It’s Labor Day, and that always makes me think of my own “Labor Days” when my babies were born. We all know every child is unique, and it’s the same for the way they come into the world too. You can plan it all out, but we know through experience after experience the birth you envision isn’t necessarily the one you’re going to be telling your friends. Our featured article is one mama’s story.
My thoughts on birth plans are down at the bottom of the newsletter in Just Sayin’. What do you think?
And of course our Recipes of the Week are waiting for you. Take us with you to the grocery store, grab the items for these easy, delicious meals, and you’re set.
Have a great week!
My Birth Plan Changed When I Went Into Labor
By Angela Anagnost-Repke
With my second birth, I desperately wanted a VBAC. I did all my homework: I switched to a midwife, I took the natural childbirth classes, read all the research, and more.
I turned in to a real hippidity dippidty because I wanted a VBAC that badly.
So, to earn a VBAC, your chances are higher (says the research) if you do NOT get an epidural. Once I read that, I was determined. I would not, in no freaking way, get an epidural.
Or so I thought.
My due date came and went. I tried everything to get it started naturally (I was a full-blown hippy, remember?).
But nothing worked. Finally, in the middle of the night I dropped my mucus plug. Then shit got real. My contractions started slow but steady. I did everything that I read I should do to make my labor progress quicker. I sat on the stupid ball, I walked, and I sat in the tub.
That’s what finally worked — after 18 hours of laboring at home.
So, my husband drove me to the hospital which was an hour away—during rush hour. Not fun. When we got there, the nurse checked me in triage.
Guess what? I wasn’t dilated — not one freaking bit. They sent me to a local hotel to “sleep.” The pain got worse. I started groaning and wanting to die. After two hours I screamed at my husband to take me back to the hospital. But nope, I still wasn’t dilated. “I’m not going anywhere,” I told the nurses. “Put me in a room!”
They did. From there, I became an absolute lunatic.
The labor pain in my hips and thighs was unbearable. I was writhing backwards on the toilet. Then it turned into a full-blown scene from The Exorcist. I moaned. I screamed. I swore — a lot, and at everyone. Finally, after 38 of the most painful, tiring hours of my freaking life, I gave in.
“Give me an epidural!” I shouted. I grabbed the call remote hanging on my bed and chucked it against the wall. I grabbed it again. I pressed the red button and screamed into it, “Someone get in here and give me an epidural!”
Not so Namaste anymore, huh? Yup, my hippie phase was over.
I needed the pain to end and I didn’t care what they put into my body to get it to.
The midwife tried talking me out of getting the epidural because of “the research,” but I pretty much told her to F off.
She was not a fan of me after that — and I don’t blame her. But once that man came in with the heavenly needle that was going to plunge into my back, I fell in love.
The second that needle submerged, I was the happiest non-hippie mama ever. I drifted off to sleep and when I woke up, I was dilated to a freaking 9.
Thank you, epidural! After that, I still had to push for 3 god-forsaking hours.
But thanks to that epidural (the true love of my life), I got my VBAC.
Birth plans don’t always go as planned, and often go very awry.
But if you want something badly enough, you’ll get it — it just may not look like the perfect plan you envisioned in your head. Sure, I didn’t have the unmedicated natural birth I dreamt about, but in the long run, it’s the epidural that got me to my end goal. And I have no regrets.
RECIPES OF THE WEEK:
Fresh and delicious, but not stressful — that’s what we’re going for when we gather our Recipes of the Week. And this week our five family dinner recipes have us drooling thinking about making Pasta e Piselli or Sheet Pan Ginger Shrimp or Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas. YUM!
Watermelon Salsa Chicken
Ingredients for Grilled Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Brush the chicken breasts with the olive oil mixture on both sides.
Grill the chicken for 6-7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Remove from the grill and let the chicken rest for a few minutes.
Ingredients for Watermelon Salsa:
2 cups diced watermelon
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, combine the watermelon, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño (if using), lime juice, and salt.
Mix well and let the salsa sit for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Place the grilled chicken on a plate and top with a generous scoop of watermelon salsa.
Sheet Pan Ginger Shrimp
Ingredients: