We continue with our “Birth Stories” for the summer series! Today’s story comes from Jessica Winquist, who was determined to have a vaginal birth, even though her daughter was breech. As it turns out, pregnancy ended up being the most stressful part of her experience. Go check out her breech homebirth story.
What we talked about:
- Wanting a homebirth, and then finding out baby was breech!
- Doing all the things to encourage baby to flip
- Exploring the options and trying to bring breech back
- Assembling quite the extended pregnancy and birth team
- Baking cookies and just hanging out
- And then the tub was… meh.
- Sometimes you just need to lunge
- Mad midwifery skills… while holding a cup of coffee
- Sometimes babies need a minute
Resources mentioned by Jessica, and more!:
- Milkmamabakeshop.com – Jessica’s lactation cookies for breastfeeding mamas!
- Emily Landry (emilylandrydoula.com) – doula extraordinaire
- SpinningBabies.com (which Jessica used a bunch, but forgot to mention during the show)
- Stephanie Propper (propperacupuncture.com) – Jessica’s acupuncturist, with the best name ever
- Shary Wagreich (eastmidtownchiro.com) – Jessica’s chiropractor
- Janet Markovits (maternalmassageandmore.com & thepregnantnewyorker.com) – massage therapist and runs The Pregnant New Yorker to inform women of services available in NYC like physical therapy and eco cleaning companies, etc.Choices in Childbirth
- ChoicesInChildbirth.org – education and advocacy non-profit that works to improve the birth choices available to women and to educate women on those choices
- Dr. Elliott Berlin (informedpregnancy.com/heads-up) – a chiropractor in Los Angeles, CA, created the documentary “Heads Up” to inform people about breech birth
Related Birthful episodes:
- Chiropractic Care, with Dr. Elliot Berlin
All photos are used with permission, courtesy of Jessica Winquist
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).