March 28, 2025 • 49 mins
In this episode of the Edmonds Moms Room Podcast, we’re sharing another incredible birth story from one of our very own providers at Body Motion, Dr. Victoria Smith! As a pelvic floor physical therapist, Dr. Victoria used her expertise throughout her pregnancy to prepare for birth—and the results were truly remarkable. She opens up about her journey with pelvic floor therapy, how it shaped her labor experience, and her quick and smooth 20-minute delivery. Tune in as she and Dr. Allison discuss the power of pelvic floor health, unmedicated birth, and the benefits of preparation. Don’t miss this inspiring and empowering birth story!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to another episode of the Evans Moms Term podcast.
I am doctor Allison Felt and I'm interviewing doctor Victoria today. So,
as many of you know, doctor Victoria recently gave birth
to a little, sweet, not so little baby Asher and
he is six months just had his six month birthday.
(00:20):
And yeah, so doctor Victoria, she started at Body Motion
a while ago.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
How many years I've been here? Four now?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Four years? Oh my goodness, four in January? Right, yeah, yeah, okay,
so four years I know. And so over the course
before she conceived, she we knew she was going to
start trying to get pregnant. So it was really exciting
because it was kind of like right when you brought
Shockwave in.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, I think you were one.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Of the first people that we were like, we're going
to do this and see if you get knocked up.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
And then it it just happened, and like.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
The fertility protocol was born and it worked and it worked.
And because you had gone a few months without conneving,
So how do you have you want to share?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I think it was like maybe like month three.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
I want to say, yeah, okay, so totally within the
normal timeframe. So hard to say if it was shockwave
or not. She was also doing all the public floor
work even before that. Oh yeah, so yeah, that that
was really cool.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
So she started the you started the shockwave protocol.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Oh and and so did you know?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So did Cynthia.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
That other we did a episode was Cynthia, And like,
that's really when I was like, this is the frequency
you're going to do. This is you know what we're
going to stick to, and so yeah, it just all
kind of builds on each other and.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
That what he did. Yeah, that was exciting. So she
conceives And did you.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Feel pretty good through your first trimester from a physical standpoint?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Absolutely, yeah, you know, I felt really great and I
which I needed because I was really sick and so
I'd be having to be in none of the bathroom
all day every day. I was grateful that the rest
of my body was able to really kind of support
my through that.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Honestly, Oh my goodness, that's so hard. Yeah, it was something.
Did you find anything helpful during for the morning sickness?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
It was one of those things where it's like maybe
like something might help that day.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
But then it wouldn't help the next day.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
So don't give me anything that's remotely ginger flavored at
this point. Ever, I can never look at a gingermit
the same ever again.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
But but you know, we got through it. Yeah yeah,
maybe it's a boy thing. I feel like I was
only ever sick with Kano. Yeah, like he made me that,
Like I have that nausea. So maybe with your next
if it's a girl, knock on the wood, I couldn't
imagine feeling that sick with like a toddler.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, but you know that's how That's how it goes sometimes.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
But people don't excuse me. They do it every day
after I keep telling myself.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Wow, you're incredible.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
You were working seeing a full patient load and yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
And then so it got through the first trimester and
then we were like, Victoria, it is time. We need
to start the pregnancy protocol and really prep your pelvic floor,
pep your pelvis. What that entailed was a lot of
internal work where we really work through the pelvic floor muscles,
all three layers, working on improving the elasticity of the
muscle so it improves the flexibility of how much it
(03:15):
can open. When you improve the flexibility of how much
it can open, you automatically increase the amount that.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
It can contract. Although we're not working on contraction.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
If you're worried like, oh, I'm going to be too weak,
or that's going to make me weak, it does the opposite.
Opening the pelvic floor improves the lengthening, which we call
eccentric strength. And when you have eccentric strength and you
have a lot more ability to get a concentric contraction,
and so that is a really cool phenomenon.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
But it's that motion of getting lengthening.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
That allows the baby to come through the pelvis, allows
vagina to open unrestricted, It allows the pelvis to open more.
So the pelvis is going to open during a vaginal
delivery because of hormones like relaxing, because of hormones like pagestone,
and it allows that flexibility to start occurring in the joints.
(04:07):
Then we get that opening during the delivery process. But
if your pelvic floor is cemented where your glutes and
addictors are really tight, and those are the muscles on
the butt and on the inner thighs, and if those
are really tight, then they don't.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Allow the pelvis to fully open.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
And so part of the pregnancy protocol is really working
through all of these muscle groups to make sure that
you have great elasticy and mobility of the pelvic floor
and then also have mobility of everything that connects to
the pelvis so that the pelvis can have the best
chance at opening during the birthing process.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Thank goodness it did.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, I just you have to share Asher's birth weight.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Get We'll get to the story. We'll get to.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
But so we go through your pregnancy and things are
feeling pretty good, and how.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Often did you get treatment?
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Oh? Man, I tried to get on the schedule. I mean,
I feel like I was really consistent for the second
half of my second trimester, just because that sickness really
didn't let up until I was close to that twenty
week point. But then so once we got to that point,
I was like, okay, we need to switch gears. And
so I really saw I was coming in some of
(05:20):
them even come in twice a week too, almost try
to kind of catch up a little bit, because truthfully,
like I was just getting public four pt even before
I got pregnant, and so I was pretty shocked just
even in those couple of months how different my body felt, just.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
All the hormones, everything that had already changed at that point.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
So after that very first visit, I was like, Okay,
we need to get into this and we need to
really hit it hard and make sure that we're we
go and accomplish our goals, right, And so thank goodness
because I really felt good physically, like really the most
of my pregnancy, truthfully, which I was so grateful for,
because I had a big baby, and I gained a
lot of weight pregnant too, and so I needed the
(06:00):
support of.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
All my muscles and my joints and which help I
could really get.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Truthfully, you want to tell everybody how much we you
I gained at least fifty pounds really, yeah I did?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah? Yeah, nice.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Yeah. I stopped weighing myself once I got you you,
like thirty six thirty seven weeks. I was like, you know,
I think I've seen enough. Yeah, I get the points.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, we get it.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Yeah, and that's totally fine, and your body's going to
do what it's going to do and that's comfortable with it.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
I was mostly just really focusing on I wanted my
joints to feel really good.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
I didn't want to start to go from now I
have back pain, now I feel it in my knees,
and I want to feeling in my fee I didn't
want to go have that be my experience, yes, and
so I wanted to be as proactive as possible.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
And doing this work is proactive for that. So I'm
absolutely I'm glad that you bring that up. I'm also
glad that you.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Just shared how much you gained. Weight wise, I didn't.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Weigh myself with Jayla because I was already heavy when
I got pregnant with her, and I.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Didn't want to know.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
I didn't want to know I weighed more at the
beginning of her pregnancy that I did the end of
my others, and I just didn't want to have that experience,
and I kind of just let it be. And you know,
I hate the data and like, especially when doctors are like,
you should only gain twenty five pounds or only gain
It's like you're growing a huge right, the body is
(07:12):
gonna do what the body's gonna do. And also when
we're all gaining this much weight, but yet the research
is showing that we're protein deficient in our third trimesters
and fourth trimesters, like there's a reason we're consuming calories
and maybe like maybe the protein deficiency.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
We're not getting the right amount of nutrition.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
I don't know, but like there's a reason we're putting
on the weight, and like it's not permanent, Like it's
more than just baby. It's the antiotic fluid, it's the
blood volumes, fluid.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
So much fluid about your face, get into the fluid.
It's a little bit.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Sure. I mean I was pretty surprised just how much yeah,
just how much puffy are everything?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Sorry to really get.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
I'm looking back in my pictures now trying I was
actually talking with my girlfriends who she was trying to
get idea of, you know, how how much weight she
should expect to how much bigger she's going to get.
So I had to look back and out of my
pictures to kind of see, you know, how my body
was changing.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And I could just see like my in my hands
and in my face.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
And you really do you just get so I think
I've probably took off my rings maybe at maybe month seven,
I want to say, and I couldn't get them back
on until at least two or three months postpartum. But man,
and then of course, once once labor began, then you
really see how much how much fluid you have abdominantly
and it's it's pretty impressive actually, really how how your
(08:35):
body is really doing what it needs to do.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah yeah, okay, So I skipped over this and I
want you to go back to what was you were like,
this was in line with the goal.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
So, like you just said your experience, you wanted to
make sure.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
You didn't have me pain. You want to make sure
you didn't have me pain. You knew what to do
to prevent that. Most of our listeners don't know what
to do to prevent that. So, just to make it
really clear, working with the pelvic expert, physical therapist, someone
who's going to balance all the muscles around on your pelvis.
That's what keeps your joints paying free. That is the
golden ticket. It's not about how much you go to
the gym. And because the tighter you are, the harder
(09:10):
it's going to be on your joints. And so working
with someone who can help read your body and balance
your body is what's going to take the stress off
of your joins and just leave you feeling really good.
We didn't, you know, I talked a little bit about
in another episode with Doctor Katrina her birth experience and
how we connect so much mentally to the pelvic floor
for training the peblic floor, and we can dive into
(09:30):
that too. But the other thing I think it's important
to know is doctor Victoria's also said in line with
the goal, So your goal was to have a vaginal delivery,
tell us about your plans.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, So, so my birth plan, I really wanted to
have a vagualin delivery. I wanted to have a nice
efficient birth. I was hoping for a nice efficient pushing
stage and we all to move through labor as effectively
as possible.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
But I also really and it spent a lot of
my time laboring at home.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
I knew that I was going to be where I
was most comfortable, and being able to be relaxed and
comfortable was something that I knew it was going to
be important to me. So I wanted to make sure
that I had a really nice, good space, and so
I had a doula there with me, and I really
worked hard to make sure that I was able to
kind of redirect or connect with my body through those
(10:21):
contractions in any of those moments where that felt a
little bit over the top or uncomfortable, that I wanted
able to kind of reframe them, I guess, And so
laboring at home was really my number one.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Thing was to do that.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Yeah, and then you were also delivering at a birth center, yeah,
with a midwife, and that was all part of the
game plan. And when you decide that you're going to
birth a birth center, that means you're opting out of
an epidurl so you don't have that kind of pain control.
You get to use your breath as your pain control. Yeah,
let's dive a little deeper. Just I think this is
a cool question. How did you find your doula?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (10:57):
I took a birth class, and so I actually from
the birth class educator, she gave me a couple of
doula recommendations.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Nice, and then it actually had.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Had she had kind of there was a little bit
of overlap there because I think also the company was
advertised at my birth center.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
And then just ended up. It felt so just.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Like serendipitous that my doula knew that my midwife. They
had actually my midwife had delivered my doula's baby and
they had worked together as well, and so I just
felt like very like just like I just felt perfect really, Oh,
nice do you want to shout out your dola, Lee
McBride that without.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
You, well, I take her because I think that's it's
a good recommendation. Like you want to get recommendations from people,
and you obviously have to vibe with people.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Did you interview multiple.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I did, Yeah, yeah, I interviewed a few, and you're
so right, and really there was this kind of like connection.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
I mean, yeah, like you want we.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Want people to have like lots of experience and and
and all of that, but then there also kind of
just is this like personality vibe feel you know, I
want people to want I wanted.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
My doula to feel not not mothering.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
I knew I didn't really want that feel, but I
want her to feel like she was kind of like
my partner with my teammate.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
And I really wanted.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Somebody that was going to be able to say, Okay,
now it's time to leave, or now it's time to
change positions. I wanted to be able to kind of
take my you know, brain, my brain on of it
a little bit, just gonna focus on my own body
and let somebody else kind of be able to redirect
or kind of like nudge me in a direction that
I should go And she was really perfect for that, truly.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Oh that's such a good that's such a good statement.
I feel like as a doctor, you have you hold
so many people's stories, and so it is hard to
keep your brain like so high vibe, so focused on
your labor and not go down the like, oh but
this client had that during this experience, and this client
had this, and is that going to be my story?
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And oh god, am I getting closer to a CE session?
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Like these are things that go through the brain when
you're in labor, especially when you hold so many people's
stories like we do all day long.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Every day we're talking to people who've had traumatic.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Deliveries and or didn't come here during pregnancy, and so
they've had these wild experiences with a lot of trauma,
physical trauma and mental trauma, right, and so we hear
those stories and there comes a time and a place,
you know. When I was pregnant with Jayla, I stopped working.
I think in April I was doing July. Part that
was my hands didn't work anymore, but also it was
(13:28):
my brain, like I was like, I need to just
be clear and free of other people's stories right now,
And just like fully focus on myself and thank goodness
I had you in doctor Riley to like take the
reins and treat, you know, treat all the clients and
carry it on at the time.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Now we have so many people I know, but so.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
How I guess what I think is beneficial, especially if
I mean, I don't know how many of our listeners
are like healthcare people, but you always have those friends
that tell you their stories. So how did you keep
your mind like focused on like this is the goal,
this is the plan.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
How am I going to say high by? What was
your mindset in your labor man?
Speaker 3 (14:07):
That's a really good question and it's so true to
because really not just healthcare providers, I think. I think
I think just as a pregnant person, people just want
to connect and share their stories, and they just want
to they want to tell you what it was like
for them.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
And so even if it could.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Just be at the grocery store and someone's going to
tell you about their experience. And sometimes with experiences, you
know that can be positive or negative depending on what happened,
and that can affect you in any kind number of ways.
And so being able to keep yourself grounded for that
I think was really important for me and I and
I don't know if it was just a lucky month,
(14:44):
but I had lots of people delivering the same time
that I was, and so there was a lot of
bursts that I had kind of in my mind going
into to my own.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Birth for sure, which which was kind of kind of
kind of fun.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Definitely, once it kind of got down to the wire,
You're like, man, I really need to like focus in
on mine.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Why I stopped working.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
About thirty eight weeks, I want to say thirty seven
or third thirty eight, and so I really use those
last couple of weeks to really kind of focus in
on myself and in my own body and my own journey.
But kind of sick preparing at home alone a little
bit kind of like in self solitude in a way.
But I think that was actually really really a really
great thing that I did, because I mean a lot
(15:26):
of the birth really is I mean, you have like
your support people there, but you're.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Doing it alone. You know, it really is kind of
like between like.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
You and your baby and your body, and so being
able to just kind of shut out everything was was
really helpful.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Yeah, that's such a good like it's that's so important.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
I loved it.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Yeah, And I think that just speaks the truth though,
Like it really is a solo process and it's a
journey that you go on.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Yeah, and and so the more that you believe.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
In yourself, Like, yes, a smart system is obviously amazing,
and some people need more sport than others, but like
it's a journey that you go on, Like your partner
can't deliver this baby, your pelvity floor, physical.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Theorist can't deliver this baby.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
There's no passing the baton to the next person, like
you have to do it yourself.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
And I think that's the confidence that going through our
birth prep protocol gives you, Like it gives you that confidence,
like I know.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
My pelvit floor can open. I know my pelvis can open.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
There's not a second thought that like even if my
baby's fifteen pounds, like this baby's common out of my vagina,
Like my pelt floor is going to open and stretch,
my palvis is gonna stretch, Like that's the evolution. We're
stuck in a forest. This is going down right, Like
there you go, this is happening. It is, So I
just think that's a good Like it's so true.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
It's a so low solo journey and you come out
a completely different person. Oh yeah, it's so transformative.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
I remember, just in like the last couple of weeks,
I had the honors of being like, you're a therapist
and like getting to treat you and that was super
fun for me. And you would just show up like
I know you felt like crap, but you just looked
like you're always so put together. You're like I'm like, okay,
like you do you know, like she just if you know,
an after Victoria at all, Like she is always dressed
(17:09):
in the nines, like she just has it all together.
And so it's just it was fun to be a
part of like those last few you know moments you
might have felt disheveled and like ah, but like it
was you just wore it so well and I'm.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Excited for your next one. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
I was having soaking up the bump, like I couldn't
wait to show I couldn't wait to get to dress
up the bump.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
It was really fun. I loved being pregnant. Yeah. Wow,
even with the sickness for twenty weeks. You know, it's weird.
I know it was weird. Messed up evolution. But you know,
it was also a.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Really good opportunity to like force myself to like rest
and relax. And sometimes it can be hard to like
lay on the couch and do nothing. And it was
a lot of cycle, so you need to be doing
right now. It's just like a resting and like pri
pressing rest, and so there was so there are some
pauses that came out of that too.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Sure, yeah, I love that. Okay, shall we should we
get into it the nitty gritty Yeah, guess no.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Doctor Victoria's first story. It's so good and I'm just
super honored that you're gonna share it.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
So take the stage, thank you. Tell us how I
love telling the story.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
And so so, like I said, I took a couple
of weeks off before before I gave birth, and it
was so in those weeks, I definitely got to experience
a lot of like the fault or the prodromo labor,
the contractions that would kind of start and then they
would kind of fizzle out, and I get woke in
the bad of my sleep now and think, okay, now
here we go, this is happening.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
And of course, you know, my mom delivered early and
people are like.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Oh, it's looking at my belly like, Oh, the baby's
for sure going to be here any minute now. And
so I didn't really know what to expect, right, So
there's a lot of kind of like start and stop,
start and stop for those last couple of weeks. And
then he was born the day after his due date.
So I went to bed that night and I'm wondering, again,
am I gonna wake up pregnant or am I not
gonna make up pregnant? What's gonna happen?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
And so about maybe like fourish in the morning, I
turn over in bed and then we get like the
gush of water. And so I had a high leak.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
And so if you don't know what that is, you
don't get like the big like movie gush, but it's
kind of more like like like like a trickle, almost
as if you were to peede your pants. Fortunately I
had did not experience urinary leaking during pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
But at the end, I was like, well, maybe was
that what that was?
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Was Clay?
Speaker 2 (19:30):
I just rolled over in bed and I was like, well,
is that my water was that pee?
Speaker 3 (19:35):
And I'm not really totally sure, and so I just
kind of like laid there waiting to see what's going
to happen.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I got out of bed and then it was very
obvious that my water had broken. But still again, it's
four in the morning, and I'm thinking, this is my
first time. Maybe this is gonna write. This is going
on for you know, a day or longer.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
So I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna really kick myself for
not resting while I can rest. So I really tried
to get myself back back into bed, put a towel down,
back to sleep, and I was able to stay there
and be for you know, at least a couple more hours,
because it really wasn't maybe until it's say, like nine am,
until things started to really feel more of those like
rhythmic contractions.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
And that was for me a big moment because I
was like, oh, this is this, is this enough?
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Something's happening now, but put me know, after like weeks
of something might be happening, nothing's happening, might be happening,
nothing's happening us.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
So that was very exciting moment. Okay, now I really
feel that rhythm that people are talking about, but all
still felt really manageable, and it really stayed like.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
That for a few hours, and so I was able
to kind of time my own contractions, kind of hang
that on the couch while I was doing a lot
of cleaning.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
I really needed like the like my.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
Like nice relaxing space to be nice and clean and pristine.
And so I'm putting dishes away and I'm trying of
vacuum and get everything all sorted. My husband's like, please
sit DOWNE, please sit DOWNE, please stop doing things. And yeah,
things felt just like really good, really manageable. But I
feel like we were on a really good path. And
maybe it wasn't until the afternoon where things got a
(21:06):
little bit spicier and I felt like I heard and.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
I needed more of like my husband to support me
during the contractions.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
I needed him to be the one that was timing
things because at that point I had already reached out
to my midwife, I had reached out to my doula,
but it was just Anthony and I at home, and
so we were just sending all this data, you know,
to everybody, just to kind of let them know, you know,
how we were doing at that point. Everyone you know,
my my dulo is going to come over at some point.
(21:31):
But midwife was like, oh, I might see you today,
I might see it tomorrow. So we really don't know
what what's what's going to happen yet.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
I like that they didn't put you on a clock.
I didn't put you. They were like, just hang out
with your resident at home. Yeah, totally, it's amazing. Yeah,
I all felt like very chill, shout out your midwives
and the birth center.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Oh yeah, So I was at a Puget Sound Bert
Center and Heather was was my midwife.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Yeah she's fantastic. You could care to work with her,
you'll you'll love her. She's I hear, amazing. Yeah, she's
she's very best, special, special person.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
And so I remember distinctly because it was three o'clock
and that's when I'm like, okay, I want to get
into the shower. I want I want to get into
some water and let's see how that feels. Because things
they're starting to get definitely a lot more uncomfortable. I
need a little bit more help to stand and move
around the house. So we get upstairs, get in the shower.
I'm texting my doula Lee from the shower, it's time
(22:26):
to come.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
I need your help. And she was there pretty quickly after,
So we had a good shower.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
I'm glad that I got in there and kind of
felt that it was actually very refreshing, even when I
benched there so to just kind of sit in the
shower let the water fall on me, and it felt amazing.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
I like loved that that moment.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
But once I got out of the shower, definitely I
was like, Okay, this is no longer early labor.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
This is very active.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Things are moved pretty quickly, because it was probably from
maybe like three to five, so I got about like
two hours.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
We already on the way to the birtht center.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Okay, talk us through that a little bit, because we
talk to our clients about like it is so essential
that you stay relaxed, that you keep breathing. So are
you working on your breath during this time? And then
how are you like keeping yourself calm and in that
state as you transition to the first center.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Yeah, So, so I would say first distraction worked, and
then I moved to music and meditation, and then the
music was too distracting, and so I just needed to
focus on my breath and just really tapping into those
low guttural vocal tones felt so good. To me during it,
during those phases, and so a lot of a lot
(23:38):
of rocking, a lot of humming, a lot of load low,
little animalistic you might kind of say tones. But that
all felt so good and so right to me at
that at that point. And was it?
Speaker 2 (23:52):
What was your other question? Like?
Speaker 1 (23:53):
What so as you transition to the birth center, Oh, okay,
so you're out of the shower, You're gonna.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Have to get in the car.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
And we always tell people, like a lot of times
wherever you're going to deliver the baby, sometimes you're you'll
kind of regress in labor a little bit just because
of the sympathetic nervous system ramping up because you're transitioning.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
You know, you're moving your life hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
So how did you what was what were the thoughts
going through your mind as you get in the car,
as you're driving to the birth center. How are you
staying in that like down regulated, relaxed pair of sympathetic stands.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
So I was just I felt that I really just
like sunk into my body, like I couldn't even really
tell you what happened on that fifteen eighteen minute.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Drive could to the birth center. I remember at the
towards the end.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
We're still at home, and mydula had called the midwife
so she could listen to me. She wanted to hear
what I sounded like, to see is it time to
come in? Could you maybe labor a little bit longer?
And she thought somehow I sounded maybe I could go
another like half hour, maybe I probably least another like
me three minutes.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
I could tell my body was so ready to push.
I could.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I could feel that that pressure, and so I was like, no,
it's time to go. And so I was actually the persone.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Out the door. It was me and then my doula
and my husband were shortly behind me.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
And we had used the east end the elections on
my back and that actually was really helpful in the
car ride because I really really loved all like the
counter pressure that they provided really helping to kind of
support and stabilize around my hips, which each each of
those contractions. So the so the yeah, that that east
end was felt really good during during that time. And yeah,
(25:32):
so so on the car ride, my eyes were closed
the whole time, and yeah, I was just in the car,
I was feeling those contractions.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
I felt a lot of that that low low pressure.
I could tell that that it was we were we
were there, and the thank goodness, it was only again.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
I mean, I only remember having three contractions, so I
don't know how how quickly we got there, but we
got there pretty quick. It felt like it was just
like a blink of a night and we were there,
and that we got to the birth We got to
our birthing suite, walked in right away and just kind
of sat in the bed and hung out forget another
contraction or two.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
And by the time that they had looked at my
vitals and Astra's vitals, it's what we were that we
were doing well. I was nine and a half centimeters dilated. Yeah,
so I really so I must have at that.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Point transitioned in the car, which did feel a little
bit intense, but thank goodness, tell a little bit a
little bit intense, but to.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
The breathing and just trying to keep my body as
relaxed as possible.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Love that and yeah, I think just like keep my
eyes closed, and there was a couple of times I
would just kind of opened my eyes just to peak
to see where we were. We young four or five, Okay,
we're off that we're on the on ramp or we're
off the exit. Okay, kind of get an idea, but
I just you know, let my husband get us there.
I just kind of focus on me.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
I love that for you, And I think that's one
of the things I talk about in the birth prep
class all the time, like just put sunglasses on or
wrap a towel around your head when you're you know,
you're leaving your house to go to wherever you're over,
just to try and stay in that trance as much
as you can.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Yeah, but I cannot tell you how happy I was
when they checked my cervix and I and it was
time to push. She was like, Okay, there was just
like a little a little cervical lip there that was
preventing you to go to going to ten. So at
that point they were like, let's get her in the
tub and let's.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Go and let's get this get this party started.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
I love that for you.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Thank you. Did you have like the rectal pressure, like,
did you feel the urges to push even and I'm
going to have centimeters so you felt like your body
could have kind of probably gone through that that lip?
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Oh yeah, and we and we did. She she said,
she just just pushed through it and and it was
no problem for us.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
But yes, I remember in that I'm that car ride
feeling so much of that reptile pressure because I kept
waiting to feel that at home or if my baby
was sunny side up, so I was thinking to feel
a lot more like back labor, which I didn't feel
that either.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
I was just waiting, so I was waiting to see something.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
I felt at a lot of pressure on my pubic
bone in the front of my actimen, and that's what
I remember feeling the most. And I think because of
his positioning facing my belly instead of towards my spine.
I had my brakes, my rest weren't rests, so so
that was kind of the one thing that they were
really trying to help with positioning to get him in
a more ideal position.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
So that at my contractions continue to be more rhythmic.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
We kind of lost a little of that read them,
but that was just my body really trying to work
to get him in the in the right spot.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
And but that rocked on pressure I remember that definitely
came once I got into the car. I felt like
he was just I felt I was almost sitting on him. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Yeah, that's great. That's how you know they're there when
you're sitting on him, right, that's right. That's a lot
on the tailbone to bear. But yeah, fantastic. Okay, So
you get in the tub, yeah, tell us about this.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
Yeah, I guess.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
So I get in the tub, and I'll prevase to
say that I really had no intention to have a birth.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
I was open to getting into the water.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I liked taking baths bamber feeling really hot, so I
wasn't totally sure if.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I was gonna like being in like warm water, how
that was gonna feel.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
I figured I would maybe labor in the tube a
little bit, then I would then give birth it, you know,
and i'd practiced some of the birthing positions anticipating to
give birth in the bed.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
That is not at all what happened.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
I got into that water, and the water felt really good,
and I was able to get into the right position
to help advance past that that cervical lip and I
must have been We were probably at the birth center
for a what like twenty minutes, and I got right
into the water and then he was born twenty minutes later, okay, which.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Was fantastic, So we didn't spend a lot of time there.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Actually, Hamberg, Heather's telling me that we spent more time
doing paperwork after the birth than I actually was like
having the baby, which was one of the goals for
sure too. I just wanted to kind of make it
out again being at home as much as possible. Yeah,
but yeah, I remember loving how weightless I felt. And
(30:04):
I guess I shouldn't say I was totally weightless because
it was really not.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Look at the pictures. That was my husband. He was
holding me up the whole.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Time out by my arms, kind of like in this
like kind of like elevated bridge position. And Heather was
working hard to get him to turn because he still
was he was wrapped around in his cord.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
I think that was why I would was preventing him
to to turning.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
And we were doing all all the spinning babies, all
the walking, all the things, and he would turn, but
he would stay there.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
And so so she was working hard, you know, under
the water to get him where I needed to be.
And yeah, it was just a handful of pushes and
he was there. Yeah. Okay, so were you able to
use your breath to push him out. Yeah, okay, what
did that look like? Like a lot again, a lot
of like low open.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
My I used my voice a lot low tones, so
I really tapped into what I was using just to.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
Kind of get the most contractions. Once things got a.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Little bit spicier and it was it was incredible to
feel how much how much he moved, even just with
that breath, because I mean we talk about all the time,
you know, it's it's the uters that's really those muscles
that are really contrapping and bringing the baby out down
you know, through the pelvic floor. But it's but you
still kind of have this like feeling that you really
(31:16):
want to kind of like force him out still to
be so trying to kind of control my body to
remain relaxed while all that muscle can be happening in
your belly.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
That was pretty challenging to do for sure.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
But yeah, being able to just kind of like, okay,
I'm going to focus on my throat, that was probably
the biggest piece for me, is just kind of really
focusing here, letting everything else you know, below my below
my chest can I do what it's going to do.
And that was really where I where I focus all
my attention on.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
The breath is so powerful and like you don't even
realize how much of a muscle it is to help
guide the uterus down.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
You know.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I just think it's it's so needed. And you know
a lot of people go through labor and can't get
their babies out vaginally or they'll be up, you know, higher,
or they're not fully dilating. And I do fully believe
that if the pelvic floor is conditioned enough and you
have that opening, then the universe can do its job.
But if the pelvic floor is cemented and super tight
(32:19):
and like the pelvic floors we meet all the time,
all day long, then it takes. It's either gonna be
there's gonna be some damage there with tearing, severe prolapsing,
lots and lots of breath holding and pushing, and or
it's going to turn into a C section, right, and
so yeah, it's just it's such a difference maker. And
(32:41):
I'm just I'm super proud of you. I think it's
amazing that you did. So baby Asher comes.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Into this world three pushes, three breaths, and tell us
how much he.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Made and oh my goodness, so he was nine pounds
one ounce and he was one, I should know how
long he was.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
He was very long. I'd have to look at it
now he's a big boy. But he was perfect once
I sawmember, when they put him on my chest, and
I would just like this like rush of relief, but
also a little bit of like, so we're done.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Yeah, you know it just because it went by so fast,
I couldn't believe. I think from beginning to end it
may have been like seven or eight hours or something,
and it just felt like such a you know.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Forty plus week build up and then and then it's
just over in an instant and then here's your baby.
But yeah, he had a lot of a lot of
meat to him. Yeah, goodness. And to share you didn't tear, no, no, yeah, my.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
My pulc floor held up miraculously while I would say yeah, no,
no tearing, no, you know, no stitches.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Didn't really have to worry much about about the paranem
it all. Actually yeah great. So does that mean you
don't mean peltic floor work postpartum?
Speaker 3 (34:05):
Oh no, no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Tell us what tell us?
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Yeah? So so what I tell my clients and what
I definitely not have experienced what I believe to be
true is that a lot of what people are dealing
with in their postpartum isn't just the effects of what
happened during your delivery. Like a lot of those these
things are happening during your pregnancy, and so regardless of
you know, there are some people right like they knew
whether the baby if they aren't able to have a
badulum delivery because of baby's position or other issues if
(34:33):
they's them's can be a little bit disheartening when you put.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
On all this work during your pregnancy.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
But but the truth is is that all of that
work you're doing your pregnancy is still equally as important
regardless of how the baby is born because of all
the A lot of times, again, what is not just
just just the tear or just you know, a long
pushing time, and that's what and that's why you have,
you know, these public floor dysfunctions that your your your
(35:00):
body has changed over a year, truly, Yeah, and so
and so all of those changes, that's what. That's a
lot of times what people are dealing with in their
postparton period or all those things are that happened in
your first, second, and third trimester. It's not just those
you know, twenty four hours that that we're trying to rehab.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
It's the whole year. It's the whole year. All the
body changes.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Yeah, and so then to think that you're just going
to go into an exercise class at six to eight
weeks is kind of a joke. Oh yeah, but the
body is like so miraculous that compensating that like people
get away with that, you know, and especially like you
want to get back, you want to feel normal, you
want your energy back.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
So you're back in pilates, you're back.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
At F forty five, you're doing Orange theory, and you're
six eight weeks postpartum, and like, okay, but like your
body's compensating and you need to address.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Like getting your core strong again.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
And so I think that's where it's like you, regardless
of how this baby came out of your body, even
though you had the most perfect delivery, you know, little trauma,
you were strong through your pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
You need to rebuild your core. We need to work
on getting more hydration to your public floor.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
We need to continue to build your core so things
can come back together, so your pelvis can come back together.
Because the reality is, if you didn't do this work,
then like you're probably gonna.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Be walking harder on one leg than the other.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Your SI joint might not be fully lined up, and
that's gonna you know, you might not notice it now
or ten years down the line, maybe not in your
next pregnancy, but in ten fifteen years that could show
up as like severe hit pain you'll need cortizone injections,
turn into the other side knee pain where you're gonna
need injections and then a knee replacement.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Like this is the soliloquy that we talk about all
the time, and that is why it is just so
important to get post prime recovery.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
So absolutely, because I mean, I would say, because it
was kind of tempting, you know, I felt like I
felt I don't want to say I felt good, you know,
immediately postpartum, Like I definitely like I felt like I'd
been run over by a truck a little bit, like
your whole body is sore, like everything, like all of
your muscles are working so hard for this goal.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
But I didn't have, you know, the stitches. I didn't
have a lot of a lot of those other things
to deal with.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
So I would say, what I remember the most is
that there'd be just kind of almost like different parts
of my.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Body that felt so much weaker than others.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
And so it's like, well, maybe maybe my glutes could
have gotten me through like a pilate's workout, but like
my core wouldn't have been able to like my ms,
thighs wouldn't have been able to think there were there
was limiting factors here and there that wouldn't have allowed
me to work at the same level.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
I think that there, maybe.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
Because I may have looked like I had been healed
or walked away unscathed, there was still I could still
feel out of my body. There was still a lot
of work that needed to be done before I could
even that I'm still doing, you know, even six six
months postpartum, that still needs still needs to be done totally.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
I mean, is the book up here, Oh yeah, The
Perfect Well grat.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
In Restoring your Body after Kids, The Secret to avoid
peeing your pants and ach jans as you age. You
can read about how I messed up the first two
postpartum and created a lot more issues for myself because
I didn't have a team supporting me and.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
I didn't have I was a pelvic floor pete. But
you can't do the work yourself. No, the work that
needs to be done you can't really find on an
online program. You can't.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
I can't do enough exercises to rebuild the way that
I need someone to help guide my muscle to rebuild,
to help work out the scar tissue that happens, to
work out and get my organs back into the right places.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Like you just can't do that yourself.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
And I think that's the benefit of working with a
pelvic expert physical therapist.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Okay, and.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Yeah, so you can read about how I messed that
up two times in a row, and then finally for
the third one, I was like, I'm gonna do this
right and take my own advice. But even for the
third one, like I didn't even start. I came in
I saw you right after Jayla, maybe six eight weeks,
but then like I didn't start my course of like
rehab until like six to eight months.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
I think it was eight months or so, and I
had already.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
Started like kind of rebuilding my workout routine and whatnot,
but I like, I had to pair it with this,
And I mean, I'm three, Jayala is going to be
four this summer, and I just started doing like more
crunching a domino work like just started, but I have
a prolaps.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
My friend down, Like, yeah, I have a prolapse.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Like I like, crunches aren't like the end all be all,
but like I do need some flexion strength at some
you know, at the end of the day. And I'm
just starting that process at four years, you know, like
nearly four years, but it wasn't safe enough for me
to do it before then. And I have to be
super cautious that I'm activating my ta I'm using my
breath in order to be able to do that crunch,
(39:53):
you know, so I'm not creating more of a prolapse and.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
I'm not you know, blowing out my core. Hey, I
get it. It's so hard to be patient. Like I definitely,
like as much as I love.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
Being a mom, and like this this new life, like
there's a party that really yearns for familiarity, and so
getting back into the things that you used to enjoy,
like exercise or whatever whatever that thing is, there's a
big push and desire to do that. And so there's
been times where I really had to kind of like
tamper myself down a little bit, Like, you know, I
(40:25):
finally got back into to Plan's classes, but there's still
a lot.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
Of modifying that that I have to do.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
And I have to make sure that I tell the
instructors that I just had a baby this year, your
last year, late last year, and and so I'm doing
a lot of modifying because they sometimes, you know, they they.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Look at me and they're like, oh, well, you should
be able to do this, or.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
Maybe they knew me from before and they're like, oh, okay,
you're fine, You're ready, and it's like, I, you know,
I'm six months postpartum now, but I didn't get I
could do I could do these exportises in the back
of this book. I was able to do that, you know,
in those first you know, two months, but I was
It wasn't until many month three to to where I
could even do like like a ten fifteen to twenty
(41:06):
minute pilates you know exercise which is my chosen ecause
it is pilates. And so it took a lot of
time people to work up to do like like a
fifty sixty minute class, and even then, like I'm taking
lots of breaks, I'm still you know, it took a
whall before I could do a lunch and lungs are
still pretty challenging.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
For me still. You know, my planks are still very
very modified.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
A lot of things are, and you just have to
kind of be okay with that, and that can be
hard to do when you see the rest of the
class doing everything and leaning back into these really cool posts,
like you know, I want to get on the reformer
and do these things, but you just have.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
To be patient with your body totally. Yeah, thank you
for sharing.
Speaker 1 (41:47):
Yeah, cour it's so good asking Yeah, anything else you
want to leave the listeners with.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
Oh gosh, I mean I would say I guess too.
It's just like thinking of back again because now my
day is six months old. Is like how quickly time goes,
Like I feel like time doesn't even exist in the
newborn phase, and so I can definitely identify where, you know,
sometimes it can feel like it takes a little bit
of time to get back.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Into things that are you know, feeding your soul, like
you're like your.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Rehab rehaving your public floor and and so being able
to I just want I want to encourage everyone to
really prioritize that.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
I know how fast four or five six months can
go by.
Speaker 3 (42:25):
But a lot of things, you know, can can happen
in your body in that time that could have been
prevented if you were working with.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
A pelvic floor therapist.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
That really can help to keep to keep you on
the right track, because it's hard, it's hard to really
make the time for yourself.
Speaker 2 (42:42):
It's hard to not just maybe I'll just push through it.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
And always kind of tried to get back into to
the run a little bit too soon. But you don't
want to bear those consequences, and you really deserve to
get the care, you know, as soon as you need it,
which is you know, right at that as soon as
you can.
Speaker 1 (42:58):
What do you say to the people all that are like,
but I Am just going to wait until I'm done
having all my babies to do rehab.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
So don't do that, and don't do that for a
few reasons, you know.
Speaker 3 (43:13):
Now that we're a little bit out, I'm sorry to
kind of think about the next pregnancy, the next berth.
I put a lot of work into and to prepare
my body for for ashure to carry him for a
year and to and to give birth to him and
then to recover from him. And I want to do
that through that same thing, you know, with my next baby.
I feel like that I deserve that. And also it's
going to be a different game. Like I said, I
(43:35):
was able to lay on the couch and rest a
lot in that pregnancy, and it's going to be different
with a toddler.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
I know that. I've seen that with my clients, and
so being able to feel.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Good throughout your pregnancy is so important and it's not
it can be harder when you're twice as busy, not
sleep I.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
Don't think the night. I hope so one day, but
we're not there yet. And so so being able to.
Speaker 3 (43:58):
Give that love to yourself into your body is so important,
and it just becomes more important as your life becomes
more complex and complicated.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
Totally.
Speaker 1 (44:07):
Yeah, yeah, well, thank you for sharing that. I think
it's it's interesting because like the American Gynecological Association ACOD,
they organization, they say, you know, wait space babies out
twelve to eighteen months until you can see again.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
And I think from a nutritional standpoint.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
I do think there's a lot of nutritional aspects that
your body has to restore. We want to make sure
your bones like you're on a good vitamin D and Kelsey,
I hope you are, and just so you have like
your bones are protected as your breastfeeding still, Like I
got pregnant while I was breastfeeding Chloe, you know, and.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
So we were still breastfeeding.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
I was pregnant through halfway through my second pregnancy and
intentionally like that's what I wanted, and I didn't. I
wanted my kids space to like that, you know. So
and I just think when you but my pelvic floor
wasn't as happy as yours is going to be. And
I do think that when you do this work, it's
like it's less trauma on your body because you've already
(45:06):
conditioned your muscles so well, you've and you're already started
the rehab and so it's like your body maybe you
guys do conceive that eight months. You know, we have
Alicia in this book she accidentally conceived I think it was.
Her kids are fifteen months apart, right, and so that
was a fun story. So go read the Pregnancy Era
(45:29):
book and you can read a lot of their you know,
a lot of her first stories. But she had done
this pelvic work before her first you know, she had
she was recovering from a.
Speaker 2 (45:39):
Tumor.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
But then she went through our whole fertility program at
the time got pregnant with her first continued pelvic floor
therapy during the first and then through the second you know,
then conceived right away, had very little trauma on the
body because she had been doing this work the.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
Whole entire time. And I do think that there is
an air of like when you are taking care of
your body so well.
Speaker 1 (46:03):
By working with the public flo or physical therapist, getting
adequate nutrition and vitamins and settlements, then you're in a
really good spot to conceive again, even if you decide, okay,
next month, we're pregnant, you know. So I do think
those guidelines like they are the guidelines, but I think
they're the guidelines when you know, you're just kind of
relying on maybe the natural compensations of the body pulling
(46:26):
itself back together right and not facilitating true feeling that
needs to happen. And I don't recommend relying on natural
compensations because that is what leads to a lot of
the soliloquy of hit paid down the line in continence
down the line. If you are concerned about the price
of physical therapy and like the price of getting this care,
(46:48):
I mean, we have payment plans, we have you know,
different options for payment, but the reality is this is
gonna save you money.
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
The incontinence industry, the joint replacement, that stuff is way
more expensive. And by the time you're getting that stuff done,
you don't care about the money because you have the money,
and you more so care about your time and investment
in like wanting to be with your grandchildren or wanting
to be with your own children. You want to be functional,
you don't want to be debilitated, and so invest in yourself.
Speaker 2 (47:17):
Now I cannot say that enough. You know, yes, is it?
Speaker 1 (47:21):
You know, is it might?
Speaker 2 (47:22):
Might it strame? You just take a.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
Payment plan or take that you know, do something something
to help you get the care. Health Care isn't free,
but I will tell you it will just get more
and more expensive as you age.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
So do it now.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
Yeah, I mean, you know, health is wealth, right, and
so being able to be healthy for as long as possible,
that is really what I mean, what's most important at
the end of the day, That's what we that's what
all of our you know, our our finances, our security
is really to keep us safe and to keep us healthy.
And so I think there's no better place to to
be allocating you know, your what your resources to but
(47:58):
to you to yourself into your head.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
Yeah, we all have iPhones, we all have TVs. Somehow
we're listening to this podcast. Like you know, like maybe
you have to sacrifice a little something, but like you
could make it work. And I just think, you know,
and if you don't make time for your health now,
and this is so hard as a new mom, like
you know, I know it is so hard to make
(48:22):
the time.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
But if you don't make time, like you will have
to make time for the sickness.
Speaker 1 (48:28):
That's true, and that sickness is going to take a
lot longer and it's not going to be on your time.
And so I just think that is so important to
keep in mind when we're thinking about the time, the cost,
investment and all of that.
Speaker 2 (48:43):
So I appreciate you coming on and sharing your story or.
Speaker 3 (48:47):
I love you.
Speaker 2 (48:48):
Yeah, I love having you back in the clinic. It's
so nice to be back. It really is nice. Yeah,
so lucky can't wait for you to keep spitting out
these babies episode. See you guys,
Welcome to another episode of the Evans Moms Term podcast.
I am doctor Allison Felt and I'm interviewing doctor Victoria today. So,
as many of you know, doctor Victoria recently gave birth
to a little, sweet, not so little baby Asher and
he is six months just had his six month birthday.
(00:20):
And yeah, so doctor Victoria, she started at Body Motion
a while ago.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
How many years I've been here? Four now?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Four years? Oh my goodness, four in January? Right, yeah, yeah, okay,
so four years I know. And so over the course
before she conceived, she we knew she was going to
start trying to get pregnant. So it was really exciting
because it was kind of like right when you brought
Shockwave in.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, I think you were one.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Of the first people that we were like, we're going
to do this and see if you get knocked up.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
And then it it just happened, and like.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
The fertility protocol was born and it worked and it worked.
And because you had gone a few months without conneving,
So how do you have you want to share?
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I think it was like maybe like month three.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
I want to say, yeah, okay, so totally within the
normal timeframe. So hard to say if it was shockwave
or not. She was also doing all the public floor
work even before that. Oh yeah, so yeah, that that
was really cool.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
So she started the you started the shockwave protocol.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Oh and and so did you know?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
So did Cynthia.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
That other we did a episode was Cynthia, And like,
that's really when I was like, this is the frequency
you're going to do. This is you know what we're
going to stick to, and so yeah, it just all
kind of builds on each other and.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
That what he did. Yeah, that was exciting. So she
conceives And did you.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Feel pretty good through your first trimester from a physical standpoint?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Absolutely, yeah, you know, I felt really great and I
which I needed because I was really sick and so
I'd be having to be in none of the bathroom
all day every day. I was grateful that the rest
of my body was able to really kind of support
my through that.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Honestly, Oh my goodness, that's so hard. Yeah, it was something.
Did you find anything helpful during for the morning sickness?
Speaker 3 (02:07):
It was one of those things where it's like maybe
like something might help that day.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
But then it wouldn't help the next day.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
So don't give me anything that's remotely ginger flavored at
this point. Ever, I can never look at a gingermit
the same ever again.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
But but you know, we got through it. Yeah yeah,
maybe it's a boy thing. I feel like I was
only ever sick with Kano. Yeah, like he made me that,
Like I have that nausea. So maybe with your next
if it's a girl, knock on the wood, I couldn't
imagine feeling that sick with like a toddler.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Yeah, but you know that's how That's how it goes sometimes.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
But people don't excuse me. They do it every day
after I keep telling myself.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Wow, you're incredible.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
You were working seeing a full patient load and yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
And then so it got through the first trimester and
then we were like, Victoria, it is time. We need
to start the pregnancy protocol and really prep your pelvic floor,
pep your pelvis. What that entailed was a lot of
internal work where we really work through the pelvic floor muscles,
all three layers, working on improving the elasticity of the
muscle so it improves the flexibility of how much it
(03:15):
can open. When you improve the flexibility of how much
it can open, you automatically increase the amount that.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
It can contract. Although we're not working on contraction.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
If you're worried like, oh, I'm going to be too weak,
or that's going to make me weak, it does the opposite.
Opening the pelvic floor improves the lengthening, which we call
eccentric strength. And when you have eccentric strength and you
have a lot more ability to get a concentric contraction,
and so that is a really cool phenomenon.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
But it's that motion of getting lengthening.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
That allows the baby to come through the pelvis, allows
vagina to open unrestricted, It allows the pelvis to open more.
So the pelvis is going to open during a vaginal
delivery because of hormones like relaxing, because of hormones like pagestone,
and it allows that flexibility to start occurring in the joints.
(04:07):
Then we get that opening during the delivery process. But
if your pelvic floor is cemented where your glutes and
addictors are really tight, and those are the muscles on
the butt and on the inner thighs, and if those
are really tight, then they don't.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Allow the pelvis to fully open.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
And so part of the pregnancy protocol is really working
through all of these muscle groups to make sure that
you have great elasticy and mobility of the pelvic floor
and then also have mobility of everything that connects to
the pelvis so that the pelvis can have the best
chance at opening during the birthing process.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Thank goodness it did.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, I just you have to share Asher's birth weight.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Get We'll get to the story. We'll get to.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
But so we go through your pregnancy and things are
feeling pretty good, and how.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Often did you get treatment?
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Oh? Man, I tried to get on the schedule. I mean,
I feel like I was really consistent for the second
half of my second trimester, just because that sickness really
didn't let up until I was close to that twenty
week point. But then so once we got to that point,
I was like, okay, we need to switch gears. And
so I really saw I was coming in some of
(05:20):
them even come in twice a week too, almost try
to kind of catch up a little bit, because truthfully,
like I was just getting public four pt even before
I got pregnant, and so I was pretty shocked just
even in those couple of months how different my body felt, just.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
All the hormones, everything that had already changed at that point.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
So after that very first visit, I was like, Okay,
we need to get into this and we need to
really hit it hard and make sure that we're we
go and accomplish our goals, right, And so thank goodness
because I really felt good physically, like really the most
of my pregnancy, truthfully, which I was so grateful for,
because I had a big baby, and I gained a
lot of weight pregnant too, and so I needed the
(06:00):
support of.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
All my muscles and my joints and which help I
could really get.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Truthfully, you want to tell everybody how much we you
I gained at least fifty pounds really, yeah I did?
Speaker 2 (06:10):
Yeah? Yeah, nice.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Yeah. I stopped weighing myself once I got you you,
like thirty six thirty seven weeks. I was like, you know,
I think I've seen enough. Yeah, I get the points.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, we get it.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Yeah, and that's totally fine, and your body's going to
do what it's going to do and that's comfortable with it.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
I was mostly just really focusing on I wanted my
joints to feel really good.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
I didn't want to start to go from now I
have back pain, now I feel it in my knees,
and I want to feeling in my fee I didn't
want to go have that be my experience, yes, and
so I wanted to be as proactive as possible.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
And doing this work is proactive for that. So I'm
absolutely I'm glad that you bring that up. I'm also
glad that you.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Just shared how much you gained. Weight wise, I didn't.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Weigh myself with Jayla because I was already heavy when
I got pregnant with her, and I.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Didn't want to know.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
I didn't want to know I weighed more at the
beginning of her pregnancy that I did the end of
my others, and I just didn't want to have that experience,
and I kind of just let it be. And you know,
I hate the data and like, especially when doctors are like,
you should only gain twenty five pounds or only gain
It's like you're growing a huge right, the body is
(07:12):
gonna do what the body's gonna do. And also when
we're all gaining this much weight, but yet the research
is showing that we're protein deficient in our third trimesters
and fourth trimesters, like there's a reason we're consuming calories
and maybe like maybe the protein deficiency.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
We're not getting the right amount of nutrition.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
I don't know, but like there's a reason we're putting
on the weight, and like it's not permanent, Like it's
more than just baby. It's the antiotic fluid, it's the
blood volumes, fluid.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
So much fluid about your face, get into the fluid.
It's a little bit.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Sure. I mean I was pretty surprised just how much yeah,
just how much puffy are everything?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Sorry to really get.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
I'm looking back in my pictures now trying I was
actually talking with my girlfriends who she was trying to
get idea of, you know, how how much weight she
should expect to how much bigger she's going to get.
So I had to look back and out of my
pictures to kind of see, you know, how my body
was changing.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And I could just see like my in my hands
and in my face.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
And you really do you just get so I think
I've probably took off my rings maybe at maybe month seven,
I want to say, and I couldn't get them back
on until at least two or three months postpartum. But man,
and then of course, once once labor began, then you
really see how much how much fluid you have abdominantly
and it's it's pretty impressive actually, really how how your
(08:35):
body is really doing what it needs to do.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah yeah, okay, So I skipped over this and I
want you to go back to what was you were like,
this was in line with the goal.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
So, like you just said your experience, you wanted to
make sure.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
You didn't have me pain. You want to make sure
you didn't have me pain. You knew what to do
to prevent that. Most of our listeners don't know what
to do to prevent that. So, just to make it
really clear, working with the pelvic expert, physical therapist, someone
who's going to balance all the muscles around on your pelvis.
That's what keeps your joints paying free. That is the
golden ticket. It's not about how much you go to
the gym. And because the tighter you are, the harder
(09:10):
it's going to be on your joints. And so working
with someone who can help read your body and balance
your body is what's going to take the stress off
of your joins and just leave you feeling really good.
We didn't, you know, I talked a little bit about
in another episode with Doctor Katrina her birth experience and
how we connect so much mentally to the pelvic floor
for training the peblic floor, and we can dive into
(09:30):
that too. But the other thing I think it's important
to know is doctor Victoria's also said in line with
the goal, So your goal was to have a vaginal delivery,
tell us about your plans.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
Yeah, So, so my birth plan, I really wanted to
have a vagualin delivery. I wanted to have a nice
efficient birth. I was hoping for a nice efficient pushing
stage and we all to move through labor as effectively
as possible.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
But I also really and it spent a lot of
my time laboring at home.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
I knew that I was going to be where I
was most comfortable, and being able to be relaxed and
comfortable was something that I knew it was going to
be important to me. So I wanted to make sure
that I had a really nice, good space, and so
I had a doula there with me, and I really
worked hard to make sure that I was able to
kind of redirect or connect with my body through those
(10:21):
contractions in any of those moments where that felt a
little bit over the top or uncomfortable, that I wanted
able to kind of reframe them, I guess, And so
laboring at home was really my number one.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Thing was to do that.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Yeah, and then you were also delivering at a birth center, yeah,
with a midwife, and that was all part of the
game plan. And when you decide that you're going to
birth a birth center, that means you're opting out of
an epidurl so you don't have that kind of pain control.
You get to use your breath as your pain control. Yeah,
let's dive a little deeper. Just I think this is
a cool question. How did you find your doula?
Speaker 2 (10:56):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (10:57):
I took a birth class, and so I actually from
the birth class educator, she gave me a couple of
doula recommendations.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Nice, and then it actually had.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Had she had kind of there was a little bit
of overlap there because I think also the company was
advertised at my birth center.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
And then just ended up. It felt so just.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Like serendipitous that my doula knew that my midwife. They
had actually my midwife had delivered my doula's baby and
they had worked together as well, and so I just
felt like very like just like I just felt perfect really, Oh,
nice do you want to shout out your dola, Lee
McBride that without.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
You, well, I take her because I think that's it's
a good recommendation. Like you want to get recommendations from people,
and you obviously have to vibe with people.
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Did you interview multiple.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I did, Yeah, yeah, I interviewed a few, and you're
so right, and really there was this kind of like connection.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
I mean, yeah, like you want we.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Want people to have like lots of experience and and
and all of that, but then there also kind of
just is this like personality vibe feel you know, I
want people to want I wanted.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
My doula to feel not not mothering.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
I knew I didn't really want that feel, but I
want her to feel like she was kind of like
my partner with my teammate.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
And I really wanted.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Somebody that was going to be able to say, Okay,
now it's time to leave, or now it's time to
change positions. I wanted to be able to kind of
take my you know, brain, my brain on of it
a little bit, just gonna focus on my own body
and let somebody else kind of be able to redirect
or kind of like nudge me in a direction that
I should go And she was really perfect for that, truly.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Oh that's such a good that's such a good statement.
I feel like as a doctor, you have you hold
so many people's stories, and so it is hard to
keep your brain like so high vibe, so focused on
your labor and not go down the like, oh but
this client had that during this experience, and this client
had this, and is that going to be my story?
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And oh god, am I getting closer to a CE session?
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Like these are things that go through the brain when
you're in labor, especially when you hold so many people's
stories like we do all day long.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Every day we're talking to people who've had traumatic.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Deliveries and or didn't come here during pregnancy, and so
they've had these wild experiences with a lot of trauma,
physical trauma and mental trauma, right, and so we hear
those stories and there comes a time and a place,
you know. When I was pregnant with Jayla, I stopped working.
I think in April I was doing July. Part that
was my hands didn't work anymore, but also it was
(13:28):
my brain, like I was like, I need to just
be clear and free of other people's stories right now,
And just like fully focus on myself and thank goodness
I had you in doctor Riley to like take the
reins and treat, you know, treat all the clients and
carry it on at the time.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Now we have so many people I know, but so.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
How I guess what I think is beneficial, especially if
I mean, I don't know how many of our listeners
are like healthcare people, but you always have those friends
that tell you their stories. So how did you keep
your mind like focused on like this is the goal,
this is the plan.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
How am I going to say high by? What was
your mindset in your labor man?
Speaker 3 (14:07):
That's a really good question and it's so true to
because really not just healthcare providers, I think. I think
I think just as a pregnant person, people just want
to connect and share their stories, and they just want
to they want to tell you what it was like
for them.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
And so even if it could.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Just be at the grocery store and someone's going to
tell you about their experience. And sometimes with experiences, you
know that can be positive or negative depending on what happened,
and that can affect you in any kind number of ways.
And so being able to keep yourself grounded for that
I think was really important for me and I and
I don't know if it was just a lucky month,
(14:44):
but I had lots of people delivering the same time
that I was, and so there was a lot of
bursts that I had kind of in my mind going
into to my own.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
Birth for sure, which which was kind of kind of
kind of fun.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Definitely, once it kind of got down to the wire,
You're like, man, I really need to like focus in
on mine.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Why I stopped working.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
About thirty eight weeks, I want to say thirty seven
or third thirty eight, and so I really use those
last couple of weeks to really kind of focus in
on myself and in my own body and my own journey.
But kind of sick preparing at home alone a little
bit kind of like in self solitude in a way.
But I think that was actually really really a really
great thing that I did, because I mean a lot
(15:26):
of the birth really is I mean, you have like
your support people there, but you're.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Doing it alone. You know, it really is kind of
like between like.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
You and your baby and your body, and so being
able to just kind of shut out everything was was
really helpful.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Yeah, that's such a good like it's that's so important.
Speaker 3 (15:44):
I loved it.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Yeah, And I think that just speaks the truth though,
Like it really is a solo process and it's a
journey that you go on.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Yeah, and and so the more that you believe.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
In yourself, Like, yes, a smart system is obviously amazing,
and some people need more sport than others, but like
it's a journey that you go on, Like your partner
can't deliver this baby, your pelvity floor, physical.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
Theorist can't deliver this baby.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
There's no passing the baton to the next person, like
you have to do it yourself.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
And I think that's the confidence that going through our
birth prep protocol gives you, Like it gives you that confidence,
like I know.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
My pelvit floor can open. I know my pelvis can open.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
There's not a second thought that like even if my
baby's fifteen pounds, like this baby's common out of my vagina,
Like my pelt floor is going to open and stretch,
my palvis is gonna stretch, Like that's the evolution. We're
stuck in a forest. This is going down right, Like
there you go, this is happening. It is, So I
just think that's a good Like it's so true.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
It's a so low solo journey and you come out
a completely different person. Oh yeah, it's so transformative.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
I remember, just in like the last couple of weeks,
I had the honors of being like, you're a therapist
and like getting to treat you and that was super
fun for me. And you would just show up like
I know you felt like crap, but you just looked
like you're always so put together. You're like I'm like, okay,
like you do you know, like she just if you know,
an after Victoria at all, Like she is always dressed
(17:09):
in the nines, like she just has it all together.
And so it's just it was fun to be a
part of like those last few you know moments you
might have felt disheveled and like ah, but like it
was you just wore it so well and I'm.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Excited for your next one. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
I was having soaking up the bump, like I couldn't
wait to show I couldn't wait to get to dress
up the bump.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
It was really fun. I loved being pregnant. Yeah. Wow,
even with the sickness for twenty weeks. You know, it's weird.
I know it was weird. Messed up evolution. But you know,
it was also a.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Really good opportunity to like force myself to like rest
and relax. And sometimes it can be hard to like
lay on the couch and do nothing. And it was
a lot of cycle, so you need to be doing
right now. It's just like a resting and like pri
pressing rest, and so there was so there are some
pauses that came out of that too.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
Sure, yeah, I love that. Okay, shall we should we
get into it the nitty gritty Yeah, guess no.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Doctor Victoria's first story. It's so good and I'm just
super honored that you're gonna share it.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
So take the stage, thank you. Tell us how I
love telling the story.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
And so so, like I said, I took a couple
of weeks off before before I gave birth, and it
was so in those weeks, I definitely got to experience
a lot of like the fault or the prodromo labor,
the contractions that would kind of start and then they
would kind of fizzle out, and I get woke in
the bad of my sleep now and think, okay, now
here we go, this is happening.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
And of course, you know, my mom delivered early and
people are like.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Oh, it's looking at my belly like, Oh, the baby's
for sure going to be here any minute now. And
so I didn't really know what to expect, right, So
there's a lot of kind of like start and stop,
start and stop for those last couple of weeks. And
then he was born the day after his due date.
So I went to bed that night and I'm wondering, again,
am I gonna wake up pregnant or am I not
gonna make up pregnant? What's gonna happen?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
And so about maybe like fourish in the morning, I
turn over in bed and then we get like the
gush of water. And so I had a high leak.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
And so if you don't know what that is, you
don't get like the big like movie gush, but it's
kind of more like like like like a trickle, almost
as if you were to peede your pants. Fortunately I
had did not experience urinary leaking during pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
But at the end, I was like, well, maybe was
that what that was?
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Was Clay?
Speaker 2 (19:30):
I just rolled over in bed and I was like, well,
is that my water was that pee?
Speaker 3 (19:35):
And I'm not really totally sure, and so I just
kind of like laid there waiting to see what's going
to happen.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
I got out of bed and then it was very
obvious that my water had broken. But still again, it's
four in the morning, and I'm thinking, this is my
first time. Maybe this is gonna write. This is going
on for you know, a day or longer.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
So I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna really kick myself for
not resting while I can rest. So I really tried
to get myself back back into bed, put a towel down,
back to sleep, and I was able to stay there
and be for you know, at least a couple more hours,
because it really wasn't maybe until it's say, like nine am,
until things started to really feel more of those like
rhythmic contractions.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
And that was for me a big moment because I
was like, oh, this is this, is this enough?
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Something's happening now, but put me know, after like weeks
of something might be happening, nothing's happening, might be happening,
nothing's happening us.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
So that was very exciting moment. Okay, now I really
feel that rhythm that people are talking about, but all
still felt really manageable, and it really stayed like.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
That for a few hours, and so I was able
to kind of time my own contractions, kind of hang
that on the couch while I was doing a lot
of cleaning.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
I really needed like the like my.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
Like nice relaxing space to be nice and clean and pristine.
And so I'm putting dishes away and I'm trying of
vacuum and get everything all sorted. My husband's like, please
sit DOWNE, please sit DOWNE, please stop doing things. And yeah,
things felt just like really good, really manageable. But I
feel like we were on a really good path. And
maybe it wasn't until the afternoon where things got a
(21:06):
little bit spicier and I felt like I heard and.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
I needed more of like my husband to support me
during the contractions.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
I needed him to be the one that was timing
things because at that point I had already reached out
to my midwife, I had reached out to my doula,
but it was just Anthony and I at home, and
so we were just sending all this data, you know,
to everybody, just to kind of let them know, you know,
how we were doing at that point. Everyone you know,
my my dulo is going to come over at some point.
(21:31):
But midwife was like, oh, I might see you today,
I might see it tomorrow. So we really don't know
what what's what's going to happen yet.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
I like that they didn't put you on a clock.
I didn't put you. They were like, just hang out
with your resident at home. Yeah, totally, it's amazing. Yeah,
I all felt like very chill, shout out your midwives
and the birth center.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Oh yeah, So I was at a Puget Sound Bert
Center and Heather was was my midwife.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Yeah she's fantastic. You could care to work with her,
you'll you'll love her. She's I hear, amazing. Yeah, she's
she's very best, special, special person.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
And so I remember distinctly because it was three o'clock
and that's when I'm like, okay, I want to get
into the shower. I want I want to get into
some water and let's see how that feels. Because things
they're starting to get definitely a lot more uncomfortable. I
need a little bit more help to stand and move
around the house. So we get upstairs, get in the shower.
I'm texting my doula Lee from the shower, it's time
(22:26):
to come.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
I need your help. And she was there pretty quickly after,
So we had a good shower.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
I'm glad that I got in there and kind of
felt that it was actually very refreshing, even when I
benched there so to just kind of sit in the
shower let the water fall on me, and it felt amazing.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
I like loved that that moment.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
But once I got out of the shower, definitely I
was like, Okay, this is no longer early labor.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
This is very active.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Things are moved pretty quickly, because it was probably from
maybe like three to five, so I got about like
two hours.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
We already on the way to the birtht center.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
Okay, talk us through that a little bit, because we
talk to our clients about like it is so essential
that you stay relaxed, that you keep breathing. So are
you working on your breath during this time? And then
how are you like keeping yourself calm and in that
state as you transition to the first center.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Yeah, So, so I would say first distraction worked, and
then I moved to music and meditation, and then the
music was too distracting, and so I just needed to
focus on my breath and just really tapping into those
low guttural vocal tones felt so good. To me during it,
during those phases, and so a lot of a lot
(23:38):
of rocking, a lot of humming, a lot of load low,
little animalistic you might kind of say tones. But that
all felt so good and so right to me at
that at that point. And was it?
Speaker 2 (23:52):
What was your other question? Like?
Speaker 1 (23:53):
What so as you transition to the birth center, Oh, okay,
so you're out of the shower, You're gonna.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Have to get in the car.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
And we always tell people, like a lot of times
wherever you're going to deliver the baby, sometimes you're you'll
kind of regress in labor a little bit just because
of the sympathetic nervous system ramping up because you're transitioning.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
You know, you're moving your life hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
So how did you what was what were the thoughts
going through your mind as you get in the car,
as you're driving to the birth center. How are you
staying in that like down regulated, relaxed pair of sympathetic stands.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
So I was just I felt that I really just
like sunk into my body, like I couldn't even really
tell you what happened on that fifteen eighteen minute.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Drive could to the birth center. I remember at the
towards the end.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
We're still at home, and mydula had called the midwife
so she could listen to me. She wanted to hear
what I sounded like, to see is it time to
come in? Could you maybe labor a little bit longer?
And she thought somehow I sounded maybe I could go
another like half hour, maybe I probably least another like
me three minutes.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
I could tell my body was so ready to push.
I could.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
I could feel that that pressure, and so I was like, no,
it's time to go. And so I was actually the persone.
Speaker 2 (25:04):
Out the door. It was me and then my doula
and my husband were shortly behind me.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
And we had used the east end the elections on
my back and that actually was really helpful in the
car ride because I really really loved all like the
counter pressure that they provided really helping to kind of
support and stabilize around my hips, which each each of
those contractions. So the so the yeah, that that east
end was felt really good during during that time. And yeah,
(25:32):
so so on the car ride, my eyes were closed
the whole time, and yeah, I was just in the car,
I was feeling those contractions.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
I felt a lot of that that low low pressure.
I could tell that that it was we were we
were there, and the thank goodness, it was only again.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
I mean, I only remember having three contractions, so I
don't know how how quickly we got there, but we
got there pretty quick. It felt like it was just
like a blink of a night and we were there,
and that we got to the birth We got to
our birthing suite, walked in right away and just kind
of sat in the bed and hung out forget another
contraction or two.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
And by the time that they had looked at my
vitals and Astra's vitals, it's what we were that we
were doing well. I was nine and a half centimeters dilated. Yeah,
so I really so I must have at that.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Point transitioned in the car, which did feel a little
bit intense, but thank goodness, tell a little bit a
little bit intense, but to.
Speaker 2 (26:27):
The breathing and just trying to keep my body as
relaxed as possible.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Love that and yeah, I think just like keep my
eyes closed, and there was a couple of times I
would just kind of opened my eyes just to peak
to see where we were. We young four or five, Okay,
we're off that we're on the on ramp or we're
off the exit. Okay, kind of get an idea, but
I just you know, let my husband get us there.
I just kind of focus on me.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
I love that for you, And I think that's one
of the things I talk about in the birth prep
class all the time, like just put sunglasses on or
wrap a towel around your head when you're you know,
you're leaving your house to go to wherever you're over,
just to try and stay in that trance as much
as you can.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Yeah, but I cannot tell you how happy I was
when they checked my cervix and I and it was
time to push. She was like, Okay, there was just
like a little a little cervical lip there that was
preventing you to go to going to ten. So at
that point they were like, let's get her in the
tub and let's.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Go and let's get this get this party started.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
I love that for you.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Thank you. Did you have like the rectal pressure, like,
did you feel the urges to push even and I'm
going to have centimeters so you felt like your body
could have kind of probably gone through that that lip?
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Oh yeah, and we and we did. She she said,
she just just pushed through it and and it was
no problem for us.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
But yes, I remember in that I'm that car ride
feeling so much of that reptile pressure because I kept
waiting to feel that at home or if my baby
was sunny side up, so I was thinking to feel
a lot more like back labor, which I didn't feel
that either.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
I was just waiting, so I was waiting to see something.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
I felt at a lot of pressure on my pubic
bone in the front of my actimen, and that's what
I remember feeling the most. And I think because of
his positioning facing my belly instead of towards my spine.
I had my brakes, my rest weren't rests, so so
that was kind of the one thing that they were
really trying to help with positioning to get him in
a more ideal position.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
So that at my contractions continue to be more rhythmic.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
We kind of lost a little of that read them,
but that was just my body really trying to work
to get him in the in the right spot.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
And but that rocked on pressure I remember that definitely
came once I got into the car. I felt like
he was just I felt I was almost sitting on him. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Yeah, that's great. That's how you know they're there when
you're sitting on him, right, that's right. That's a lot
on the tailbone to bear. But yeah, fantastic. Okay, So
you get in the tub, yeah, tell us about this.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
Yeah, I guess.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
So I get in the tub, and I'll prevase to
say that I really had no intention to have a birth.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
I was open to getting into the water.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I liked taking baths bamber feeling really hot, so I
wasn't totally sure if.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I was gonna like being in like warm water, how
that was gonna feel.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
I figured I would maybe labor in the tube a
little bit, then I would then give birth it, you know,
and i'd practiced some of the birthing positions anticipating to
give birth in the bed.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
That is not at all what happened.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
I got into that water, and the water felt really good,
and I was able to get into the right position
to help advance past that that cervical lip and I
must have been We were probably at the birth center
for a what like twenty minutes, and I got right
into the water and then he was born twenty minutes later, okay, which.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Was fantastic, So we didn't spend a lot of time there.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Actually, Hamberg, Heather's telling me that we spent more time
doing paperwork after the birth than I actually was like
having the baby, which was one of the goals for
sure too. I just wanted to kind of make it
out again being at home as much as possible. Yeah,
but yeah, I remember loving how weightless I felt. And
(30:04):
I guess I shouldn't say I was totally weightless because
it was really not.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Look at the pictures. That was my husband. He was
holding me up the whole.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Time out by my arms, kind of like in this
like kind of like elevated bridge position. And Heather was
working hard to get him to turn because he still
was he was wrapped around in his cord.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
I think that was why I would was preventing him
to to turning.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
And we were doing all all the spinning babies, all
the walking, all the things, and he would turn, but
he would stay there.
Speaker 2 (30:30):
And so so she was working hard, you know, under
the water to get him where I needed to be.
And yeah, it was just a handful of pushes and
he was there. Yeah. Okay, so were you able to
use your breath to push him out. Yeah, okay, what
did that look like? Like a lot again, a lot
of like low open.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
My I used my voice a lot low tones, so
I really tapped into what I was using just to.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
Kind of get the most contractions. Once things got a.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
Little bit spicier and it was it was incredible to
feel how much how much he moved, even just with
that breath, because I mean we talk about all the time,
you know, it's it's the uters that's really those muscles
that are really contrapping and bringing the baby out down
you know, through the pelvic floor. But it's but you
still kind of have this like feeling that you really
(31:16):
want to kind of like force him out still to
be so trying to kind of control my body to
remain relaxed while all that muscle can be happening in
your belly.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
That was pretty challenging to do for sure.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
But yeah, being able to just kind of like, okay,
I'm going to focus on my throat, that was probably
the biggest piece for me, is just kind of really
focusing here, letting everything else you know, below my below
my chest can I do what it's going to do.
And that was really where I where I focus all
my attention on.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
The breath is so powerful and like you don't even
realize how much of a muscle it is to help
guide the uterus down.
Speaker 3 (31:55):
You know.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I just think it's it's so needed. And you know
a lot of people go through labor and can't get
their babies out vaginally or they'll be up, you know, higher,
or they're not fully dilating. And I do fully believe
that if the pelvic floor is conditioned enough and you
have that opening, then the universe can do its job.
But if the pelvic floor is cemented and super tight
(32:19):
and like the pelvic floors we meet all the time,
all day long, then it takes. It's either gonna be
there's gonna be some damage there with tearing, severe prolapsing,
lots and lots of breath holding and pushing, and or
it's going to turn into a C section, right, and
so yeah, it's just it's such a difference maker. And
(32:41):
I'm just I'm super proud of you. I think it's
amazing that you did. So baby Asher comes.
Speaker 2 (32:46):
Into this world three pushes, three breaths, and tell us
how much he.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Made and oh my goodness, so he was nine pounds
one ounce and he was one, I should know how
long he was.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
He was very long. I'd have to look at it
now he's a big boy. But he was perfect once
I sawmember, when they put him on my chest, and
I would just like this like rush of relief, but
also a little bit of like, so we're done.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Yeah, you know it just because it went by so fast,
I couldn't believe. I think from beginning to end it
may have been like seven or eight hours or something,
and it just felt like such a you know.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Forty plus week build up and then and then it's
just over in an instant and then here's your baby.
But yeah, he had a lot of a lot of
meat to him. Yeah, goodness. And to share you didn't tear, no, no, yeah, my.
Speaker 3 (33:48):
My pulc floor held up miraculously while I would say yeah, no,
no tearing, no, you know, no stitches.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
Didn't really have to worry much about about the paranem
it all. Actually yeah great. So does that mean you
don't mean peltic floor work postpartum?
Speaker 3 (34:05):
Oh no, no, no, no.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Tell us what tell us?
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Yeah? So so what I tell my clients and what
I definitely not have experienced what I believe to be
true is that a lot of what people are dealing
with in their postpartum isn't just the effects of what
happened during your delivery. Like a lot of those these
things are happening during your pregnancy, and so regardless of
you know, there are some people right like they knew
whether the baby if they aren't able to have a
badulum delivery because of baby's position or other issues if
(34:33):
they's them's can be a little bit disheartening when you put.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
On all this work during your pregnancy.
Speaker 3 (34:37):
But but the truth is is that all of that
work you're doing your pregnancy is still equally as important
regardless of how the baby is born because of all
the A lot of times, again, what is not just
just just the tear or just you know, a long
pushing time, and that's what and that's why you have,
you know, these public floor dysfunctions that your your your
(35:00):
body has changed over a year, truly, Yeah, and so
and so all of those changes, that's what. That's a
lot of times what people are dealing with in their
postparton period or all those things are that happened in
your first, second, and third trimester. It's not just those
you know, twenty four hours that that we're trying to rehab.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
It's the whole year. It's the whole year. All the
body changes.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Yeah, and so then to think that you're just going
to go into an exercise class at six to eight
weeks is kind of a joke. Oh yeah, but the
body is like so miraculous that compensating that like people
get away with that, you know, and especially like you
want to get back, you want to feel normal, you
want your energy back.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
So you're back in pilates, you're back.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
At F forty five, you're doing Orange theory, and you're
six eight weeks postpartum, and like, okay, but like your
body's compensating and you need to address.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Like getting your core strong again.
Speaker 1 (35:54):
And so I think that's where it's like you, regardless
of how this baby came out of your body, even
though you had the most perfect delivery, you know, little trauma,
you were strong through your pregnancy.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
You need to rebuild your core. We need to work
on getting more hydration to your public floor.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
We need to continue to build your core so things
can come back together, so your pelvis can come back together.
Because the reality is, if you didn't do this work,
then like you're probably gonna.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
Be walking harder on one leg than the other.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Your SI joint might not be fully lined up, and
that's gonna you know, you might not notice it now
or ten years down the line, maybe not in your
next pregnancy, but in ten fifteen years that could show
up as like severe hit pain you'll need cortizone injections,
turn into the other side knee pain where you're gonna
need injections and then a knee replacement.
Speaker 2 (36:42):
Like this is the soliloquy that we talk about all
the time, and that is why it is just so
important to get post prime recovery.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
So absolutely, because I mean, I would say, because it
was kind of tempting, you know, I felt like I
felt I don't want to say I felt good, you know,
immediately postpartum, Like I definitely like I felt like I'd
been run over by a truck a little bit, like
your whole body is sore, like everything, like all of
your muscles are working so hard for this goal.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
But I didn't have, you know, the stitches. I didn't
have a lot of a lot of those other things
to deal with.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
So I would say, what I remember the most is
that there'd be just kind of almost like different parts
of my.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Body that felt so much weaker than others.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
And so it's like, well, maybe maybe my glutes could
have gotten me through like a pilate's workout, but like
my core wouldn't have been able to like my ms,
thighs wouldn't have been able to think there were there
was limiting factors here and there that wouldn't have allowed
me to work at the same level.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
I think that there, maybe.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
Because I may have looked like I had been healed
or walked away unscathed, there was still I could still
feel out of my body. There was still a lot
of work that needed to be done before I could
even that I'm still doing, you know, even six six
months postpartum, that still needs still needs to be done totally.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
I mean, is the book up here, Oh yeah, The
Perfect Well grat.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
In Restoring your Body after Kids, The Secret to avoid
peeing your pants and ach jans as you age. You
can read about how I messed up the first two
postpartum and created a lot more issues for myself because
I didn't have a team supporting me and.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
I didn't have I was a pelvic floor pete. But
you can't do the work yourself. No, the work that
needs to be done you can't really find on an
online program. You can't.
Speaker 1 (38:27):
I can't do enough exercises to rebuild the way that
I need someone to help guide my muscle to rebuild,
to help work out the scar tissue that happens, to
work out and get my organs back into the right places.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Like you just can't do that yourself.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
And I think that's the benefit of working with a
pelvic expert physical therapist.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Okay, and.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Yeah, so you can read about how I messed that
up two times in a row, and then finally for
the third one, I was like, I'm gonna do this
right and take my own advice. But even for the
third one, like I didn't even start. I came in
I saw you right after Jayla, maybe six eight weeks,
but then like I didn't start my course of like
rehab until like six to eight months.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
I think it was eight months or so, and I
had already.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
Started like kind of rebuilding my workout routine and whatnot,
but I like, I had to pair it with this,
And I mean, I'm three, Jayala is going to be
four this summer, and I just started doing like more
crunching a domino work like just started, but I have
a prolaps.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
My friend down, Like, yeah, I have a prolapse.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Like I like, crunches aren't like the end all be all,
but like I do need some flexion strength at some
you know, at the end of the day. And I'm
just starting that process at four years, you know, like
nearly four years, but it wasn't safe enough for me
to do it before then. And I have to be
super cautious that I'm activating my ta I'm using my
breath in order to be able to do that crunch,
(39:53):
you know, so I'm not creating more of a prolapse and.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
I'm not you know, blowing out my core. Hey, I
get it. It's so hard to be patient. Like I definitely,
like as much as I love.
Speaker 3 (40:04):
Being a mom, and like this this new life, like
there's a party that really yearns for familiarity, and so
getting back into the things that you used to enjoy,
like exercise or whatever whatever that thing is, there's a
big push and desire to do that. And so there's
been times where I really had to kind of like
tamper myself down a little bit, Like, you know, I
(40:25):
finally got back into to Plan's classes, but there's still
a lot.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
Of modifying that that I have to do.
Speaker 3 (40:31):
And I have to make sure that I tell the
instructors that I just had a baby this year, your
last year, late last year, and and so I'm doing
a lot of modifying because they sometimes, you know, they they.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Look at me and they're like, oh, well, you should
be able to do this, or.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
Maybe they knew me from before and they're like, oh, okay,
you're fine, You're ready, and it's like, I, you know,
I'm six months postpartum now, but I didn't get I
could do I could do these exportises in the back
of this book. I was able to do that, you know,
in those first you know, two months, but I was
It wasn't until many month three to to where I
could even do like like a ten fifteen to twenty
(41:06):
minute pilates you know exercise which is my chosen ecause
it is pilates. And so it took a lot of
time people to work up to do like like a
fifty sixty minute class, and even then, like I'm taking
lots of breaks, I'm still you know, it took a
whall before I could do a lunch and lungs are
still pretty challenging.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
For me still. You know, my planks are still very
very modified.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
A lot of things are, and you just have to
kind of be okay with that, and that can be
hard to do when you see the rest of the
class doing everything and leaning back into these really cool posts,
like you know, I want to get on the reformer
and do these things, but you just have.
Speaker 2 (41:43):
To be patient with your body totally. Yeah, thank you
for sharing.
Speaker 1 (41:47):
Yeah, cour it's so good asking Yeah, anything else you
want to leave the listeners with.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
Oh gosh, I mean I would say I guess too.
It's just like thinking of back again because now my
day is six months old. Is like how quickly time goes,
Like I feel like time doesn't even exist in the
newborn phase, and so I can definitely identify where, you know,
sometimes it can feel like it takes a little bit
of time to get back.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Into things that are you know, feeding your soul, like
you're like your.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Rehab rehaving your public floor and and so being able
to I just want I want to encourage everyone to
really prioritize that.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
I know how fast four or five six months can
go by.
Speaker 3 (42:25):
But a lot of things, you know, can can happen
in your body in that time that could have been
prevented if you were working with.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
A pelvic floor therapist.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
That really can help to keep to keep you on
the right track, because it's hard, it's hard to really
make the time for yourself.
Speaker 2 (42:42):
It's hard to not just maybe I'll just push through it.
Speaker 3 (42:44):
And always kind of tried to get back into to
the run a little bit too soon. But you don't
want to bear those consequences, and you really deserve to
get the care, you know, as soon as you need it,
which is you know, right at that as soon as
you can.
Speaker 1 (42:58):
What do you say to the people all that are like,
but I Am just going to wait until I'm done
having all my babies to do rehab.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
So don't do that, and don't do that for a
few reasons, you know.
Speaker 3 (43:13):
Now that we're a little bit out, I'm sorry to
kind of think about the next pregnancy, the next berth.
I put a lot of work into and to prepare
my body for for ashure to carry him for a
year and to and to give birth to him and
then to recover from him. And I want to do
that through that same thing, you know, with my next baby.
I feel like that I deserve that. And also it's
going to be a different game. Like I said, I
(43:35):
was able to lay on the couch and rest a
lot in that pregnancy, and it's going to be different
with a toddler.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
I know that. I've seen that with my clients, and
so being able to feel.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Good throughout your pregnancy is so important and it's not
it can be harder when you're twice as busy, not
sleep I.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
Don't think the night. I hope so one day, but
we're not there yet. And so so being able to.
Speaker 3 (43:58):
Give that love to yourself into your body is so important,
and it just becomes more important as your life becomes
more complex and complicated.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
Totally.
Speaker 1 (44:07):
Yeah, yeah, well, thank you for sharing that. I think
it's it's interesting because like the American Gynecological Association ACOD,
they organization, they say, you know, wait space babies out
twelve to eighteen months until you can see again.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
And I think from a nutritional standpoint.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
I do think there's a lot of nutritional aspects that
your body has to restore. We want to make sure
your bones like you're on a good vitamin D and Kelsey,
I hope you are, and just so you have like
your bones are protected as your breastfeeding still, Like I
got pregnant while I was breastfeeding Chloe, you know, and.
Speaker 2 (44:45):
So we were still breastfeeding.
Speaker 1 (44:45):
I was pregnant through halfway through my second pregnancy and
intentionally like that's what I wanted, and I didn't. I
wanted my kids space to like that, you know. So
and I just think when you but my pelvic floor
wasn't as happy as yours is going to be. And
I do think that when you do this work, it's
like it's less trauma on your body because you've already
(45:06):
conditioned your muscles so well, you've and you're already started
the rehab and so it's like your body maybe you
guys do conceive that eight months. You know, we have
Alicia in this book she accidentally conceived I think it was.
Her kids are fifteen months apart, right, and so that
was a fun story. So go read the Pregnancy Era
(45:29):
book and you can read a lot of their you know,
a lot of her first stories. But she had done
this pelvic work before her first you know, she had
she was recovering from a.
Speaker 2 (45:39):
Tumor.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
But then she went through our whole fertility program at
the time got pregnant with her first continued pelvic floor
therapy during the first and then through the second you know,
then conceived right away, had very little trauma on the
body because she had been doing this work the.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
Whole entire time. And I do think that there is
an air of like when you are taking care of
your body so well.
Speaker 1 (46:03):
By working with the public flo or physical therapist, getting
adequate nutrition and vitamins and settlements, then you're in a
really good spot to conceive again, even if you decide, okay,
next month, we're pregnant, you know. So I do think
those guidelines like they are the guidelines, but I think
they're the guidelines when you know, you're just kind of
relying on maybe the natural compensations of the body pulling
(46:26):
itself back together right and not facilitating true feeling that
needs to happen. And I don't recommend relying on natural
compensations because that is what leads to a lot of
the soliloquy of hit paid down the line in continence
down the line. If you are concerned about the price
of physical therapy and like the price of getting this care,
(46:48):
I mean, we have payment plans, we have you know,
different options for payment, but the reality is this is
gonna save you money.
Speaker 2 (46:56):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
The incontinence industry, the joint replacement, that stuff is way
more expensive. And by the time you're getting that stuff done,
you don't care about the money because you have the money,
and you more so care about your time and investment
in like wanting to be with your grandchildren or wanting
to be with your own children. You want to be functional,
you don't want to be debilitated, and so invest in yourself.
Speaker 2 (47:17):
Now I cannot say that enough. You know, yes, is it?
Speaker 1 (47:21):
You know, is it might?
Speaker 2 (47:22):
Might it strame? You just take a.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
Payment plan or take that you know, do something something
to help you get the care. Health Care isn't free,
but I will tell you it will just get more
and more expensive as you age.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
So do it now.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
Yeah, I mean, you know, health is wealth, right, and
so being able to be healthy for as long as possible,
that is really what I mean, what's most important at
the end of the day, That's what we that's what
all of our you know, our our finances, our security
is really to keep us safe and to keep us healthy.
And so I think there's no better place to to
be allocating you know, your what your resources to but
(47:58):
to you to yourself into your head.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
Yeah, we all have iPhones, we all have TVs. Somehow
we're listening to this podcast. Like you know, like maybe
you have to sacrifice a little something, but like you
could make it work. And I just think, you know,
and if you don't make time for your health now,
and this is so hard as a new mom, like
you know, I know it is so hard to make
(48:22):
the time.
Speaker 2 (48:23):
But if you don't make time, like you will have
to make time for the sickness.
Speaker 1 (48:28):
That's true, and that sickness is going to take a
lot longer and it's not going to be on your time.
And so I just think that is so important to
keep in mind when we're thinking about the time, the cost,
investment and all of that.
Speaker 2 (48:43):
So I appreciate you coming on and sharing your story or.
Speaker 3 (48:47):
I love you.
Speaker 2 (48:48):
Yeah, I love having you back in the clinic. It's
so nice to be back. It really is nice. Yeah,
so lucky can't wait for you to keep spitting out
these babies episode. See you guys,
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