Labor Lessons

Sonia is a former educator turned health coach. She developed preeclampsia suddenly at 34 weeks pregnant with her second child. This was during covid quarantine, and she was teaching from home while caring full-time for her toddler daughter. Sonia didn't have much time or energy to care for herself. She also didn't have many in-person visits with her OB. Most of her appointments were vir...

Natalie is a second-time mom and co-host of The Golden Hour podcast. Last year, I spoke with Liz, the other co-host of The Golden Hour podcast, about her postpartum anxiety. In this episode, Natalie shares her battles with prenatal and postpartum mood disorders.  After Natalie's son was born, she had postpartum anxiety. That anxiety was never fully resolved before she got pregnant with her da...

Allison is an intuitive medium and owner of Souls of a Feather where she offers readings online. In this episode, she shares her experience with both prenatal and postpartum mood disorders. Allison suffered from PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), and tried for two years to get pregnant. She finally decided to take a break from trying to focus on her health. She asked her doctor for birth control...

One year ago today, Natalia's son Xavian was born. Just 12 hours later, he passed away.  Natalia is originally from Russia, and currently lives in Brazil. She and her husband love to travel.  While in Egypt, she found out she was pregnant. They looked for a place to settle down and have their baby, and at six months pregnant decided on Brazil. She found a Russian midwife there and was excited...

Maureen Farrell is a lactation counselor, doula, herbalist, and homebirth midwife practicing in rural West Virginia. She is also the co-host of the Milk Minute podcast, which provides evidence-based and entertaining breastfeeding information. Maureen had her first child at home before she became a midwife. Preparing for her first birth, she read a lot of books and thought that she needed to be cal...

One of the most common things I hear when talking with women about their birth experiences is that they didn't know how to advocate for themselves going in. Whether they were overwhelmed by what they were feeling, or they were mistreated by the medical staff, they were unsure how to make themselves heard and respected.  In this episode, 10 doulas share their best piece of advice for advocatin...

Stefanie lives in Scandinavia where she raises her two boys. Throughout her journey into motherhood, she experienced the benefits of a health system where midwives are the forefront of pregnancy and birth. Stefanie's first son asphyxiated right after being born. What could have been a traumatic event for her was not, due to her strong support system. Her birth team calmly handled the situatio...

Jenna was induced with her first son at 41 weeks. She went into labor without having taken a birth class, and without doing any research because she believed that knowing too much about giving birth might hinder her ability to do it. Her body didn't respond to the Pitocin, which was continually increased. When her provider broke her water, labor kicked in very fast. However, due to the increa...

At 36 weeks pregnant with her first child, Kimberly was concerned that her baby wasn't moving enough. Her doctor sent her for monitoring and even though she wasn't dilated, they decided to induce her. That night, she ended up going into labor naturally on her own! The epidural didn't work at first, but her labor progressed slowly enough that there was time to fix it. She ended up wi...

Jen is very much a type A personality. She loves to plan way in advance of events taking place. Even with all of her planning, she still wasn't prepared for how her first birth went. Her daughter was stuck and delivered by forceps. She had her clavicle broken in the process of being delivered. Jen ended up with a third degree episiotomy, and needed a lot of time to recover. Jen spent a few ex...

Adrianne Babbitt is a Christian author, blogger, proofreader, and mentor. She recently relauched her debut book, " The Miscarriage Project" and her launched her new children's book series, "Princess With A Purpose". In addition, she also runs her own Christian lifestyle blog, The Haven. Adrianne's first labor did not go as she expected. Her water broke two days before...

Eileen Joy is the Money Coach for Moms. She's also the woman who FIRED four doctors to have the birth she dreamed about! When she got pregnant with her son, Eileen totally changed her life around. She ate very clean and got rid of toxic chemicals in her house. She cared deeply about what she was putting into her body, and how she was treating her unborn son. This lifestyle carried over into h...

In this episode, I share some of my struggle with postpartum anxiety. During my unplanned c-section, I was left feeling out of control, with no one explaining to me what was happening. I felt like a bystander, watching birth happen to me. Afterwards, my anxiety was triggered when they took my daughter for her newborn screening tests. Again, no one explained to me what was happening or how long she...

Liz from the Golden Hour podcast joins me in this episode to share her story!  Liz has always been a planner, and spent a lot of time preparing for birth. She found a birth center attached to a hospital, and loved the welcoming atmosphere. She hired a doula, and felt confident that her birth would go well.  While Liz planned a lot for birth, she didn't plan as much for postpartum. She ended u...

What the heck is a TENS unit? TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. It works by sending electrical pulses through a handheld device through your body, to your spinal cord and brain. In this episode, I talk about what a TENS unit is and why it works. I share what it feels like and where you can find them if you're interested in trying them out. TENS Unit Song "Chris...

How can visualization exercises help you manage pain during labor? They help keep your mind focused, and can relieve anxiety and fear that you might feel.  In this special episode, I share a few visualization exercises that I like, and explain how to do them. Birthing From Within Song "Christmas" by TELL YOUR STORY music by ikson™ https://ikson.com/music Music by @iksonmusic LaborLessons...

This tool comes from the book "Birthing From Within", by Pam England and Rob Horowitz. Pam calls it a "self-hypnotic jingle". It's a rhythmic affirmation that states an outcome you want. In this episode, I share the story behind Pam's "chocolate  cake" jingle, and the one I created for myself for my second labor. Birthing From Within Song "Christmas&quo...

How can a comb help you manage pain during labor? Squeezing a comb during labor activates the Gates Control Theory of Pain, which says that when the pain "gates" are closed, you feel less pain. In this episode, I share about how a comb is a little known hack that can be used to help you feel less pain during contractions, and why this works.   Song "Christmas" by TELL YOUR STOR...

We've talked about counterpressure and light touch, but let's talk about something everyone loves: a good massage. A massager can help relieve pain during contractions and can be used to help you relax in between contractions. In this episode, I talk about why a massage gun is a good tool to bring with you to the hospital. Song "Christmas" by TELL YOUR STORY music by ikson™ htt...

Aromatherapy works by stimulating the part of your brain responsible for emotions and memories. This includes the part responsible for anxiety and fear. In this episode, I share how aromatherapy can help lower pain during labor, and the best types of essential oils to use. Song "Christmas" by TELL YOUR STORY music by ikson™ https://ikson.com/music Music by @iksonmusic LaborLessons.com En...

How can light touch massage help relieve pain during labor? Did you know that light touch massage can release endorphins? Endorphins help us cope with pain. In today's special episode, I share how to have your support person do a light touch massage on you during labor. Song "Christmas" by TELL YOUR STORY music by ikson™ https://ikson.com/music Music by @iksonmusic LaborLessons.com...

What is counterpressure and how can it help relieve pain during contractions? In this episode, I talk about what counterpressure is and how it can be used during labor for pain relief. I also share about the different types of counterpressure and explain how to do one. 3 Types of Counterpressure Song "Christmas" by TELL YOUR STORY music by ikson™ https://ikson.com/music Music by @iksonmu...

What is Hypnobirthing? How can it help you have a better birth? What's the difference between Hypnobirthing and meditation? In this special episode, I share a little about how hypnobirthing, meditation, and various breathing techniques can help you cope with pain during labor. I also share some of the differences between them, and the most important thing to keep in mind when using any of the...

Have you ever heard of birth affirmations before? How do birth affirmations work?  What are some good birth affirmations? In this special episode, I share about how birth affirmations affect our mindset and our belief in our body's capabilities. I go over how affirmations helped me achieve my VBAC, and I also share some of my favorite birth affirmations. In episode 12, Anum shared about the p...

Do you take a hot shower at the end of a long day to help you relax? Water can be a great tool to use for pain relief during labor. In this episode, I share my experience with using a shower during my second labor. I also share what might exclude you from being able to use the tub or shower at the hospital. Song "Christmas" by TELL YOUR STORY music by ikson™ https://ikson.com/music Music...