For her first birth, Krissy Whitehead didn’t have much of a plan, other than getting an epidural. That birth was a lovely experience, so what made her alter her birth wishes with each consecutive birth, and choose a home waterbirth for her fourth one? Go listen.
What we talked about:
- Birth One: A lovely epidural birth
- Birth Two: Let’s do the same thing again
- Membrane sweep and an easy start
- The magical six cms.
- Too fast, quite furious
- Blow in nurse’s face as her only coping mechanism
- What is this euphoria I’m feeling?
- Birth Three: Preparing for an unmedicated birth
- Taking the classes, doing all the things
- What if I fall asleep and my water breaks? Oh, wait.
- Come hang out at the hospital
- “Just give me another hour.”
- Six cms: “Call the doc… nevermind, baby’s here.”
- On Fetal Ejection Reflex
- Birth Four: Let’s stay at home!
- Feeling supported instead of tolerated
- Going past the due date, by a lot
- A gentle start, filling the pool, wanting her kids around
- Doing bedtime in active labor
- Delivering her baby into her own hands
- The benefits of a more supported and knowledgeable postpartum
Resources mentioned and other helpful links*:
- Safe Infant Sleep: Expert Answers to Your Cosleeping Questions, by James McKenna
- Bedsharing and Breastfeeding: The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Protocol #6, Revision 2019
- SpinningBabies.com
- What to Know About Your Water Breaking (TACO), from the Lamaze blog
- The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth, by Genevieve Howland
- Evidence on: Premature Rupture of Membranes, from Evidence Based Birth
- Facebook post by Krissy, chronicling her journey to having a homebirth:
- Post #1 – Overview of all her births and what led me to a homebirth
- Post #2 – How she met her midwife, and Krissy’s research on homebirth
- Post #3 – What prenatals looked like in comparison to OB visits
- Post #4 – Resources she used (yay Birthful!)
Related Birthful episodes:
- Epidurals & Breastfeeding, with Dianne Cassidy
- Safer Bedsharing, with Teresa Pitman
- Tongue and Lip Ties, with Dianne Cassidy
- Chiropractic Care, with Dr. Elliot Berlin
- Your Birth Hormones, with Dr. Sarah Buckley
About Krissy Whitehead
Krissy Whitehead is wife to Greg and a stay at home mom to 4 girls. Her passion is educating about the things that she’s interested in! Some of those things include toxin-free living and all things birth related!.
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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).