Ep 98: Kyleigh's Out-of-the-Box Homebirth Preparation

Happy Homebirth

You're listening to episode 98 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast!

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What does preparing for a homebirth look like to you? Do you prefer a done-for-you checklist, or do you enjoy putting the puzzle together yourself? Although I am, of course, a huge proponent for childbirth education, particularly childbirth education FOR homebirth mothers, I love hearing how mothers choose to prepare for homebirth. There’s no one right way, and in today’s episode, we’ll hear how amazingly Kyleigh did with her preparation. From creating a birth labyrinth to practicing pain management techniques, there is so much to learn from this episode.

Show Notes

Kylie decided she wanted a homebirth before she became pregnant by listening to birth podcasts and realizing she didn’t like the sense of lack of control many seemed to experience in the hospital. Once pregnant, she read the book Mama Zen, which she credits for her comfortable, mindful attitude during pregnancy and birth. She feels it truly set her up for success.

At 37 weeks her baby was transverse, so she began going to the chiropractor 3x/week, which helped baby into a good position.

Before labor, she spent lots of time on her birth ball doing puzzles. She also practiced pain management techniques by holding ice.

Kyleigh’s labor was 9 hours: 5 hours of active labor, then 4 hours of pushing.

Favorite books: Spiritual Midwifery, She Births, Unassisted Childbirth

She created a “labor labyrinth” for herself

Episode Roundup:

1. Preparing for birth doesn’t have to look any specific way. When I spoke to Kyleigh before the interview, she was like, “Yeah, I really didn’t prepare. I just went with the flow.” And she’s definitely not giving herself enough credit. Kyleigh thoroughly prepared for her birthing experience, she just didn’t attach any unnecessary expectations. She was there for it, whatever it would be. I love the sense of mindfulness she brought, and this is absolutely something we harp on inside of Happy Homebirth Academy.
2. Chiropractic care! Whew, I can’t recommend it enough, and now I know Kyleigh is on board with it, too! How incredible that she was able to create space for her baby to get in the correct position.
3. Finally, I loved Kyleigh’s discussion of her ability to relax and be exactly as she needed to be to get her baby out of womb and into arms. She was surrounded by a loving team, and she knew that she could make the noises, move in the ways she needed to move and be completely uninhibited. THAT. Is what we need more of. The understanding that we can do exactly what our body is telling us to do. Whether it seems serene and quiet, or it sounds like a freight train coming at you, it matters not. Birth is incredible, and allowing yourself to experience it fully— the way your body needs it to happen- is amazing.