Fast Birth, Hard Postpartum, with Ivy Tumlinson

Ivy Tumlinson shares the challenges of her postpartum experience after a fast and furious, unmedicated, low-intervention hospital birth, which included breastfeeding issues that lead to exclusively pumping and difficulties in healing her pelvic floor. Check out what helped her find her way, and what she would do differently next time.

To listen here, click the play button on the player above, or click the button below to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Play.

What we talked about:

• The excitement of first contractions
• Ignore it until you can’t ignore it anymore
• Early labor at the salon
• Taking the wrong turn to the hospital
• Your cervix is not a crystal ball, and yet…
• 30 minutes from arrival to baby!
• Feeling shell shocked, and a badass
• Breastfeeding issues and not so helpful advice in hospital
• Horrible first night, but breastfeeding help is on the way
• “None of this is going to work if either of you is crying”
• Feeling defeated
• Exclusively pumping for 6 weeks, then adjusting expectations
• Losing a stitch
• 6 weeks: back to exercising, but not sex
• Getting help from a pelvic floor specialist

“What just happened?!”

Resources and links to info mentioned on the show*:

• Expectful App (use code BIRTHFUL to get a fee full-month trial!)
• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, by Ina May Gaskin
• The Business of Being Born website
• EvidenceBasedBirth.com
• A way to make visual birth plans: motherboardbirth.com
• #WaitforWhite – Optimal Cord Clamping campaign
• The 24-hr Cure (originally by Penny Simkin)
• French mothers don’t suffer from bladder incontinence. And nor should you, from The Guardian

Skin-to-skin with daddy

Related podcast episodes:

• Talking Pelvic Health with a PT, with Sara Reardon
• Diastasis and Tummy Fitness, with Bethany Learn
• Tongue and Lip Ties, with Dianne Cassidy
• All About Pumping!, with Nancy Mohrbacher

The whole Family

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).