132: World Doula Week 2018: Serving and Advocating for Women in Pregnancy and Birth with Sharon Randolph

How does your first pregnancy and birth experience impact your second? In today’s interview, we’re chatting with Carolyn about her pregnancy and birth story of her son Solomon, while pregnant with her second child. We go over her decision to have a home birth as well as the intense first trimester sickness she experienced. Also the denial around labor starting, which we’ve heard quite a few times from mamas on the show. Carolyn shares that while the birth went very well, it was still different from what she imagined in her mind. Following her birth, she experienced postpartum anxiety that involved separation anxiety and trouble sleeping. Addressing the anxiety and getting help around it has supported and encouraged her in preparation for her next child, due this fall. Offers From Our Awesome Partners: Needed: https://bit.ly/2DuMBxP - use code DIAH to get 20% off your order Splash Blanket: https://bit.ly/3JPe1g0 - use code DIAH for 10% off your order Esembly: https://bit.ly/3eanCSz - use code DIH20 to get 20% off your order More From Doing It At Home: Send us your birth story: https://bit.ly/3jOjCKl Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH Website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Merch: www.diahpodcast.com/merch Give Back to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2 Jul 20191h 18min

How do you process when things don’t go the way you planned in your birth? We deconstruct this question with mamas Amy and Mallory Caldwell in today’s episode by taking it back to the beginning of their pregnancy journey. Both Amy and Mallory knew that they’d like to carry children at some point in their marriage and growing their family. So for their first, they made the decision for Mallory to go first as the gestational parent. They share the process of insemination, selecting a donor, and how they’re aiming to use the same sperm for their future children. They made the decision to have a home birth around 16 weeks. They found a queer midwife who works largely in the LGBTQ community and fell in love with her. We also discuss the legality of home birth in their state of Ohio and what that looks like with cooperation of midwives and hospitals. And hey - creative, business savvy people out there - there’s a huge opportunity for expanding the options in maternity clothing. For Mallory, it was quite frustrating to find clothing that she liked. Wearing primarily men’s clothing when she’s not pregnant, it was challenging and disappointing. It’s a simple and yet profound example of how there are variations of normal in how pregnancy looks and how gestational parents can be represented in the pregnancy and birth world of products and services. We then get the full breakdown of the birth story, which includes an ECV (external cephalic version) procedure to flip baby from the breech position, and multiple trips back and forth from the hospital back to home. That’s all I’ll say here, and let you listen to get the rest of the story. It’s such a powerful and inspiring conversation, and we’re so grateful to Amy, Mallory and baby Sebastian for joining us on the podcast! Show Notes: Le Pooch - http://lepooch.net/ Cryo Bio - https://www.cryobio.com/ Milk and Hannah -  https://www.milkandhannahphoto.com/journal/2018/2/17/welcome-sebastian-birth-story-from-mama-columbus-birth-photographer-milk-Hannah?rq=Sebastian Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 Jun 20191h 6min

How do you stay in a space of trusting your body and the process when getting pregnant presents an emotional journey of challenges? This was Caitlin’s reality when she and her wife, Shona decided to start a family. First there were the conversations of who would be the gestational parent - which were relatively easy given that Caitlin wanted to be pregnant and Shona wanted to be a parent but didn’t necessary want to be pregnant. Then come the logistics of how they would conceive. As Caitlin puts it, “we couldn’t just hop in bed and make a baby!” So they explored the different routes of insemination. There are options of having a known or unknown donor. Then for the procedure itself you can have an IUI - intrauterine insemination, which is performed at a clinic and is a more “medical process” or an ICI - intracervical insemination, which you can do at home yourself and Caitlin refers to as the more DIY insemination. Caitlin walks us through their journey, from cycle monitoring to increase the likelihood of insemination success, the rounds of unsuccessful IUIs, a break in the middle of the process after such an emotional rollercoaster and obsession with the process. They eventually moved into the ICI route, where after a few more attempts and switching up donors (now using a close friend’s sperm), they finally got their successful insemination! And so now Caitlin and Shona are planning for a home birth! We’re so honored to share their story on the podcast in our first episode with an LGBTQ family! As Caitlin says in the interview, “families are something we build out of love.” We couldn’t agree more. Links: Part 2 of Caitlin and Sho's story: https://parentsondemand.com/podcasts/doing-it-at-home/185-home-birth-story-two-mamas-welcome-their-baby-with-caitlin-thompson-and-sho-selby/ Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19 Jun 201946min

What if you had to change your birth plans on your due date? This happened for Laura Smoker, as she prepared for and planned a home birth, however had to shift plans when she risked out due to concerns around her blood pressure and possible preeclampsia. Laura and her husband Joshua wanted a home birth following 3 miscarriages and some of the hospital experiences associated with them. Laura is beautifully open about her journey with loss and how she processed being pregnant for the fourth time and finally being able to hear a heartbeat at 13 weeks. And we hear all about baby Elliot’s entrance into the world. Despite the changes to the birth plan, Laura acknowledges that she got to experience everything she wanted minus the specific location. In her words, “I know there are many people who desire a home birth that can't have it for some reason and I feel that sharing my positive hospital experience and what made it that way could be helpful to others.” Links: The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Womans-Guide-Better-Birth/dp/0399525173 Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

11 Jun 201951min

Don’t all moms ultimately want what’s best for their children? This is a question that Katelyn Fusco addressed in her work as a certified health coach for pregnant mothers. This question and the answers to it evolved and applied to the world of pregnancy and birth as well when Katelyn shifted to become a student midwife. As a cesarean baby herself, Katelyn and her husband Thomas decided for a home birth when they became pregnant with their first child. Katelyn is currently pregnant with her second and planning for another home birth. She has birthed another project over the past year, The Happy Homebirth Podcast - a community for stories and sharing that launched in January 2019. So we are in great company with a fellow podcaster and birth enthusiast! And Katelyn interviewed Sarah for The Happy Homebirth Podcast, which you can listen to via the link below! In our conversation on DIAH, we cover Katelyn’s background and history, the birth story of her daughter Janie, planning for baby number 2 and her future plans for her podcast and community. Links: The Happy Homebirth Podcast: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/ Happy Homebirth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyhomebirthpodcast/ Sarah’s interview on The Happy Homebirth Podcast: https://podcast.myhappyhomebirth.com/e/ep-27-doing-it-at-home-with-sarah-bivens/ Spinning Babies: https://spinningbabies.com/about/gail-tully/ Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

4 Jun 201951min

What do you do when it’s difficult to come to terms with how your birth unfolded? In today’s episode, Katie Suder shares her journey with us. From her unexpected and joyful pregnancy to currently 9 months postpartum and still processing a lot of her birth experience. While waiting the few weeks before she could see an OBGYN for her first appointment, Katie had time to reflect and research on her options. This led her and her fiance Andrew to a home birth midwife. Fast forward to birth, baby Andrew Michael was 13 days past guess date. After laboring for 30 hours at home, Katie and her team transferred to the hospital. Katie and the supportive staff did everything possible to facilitate a vaginal birth. The cesarean, though necessary, was traumatic. Katie is beautifully honest about how she’s felt over the months and we know her story will touch the community and have a ripple effect of healing. Links:Our website: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 Mai 20191h

Have you experienced postpartum PTSD? Today we’re talking with Stephanie Aberlich, not only about her home birth of her son Arlo (which she and her husband Dustin planned for and kept a secret from friends and family), but also the traumatic ER visit and hospital stay for baby Arlo just 24 hours after he was born and was experiencing fast breathing. Doctors later diagnosed him with polycythemia and kept him in the PICU and then the NICU for a total of 5 nights and 4 days. Stephanie talks about their experience, including all the procedures that Arlo underwent as well as the treatment and care from the hospital staff (particularly around their decision to home birth) and how she’s processed since the event.  Stephanie is beautifully open about the whole thing and shares with a reliability and vulnerability that we know will touch other families who have experienced something similar, as well as inform others who have not. Links: Stephanie’s website: https://inharmonylife.com/ Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 Mai 20191h 35min

How does the experience of one birth influence the plans for births that follow? Today we chat with Emilee Petrill, and we pack a lot into a sub-hour conversation. Emilee has experienced a hospital birth with her first son Corbyn, a birthing center for her son Penn and finally a home birth for her son Moxy. She walks us through the processes and decisions around each of those experiences. Then we get into the details of her home birth, and why she’s thinking about a free/unassisted birth for a future baby. Bonus topics in this conversation include Emilee’s experience with consuming her placenta and why she’s a big advocate for it, the 10,000+ oz of breast milk she has donated and how the Doing It At Home podcast and community has impacted her body image and sex life! Links: Doing It At Home book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vJcPmU DIAH website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3jKtIYv DIAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doingitathome/ DIAH YouTube: https://bit.ly/3pzuzQC DIAH Store: https://yoursuccessfulhomebirth.com/ DIAH Merch: https://bit.ly/3qhwgAe  Donate to DIAH: https://bit.ly/3qgm4r9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

14 Mai 201953min