23-"Going for the Gold"-Allyson's Quest for a Vaginal Birth After C-Section (VBAC)

ven Track & Field Olympic Gold Medalist Allyson Felix had to find her voice during her pregnancy. Join us as we close out season 2 with her, as she shares her birth story and desire for a VBAC with us! Don't forget to check out season 1&2 of The Birth Squad Podcast available now!

Link to Preeclampsia Calculator

https://fetalmedicine.org/research/assess/preeclampsia/first-trimester

Terms:

Preeclampsia (formerly called toxemia):  High blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy that leads to end organ damage. 

• Signs/symptoms include:  Swelling of your legs, headache unrelieved by pain medication, vision changes, protein in your urine, elevated liver enzymes, kidney failure, and low platelet levels. 

• Treatment:  Magnesium is usually used to prevent seizures and IV blood pressure 

• Eclampsia:  A seizure-related high blood pressure 

NICU:  the intensive care unit of babies who are sick or born early.  Hospitals have different NICU levels that they offer:

• Level 1 NICU | Basic care - provide care for healthy full-term babies. 

• Level 2  NICU| Advanced care - offer care for babies born at or after 32 weeks.

• Level 3 NICU| Specialized care - care for very sick babies and offer access to a wide range of pediatric specialists and equipment. 

• Level 4 NICU| Highest level of care - provides a full range of healthcare providers and equipment for very sick babies. 

Trial of Labor After Cesarean (TOLAC):  Patients who have undergone a previous cesarean birth have the option of proceeding with a trial of labor if they have had two or fewer cesareans. 

• Please talk to your provider to see if your hospital offer this option 

Uterine rupture:  when the uterus opens and a part of the fetus, amniotic fluid, or the umbilical cord enters the abdomen. 

• A uterine rupture can cause abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, a change in the contraction pattern, or a nonreassuring fetal heart rate tracing.

• Fetal Heart Rate Tracing:  Monitoring of the baby’s heart rate. 

• Acceleration:  When the fetal heart rate goes up indicating good oxygenation. 

• Deceleration:  A drop in the fetal heart rate, which can indicate fetal head compression, umbilical cord compression, or a decrease in oxygenation.

Hypnobirthing:  aims to help a woman deal with any fear or anxiety she may have around birth. It involves various relaxation and self-hypnosis techniques to help relax the body before and during labor and birth.