Red Stick Mom

My c-section in 2009 was very unnecessary. It was an induction with sedatives, Pitocin, epidural and Stadol. I slept for 24 hours and they woke me up to “push”. Tired from all the medications and not being able to feel anything to push, I ended up with a c-section. I knew for my next pregnancy that I would try for a VBAC. After going to 2 other doctors, I found a doctor that was willing to let me try for the birth I wanted. My entire pregnancy, I read articles and blogs, trying to prepare myself mentally and physically for a non-medicated hospital birth. I tried my best to stay active, healthy and educated. On Sunday, December 15, 2013 at 39...

My birth story started the night before our first wedding anniversary. I was walking around downtown Baton Rouge, 36 weeks and 3 days pregnant with twins, heading to eat sushi for our anniversary dinner. I had made it this far along in the pregnancy about as comfortably as one nearly full-term with twins possibly could. After a nice dinner, we went to bed that night with everything quite normal and no idea that we were going to meet our babies so soon! Around 4:45 am, I made one of my usual late night trips to the bathroom and felt a small cramp. I was really hopeful that it was a contraction; because up to this point in my pregnancy, I had made...

For the birth of my third baby, I decided I would do things a little differently. My first was born via cesarean and my second was a VBAC. While I was thrilled with the outcome of the second birth, I felt that something was missing. I was so focused on having a vaginal delivery that I didn’t prepare for the intensity of labor and felt like I wasn’t an active participant in the birth with the epidural. Once I became pregnant again, I decided to spend the pregnancy focusing on setting myself up for an unmedicated birth. I researched pain management techniques, maintaining a high level of fitness, managing weight gain, and delivery options. I decided on a water birth,...

Births are like snowflakes. Each one is uniquely beautiful. They show us a courage and strength we never knew we had and a love we never could have imagined. The excitement and anticipation of an upcoming birth is palpable. There is an anxious energy around not knowing exactly what to expect. Will it be long or short, comfortable or difficult, exactly as planned or take its own direction? Birth is one of the few parts of life that we typically can’t and shouldn’t control. When our babies are born, we wear our stories like a badge of honor. Each of us has our own special initiation into motherhood. This week, you’ll read stories that encompass many kinds of birth. From...

Traveling is one thing that brings joy to my life. We live in an amazing country that has everything from beautiful beaches to stupendous mountains to grassy plains to chaotic metropolises.  So far our family has traveled to Disney World, the Gulf Coast beaches and St. Louis, but I am determined to expose my children (and myself for that matter) to as much of our country as possible.  I have compiled a thematic list of vacations so that I have plenty of options to choose from when I feel that my children are at the age where they can experience and appreciate different vacations. Adventure Gatlinburg/ Smokey Mountains: A trip for any season. White water rafting during the Summer. Hiking and watching the leaves change in...