“I wasn't going to allow hospital policies to take away my power.”
Meet Sara Bates, 2nd time mom from Washington State.
Sara chatted with me about the birth of her second daughter Matilda (this past February 2024) after doing BirthPrep Yoga with me (she didn’t with her first baby). You can watch the entire 45 minute chat HERE or read through the coles notes below.
Sara said her second birth “was a big mental shift - I wasn't going to allow hospital policies to take away my power this time. Yes you can monitor my baby, but I am going to move my body! And my body felt great in this process.”
Sara was tapped into what her body wanted to do (that’s what I call a “mind body connection” which is key for birth and what I teach in BirthPrep Yoga).
Sara also had a birth plan this time and a great team to support her, which included her mom, her doula, and her best friend (who happened to be a photographer).
Sara says: “Make sure you have a birth plan and share it (one pager) with all the people you have in the room with you. The birth plan should include what you are hoping for. That way, if they know what the ideal is, you can work towards it.”
Sara in labor with her second daughter Matilda. Photo by @mkcphotography
Doula applying counter pressure. Photo by @mkcphotography
Sara didn’t have this experience with her first baby.
Sara:
“My first baby felt like it was breaking me and that was with an epidural, narcotics and my mom doing counter pressure on my low back.”
Many first time moms, like Sara, are shocked at the pain of birth and don’t have a back-up plan for getting through the intensity of each stage of labor + what to do if the pain meds don’t work! (This is what I teach in BirthPrep Yoga by the way - pain management strategies).
Sara said:
“I asked for an epidural, because I knew the pain was coming. The nurse was working on getting the anesthesiologist. But then I had the feeling of having to push.”
This scenario happens a lot (I’ve been teaching prenatal yoga for over 10 years now and hear this all the time). For example, the anesthesiologist is not located on time, or the epidural doesn’t help. But because Sara knew how to move her body this time; Sara knew how to breathe through the contractions this time and she was able to get through her birth, without the epidural, with a more positive, empowered outcome.
When you are giving birth, you will give someone the most intense stare of your life (Sara with her mom) Photo by @mkcphotography
Any more Tips from Sara?
Sara:
“# 1 on my hospital list, have a fan! I was so hot and it was a must.”
Sara:
"Your body is going to be speaking to you the whole time. You just have to be open to listening." (This is that mind-body connection again).
Sara:
”Don’t fight birth, surrender to it.”
The moment your baby is placed on your chest. ❤️ Photo by @mkcphotography
Heard of the Golden Hour?
I asked Sara if she could change any one thing about her empowered birth experience, this is what she said:
"Really think about how you want the after-birth to be. For example, do I want certain people to do those things to my body or my baby? Really think of how do you want that golden hour to be after birth and protect that hour.”
Thank you Sara for sharing your empowered birth experience!
You can do a BirthPrep Yoga series LIVE with me. See THIS LINK for LIVE series dates (runs over 6-weeks and you still get access to the online course with all the recordings).
Questions for me? Email: birthprepyoga@gmail.com or DM me @birthprepyoga
xo Hannah