93 | Rooted in the Body & the Home - Courtney Stallworth

03/11/21 • 73 min

Being a maternity nurse, Courtney knew the lack of focus on preparing for the fourth trimester. For her, a vital part of preparation when pregnant was anchoring into how she would support her healing and bonding during that time. This encompassed building a full birth team - a midwife aligned with her vision, a lactation consultant, a pelvic floor therapist, and ensuring her husband was empowered as well.

When early labor began at 38 weeks for Courtney's first birth, she spent most of that time in the sense of denial. As she moved about her day, her body and baby showed signs that his arrival would be soon. It took encouragement from her husband and midwife to help shift her mindset that the time had come. As she was having a homebirth, Courtney moved about her home and different positions to help with progression. It was a pivotal moment for her to feel her son engage in her pelvis, prompting her to have her husband get her birth pool ready and have her midwife join them. Being able to lean into her husband for support and having space to trust her body entirely, they welcomed their son soon after.

When she found herself experiencing the signs of labor again 16 months after her son's birth, the sense of familiarity with her body's response was strong. This progression was much faster, a surprise to Courtney, when she began pushing her "body, grabbed onto the energy," and her daughter began making her way.

For both of her births, early postpartum planning would be pivotal. After her son's birth, the time allowed her to take the pauses she needed and process her full experience. With her daughter having suffered with baby blues, she focused her care on herself, being honest with herself about what she needed, and knowing that in the moments when she wasn't ok, that was ok!

Resources:

The Equipped Mama | birth and beyond services

Resources:

The Equipped Mama | birth and beyond services

Previous Episode

92 | Better Than I Planned - Ashley Shepard

After about four years into their marriage, Ashley and her husband were ready to expand their family. And when they found out they were expecting, being the planner she is, Ashley began preparing for her pregnancy and birth. Understanding maternal health for black women, having a black doctor and OBGYN was essential to her. With her background as a chef, staying nourished with the right foods and diet was also at her forefront.

Knowing her mother's birth stories - all of her children's birth from start to finish being 4 hours, Ashley envisioned she would have a similar experience. So when her water broke three days after her estimated due date, she arrived at the hospital ready for the journey to be swift. Settling into the hospital at 9 am, Ashley was 2cm dilated, and by the afternoon, was told had progressed to 8cm. To her surprise, once her doctor arrived and did a cervical exam, she expressed that Ashley was only 5cm. Ashley was, of course, disappointed but knew that she had to stay in a serene and positive mindset. As she labored through the day and progression remained in the same spot, Ashley, her husband, and birth team tried many options, finally deciding that her son's arrival would be a surgical birth.

Leaving the hospital and returning home was tough; Ashley was managing her physical healing from a surgeryshe hadn't expected, working through nursing challenges and also the mental toll of this new transition. Creating with food had always been an outlet for Ashley; during her pregnancy, she prepared ready-made meals for postpartum that would be easy for her and her husband to make—having food in this way assisted with her body recovery and recovery mentally. But even with that, Ashley felt like she wasn't allowing a release for her thoughts or feelings from having postpartum anxiety and baby blues. Not finding what she needed, she decided to create a guided journal. A space that she could communicate her feelings with no pressure or judgments. A safe space serving as self-care, a reminder that as a birthing parent, "you are important.." and all parts of you "have a space in your baby's life."

Resources:

Chef Ashley Shep | simplifying meal time with tips, tricks, and ideas to make the most out of mealtime

New Mom Thoughts | guided keepsake journal

Sponsors:

March of Dimes | education, research, support & advocacy for moms and babies

March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit fighting for the health of all moms and babies, is observing World Defects Day on March 3rd. This is an annual event in which March of Dimes partners with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to generate awareness among women of childbearing age and families about actions they can take to help prevent birth defects. Join the conversation about World Defects Day by following hashtag #Best4YouBest4Baby on social media and by visiting March of Dimes at marchofdimes.org/BSiC.

Next Episode

94 | A Revelation of Unexpected Options - Jocelyne Zaldivar

Jocelyne, a homebirth parent, and co-creator of Homebirth.com shared her story and the origins of those unexpected titles. Jocelyne and her partner had been planning their wedding when they discovered they were expecting. They made a pivot and married ahead of schedule. The next obstacle was finding alignment with a provider that would honor their wishes became the most challenging aspect of the pregnancy. They switched providers from an OB/GYN to a birth center with midwifery care. The stars seemed to align, but an unexpected closing once again thwarted their plans. Three months before her expected due date, the birthing center she and her husband had planned to welcome their baby closed. Homebirth became an option that was strange to them and required a mental adjustment to help keep them out of the hospital. Hospital birth felt like pregnancy was a medical issue, and that didn’t match their thought process unless a medical challenge presented during the birth. They quickly researched their options and connected with midwives they trusted. Their family was able to prepare for and have the birth they envisioned in their own home.

Jocelyne’s husband, midwife, and parents surrounded her in love and support as labor ensued. Her midwife assisted her in maintaining movement and naturally stimulating her contractions. And her parents stepped away to allow for space and time. Jocelyne was able to progress and focus on the task at hand. They were able to achieve their homebirth after not even seeing this as a possibility for their family.

Homebirth.com was created in their response to wanting to share the beauty and joy of their homebirth story. Homebirth.com holds space for story sharing and helps others who wish to Homebirth find the birth teams that can help meet their birthing goals.

Resources:

Homebirth.com | providing knowledge and resources centered in homebirth