Our journeys to and through motherhood are so completely unique and there’s much to be gained from sharing our stories. With the Featured Mama Edition of our blog, we aim to highlight the power, strength and wisdom within our very own community!
We are strong mamas, we are smart mamas! Let’s embrace one another with love and support.
INTRODUCING, SARAH S!
Tell us a bit about yourself:
I’m a 39 year old working Mom. I’m currently on maternity leave from Karat (karat.io), a company incredibly supportive of their employees and their family needs. I’m the proud Mom to two boys – one is a very sweet and energetic 5-yr old and the other a newly born and voracious eater who’s 10 days old!
What made you seek out Bodies for Birth services and what about the experience has been most impactful for you?
I had worked out during my first pregnancy and felt an incredible impact not only in keeping my body healthy to help with all the ailments of pregnancy but in labor and delivery to give me the tools needed to go through it unmedicated. The person I worked out with before was no longer teaching but she recommended me to Maura, who coincidentally she was also a Doula for! When I walked into the studio for the first time there was instantly a positive energy. The space is cozy and there are books and diagrams everywhere. Maura’s energy is contagious – her passion for what she does comes shining through not only in her zest while teaching but in her education and knowledge. She’s clearly there to set women up for success, and she does just that.
The biggest impact for me were those weekly group training classes. First, she teaches to not only pregnant women but also postpartum and pre-conception. No matter where someone is on their journey she makes each person feel welcomed. The classes were a beautiful combination of acquiring physical strength while maintaining mental focus; both attributes extremely important for the task of labor and delivery.
I actually had the benefit of attending a class the day my water broke! I had some pelvic pain/pressure the day before so hesitated coming in that day (SO glad I did as it really put me in a great mindset for L&D). Maura was fantastic and offered tons of safe modifications that still allowed me to come out feeling empowered.
Around 12:20pm on Saturday, April 15th my water broke – no contractions but of course they want you to get in since that ups the chances of potential infection to baby. We waited an hour at home so our 5-yr old could get picked him by his Gma and then headed over to Swedish Ballard. We checked into the room, met the midwife on call, and proceeded to try and get labor moving (was told if you don’t start active labor within 12 hrs they need to induce which is something I wanted to avoid). We did heat packs on the breasts, some ball bouncing and nipple stimulation with a pump – well that pump did it! Around 4pm we had active labor liftoff with the contractions coming in fast and furious (yay no inducing). During labor I used every tool I learned from those classes. These included stretching (many wide lunges on the bed and floor), different positions including sitting backwards on the toilet, walking, sitting on the ball, a trip to the whirlpool, and sounds that can only be described as something a mythical beast makes in a dark forest (so much so that I woke up with no voice the next day)! I vividly remember consciously thinking of my diaphragmatic breathing during contractions (inhaling visualizing the cervix opening, exhaling to bring him back and down). It was hard because our instincts are to retract from the pain/waves. We had a fantastic midwife who was great at reminding me to ‘give in’ to them.
Unlike my first, where I delivered lying in the bed, I was able to be in a wide squatting position for the actual bearing down (holler wall sits and goddess squats!!).
After 12 hrs, at 12:18am on Sunday, April 15th, my 2nd boy came into the world and we officially became a family of four. I’m super proud (and exhausted) to say I performed the labor totally unmedicated.
What’s been the most surprising, challenging or joyful part of your motherhood journey so far?
I forgot how isolating breastfeeding can be. On one hand you’re creating this priceless bond with this human, both of you healing from the journey, together. But on the other hand you’re in a bubble with baby day and night (and sitting a TON!). While a partner can be great for temporary relief, when you’re BF’ing it’s all on the Momma. It can be a lot of pressure that doesn’t leave you much independence to be able to just ’step out for a bit.’ (Even if you can ‘step out’ you’re exhausted after 30 minutes). Also, you’re not really in the mood for visitors what with the body still healing and the need to walk around all day without a shirt on! It’s phenomenal to be able to watch this human evolve and develop right before your eyes, but I’ve found it important to give myself sanity checks whenever possible (20 min in the garden, sitting in the sun doing nothing, etc).
While my body is definitely still healing from the journey, I feel more ready to get up and move than I did with my first. I had many bad habits the firsttime around – sitting/nursing poorly, picking him up and putting him down with a hunched back, not wearing proper footwear, etc. This time I know how important it is to develop good habits early on so I can be there fully for my family. Excited to begin my postpartum work with Maura!
If you could go back and share something with your former self, what would you share? Ie: What do you know now that you wish you’d known before?
Take the week off work leading up to birth. With both pregnancies I worked right up until the end. With my first it seemed somehow more manageable but with the second I was really wishing I had taken more time totally off leading up to labor. Not only to be able to rest and prepare for L&D but also to spend quality time with my husband and 5-yr old before our new addition.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with the Bodies for Birth community?
Set yourself up with a good village during delivery. Your partner is one aspect of support, but both labors I had Jasmine Love (seattlematernitymassage.com) there with us the entire time. Both my husband and I could not have done it without her. Jasmine’s not only a certified doula, but also a certified massage therapist as well. She was instrumental in providing excellent relief during contractions and rest periods.