
Whether a balloon or Pitocin were helpful
Why she said yes to an epidural and how she responded to it
What doctors mean when they refer to your baby as “sleepy” during labor
Why she was grateful her doctor used a clear curtain during the C-section

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode274

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Transcript

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0:00.0	How do you feel joy after a difficult labor in birth that didn't go at all the way you expected?
0:08.0	You'll learn how in today's birth story episode with Martha.
0:16.8	Welcome to the All About Pregnancy and Birth Podcast.
0:20.5	If you're having a baby in the hospital, you are giving birth in a system that too often takes away power from women over what happens in their own bodies.
0:29.2	I'm Dr. Nicole Calloway-Rankens, a practicing board certified OBGYN, who's had the privilege of helping well over a thousand babies into this world.
0:37.2	I've been a doctor for over 20 years, and I'm here to help you take back your power,
0:42.1	advocate for yourself, and have the beautiful pregnancy and birth that you deserve.
0:46.3	This podcast is for educational purposes only and it's not a substitute for medical advice.
0:51.4	Check out the full disclaimer at Dr. Nicoleockelrenkens.com forward slash
0:54.8	disclaimer. Now let's get to it. Hey, if you're not getting the birth with power brief in your
1:03.2	inbox each week, you are missing out. It's my free newsletter with trusted tips,
1:14.2	mindset shifts, and birth prep strategies to help you feel calm and confident without doom scrolling for answers. Go to Dr.Nockelrenkins.com
1:21.7	forward slash email and get on the list. Hello there.
1:27.7	Welcome to another episode of the podcast.
1:30.5	This is episode number 274, whether it is your first time listening or you've been here
1:36.6	before, I'm so grateful that you're spending some time with me today.
1:41.0	In today's birth story episode, we have Martha.
1:43.9	Martha hoped and really prepared for a
1:46.9	low intervention birth with hospital midwives. She ended up being induced at 41 weeks and three
1:54.6	days due to concerns about her baby's heart rate on a non-stress test. She was in labor for 40 hours and experienced
2:03.7	nearly every intervention that she had not wanted during that induction, some of which were hard
2:10.3	on her and others of which were hard on her baby. She labored for about 35 hours through two nights without an epidural and used nitrous oxide for pain relief before getting an epidural about five hours before a non-emergent but medically recommended cesarian birth.
	...

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