Get 10% OFF MyAutonomous Birth, the self-paced, Online Course HERE
Are you a soon to be mom, a seasoned mother, or simply interested in the world of birth? You’re in the right place!
In this episode, we discuss:
- Cesarean birth at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine
- Navigating pregnancy care when your hospital of choice closes
- Obstetric Care in Maine
- ….and a whole lot more!
Additional Resources you’ll LOVE…
If you are ready to prepare for an autonomous birth experience, where you’re respected as the authority over your body and your baby… regardless of where you plan on birthing -
CLICK HERE for 10% off the MyAutonomous Birth self-paced, online course!
Not sure where to start? I’ve got you covered! Check out my FREE resource, 37 Questions to Ask Your Care Provider. Whether you’re interviewing new providers or have already established care, this FREE resource offers guidance on important topics to discuss with your provider.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Julie-Anne (00:00):
So I get in there and she starts ultrasounding me.
She goes, oh well, she's turned.
And I'm like, oh good, theright way.
And she goes.
Well, you know, I'll just do afew more things, let's check her
breathing.
And then she's like I don'tlike her heart rate it's a
little bit high.
She's like I'm going to gocheck on something.
She's like I'll be right backand I'm just like, okay.
(00:20):
Then she's gone for like fiveor six minutes and then she
comes back in.
She's like alright, so I talkedto everybody from Portland and
from downstairs.
She's like I'm going to checkthe heart rate a few more times.
And I was like, okay.
So she goes and has me movearound a little bit and she's
like, yeah, the heart rate's allfine.
She's like however, she'sturned all the way upside down
(00:42):
and is now breech, going to comeout with her feet.
So your head's also like shestood up, so like her head's in
your heart.
So we're going to have you godownstairs.
I was like OK.
Then I had to go downstairs toOB and be like hey, they just
want me to come downstairs.
So like, oh yeah, they move awhole bunch of people around in
the computer, like you can seeher dragging things around, but
(01:04):
I can't see it.
But like she's movingeverything and she puts me right
in, has me sign something andhas me go sit in the waiting
room.
And then I'm there and I took anap, I think, for like 30
minutes or so, and then I get ina room and then I've been there
for like another 30 minutes andI'm like starting to mildly
panic now, yeah.
And then panic now yeah.
(01:25):
And then the doctor comes in andgoes all right, did you call
everybody?
And I was like no, I don't knowwhat's happening.
And she's like oh well, we gotyou in the system, you're going
to be having your baby today inc-section.
And I was like, oh, she's likeyeah, you should call everybody
and I'm just sitting there going, okay.
She's like did anyone tell you?
And I was like no, you just did, I haven't seen anybody yet.
And she's like oh well, we tellyou.
And I was like no, you just did, I haven't seen anybody yet.
And she's like oh well, we'rehaving a baby today, so I've got
(01:47):
all the paperwork in.
She's like we're going to takeyou right over to the hospital
side of it.
She's like get you all checkedin.
She's like you should calleverybody because you're going
to have this baby in a couplehours.
Angela (01:57):
I'm Angela and your host here on the my Maine Birth
podcast.
This is a space where we sharethe real-life stories of
families and their unique birthexperiences in the beautiful
state of Maine, from our state'sbiggest hospitals to birth
center births and home births.
(02:17):
Every birth story deserves tobe heard and celebrated.
Whether you're a soon-to-be mom, a seasoned mother or simply
interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.
Welcome back.
You are listening to episode111.
Today's birth story guest isJulianne.
(02:38):
Julianne shared her first birthstory in episode 102 of the
podcast, so go check that out tohear the first part of her
story.
In addition to sharing allabout her first birth story back
in episode 102, julianne alsoshares with us a little bit
about her current pregnancyjourney and the struggle of
finding out that the hospitalthat you're planning on birthing
(03:00):
at is about to close beforeyour due date and the challenge
of navigating new care in thatsituation.
And today she's here to sharethe full story of her second
pregnancy and birth.
All right, hey, julianne,welcome to my Main Birth, hello.
So for anyone that hasn't heardyour first birth story back in
(03:21):
episode 102, would you start bysharing a little bit about you
and your family?
Julie-Anne (03:26):
So I have a four and a half year old son.
We actually have our pre-k notpre-k our kindergarten screening
tomorrow, so not ready for it.
And then I just have mydaughter, and she's five and a
half weeks.
We're almost to six weeks, so.
And then we have my husbandjust the four of us, and we're
all done having kids.
Angela (03:46):
Since I'm older-ish, so if anyone wants to hear your
first birth story, you can checkout episode 102.
And now to get into the birthstory of your daughter, would
you start by telling a littlebit about how you found out you
were pregnant and what yourthoughts were in choosing your
care the second time around?
Julie-Anne (04:06):
We'd been trying for two years.
Apparently, it takes us twoyears to get pregnant with the
other kid.
So like we were super excitedand really surprised because we
were about to give up again andwe'd been going to.
Well, I had been going toWaterville for all of my
pre-pregnancy care and they weregoing to have me do all of my
(04:29):
pregnancy care there.
But I go to Bangor three timesa week because I live in Newport
.
So I was like you know, I'drather do my care in Bangor.
So for the first three months weplayed back and forth with
Bangor and Waterville over whowas going to do my care.
And finally Bangor just saidyou know, we don't have enough
doctors, you're going to have todo it at Waterville.
(04:51):
I was like, fine, I would haveliked an answer, you know like,
rather than go back and forthfor three months.
Like that was not cool.
And then we were doing our carein Waterville but I was so high
risk because I had diabeteswell, gestational diabetes and
then I'm older-ish, because 35is apparently very old and I'm
overweight.
So they were like, yeah, you'resuper high risk, you're going
(05:13):
to have to bounce between us andPortland.
So I got to go bounce betweenPortland and Waterville and I
was like this is why Bangorwould have been so much easier.
And then of course everyoneknows that Inland was shut down
in let's see month seven and ahalf of my pregnancy and then of
(05:35):
course they were like you canpick Bangor or Portland and I
was like I'm picking Bangor.
So luckily Bangor got me in, soI had the most amazing doctor
in Bangor and it was.
I loved her a lot and hadreally great care with her.
Of course it didn't last longbecause my babies like to come
early.
Angela (05:54):
Yeah, you were saying so .
Who did you connect with inBangor?
Do you mind sharing?
Julie-Anne (05:58):
Um, I am going to butcher her name, paula Reginald
, with them hyphenated.
She's a little tiny Italianlady and she's adorable.
Angela (06:08):
She did an amazing job, awesome, yeah, so that kind of
picks.
It brings us back to where weleft off the last time we had
talked, which was, I think, whenyou're like 35 weeks, like just
when you were switched, hadswitched to Bangor.
Yeah.
So how did things look once youswitched?
What's your appointments like?
Julie-Anne (06:27):
Great Bangor's ultrasounds were like way
superior to Waterville's, whichwas awesome, and even for, to
some degree, portland.
But Portland's ultrasounds werevery specific ones when I went
down, so I didn't get to seeeverything, but the Bangor ones
were really cool.
The only thing I did not likeabout Bangor and I didn't get to
see everything, but the Bangorones were really cool.
The only thing I did not likeabout Bangor and I didn't know
(06:48):
before I switched to Bangor isthey do not allow children.
So I had to find a babysitterevery single time I went to an
appointment.
So then it didn't even matterif we went to Bangor for Evan's
appointments, because I stillhad to find a babysitter because
he couldn't go with me, whereasI was taking him and whatever
children I was babysitting atthat time to all of my
(07:08):
appointments in Waterville andPortland.
So like Evan got to go to everysingle ultrasound up until 35
weeks and then he was very madthat he didn't get to see his
sister anymore because he'd beenwatching her this entire time
and talking to all the nursesand doctors about her.
Angela (07:31):
He was very mad that he had to sit in the car with
whichever babysitter I had tohave for him and the kids in the
car for my appointments.
So that's really hard.
So was it just with theultrasound appointments?
Julie-Anne (07:39):
or was he not allowed in any of the
appointments, just theultrasound appointments?
Like they wouldn't even let youinto the waiting room if you
had kids, like they didn't leavein at all?
Um, he could go to theappointments, but they really
only wanted one kid with you andI always have more than one kid
.
So slightly frustrating, butluckily, you know, it was only
for a couple weeks because shedecided to be stubborn oh yeah,
(08:02):
how.
Angela (08:02):
So how did that go?
What were, like those kind offinal weeks looking like leading
up to when your labor started?
Julie-Anne (08:08):
so she'd been head down the entire pregnancy like
really far down.
Like every time I went to myultrasound appointments, all the
ultrasound tech people would belike, yeah, her head's really
far down, it's looking reallygreat.
And then I'd go downstairs andthey would check me and to be
like, oh, her head's not thatfar down, but her head's like
right there.
And I was like, yeah, I canfeel it.
You know, her feet are kickingmy ribs.
(08:30):
Well, um, for we tried to gether to come at week 36 but she
was not having it.
It didn't.
The texas roadhouse trickdidn't work.
This time she's very stubborn,but she was still head down.
And then for saint patrick Dayweekend I finally had cake,
because my dad's a baker and wehad like so much food for St
(08:50):
Patrick's Day and he made thisamazing cake.
And of course you know I atethe cake and it was a lot of
sugar but I compensated for itfor my insulin, for eating it
and it was fine.
I didn't go over my sugars butI had cake.
Well, apparently she must havegot too excited because it was
week 37 and a half and sheturned.
(09:11):
They're not supposed to turnpast 36 weeks, but she turned,
she went transverse.
Her head was up by my lungs andher feet were down by whatever
is down on the left part of mylower stomach and she was just
hanging out there.
So the the ultrasound tech waslike, oh well, that's not normal
(09:31):
.
I was like all right, so we godownstairs and talk to the ob
and she's like, yeah, normallythey don't turn past 38 weeks,
so they don't have enough fluidor room.
And she's like you have plentyof fluid.
So I guess she decided to turnthem.
I had cake this weekend and shemust have got too excited.
So they were like lie on yourside, sleep.
This position only do all thesethings to get her to turn back.
You know, try having cake again.
(09:52):
So of course I did that andtried to get her to turn.
And she's not having it at all.
So we were like okay, and thenth 38 weeks on the dot.
I go in for my ultrasound afterEvan's speech appointment and
I'm in there at 11 and luckilythat was the one and only time I
(10:17):
did not have kids in the carwith me.
Um, evan, I can't remember.
You know he had school.
I had driven him home fromspeech to drop him off at his
grandparents house so they couldtake him to school, because my
ultrasound appointment was whenhe was supposed to be at school.
So I had to drive all the wayback from Bangor and drop him
off, to drive all the way backto Bangor for my ultrasound
(10:37):
appointment.
So I get in there and she startsultrasounding me.
She goes oh well, she well,she's turned.
And I'm like, oh good, theright way.
And she goes well, you know,I'll just do a few more things.
Let's check her breathing.
And then she's like I don'tlike her heart rate.
It's a little bit high.
She's like I'm going to gocheck on something.
(10:57):
She's like I'll be right backand I'm just like okay, okay.
Then she's gone for like fiveor six minutes and then she
comes back in.
She's like alright.
So I talked to everybody fromPortland and from downstairs.
She's like I'm gonna check theheart rate a few more times.
And I was like okay, so shegoes and has me move around a
little bit and she's like yeah,the heart rate's all fine.
(11:18):
She's like, however, she'sturned all the way upside down
and is now breech gonna come outwith her feet.
She's like her head's also likeshe stood up, so like her
head's in your heart, so we'regonna have you go downstairs.
I was like, okay.
Then I had to go downstairs toob and be like, hey, they just
want me to come downstairs.
(11:39):
So like, oh yeah, they move awhole bunch of people around in
the computer, like you can seeher dragging things around but I
can't see it, but like she'smoving everything and she puts
me right in, has me signsomething and has me go sit in
the waiting room.
And then I'm there and I took anap, I think for like 30
minutes or so, and then I get ina room and then I'm in there
for like another 30 minutes andI'm like starting to mildly
(12:00):
panic now, yep.
And then the doctor comes in andgoes all right, did you call
everybody?
And I was like no, I don't knowwhat's happening.
And she's like oh well, we gotyou in the system.
You're going to be having yourbaby today in C-section.
And I was like, oh, she's like,yeah, you should call everybody
.
And I'm just sitting theregoing, oh, ok.
She's like did anyone tell you?
(12:22):
Okay?
She's like did anyone tell you?
And I was like, no, you justdid.
I haven't seen anybody yet.
And she's like oh well, we'rehaving a baby today, so I've got
all the paperwork in.
She's like we're going to takeyou right over to the hospital
side of it.
She's like get you all checkedin.
She's like you should calleverybody because you're going
to have this baby in a couplehours.
And I'm just like stood up inthere and she's like and now
(12:43):
your fluid's disappearing, sobaby must be in some distress,
because the baby controls theamount of fluid, so I guess she
had enough fluid to turn around,but now she doesn't have enough
fluid to turn back around, solike she's stuck there.
So I was like great.
So then of course, you know Istart crying and bawling.
And she left me there while shecalled like so I can call
everybody, and then she sends meto the hospital.
(13:06):
I have to like wander into thehospital and be like I'm
supposed to be in labor anddelivery.
And then they register me andthen they dragged me upstairs
and I had to call my dad becauseI needed someone to work for me
and he had to work for me.
And then I had to call somebodyto get my son from school.
And then I'm also calling myhusband because he doesn't drive
, so he has to find a ride toget to me.
And I'm also calling my husbandbecause he doesn't drive, so he
has to find a ride to get to me.
And I'm like, doing all of thatwhile I'm sitting there trying
(13:26):
to process the fact that I'm nowhaving a C-section and it's not
what I wanted, and ew, I don'tdo needles, I don't like needles
and I didn't want it.
Bet she wouldn't turn around.
So then I get up there and Iget into the room and I get all
stripped down into the hospitalgowns and everything.
And of course my dad thinks ofeverything.
(13:46):
So he had called my sister whoworks in Bangor.
So she appeared because he saidI needed someone to be there
with me until my husband gotthere, because I wasn't
processing anything.
So I think I was in the hospitalroom like maybe five, six
minutes before she showed up.
She's like are you OK?
And I was like I'm.
So they got me all but the IVand the really nice nurse.
(14:11):
Um, because I told her I hadthe last one I had was in my
hand and I didn't like it.
And she's like yeah, why wouldyou put it in your hand?
I'm like I don't know.
But she did and she's like musthave been a newbie.
And she puts it way up in myarm, above my elbow, and she's
like that's the best place tohave it so you can still do
everything and it's not going tohurt your hand with your
delicate little veins you havedown on the hands.
(14:32):
And I was like cool, so thatwas actually.
I like that part and I didn'tfeel the needle near as much as
I did when it was in my hand.
But then, but then again, Ididn't move as much this time
Cause I got to move the wholetime.
I had my son because I did itnaturally.
And then of course they have theanesthesiologist come in and
they're talking all of theneedles, all of the possible
(14:54):
ways to have her like do I wantthe epidural, do I want the
spinal?
Of course I said which?
Everyone has the smallestneedle, and they were like the
spinal and I was like we'redoing that one, everyone has the
smallest needle.
And they were like the spinaland I was like we're doing that
one and they were like yeah, youknow, if you had done the
epidural, she's like ifsomething went wrong, the next
one would be a spinal, so you'dhave to have another needle in
(15:14):
your spine and I was like no, Iwant the smallest needle, like
don't, no.
And then like the other optionis to putting you to sleep.
But that's a last resort,because they want moms to be
able to see their babies whenthey have them.
They don't like them to beasleep, because it's a bonding
thing.
If you don't want your baby tocome out, did you really have
her?
So all that talk, and then, ofcourse, my husband shows up and
my sister stayed for a littlewhile while he processed
(15:36):
everything too, and then theywere discussing all of this and
we were getting ready to head inin a couple hours.
They had to wait a tiny bitbecause I didn't think I was
having the baby.
So you know, I had breakfastand they were like when did you
eat last?
I was like around eight andthey're like five o'clock is
gonna be when you have it.
Then, because you had food andI was like it wasn't a lot of
(15:58):
food, it's a little bit of food.
They're like, still, you hadfood and I was like, well, of
course I didn't know I was gonnabe having a baby.
So that happened, and then wegot bumped like an hour because
someone started to have twins soof course they get to go first.
So we had to wait a little bitlonger.
And then of course that process,the shift change from five.
(16:20):
So all the anesthesiologistsand people we had already met to
talk to everybody, all the newones came in to go over
everything again to make surethat we knew, because it was a
shift change.
And I was like stop telling meand just do it.
And then they called the outfit.
My husband had to put on forthe surgery a bunny suit, and
they walked him how to put it onand he botched the first one.
(16:42):
It was hilarious, he, becauseyou put it on and he botched the
first one.
It was hilarious, he, becauseyou put it on like a onesie,
like a toddler onesie, but hewasn't thought processing
because it's been five yearssince we put our son in onesies.
Like that, it's a onesie.
So like you ripped the firstone and I laughed so hard.
It was hilarious.
And my doctor came in becauseshe really didn't want to give
(17:04):
me a C-section.
She wanted the baby to turn.
So right before we went intothe ultrasound she came.
Right before we went into thesurgery she came in to do
another ultrasound on me in thehopes that, you know, the baby
had turned enough that she coulddo the maneuver where they push
your tummy and force the babyto turn, where they push your
tummy and force the baby to turn.
(17:25):
She was hoping she would turnenough that she could do that
and finish her turning so thatwe could just induce me super
quick and have the babynaturally.
But she went to go do theultrasound and, if anything, she
crawled up a little bit higherinto my rib cage and lungs.
So she's like are you havingtrouble breathing?
And I was like I don't think so, but I'm like mildly panicking.
I was like I don't think so,but I'm like mildly panicking.
So like I don't know.
(17:46):
And she's like oh, she's alittle bit higher up there.
And I was like so.
So I laughed hysterically whilemy husband ripped the first
bunny suit and they had to havethe nurse come in and like show
him how to get in it and put iton properly and everything.
It was hilarious.
I laughed so hard.
It was really funny because mywhole belly was like shaking.
It was really funny.
My husband's like what she'sgonna turn?
I'm like don't say that theyalready did the ultrasound.
(18:08):
They're gonna make me do this,and then the twin lady had
delivered really quickly, Iguess.
Because they come in and all ofa sudden they're like we're
going, and it was like sixo'clock, it wasn't the seven
they had said it was gonna be.
So like we go in and they havemy husband sitting a chair
outside the room while they dothe spinal needle and all of
(18:30):
that stuff.
So I'm in there by myself in acompletely sterile arm with like
15 people milling around me,and then the anesthesiologist is
like telling me how to do myposture to stab my spine with
the needle.
He's like you're going to havehorrible posture for a minute.
I'm like what are you talkingabout?
He's like you're going to makea C with your spine and like
curl into a ball.
And he's like do it like this.
(18:51):
And I was like all right, so Idid it.
He's like that.
He's like all right, that'sperfect.
He's like now that's what Iwant you to do when I'm going to
do the spine, I'll tap.
And I was like okay.
He's like it's going to hurt alittle bit.
I'm like really Okay.
And then, of course, he doesn'twarn me.
He's like all right, and I'mjust going to start numbing your
(19:12):
back.
Holy cow, those four littleneedles that they used to numb
your back, that hurt so much.
I was unprepared for that and Iwas like, oh my God, he's like
you're doing great, you're doinggreat.
I'm like I don't feel like I'mdoing great.
He's like you're fine and I'mlike okay, he's like all right,
now you're going to do theimperfect thing, like crunch
right over, crunch right over,bend right over.
(19:34):
I'm like all right.
So I start bending over andlike you can, it's numb, it's
supposed to be numb, like itslightly feels numb, but like
you still feel the whole needlegoing in you and I'm like I
wanted to cry.
It hurts so bad.
And then the nurse is like here, hold me, and I was like, yeah,
okay, I would really like to beholding my husband, but sterile
environment, so he's stilloutside.
It was like the worst thingever.
(19:56):
And then, of course, you feelweird and lightheaded and like
warm feeling, like you're peeingyourself, but you're not.
It's weird.
And then they have you lie downand they strap your arms down
on the table and like a weird solike you're a tee, it was weird
.
And they get the whole curtainup and everything and I'm just
(20:18):
like not ready.
And then they ask you if you'renot like a nauseous and I was
like I really am.
So he's like all right, I gotyou and they did whatever they
gave me to make me not nauseousand I was like, okay, I'm good
now they're like all right.
And then they have my husbandcome in because they're all
ready and my ob was hilarious.
She was so short, she had tohave a little stool to stand on
(20:40):
because she's on one side andthe other OB for backups on the
other side.
And it was funny because sheneeded a stool and she asked if
I was ready to do this and I waslike yep, and they had to wait
for the five or six minutes forthe spinal to completely work,
so I couldn't feel likeeverything.
And then they give you thecatheter, so Nate's sitting next
to me and they're like you canlook or not look, and he's like
(21:02):
I'm not looking.
I was like I don't want to lookeither.
I mean, I probably would if itwas somebody else.
I watch enough medical shows.
But he was like nope, and I'mlike I don't want to either.
Nope, and I'm like I don't wantto either.
So they said we're ready to goand I was like sure, and then
they just started doing all thatand I think it took about like
five minutes to get through allthe layers and like this was the
(21:25):
weirdly gnarly part, becauseshe was so high up.
It was weird.
The other ob was a male and hewas really really tall and he,
like my ob, asks him if he'sready and he goes yep, and she
gets her hand down by theincision and the guy puts his
arms up like this, like all theway up to his shoulders, and
he's holding them like this andhe's like are you ready?
(21:46):
She's like yeah, he's like here.
And he pushes down as hard ashe can with his full body weight
on the upper part of my stomach, where the like my chest and,
uh, chest area was, and hepushed down there with a big
full body weight and all I feelis the pressure of his entire
body like crushing me and herhand goes in and like rips the
baby out when he pushes down theheart and all you hear is my
(22:09):
daughter crying and screaming,because babies cry.
But like I felt like one of thecows sat on me, because I grew
up on a farm and like sometimesthey'll step on you or like sit
on you and like that's what thatfelt like, like he just pushed
so hard and like she pulled herright out.
And then they're screaming andthey're taking her over to the
table and they're all like watch, like five of them went with
(22:32):
her to go check her at the table.
And then I'm like poke.
Well, I want to say I'm pokingmy husband, but I can't do
anything because my arms arestriped down.
So I'm like go with her, gowith her, go with her.
So my husband leaves me to gowalk across the room to go to
Ravenna and, um, he comes backand his face is as white as a
sheet and he goes I shouldn'thave looked, but I looked, I
looked and I shouldn't havelooked.
He's like that was.
I looked and I was like I'msorry.
(22:54):
So he brings my daughter backto me, but I don't have any arms
so I can't hold her.
So I was like, well, put her onmy chest so I can do the
skin-to-skin thing, and then hemoves her around so that she can
start nursing.
And she actually startednursing right away.
They unstrapped my arms so Icould kind of hold her but
(23:16):
everything feels weird.
So I'm kind of holding her onmy chest and I'm tilted and I'm
kind of holding her but myhusband's also helping hold her
and she latched on and wasnursing.
I moved my arm so that I couldhold her and I was kind of going
like it was pushing on thecurtain.
So my doctor was starting to getready to stitch me up and she's
(23:36):
like what, what is this?
And I'm like I think that's myelbow.
She's like why is your elbowthere?
And I'm like I'm holding her on, she's nursing and then my
little ob peeks over the counter, not the counter, the curtain
was like oh, look at her, she'sextra dawn, she's such a good
girl.
She's like way to go.
And I was like yay.
And she's like all right,we're're going to get ready to
stitch you back up.
She's like you're going to feelweird pressure, but it's OK.
And I was like all right, andthe, the operating table, the T
(24:00):
that they strap you to, they hadlike turned it, so like I
wasn't even level anymore, I waslike sideways towards her and
then I was also put down alittle, so like another reason
my husband was helping hold heron was because I my head was
down closer to the ground, sohe's like keeping her on my
(24:21):
chest because it was weirdlytilted.
But then they started to likesew me back up.
And it was weird because theywere counting all the lap pads
and like all the stuff they usebetween each layer and I was
thinking like half the time likeI've watched enough doctor
shows that I don't feel likethey should have used that many
lap pads when they're countingthem out to each other and I'm
just like how much bleeding didI bleed?
(24:41):
But then they stitched me backup and it was weird because as
they were doing it, they wereturning the table towards the OB
, so like she can make sure thateverything was like super tight
and whatever.
And it didn't feel like it tookvery long at all, like maybe a
half hour.
I was in the operating room, um,from start to finish it was
(25:02):
very quick.
And when the doctor I almostforgot this part when the doctor
cut me open and went to go likemake sure she could see the
baby before she pulled her out.
Apparently, all my laughingwhen my husband ripped the bunny
suit had made her turn a tinybit, but it was enough that the
(25:23):
doctor felt like she could haveforced her to keep moving and
she was so mad about it that thebaby decided to move at the
last minute.
But she was up so far by myheart that they really didn't
want her to keep messing withthat either.
But all in all she came out andshe was perfect.
There was nothing wrong withher.
When she came out she wasactually quite bigger than my
(25:43):
son by a whole pound, so thatwas cool.
The one thing I didn't like isthat the spinal made her very
tired.
So, like for the first twoweeks, she was very sleepy baby.
She still is quite actually asleepy baby, but I don't have to
work as hard to wake her up forfeeding anymore.
But then we went back to theroom and we decided to only stay
(26:06):
for one night.
Well, technically it was twonights because we had her at
seven o'clock at night, but likeI count that as a day, we were
only there for two nights and ahalf, so it wasn't that long and
they were all like you can stayfor another night I was like I
have a toddler at home and I waslike I do not want to stay.
The first night I didn't haveany orange juice and the second
night, second day, I had like awhole bunch of orange juice and
(26:28):
we couldn't figure out why shewas having hard primes and I was
like I had orange juice but Ididn't have orange juice the
first night.
So we found out very quickly Icannot have orange juice.
So that was interesting.
But they did a very good jobwith all of the checking on her
and I.
For the first 24 hours theyapparently they do it with some
c-sections and some ob's don't.
(26:50):
They put the giant bandagesover my c-section so like I
wasn't gonna shower at thehospital because I didn't with
my son, because I like to do thewhole bonding scent thing from
the first week or so for thebaby and the mom.
But, um, after 24 hoursapparently they want to take
those bandages off over thec-section scar and I was like
(27:12):
all right, and they're lookingat me and the nurse was like
you're gonna want to shower andsoak those as much as possible
before we rip them off and I waslike what?
Which is why some doctors don'tdo it because you take them off
within 24 hours anyway.
So, like, why bother?
So they kept it sterile for thefirst 24 hours and then we had
(27:32):
to go rip those bandages off,which still really hurt after.
I showered for 40 minutes withthe water just directly on the
bandages, because their showerin the aftercare room had one of
the nozzles that comes down, solike I just held it on the
bandages in the hopes that itwould peel off, but it still
hurt and then I couldn't seewhere it was over the scar.
So I didn't want to do it andlike have a rip the stitches
(27:54):
because I didn't know.
There was a clear gauze downthere over the scar and part of
it, so I had to have a nursehelp me do it and it was
horrible.
But we also we just stayed forthe little bit now.
So I'm kind of glad we leftwhen we did, because the I loved
the nurses up until the lastrotation right before we left,
(28:14):
and I was kind of glad we wereleaving because I didn't like
that shift.
And then they kept asking if Iwanted her to go to the nursery
and I was like, no, I do not.
And then the next shift in themorning was like it's a good
thing you didn't.
They had 15 babies overnight inthe nursery with the one poor
nurse watching them, and I waslike, yeah, no she's not leaving
.
Angela (28:32):
Wow, fifteen babies with one nurse.
Julie-Anne (28:42):
Yeah, but I had very good care.
Angela (28:43):
It was just very fast and overwhelming.
Yeah, and that's reallyinteresting that when your
doctor went in to do theC-section she commented on how
your daughter was starting toturn a little bit.
Were you having any otherissues come up that afternoon at
your appointment?
Julie-Anne (29:01):
My heart rate was like a little bit fast but I was
also like mildly panicking.
But I guess they were alsoworried more about how much
fluid she was losing because shewas in control of the fluid,
which means the placenta wasn'tworking.
There's also a lot more of likewhat if she could change that
much to move when she's notsupposed to be able to move at
all?
What is she gonna do to me andher if she doesn't get out now,
(29:27):
if she loses more fluid?
Plus, they also could not finda reason where in the placenta
or the cord that she would havelost that much fluid between
Monday and Thursday but alsostill be moving.
So that was very interesting.
She was either hiding it orjust not doing what she needed
to be doing.
They said her heart rate waslike OK, but it kept going up
(29:49):
and going down and they didn'tlike that.
It's such a mystery.
Yes, yes it is.
I mean, they can tell a lot,like their ultrasounds are way
better than Waterville's, butlike they also can't hundred
percent know why the baby isdoing that or doing this, or why
the baby feels that way at all.
Angela (30:08):
So how has your postpartum been going?
Julie-Anne (30:11):
Really good.
She had me do a five weekcheckup instead of a six week
checkup and apparently I healvery fast because she said, oh
my God, your incision is almostgone and I was like cool, but my
husband also has made sure thatI not have to do anything.
I was told I couldn't lift morethan her.
(30:31):
So I couldn't lift over agallon of milk this last six
weeks.
I may have done it a few timesbecause I picked up my son,
who's like almost 40 pounds,every once in a while without
thinking of course it's so hardnot to do that, just
instinctually right right, yeah,um, but he made sure that I
followed the doctor'sinstructions, like the no
(30:52):
driving thing up to six weeks,but like she's like the minimum
you can start driving is threeweeks, and I was like, oh my god
, I made it three weeks, butlike being sick at home was not
cool and I'm like why can't Idrive?
And course you forget how manymuscles in your abdomen are
related to your foot, and likebreaking times and whatnot.
So like that makes sense.
That's very annoying.
Walking was hard.
(31:14):
We went for a few walks, butI'm great for like the first
half of the walk, and thenyou're like, oh, there are a lot
of tummy muscles involved inwalking.
Like I just want to go sit down, but I didn.
Then you're like, oh, there area lot of tummy muscles involved
.
You're walking like I just wantto go sit down, but didn't do
that very often.
But, yeah, coughing, though, orblowing your nose or anything
(31:35):
like no, laughing hurt a lot.
So like you forget about allthe things that involve your
tummy muscles until you can't doa single thing with them.
Like I had to sneeze and Ithought I was gonna die and all
you could do is like they'rejust like hold a pillow to your
stomach if you, until you can'tdo a single thing with them.
Like I had to sneeze and Ithought I was going to die and
all you could do is like they'rejust like hold a pillow to your
stomach if you have to sneeze,cough or blow your nose, and I'm
like, well, if I'm blowing mynose, I'm using two hands, and
they're like have someone elsehold the pillow to your stomach
and I'm just like, cool, don'talways have a person with me.
(32:00):
And then, of course, thehospital made because we checked
out sooner than they would havewanted, but they said we could
go home.
They made us come back like thenext two days to do weight
checks for her and she didn'tgain weight as fast as they
wanted her to and they weretrying to get me to supplement
with formula and I was like Idon't want to, but she's a very
(32:21):
sleepy baby, so we're having ahard time nursing because I have
to wake her up.
So then they gave me all thetips and tricks for like forcing
her to wake up by blowing onher nose, blowing on her face,
changing her, playing with herears, things like that.
So I was different, because myson never had that problem.
But apparently c-section babiesbecause they don't get like
straightened out in the birthcanal when they come out are
very gassy and colicky and allthat like she had so much gas
(32:47):
and burping.
Like I've never had to burp myson, so I'm very rusty on
burping colicky babies.
So that was interesting.
We've had taken her to thechiropractor.
She went when she was fourweeks old, so now she's less
gassy and burpy, which is good,but it took a few days, but it
she's a lot less than she, lessair trapped than she had been
(33:12):
having.
We'll probably go again in amonth or so but that helped a
lot because oh, she'd be fine.
Then all of a sudden she'd belike farting, all of this like
she just screamed because shehad so much air trapped and
you're trying all the differentways to try to get out and it
was like I'm so sorry, I can'thelp you.
That was rough but it hasn'tbeen bad at all, excited to go
(33:35):
back to work.
I have one more week and then Ican go back to work Because I
could technically be working.
But I do packages every fewdays or so and those are not
less than eight pounds.
Angela (33:52):
So I'm not going back yet.
Julie-Anne (33:53):
So how are you sitting with the way that all of
this happened?
Luckily there are nocomplications for me.
I got to do both sides of it.
I would definitely do anunmedicated vaginal birth, again
over a C-section.
I feel like the recovery wasmuch faster, but like they're
not slicing through the sevenlayers of your skin either and,
lord, I think I stopped bleedingway sooner with having my son
(34:15):
vaginally than I did with thec-section because like your body
doesn't know if you've had themor not, so they just keep
bleeding.
And my friend was like you had ac-section.
Why are you still bleeding?
And I'm like because like I hadthe whole dilation, like my
body was ready to have hernaturally, and then it doesn't
and then, even though they tookher out, there's still like all
(34:35):
the blood and stuff in there oflike shedding and everything.
So like I'm still bleedingbecause of all that like and it
kept going and I'd be done for aday and I'd be like, yeah, and
then it'd start up the next day.
It's like I think it's finallystopped.
But it took almost five weeksand with my son I was done by
like day five because it wasjust like all was naturally
ready to come out and I didn'texperience with my son the what
(34:58):
is it?
The pushing on your uterus toget the placenta to come out,
for it to shrink back.
They didn't do that with my sonbecause I had him naturally.
Oh, my god, I know what all myfriends have been talking about
when they say they come in to dothe afterbirth pushes the
fundal massage, should they callit yeah?
not do that with my son, butthey did it with her and I think
(35:18):
I would rather have himunmedicated again than have them
do that to me because, oh mygod, I was like, what are you
doing?
They're like we're like gettingyour uterus to contract and to
go back down to its normal sizebecause it would do it naturally
after you had the baby, but youhad a c-section, so it's trauma
on it and it needs to likeforce itself to think it back to
(35:41):
going small.
Like I was on the oxycodone orwhatever it was for the first 12
, 24 hours after I had thec-section, so like I didn't
really feel the pitocin theywere giving me.
But apparently they were givingme pitocin for the first almost
24 hours to make the uteruscontract so that I would think
that I went through labor, sothat I would shrink, which is
(36:03):
why they were pushing on mystomach.
And they did that to my friendsafter they had their vaginal
births because they didn'tdeliver the placenta really well
where my placenta came out withmy son on my first birth.
So like they never had to dothat to me, but like, oh my God,
they did it on this one and nowI know what everyone else is
talking about.
And that was horrible.
Like know what everyone else istalking about.
And that was horrible.
(36:24):
Like sure, you're explaining tome why you're doing this, but
like you're not telling me howmuch it's actually going to hurt
me.
Like I'm on an oxy and you'reit really hurts.
You're still doing it and I canfeel all of it.
I'm like I shouldn't feelanything and I feel all of it
and it was horrible.
Angela (36:39):
That was not like that part yeah, it's not not much of
a massage it's.
Julie-Anne (36:46):
I'm gonna sit on your stomach and make it small
again.
Angela (36:49):
Well, you're through to the other side.
It's been such a pleasurechatting with you before, like
during your pregnancy, andhearing the birth story of your
son and, yeah, now gettingtogether again and hearing the
birth story of your daughter.
If you were to give advice Iknow I asked this in the first
episode, but now, after yoursecond birth experience and six
(37:10):
weeks later, if you were to giveadvice to someone who's
expecting, or even new parents,what's the biggest thing you'd
want to share at this point intime?
Julie-Anne (37:19):
Well, I think last time I said was advocate for
yourself, but this time it'd belike ask as many questions and
be as informed as you could be.
Like I asked for the smallestneedle but they also walked me
through.
Like you know, if we did theepidural first, it'd be like
half your body, but like that'sa bigger needle, but then if
that didn't work, we'd have topoke you again and go for the
(37:41):
smaller needle, for the spinalthat's higher up, like, and then
if that didn't work, we'd gothe anesthesia.
Because I'm like asking whatwould make it happen to each one
of those things to happen.
Like, if I did get the epidural, what would make you have to go
to the spinal, or is it betterto just go to the spinal?
Like asking all the questionsyou can like, why are we doing
this to me?
You know, can I go home rightnow?
(38:01):
And they, yeah, but we wouldn'trecommend it and be like why
not?
Because you said I could gohome?
Why do you want me to stay?
They're like oh, just so youget another night of being taken
care of and be like I can takecare of myself at home, if
that's the only reason you wantme to stay like I am all set on
that.
Um, asking why you're givingyou the medications that they
(38:22):
are.
I got Tylenol and Oxy while Iwas in the hospital and then
they gave me some to go home butalso just said to really rely
on Tylenol.
So it is true, they just givewomen Tylenol after a C-section
where they cut you open forseven layers Just Tylenol, a
little bit of Oxy, which Ididn't take when I got home
because I wanted to try to powerthrough it, because I wanted to
(38:44):
heal faster except for whenit's hard.
Angela (38:47):
Yeah, because you've got your baby and you're like
trying to focus on taking careof your baby, but you also need
to focus on healing yourself,which, like you said like, might
require some more stronger painmedicines because of the extent
of the surgery, and findingthat balance yeah, I did take it
a few times because I had myson, of course, brought home a
cold, so she got it a little bitand then I got it a little bit.
Julie-Anne (39:10):
So then when you're like sneezing or coughing, I was
like, nope, I'm gonna go takelike a tiny little bit extra
stuff, like I can't handle thecoughing.
Yeah, and it was funny, theydidn't they allow children or
siblings into the hospital room,but only for like a half hour.
I think it was an hour at atime.
But my dad brought my son inand he's very quiet, so we
(39:34):
actually got away with him beingin there for three hours with
us holding a sister most of thewhole time.
And then he left and he waslike showing off the toy his
sister got him for her birthdaybecause you know she needed to
give him something when sheshowed up.
So he got a maui hook, becausethat's all the rage right now.
So when he left he was showingoff every single nurse.
He saw that he got a maui hookfrom his sister and they were
(39:57):
all like, oh, her brother camein.
I was like, yeah, he's been herefor the last three hours.
And like he was here for threehours.
I was like, yeah, I know he'squiet, isn't?
He didn't even know.
It was really funny.
So we kind of got away withthat.
It was great.
But like, also, going home wasa good thing, because he didn't
want us to be there, he wantedus at home and he wanted to see
his sister and he was very madthat he had to do his first
(40:17):
sleepover with his grandparents,for you know her birth.
He was just very unhappy aboutthat.
Yeah, ask lots of questions.
Ask everything you possibly canmake them tell you what it is
they're doing and why.
Lots of questions.
Angela (40:34):
Yeah, ask the questions, totally agree.
It's so important to know.
You know what you're, what'shappening, the whole step away.
Like you said, they were doingall this stuff and put you
through.
And then the doctor came inlike okay, we're having a baby
today, and, like you're, like Ihad no clue, you know, and
you're, like you said, you'regetting getting a little worried
and you, you should know what'sgoing on with your care the
(40:54):
whole step of the way and askquestions if they're whispering
in the corner.
Julie-Anne (40:58):
Right, oh yeah.
And then I learned about thesurgeon stitch.
Did not know about that.
So, like when they ripped thatband-aid off me like the massive
layers of covering up the woundor whatever um, I was like why
on earth does one side hurt morethan the other?
And they were like that's thesurgeon stitch.
(41:19):
And I was like what is whatdoes that?
When she started sewing, shestarted sewing on the other side
of me, away from her, and thenas she sews across my stomach
and gets closer and closer toher, the stitching gets tighter.
So they call it a surgeonstitch because it's looser,
farther away from them.
But as they get closer to wherethey are, it gets tighter and
(41:40):
more put together.
So that side was like way liketighter than the other side.
And they're like yeah, it's thesurgeon's stitch, you can tell
whatever side the surgeonoperated on, because that side
is way tighter than the otherside.
And I was like I can tell.
So that was different.
Angela (41:57):
Whoa, that's interesting .
Well, thank you so much,Julianne, for taking the time to
chat with me and share yoursecond birth story today.
Absolutely.
Thank you so much, Julianne,for taking the time to chat with
me and share your second birthstory today.
Julie-Anne (42:06):
Absolutely, thank you.
Angela (42:09):
Before you go, I just want to remind you I have a ton
of resources for pregnancy andbirth.
If you're pregnant, whetheryou're a first time mom or if
this is your fifth baby, I wantyou to check out the show notes,
because I have some freetrainings and free downloads
that you can sign up for, aswell as the link to access my
labor of love, a comprehensive,self-paced online childbirth
(42:32):
education course.
I created this coursespecifically for moms who don't
want to be told what to do,regardless of where you're
birthing or who you're birthingwith, and I'd honestly love to
teach you everything that I knowso that you can prepare for an
autonomous birth experience andprepare to step into your role
as the leader of your birthjourney.
(42:52):
So click to the show notes,check out all of those links and
, if you ever have any questions, feel free to DM me at
mymainbirth over on Instagram.
So I get in there and she starts ultrasounding me.
She goes, oh well, she's turned.
And I'm like, oh good, theright way.
And she goes.
Well, you know, I'll just do afew more things, let's check her
breathing.
And then she's like I don'tlike her heart rate it's a
little bit high.
She's like I'm going to gocheck on something.
She's like I'll be right backand I'm just like, okay.
(00:20):
Then she's gone for like fiveor six minutes and then she
comes back in.
She's like alright, so I talkedto everybody from Portland and
from downstairs.
She's like I'm going to checkthe heart rate a few more times.
And I was like, okay.
So she goes and has me movearound a little bit and she's
like, yeah, the heart rate's allfine.
She's like however, she'sturned all the way upside down
(00:42):
and is now breech, going to comeout with her feet.
So your head's also like shestood up, so like her head's in
your heart.
So we're going to have you godownstairs.
I was like OK.
Then I had to go downstairs toOB and be like hey, they just
want me to come downstairs.
So like, oh yeah, they move awhole bunch of people around in
the computer, like you can seeher dragging things around, but
(01:04):
I can't see it.
But like she's movingeverything and she puts me right
in, has me sign something andhas me go sit in the waiting
room.
And then I'm there and I took anap, I think, for like 30
minutes or so, and then I get ina room and then I've been there
for like another 30 minutes andI'm like starting to mildly
panic now, yeah.
And then panic now yeah.
(01:25):
And then the doctor comes in andgoes all right, did you call
everybody?
And I was like no, I don't knowwhat's happening.
And she's like oh well, we gotyou in the system, you're going
to be having your baby today inc-section.
And I was like, oh, she's likeyeah, you should call everybody
and I'm just sitting there going, okay.
She's like did anyone tell you?
And I was like no, you just did, I haven't seen anybody yet.
And she's like oh well, we tellyou.
And I was like no, you just did, I haven't seen anybody yet.
And she's like oh well, we'rehaving a baby today, so I've got
(01:47):
all the paperwork in.
She's like we're going to takeyou right over to the hospital
side of it.
She's like get you all checkedin.
She's like you should calleverybody because you're going
to have this baby in a couplehours.
Angela (01:57):
I'm Angela and your host here on the my Maine Birth
podcast.
This is a space where we sharethe real-life stories of
families and their unique birthexperiences in the beautiful
state of Maine, from our state'sbiggest hospitals to birth
center births and home births.
(02:17):
Every birth story deserves tobe heard and celebrated.
Whether you're a soon-to-be mom, a seasoned mother or simply
interested in the world of birth, these episodes are for you.
Welcome back.
You are listening to episode111.
Today's birth story guest isJulianne.
(02:38):
Julianne shared her first birthstory in episode 102 of the
podcast, so go check that out tohear the first part of her
story.
In addition to sharing allabout her first birth story back
in episode 102, julianne alsoshares with us a little bit
about her current pregnancyjourney and the struggle of
finding out that the hospitalthat you're planning on birthing
(03:00):
at is about to close beforeyour due date and the challenge
of navigating new care in thatsituation.
And today she's here to sharethe full story of her second
pregnancy and birth.
All right, hey, julianne,welcome to my Main Birth, hello.
So for anyone that hasn't heardyour first birth story back in
(03:21):
episode 102, would you start bysharing a little bit about you
and your family?
Julie-Anne (03:26):
So I have a four and a half year old son.
We actually have our pre-k notpre-k our kindergarten screening
tomorrow, so not ready for it.
And then I just have mydaughter, and she's five and a
half weeks.
We're almost to six weeks, so.
And then we have my husbandjust the four of us, and we're
all done having kids.
Angela (03:46):
Since I'm older-ish, so if anyone wants to hear your
first birth story, you can checkout episode 102.
And now to get into the birthstory of your daughter, would
you start by telling a littlebit about how you found out you
were pregnant and what yourthoughts were in choosing your
care the second time around?
Julie-Anne (04:06):
We'd been trying for two years.
Apparently, it takes us twoyears to get pregnant with the
other kid.
So like we were super excitedand really surprised because we
were about to give up again andwe'd been going to.
Well, I had been going toWaterville for all of my
pre-pregnancy care and they weregoing to have me do all of my
(04:29):
pregnancy care there.
But I go to Bangor three timesa week because I live in Newport
.
So I was like you know, I'drather do my care in Bangor.
So for the first three months weplayed back and forth with
Bangor and Waterville over whowas going to do my care.
And finally Bangor just saidyou know, we don't have enough
doctors, you're going to have todo it at Waterville.
(04:51):
I was like, fine, I would haveliked an answer, you know like,
rather than go back and forthfor three months.
Like that was not cool.
And then we were doing our carein Waterville but I was so high
risk because I had diabeteswell, gestational diabetes and
then I'm older-ish, because 35is apparently very old and I'm
overweight.
So they were like, yeah, you'resuper high risk, you're going
(05:13):
to have to bounce between us andPortland.
So I got to go bounce betweenPortland and Waterville and I
was like this is why Bangorwould have been so much easier.
And then of course everyoneknows that Inland was shut down
in let's see month seven and ahalf of my pregnancy and then of
(05:35):
course they were like you canpick Bangor or Portland and I
was like I'm picking Bangor.
So luckily Bangor got me in, soI had the most amazing doctor
in Bangor and it was.
I loved her a lot and hadreally great care with her.
Of course it didn't last longbecause my babies like to come
early.
Angela (05:54):
Yeah, you were saying so .
Who did you connect with inBangor?
Do you mind sharing?
Julie-Anne (05:58):
Um, I am going to butcher her name, paula Reginald
, with them hyphenated.
She's a little tiny Italianlady and she's adorable.
Angela (06:08):
She did an amazing job, awesome, yeah, so that kind of
picks.
It brings us back to where weleft off the last time we had
talked, which was, I think, whenyou're like 35 weeks, like just
when you were switched, hadswitched to Bangor.
Yeah.
So how did things look once youswitched?
What's your appointments like?
Julie-Anne (06:27):
Great Bangor's ultrasounds were like way
superior to Waterville's, whichwas awesome, and even for, to
some degree, portland.
But Portland's ultrasounds werevery specific ones when I went
down, so I didn't get to seeeverything, but the Bangor ones
were really cool.
The only thing I did not likeabout Bangor and I didn't get to
see everything, but the Bangorones were really cool.
The only thing I did not likeabout Bangor and I didn't know
(06:48):
before I switched to Bangor isthey do not allow children.
So I had to find a babysitterevery single time I went to an
appointment.
So then it didn't even matterif we went to Bangor for Evan's
appointments, because I stillhad to find a babysitter because
he couldn't go with me, whereasI was taking him and whatever
children I was babysitting atthat time to all of my
(07:08):
appointments in Waterville andPortland.
So like Evan got to go to everysingle ultrasound up until 35
weeks and then he was very madthat he didn't get to see his
sister anymore because he'd beenwatching her this entire time
and talking to all the nursesand doctors about her.
Angela (07:31):
He was very mad that he had to sit in the car with
whichever babysitter I had tohave for him and the kids in the
car for my appointments.
So that's really hard.
So was it just with theultrasound appointments?
Julie-Anne (07:39):
or was he not allowed in any of the
appointments, just theultrasound appointments?
Like they wouldn't even let youinto the waiting room if you
had kids, like they didn't leavein at all?
Um, he could go to theappointments, but they really
only wanted one kid with you andI always have more than one kid
.
So slightly frustrating, butluckily, you know, it was only
for a couple weeks because shedecided to be stubborn oh yeah,
(08:02):
how.
Angela (08:02):
So how did that go?
What were, like those kind offinal weeks looking like leading
up to when your labor started?
Julie-Anne (08:08):
so she'd been head down the entire pregnancy like
really far down.
Like every time I went to myultrasound appointments, all the
ultrasound tech people would belike, yeah, her head's really
far down, it's looking reallygreat.
And then I'd go downstairs andthey would check me and to be
like, oh, her head's not thatfar down, but her head's like
right there.
And I was like, yeah, I canfeel it.
You know, her feet are kickingmy ribs.
(08:30):
Well, um, for we tried to gether to come at week 36 but she
was not having it.
It didn't.
The texas roadhouse trickdidn't work.
This time she's very stubborn,but she was still head down.
And then for saint patrick Dayweekend I finally had cake,
because my dad's a baker and wehad like so much food for St
(08:50):
Patrick's Day and he made thisamazing cake.
And of course you know I atethe cake and it was a lot of
sugar but I compensated for itfor my insulin, for eating it
and it was fine.
I didn't go over my sugars butI had cake.
Well, apparently she must havegot too excited because it was
week 37 and a half and sheturned.
(09:11):
They're not supposed to turnpast 36 weeks, but she turned,
she went transverse.
Her head was up by my lungs andher feet were down by whatever
is down on the left part of mylower stomach and she was just
hanging out there.
So the the ultrasound tech waslike, oh well, that's not normal
(09:31):
.
I was like all right, so we godownstairs and talk to the ob
and she's like, yeah, normallythey don't turn past 38 weeks,
so they don't have enough fluidor room.
And she's like you have plentyof fluid.
So I guess she decided to turnthem.
I had cake this weekend and shemust have got too excited.
So they were like lie on yourside, sleep.
This position only do all thesethings to get her to turn back.
You know, try having cake again.
(09:52):
So of course I did that andtried to get her to turn.
And she's not having it at all.
So we were like okay, and thenth 38 weeks on the dot.
I go in for my ultrasound afterEvan's speech appointment and
I'm in there at 11 and luckilythat was the one and only time I
(10:17):
did not have kids in the carwith me.
Um, evan, I can't remember.
You know he had school.
I had driven him home fromspeech to drop him off at his
grandparents house so they couldtake him to school, because my
ultrasound appointment was whenhe was supposed to be at school.
So I had to drive all the wayback from Bangor and drop him
off, to drive all the way backto Bangor for my ultrasound
(10:37):
appointment.
So I get in there and she startsultrasounding me.
She goes oh well, she well,she's turned.
And I'm like, oh good, theright way.
And she goes well, you know,I'll just do a few more things.
Let's check her breathing.
And then she's like I don'tlike her heart rate.
It's a little bit high.
She's like I'm going to gocheck on something.
(10:57):
She's like I'll be right backand I'm just like okay, okay.
Then she's gone for like fiveor six minutes and then she
comes back in.
She's like alright.
So I talked to everybody fromPortland and from downstairs.
She's like I'm gonna check theheart rate a few more times.
And I was like okay, so shegoes and has me move around a
little bit and she's like yeah,the heart rate's all fine.
(11:18):
She's like, however, she'sturned all the way upside down
and is now breech gonna come outwith her feet.
She's like her head's also likeshe stood up, so like her
head's in your heart, so we'regonna have you go downstairs.
I was like, okay.
Then I had to go downstairs toob and be like, hey, they just
want me to come downstairs.
(11:39):
So like, oh yeah, they move awhole bunch of people around in
the computer, like you can seeher dragging things around but I
can't see it, but like she'smoving everything and she puts
me right in, has me signsomething and has me go sit in
the waiting room.
And then I'm there and I took anap, I think for like 30
minutes or so, and then I get ina room and then I'm in there
for like another 30 minutes andI'm like starting to mildly
(12:00):
panic now, yep.
And then the doctor comes in andgoes all right, did you call
everybody?
And I was like no, I don't knowwhat's happening.
And she's like oh well, we gotyou in the system.
You're going to be having yourbaby today in C-section.
And I was like, oh, she's like,yeah, you should call everybody
.
And I'm just sitting theregoing, oh, ok.
She's like did anyone tell you?
(12:22):
Okay?
She's like did anyone tell you?
And I was like, no, you justdid.
I haven't seen anybody yet.
And she's like oh well, we'rehaving a baby today, so I've got
all the paperwork in.
She's like we're going to takeyou right over to the hospital
side of it.
She's like get you all checkedin.
She's like you should calleverybody because you're going
to have this baby in a couplehours.
And I'm just like stood up inthere and she's like and now
(12:43):
your fluid's disappearing, sobaby must be in some distress,
because the baby controls theamount of fluid, so I guess she
had enough fluid to turn around,but now she doesn't have enough
fluid to turn back around, solike she's stuck there.
So I was like great.
So then of course, you know Istart crying and bawling.
And she left me there while shecalled like so I can call
everybody, and then she sends meto the hospital.
(13:06):
I have to like wander into thehospital and be like I'm
supposed to be in labor anddelivery.
And then they register me andthen they dragged me upstairs
and I had to call my dad becauseI needed someone to work for me
and he had to work for me.
And then I had to call somebodyto get my son from school.
And then I'm also calling myhusband because he doesn't drive
, so he has to find a ride toget to me.
And I'm also calling my husbandbecause he doesn't drive, so he
has to find a ride to get to me.
And I'm like, doing all of thatwhile I'm sitting there trying
(13:26):
to process the fact that I'm nowhaving a C-section and it's not
what I wanted, and ew, I don'tdo needles, I don't like needles
and I didn't want it.
Bet she wouldn't turn around.
So then I get up there and Iget into the room and I get all
stripped down into the hospitalgowns and everything.
And of course my dad thinks ofeverything.
(13:46):
So he had called my sister whoworks in Bangor.
So she appeared because he saidI needed someone to be there
with me until my husband gotthere, because I wasn't
processing anything.
So I think I was in the hospitalroom like maybe five, six
minutes before she showed up.
She's like are you OK?
And I was like I'm.
So they got me all but the IVand the really nice nurse.
(14:11):
Um, because I told her I hadthe last one I had was in my
hand and I didn't like it.
And she's like yeah, why wouldyou put it in your hand?
I'm like I don't know.
But she did and she's like musthave been a newbie.
And she puts it way up in myarm, above my elbow, and she's
like that's the best place tohave it so you can still do
everything and it's not going tohurt your hand with your
delicate little veins you havedown on the hands.
(14:32):
And I was like cool, so thatwas actually.
I like that part and I didn'tfeel the needle near as much as
I did when it was in my hand.
But then, but then again, Ididn't move as much this time
Cause I got to move the wholetime.
I had my son because I did itnaturally.
And then of course they have theanesthesiologist come in and
they're talking all of theneedles, all of the possible
(14:54):
ways to have her like do I wantthe epidural, do I want the
spinal?
Of course I said which?
Everyone has the smallestneedle, and they were like the
spinal and I was like we'redoing that one, everyone has the
smallest needle.
And they were like the spinaland I was like we're doing that
one and they were like yeah, youknow, if you had done the
epidural, she's like ifsomething went wrong, the next
one would be a spinal, so you'dhave to have another needle in
(15:14):
your spine and I was like no, Iwant the smallest needle, like
don't, no.
And then like the other optionis to putting you to sleep.
But that's a last resort,because they want moms to be
able to see their babies whenthey have them.
They don't like them to beasleep, because it's a bonding
thing.
If you don't want your baby tocome out, did you really have
her?
So all that talk, and then, ofcourse, my husband shows up and
my sister stayed for a littlewhile while he processed
(15:36):
everything too, and then theywere discussing all of this and
we were getting ready to head inin a couple hours.
They had to wait a tiny bitbecause I didn't think I was
having the baby.
So you know, I had breakfastand they were like when did you
eat last?
I was like around eight andthey're like five o'clock is
gonna be when you have it.
Then, because you had food andI was like it wasn't a lot of
(15:58):
food, it's a little bit of food.
They're like, still, you hadfood and I was like, well, of
course I didn't know I was gonnabe having a baby.
So that happened, and then wegot bumped like an hour because
someone started to have twins soof course they get to go first.
So we had to wait a little bitlonger.
And then of course that process,the shift change from five.
(16:20):
So all the anesthesiologistsand people we had already met to
talk to everybody, all the newones came in to go over
everything again to make surethat we knew, because it was a
shift change.
And I was like stop telling meand just do it.
And then they called the outfit.
My husband had to put on forthe surgery a bunny suit, and
they walked him how to put it onand he botched the first one.
(16:42):
It was hilarious, he, becauseyou put it on and he botched the
first one.
It was hilarious, he, becauseyou put it on like a onesie,
like a toddler onesie, but hewasn't thought processing
because it's been five yearssince we put our son in onesies.
Like that, it's a onesie.
So like you ripped the firstone and I laughed so hard.
It was hilarious.
And my doctor came in becauseshe really didn't want to give
(17:04):
me a C-section.
She wanted the baby to turn.
So right before we went intothe ultrasound she came.
Right before we went into thesurgery she came in to do
another ultrasound on me in thehopes that, you know, the baby
had turned enough that she coulddo the maneuver where they push
your tummy and force the babyto turn, where they push your
tummy and force the baby to turn.
(17:25):
She was hoping she would turnenough that she could do that
and finish her turning so thatwe could just induce me super
quick and have the babynaturally.
But she went to go do theultrasound and, if anything, she
crawled up a little bit higherinto my rib cage and lungs.
So she's like are you havingtrouble breathing?
And I was like I don't think so, but I'm like mildly panicking.
I was like I don't think so,but I'm like mildly panicking.
So like I don't know.
(17:46):
And she's like oh, she's alittle bit higher up there.
And I was like so.
So I laughed hysterically whilemy husband ripped the first
bunny suit and they had to havethe nurse come in and like show
him how to get in it and put iton properly and everything.
It was hilarious.
I laughed so hard.
It was really funny because mywhole belly was like shaking.
It was really funny.
My husband's like what she'sgonna turn?
I'm like don't say that theyalready did the ultrasound.
(18:08):
They're gonna make me do this,and then the twin lady had
delivered really quickly, Iguess.
Because they come in and all ofa sudden they're like we're
going, and it was like sixo'clock, it wasn't the seven
they had said it was gonna be.
So like we go in and they havemy husband sitting a chair
outside the room while they dothe spinal needle and all of
(18:30):
that stuff.
So I'm in there by myself in acompletely sterile arm with like
15 people milling around me,and then the anesthesiologist is
like telling me how to do myposture to stab my spine with
the needle.
He's like you're going to havehorrible posture for a minute.
I'm like what are you talkingabout?
He's like you're going to makea C with your spine and like
curl into a ball.
And he's like do it like this.
(18:51):
And I was like all right, so Idid it.
He's like that.
He's like all right, that'sperfect.
He's like now that's what Iwant you to do when I'm going to
do the spine, I'll tap.
And I was like okay.
He's like it's going to hurt alittle bit.
I'm like really Okay.
And then, of course, he doesn'twarn me.
He's like all right, and I'mjust going to start numbing your
(19:12):
back.
Holy cow, those four littleneedles that they used to numb
your back, that hurt so much.
I was unprepared for that and Iwas like, oh my God, he's like
you're doing great, you're doinggreat.
I'm like I don't feel like I'mdoing great.
He's like you're fine and I'mlike okay, he's like all right,
now you're going to do theimperfect thing, like crunch
right over, crunch right over,bend right over.
(19:34):
I'm like all right.
So I start bending over andlike you can, it's numb, it's
supposed to be numb, like itslightly feels numb, but like
you still feel the whole needlegoing in you and I'm like I
wanted to cry.
It hurts so bad.
And then the nurse is like here, hold me, and I was like, yeah,
okay, I would really like to beholding my husband, but sterile
environment, so he's stilloutside.
It was like the worst thingever.
(19:56):
And then, of course, you feelweird and lightheaded and like
warm feeling, like you're peeingyourself, but you're not.
It's weird.
And then they have you lie downand they strap your arms down
on the table and like a weird solike you're a tee, it was weird
.
And they get the whole curtainup and everything and I'm just
(20:18):
like not ready.
And then they ask you if you'renot like a nauseous and I was
like I really am.
So he's like all right, I gotyou and they did whatever they
gave me to make me not nauseousand I was like, okay, I'm good
now they're like all right.
And then they have my husbandcome in because they're all
ready and my ob was hilarious.
She was so short, she had tohave a little stool to stand on
(20:40):
because she's on one side andthe other OB for backups on the
other side.
And it was funny because sheneeded a stool and she asked if
I was ready to do this and I waslike yep, and they had to wait
for the five or six minutes forthe spinal to completely work,
so I couldn't feel likeeverything.
And then they give you thecatheter, so Nate's sitting next
to me and they're like you canlook or not look, and he's like
(21:02):
I'm not looking.
I was like I don't want to lookeither.
I mean, I probably would if itwas somebody else.
I watch enough medical shows.
But he was like nope, and I'mlike I don't want to either.
Nope, and I'm like I don't wantto either.
So they said we're ready to goand I was like sure, and then
they just started doing all thatand I think it took about like
five minutes to get through allthe layers and like this was the
(21:25):
weirdly gnarly part, becauseshe was so high up.
It was weird.
The other ob was a male and hewas really really tall and he,
like my ob, asks him if he'sready and he goes yep, and she
gets her hand down by theincision and the guy puts his
arms up like this, like all theway up to his shoulders, and
he's holding them like this andhe's like are you ready?
(21:46):
She's like yeah, he's like here.
And he pushes down as hard ashe can with his full body weight
on the upper part of my stomach, where the like my chest and,
uh, chest area was, and hepushed down there with a big
full body weight and all I feelis the pressure of his entire
body like crushing me and herhand goes in and like rips the
baby out when he pushes down theheart and all you hear is my
(22:09):
daughter crying and screaming,because babies cry.
But like I felt like one of thecows sat on me, because I grew
up on a farm and like sometimesthey'll step on you or like sit
on you and like that's what thatfelt like, like he just pushed
so hard and like she pulled herright out.
And then they're screaming andthey're taking her over to the
table and they're all like watch, like five of them went with
(22:32):
her to go check her at the table.
And then I'm like poke.
Well, I want to say I'm pokingmy husband, but I can't do
anything because my arms arestriped down.
So I'm like go with her, gowith her, go with her.
So my husband leaves me to gowalk across the room to go to
Ravenna and, um, he comes backand his face is as white as a
sheet and he goes I shouldn'thave looked, but I looked, I
looked and I shouldn't havelooked.
He's like that was.
I looked and I was like I'msorry.
(22:54):
So he brings my daughter backto me, but I don't have any arms
so I can't hold her.
So I was like, well, put her onmy chest so I can do the
skin-to-skin thing, and then hemoves her around so that she can
start nursing.
And she actually startednursing right away.
They unstrapped my arms so Icould kind of hold her but
(23:16):
everything feels weird.
So I'm kind of holding her onmy chest and I'm tilted and I'm
kind of holding her but myhusband's also helping hold her
and she latched on and wasnursing.
I moved my arm so that I couldhold her and I was kind of going
like it was pushing on thecurtain.
So my doctor was starting to getready to stitch me up and she's
(23:36):
like what, what is this?
And I'm like I think that's myelbow.
She's like why is your elbowthere?
And I'm like I'm holding her on, she's nursing and then my
little ob peeks over the counter, not the counter, the curtain
was like oh, look at her, she'sextra dawn, she's such a good
girl.
She's like way to go.
And I was like yay.
And she's like all right,we're're going to get ready to
stitch you back up.
She's like you're going to feelweird pressure, but it's OK.
And I was like all right, andthe, the operating table, the T
(24:00):
that they strap you to, they hadlike turned it, so like I
wasn't even level anymore, I waslike sideways towards her and
then I was also put down alittle, so like another reason
my husband was helping hold heron was because I my head was
down closer to the ground, sohe's like keeping her on my
(24:21):
chest because it was weirdlytilted.
But then they started to likesew me back up.
And it was weird because theywere counting all the lap pads
and like all the stuff they usebetween each layer and I was
thinking like half the time likeI've watched enough doctor
shows that I don't feel likethey should have used that many
lap pads when they're countingthem out to each other and I'm
just like how much bleeding didI bleed?
(24:41):
But then they stitched me backup and it was weird because as
they were doing it, they wereturning the table towards the OB
, so like she can make sure thateverything was like super tight
and whatever.
And it didn't feel like it tookvery long at all, like maybe a
half hour.
I was in the operating room, um,from start to finish it was
(25:02):
very quick.
And when the doctor I almostforgot this part when the doctor
cut me open and went to go likemake sure she could see the
baby before she pulled her out.
Apparently, all my laughingwhen my husband ripped the bunny
suit had made her turn a tinybit, but it was enough that the
(25:23):
doctor felt like she could haveforced her to keep moving and
she was so mad about it that thebaby decided to move at the
last minute.
But she was up so far by myheart that they really didn't
want her to keep messing withthat either.
But all in all she came out andshe was perfect.
There was nothing wrong withher.
When she came out she wasactually quite bigger than my
(25:43):
son by a whole pound, so thatwas cool.
The one thing I didn't like isthat the spinal made her very
tired.
So, like for the first twoweeks, she was very sleepy baby.
She still is quite actually asleepy baby, but I don't have to
work as hard to wake her up forfeeding anymore.
But then we went back to theroom and we decided to only stay
(26:06):
for one night.
Well, technically it was twonights because we had her at
seven o'clock at night, but likeI count that as a day, we were
only there for two nights and ahalf, so it wasn't that long and
they were all like you can stayfor another night I was like I
have a toddler at home and I waslike I do not want to stay.
The first night I didn't haveany orange juice and the second
night, second day, I had like awhole bunch of orange juice and
(26:28):
we couldn't figure out why shewas having hard primes and I was
like I had orange juice but Ididn't have orange juice the
first night.
So we found out very quickly Icannot have orange juice.
So that was interesting.
But they did a very good jobwith all of the checking on her
and I.
For the first 24 hours theyapparently they do it with some
c-sections and some ob's don't.
(26:50):
They put the giant bandagesover my c-section so like I
wasn't gonna shower at thehospital because I didn't with
my son, because I like to do thewhole bonding scent thing from
the first week or so for thebaby and the mom.
But, um, after 24 hoursapparently they want to take
those bandages off over thec-section scar and I was like
(27:12):
all right, and they're lookingat me and the nurse was like
you're gonna want to shower andsoak those as much as possible
before we rip them off and I waslike what?
Which is why some doctors don'tdo it because you take them off
within 24 hours anyway.
So, like, why bother?
So they kept it sterile for thefirst 24 hours and then we had
(27:32):
to go rip those bandages off,which still really hurt after.
I showered for 40 minutes withthe water just directly on the
bandages, because their showerin the aftercare room had one of
the nozzles that comes down, solike I just held it on the
bandages in the hopes that itwould peel off, but it still
hurt and then I couldn't seewhere it was over the scar.
So I didn't want to do it andlike have a rip the stitches
(27:54):
because I didn't know.
There was a clear gauze downthere over the scar and part of
it, so I had to have a nursehelp me do it and it was
horrible.
But we also we just stayed forthe little bit now.
So I'm kind of glad we leftwhen we did, because the I loved
the nurses up until the lastrotation right before we left,
(28:14):
and I was kind of glad we wereleaving because I didn't like
that shift.
And then they kept asking if Iwanted her to go to the nursery
and I was like, no, I do not.
And then the next shift in themorning was like it's a good
thing you didn't.
They had 15 babies overnight inthe nursery with the one poor
nurse watching them, and I waslike, yeah, no she's not leaving
.
Angela (28:32):
Wow, fifteen babies with one nurse.
Julie-Anne (28:42):
Yeah, but I had very good care.
Angela (28:43):
It was just very fast and overwhelming.
Yeah, and that's reallyinteresting that when your
doctor went in to do theC-section she commented on how
your daughter was starting toturn a little bit.
Were you having any otherissues come up that afternoon at
your appointment?
Julie-Anne (29:01):
My heart rate was like a little bit fast but I was
also like mildly panicking.
But I guess they were alsoworried more about how much
fluid she was losing because shewas in control of the fluid,
which means the placenta wasn'tworking.
There's also a lot more of likewhat if she could change that
much to move when she's notsupposed to be able to move at
all?
What is she gonna do to me andher if she doesn't get out now,
(29:27):
if she loses more fluid?
Plus, they also could not finda reason where in the placenta
or the cord that she would havelost that much fluid between
Monday and Thursday but alsostill be moving.
So that was very interesting.
She was either hiding it orjust not doing what she needed
to be doing.
They said her heart rate waslike OK, but it kept going up
(29:49):
and going down and they didn'tlike that.
It's such a mystery.
Yes, yes it is.
I mean, they can tell a lot,like their ultrasounds are way
better than Waterville's, butlike they also can't hundred
percent know why the baby isdoing that or doing this, or why
the baby feels that way at all.
Angela (30:08):
So how has your postpartum been going?
Julie-Anne (30:11):
Really good.
She had me do a five weekcheckup instead of a six week
checkup and apparently I healvery fast because she said, oh
my God, your incision is almostgone and I was like cool, but my
husband also has made sure thatI not have to do anything.
I was told I couldn't lift morethan her.
(30:31):
So I couldn't lift over agallon of milk this last six
weeks.
I may have done it a few timesbecause I picked up my son,
who's like almost 40 pounds,every once in a while without
thinking of course it's so hardnot to do that, just
instinctually right right, yeah,um, but he made sure that I
followed the doctor'sinstructions, like the no
(30:52):
driving thing up to six weeks,but like she's like the minimum
you can start driving is threeweeks, and I was like, oh my god
, I made it three weeks, butlike being sick at home was not
cool and I'm like why can't Idrive?
And course you forget how manymuscles in your abdomen are
related to your foot, and likebreaking times and whatnot.
So like that makes sense.
That's very annoying.
Walking was hard.
(31:14):
We went for a few walks, butI'm great for like the first
half of the walk, and thenyou're like, oh, there are a lot
of tummy muscles involved inwalking.
Like I just want to go sit down, but I didn.
Then you're like, oh, there area lot of tummy muscles involved
.
You're walking like I just wantto go sit down, but didn't do
that very often.
But, yeah, coughing, though, orblowing your nose or anything
(31:35):
like no, laughing hurt a lot.
So like you forget about allthe things that involve your
tummy muscles until you can't doa single thing with them.
Like I had to sneeze and Ithought I was gonna die and all
you could do is like they'rejust like hold a pillow to your
stomach if you, until you can'tdo a single thing with them.
Like I had to sneeze and Ithought I was going to die and
all you could do is like they'rejust like hold a pillow to your
stomach if you have to sneeze,cough or blow your nose, and I'm
like, well, if I'm blowing mynose, I'm using two hands, and
they're like have someone elsehold the pillow to your stomach
and I'm just like, cool, don'talways have a person with me.
(32:00):
And then, of course, thehospital made because we checked
out sooner than they would havewanted, but they said we could
go home.
They made us come back like thenext two days to do weight
checks for her and she didn'tgain weight as fast as they
wanted her to and they weretrying to get me to supplement
with formula and I was like Idon't want to, but she's a very
(32:21):
sleepy baby, so we're having ahard time nursing because I have
to wake her up.
So then they gave me all thetips and tricks for like forcing
her to wake up by blowing onher nose, blowing on her face,
changing her, playing with herears, things like that.
So I was different, because myson never had that problem.
But apparently c-section babiesbecause they don't get like
straightened out in the birthcanal when they come out are
very gassy and colicky and allthat like she had so much gas
(32:47):
and burping.
Like I've never had to burp myson, so I'm very rusty on
burping colicky babies.
So that was interesting.
We've had taken her to thechiropractor.
She went when she was fourweeks old, so now she's less
gassy and burpy, which is good,but it took a few days, but it
she's a lot less than she, lessair trapped than she had been
(33:12):
having.
We'll probably go again in amonth or so but that helped a
lot because oh, she'd be fine.
Then all of a sudden she'd belike farting, all of this like
she just screamed because shehad so much air trapped and
you're trying all the differentways to try to get out and it
was like I'm so sorry, I can'thelp you.
That was rough but it hasn'tbeen bad at all, excited to go
(33:35):
back to work.
I have one more week and then Ican go back to work Because I
could technically be working.
But I do packages every fewdays or so and those are not
less than eight pounds.
Angela (33:52):
So I'm not going back yet.
Julie-Anne (33:53):
So how are you sitting with the way that all of
this happened?
Luckily there are nocomplications for me.
I got to do both sides of it.
I would definitely do anunmedicated vaginal birth, again
over a C-section.
I feel like the recovery wasmuch faster, but like they're
not slicing through the sevenlayers of your skin either and,
lord, I think I stopped bleedingway sooner with having my son
(34:15):
vaginally than I did with thec-section because like your body
doesn't know if you've had themor not, so they just keep
bleeding.
And my friend was like you had ac-section.
Why are you still bleeding?
And I'm like because like I hadthe whole dilation, like my
body was ready to have hernaturally, and then it doesn't
and then, even though they tookher out, there's still like all
(34:35):
the blood and stuff in there oflike shedding and everything.
So like I'm still bleedingbecause of all that like and it
kept going and I'd be done for aday and I'd be like, yeah, and
then it'd start up the next day.
It's like I think it's finallystopped.
But it took almost five weeksand with my son I was done by
like day five because it wasjust like all was naturally
ready to come out and I didn'texperience with my son the what
(34:58):
is it?
The pushing on your uterus toget the placenta to come out,
for it to shrink back.
They didn't do that with my sonbecause I had him naturally.
Oh, my god, I know what all myfriends have been talking about
when they say they come in to dothe afterbirth pushes the
fundal massage, should they callit yeah?
not do that with my son, butthey did it with her and I think
(35:18):
I would rather have himunmedicated again than have them
do that to me because, oh mygod, I was like, what are you
doing?
They're like we're like gettingyour uterus to contract and to
go back down to its normal sizebecause it would do it naturally
after you had the baby, but youhad a c-section, so it's trauma
on it and it needs to likeforce itself to think it back to
(35:41):
going small.
Like I was on the oxycodone orwhatever it was for the first 12
, 24 hours after I had thec-section, so like I didn't
really feel the pitocin theywere giving me.
But apparently they were givingme pitocin for the first almost
24 hours to make the uteruscontract so that I would think
that I went through labor, sothat I would shrink, which is
(36:03):
why they were pushing on mystomach.
And they did that to my friendsafter they had their vaginal
births because they didn'tdeliver the placenta really well
where my placenta came out withmy son on my first birth.
So like they never had to dothat to me, but like, oh my God,
they did it on this one and nowI know what everyone else is
talking about.
And that was horrible.
Like know what everyone else istalking about.
And that was horrible.
(36:24):
Like sure, you're explaining tome why you're doing this, but
like you're not telling me howmuch it's actually going to hurt
me.
Like I'm on an oxy and you'reit really hurts.
You're still doing it and I canfeel all of it.
I'm like I shouldn't feelanything and I feel all of it
and it was horrible.
Angela (36:39):
That was not like that part yeah, it's not not much of
a massage it's.
Julie-Anne (36:46):
I'm gonna sit on your stomach and make it small
again.
Angela (36:49):
Well, you're through to the other side.
It's been such a pleasurechatting with you before, like
during your pregnancy, andhearing the birth story of your
son and, yeah, now gettingtogether again and hearing the
birth story of your daughter.
If you were to give advice Iknow I asked this in the first
episode, but now, after yoursecond birth experience and six
(37:10):
weeks later, if you were to giveadvice to someone who's
expecting, or even new parents,what's the biggest thing you'd
want to share at this point intime?
Julie-Anne (37:19):
Well, I think last time I said was advocate for
yourself, but this time it'd belike ask as many questions and
be as informed as you could be.
Like I asked for the smallestneedle but they also walked me
through.
Like you know, if we did theepidural first, it'd be like
half your body, but like that'sa bigger needle, but then if
that didn't work, we'd have topoke you again and go for the
(37:41):
smaller needle, for the spinalthat's higher up, like, and then
if that didn't work, we'd gothe anesthesia.
Because I'm like asking whatwould make it happen to each one
of those things to happen.
Like, if I did get the epidural, what would make you have to go
to the spinal, or is it betterto just go to the spinal?
Like asking all the questionsyou can like, why are we doing
this to me?
You know, can I go home rightnow?
(38:01):
And they, yeah, but we wouldn'trecommend it and be like why
not?
Because you said I could gohome?
Why do you want me to stay?
They're like oh, just so youget another night of being taken
care of and be like I can takecare of myself at home, if
that's the only reason you wantme to stay like I am all set on
that.
Um, asking why you're givingyou the medications that they
(38:22):
are.
I got Tylenol and Oxy while Iwas in the hospital and then
they gave me some to go home butalso just said to really rely
on Tylenol.
So it is true, they just givewomen Tylenol after a C-section
where they cut you open forseven layers Just Tylenol, a
little bit of Oxy, which Ididn't take when I got home
because I wanted to try to powerthrough it, because I wanted to
(38:44):
heal faster except for whenit's hard.
Angela (38:47):
Yeah, because you've got your baby and you're like
trying to focus on taking careof your baby, but you also need
to focus on healing yourself,which, like you said like, might
require some more stronger painmedicines because of the extent
of the surgery, and findingthat balance yeah, I did take it
a few times because I had myson, of course, brought home a
cold, so she got it a little bitand then I got it a little bit.
Julie-Anne (39:10):
So then when you're like sneezing or coughing, I was
like, nope, I'm gonna go takelike a tiny little bit extra
stuff, like I can't handle thecoughing.
Yeah, and it was funny, theydidn't they allow children or
siblings into the hospital room,but only for like a half hour.
I think it was an hour at atime.
But my dad brought my son inand he's very quiet, so we
(39:34):
actually got away with him beingin there for three hours with
us holding a sister most of thewhole time.
And then he left and he waslike showing off the toy his
sister got him for her birthdaybecause you know she needed to
give him something when sheshowed up.
So he got a maui hook, becausethat's all the rage right now.
So when he left he was showingoff every single nurse.
He saw that he got a maui hookfrom his sister and they were
(39:57):
all like, oh, her brother camein.
I was like, yeah, he's been herefor the last three hours.
And like he was here for threehours.
I was like, yeah, I know he'squiet, isn't?
He didn't even know.
It was really funny.
So we kind of got away withthat.
It was great.
But like, also, going home wasa good thing, because he didn't
want us to be there, he wantedus at home and he wanted to see
his sister and he was very madthat he had to do his first
(40:17):
sleepover with his grandparents,for you know her birth.
He was just very unhappy aboutthat.
Yeah, ask lots of questions.
Ask everything you possibly canmake them tell you what it is
they're doing and why.
Lots of questions.
Angela (40:34):
Yeah, ask the questions, totally agree.
It's so important to know.
You know what you're, what'shappening, the whole step away.
Like you said, they were doingall this stuff and put you
through.
And then the doctor came inlike okay, we're having a baby
today, and, like you're, like Ihad no clue, you know, and
you're, like you said, you'regetting getting a little worried
and you, you should know what'sgoing on with your care the
(40:54):
whole step of the way and askquestions if they're whispering
in the corner.
Julie-Anne (40:58):
Right, oh yeah.
And then I learned about thesurgeon stitch.
Did not know about that.
So, like when they ripped thatband-aid off me like the massive
layers of covering up the woundor whatever um, I was like why
on earth does one side hurt morethan the other?
And they were like that's thesurgeon stitch.
(41:19):
And I was like what is whatdoes that?
When she started sewing, shestarted sewing on the other side
of me, away from her, and thenas she sews across my stomach
and gets closer and closer toher, the stitching gets tighter.
So they call it a surgeonstitch because it's looser,
farther away from them.
But as they get closer to wherethey are, it gets tighter and
(41:40):
more put together.
So that side was like way liketighter than the other side.
And they're like yeah, it's thesurgeon's stitch, you can tell
whatever side the surgeonoperated on, because that side
is way tighter than the otherside.
And I was like I can tell.
So that was different.
Angela (41:57):
Whoa, that's interesting .
Well, thank you so much,Julianne, for taking the time to
chat with me and share yoursecond birth story today.
Absolutely.
Thank you so much, Julianne,for taking the time to chat with
me and share your second birthstory today.
Julie-Anne (42:06):
Absolutely, thank you.
Angela (42:09):
Before you go, I just want to remind you I have a ton
of resources for pregnancy andbirth.
If you're pregnant, whetheryou're a first time mom or if
this is your fifth baby, I wantyou to check out the show notes,
because I have some freetrainings and free downloads
that you can sign up for, aswell as the link to access my
labor of love, a comprehensive,self-paced online childbirth
(42:32):
education course.
I created this coursespecifically for moms who don't
want to be told what to do,regardless of where you're
birthing or who you're birthingwith, and I'd honestly love to
teach you everything that I knowso that you can prepare for an
autonomous birth experience andprepare to step into your role
as the leader of your birthjourney.
(42:52):
So click to the show notes,check out all of those links and
, if you ever have any questions, feel free to DM me at
mymainbirth over on Instagram.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!