Meghan shares 2 birth stories in this episode. Her first birth was planned to be at an independent birth center, but she ultimately ended up being induced and delivered in a hospital setting. Her induction began with a foley bulb on Christmas morning and ended 50 hours later after 4.5 hours of pushing. She shares about her challenging experience with pitocin and shoulder dystocia. Both Meghan and her baby were healthy, but it left her feeling disappointed with her birth experience.
When she got pregnant again 8 months later, she was determined to have the peaceful, birth center birth she’d dreamed of. Meghan found a doula, researched shoulder dystocia and mentally prepared for an unmedicated birth. She had an unexpected growth scan at 36 weeks when her fundal height was measuring 5cm short, but her placenta and baby looked healthy so she continued her care at the birth center. Meghan shares the details of going into labor naturally on her due date (much earlier than she expected) and laboring at home for the majority of her labor. Surrounded by her midwives and loving birth team, she experienced a strong fetal ejection reflex while in the birth tub and pushed her baby out in under 3 minutes – shoulder dystocia free.
Meghan Howell Bio
Meghan is a birth doula & stay at home mom based in the Willamette Valley (Oregon). Her and her husband, Joey, are raising two daughters together. She lives on a shared farm with a mix of chickens, goats and 4 big dogs. Meghan’s diverse birth experiences sparked a love of birth stories and passion for finding community in motherhood. If you’d like to connect with Meghan, she’d love to hear from you on IG @thewillamettevalleydoula
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Aeroflow Breastpumps
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