MICHELLE
"I never really knew how strong I was until I gave birth. I armed myself with information, surrounded myself with the right people, and never looked back. Knowing that my baby and I were being given the optimal chance to thrive as we grew together was so comforting."
Seeking chiropractic care during pregnancy was a no brainer for Michelle. She had been utilizing chiropractic care from a wellness perspective for years prior to conceiving, so she continued to receive chiropractic care consistently throughout her pregnancy.
“My pregnancy was seriously dreamy! Many of my preconceived pregnancy "expectations" never came to fruition. I enjoyed all my regular foods and never experienced any nausea. My energy remained high throughout my pregnancy and thus I continued to enjoy my regular activities such as hiking and yoga.”
Not only was her chiropractic care focused on maintaining balance in the pelvis, but her years of experience with chiropractic in the past played a huge role in making sure that Michelle's body was communicating efficiently during her pregnancy and while giving birth, letting her body function to the best of its ability. So at 39 weeks 3 days when her water broke, Michelle was up and full of energy.
“I got up and took care of some things around the house: a couple loads of laundry, cleaned the bathroom, prepped dinner for our birth team. I grabbed a few odds and ends at Target and popped in to see Dr. Morgan to get checked of course!”
By 8pm that night, Michelle's birth team arrived at her home to support her throughout the labor and delivery.
“Just prior to midnight the power went out and the urge to push began. With candles lit and headlamps hung, I pushed and pushed. Baby F had other plans though. It was around that time that my midwife explained that my baby was laying too far to the right and was sunny side up. His position was keeping my cervix at a 9 and not allowing for full dilation.”
The ensuing hours of labor included different positions and tricks to try to naturally facilitate the baby's movement into a different position. Although Michelle had planned for a home birth, she and her birth team decided to transfer to the hospital so at the very least Michelle could get a little rest.
“At 7:00 am I found myself in a car during rush hour headed to the hospital, not exactly what I'd had in mind. Twenty minutes, six contractions and one heck of a bumpy ride later, we arrived at the hospital. Much to my surprise, our baby had flipped and moved to the center allowing my body to finish dilating. It was finally time to do some real pushing.”
After two hours of pushing, Michelle gave birth to a beautiful baby boy! She was so happy that her vision for a natural, unmedicated birth had been achieved, even though her plan had unfolded differently than expected!
