10 Birth Story Book Cover Photo & Foreword Meet Amy On Her VBAC Birth Story In The Car Following Breech & Induction Births

Meet Amy, a mother of 3 whose birth stories grow wilder with each child, who walks Heidi through each thrilling tale and ending with how she ended up delivering a VBAC baby, in the car, at Costco. Amy also talks about her love of acupuncture and Moxi. Amy's favorite baby products are the Ring Sling and the Tula Wrap.

Looking for a Virtual Doula to create a custom birthing experience and guide you through your journey to parenthood in the United States? Contact Heidi at www.mydoulaheidi.com

For additional free birth education resources and to purchase Heidi’s book, Birth Story: Pregnancy Guidebook + Journal, visit www.birthstory.com.

Want to share your thoughts on the episode? Leave a review and send a message directly to Heidi on Instagram.

TRANSCRIPTION

What does a contraction feel like? How do I know if I'm in labor and what does the day of labor look like? Wait, is this normal? Hey, I'm Heidi Campbell, a certified birth doula host of this podcast, birth story and owner of my doula, Heidi. I have supported hundreds of women through their labor and deliveries.

And I believe that every one of them and you deserves a microphone and a stage. So here we are listen each week to get answers to these tough questions and more birth story, where we talk about pregnancy labor deliveries, where we tell our stories, share our feelings. And of course chat about our favorite baby products.

And because I'm passionate about birth outcomes, you will hear from some of the top experts in labor and delivery, whether you are pregnant, trying desperately to get pregnant, I hope you will stick around and be part of this tribe. Episode 10, eight by now. Everyone should know that I have my first book coming out this summer.

And the cover of the book is the story that you're going to hear today. When I did a focus group about the book, everyone in the focus group said, who's that girl, what's her story. We want to hear her birth story. So sit back and relax. And I hope that you enjoy meeting Amy. One of my very best friends and she delivered her third child by VBAC vaginal birth after cesarean section in the car.

You're not going to believe it, but I hope you learn a lot and that you enjoy this episode.

Hey everybody. It's Heidi with diverse story podcast. And today I have my best friend Amy in the studio, and I'm really excited about this because she is the cover of my book. She graces the cover of the bucket has been the inspiration for birth story. And when I held a focus group, When I was finalizing the book, everybody was like, who is this beautiful woman?

Like, we want to know everything about her. Like tell us about her. And so, um, her story is going to be featured in the book as the forward, but I wanted everyone that's listening to get a sneak peek at Amy's story. So welcome Amy. Hi, tell us a little bit about yourself. So where do you live? What's your family like?

Currently living in Louisville, Kentucky, and I'm married and have three kids and I'm a photographer. I'm also full time. Mom. Tell everybody about your photography business, because I want to rave, if anyone's been to my website, my doula, heidi.com or hers is bluegrass. baby.com B E B E. Then you will see some incredible work.

So how did you get into photography? It's something that's always been a passion interest of mine. Um, I did it pretty seriously. Through my senior year of high school, like with journalism, um, went on to study photography at Florida state. That was my, I had a bachelor of science in studio art. Um, but once I left college, I was so afraid to make my passion a job and then lose my drive for it and lose that spark of creativity.

So went and did a. Various other jobs, um, from title insurance to corporate communications and transportation. Um, and then the camera made its way back into my hands. As I started taking pictures of my own kids and people said, Oh, are you a photographer? Always just said, I used to be. I know I used to be, but you know, I can take pictures of your kids if you want me to totally downplayed it.

Oh, why do we do that? I don't know. The women like make, it looks like we are, make ourselves less than what we are totally. So one day you just jumped right back in. Wow. I mean, honestly, it was the encouragement of my husband and. So why don't you just give it a shot, always wanted to do this. It's always, you know, something that you're good at.

And, um, so I bought a domain and I sitting on our back porch, came up with the name of the business and I actually had to Google it cause I wanted to make sure and Kentucky horse racing is obviously, you know, a big part of our lives. And I wanted to make sure it wasn't the name of a horse. Um, and when, and nothing came up, I was like, Okay, that's fine.

Well, for everyone listening, if anyone is in or around Louisville, Kentucky, Amy is an incredible photographer for both maternity shoots and just family lifestyle. So if you go to her website at bluegrass, baby, right bbe.com or what's your Instagram, which are handled. It's bluegrass, baby. Okay. So awesome.

So I love how you say baby, and I'm like baby. So that's North Carolina for a minute.

I love it. All right. Well, Amy's here to tell us about delivering her baby in a car. You guys are not going to believe this story, her third baby. So, first of all, let's start with his name. Let's start with, tell us about your thirds name. His name is Thomas Rhodes, barber. Um, Rhodes was a name that Sophie actually, my oldest came home with from summer camp.

She, there was a kid named Rhodes. She thought it was cool. She threw it in the mix for us. Well, when he was born, Basically on the side of the road, we thought, well, that's pretty fitting, so perfect. So, all right. So now that everyone knows you've delivered your baby on the side of the road, it's an incredible story and we're going to get there, but let's back up to like, this is your third baby.

So how did you get here? To the point of delivering a third baby on the road, who was a VBAC. So let's go through the birds of your first two, just really quickly. So Sophie was the first, um, she's nine. Now we did like the basic. Birth class, parent education. Um, I didn't really read a ton of books or study super hard.

I just thought you walked into the hospital and had a baby. So that's what we did. Um, I had to be induced because she went over by eight days past my due date. Okay. And I was terrified. Um, I remember sitting down on the hospital bed and my water broke. So I thought, were you in labor or you would just had showed up for your day, just showed up for an induction seven o'clock in the morning, sat down my water broke and I thought, okay, this is okay.

We're good. It's happening? Yeah. For anyone who's listening, Amy's not going to tell the story right now where she went home. But if anybody is shows up at the hospital more than induction. And your water breaks kindly asked to go home for a view. And he didn't know that, well, this is educational, uh, podcasts.

But, um, because that means, you know, labor there's, you know, maybe sometimes you don't need to be induced at that point. So I'll just interject. So if your water breaks, you. You could have maybe gone home, but they didn't give you that option. They didn't give me that. I didn't even know it was an option. I think probably from a hospital perspective, it's probably not an option, but from a doula perspective, I would have said go home, you know, doula.

Yeah. So you were sitting there on the hospital bed and your water breaks. What did that feel like? Uh, just a little bit of a pop, like nothing uncomfortable and water warm, warm, and kind of wait, hold on. Did I pay myself or yeah, everything feels a little bit different. Yeah. So quickly moved into a Pitocin.

Drip. Did you start contractions at all after your water broke? No. No. Okay. So you, it was like, Oh yeah, it wasn't until they had me hooked up to Pitocin. Okay. I don't even remember ever leaving the room after that. To like walk or anything. Okay. So they got the IV going, they put Pitocin in. Do you remember, and then you started feeling control, started feeling contractions, got to the point where I remember being on the ball.

Like we have pictures of me on the. Birthing ball. And I just said, I can't can't do it anymore. You can't do this on my own anymore. And do you remember how far along you were? I know this was a long time ago. So these nine by, yeah. Do you happen to remember how far progressed? I was like, I don't know how far dilated.

I wasn't anything like that, but we were only a few hours in like it was still, yeah. Okay. Yeah. So, so was I girl? Yeah, I remember. Yeah. Two centimeters get to me and I'm a doula, right? So, um, yeah, it is. Okay. So you're sitting on the ball, you're like, okay, I'm done. That was good. Right. And I'm ready for that puddle.

So they put the epidural in. Did that go? Well, it went really well. Okay. Yeah. And then again, I didn't even know it was something where like there was a risk of it. Going wrong. Yeah. Or like, but that's okay. Cause everything went right? Absolutely. Yeah. So you had a perfect bliss. You had a perfect epidural at winnin.

You got numb in all the right places, but now you're confined to the bed. So almost I do remember that I got up at one point because I started kind of feeling, I felt like I had to go the bathroom, so I got up and they let me, but with assistance obviously, um, I don't really know how that was possible, but I know it happened and went to the bathroom.

Sometimes you can feel your legs and move your leg. Yeah. Maybe it was like really close to after when I got the epidural. And you say, go to the bathroom, you mean pee or you had to poop. I had to pee. Okay. Did you actually have to poop? Oh, and I did so. Okay. Cause time, you know, sometimes when you get towards transition or the end of labor, you know, women will feel the urge to poop, but that is actually the baby, but this was like, no, I just really have to pay it.

Right. So, and the one thing that I didn't want, I did not want to lose that one shred of dignity that I had blessed. So I do remember that, um, Brian was hungry. His parents were there. So they ran like across the street to get subway. And the doctor came in and said, well, you know, you're right. 10 animators.

Like, let's start pushing, even though I didn't have the urge. And I was like, can we please wait? At least until my husband gets here, because I'm thinking I'm going to push three times. Baby's gonna pop out. Right? Yeah. Not the case. Yeah. Yeah. So he comes back with his subway and I'm like, can you kindly put that down because I can't eat.

Yeah. Um, so we started pushing and pushing and pushing. I was exhausted. Yeah. Like three and a half hours. So, let me pause right here for anyone who's listening and you have an epidural or you are induced just because you're 10 centimeters dilated does not mean that you have to start pushing your baby out.

There is something called laboring down, which lets the contractions push your baby down rather than you exerting all this effort and pushing the baby down. Right? Um, most of the time. I don't know, the statistics doesn't matter, but most of the time you will still feel the urge or the pressure in your rectum when the babies are really far to send it.

And so I just want people to hear this story and know, like, if there's something that we could teach someone about your birth. Is that if you're laying in a hospital bed with an epidural and you're 10 centimeters dilated, but you don't feel pressure and you don't feel the urge to push, then don't feel pressured into it, pushing your body will guide you.

And yeah. So turn over on your left side or your right side, put the peanut ball between your legs. And let that baby labor down and kind of let the contractions do the work. So I just want to pick up right now, cause this was nine years ago, you know, and unfortunately we don't have doulas our bedside nurses at the hospitals to kind of help us with these things.

So if the position of the baby Sophie was high, Cause you weren't having the urge to push. Right. And he started pushing. So that's why it's, how many did you say? Three and a half hours. Yeah, it's a three and a half hours. Which high? Five. Let's just high five. There you go. That's a long time. This is a long time to push.

And after the fact, the nurses told me that they had all of the paperwork ready for me to sign, to go into the, or, and have a C-section. Okay. At that point they didn't think it was going to happen. Um, but Sophie had had the, the little monitor that they just screw into the, yeah. So it's called an internal fetal scalpel monitor and it just is like in a little an electric.

So my OB said, well, we'll just take this off. And maybe that millimeter will give you what you need to get this baby out. And. And she came. Oh, incredible. Yeah. Okay. Incredible. Now I remember the story from the friend perspective that she was an, um, an inconvenient position. Convenience. Yes. And probably where a lot of that pain came from.

Yeah. So did she deliver sunny side? She did. Yeah. She looked like she had been in a total knockout. Battle bruised. Yes. Beat swollen. Yeah. Or a little thing. So if you're listening to this podcast and you don't know an ideal birding position for a baby, it would be head down and face down so that the baby's face is, um, looking towards like your rear end.

But in, um, Sophie's case, she was. Turned the other direction. So she came out like looking up at your belly button or looking up at the ceiling that can cause a lot of back labor and a lot of back pain, which I think is why you got the epidural so early too, because, um, and I had no idea. Yeah. So it's not really a bad position.

It's just, um, it's just a difficult laboring position. Right? So, but she came three and a half hours of pushing and there she was. And what was that moment like when you became a mom? Oh my gosh. It was so exhilarating, but terrifying too. Like, Whoa. I didn't grow up around kids. How am I going to do this?

Like, do I hold her? Do I lay her down? Like she cries. Somebody helped me feed this baby. And neither of you had family here. Right? Right. Well, you know, Brian's parents had come in for the birth and then right after that, my parents came up. Um, but yeah, we, we only had a few friends here. Not many of them had children.

So this was unchartered territory, charted territory. So, yeah. Well, I will say for everyone that's listening, not only is Amy, one of the most amazing photographers that you will ever come across in her Instagram is beautiful, so visit it. But I have learned everything about. I'm going to cry about being a mom from this woman.

So you can, we went first and our group of my group of friends, our circle of friends. But man, I mean, you guys, I know things like about making homemade granola about chia seeds. Yeah. Nursing. I mean, things that I would have never essential oils. Things I would have just never come across if we weren't friends.

So you're an incredible mom. Well, thank you. So you get pregnant again? How many years later? They're 23 months apart. Okay. So and no fertility issues at all? Like, no, you know, it was Sophie. We tried for like nine months. Okay. And then with Tucker, I think it was maybe three. Okay. But in that nine month journey, you never saw a fertility specialist.

Now here's how specialists I did get the prescription for Clomid okay. Which they took. And then you were supposed to wait for your next cycle and then begin the progesterone. But I never had. Another period. So I called the doctor and I was like, what are we doing? Like, this is ridiculous. Like this taken forever, I'm done with the Clomid.

She was like, have you taken a pregnancy test? And I said, well, yes, like, you know, every day. And she goes, well, go home and take one more. And I did. And it was wow. Okay. So nine month fertility, I would call that a fertility journey. Okay. Um, really anything over six months, um, I believe you go into the club yeah.

Of a women that are on a fertility journey. So that's a long time. Yeah. That's, that's a long time of nine periods. A lot of nos. Yeah. It's a lot of nos. So, so then when were you expecting it to take a long time with Tucker then too? Didn't really know. I mean, okay. If we weren't in a super hurry, but you know, once, once the baby turns one and then they're walking and talking and like not so baby ashamed or it's instinctual, I don't know.

You just all of a sudden one another, even though I couldn't imagine like splitting my love between. Two babies. How do you do that? Okay, so I'm gonna, let's laugh right here because you just said, I can't imagine spinning, splitting my love between two babies, but for everyone that's listening. I remember a conversation with Amy before her first daughter was born Sophie, because she couldn't imagine splitting the love between her dogs, with her new daughter that was coming now, how did your pregnancy go with Tucker?

Super easy. Just like really? My pregnancy was Sophie. I feel great when I'm pregnant. Like I could do that a lot of times, I think. Yeah. So many women say that, that they just love being pregnant. So you were one of them? Yeah. I mean, I loved it. To eat. I loved the cute clothes. I felt great. Like I loved getting up, moving my body and like, thinking about everything that was going on inside and like just, and made me feel so much more alive.

I don't know. Does that sound? No, not at all, but I hear this all the time from moms that they weren't, they felt like their best self when they were pregnant, just so beautiful and so glowing, probably the way that I see all. Pregnant women are like, I just see them as the most beautiful beings on this earth.

Like so magical. Just feel like capable and like, right. Like I'm growing a human. Yes. Like I can do anything. Yeah. So in this year you guys had moved right also from Charlotte to Louisville. And I was maybe four or five months along with Tucker. Um, Brian got a new job in Lowville where his family is. And that I knew that was always like a part of our plan.

We just didn't know when the right time would be. And it happened really quick. And so I had to transfer all of my care and. Oh, my gosh. So we ate out a lot of takeout stuff, but like there was dessert every night and we didn't join gym when we moved there. And like, I was addicted to going to the Y here in Charlotte.

So to like, I lost my gym membership, we started eating out and eating dessert every night. I mean, the fact that I didn't gain a hundred pounds, I really, how much did you gain? Do you remember? I gained. Maybe 40 was Sophie, maybe 41, 42 with Tucker. Okay. But just, you know, you feel a little stretched out a little bigger a second time around.

Yeah. I mean, I think 40 is a really good goal for people. Yeah. So 25 to 40, they say I gained. Top of the range I gained 70. Amy's helping me get back in shape. We just all cycle yesterday. It was awesome. So, uh, so you, okay. We are doing one of the hardest things that a pregnant woman could do, which is you have an infant.

Which were you still nursing? No. Okay. Well, there's one thing off your veer to do list, right? So you have an event you're living with your in laws. You're trying to find a house to live in and you're pregnant and you changed care providers, right? Like I'm exhausted. That makes me have heart palpitation.

So, um, so you get to this new provider and your pregnancy is going great. But then what happened? Well, we near the end and realize that he's breach yeah. With no interest in turning it around. And were you devastated? Were you okay? Like, what were you devastated? You were devastated. Devastated. Okay. I was terrified and it's not because there's any sort of like judgment passing on.

In the way that you have your baby, right? Yeah. I just didn't want it for me. I've never broken a bone and knock on wood. Like I've never had any sort of major surgery being in the doctor's care. Just terrifies me the needles, the monitors, like the cold rooms, like just make it go away. And so here and I'm staring down the barrel of a scheduled Syrian section.

And how'd you take it because I remember you tried a couple of things though, right? A few. Um, I tried laying upside down a lot, whether it was like against the couch or on the yoga ball or a big stack of pillows. Um, I don't think I really knew that it was possible outside of doing like, um, the. Version.

Yeah. Um, which that scared me too. And where are you going to go through that pain? If it could just flip right back around. I mean, obviously it works or they wouldn't offer it. Um, he just was, he was in there. He always did they, so they offered you the version or no, they didn't. Okay. Um, Yeah, it wasn't suggested to me at the time it may have been, you've just been how far along you were, how big he was.

I mean, there's multiple things that go into that right. Um, decision. So it was not on the table for you. So it was. C-section only like there were all the choices were taken away from you. Right. Okay. And you had already had a vaginal birth, correct? So, um, so you're one of those very interesting people that had a vaginal birth first and then a and second.

Um, so what, they just go ahead and schedule, we scheduled it. Yup. Okay. Now, what is that feel like? Like once you came to acceptance and you knew the day you were going to have your baby, like, were you scared? I was terrified and I really don't think I accepted it until I was on that table. Truthfully, we had to check in maybe at like nine o'clock in the morning, but I was scheduled for like noon.

Okay. Didn't go until four. Because they had various other emergencies to deal with that day. And I was, you know, a scheduled C-section very low on the totem pole, but you'd want, at one point a nurse came in to tuck on us because I was hooked up to all kinds of monitors and stuff already. And she just said, we you're just banging out the contractions.

So here we are again. In labor, you get to the hospital and you go into labor and nine to body connection, right? I'm like, I'm going to go into labor and you are not going to intervene. You're not taking this baby out, but truthfully, he was so high. Like I remember even when they did the, C-section like, It seemed like there was an extreme amount of like polling, like to get him down far enough to pull them out.

And did you, do you remember feeling like the relief of pressure when he was born? Like, no. Okay. Cause I was wondering, because I haven't had a Csection before, but um, the feeling of having like a vaginal birth, like you had with SoFi is like, I just remember like this emptying, like right after you give birth, like, it was like, Oh, like on empty, like the pressure was gone.

I don't, since I've never had a C-section I was just curious if you feel that, I think that some women do, but you were numb, like you are so not muted, feel it. Okay. And so. But to take it back to between the nurse, noticing my contractions and me going in the room. The only thing that was like keeping may study was that like, my mom was there and Brian was there.

And as long as they didn't leave me, I was going to be okay. But when they took me in for the spinal. No one else is allowed in the room. Yeah. I wish we could unpack that with the medical community. Yeah. Like I have big dreams for this podcast that like maybe a million people listen to this someday. And like, we need to put that on the table, like is the best birthing experience for moms.

To have them be alone. No. For any part of that process, and I'm sorry, the nurse that you just met or the anesthesiologist, your comfort or support person. So, you know, I just, I dream of a world that when we're going through childbirth education or we're doing our hospital joys, there's something that your partner could do to prepare that if it went to Syrian section that someone would be holding your hand the entire time, like women deserve that.

They deserve to not be alone. Yeah. So anyway, that's my little tangent for today. No, I agree. I'm sorry that you were alone, but you knew they were there. They were there and they, he, you know, Brian came right in as soon as they allowed people back in the room. Um, and interesting to this mean, this may be.

The wrong timing, but it may not be, I don't know. Cause your husband's in medical device sales. So he's in the operating room. Like this is what he does. You wear scrubs every single day. He goes into the operating room and he does surgery and they still didn't let him. Come with you, right. He had plenty of credentials.

I'm sure to be fully credentialed for the operating room for the hospital and they still don't let him in. Wow. That's something we need to work on healthcare systems. Okay. We'll keep going. PSA. Yeah. So food for thought for another that's the next file. Yes. Okay. So they finally came in and joined you for the C-section and then, um, I felt great, like after I got the spinal and was laid down, um, I tell like the anesthesiologist, whoever that person was, you know, you never really see him again.

It was fantastic. Like. Told me everything. Like if I was feeling this, tell him this, feeling, this, tell him that. And I knew at one point I was starting to feel really nauseous and within like 10 seconds, whatever he had pumped in my line made it all go away. So yeah. And at that point, I don't, you know, that's when I think I gave it and the idea of this is this is happening.

Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Ray, before that. Right. And then they found out they put the drape up. I don't need to see that, like personally, you know, needles scare me. I don't need to see my everything put out there on my belly. Um, it just wouldn't have done me any favors mentally. So Brian got to say. It's a boy. Cause you didn't know the gender.

Right. Did you know a Sophie? We did. Okay. So you decided to be surprised, sent it fries and truthfully, that was one of the like things I was clinging to, to like bring me joy in that moment was that I still get a surprise at the end. Like I still get, you know, to find out. Yeah. So he got first look over the drape.

So would you give that as advice then? Like if you know, you're having a plan to Syrian. To get people are planners. And if, you know, some people don't mind the surgery, you know, healthy mom, healthy baby. Um, if you're not terrified of medical center and like I am, um, you know, so people just want to know, but like for me, It was the best thing to not know.

Yeah. What a cool surprise. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Okay. So then recovery, like, do you, did you get to hold Tucker right away after the C-section? I did. Okay. Yes. I got to see him and I think I got like, truthfully, I don't know how that first moment played out. I do know that within minutes, I think last ditch, the last time that went in, I heard my physician say, you know, 21 minutes.

So I was the first cut to the last day. It was only 21 minutes. Wow. And after that, that I was like stable. And able to like sit up and I got to hold him. And by stable, you mean like your blood pressure, right. You bleeding was controlled, that kind of thing. Your temperature. Okay. And I was able to hold him and they rolled us to a little recovery room, like a temporary, like a holding place.

What would you call it? But it's just a curtain recovery. Yeah. But I wouldn't actually have a room yet. Um, and someone came in right there and, um, A lactation consultant came in to help me nurse. Oh, good. That's fast. Yeah. It was really fast. I mean, it wasn't like from the belly to my skin, but yeah, it was as fast as I could imagine.

It would have been. I'm assuming at this point you're still pretty numb. Yeah. Okay. So you're not like in pain, like you're sitting up, you're holding. Yeah. Your baby. Right. But you're not really feeling pain. Right. Do you remember when the pain kicked in? I'm going to go with that night. Okay. And then they make you get out of bed and stand up and that straightening of your back and pulling of your abs and staples for the first time.

Oh, I just have like the heebie jeebies look like, cause I'm looking at Amy's face as she's describing it too. And it's making me wiggling in my chest. I'm like, Oh, that does not sound comfortable with that. Yeah, that was, that was hard. But you know, you get up and you do it. Yeah. And then you still have all the, like the normal, um, postpartum things going on with your body.

Um, so someone helping me to the bathroom and taking out besides the blood clots. Yeah. You had a pretty standard first birth with Sophie and then honestly, a pretty standard. Scheduled  and everything went well. Like no complications, no infections, none, anything like that. And then, um, did you know you wanted to have a third child?

It was always on the table for me. Um, it might have taken a little convincing. Um, I'm Brian, sorry. Okay. Um, but yeah, I just had this feeling that I wasn't done. Okay, I'm going to do it again. And every time you pick up more information, more knowledge, you learn to trust your intuition a little bit more.

And so I just thought this third time, I'll just do it, right? Yeah. I'll get everything right now. We're going to take a short break to just share a few things with you and we'll be right back with our guests. I'm so excited to tell you about my first book that I wrote that is launching this summer. It's a 42 week guide to your pregnancy.

It's a collection of birth stories. It has a ton of doula advice from all of the questions that my clients have asked me over the last 14 years. It has hysterical partner tips that you will want to read to your partner. And it has journaling prompts because nobody has time to write a 20 pages in their journal about their pregnancy.

So I've taken the Liberty to give you some prompts of things that I think you might want to remember back on after the baby's born. So again, you can go to birth story.com and preorder a copy today, and it would mean the world to me. Hey guys, if you're enjoying this podcast, then I need your help to spread the word.

If you know anyone who is pregnant is trying to become pregnant or just loves a good birth story. If you could send them to iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or SoundCloud, wherever they listen to their podcasts and ask them to subscribe to the birth story podcast, let's get into that story. Okay guys. And that's three, three.

Yeah. So number three was not quite bland. And I want you to tell everyone that's listening about your trip to the OB GYN. So I went to the OB for a regular checkup and I wanted to change my birth control. So I wanted one that was like low amount of hormones. Okay. But this one made me like, actually not have periods.

Which is kind of troublesome if you're like, Oh, maybe, maybe not. What, what is this? Is this, is this a pregnancy is a slip because of the medicine so much anxiety. Yes. Not worth it. Yeah. So, um, regular checkup at the OB and we were going to change my birth control and she said, well, when's your last period.

And you know, it'd been like a month. And, uh, and I thought it was probably like the low estrogen. And she said, well, we're just gonna, we're just gonna take a pregnancy test just in case. So she went out to write the prescription and you know, when they leave the room and pull the curtain and get dressed, I literally had one leg in my pants and the door blows out Ben.

And she said, did you know, you're pregnant? And I said, well, I do now. Oh my God, you were like, no, of course, I don't know. I'm pregnant. I'm you ever burn control? How did you tell your husband. I think I got in the car and texted him. Cause I knew he was like, he was busy that day. And I said, well, what are you doing on, um, July 20th next year?

And he's like, why? And so I picked up the phone and called him cause I knew he was available. And I was like, well, we're having a baby. Oh my gosh. Now because we're friends, I know this, but like that week before you weren't feeling good. But you had no idea you were pregnant, but like you just, did you just feel like you had the flu?

So we had just lost Maddix your dog? Yeah, my baby truthfully. I mean, my. Emotions and like had no appetite and like, I just missed her. So fiercely that I was blaming all of my feelings on that. Just grief. Grief. Yeah. Yeah. So total surprise, total surprise. And was your husband excited or was he, yeah, he was like, is this for real?

Yeah. Yes, because this could go many ways with many people that are listening, you know, like yeah. Dang it, we were both really excited and so excited. I think he knew that deep down, like I and done. Yeah. And you wanted another one? Yeah. So, okay. So how did your pregnancy go with Thomas? Because now you're coming off as the Syrian section.

So how far apart are Thomas and Tucker number two, number three. Three and a half years. Okay. So three and a half years later, which means you would have been pregnant, you know, 10 months earlier than that. So two and two and a half. Yeah, two and a half. Um, so you were healed from your Suzanne Marion section?

Absolutely. Um, yeah. What point did you say, like, Hey, I might be interested in a VBAC. Is that, was that your idea or your providers. Right after she gave me a hug. Yeah. Like when she said you're pregnant, she said, well, you're going to VBAC. Yeah. Whoa. Yeah. I love her. Yeah, me too. Don't say her name, but this magical unicorn yeah.

Would be well, that was promoting a VBAC. Love her. And that's because you had a successful, I will say the stats are much better when you've had a successful vaginal birth. First. Yes. But the only reason I had one was because he was breech, there was no other like medical reason. So she was your cheerleader from day one.

But you know, the ironic part is that her practice didn't do vivax. So she had to go get her cell phone and call like whenever a little. Colleagues in another practice and referred me over, but she really does like high risk Vbacks. So I thought it was a shoe in, like, she would take me, I would be easy. Um, but yeah, like got out her cell phone and like texted her, you know, little OB bestie and said I've got a new patient for you.

I mean, it was, that was it. There was no question. I love it. So then you switched practices. Yeah. And we went in for like a little interview consultation. It's like seven o'clock in the morning and I've got my two kids sitting on the floor, Brian and I are like, I'm giving my entire medical history to this sweet woman.

So, so you, everyone agreed a VBAC would be a safe choice for number three, right? So the pregnancy progresses and how D how does it go? Everything's great. Um, maybe 35 weeks just checked in and he was breech. Dang it. I know. Why, why? So, so I pulled out all the stops. At this point, did you consider hiring a doula?

Yes. Yes. Okay. And when, when, how did that process go down? So I reached out to, um, a lactation consultant that I knew and asked for her recommendations on a doula. I started there. And then, you know, I tried one and she was already booked and then I tried her recommendation and she was already booked. So I finally found, and this was what, 30, how far along were you when you were looking at, this was maybe the middle of my pregnancy.

Okay. For everyone listening. So I'm going to, I'm going to be transparent for everyone. That's listening. You need to hire a doula. As soon as you know, you have a viable pregnancy and are moving forward, if that's what you want. So we're recording this episode. Um, I don't know when you're listening to this episode, but this episode is being recorded at the beginning of February.

I am booked out as a doula through August. Do the math, those women just found out that they are pregnant and I am already booked through August. If you want a really good experience doula, you better go after her with all your might. You know, soon after you have a positive pregnancy, does I say 12 weeks, but I think when you're 12 weeks gestation 12 to 14, that's our really safe time to start getting your doula onboard.

So you're, you're halfway through your pregnancy. You're you're 24, 25, 26 weeks, whatever. And you're finding out that all the doulas are booked right in Louisville. Yes. And then, um, the woman that I found, she was also in nursing school, so I don't think she was taking a lot of. Clients at the time. So I kind of had the advantage of like, Hey, this is going to be really easy for you.

And for me, I just need you in the room to like, make sure that this goes well, because Brian's thing was like, you know, I'm on board with you trying this. We didn't have any friends who had done it time. He's like, I'm on board with this whole VBAC idea. As long as you can promise me that there's never going to be this like panic.

There's never going to be this huge risk. Um, This is going to be smooth. We're not going to like wait too long and like be in a dangerous situation. Okay, great. It's hysterical now, but, um, for any dads that are listening to like you, we cannot ever promise that on even a vaginal birth. Right. You know, so it's just so sweet that our protectors just want to make sure that we're safe and even a little tiny increase in any kind of arrest, just sales them and note, you know, so settle down and hire a doula.

Um, so you got your doula onboard. Did you meet with her before your delivery? Yeah. Okay. We met in like kind of, you know, an interview and talked about her experience and, um, she herself. I believe it had a VBAC. Okay. Um, at a very young age. And so I think she just felt like this mission to, you know, make sure this was going to happen for everybody else and pass it forward.

Okay. That's awesome. Yep. So it's 35 weeks he's reach. Yup. So she gives me all of these. Ideas on, you know, you walk with like one foot on the curb and one foot down and you go sideways up the stairs. And I took it as far as, um, going upside down, doing hand stands in the pool at the YMCA. I laid upside down on the birthing ball at home, went to see a chiropractor that, um, did the Webster technique, which is where, you know, various points of pressure and twisting.

And it's supposed to allow room for the baby. To turn. Do you remember going to a website called spinning babies? Okay. I think you sent me there. Okay, awesome. So anyone who's listening, spinning babies, huge shout out great website. Yeah. I'm with really good techniques on how to, um, help a breech baby get turned, head down and face down.

But I asked anyone and everyone that I knew that had any. Tie or connection or belief in the holistic medicine, um, and baby bees and birth what to do. Um, and I wound up going to acupuncture also they're tiny little needles go into your tiny little pinky toes because there's some sort of channel or current from your pinky toe to like the uterus.

Yeah. Um, and then I do believe we did some in my knees at some point, too. But not just putting the needles in and leaving it. But they light this. Um, it looks to see, yes, it looks like a cigar smells even worse and waves it around until the needle like heats. And then she goes over to the other side and does it again.

Um, and she sent me home with some, so we didn't do the needles at home, but I had Brian, I put my feet up on the ball. We'd sit outside because it smelled so bad. They wouldn't do it in the house. And he would light this Moxy and like, hold it by my toe until I couldn't stand it anymore. And then he'd go over to the other one.

I did this religiously. I did everything you were so committed, so committed. So what happened? He flipped. Do you remember him? Flipping do. Okay. So you felt him, what, where were you? What was it like? I was at home. Okay. Um, you just, you know, someone explained what it would feel like, like a big or like rolling.

Yeah. And that's what it was. And so. I called the OB and I said, need to come back in for one more or two Sam, please. Like, I think he flipped. Yeah. So I go into the exam room cause they, you know, they always want to like examine you first. You don't just get to roll in for an ultrasound. And she, I remember her pressing really low and she was like, yeah, there's this head.

I was like, well, I have to see it. I got to see it on the screen to believe it so that we can move forward. Yeah. And there he was, and I just sat there and cried. Like there we've done it. Yes. Went home. All of it worked. Yeah. Any weeks gestation where you, when he flipped. So 36. Okay. So 35. He was breached.

You spend that entire week just like crushing it with the alternative. Measures besides a version, you know, I'd say call that a medical intervention. So all the alternative methods and within a week he flipped. Yes. Yes. But do you know his name is Thomas and I love him. Yay. Yeah. Okay. I went home from the ultrasound though, and that night I felt it again and I thought he just flipped back.

Don't tell me he did well. I call him that I called the OBS office and I said, I'm sorry, I have to come in again. Like he's flipped again. And I don't know what it was that I felt, but he was still head down and I said, okay, so I'm not, I am not going to invert myself one more time. Like this baby is going to grow.

That enough, like this, that he can flip again. Yeah. So were you like, I'm just going to sit here and not for four weeks until I go into labor. You know, what I did is anytime like the television was on who the kids were entertained, I got up that birthing ball and I hung, like, I put my arms on the top and my legs really wide in a squat.

And I just sat there and like rocked and rolled all around to like give him all the rim to stay down. Like no opportunity for bouncing back up. Yeah. And it's pretty rare once they turn flip and go head down after 30, 68 stuff flip back around. I mean, it can can, but it's, it's more rare for that to occur.

So I don't have huge babies. So I thought, you know, he's still relatively small. And how big are your babies? Seven pounds. Okay. Yeah. So that's average. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So you're like hanging out on the ball now. It's like 37 30. When did you want to labor? Was I, I was right at my due date, maybe a day or two before.

Okay. I know that some women can memorize these details, but you went, you went all the way, full terms, full term, he flipped, and then you still had a couple more weeks to go. Right. And you, now you have two other children and they're home for the summer and all their things. Yes. And it's July what'd you do just go to the pool.

Okay. I was hanging out with the pole. There were, there was one other mom who was six weeks ahead of me and we also have our middle child named Tucker so funny. And so we, you know, high-fived across the pool every day and one day she wasn't there. I was so jealous. It's like, she's done and I'm still here.

Yes. You know, that's kind of how I was three weeks behind Amy for this birth. I'll just say that very quick. And that's how I felt when you went to delay Tommy. And I was like, no, I still have to be pregnant in August to write, you know? Yeah. Okay. So now it's the end. Tell me about the day of labor. What did that look like?

I'd woken up several mornings thinking, Oh, this is it. Like, I don't something feels off, but that morning it was like six o'clock. And I said, something's not right. Like, I mean, it was right, but something was different. So I texted my father-in-law and he came and got the kids. That day and Brian stayed really close and I still was like, moving around feeling like just off, you know?

Um, but I knew he didn't have any food in the house. So I thought, well, let's go to Costco. Of course, baby number three. Right. And I remember it like doubling over and hanging onto the side of the cart, having contractions. But I was like, I don't know, are they really? Because the last time I had real contractions.

With six years prior and they were Pitocin induced contraction and I went straight to an epidural so much stronger. Yeah. So this is like, yeah, basically third baby. Right? Foreshadowing. So you're actually, we did our shopping. We went home. I had a photo shoot to edit, so I sat at my laptop. With Clary Sage, putting it on my ankles every 10 minutes, rubbing it in.

I was on my ball, like all my birthing ball, hip swivels right now. So I mean, he, like, when I was doing it, I was like, she's doing hip swivels on her birthday mall. Yeah. So editing doing my Clary, Sage drinking a ton of water. And then at some point you called. I remember talking to you. I just don't remember when, but we're like weird.

You're normal. Like you're like you're having a normal conversation. Like it's all good. Yeah. And so I said to Brian, like, you have to call the doula and tell her to come over. I just had this feeling, but I said, if I call her and I'm speaking clearly, and I'm still like happy, I probably told you that. Yes you did.

So she came over. And she was like, Amy, you're still like thing and like telling jokes, like I just would turn inward during like, you know, the 10 seconds or whatever it was. And yeah. And I would bounce right back. But I think so easy, I think in hindsight, so I'd read the hypnobirthing book. Yeah. So all of this is because is your water is still intact.

So you're in early labor. You have a full sack of water. This could go on for hours and hours and hours, days, even on a third baby. Now it's usually shorter, but good. So one of the things I'm going to stop right here before we go any further, what I say to my clients is. You're fine. Unless your water breaks.

If you're on baby two, three, four, five, six, and your water breaks, you mean go straight to the hospital. So your doula comes over. You're in early labor, it appears, right? Yeah. How far apart were your contractions? Like 10 minutes. Maybe five, five minutes. Oh, well it was, yeah, they were very close together. So at one point she said, well, um, so we're five minutes apart.

She said, well, let's just try, you know, one more position and see if things slow down or, you know, see what happens, Mark doula. Yeah. So, um, I sat on the toilet because it's beautiful. A place to put pressure. Yep. Um, great place to labor. One of the most beautiful places to labor, cause it opens everything up.

So, so one contraction came and my water broke and I started pushing. It was the most unreal. It was not me. Right. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Like you went inside herself and I looked at her after it was over and I said, I'm pushing. And she said, I know. And I forgot to mention that she had told my husband to go put the dogs away, go get a towel, you know, after this, after we move or we're probably just going to get in the car and go ahead and head out.

So Brian's putting the dogs away. Going to get some, you know, bath towels for the car, just in case. And then we have our five alarm fire. Ryan said, this is great. As long as we are not panicked. Okay. And this was panic. And I looked at her and I said, I'm not going anywhere. And I'm doing this right here.

Yeah. Don't move me. Don't touch me. Huh. It's really difficult when you have now. Cause you kind of miss transition almost. I mean, when your water breaks and you start pushing on the very next contraction and hello, this is very common for third babies, right? Um, it was a very smart of your doula to have wanted to have moved you when you were five centimeters or five centimeters was made five minutes apart, um, contractions on a third baby when your water was still intact, because once that water's gone, Gosh, things can happen really fast as it just unfolded for you.

So, and when you say pushing, I mean, you are just like the uncontrollable unbearable. If someone had a gun to your head and said, stop, you wouldn't be able to know, because I didn't feel that I was doing it. I didn't. I didn't think that my brain was controlled. No, your body took over, right? Wow. Yeah. So if someone said stop, there's just no way.

So now you're like, Nope, we're going to deliver the baby right here. Did you just want to call nine one one? Yes, I did. Okay. And the doula insisted that that was not the best idea. Just, you know, taking a newborn, like for a ride in an ambulance. And they were probably going to take me downtown to a different hospital than I wanted to go to.

Um, and I don't know if she had other reasons than that. Well, I don't know, but I do know that you usually don't just push a baby right out on one contraction. So she probably likely thought, okay, you're bearing down, but there might still be time to get to the hospital. Because I had a little bit more of a risky delivery, right?

Yeah. Being dieback. Yeah. So I wattle to the car only because they made me. Yeah. Um, no shirt, no shoes. There's no cell phone. Yeah. Okay. In your brand new car, I remember. Yeah. Beautiful. Minivans that I fought. Yes. And I will hashtag mom life. Yeah. Anyone who's listening. There's a, uh, whatever Honda Odyssey that's coming for sale soon.

It's a famous minivan. Okay. I'm just getting, so you want all to the car you get in. Well, I'll do the car and get in. Brian is driving. I'm not kidding, like 95 miles an hour. Have you called nine 11? I wasn't calling anybody. Did they call nine 11? Sorry. Did they call nine one one or the hospital and say we're covered.

So in the car somehow, while he's driving 95 miles an hour and figures out how to get there, the hospital on the phone and says, this is we're coming in hot. Yeah. My wife is a patient of dr. Whatever, and she's a VBAC. And this is happening right now. And they said, okay, well, we'll be ready for you. And so he hangs up and, and you're just pushing on every contraction.

Okay. Come put my seat belt on because I couldn't sit because the baby was right there. Yeah, Brian is driving. He, by the way, thinks that he should be a part of this interview too, because his side of the story, another interview where we just interview dads of the road, you know, as of the road living on the highway.

Thank goodness. It was seven o'clock on a Thursday. There was no traffic. It wasn't rush hour. That's the only reason we made it as far as we did. Yeah. So he's driving with the flashers on calling the hospital and with his right hand, he's reaching over to like yank my shorts down. Because I was like, the baby's come, the baby's here.

He's like, what'd he say, where's it going to go? Your son I'm sitting on our babies. So funny is this is about the time that that viral video came out on Facebook of the woman sitting in the passenger seat and she just delivers her baby and the dad video, the whole thing. Do you remember that? And you had seen it and you were like, just be calm and do that.

And there was no thought, no, you know, as this story unfolds, my friends are like, wait, what? Like that video on Facebook? Like yeah. Like, no, that really happens. Cause you think like, Oh, that was so irresponsible of them. How could they wait that long? No, you're like, I had only been in labor for three hours.

Right. So, and two of those were at Costco? Yes. So flying through the hospital parking lot. We pull up like backwards in the, um, ambulance driveway. And I look out the window and here comes, you know, a little nurse, little wheelchair, it's taken a dime,

she owned it. And when, and like to escort me to her wheelchair and I was like, no, no, no. Like here's the baby. We don't need to do that. So what was his head out? I mean, Almost. Okay. So another nurse comes out, pulls the door, open, wider, checks me out. She said, we're going to just do this right here. And this is going to be great.

Okay. And I was like, all right. Okay. Cause he was like one bushes there. Yeah. Yeah. So it was literally one push. There was so they, so did they coach you through that on the next contraction or did you just okay. I said somebody put my seat back because, so I go where my favorite mother, Oh my God, that feet on the dashboard.

I love this because you're actually at the hospital, but it's like, you know, no, the baby's right here, we're in the parking lot where people can just have a plain view from the window watching the birth day. Someone actually filmed it. Did they send it to us? It's kind of a long story. Okay. We won't go into that.

I thought that that was violating a lot of privacy laws, so they intervened and the video is gone. Okay. Okay. Um, so yeah, just, you know, in front of God and everybody here, I am in the parking lot. So put my feet up, they push the seat back. She said, okay, give me a push. There was the head a few seconds later.

All right. You ready for another one? And there was the body and to my test and I looked at Brian and I was like, I did it. Kik, can you believe this? And he's like, can we please go inside? I'm like, yes. The one thing that he did not want to have happen right. Became his reality. Oh, I just can't wait to just talk to just him about that.

I know, I know. Oh my gosh. Me alive, baby alive. Once we've checked that off the list, it was time to go inside. So the cord was long enough that you were able to hold him up on your chest, you know, put a bunch of blankets around them. Then they put you in a, uh, in a wheelchair stretcher. Well, how do you get an XY?

Do you walk? Okay. So convenience waddling with my cord hanging out. Well, so I'm still like having this like blissful moment though. And so, you know, they're trying to like. No take the time, time of birth, like, cause we're in the car with them have like all of their equipment and instruments and things. Oh my God, this drives me crazy.

Who gives a shit the time of birth? Like the paperwork people are so concerned about paperwork. I am like, be more concerned about the mom with the baby in the front seat of the car than the paperwork. Well, and filling out the paperwork. They were like, do we w mom, was it a boy or a girl? And I was like, Oh, I don't know.

You forgot to love it. Look, I just was so happy to have I did it. Like I wanted a natural birth and I did it. Yes. So, you know, had to peel the baby off of me. It's a boy. Okay. Back to my desk. Yeah. Yeah. I'm so into the wheelchair, like covering a wheelchair. I was like, cause I'm so curious about this. So they brought some privacy blankets.

Yeah. Well, I mean, not for like a curtain, but enough to lay over my lap. And when they wheeled me in, I got, you know, standing applause and everyone's just staring at you. Like yeah, girl. Yeah, baby in the car. So a nurse delivered you a nurse, wasn't an ER, nurse or an OB? No,  love it. Yeah. Okay. So then what happens?

Do they, they, do they keep you in the emergency room or do they take you up to OB? You have to OB, cause I remember there was like a scale in the room, so I don't think that that would have been like a regular ER room with the baby skill. Um, cause I remember that. They weighed him and measured them. Um, huh, what?

Hold on. I've got so many questions before we get to that in order to weigh him and measure him, you would have had to have been detached from him. Okay. So how did that go down? Well, you know, I had all these dreams of like this natural birth and then we wait until the cord stops pulsing and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

And then we cut a yeah, but I think. Truly in the amount of time it took. Oh yeah. There are like four to six minutes. Okay, max. So if you deliver that baby, and then they had to transfer you inside, like that cord was done. Done. Yeah. Yeah. I have no doubt in my mind that that cord was completely finished poles.

Right. So who got, who got it? You don't remember. Huh? Okay. I'm sorry. Amy's mouthing secrets to me. And I'm saying them out loud. Who cares? Okay. So you don't remember. That's fine. Don't remember that moment I interview your husband. I'll ask him, but that's okay. You don't remember because you were basking the joy.

I really care new baby and attract. When you have a natural childbirth to, I mean, God love it. Yes. I mean, I've done it both ways, like fully medicated. I've been there by everyone's side. But like when you have a fully natural childbirth, I mean, it's like finishing a marathon. It's like climbing Mount Everest.

I mean, you are on top of the world. You were like, I am a warrior and I have just like won the earth. Right. You know? Yeah. It was amazing. Did you get the shakes? Do you remember? Absolutely. Yeah. Okay. So was it pretty much right afterwards where you just like in the room? Yeah. Um, and I do your version of shakes though.

Yeah. Um, but then it was time to like deliver the placenta, which wasn't coming. So then there's all this various like massaging and, um, lots of bleeding. I know that they gave me Pitocin at some point. It's very normal. Um, And then they stood me up to the bathroom. I guess you have to, like, you have to pee before you can move on.

Right? If you have a full bladder, it can inhibit, it can increase your chance of hemorrhage. It can inhibit the uterus from fully contracting. It can inhibit the placenta from being delivered. So it's a very important to have an empty bladder. Okay. And it looked like a crime scene. Oh me standing up and walking to the bathroom.

Okay. Um, and I started to get scared at that point. Did you feel dizzy? Yeah. Okay. So you were, you were, did you pass out? I was like, The closest to passing out. I've ever been in my whole life. Okay. Um, after that, then you're like, I'm going down, but then he didn't actually, I wasn't in wheelchair. They were moving me to the next room.

And the nurse said, I shouldn't have put her in a chair because you can't pass out. If you're lying down. She's she was like, I should have left her in the bed. Like, I'm hearing this going down while like everything is going white and fuzzy. I feel nauseous. She said my skin was like green. Like, yeah, I'd lost so much blood in that process.

Um, but we've made it to the room. But for everyone listening though, this postpartum hemorrhage had nothing to do with your VBAC. Nothing, nothing to do with your baby. This is just everything to do with probably having. A rapid delivery, a full bladder, like a difficult delivery with the placenta that wasn't detaching just mostly because everything went so quick.

Yeah. You know, so I just want to interject that there, but that this is not like a, you weren't hemorrhaging because you had a VBAC, like this is a totally separate thing that was happening. Right. So, so got to the room. I think I'd stuffed some peanut butter crackers than a bag. And so had those and felt.

So much better. And then, you know, we were left alone for a few minutes and it's like, wait, that just happen. Like really how it did happen. That's amazing. I'm so proud of you all three of these birds or just. Beautiful. And this one's difference so different. And this one was just, I mean, I just feel like, I mean, it sounds like Brian was really scared, but it just sounds like you just stayed calm, cool, collected.

It just went with your natural body's instincts and you know, I'm just so proud of it is weird though, to think, like to say that I was calm because. I feel like I wasn't really there. Know what I mean? Like they call it the labor zone where you feel like you're in an alternate universe. This is something that most people feel either when they've had, when they're birthing naturally.

So that meaning when you're having those contractions, before you get the epidural, many times people get into that labor zone. And then if, especially if you go all the way, you know, through a transition where the time sounds. Um, like just nothing, nothing really like, you wouldn't be able to comprehend like people talking or asking you questions or what time it is.

I mean, everything's just kind of a, Oh, you're in this bubble of it a time warp. Yeah. The job to do. And your body's just going to do it and everything else goes away. Yeah. So I don't have any memory of being in pain. I don't have really a memory of being scared. I just. Yeah. Went into this place of like, we're going to do this and it's all.

Okay. And yeah, the guttural noises that my mouth produced. I mean, your voice hurts for days afterwards. Sure. Yeah. My midwife called it, calls it a labor song. Yeah, it wasn't in pain. It wasn't sad. It was just like, this is going to help me get through the next 10 seconds and I'm going to do it. Let's let's let's do it together.

Let's have everybody here. What a guttural bonus. Ready? Oh really? Yeah, let's do it. What if mine's not like yours? It's everyone's sounds similar. So ready.

if you hear that sound, the person, your next do is likely in transition to deliver their baby. Oh my gosh. Well, Amy, this has been awesome. And, um, so my last question for you is what I ask everyone. And that is what is your favorite baby product? That for anyone listening, that you just have to pass on? The must have go to register for it.

Don't forget to have it. What is it for you? Hands down for me, it was having a ring sling. Awesome. I had not had one with the other two kids. So tell everybody about a ring sling. It's the most simple you think you could like whip it up yourself, right. But it's the fabric. It's just like butter. It's this long piece of fabric with a big metal loop on the end.

And it goes over your shoulder and over one shoulder, and then you have this fun way of like looping it up and then you make a little like seat. For the baby's button, their knees go up and they just, you can make kind of a little pillow for their head and just they're right there. You should be able to like kiss the top of their head, right.

With the baby carrier. They're just right there. And for a mom of three, I needed my hands to do other things. Um, so baby was right there. I was hands-free it's cute. Like, I mean, and it just makes you feel connected still. So connected. Yeah, it just, it was amazing. It was better than like any other carrier that I'd had for an infant.

Yeah. I'm definitely gonna put the link to the ring, sling in the show notes as well as a link to how to get in touch with Amy and check out her beautiful Instagram page for bluegrass benefit. Nailed it. Nailed it. Thanks for being on. I love you.

Thank you for listening to birth story. My goal is you'll walk away from each episode with a clear picture of how labor and delivery might go, and that you will feel empowered by the end of your pregnancy to speak up plan and prepare for the birth you want. No matter what that looks like.