From Bumps to Birth

*TRIGGER WARNING* This episode is about a second trimester loss. If you are not in place where your mind, body, or soul can listen to it, skip and come back a different day when your heart is ready.




October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. In honor of that the host Rikki Hamley shares her second trimester birth, which happened very unexpectedly and at home.

Michele joins us again to share her very recent 4th birth story with us. This episode is packed with information from Covid positive at 34 weeks, Cholestasis, induction, being proactive prenatally with breastfeeding and much more.

Nicole hops on today to share her pregnancy while coping with MS. She also shares her struggles of breastfeeding and the Lactation Consultant who helped her understand her other options were ok.

From Bumps to Birth is back with lots of exciting things! Tune in to learn what to expect coming up.....

Jevonna is a returning guest who shared her first two birth stories on episode 34. Today she joins and shares her homebirth story and birth of her 3rd child.

Isabella is a familiar voice to the podcast. She shared the birth of her daughter Willow back on episode 29. Today she hops on and shares her journey to motherhood a second time.

Vanessa the personality behind the Instagram account @confessionsofanewmama joins us and shares not only the birth story of her son but the birth of her and her partner becoming parents for the first time. Tune in to hear what an amazing and emotional walk down "Memory Lane" this was for Vanessa.

Rita hops on and shares 2 awesome stories with us! Her first being a hospital birth that turned out ok but she new after her experience that she desired for a different kind of birth. Her second story happens to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic. She shares all the extra steps she took to prepare for her birth that turned out to be a dream come true....like for real. ( Spoiler Alert:She mentions a dream she had on her due date) 😉

You may remember Adele's story from Episode 38 about placing her baby for adoption. Andrea is the adoptive mother and she joins us to tell her heartwarming perspective of the journey. She also shares her journey to the birth of her twin daughters.

Megan shares her experiences of 2 labors and births. The most recent being while her and her husband took on a new restaurant business mid pregnancy....then add the current challenges of COVID-19 pandemic! She also touches base on some unexpected dr changes due to her provider's husband passing away as well as some experience with false labor.

Alix shares her journey through a pretty uneventful pregnancy until about 38 weeks when pre-eclampsia was diagnosed. She was then induced and after 5 hours of pushing with no success with forceps or episiotomy she decided to go on with a cesarean. Once headed back into recovery they discovered she was internally bleeding. She headed back to an exploratory surgery to find the cause. She eventually was transfered by Life Flight to another hospital where she had an emergency hysterectomy and coded. Tune in to hear how Alix describes the days after this major event and how she is doing today.

Adele hops on to share a really amazing journey. Starting in 2015 when she gave birth to her first son. She then goes on to share her journey with decison of placing her second son up for adoption and being a gestational surrogate 2 times and working on her 3rd journey being a gestational surrogate. **I also apologize for the audio blip sounds in today's episode. It was not something we could hear while recording. I don't feel it takes from her incredible story.**

Ashley hops on to share her story that started with a rather uneventful pregnancy to a wild roller coaster ride after being diagnosed with pre-eclampsia suddenly at the end of her pregnancy. Then the unforeseen trouble with the delivery of her placenta and then a transfer to a hospital for NICU assistance over an hour away in a crazy snow storm!

In light of October being Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month this episode is the reading of the names of our babies taken too soon.

Frankie returns to the podcast to share her recent birth of her 2nd baby girl. After having a cesarean with her last birth, Frankie had the desire to attempt a vaginal birth. She soon began planning for a HBAC- Home Birth After Cesarean. Tune in to catch all the details on how Frankie continued to advocate for herself and was able to make her dream birth a reality.

Tune in to hear Jevonna share her two VERY different birth stories while touching base on issues with SPD, Gestational Diabetes and anxiety.

Jesse updates us on how things have been going since her first episode.

Kate is a mom of 3 boys, doula, massage therapist and birth photographer. After 2 home births Kate originally had planned to do the same with her 3rd birth, but ended up deciding an Induction would be the best choice for her and her mental health. She also discusses the importance of maintaining self care during pregnancy, no matter if it is your 1st baby or your 20th or beyond.

Nicole waited longer than most her friends to start a family. She took some time to finish her education and just enjoy her marriage with her husband. In her mid thirties they decided to start their family and sought out some help from a Dr after not having regular periods for some time. She was diagnosed with PCOS and started taken Metformin. She became pregnant and was ecstatic, but unfortunately experienced a devestating loss at 6 weeks. Shortly after she became pregnant with her son and shares her story pregnancy-labor with him.

Staci was a guest who shared her home birth story back in episode 8. She is a Childbirth and Lactation Educator. In this episode she shares the safe and proper way to use the essential oils; Lavender and Peppermint during pregnancy, labor , postpartum and on your baby.

Alexis shares her story of after nearly 24 hours of trying to get contractions and any progression to start, she was taken in for a C-section after hoping for an unmedicated birth.

Isabella shares her journey to birthing Baby Willow as well as her struggle with Cholestasis in pregnancy as well as her process to make the decision to wait on a procedure to be done until her daughter is at an age to have a say in the matter.

Rikki, the host of From Bumps to Birth shares her 3rd birth story.

Brittany shares her twin birth story and her diagnosis with preeclampsia, NICU stay and just that all around twin mom life.

Elizabeth is a natural minded mama, who shares her 3 births stories and her mission to help empower women to do their own research and advocate for the birth they desire, all while keeping an open mind.

Kelsey shares her birth story and chats about plans for her upcoming birth. She also shares her perspective of the unknowns as a first time mom, talks gender disappointment, the importantance of taking time for yourself and lots more!

Maggie shares her inspiring story of her miracles babies. After 5 failed attempts of IVF, Maggie and her husband Matt sought out the help of a surrogate. Just a short time after finding out their surrogate was pregnant, Maggie also found out she was pregnant without the help of fertility meds after several years of unexplained infertility.

**Sorry in advance, there were some bazaar audio hiccups at the end during the time I asked questions, we made due with what we had and it definitely didn't take from her story. I appreciate the understanding**. Lindsey shares the birth of her Rainbow Baby.

Frankie Gibbons, a hypnobirthing instructor shares her journey through loss and onto the birth of her baby girl. She also discusses her passion for hypnobirthing and how her own experience inspires her to help others with their birthing experience and options.

Chole had a great pregnancy and knew she wanted to try for an unmedicated birth. She picked a hospital that has a floor especially for natural birthing and their OB had agreed to that arrangement. At 36 weeks Chloe learned her OB didn't have right to deliver at the hospital they had chosen. She made the decision to switch care to a midwife practice that had rights at the hospital she planned to deliver at. Originally being told by her OB at 35 weeks that she felt Chloe would be delivering early, her due date came and went. At 41 weeks she requested a membrane sweep to jump start things. Once labor began she knew she wanted to stay home as long as possible. Once her water broke there was a switch and she felt the urge to push. They rushed to the hospital in time to deliver their surprise (gender was unknown) baby girl!

Michele shares 3 low intervention hospital births, one which includes an amazing surprise breech delivery!

Jesse is due June 15th, 2020. In this episode she shares about her first birth story and gives her first trimester update for her current pregnancy.

Sidonie was born and raised in England, but her husband's job lead them to Texas where they have resided for 3 1/2 years and where she gave birth. Tune in to hear Sidonie tell her birth story leading to her unplanned, but positive C-section experience.

Britnee wasn't sure what the future held for her pregnancy wise, after having 3 consecutive miscarriages before meeting her husband. Shortly after their love story began, Britnee became pregnant. She experienced several bumps in her pregnancy including; first trimester bleeding, a diagnosis of a very large Ovarian Cystic Tumor that was later removed at 17 weeks and a blood clotting disease discovery that was treated with Lovenox injections. Towards the end of her pregnancy her platelets dropped low and her Dr recommend induction around 39 weeks. Britnee was unable to recieve and epidural for pain relief during her labor due to her low platelet count. She ended up giving IV pain meds a try, but they were not very helpful. They were able to have a midwife come in and administer a sterile water block, which was able to help her get some relief for a bit. More complications arose and Britnee then began to battle a fever and low oxygen levels. She ended up passing out a few times and that is when they decided an emergency C-section was imminent and was done under general anesthesia. Just 9 weeks after her first birth, Britnee found out she once again was expecting. This time pregnancy was much easier despite a few hiccups, she planned a repeat C-section, but just like in her previous pregnancy, her platelets began to plummet. She was worried about having to go through another birth while under general anesthesia. One day before the scheduled date, they did one more blood draw and her platelet count came out just above the needed number. She was able to get the epidural and be alert for the birth of her second son. In her 3rd pregnancy she began thinking about how impersonal her last C-section was and knew she wanted something different. She planned a VBA2C and found a supportive provider. Although it was successful, it didn't come without it's ups and downs. Tune in to hear a more in depth description of Britnee's amazing story!

Chrissy is a Licensed Therapist Sleep Expert and Author of "Get Your Sleep On". On today's episode she shares her 3 hospital births along with her struggles with prenatal OCD and postpartum depression. She shares the importantance of sleep aiding our mental health, especially in the postpartum days.

Kara shares her birth story that started with a Lupus diagnosis shortly after finding out she was expecting. She later learned that her baby had a two vessel cord which her care team said may cause issues. After her water broke at 34 weeks she was monitored and eventually induced due to complications that arose, that lead to a cesarean.

Tracy has had 9 pregnancies and 2 live births. In Tracy's first birth story she shares how she was set on an unmedicated vaginal birth, but due to her baby being stuck in the frank breech position, despite an ECV attempt, she ended up having to have a cesarean. Moving forward she ended up having a few miscarriages which included a blighted ovum and a Turner's Syndrome diagnoses. She walks us through the in depth aftermath of dealing the the trauma of these losses and how it impacted her 2nd birth story which ended in a successful VBAC.

Ashley Lorton is our first mama in the Baby Watch series. Ashley is due May 2020 with her second baby. In this episode she shares her infertility journey and heartbreaking loss of her first daughter, Collette at 36 weeks. She then shares about her emotions finding out she was pregnant again shortly after her first daughter's first birthday. Tune in to hear how Ashley has been feeling thus far and her plans with this pregnancy!

Ashley Elliott touches base on her first two births. As a single mom she thought she was done with having children after her first two children were born. She then met her now husband who had a vasectomy early in their relationship, and they eventually decided they wanted to try for a baby together. She shares their journey with coming to the decision of a vasectomy reversal, getting pregnant and the birth she had always hoped for!

Sarabeth describes herself as a very naturally minded person. She knew instantly that when it came to birth she would want to do it out of hospital and decided the a birth center birth would be the right choice for her. Due to state law she knew that her midwives wouldn't be able to deliver out of hospital after 42 weeks. As she approached the 42 week mark she also found out that the hospital her midwives had rights to, was not covered by her insurance. When she hit 42 weeks and all fetal monitoring had come back great, she decided she did not want to be induced and her midwives had to drop further care. Moving on she shares about finding someone to help attend a now planned home birth. Once active labor started she labored for a couple days at home with no progression past 6cm. After exhausting all avenues to help her progress at home, Sarabeth and her birth team decided that going to the hospital for pitocin would be the best decision. After being admitted and administered pitocin, she still labored for most of the day with intense contractions and was still at 6cm. With the intense contractions and exhaustion of laboring for days straight, she made the decision to get the epidural and some rest! After just a 30 minute cat nap she woke up with the urge to push and her baby was in her arms 10 minutes later! Then she shares her home birth that she had always dreamed of with her second baby! Tune in to hear how Sarabeth set an amazing example of self advocating, even in the toughest circumstances and being so graceful and accepting when things went off course!

Shelly is a YouTuber and podcast host of the Life after Miscarriage and Bad Mom Moments podcasts. While being open about her 4 miscarriages, she shares the birth story of her Rainbow Baby for the very first time ever! Tune in to hear Shelly share her journey through 4 miscarriages and a positive induction after dealing with hypertension and anxiety.

Staci is a certified Childbirth and Lactation Educator, something she was so passionate about, that she became one before even becoming a mother! Staci shares her positive and bright energy as she shares how her perspective changed after becoming pregnant and delivering her daughter as well as her calm and peaceful birth story. She is full of inspiration, words of wisdom and education. Tune in to catch some fun and unique ways she chose to honor and capture some of the memories from her daughter's birth! ( Staci's business info: Bright Birth Options- Facebook Page)

After Brooke and her husband married they started trying for a baby right away. After about a year they got pregnant and were ecstatic! Unfortunately, they faced heartbreak at 12 weeks when they found out they had miscarried and also found out that Brooke has a bicornuate uterus. They went on to become pregnant with their son the pregnancy was stressful with bleeding from one side of her uterus, a few scares of preterm labor and strict bed rest. All her hopes and dreams came true the day her son was born healthy at 37 weeks via cesarean due to breech position.

Kristi looked forward to becoming a mother, but after a colon surgery damaged her fallopian tubes she was told she wouldn't be able to concieve without the help of IVF. They embarked on their journey with some bumps along the way and in-between, but she shares the arrival of their answered prayers, 3 boys!

Eliza noticed after getting married that she wasn't ovulating after following the Fertility Awareness Method. After awhile she eventually become pregnant and suffered the devestating loss of her baby in a missed miscarriage. After trying for a bit of time she became pregnant with her daughter and shares about her long labor at a birth center and brief hospital visit after for blood clots. Then shares her struggles with SPD in her pregnancy with her son as well as the homebirth with him.

Chelsea had always known she wanted to be a mom, so naturally after her and her high school sweetheart married, they wanted to start their family soon after. Chelsea walks us through the emotional 2 1/2 year TTC journey that lead them to their first positive pregnancy, she also shares 2 hospital births with midwives and a recent birth center water birth with her 3rd.

Jaycee shares her 3 birth stories. Although happy to welcome 3 little lives to the world, she shares her different emotions with each experience including, a Cystic Hygroma diagnosis with her 2nd, emotional struggles about becoming pregnant with her 3rd after miscarriage, a long and hard induction with her 3rd baby as well as her postpartum depression struggles.

After the devestating loss of her baby girl at 27 weeks, Jessica honors her baby girl Emiliana sharing her story of grief after loss, and the beautiful recent birth of her Rainbow Baby, Ambrose.

Jenn struggled with endometriosis since she was a teen. She eventually got pregnant with her daughter and had an uncomplicated hospital birth. Postpartum she began struggling even more with endometriosis and talks about her journey to finding a Dr. that she felt she could trust and that would listen to her.