A Challenging Physical Recovery, with Erin Patterson

The Birthful Podcast: Summer Birth Stories 2016 #9

We continue on our “Birth Stories” for the summer series! Erin Patterson is here to tell us about her beautiful birth story, about how much she loved the tub, but wasn’t too keen about being on her back. Lovely as it was, unfortunately her birth resulted in some muscular trauma that made for a slow and difficult recovery requiring PT work, even many weeks into postpartum. Although she had prepared for a lot of things, this was something she definitely didn’t expect. Check it out.

Some of what we talked about:

• Sometimes birth is really slow to start
• Sometimes the car ride can be the best part
• Going deep into labor land
• The amniotic sac can audibly pop
• Don’t settle for something if you can make it better
• Roar your baby out: vocalization as a coping mechanism
• The need for encouraging words
• Communicate your wishes to your birth team! Ahead of time!
• The difficulty of muscular trauma
• Different degrees of tearing
• An unexpected and long-to-heal postpartum recovery
• Helping your muscles relearn how to contract

Some of the resources mentioned during the show:

• The Business of Being Born website
• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
• Natural Breastfeeding video

Related Birthful episodes:

• “Laid-back” Breastfeeding, with Attie Sandink
• Baby’s Position and Labor Flow, with Gail Tully
• The Problem with Due Dates, with Gail Hart
• The Holistic Stages of Birth (Part 1), with Whapio
• The Holistic Stages of Birth (Part 2), with Whapio
• You Pelvic Floor, with Lisa Gillispie
• Fertility Before & After Pregnancy, with Emily Varnam
• Chiropractic Care, with Dr. Elliot Berlin

All photos courtesy of Erin Patterson

Loving the tub

Right after pushing baby out, with dad against the headboard

Title music: “Vibe Ace” by Kevin MacLeod, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).

Sponsorship music: “Air Hockey Saloon” by Chris Zabriskie, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).