16 Do we birth like our moms? Dual Birth Story of Fast Labors with Mother/Daughter Duo

Sarah and Rachel are the hilarious mother-daughter duo you did not know you were missing out on. With every detail recounted from their eerily similar and rapid birth stories you will be in stitches. You might need tissues for this episode but only to wipe away your tears from laughter. Sarah and Rachel's favorite baby products are the Squatty Potty, The Birthing Ball, ChickPea Sherpa Swaddle, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and The Happiest Baby on the Block.

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 motherhood.

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. Hey everybody. It's the sweet 16. And I'm really excited about today's episode because it is my first mother daughter combination.

So you're going to meet Sarah Rachel. And what is so eerie yet? Common is they had very similar birds, this, so one of the first questions that I asked my moms, if they know their mom and their birth story is well. What did your mom's first LIBOR look like? And you'll find that there is a lot of continuity between how are you mom's and our sister's bird and how we bird.

There's a lot to learn here. There's a lot of excitement because there's some precipitous labor going on, sit back and enjoy the story of Sarah and her mama. Rachel, there is so much to learn from these two. Rachel is mom or grandma. And then Sarah is daughter and Sarah was one of my recent doula clients.

And I'm just so ready to dig in with you guys. What we're going to do is Sarah. You just start off and tell me a little bit about. Who you are. All right, so I'm sorry, Sarah. I am 31. Um, my husband and I started right when I turned 30, I started thinking about starting a family. We got pregnant within like four months and I was so, so, so excited.

I'd always look to my mom for a positive birth story. I was so excited to. Go through this journey. I had several cousins and friends who had recently given birth. So I had a lot of good role models, but my mom was probably my favorite birth story with me. I was actually born at home in the bathroom by accident.

So I came super fast and I was just so excited to start to start my journey as a mother. So that's me. Rachel. Tell us about who you are besides being Sarah's mom who delivered in the bathroom. I'm Rachel. It just an Nancy. I'm 60 years old and I am a proud new grandmother. What's your grandma name? We're going to try to let trip, call me Grammy.

My, my husband is going to be Pappy. So Grammy and Pappy. I have worked for 38 years for the phone company with. Bail South and with at and T as an outside plan engineer and a budget person, we live on a family farm and Clemmons, North Carolina. We raise a few cows and, uh, A big garden in the summertime. Oh, I love it.

Okay. Well in proper Southern fashion, we're going to let the oldest person in the room go first. So Rachel, okay, so let's go back now. What year was it when you were pregnant for the first time Daniel was born in 87. He was Daniel Gray. Yancy was my first child and I was in labor. Maybe eight hours with him, which is about average for the first child.

I remember that the night before, uh, you know, it was feeling kind of crampy and just not really good. And we lived on a circle. So my husband who had been on pins and needles waiting for me to go to the hospital, had actually fallen asleep on the couch. And I decided to go out and walk around the circle, which was about half a mile.

I think I made two rounds. Around the circle and my husband woke up and didn't find me in the house. And he was frantic and came driving the car around the circle and found me. And I was kinda, you know, leaning over a little bit, going, just walk in and stopping. And so we got back in the house and at the time our Lamaze class had told us that.

You know, if we thought we were in labor, but was it sure that we should have one cup of wine? And if it was false labor, the contractions would go away in about an hour. But if it was right real labor, you would keep going. And the little bit of wine wouldn't hurt the baby or you either one. So we tried that and I felt sleepy in though, went to sleep and.

Seems like sometime in the morning or wee hours of the morning, I woke up and I could tell that things were starting to progress as far as the labor, when, and I went in our second bathroom and I literally made a little nest in the bathroom. I put some quilts down and some pillows. I was like, Oh, I'm fine.

I'm going to read. And just, you know, think about my baby coming. And I was. Feeling very comfortable. So you went to Lamaze classes? Yes, we did. And did you do any other birthing classes? That was the only class available. Okay. We had a really good instructor. And did you want to have a natural childbirth? I did.

I had had a cousin that was born. He was just a big baby. And that was back when mothers were just sedated completely. And I remember. When I was young, they told me that the baby had, had to go to the NICU unit because he wasn't breathing well. Well, and he had gotten some of the medicine from the mother.

And I remember even as a young girl, I said, if I ever have a baby, I'm not going to take any medicine. Cause I don't want any harm to come to my baby. I said, I can stay. And that, and it was interesting that. During that first pregnancy, I got a lot of support. I remember an older engineer that sat beside of me and he looked at me one day and he said, Rachel, you're just the kind of girl that'll just get in there and get the job done.

You know, an older man to tell you that. And he told me, he says my wife had rather have a baby than go to the dentist and she had had five babies. So I thought if, if that can. Be a good story, then that's the birth story that I want. And I remember another cousin whose mother told us that, you know, all babies come this way.

This is, this is what our bodies are meant to do. So that was a confidence builder. And of course, with your first baby, You're always afraid, you know, will I be able to stand the contractions? Will it be, will I be the ones that's screaming down the hall? And I didn't find it scary once the labor started, I knew that I could just kind of work with my body that morning when I was having Daniel, you know, was doing fine in the bathroom.

And then all of a sudden I had to throw up. I remember, you know, I was going to gently wake my husband and say, Oh honey, we're having a baby today. Let's go to the hospital. Well, he woke up to the sound of me throwing up my toenail.

Oh my goodness. Yeah. And my husband can panic sometime. And that was, you know, he was like, Oh my goodness, what's going on? You know? And I said, I think we're okay. I think the baby's just coming and I'm sick. Yeah. Feel like, Oh, like the different, like you felt that changed, like, Oh, I'm laboring and now like the baby's going to come well, the throwing up surprise me.

Yeah. You know, that, that I wasn't prepared for. And I hadn't been told that that could happen, but now I understand that that's common and that's why we're doing this podcast.  right. You know, it's normal to throw up. So it didn't last too long and we were very fortunate. I had a cousin that had worked in labor and delivery for years.

And she, for all the cousins said, I'll come to your house, I'll check you. I'll let you know if it's time to go to the hospital. That way you won't be in the hospital for a very long time before the baby's born. And so we called her that morning and she came and she checked me and said time to go. And I got to the hospital and it was probably, you know, by the time they got me settled in.

Um, I don't think I labored very long until they started saying you were at 10 centimeters. It's time to push. And I had no urge to push. I had no, um, You know, I'd been told in Lamaze class, you know, block your breath and hold it. Well for 30 minutes, I struggled to try to push and it just wasn't working.

And later I read that sometimes nature gives you a break between the time you're dilating. Maybe you have a 30 minute break before your body is ready, a hundred percent accurate. And we see it all the time. You know, if a nurse or somebody had been able in a doula had been able to help me understand that about what was going on.

I wouldn't have exhausted myself for 30 minutes trying. And then finally my husband, who was wonderful, he cradled me like. My head was in his arms and underneath of my knees. And he just helped me like this for two hours while I pushed. And I think because I pushed so long, I pushed Daniel down into the birth canal wrong.

So he came out looking at my right leg. I'm not sunny side up or sunny side down, but, and he had a terrible bruise on his head. Yeah. Yeah. So the pushing with him was very. It was very difficult, but my husband was a rockstar they're holding me in probably what would you describe as a squad position? Yep.

And if, you know, if I could have been I'll steal Sarah's story, like. You were there saying, get on the floor and squat. And I had some gravity. If I'd had some gravity helping me, I think I could have been more efficient with that first labor. Yeah. But you feel like the Lamaze really helped you with the breathing?

It did a thing. What Lamaze helped me move with was just preparing, you know, I remember them Lamaze teacher saying that. Each stage of labor is supposed to take so long. And she said a lot of times, women just kind of lose track of time and I was determined. That I was going to keep track of time and that, and there was a clock in there, you know, there weren't nice birthing rooms.

There was a clock right in front of my bed and I was like, okay, okay. I'm 10 centimeters now. And then we'll start pushing. And average is last about to, you know, it could last two hours. I can hang in there for two hours. I want to have this baby before 12 o'clock. So I had both of my children on Saturday morning.

Yeah. Oh my goodness. I love it. Okay. Well, I want there's some teaching in here too, because, um, and I feel like almost every podcast I've recorded so far, I'm probably teaching the same lesson over and over again. And that. Just because you are 10 centimeters dilated does not mean that you are ready to push your baby out.

Like you said, sometimes you get the spray. Sometimes you're 10 centimeters dilated, right. And you need to take a 20 minute nap, right. Because your body is going to halt contractions for a long period of time, or just give you some mild contractions. So I know Sarah, this didn't happen with you, but with some people, right.

This really, um, this you'll get this, you'll get fully dilated, but the baby's station is still high. And then we do what's called laboring down. So you let the contractions labor the baby down while you rest. So where the baby's head or the station is much lower. When that happens, there is a thing called the ejection reflex that gets triggered.

And Sarah will talk about this in a little bit, but, and, and I'm sorry, but I'm going to go through this just cause it's teaching, but what. W if you are just breathing through a contraction, uh that's it just said you could be 10 centimeters dilated, but when I hear a mom go.

It's an uncontrollable bearing down or like urge to push that's when you're ready to push, when your body is pushing, when your body starts, it's pushing, you're ready to plus you don't need to push bef or that. Uh, so anyway, so I just wanted to, to interject right there because so many moms are like told you're 10 centimeters.

Go ahead and push and I'm not ready. Okay. So that was okay. Do you have a question? So mom's always talked about when she went into labor, the glass of wine she drank, is that something will that still some contractions? So anything about that? Here we go. I'm I'm gonna make a decision right now. I'm not going to cut this out, but I'm going to do a disclaimer here.

I am not a doctor. And I am a doula, which is a support person. I am going to put on my mother, my mom hat, not my doula hat or anything was like just my mom, Matt mom, to mom. Yes. I pretty much believe that you should have a glass of wine. If you drink wine in early labor. To relax you and to get in the bathtub and then see if it continues or if it stops.

So yes, I believe in the glass of wine. So go Lamaze for teaching. There are lots of different practices that teach wine. No, I'm not talking about four glasses. I'm talking about four ounces, four ounces, a small glass of wine, just to relax you. Okay, Rachel. So baby number two, that's me. All right. Tell us all about how that pregnancy and delivery went.

Sarah was a blessing and a big surprise. I knew I was pregnant before Daniel's first birthday, which we were like, yeah. Oh, we're going to have two kids in diapers. Say you did not try. We did not try. Well, I mean, were you trying to Vinod and that little sperm just swam through everything, right? Were you breastfeeding too?

Did they tell you? You couldn't get pregnant? I breastfed Daniel till he was about nine months old. So I think right after I stopped. Breastfeeding act got pregnant. Probably. Yeah. I got pregnant breastfeeding room, so yeah, so you can get pregnant, but I couldn't happen. Yes. Breastfeeding does not prevent pregnancy.

And in fact, many women tandem nurse, so they nurse all the way through their pregnancy and then they nurse both babies. Oh, wow. It's not a birth control method. Everyone that's listening. Sarah was a surprise. She was, but I had a good pregnancy was Sarah. I did carry her very low. Um, and people laughed at me because they said I wattled.

Um, and this is a funny story. Pagers had just come out when I was pregnant with Sarah and. The engineers that I work with decided that the full moon was that weekend and I was going to have the baby. And I said, no, I can't. My husband's kind of volleyball tournament scheduled. And I said, you know, a girl at the office was getting married.

I had planned to go to the, to the wedding and they tested out the pagers to make sure that it would work from Winston Salem to Greensboro that that day, and then sent me home with a pager. But I guess with Sarah, the contractions. Probably I had, there's a word for it. Heidi, help me the Hicks. Well, early contraction and then pajama late labor.

Yeah. That, you know, I guess I dilated a little bit along, so, but at the time I actually went into active labor. I was already at like five centimeters. Sarah did the same thing. So I guess that's just genetic with my mother had a fast delivery with me too. So, wow. This is going to get really interesting.

The three generations here is baby number one. I mean, Danielle, that was less than eight hours with your first birth. I mean, that's a pretty fast delivery. What were you feeling like the weeks leading up? Were you feeling the Braxton Hicks or was your body just doing work and you weren't really noticing it?

I remember this is 30 years ago. Now I remember being tired. And with both, I worked up until the. And I delivered both babies on Saturday, working mothers have to do that. So I worked the full week before that. And of course I was tired. My ankles were swelling and, but I don't ever remember feeling like a real country.

You know, I did feel. My back hurt a lot. So that morning before Sarah was born, my son was about 18 months and he had been having a few nightmares at night. He would wake up in his crib and just stand up and scream. And that is not helpful when you're a mom, right. It was burned and tried sleep. So, you know, it was about five 30.

I had gone in and gotten him. Out of, well, maybe it was more the middle of the night. I'd gotten him out of the bed and put him in between my husband and I, because that comforted him. And I thought, well, we can sleep till the clock goes off at six 30, because my husband had a volleyball tournament. He was headed to.

And we, when the clock went off at six 30 rusty started getting ready and he went, yeah. To take a shower. And he came back in and I was like, Oh man, I do not feel good. My back is killing me. I think I hurt my back because I lifted Daniel out of the crib. And that was the days where the crib went down and I didn't push it down.

I just, literally nine months pregnant picked up an 18 month old up and over the Korea. And when I laid back down my back hurts so bad and I told him. Rusty. I said, I don't believe, I can't promise someone. I have this baby today, but I know I can't take care of Daniel. I said, I just can't lift him. And at that point, you know, he liked to be carried around Steve and he said, Oh, well, I'll just cancel my volleyball.

And he went to another room and he canceled his volleyball tournament and said to the guys, I just can't come today. And then he came back in and he said, well, everybody's up. I'm going to start cooking breakfast. Well, he was in and out of the bedroom and he had put Daniel back in his crib and I was having these horrible contractions and just.

You know, felt like they were really contracts and I'm like, Oh, all of a sudden, all of a sudden, and they were pretty strong contractions. And I thought, well, gosh, this can't be happening this fast. I've just, you know, Come on Rachel, get hold of yourself and breathe a little bit. And of course he came in and he S he was trying to feel my stomach.

And he says, well, it just feels hard all the time. I can't tell when you're having a contraction. I said, well, bring me, Oh my God, for breakfast. I love it. I think, uh, you know, trying to remember, but I think I did take a few sips of wine. And at that point I was like, I'm just going to guzzle it because anything might help.

And he's going back and I can hear him banging around in the kitchen and I'm wanting to call him, but I didn't want to Yale because I didn't want to wake up my son again. And so he comes back in the bedroom and he's, I said, let's call Diane on my car and get her over here. So. And this is the same cousin who had helped check you with Daniel.

I think actually we had called my mother before and I told her, I said, can you please come get Daniel? I think I'm going to have the baby today. And then in a few minutes, Rusty's back in the kitchen, messing around. And then he comes back in and he hands me the phone. And I had had a really strong contraction and Diana was on the phone and I said, Diana, we are going to have this baby today.

And I was really lucky because it was very cold morning and she had not gone horseback riding that morning. She was off and that was her plan. So she was there and just a minute. And when I said that my husband's eyes got so big, he's going, why you haven't told me we're having this baby the next day.

And of course he, he hung the phone up and he went back in the kitchen and the minute he did, I could feel the baby, like one strong connection. Contraction that I could feel her move down in the birth canal. And I'm like, well, gosh, I don't want to mess up the bed. And so went into the bathroom and I was, did your water break?

You know, I think was Sarah, my water probably broke two weeks before I delivered. It was just a night that she was born November and I was trying to get Christmas presents ready before I went into labor and I was wrapping some Christmas presents. And I remember going to the bathroom and thinking we haven't peed this long ago and forever.

And. You know, I had other doctor's appointments after that and I never, I don't know. My cousin said she might have some of the water leaked and then she was carried so low. I might have sealed off yep. The bag that happens all the time. So I also don't think my water actually broke until she was born.

You know, the water came out afterwards, maybe. Yeah. Let me see I was on the toilet. So you moved away from the bed. You were like, let's keep that tidy and waved to the bathroom. But at any point, were you like we should go to the hospital or you were like, no, I need to go, just go to the bathroom. Well, I'll remember that, that I was, you know, that I kept trying to keep myself calm because I was like, this cannot be happening this fast.

So I went to, I went to the bathroom and I was sitting on the toilet laboring and. Rusty had gotten my son Daniel out and here comes Daniel with his little books and lays his little books on my knees. Like read me books, mom, and I'm going, not daddy, I'm delivering a baby. So my mom came in and scooped up Daniel and she could hear me doing that grunt that you were talking about.

And yeah. Diana came in just behind my mom and they met in the hall and my mom says she's waited too long to go to the hospital. And I remember that my husband had leaned me back on the toilet and I think he saw the baby's head. And then he, he picked me up, pivoted me around. And when Diana came in the bathroom, it was a very small bathroom.

He behind my head was showing how much of the baby's head was crowning too. To Diane. And she goes that baby it's been on the paradigm too long, lay her down. And I'm like, the bathroom was so small. I could barely lay down and I didn't. I couldn't figure out how to lay down. So my husband just laid me down and it was two or three pushes and I had Sarah out and we had to wiggle around so I could get my legs, not enough apart to then this small bathroom.

Oh my goodness. Where are you on towels and stuff or was it cold floor? It was. I think it was all an Oleum floor and I delivered where the baby would be right at the heat. Right. Yeah. And it was so sweet. She's Diana said that was a great place to have the baby. And then we were grabbing towels, you know, to, to wrap the baby up in and the real rock star, the baby, it was Diana.

And then she, you know, she's here and we're looking, you know, okay. She says, we've got to have something to tie the cord with and, you know, um, My brain's going through, um, Oh gosh, what can we tie the cord with? And I, and she asked me and I said, well, the sow and threads here, and the scissors are here. And I had remembered where the little bulb was a little suction bulb and resting went, got those things.

And then she said, so, and thread won't do. And my husband had on sweat pants with a cord in it and he pulled the cord out. A red cord. That's what we tied the cord with. Then we got, we got up and then did you suction Sara's like, did you section her nose and her throat? Diana. Diana dead. Okay. And so we got Sarah wrapped up in towels and we called nine one one.

I think we just call the doctor's office. And I don't know if I was talking to them. To the lady at the mom was in the shower at that point, she got up and took a shower, but wait, we're skipping something though. How did you deliver the placenta? It came out right afterwards, just came out. Right. Diana looked at it and being a nurse.

She knew that all the quadrants were there and that it was okay safe. And I don't know what we did with the placenta. I I'm so excited now that got to call her afterwards. Talk about this freeze, dry placenta, this Sarah did that. I think so need to call Diana arrestee and ask her. We do that. I'm just kidding.

I was a little bit out of it, so I didn't even think to answer that question. I do remember that I wanted with my first child, you know, the time we got into the delivery room, I wanted so bad to see my baby being born. And that was a big thing with me. And I remember the doctor saying, okay, You know, we don't have time to get the mirror.

And I was like, okay, well, we'll just do it. You know? And then with Sarah, that was one of my big requests. I want to see my baby being born. So I didn't get to see that with the second one, but I think Diana got a little hand mirror so that I could see a little bit and that. That visually, I think is helpful when your person, I think, I think so too.

Yeah. A lot of moms and including myself, you're pushing so hard. He close her, so we'll roll over the mirror sometimes. And then everybody just closes their eyes anyway through, but it does help, especially at the beginning. Yeah. You think I'm not doing anything. And then you see in the mirror that the baby's heads right there, and then the mom pushes the baby out on the next Bush.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, we, we didn't, I don't think we call nine one one. We called just the doctor's office and got the answering machine because it was Saturday morning or the answering lady. And we said, Should we go to the hospital, the baby's here, and I think she freaked out. And then two minutes a doctor was calling back that was on call and he knew Diana.

So they decided that, yeah, we should go to the hospital and let me be checked out. I needed a couple stitches and that was, that was another thing. I was like, I know with the first one, they didn't have an epidural or anything. So when he was stitching me up, I was like, I can feel no stitches. And he goes, well, gee, you shouldn't be able to.

I said, but I can feel those stitches. And then when we got to the hospital was Sarah, I was like, Oh gosh, I don't want that again. But he said either, you're going to feel the stick with a numb. And are you going to feel the stick with the stitches? So just. You know, I chose to just go ahead and be set up and, you know, you're kind of naturally numb in that area anyway, after giving birth.

So it is so amazing. The natural numbness, I have so many moms that will say that the stitching or the afterbirth hurt way worse than the natural body, you know, You were saying that, that you got a chance to take a shower though in between? Yeah, we did. I was, I guess, energized, I guess, with the natural birth, you know, in the old days when.

We delivered our own babies. You had to get up and walk out of the woods or whatever. I had said energy. Yeah. And I got up and I said, I've just got to have a shower because you did definitely sweating when you're going through transition. So I took a shower and gave my husband instructions to soak the towels.

And I was laying on the floor in the meantime, in front of the register, all bundled up and Sarah was such a strong baby. I, I remember when Daniel was born, he didn't cry and the doctor was thumping his feet, just like to make him cry. And I finally told the doctor, I said, stop thumping him. He's not a cry baby.

You know, with this app Gar score, they want them to cry to get a really high one, but Sarah came out and she let everybody know she was here and she was just fine. She was, and she was so strong that as we were driving to the hospital, I had her up on my chest and she actually raised her head up. I love that

car seat. Right. I totally remember being a kid and not at a Garcia, like when I was like, Pretty young, but I've seen it when I was a baby. I had a car seat. You did. And we had a car seat to take you home, but you know, that morning we weren't quite prepared and Diana was driving. I think I nursed you on the way to the hospital.

Brittany Spears. Yeah, exactly. Mom. Thank goodness. Thank goodness. The paparazzi weren't there. 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. Hey guys, if you're enjoying this podcast, 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. All right. Well, Sarah, it's your tutor. Okay. Now I'm going to stop being Cozart on the end. At the beginning of this podcast, I'm like, tell us about who you are.

Sarah. You failed that test. You were like, you know, so tell us, let's start over because I want. I will prompt you. But one of the first things that Sarah told me was about all these amazing trips that she goes on and, you know, going to Africa. So a little bit more about who you are. So who I am. I'm Sarah, I'm a 31 year old, um, physical therapist.

I've been a physical therapist for about five years now. Um, my passion for the last five years, really the last 10 years has been traveling. So I love that traveling. I love hiking climbing running. So in 2017 I climbed a mountain , which was huge few months after I ran my first marathon, which was something I never thought I could do.

I did both of those back to back after that year is when my husband and I decided we wanted to start a family. And after Duke. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and running a marathon. I was like, I think I'm ready to tackle motherhood. So right after the marathon, I think I stopped taking birth control and I was like, you know, let's see what happens.

What are you saying, Rachel? She's real. She also. With the Chile. Yes. Or, um, I also climbed, I did the Larry's check for Machu Picchu. So I did some traveling before motherhood and I think that really prepared me, but, um, you know, the Asia too. Yeah. So did Thailand and a lot of hiking there and I do this. So with one of my good friends, best friend, Jamie.

So my husband, if it does not involve golf, he does not want to go. So, but he's fully supportive of all my endeavors. That was really fun. Yeah. That's who I am. Awesome. So I'm going to interject right here because when I met Sarah for the first time in her house, and she was telling me about her mom Rachel's birth and delivering her like very quickly on the, um, you know, bathroom floor and that she had hiked Kilimanjaro.

And I had said to you. Like, Oh my gosh. Tell me about how did you train for that? I've been to Africa, like a bunch of times. I would never attempt to do, to do what she did for minimal. Um, Charlotte is kind of in the foothills of North Carolina. So, I mean, there's really not any high peaks, white Crowder's mountains, like 2000 feet or something.

So my friend and I climbed that. Maybe twice and we did it as fast as we could, but I was like, there's no way to train here. Let's just go and see how we do. So that's what we did. And we did it and had a great time. I love both of you guys. I have not met your best friend, but like, this is. Incredible. So I probably said something out loud that I shouldn't have said, but I basically told you, you climbed Mount Kilimanjaro without training.

So I'm going to tell you to kick off if you asked me for an epidural. So I was telling Heidi, I was like, this is my birth story. This is, you know, I was born in the bathroom floor. My mom is a warrior. Like, I want to be able to have a natural birth, but I was like, I don't know if I can. And you know, I've never been in a lot of pain, so I'm a little bit afraid.

And Heidi was like, uh, Sarah, you can do this and do not ask me for an epidural. And I was like, okay, I love this girl. And I cannot wait to work with her. Okay. And you did have an amazing natural childbirth. So let's dig in also. To the third generation of precipitous labor. You're listening. If your grandmother and your mother had very fast leavers, there is a high chance that you also are going to have a quick labor.

So let's talk about the couple of weeks leading up to your delivery and all of those doctors implement. So actually I think my mom was with me for a week 36 for the doctor's appointment and it actually was. But the doctor who ended up delivering my son. Yeah. And I went in at week 36 and I think that's when they do the GBS test.

And so he's like, well, I'm okay. I'm just going to, you know, check to see how far along you were. And I'm like, okay, it's. 36 weeks, probably nothing. So he checked and, um, I was already two centimeters dilated at week 36 and I was shocked. I was like, what week? You know, I have, it felt anything. Um, I went back at week 37.

They did not check at week 37 at week 38. I went in, they checked and I think I was three to four centimeters dilated and I was shocked again. Cause I hadn't really, you know, felt much, I'm a physical therapist. I'm on my feet. All day, I work four, 10 hour days. So on my feet, I purposely sit in my little stool, especially when I was pregnant with my legs really wide.

And I don't know if that helped, but I had read something from item A's that, you know, the squatting helped. So throughout. My pregnancy, I made myself squat 150 times a day, and I would just do like reps at 30. You know, if I had a patient who was squatting, I would try to squat with them, not D but just, you know, some knee bends and I wear scrubs at work.

So sitting on a stool and just kind of keeping my legs open, which I'm sure was really attractive. Um, but anyway, so that's what I did throughout my labor. So week 38, I go in, I think. Three to four centimeters dilated filling. Pretty good. Still a little shocked. I'm like, so is the baby gonna come tomorrow?

Three to four centimeters dilated? Should my bags are packed. Should I be ready? Should I stop working? The doctor was like, no, you can still be like this for another month. So, you know, I'm kind of calm. But Christmas is coming up. So not only am I working like 40 hours a week, like I'm getting ready for Christmas and baking and making freezer meals and just like trying to do the mile circuit a couple of times a day.

Oh, I'll put the mile circuit in the show notes. So, yeah, that was really helpful. Especially week 30, 38 through 40 all the listeners about the mile circuit. So it's actually, it's kind of long to do, but I felt like it was helpful. So I'm trying to remember the first position is sideline. You lay on your side.

For like 30 minutes, then you walk stairs. They're like 30 minutes. So there's three different things that you do for like 30 minutes each and the curb blocking, Oh, the curb walking. So that any event I would take a lot of walks around the neighborhood and I was literally have one foot on the curb and one foot on the pavement.

And so apparently that sister, like. Open the pelvis or something. And I'm sure I look like a complete idiot walking around my neighborhood, but Hey, it did the job and it wasn't super uncomfortable. And then I would walk stairs kind of sideways, um, for about 30 minutes a day, along with squatting. So I feel like that really helped.

So you were really, I mean, you were really like, just like you prepare for a marathon, you were preparing for birth. Exactly. How I looked at you were eating very healthy and clean drinking, a lot of and drinking red raspberry leaf tea. So that was huge. One of my coworkers who had a natural birth, who's an occupational therapist swore by that.

And I was like, okay, let me try it out. So I would drink like one cup a day. And then by the end, I think I was drinking like. Five cups. And then the day of labor, right? I think you texted me that you had put like 60 bags in your face. And she said, just brew like six bags bags. I put it in like a Mason jar.

I brewed it cold and I like drink it throughout the morning. And it's, I mean, it's not terrible, but I definitely think it helps. Yeah. So you were doing all the things and you are doing it right, and you're were strong and you were in shape and you're healthy and you hadn't gained too much weight. Like these are all just really important things to pass along to other moms.

If you want to have a healthy, strong birth, then you need to be a healthy, strong person. I, a hundred percent think that that helped so much. And when you said, like, I trained for it, like the marathon, like I didn't even realize, like I was doing that. I thought, you know, I took some of the classes at the high school.

That'll and that's what, I'm one of the labor and delivery nurses who said she was like, labor is a marathon you need to eat while you're in labor. She's like, you need to prepare for it. And that just kind of hit me. I'm like, Yeah. I mean, I guess I do have to prepare for it. So subconsciously you know, I would just, if I was doing my hair in the morning, I would do squats.

Like if I was brushing my teeth, I would do squats. When I was walking the dog, I would kind of, you know, walk, like we talked about one foot on the sidewalk, one foot, you know, on the pavement. And then you had the birthing ball. Oh yeah. So I had the birthing ball too. My mother in law, actually, she was like at Dick's sporting goods one day, like.

About a week before I gave birth. And I was like, Hey, will you pick me up an exercise ball? And literally I would just sit on that at night, watch TV kind of roll around. And, um, I think that helped too. But then at work I would grab an exercise ball and sit on it. And then much like your mom, you didn't really feel tons of contractions beforehand, or were you not really looking back?

I, I think I was feeling some contractions, but I didn't really know that were contractions. Okay. This might get a little graphic. Sorry. I'm like, it's cool. This is explicit, right? Yeah. So about four weeks before I gave birth, I would feel like the urge to like, if I had diarrhea, like the urge to like go poop, but then it would pass.

So it was kind of like, my stomach would tighten, but then I was like, Ooh. And I would run to the bathroom and then nothing would happen. So I thought I was like, Kind of getting sick or had a stomach bug and then looking back, I'm like, those are probably contractions. So they were uncomfortable for like 30 seconds, but then they would pass and they would be so irregular.

So, I mean, looking back, I think that was like definitely some contractions. And then three days before I gave birth, my sister-in-law went on. We went on a two mile walk. And I remember there'd be some times we were walking really fast and sometimes I'd be like, Katherine, we got to slow down and I would have like, I think a contraction and then keep going.

But they were so irregular. So I think over that last month I had some, but I just, you clearly did because your body was doing a lot of hard work that maybe you weren't even. Hmm, part of in the mind, which is really good things. I've got two questions too. We kind of skipped over. What were the results of your GBS test?

They were positive, which I kind of freaked out about. And that's why you have a doula because I was a lot of this stuff. Like, and I love the practice that I was in. But every time I went to talk to the doctor, it was a different doctor. Every time I wanted to talk about how I wanted to give birth, they were like, Oh, we don't need to talk about that yet.

Okay. So immediately when I got the results that were positive, they called and left a message. I'm on the phone with Heidi and I'm like, Heidi, what does this mean? I'm like, I don't know. Then we talked through it and it was okay. And we together, like I gave you all the information you needed and you had decided that you were going to go ahead and get the antibiotic.

Absolutely. And I was worried, I didn't want to have an Ivy. Why labored and during birth. You know, I was hoping I'd have a natural birth without induction. And so I really didn't want an IV, but we decided absolutely it was best. I needed the antibiotics to, for the health of my baby. And so I was like, Knowing going into labor that I would have the Ivy, which I was completely fine with once we talk through it.

And then that last week at your last appointment, had you lost your mucus blog? I don't remember that part. Yeah. So I lost it. I think about two weeks before I remember, I think it was like the 23rd of December, but cause it was right before Christmas and I was. Thinking about traveling, you know, just to Winston, which is like an hour and a half away.

And I'm like, I think I lost my mucus plug and I texted Heidi and I was like, I think I lost my mucus plug. And I was like, kind of wanting labor to come on. And I was like, Is it okay to have sex. And so my husband and I were like, we want this baby here before the end of the year. We're so excited. And I felt so bad cause you were at church.

And I was like, great. I'm texting Heidi about sex while she's at church. What a great mom. I thought it was amazing to hear about. So like we're good. So, so did you have sex. So we did sorry, your mother, mom, mom, ear muffs. We know how babies get here. I hope get our cervix to open and soften. So we did, but you know, that was two weeks before and nothing really happened, but it could have helped like soften it some more.

Cause I think at that point I was like 50% of eight a faced. So that was on a Sunday. That Friday I went. Back to the doctor. And that was for my baby, basically my 40 week appointment. My due date was on that Monday, which was new year's Eve and Heidi and I talked a lot before each appointment, which was great.

My blood pressure had started to run just a little bit, huh. Which I was, that was yeah. Only thing that freaked me out. I think about labor is I was so worried, like before I went into labor that my blood pressure would spike and that they would. Make me have an induction. And so every time I went to the doctor's office, I think I was just a little bit nervous and my blood, the pressure would go up, but I was like, you know, checking at work.

And it was, you know, one 30 over 90. So it was pretty normal. But anyways, I was supposed to, or I went back to the doctor for my 40 week appointment that Friday and Heidi and I talked and she said, you know, you're GBS positive. Maybe you shouldn't get checked. You know, just see how things are going. And I was like, Heidi.

You know, I'm a numbers person, you know, when I trained for my marathon, I like to know that I could go 18 miles. And then the next time I went to one that was like, I really kind of want to know. And so she was like, yeah. Then thing, go ahead. You know, get checked. And she's like, I would recommend maybe that they don't strip your membranes just because that can be a little bit uncomfortable and.

You don't need to, you know, go into labor right then that's fine. Anyways, I went into my appointment, I had him checked. She was like, you're five centimeters dilated. And we're going to strip your membranes because your blood pressure is a little high. And I was like, things happen so quickly. And the doctors in and out, and I was like, Oh, okay.

I didn't even have time to call Heidi, but they were like, let's try this little tiny medical intervention to see if it can send you. Into labor. Exactly. So the doctor really wanted me to go into labor naturally. So I was happy about that. And she was like, you know, it's a little uncomfortable, but it is a tiny medical intervention.

She said it should help some things. Um, I'm going to see you on Monday, which is your due date, and we're going to do a non-stress test, but she's like, hopefully you won't even have to make that appointment. You're going to go into labor on your own, right. So I left that doctor's appointment being like the pressure is on because I had a feeling I would go in on a Monday and that they would induce right away that whole weekend.

I think I squatted 5,000 times I put up my Christmas tree and every time I took an ornament off the tree, I would squat. I would rest on the exercise ball, my sister in law, and I took several two mile walk. You were chugging that red, hourly hugging. Red raspberry leaf tea taken stairs two at a time sideways.

Yeah. I was like, this baby is going to come. Yeah. Well, Saturday passes, not a, you know, Sunday passes, nothing, uh, convinced my husband to have sex with me. Um, yeah, didn't happen anything on Sunday by Monday morning, I was like, Okay, well, actually Sunday I was, I called it my boss and I'm like, I think I'm going to go into work on Monday because I was like, nothing's happening.

Even that had some contractions, I just didn't. Didn't feel any different. And she was like, Sarah, don't you have an appointment at two o'clock. And I was like, well, I can just go until, you know, noon or something. And she was like, you know, why don't we wait? And she's like, you're going to have new year's day.

She's like, if you want to come back Wednesday, you can. But she's like, she convinced me. She said, just stay at home and chill. And so she was great to talk to at work. So that Monday morning I get up and I'm like, you know what? It's rainy. I'm just going to make myself chill. So I made myself some red raspberry leaf tea.

And I finished a book set on the bird. What'd you eat for breakfast? I think cereal probably or oatmeal. So I definitely was hungry. I mean, I was eating like a lot and I talked to Heidi at about 10 o'clock and we talked about my upcoming appointment at two o'clock that day. And I was like, okay, so what does this non stress test?

Like? I think I'm going to have to go through it that I'm not going into labor. What is going on? What should I do when I go to the doctor's? So Heidi talked me through, I think we got off the phone at like 10 30. Yeah, we did. And when we got off the phone, It was nothing what's going on 10 30. I'm like off the phone with Heidi, 10 45.

I'm sitting on my birth ball literally had just finished, like the book I was reading. I was like, Ooh, I feel something. And this is different than other things. If there are any way that like turned on the TV, I made a note, like on my phone, I was like 10 45. And then at 10 55, I felt something else. And I was like, this is.

I think a contraction. Okay. 10 minutes apart, maybe I'm going into labor. Maybe I'm not 10 minutes later. I felt something else. And I was like, okay, 10 minutes apart. I've got plenty of time. This is exactly how I wanted it. I'll go to my appointment at two, talk to the doctor, went upstairs. I started like.

You know, doing my hair, doing my makeup to get ready for the appointment. I ate some really delicious pinwheels from Costco because I was like, if I am going into labor, I want to be nourished. Just like the nurse said, you know, you wouldn't run a marathon without eating. Why would you go into labor and not eat?

So I ate like a ton of pinwheels for lunch. They're really good by the way, chicken pinwheels. From Costco. So anyways, I'm like eating, doing my hair, doing my makeup. And then I start feeling these little contractions, like six minutes apart. And I'm like, well, that's weird. They went from 10 minutes to six minutes.

They're irregular. I'm like, I'm not in labor. And it's my due date. I was like, there's no way this is happening. And then they get to the point, like I'm doing my hair and I'm kind of having to bend over the counter and I'm like, okay, well, these are stronger. You know, maybe I should like tell Wells, I'm filling some stuff, but we're still gonna go to the doctor.

So yeah, I get my husband and I'm like, so I'm feeling some contractions. We're still going to go to the doctor, but I'm just going to chill. And he was like, well, I'm going to go to Chick-fil-A. So my husband as well, so he decided he was going to go get some Chick-fil-A if you know, it was going to be a long afternoon at the door.

And I was like, give me a diet, Pepsi, you please. And maybe some chicken nuggets. Cause I was really hungry. And this was like an hour after I'd eaten. So he went and got lunch in the meantime, like I'd finished my makeup, finished my hair and I had bought a Squatty potty because I thought they sounded amazing.

And the infomercial, so. It just felt really good to like sit on the toilet and have my legs up. And so that's what I did for maybe like 30 minutes while he was at Chick-fil-A describe a Squatty potty for anyone who's listening. That has no idea what they're kind of wonderful, especially postpartum, um, too.

Um, so basically they go around the base of your toll, it to kind of lift your knees up, like you're in a squatting position. Um, And it just kind of relaxes everything. You don't have to lean forward or bear down. It's just, you know, you're kind of in a squatting position and you just chill there. So I really liked it.

So I'm sitting on the Squatty potty, texting friends, like thinking, Oh, I'm not in labor. It's my due date. I can't be in labor and my water hasn't broken. So I'm like, Oh, this isn't going to happen. I'm still like, you're going to make my appointment at two o'clock. Anyway, it's about 30 minutes goes by.

Wells comes back and I wipe myself and there's blood and like really bright blood and I'm freaking out and I'm like, Oh my gosh, this is like, I knew about the bloody show, but I think I thought it was supposed to be like a little brownish. This was really bright. So I'm like, Well call Heidi. And at that time, the contractions are getting pretty strong.

And I didn't know if I could talk to her. And Wells brought me. It was really fast. I mean, we're talking like it's now it's like noon, right? Yeah. So for everyone listening to recap, we hung up the phone at 10:30 AM and nothing was going on. So now it's noon. Right? And you are in such. Like you're having contractions that you have to have your husband call cause you can't talk.

Right. And you're having bloody shit. Yeah. And I'm still trying to keep track of when the contractions were coming, like I'm using an app, but they were still kind of irregular. It was like four minutes and three minutes then two minutes and then they would go back to five. So I was like, these are regular contractions.

I'm not in labor. Right. The water is within 45 minutes of them being 10 minutes apart. Right. So this is super quick and I'm like, this is just too quick. This isn't happening. Um, so anyways, when wealth comes back, he brings me my diet Pepsi, and I'm like, yeah, this does not taste good. This is flat. And I was like, bring me.

The trashcan I have to throw up. And then I was like, shit. My mom said she had to throw up when she was in labor. Maybe this is labor Wells called Heidi. Yeah. Bleeding. And my husband does not like or fluid or any kind of bodily functions. And I was like, well, do you need to look at this blood? I was like, you need to put your big boy pants on and look at this blood so you can tell Heidi, cause I'm a little worried.

So he called Heidi and Heidi's like, Wealth. Why are you calling me? Yes. So I'm going to interject right here. So at 10 30 in the morning, nothing's going on with Sarah. So I take my two toddlers to the mall. I don't know, to go run errands, just like around the holidays. And then all of a sudden at 1230, my phone rings and it's wild.

And for all doulas, whenever the husband calls you, there is something going on. Like it is like, Hmm, why are you called? So I literally answered the phone and said, Wells, why are you calling me? And then, and then he says, you know, Sarah's having some pretty strong contraction she's on the toilet. And I was like, tell her about the blood.

And Wells looks at the blood and was, and said, you know, she's having some bright blood. Heidi says that it's completely normal, that your bloody show. And I was like, Oh, okay. I didn't realize it was supposed to be bright. And Heidi said, I'm going to come just to check on you. And I was like, okay, I think I'm in labor now.

So Heidi get there literally in 10 minutes, which was amazing. Um, my children were in the car. Exactly. The children were in the car. I'm trying to drink my diet Pepsi, but it just does not taste. Right. And I'm, I'm thinking I have to throw up, but I never do. As soon as Heidi walks into the bathroom, she knew right where to go.

I had a contraction and I'm like hands, you know, against the wall, all like really tense, pretty scared, because it was strong contraction and it, it ends. And I'm like, Heidi. Yeah. I think I'm in labor. And Heidi goes, Sarah, you're an active labor. She said you were definitely in labor. I want you to ahead of time the contractions, I'm going to drop my kids off.

Right. If they get closer. Or you feel like you need to go to the hospital, you and Wells just said, if your water breaks or if your water breaks. Exactly. So I was like, no, I think, you know, this is my dream to labor at home. I think I can stay a little bit longer. So Heidi leaves, I told, well, I was like, let me just in bed for a minute.

So Wells helps me to bed and he rubs my back and rugs my feet. And at that time, my app is saying. I'm trying to like time the contractions, the app is blinking, go to the hospital and I'm like, this is still not labor. And this is awesome. Do you remember the name of the app by any chance? I'll have to look it up.

Yeah. I'll put it in the show notes at the end. I'm just curious you time, your contractions when they start and then when they end and you know, it keeps track for you. Mine were so irregular, especially, but they were so close together. So it was literally blinking at me go to the hospital. And of course, Wells is like, we got to go and I'm still like, no, we can wait a few more minutes.

Then I remembered something. Heidi had told me about a previous client. She said she had waited so long that it was hard to walk out of her house. And I was like, yeah, she crawled. I remember she had to crawl on her hands and knees. To get to the car because the baby was so low. So I was thinking of about that in my head.

And I was like, well, shit, if I wait any longer, I'm not going to be able to walk out to the car, go down the steps and walk to the car. Cause I was like, alright, well let's go. But I just have a feeling, you know, It's going to take a long time because my water hasn't broken. So I was really worried that it was going to go to the hospital and it was, you know, still going to be a long time.

So I'm going to interject right here. So I live about five minutes away from Sarah and some. I don't know how to explain it to anyone, but when you're a doula and for this mini 14 years, and you see someone in labor, I got in my car to drive home, to drop my kids off. And I got this overwhelming anxiety that I was like, I don't even have time to get out of my car and get my kids out of the car.

Like I just was like, something just told me, Heidi. You don't, you don't have time. So I called my sister and I said, I need you to be on the front doorstep and I need you to get in my car. And then I need you to turn around and just drop me off. And then you gotta take care of my kids. I don't even have time to get them out of the car.

And she was like, okay. So I pull up at my house, which is about five minutes away. She jumps in the car. And when you go racing back to your house and at that point, So I've get down the stairs, uh, very slowly, uh, grab a bunch of towels. Cause I was terrified my water would break and my husband's new suburban.

He would not be very happy. Um, so anyways, I get in the car and I'm like, I can't. I can't sit like I had to recline. And at that point I really couldn't talk. And so I was just motioning to Wells, like roll down the window it's December, but I was super hot. So I wanted that fresh air. I was mentioning to him like roll down the window.

And I was like, I think, I remember saying, just try to drive fast. So we get to the hospital and like 15 minutes and I'm like, where's Heidi is Heidi coming. She pulled up right behind us somehow. Yeah. Somehow it's right there. And I just jumped. I flew out of the car. I'm like, bye. Everybody flew out of the car and I grabbed a wheelchair, put you in the wheelchair.

And wealth was trying to. Valet his car and he couldn't. So he had to go park the car. So I was so thankful Heidi had the wheelchair. Cause at that point I really couldn't have walked, walked into the hospital. So I'm kind of reclined in the wheelchair. I remember I was holding onto the IV pole just for like some stability and the hospital lobby was packed and I was so embarrassed.

I was so, and you're supposed to go through this little security line and get a badge. And I just started spreading tape with the wheelchair and I'm like, close your eyes. And that was that like, I still hear Heidi's voice we're going through the lobby. And I sh she could tell I was probably freaked out and she was like, close your eyes.

So I closed my eyes and just breathe. And we got into the elevator and I think I opened my eyes and I saw a security guard. Yeah. They chased us down the security. Guard chased us down and got in the elevator. Cause you're supposed to check in and I was like, this baby is coming right now. Well, you have no time to check in.

And she was so sweet. She was like this female security guard. She was like, awesome. I'm taking, she took us right up. Yeah. And so, uh, she took us right up to triage and I was like, Oh, I was hoping to skip triage. And thanks. Well, let me tell you, I've got the, I've got the, um, whatever it's called wheelchair, and I know that you're supposed to take a right, not go straight.

And so I'm like,   I was like, and we get up to the front of the triaged door and I was like, there is no tree. Yeah. I started screaming. There is no triage. This baby is coming right now. I was so excited to have Heidi there because I remember her saying that like we're at the door triaged. And she was like, no, we are not going to triage.

Thank goodness. It was full. They, well, the first thing they said is we can deliver a baby in triage and I'm like, okay, well, this baby's coming right now. Whoever wants to do the delivery, go for it. But they were full of triaged was full. Yeah. Thank God Heidi pushed me into this beautiful delivery or room.

And I just remember her calming voice saying, Sarah, this is where your baby's gonna be born. And I got so excited and the nurses are not really sure what to do yet. And I just remember Heidi's voice saying, Sarah, get on your hands and knees. On the bed. So immediately I got up on my hands and knees at that point, I was really having the urge to push all the way.

Oh, I thought you were pushing. Yeah. So you were pushing, if you don't remember it just at the peak of the contraction you were having that grunt, that bear down. So you were starting to play. I definitely felt the urge to push. So Heidi got me on my hands and knees immediately. When I got on the hospital bed, my water, you helped me get my leggings off.

I think, which was awesome. As soon as my leggings came off, my water broke and I was so worried. I would know when my water broke. Oh, I knew when it broke, like it was a gush of water. Right. So anyways, I've pushed a few times on my hands and knees, which felt good. The nurse gets the IV in my arm while on hands and knees and tries to check me while I'm on my hands and knees.

And she couldn't check to see how dilated I was. So she's like, we really need you on your back. And I'm like, Oh, I do not want to get on my back. So anyways, I turn over all my back. And they checked me and they were like, Oh, you're 10 centimeters. And I'm like, I figured out 20 you're pushing. Um, so anyways, they were like, you know, just push here.

So I think I've pushed once on my back and I could just fill my body stop. My body was like, it does not like this. It does not like this position. It was super uncomfortable. And I think Heidi could see it in my face. I was on fire at this point because I was like, no, We are not like, no, get out of the bed right now.

I was like, Nope. They said we will get, I said something like we will get back into this bed. To maybe deliver this baby. Right. But right now she's getting out of this bed and I couldn't be more excited to get off my back. Cause it just didn't feel right. So I got off the hospital bed, um, and squatted pretty low onto the floor, still holding onto the hospital bed and I could feel the baby come down and it was so much more comfortable.

Yeah. Let's talk about the incredible nurses. Oh, she don't eat. What's not say her name, but she was incredible. It was amazing. So I remember, so at that point they had had the heart monitor about my belly and she was down there with me. Heidi was behind me at my back doing some counter pressure, which felt good.

And this nurse was down there with me. Monitoring the heart rate, talking to me, you know, I wanted to know how the baby was doing. And she was like, the baby's doing great. You know, he's, he's keep doing what you're doing. So she was right down. Yeah. She was literally like laying on the floor. Yeah. She had put a towel down and then it was just such a great situation.

My husband, I think, had just walked into the room from parking the car. I remember texting Wells, like. That baby is coming. No, no, no. I'm sorry. I called him cause I was thinking, Oh, no, like where are you? Like the baby's coming. And as I was calling him, I could hear the phone ringing in the hallway. So he was right.

He was right there. Yeah. So he, Wells gets in and um, they let me push a few times while I was squatting. And then of course, one of the nurses was like, You've got to get off the floor or the doctor came in and he was like, there's not enough room to deliver the baby right there, you know, while you're squatting.

And I'm like, but it feels so good. And, um, anyways, they put up the squat bar, I guess, on the end of the bed. I said, that's fine. We're going to do a couple more here. The attractions here. Yeah. So probably like two or three more contractions squatted on the floor. And then we were like, okay, we'll can get you in a squat.

That's right on the bed. Yeah. And it wasn't, it was a little hard getting in there and getting situated. But once I was on the bed with the squat bar, it felt pretty good. And I remember Heidi giving me some ice chips. I was so excited and my husband was there, massaging my shoulder. Well, this was so calm.

Okay. Which shocked me, which is so I wanted Heidi, you know, a doula there because my husband, like I said, does not like blood. Bodily functions and he didn't want to see anything, but he was such a good coach. And, you know, I kept telling myself, I love my husband so much. I did not marry him because he was going to be great at helping me with labor.

I married him for all these other reasons. So I was like, as long as he can be they're with me, you know, that's what I really wanted. So Heidi was the one, you know, Down there in the trenches handed me ice chips and it was wonderful. So anyways, I'm in the squat positions, the squat bar, the doctor's in there.

And I think I finally laid down for a few of the finals pushes just to rest you just arrest. And I remember these like, Ruts breaks in between contractions that the nurses would talk to me, the doctors would, would talk to me. And that was just such a great period. I would ask how the, the baby was doing.

I mean, there were probably like one to two minutes long where I would get, you know, a little rest between pushing and I would think my baby's coming. I got to look in the mirror and see his head. And I remember one of the nurses said, you know, you can feel his head. And I was like, I don't know if I want to do that.

And she was like, no, it's cool. And I remember, I finally was like, okay, maybe I can. And I felt the head and I was just like, Oh my goodness, that's my baby. That's that's little trip, you know, he's coming. And I think it was one or two pushes after that he finally came and, um, it did take me a few minutes to.

I guess learn how to push, right. Especially on my back. And so, you know, I was trying to push and breathe out at the same time. And so Heidi and the nurses were really great at telling me how to like really bear down and push, um, which I hold your breath and hold my breath. Cause I'm thinking like Pilates breathing or yoga breathing, you know, letting it out.

And they were like, no, no, no, you've got to keep it in and push it down. And so once I really figured out how to push. The baby came. Yeah, just a couple pushes this become a cushion. Oh goodness. Lock in your breath and hold it in. I think you can hold your breath for 30 seconds anytime. But when you're in labor, it's not so easy.

Yeah. You know, and that's, that was hard for me to learn how to push too, teach everybody while we're here. So we're stretching you guys we're breathing. So anyway, when you're in labor, You want to take it in you're pushing. I mean, you want to take a deep breath in like as much air as you can get in, and then you want to just let a teensy teensy little bit out, and then you want to hold your breath and then you want to put your chin to your chest.

And then you just want to like, push all that air down into your bottom while you are whole like holding that breath and then do that as long as you can. And then do it over and over again. So deep breath, then I had a little bit out hold it. Chin to your chest and then push that air all the way down.

That's also a good move. If you're having cardiac heart rate to slow down to get that, to get that heart rate to flow down to. Well, Sarah and Rachel, you guys have been so fun. Teaching us about three generations of kind of just really fast. Believers, but with strong resilient women who just knew they could do it.

My cousin said that she had been in labor delivery for 40 years and Sarah and I were the fastest she had ever seen. She says that protracted labor is, is unusual, but it's possible. So I had Sarah and. Two hours and 40 minutes. So it is possible to have a fast delivery and say, or how long was your start to finish?

Um, little less than four hours. And I am a true believer in just like Heidi said, the more active you are during pregnancy. You know, my grandmother and my mom and myself are all very active women. Gardening grandmother was a teacher. We were all on our feet. You know, for the most part during pregnancy, which I think is, is very helpful.

And also, you know, I think the power of positive thought is really good. So I read an amazing book and I just, you know, thought about. The way I wanted to Labour throughout my pregnancy, you know, how I thought it was going to feel how I wanted it to go. I was prepared for if I had to have an epidural or C-section, but I tried to really concentrate and meditate on how I wanted it to go.

And I think that really helped. Yep. I remember you telling me that whenever people would start to tell you any kind of negative story or anything that wasn't part of your vision, you would just wash it away. Just block it out. Yeah, no, I was there. When you came to visit with Sarah before the last time.

And I remember you asking her, visualize how you want your birth story to go. Yeah. And I thought that was very helpful. And then too, I think, yeah, this is wonderful. Now that women have a chance to share their birth stories with other women, right. After I gave birth to both of mine, I wanted to talk about it.

And at that time that wasn't really socially acceptable. So I remember writing down notes because I wanted to be able to tell my children, you know, how long I had been in labor and what it felt like. And I'm so thankful that I did that now. And I'm so thankful I have a chance to share. Hi, I am so thankful that you are getting a chance to have this microphone and this.

Stage and this platform to share your story, even if it's 30 years later. All right. So we're going to go now, Sarah first, and then Rachel, tell us about your favorite baby product that you think all moms have to have. Well, this is not really a product, it's a person, but I do a lot. I mean, I think that was.

100% hands down the best thing my husband and I did during pregnancy, um, in a perfect world, you know, my mom would have been able to be there too, but we wanted to set things up. So, you know, she was an hour and a half away. I was worried if I went into labor and it was just my husband. Who's wonderful and great, but I didn't know how he would react.

And so we decided we would get a doula and the education we got before labor started was amazing. Heidi totally put my husband at ease, which to me was a godsend because I think he was a little bit nervous about the whole thing. Um, but then of course, like during labor and delivery, you just heard, I really truly believe that if I didn't have a doula, things would have gone a lot slower things would have been a lot more uncomfortable.

Um, and I wouldn't have this amazing story. So I think every woman needs a doula. That is so sweet. Sarah. Thank you. Uh, Rachel, what's your favorite baby product that you remember? Well, I will second what Sarah said, being a mother for one way and not necessarily wanting to be there for the delivery. It made me feel very comfortable that Sarah had a friend that was looking after.

Yeah. And baby products. I'm going to have to say a swaddle. Uh, Sarah, we, I was safe to be able to stay five days with Sarah after the baby was born. And it was such a special time for me. And I hope that I helped do the cooking and cleaning so that she could bond with a baby. But you received a book from a friend, the happiest baby on the block.

And of course it was like, A God set, you know, came on the first night that we were home with the baby. And it talked a lot about swaddling, your baby. And I wish I had known more about that 30 plus years ago because Sarah was a bit of a colicky baby. Sarah, do you know what brand of swaddle or is there a special swaddle you're using?

Absolutely. There's one that. My son trip just loved. It was given to me by a friend and it's chick, pea, the Sherpa swaddle, and him being born at the end of December. And, you know, we brought him home in January. It's been super cool cold, and it's like a fleecy swaddle and they'll crows. And it's just a really cute design too.

So he looks just like a little cuddle bug. I love you guys. And you're my first mom daughter combo for the podcast. So thank you for being here. Thank you for having us. Thank 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. Speak up plan and prepare for the birth you want, no matter what that looks like.