Ep 252: Andrea’s Birth Story - Joy and Grief After a Traumatic Birth

All About Pregnancy & Birth

Andrea planned an induction at 39 weeks, but things didn't go as anticipated. She thought that her water broke just after 38 weeks and went to the hospital. It turned out that it didn't, but her blood pressure was high and her baby had turned to a transverse position - which is basically going across the uterus - and no matter how hard we try, a baby is not going to fit through the vagina that way. So she ended up having to have a C-section.

A lot of things did not go great with her experience. Quite honestly, some of the things she experienced were just plain awful. Most of the nurses were great but one in particular made her feel like she was failing as a mom. Plus there were some other not ideal experiences which she’ll explain in the episode. These experiences resulted in postpartum depression and anxiety.

Now, despite those challenges, she's also going to share how she’s taking care of herself now. Working with a postpartum coach and a pelvic floor physical therapist have helped her grieve the vaginal birth she wanted but didn't have.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why she referred to her prenatal doctor’s visits as “conveyer belt care”
• How insurance limited what services she had access to
• How connecting with other expectant parents, both online and in person, helped her through a difficult pregnancy
• Which symptoms she experienced (basically every one you can imagine)
• How she felt when she realized she wasn’t going to have a vaginal birth
• What her c-section felt like
• What made her unhappy with her lactation support
• How medication has helped with her postpartum depression

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode252

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