Sarah Swisshelm Pregnancy and Birth Story
Sarah is a wife, mama, and blogger living in sunny Southern California with her wonderful hubby and two beautiful boys. She’s passionate about natural, non-toxic living and making the most of motherhood and childhood. You can read more about Sarah on her blog, crunchtasticmomlife.com
Was your pregnancy planned or a surprise?
We weren’t actively trying to get pregnant at the time, but we also weren’t taking steps to prevent pregnancy. We were both open to having a baby if it happened. Before I got pregnant, I’d been a step mom to my sweet 4 year old step-son for about one year. I loved taking care of him and cherished our time together when he was with us, but in my heart I wanted a baby of my own SO badly. I definitely had baby fever BIG TIME.
If planned, how long did you try to conceive?
I stopped taking hormonal birth control in November of 2015 and got pregnant in early May of the following year. You can check out Sarah’s blog at crunchtasticlife.com or follow her on Instagram!
How did you share the news with your partner, family, and friends?
I found out I was pregnant a few days before my husband’s 30th birthday. I took a test first thing in the morning and was so excited that I couldn’t wait till he got off work to tell him. I decided to put the pregnancy test in a small ‘happy birthday’ gift bag and drove down to his job to give him his present! When he opened it he was completely shocked but definitely happy and excited. We told our families and close friends next over the phone. Then we posted an “official” announcement on Facebook when I was around 12 weeks pregnant. Our announcement was a cartoon of an oven with a cute little bun inside it.
Which was your favorite trimester?
Once my nausea stopped at about 14 weeks, I really enjoyed almost all of my pregnancy, but I’d have to say the second trimester was the easiest and most enjoyable. I especially loved feeling my baby’s movements in the third trimester, but toward the end I had pretty awful pelvic girdle pain which made it really hard to sleep at night.
What was your pregnancy MUST HAVE?
I craved vegetables so much during my pregnancy. Especially roasted eggplant! I invented a delicious eggplant ciabatta sandwich recipe because of it. Since having my son eggplant is still my favorite veggie.
Did you find out the gender?
Yes. We wanted to find out to make it easier to pick a name (even though we ended up not being able to decide on a name until our son was 3 days old!). When we have our next baby, I definitely want to be surprised.
Were there any complications throughout your pregnancy?
My pregnancy was completely healthy, but at 36 weeks I found out my son was breech. Although breech presentation is simply a variation of normal, this was a huge disappointment for me. I planned to attempt an un-medicated birth in a natural birthing center, but in the state of California midwives are not legally permitted to attend breech vaginal births. My midwifery group had no choice but to drop me and transfer my care to a nearby hospital. Breech vaginal births used to be commonplace in the United States. They do carry slightly more risk than a birth where baby is head-down, but they can be done safely with a qualified and experienced provider. Sadly, within just the last few decades, many hospitals have stopped allowing breech vaginal births altogether, and the majority of breech babies in America are born via cesarean section. OBGYNs simply do not receive training for breech vaginal birth anymore and it’s nearly impossible to find a qualified OB who has any kind of experience with breech vaginal delivery. I tried everything I could to encourage my baby to flip head-down, including an external cephalic version (most painful experience of my life). But, my son was determined to be breech and just wouldn’t budge. Knowing him now, it all makes sense. My son is the most determined little man I’ve ever met! Ultimately, because my son refused to flip and I couldn’t find a provider I felt confident in to deliver him naturally, I accepted that I had to have a c-section.Did you go into labor naturally or were you induced?Although my insurance company wanted me to schedule a c-section, I chose to let my baby decide when he wanted to be born and went into labor naturally. Sometimes babies flip during labor (I did while I was being born!), so I thought it would give him one last opportunity to turn if he wanted to. Surprisingly, I went into labor on my due date!
How long were you in labor?
My labor technically started 24 hours before my c-section (although my contractions were so mild, I thought they were Braxton Hicks). I was in active labor for about 6 hours. When I showed up to the hospital while in labor, the operating room was in use, so I had to wait several hours before they could perform my cesarean. I’m SO thankful that my son and I got to experience a good deal of active labor without medication. I don’t look down on anyone who wants a medicated birth, but for me it was a personal goal to have as few interventions as possible for many physical, mental, and emotional reasons. Labor is very beneficial for babies because contractions help squeeze excess fluid from their lungs. Labor was good for me because I so badly wanted to experience a natural birth and all it entailed. Even though I didn’t get to have a vaginal birth, I did get a small taste of what having an unmedicated birth is really like. I felt so powerlessness having a c-section and experienced a lot of sadness and depression because of it. But the fact that I got to be in labor for several hours was somewhat of a consolation to me. By the time I went into the operating room, I had already entered transition and my contractions were super close together and VERY intense.
Did you get an epidural or go all natural?
I didn’t receive medication until after I entered transition and was brought into the OR. In the operating room, they gave me a spinal injection.
What was the best and worst part about labor and delivery?
The best part about labor was the feeling of empowerment I experienced after making it through each contraction without losing my cool. I was able to breath through each one with the support of my husband and doula, and it made me feel like a rockstar! The worst part about labor was knowing I was about to have major surgery even though my baby and I were perfectly healthy. It felt so unfair. The c-section itself was really depressing for me. I had no idea who any of the doctors or nurses were in the room, and I felt like they were angry and punishing me for not scheduling my c-section. They didn’t honor my request to lower the curtain so I could see my son being born, and shooed my husband away when he tried to peek. They also ignored my request for skin-to-skin during surgery and I didn’t get to hold my son until hours after he was born. I panicked at first at the feeling of my legs going numb, and fat tears of defeat rolled down my cheeks as they began the operation. My anesthesiologist was very kind and gently wiped away my tears with a tissue. That little kindness is something I’ll never forget. The absolute BEST part of delivery was hearing my son cry! I started crying again, but this time they were tears of joy! At that moment I heard someone say, “Wow! Big baby!” which made me chuckle because everyone told me he was going to be tiny. He was crying so loudly and sounded so upset, but the moment my husband brought him to me and put his cheek against mine, I started talking to him and immediately he stopped crying! Oh my mama heart was so full of love and elation in that moment! It was the best feeling in the world.
Were there any complications with your delivery?
Thankfully, no.
Give us the stats!!
My baby boy was born at 8AM on February 5th (Super Bowl Sunday!). He weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.
What was the hardest thing about the first few weeks of motherhood?
Definitely breastfeeding while trying to recover from a c-section. The pain meds they gave me made me so grumpy, tired, and constipated, so I decided to stop taking them early on. My baby wanted to nurse 24/7 within the first few weeks, and we had a rough start with getting his latch right. My nipples were so sore and cracked and I cried a lot.
What is the best advice you received as a new mom?
My uncle came to visit us and seeing how stressed I was when my son was crying, he looked at me in his matter-of-fact way and said, “Honey, he’s going to be fine.” Two years later I still tell myself that about my son every time I get stressed about some little thing that isn’t really THAT big of a deal.
What is your best advice for expectant or new moms?
Educate yourself as much as possible and don’t be bullied into anything that goes against your gut feeling. Education is power. You may not be a doctor, but your body is your’s and you ARE capable of gathering and understanding high-quality research pertaining to pregnancy and birth. Some people make fun of moms who do a lot of “googling”, but the internet has made literally every piece of scientific evidence available to anyone who wants it. It would be foolish not to avail ourselves of the information that’s out there. I still stand by my choice to not schedule my c-section. I did a ton of research, weighed the risks and benefits, consulted with professionals, prayed a lot, and ultimately felt confident about the choice I was making.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your journey to motherhood?
Motherhood is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also the most precious and rewarding experience in the world. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
DISCLOSURE: Coffee and Coos is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. Always consult your doctor for medical advice.
Some posts on this site may or may not contain affiliate links. Coffee and Coos is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. To learn more, visit our Privacy and Disclosure page.
