Arrivals: A Birth Story Podcast

A breech baby, a crash C-section, fourth trimester guilt, and finding your village

Merelise is joined this week by Shannon Howell for a conversation on all "the things they don't tell you" about birth, seasons of life, fourth trimester guilt, and so much more. Shannon’s first birth story began unexpectedly when she went into labor at 35 weeks while staying at an Airbnb as her husband was out with friends. After the initial disbelief that her water had actually broken that early, the two made their way to the hospital, where she went on to have a smooth vaginal delivery. But for Shannon, the harder part came after her son was born. She opens up about the guilt and disappointment she felt when she wasn’t instantly overwhelmed with love the moment he was placed on her chest. A kind stranger later offered her a perspective that stayed with her: you don’t have to love every season of parenthood equally. Some stages are harder than others, and everyone has a different favorite season. During her second pregnancy, Shannon’s daughter remained breech the entire time. After trying every possible method to encourage her to turn, Shannon reluctantly scheduled an ECV — but before the procedure could happen, she unexpectedly went into labor again at 34 weeks. What followed was a terrifying experience. Shannon and her husband rushed to the hospital as her labor progressed rapidly, but despite repeatedly telling staff that the baby was breech, she was left laboring for over an hour without meaningful attention or care. When she finally begged a nurse to check her, they discovered her daughter’s feet were already emerging. Shannon was rushed into an emergency crash C-section and placed under anesthesia so her daughter could be delivered safely. In the aftermath of her daughter’s birth, Shannon faced both physical and emotional challenges as she worked through the trauma of the experience. In this episode, she shares what healing has looked like for her and the ways she’s learned to move forward. Ultimately, Shannon reflects on the importance of having a village during postpartum — whether that’s family, friends, or the family you choose. Want to be a guest on Arrivals? Contact Merelise here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScymB49s88Er4Vd64kSXSB1xpA4rhcuJdgAvcAQQRVPlYGYXQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=111999123566416237466]! Follow Arrivals on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/arrivals_podcast/] Follow Merelise on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mereliseharte/] Disclaimer: This podcast contains general information and discussions around health and related subjects. This information and the other content provided in this podcast and any linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is this information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.

Navigating deep grief with a newborn, a 52 hour induction, and finding love again after loss

This episode is a candid, deeply emotional look into the realities of motherhood, trauma, and hope. Listener discretion advised for sensitive content involving grief and loss of a spouse.  In this episode of the Arrivals podcast, Merelise is joined by Julie Moran, aka Spilled Milk Mamma, who shares her perspective on the profound experiences of birth, motherhood and unthinkable loss. Julie tells Merelise about her emotional journey through multiple pregnancies, the unexpected loss of her husband shortly after the birth of their second child, and the unique challenges of each of her three kids’ births.  During Julie’s first pregnancy she opted for an induction that resulted in a 52 hour labor before finally meeting her daughter. After more than two days of laboring, they discovered she had scar tissue from a previous IUD that was blocking her cervix from dilating and causing her labor to uniquely stall with full contractions but no dilation.  Fast forward 21 months after her daughter was born and Julie found herself back in the delivery room preparing to give birth to her son. After a beautiful and straightforward birth, Julie truly felt like she had everything she ever wanted in the world.  Tragically, just three weeks later, her world was turned upside when her husband died in a car accident. The next two years were spent in a haze of grief, while she attempted to navigate becoming a widow and single mom of two.  But Julie’s story has a happy ending - a few years after her husband passed away, a man came into her and her kids’ lives that would bring security, happiness, strength and so much more to their family, including a third baby and birth experience for Julie. Throughout this episode, Julie and Merelise discuss the unique and isolating experience of becoming a parent during COVID, post-eclampsia, the importance of feeling the sun on your face every day, deep grief, finding love after loss, supporting children who are grieving, signs from the other side, and so much more. Their conversation delves into the complexities of grief, resilience, and the healing power of community and new beginnings. Resource Links:  * Follow Julie on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/spilledmilkmamma?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==]  Want to be a guest on Arrivals? Contact Merelise here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScymB49s88Er4Vd64kSXSB1xpA4rhcuJdgAvcAQQRVPlYGYXQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=111999123566416237466]! Follow Arrivals on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/arrivals_podcast/] Follow Merelise on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mereliseharte/] Disclaimer: This podcast contains general information and discussions around health and related subjects. This information and the other content provided in this podcast and any linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is this information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.

Two birth center births, precipitous labor, and optimizing your birth experience

This week, Merelise is joined by Kait Swafford, who shares her two amazing birth experiences at the Atlanta Birth Center.  From the moment she became pregnant with her first, Kait knew she wanted a low intervention birth outside of a traditional hospital environment. When she heard about the option of the Atlanta Birth Center, she felt like it was the perfect “in between” solution for someone who wasn’t sure about home birth but didn’t want to be in a hospital for her birth.  After being sent home at the start of her first birth, labor symptoms, including frequent vomiting, ramped up quickly. They decided to make the drive back to the birth center, where she settled in to labor with her husband as her doula. Two and a half long hours of pushing later, her first daughter was born.  With her second, it was an easy decision for her to plan on delivering at the Birth Center again, and after a long first labor, she assumed it would be similar with her second. But of course, things rarely go as expected with birth! After an extremely precipitous labor and barely making it to the Birth Center, her second daughter was born after a few quick pushes.    Resource Links:  * Learn more about Atlanta Birth Center [https://www.atlantabirthcenter.org/] * Learn more about the Bradley Method [https://bradleymethod.com/] * Learn more about the Miles Circuit [https://www.milescircuit.com/]  Want to be a guest on Arrivals? Contact Merelise here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScymB49s88Er4Vd64kSXSB1xpA4rhcuJdgAvcAQQRVPlYGYXQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=111999123566416237466]! Follow Arrivals on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/arrivals_podcast/] Follow Merelise on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mereliseharte/] Disclaimer: This podcast contains general information and discussions around health and related subjects. This information and the other content provided in this podcast and any linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is this information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.

A bicornuate uterus, uterine irritability, and navigating pregnancy after fetal loss

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of fetal loss and miscarriage.  Merelise’s guest this week is Carolyn Donaldson, who shares her experience with a rare condition called a bicornuate uterus. In this heartbreaking but also hope-filled episode, Merelise and Carolyn dive deep into pregnancy trauma, loss, and PTSD, but also the incredible ability of a mother’s heart to heal and hold onto hope.  If you’re navigating loss and wondering what’s next, or maybe even looking for a sign that everything will be ok, this episode is for you.  Prior to her first child’s birth, Carolyn had no idea that she had a very unique congenital abnormality, called a bicornuate uterus. Complications from her unknown condition led to a very difficult pregnancy and early delivery via C-section, during which her unique uterus was discovered. Thankfully, even though her son was born at 34 weeks, he was very healthy, and Carolyn and her doctor didn’t have too many concerns about what her condition would mean for any subsequent pregnancies.  Devastatingly, her second and third pregnancies resulted in losses. During her third pregnancy, they were shocked to find out at 20 weeks that her son had passed in the womb and needed to be immediately delivered. Carolyn then went through the unthinkable experience of birthing her son, knowing she wouldn’t be bringing him home.  They ultimately discovered that her son’s placenta was implanted on the “septum” of her bicornuate uterus, which contains tissue that isn’t conducive to a healthy pregnancy. Blessedly, they were able to correct the septum in her uterus via surgery to avoid the same complication in future pregnancies.  Her fourth pregnancy was physically uneventful but marked by PTSD and extreme mental exhaustion. She delivered a healthy baby girl via C-section at 38 weeks and thought she was “done”...until she wasn’t!  Her fifth pregnancy was a beautifully redemptive experience, free from so much of the physical and mental pain she experienced in her prior pregnancies, and her second daughter was delivered peacefully via planned C-section at 39 weeks.  Resource Links:  * Learn more about Spinning Babies  [https://www.spinningbabies.com/product/spinning-babies-birth-preparation-online-course/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=birth-preparation-60&utm_term=parents&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22887243966&gbraid=0AAAAA-xttEROcdy8tDR2g9AUyJ9fbpjG0&gclid=CjwKCAjw-8vPBhBbEiwAoA39WuoxjhggTFT_Q4oMRUkVFOLP0NxZaW5HX-pjwk7j5I9VIfMRReCLnRoCE2UQAvD_BwE] Want to be a guest on Arrivals? Contact Merelise here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScymB49s88Er4Vd64kSXSB1xpA4rhcuJdgAvcAQQRVPlYGYXQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=111999123566416237466]! Follow Arrivals on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/arrivals_podcast/] Follow Merelise on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mereliseharte/] Disclaimer: This podcast contains general information and discussions around health and related subjects. This information and the other content provided in this podcast and any linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is this information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.

A successful VBAC, an Aussie birth perspective, obstructed labor, and episiotomy complications

This week, Merelise is joined by her friend, fellow podcast host and Australian “twin”, Clare Hambridge. Clare shares the birth stories of her son and daughter and in particular, how her experience as an emergency nurse really colored her perspective on pregnancy and birth.  During Clare’s first birth she experienced cervical swelling likely due to her baby being in a “stargazer” position. This swelling resulted in an obstructed labor diagnosis and ultimately led to a decision to move to a C-section. Even though a C-section wasn’t what she hoped for, Clare had the foresight to prepare her C-section preferences just in case, and that prep resulted in her still being able to have a peaceful and personalized birth experience. When she became pregnant with her second baby, she knew immediately that she wanted to have a VBAC and so she found a provider aligned with her goal and excited to support her vision for her second birth. After a few hiccups, Clare had her beautiful VBAC, thanks to her own advocacy, as well as a supportive and skilled team, dedicated to helping her through the process.  Throughout the episode, Clare weaves in education around the differences in the Australian midwifery-led model vs the US obstetric-led model of birth. They also chat about fainting husbands, posterior babies, hypo-birthing, intrusive thoughts, perineal massage, big baby worries, and so much more. This episode is PACKED full of so much birthing-goodness!  Resource Links:  * Follow Love Patty Podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/lovepattypodcast/] * Learn more about Hypnobirthing [https://hypnobirthing.com/] Want to be a guest on Arrivals? Contact Merelise here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScymB49s88Er4Vd64kSXSB1xpA4rhcuJdgAvcAQQRVPlYGYXQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=111999123566416237466]! Follow Arrivals on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/arrivals_podcast/] Follow Merelise on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mereliseharte/] Disclaimer: This podcast contains general information and discussions around health and related subjects. This information and the other content provided in this podcast and any linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is this information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.