I opened blogger to write my birth story and found this draft I started a few months ago. Added a few more paragraphs to finish it up. Next up is the birth story!
I'm just about 32 weeks along and really getting excited for this baby! For the first time, this baby was a bit of a surprise but I'm so ready to bring him into our family. I feel like he is already a part of it! The older kids, even little Riah are so aware of this pregnancy and are thrilled to have a new little brother. That has made it all the more real for me too. That and he is probably my most active baby in-utero! He is always making himself known. Can't wait to meet him.
Coming into a new community here in Duluth has positively affected my preparations for this baby. Many of my friends here are just as passionate about birth and motherhood as I am and have had their own homebirths before. There is a great community of birth workers and midwives that I have been drawn to. It's really such a great community and I feel so grateful to be here. My understanding of pregnancy and motherhood has expanded in the last few years and I love that I get to apply it in this, our (probably) final pregnancy and birth.
Physical
Avoiding Kidney Stones
4 days postpartum with Colden and during my 3rd trimester with Riah, I got kidney stones and was hospitalized to deal with the pain. We were determined to not have that happen again. With some research and advice from my midwife, I figured my kidney stones were due in large part to all the Tums I took during those 2 pregnancies. (I only get heartburn while pregnant). I started taking papaya enzymes instead (basically the natural Tums) and they actually helped so much more than Tums. Along with eating at particular times, having better posture while sitting, not bending over after eating etc, I was able to control my heartburn a bit. AND thank the Lord above, avoided kidney stones. Hallelujah!
Yoga
When I was preparing for Colden's birth (my first natural birth), I came across a great prenatal yoga class. That really helped me connect to that pregnancy and taught me a lot about my breath and relaxing for birth. I found another near the end of Riah's pregnancy and it was the restorative peace that I needed! I feel so lucky to have found the best kind of yoga here in Duluth. Women Circling Women is a fantastic resource that is led by Stacy, a kind and gentle woman who truly connects women in the most fundamental ways. I leave her classes feeling rejuvenated and also connected to a community of fellow mothers. I wish everyone had something like it!
Craniosacral Therapy
I get awful tail bone pain while pregnant so my midwife, Stacy and others recommended I go see a craniosacral therapist. Deb has taught me so much about not only alleviating pain but preparing my pelvis so that birth can be less painful. (Sit on your sit bones! Not on your sacrum!) The ability to birth is less about your ability to push but more about how your uterus is situated in your pelvis, how tight/twisted your ligaments are, how twisted your pelvis is, etc. This all lines up with what Spinning Babies has taught for a long time. I used to think Spinning Babies was just for turning breech babies. But breech or head down are only the most general categories for baby's position. The smallest turn of baby's head can make birth that much harder. (I know because Riah was turned!) The things I do with my body during pregnancy and before like carrying toddlers on my hip, sitting on my sacrum, tilting my pelvis under (and more!) all contribute to baby's positioning. Fingers crossed everything I've learned and done make a difference! (Spoiler alert: it did!) Here is Deb's website: http://www.northernlightswellness.com/
Massage/Movement
My friend Maria, a massage therapist and movement teacher has helped me in many of the same ways that cranial-sacral work has. They really complement each other. With help from both of them, I was able to get my uterus centered in my pelvis and baby in the right position. (Again, sit on your sit bones! Not on your sacrum!) Here is Maria's website: https://www.massageandmovement.org/
Mental/Emotional/Spiritual
Nate put up a shelf in our room and I filled it with art prints of mothers and women. Each print has deep spiritual meaning for me. (Artists: Katie Garner, Brian Kershisnik, J. Kirk Richards and Caitlin Connolly) I also went through my favorite birth affirmations from Riah's birth and picked out what spoke to me this time. I made a few more after listening to this podcast. Letting my mind take a backseat and allowing my body to do all the heavy lifting made a lot of sense to me. Also, a couple friends in yoga mentioned some physical/outdoors experiences that had helped them prepare for birth. That made me think about repelling and how you have to let go and back over the ledge. You have to trust your preparation and support. You have to become a part of the mountain. In that vein, I didn't want to have my mind getting in the way of what my body knows how to do. When on the mountain, your mind can really mess you up. You just have to breathe and let the process unfold.
I also displayed photos of each of my family members. One of my mom supporting me through my last labor, that's a very special memory for me. One of me and my dad at my wedding. An old one of me and my sisters and another of me and all my siblings. I wanted to feel their strength and love and seeing them in photos helps! Once I got those up, I felt like I could birth this baby! Their love was surrounding me as I brought one final spirit to Earth.
Practical
I did a bit more food prep this time. A few frozen meals and snacks ready to go. Lots of meat cooked and then frozen. I stocked the pantry with dry goods and other snacks. I stocked my nursing/diaper basket to keep by my bed. (Nursing pads, diapers, wipes, diaper cream, lanolin/nipple cream, water for me, breastfeeding answer book or other book to keep my mind occupied in the long hours of nursing :)
Birth story coming soon!
Other posts about preparing for birth:
Happy Birth
Preparing for a natural birth
Looking past the baby registry
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