Ep 42: Dr. Ashley Harper’s Birth Stories (hospital birth to home birth) and the impact of BIRTHFIT

“You’ve got to birth where you feel comfortable”  You have to feel safe where you are birthing - where are you going to be able to surrender”

In part 2 of Dr. Ashley’s interview we talk about how she had her first child while in the chiropractic program and began to switch her chiropractic focus from sports to prenatal and pediatric care.  Being in school also impacted how she approached the birth of her first.  And she also discovered BIRTHFIT during that postpartum time.  

She shares the birth story of her first and how different it looked compared to her second child!  From a medicated hospital birth first time to a home birth second time around.  And she shares how her postpartum experiences differed drastically.  From running a half marathon in one postpartum time period to embracing rest in the next, she shares how the foundations of BIRTHFIT helped her form a stable base and be more intentional with her movements.  She also talks about how she approaches care with the expecting families she works with which includes 

• lots of patient education
• defining what true health is
• the impact of chiropractic care on the nervous system
• how to encompass a wellness lifestyle ( movement, mental, and nutrition)
• helping people take ownership of their health
• And hosting postpartum BIRTHFIT classes. 

Be sure to listen to part 1 of her interview to learn more about the foundations of BIRTHFIT

Resources mentioned in the episode:

B!FTHF!T

Dr. Ashley’s office

Dr. Ashley on Instagram

B!RTHF!T on Instagram

The First 40 days

The Mommy Plan 

Transcript

Unknown 0:05

Hello, hello, welcome to the aligned birth podcast. I am Dr. Shannon, and I am joined on interview day today with Dr. Ashley Harper and she is a birth fit coach and a prenatal and pediatric chiropractor in the local North metro Atlanta area. So that's a real short, short snippet of who she is professionally in this realm and why we're talking to her today. On the line birth podcast. And we've done an episode where so we record these interviews with them back to back I like to split them up into two different two different episodes because there's a lot of information that people have that we have on the show because everybody is so fantastic and have so much knowledge to share. And I like to try to split it up a bit. So we've talked all about birth fit, and one episode, and now we're going to go into how does birth fit look in her office? What is chiropractic care look like in the office who she works with how chiropractic has impacted her life as she got on this journey? Because I think there's beauty and sharing those stories. A lot of times I feel that people that are drawn to the birth worker world have certain experiences or stories or things that led them there and I think that those things are worth sharing and I think it's always wonderful to acknowledge those. So I want to give a little bit of an intro and a history to Dr. Ashley as well too because I've mentioned you know she's worked for a chiropractor as a physical therapy technician as she did her undergraduate studies and a background in sports medicine. So again, she went to the University of Tennessee she and I've already talked about the fact that I'm George fan, but that's okay. We you know, go sec, but she's she has a history of being an athlete. I want to go a little bit more into what those sports were that she she was doing because that led a lot to how she focuses with chiropractic care now as well too. And the I'm reading from the bio that she has on her on the website because and I even went through and highlighted some of the things because I love what she says like as an athlete with a background in sports medicine. She was enlightened to the chiropractic story of the body's innate ability to heal on its own without nerve interference. I love hearing other chiropractors explain chiropractic care as well too. So I'm excited to hear her talk a little bit more about that. But again, she has her Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science, and then ended up going to life University and getting her Doctorate of chiropractic now. She been while in school, had was pregnant had kids like that's a whole other story which I can't wait to talk about as well because that's a whole lot. But then discovered birth fit while she was in chiropractic school. And that really I think made an impact in her postpartum journey and then helped mesh that. Here's my exercise world and exercise science that I want to do this postpartum and prenatal period is so important. Here's how I can mesh them. And she has two young kiddos two young girls, and so I want to talk about some of her birth stories as well, too. So that's Dr. Ashley just a little bit in a nutshell, but she is a delight. And I'm so excited to have you on today.

Unknown 3:32

Thank you for having me. I'm so excited. To be here.

Unknown 3:35

Yay. All right, friend. Um, I want to go into what specifically because you started in, you got that exercise background, and then found chiropractic and then went to chiropractic school, but then mash the two So what got you into what specifically got you into chiropractic?

Unknown 4:01

Um, yeah, that's very, it surprised me when I came back around like I first had my first contact with chiropractic care. No, as an athlete at University of Tennessee, and the we had a chiropractor that would come every Tuesday and Thursday to the train. And like be open for all athletes to come and get adjusted. And he would just set up his table and just hang out in the training room until someone wanted to get adjusted basically. He wasn't really big on education, because like, I was just like, yeah, sure, whatever. And I hopped on the table and like, I didn't have the greatest first experience like Yeah, so I was just like, what just happened? Like I set up and I was like, okay, and then just like, never got adjusted again, until I was when I was like 19 then I didn't get it. So it didn't come back into my life until I was like 2324 When I was a personal trainer at a gym and one of my friends who work there was a massage therapist for this chiropractor and she he knew that like you know I love personal training but it's not a like very good like stable job. And spirit aspects. I mean, there's some people that it is but then like, you know, someplace most places it's not because you know, people will not show up. You don't know what you're making exactly per month. It's just Yeah. And so he was like, you want something more stable. So he was and he knew I had a PT like I was gonna be I was trying to go to physical therapy school at that moment. So I was applying and everything like that. And so I've been a PT assistant for Office for like an office before. And so he said he's looking for somebody for that aspect of his office. And I was like, Okay, I'll come check it out. And I was just going to go check it out. Like I wasn't like, this wasn't an interview. I was just gonna go see what his office was like. And he literally like hired me like that day because like, I was like, I didn't know we were I was interviewing I just didn't even like talk to you. And he was like, well, just think about it, but like I would really love to have you. I don't know if he was desperate, or like to say that to his day. His name is Dr. Dr. Tim Kristofferson. He practices in Colorado now he was in. This is me in Chattanooga, when I was working for him, but he but he's like, we joke about it all the time. Like do you realize you'd like hired me without even really knowing a lot about me? I was like, he's like, I just knew it. And he's a very innate person like he's very like all with intention. So he just like he's like, I listened to my name, and it told me to hire you. So there you go.

Unknown 6:59

Thanks for that, because that sent me.

Unknown 7:02

I know. And so I started working for him and really was just the physical therapy side of it. His office was pretty huge. So we had a whole room for just PT stuff for people doing their corrective exercises and things like that before and after adjustment. And I helped guide them through that and then he had his adjusting room. And I would just kind of sneak over there when I am I like watching him and like I got adjusted regularly. And he was just like, he never was like you need to be a chiropractor. It was just like he was just teaching me what it was. And that was the first time where someone actually taught me the foundations taught me the philosophy of chiropractic. And I was like wow, so like right when I found out that I was gonna actually that I finally got into PT school. I like was like, let me go check out this chiropractic school situation. So I went to life Leadership Weekend life, and it's like this weekend where they basically like pay for it and like teach you all this thing. Things about chiropractic and about the school. And I applied that weekend. I got in like phone I got in that week. And I went switch gears. I said I'm not coming to PT school. And when my husband got back from Afghanistan, he was gone deployed at this point for a year. We hear he was like, well, let's go ahead and move down there. So

Unknown 8:30

he's like I can I can move things pretty quickly. And well, you know, oh my god. I

Unknown 8:35

started chiropractic school in 2014. Our lease was up in December. And we moved to Georgia in January and I started classes January 11.

Unknown 8:46

i Oh my gosh. I mean, how that. I love that. See, and that's this is part of the story where I feel like sometimes people like chiropractic found me, you know, so I feel like that as well too. And so I love when there's stories like that when he kind of changed

Unknown 9:00

that. But yeah, I think the biggest thing is that I actually saw people getting better, and like staying better, and also loving to be there. I've never seen someone come to a doctor and just like, hang out and like it was like he never called at work. He was like, I'm going to go do what I love to do every day. And I never seen someone so passionate about what they do and love it because a lot of I growing up my family mostly just did jobs, you know, they it wasn't their passion. And that's also I was looking for I was waiting to find what I was passionate about because I didn't like graduate from college and go straight to PT school. I mean, I graduated in 2009 and didn't go to like a graduate program. 2014 So I like did a lot of working in between trying to discover myself and figure out like what do I want? More do I want to do? And so I'm so glad chiropractic founder. Yes,

Unknown 9:57

I know. I am too. I am too. It sounds to that like he had more of that education piece. I you know, in talking with other athletes that have been at schools or even professional athletes. It's kind of like, oh, yeah, well, we had a chiropractor come up every Tuesday Thursday. You go and get adjusted and then you leave like there it was missing that education piece. So I want to come back to that and how you kind of operate in your office now because I bet it's a little bit a little bit different there. What what athlete history do you have What sports did you play growing up? And then what did you What sports were you doing at University of Tennessee?

Unknown 10:35

So most of my life, I was a track. I was a 400 runner, and did the 800 800 meter run if I had to?

Unknown 10:45

That to me so I grew up with track. That's the hardest race. It's like a sprint that never ends.

Unknown 10:51

I know but I loved it and I was good at it. And so but I did basketball. I didn't cross country. But my main sport was track always and then when I went to the University of Tennessee I got an academic scholarship. But I also walked onto the track team. So I was on the track team. And I the rowing coach of UT like was stopped me at practice and was like you need to be like you. You would be perfect for rowing and I'm like, What is rowing? First of all those boats that like, like, like I was all I could think about was Yale and Princeton, like anywhere in the south,

Unknown 11:33

like when you talk about a certain sport.

Unknown 11:36

And I was just like handed me this flyer and my coach was like their track coach was like, What are you doing like stop? And she's like, we have an interest meeting tonight come and so my roommate, who was not an athlete said that I got home got to the dorm and she was like, Yeah, this random white lady like, docked me it was like said you should come to this meeting tonight and be a rower and she's like she meant for her to be more like a Coxon because she's like five feet tall and skinny, little one. So we were like, whatever. I don't have to get a study hall. Let's go play. So we went to this meeting and I literally went left track and went to rowing like and it was I did not know this. Oh, this is so cool. I was a rower for the rest of my time in school. So it was awesome and the best sport I've ever done I love track but like it was just a track is awesome, but I feels like an individual sport. I just focus really on my run on my race and that

Unknown 12:38

relay, you know, like, isn't really ideal.

Unknown 12:43

But rowing is I mean, like if the one person messes up in front of you, you don't follow that person. The whole book falls apart. So like it was the heart of the had never shed too much blood sweat and tears in my life, but and it was the most amazing sport ever. So I did rowing the rest of my time and it was awesome.

Unknown 13:04

That is so fun. I have no idea. I knew there was the track background because that's why I was like I'm like in girl because I'm like, Oh my God, you're right. In college. I'm like, I love it. Yeah. But rowing. That is so fun. That's a good physical. That's a good physical sport, though. Yeah. Okay, so your husband, he was deployed came home, you said Hey, babe, we're gonna go

Unknown 13:26

back I was talking to him before all but it was really quick. He came. He left May of 2012 That's when I like I got started chiropractic PT job in the chiropractic office discovered CrossFit. And kind of like your that whole year we were apart I discovered all these new things and new ways of life and holistic living. And then was going to go to PT school decided to go practice. He came back in March of 2013. And then we moved in January 2014. So it was very very quick.

Unknown 14:06

That's cool. So in school, so now I want to get into like your because this is when you started to experience. Will you also got pregnant and discovered birth fit while in school too. So let's talk about how the shift from that focus of more of the sports chiropractic to that prenatal postpartum chiropractic happen

Unknown 14:37

so like talking about me in school like why switch? Yeah. Well, I was having my baby was the biggest thing like I had her seventh after seventh quarter. So yeah, going into my eighth quarter.

Unknown 14:55

Oh god, you're going into like some quarters like a crazy it's a crazy anybody that doesn't know school. Yeah, we do quarters that life and it's like so many hours.

Unknown 15:05

Well, yeah, I finished it. I like finished part one boards and then I had Mariah and like Jenny like right after. I took that eighth quarter off like for three months because I just some people had their babies and we're in class, like, two days later. Like, I was not that person. I was like, stand that. I was like, No. And plus, I was going into the clinic neck, so it's like, I knew it would just been too much. So, but when I had Mariah, I just was like, wow, that was like an amazing, insane experience. And also it's like, I pregnancy just made was amazing. And just knowing that I could help people that way. And so and take care of babies and little kids. And so I just really just like, was like wow, this is what I'm supposed to be doing and not sports like I love sports. And so I was like I will I can still have it in my personal training and my group fitness teaching this but psycho classes and life and stuff. And so, but as I like went through the programming and like I still love pediatric but I was just like, I really want to do sports stuff like you know, like, I was gonna do the masters of sports chiropractic master's program, and I started taking some of them over in the Masters But Dr. Lin corn I took all her classes and but so I can have some aspect within discovering birth fit. I was like, okay, there we go. This is what I'm supposed to do, you know, kind of thing.

Unknown 16:40

And so you discovered birth fit when you were postpartum? Correct. Yeah.

Unknown 16:46

I was Mariah was born in 2016 and discovered birth in 2017. So, yeah, okay.

Unknown 16:53

Now, anything from was there anything in chiropractic school that made an impact on you as you approached? Birth? You know, was there anything that you had learned or was there anything, you know, coming into it with a different mindset than maybe what you would have originally thought or how did that impact your birth? Hugely,

Unknown 17:17

like if I was never in kind of back to school, I probably would have taken all the drugs and say, like, just numb me everywhere down there and let's go like and, and that's okay. Sorry, if that's what you want your birth to look like, you know, but for me, I had learned so much about like, basically the downward spiral that basically happens is like, you know, they start the induction and they start with Pitocin. And then and then that's slows it down and then go to epidural. And then eventually, it could have lead to a C section. I was just like, Oh, God, no. And so I was just really wanting to be as natural as possible. Even though I did birth here in a hospital which, but like, I delivered her in Kennestone hospital and they were very, very open to a lot of what things that I wanted. And that's the biggest thing is making sure you have a birth. I call it birth preferences instead of a plan. A plan is so hard like like Final because you have to be very like flexible within that because you may have these preferences that you want. But sometimes things happen and you got you know, you have to change a little bit. And so going into my practice in my pregnancy, my birth I mean, like it was eating certain ways differently than I probably would have known, like, you know, like a lot healthier than I would have ever thought I would and because I knew I was nourishing me and my baby. When I wanted my birth to look like was very different than I if I never like learned all that like I am when we went to the hospital tour. I literally had like 45 questions or at least bullet points that I wanted to ask Yeah, and but Jordan, my husband was like, can we wait to the tours over and then you can if they don't, none of these have been answered. Then you can ask them and I was like, Okay, let's do that. Because I'm less like, you know, I wasn't I didn't know enough about home birth and everything like that to really like do that yet. And she was definitely not on board for homebirth yet and it's because we just weren't educated enough. Yeah, and knew enough about it. And so I just really wanted my hospital birth to be what I pictured and want to be as natural and like having invasive stuff late as late as possible, you know, unless it had to happen. They answered most of my questions on that tour. And then my midwife who was my head there was a practice Have you seen multiple midwives but the main one that I wanted, I I literally like meditate on it and like wanted her to be on call when I went to the hospital. And it was one I didn't like was actually on call when I got there. But my I was like thank you Mariah for holding off. She held off until the one I loved came on call and she she knew everything I wanted and it was like, because we had talked about it while

But that's also what I tell people is like, have those meetings with them and like tell them exactly everything and they will let you know upfront like can we do this? Can you not do this you know, a ways around it to make it work for both parties

Unknown 0:13

and to hear their responses and then you trust that intuition says, Okay, this is going to be fit for me or not.

Unknown 0:19

Yeah, exactly. And just being heard is super important. And, I mean, bring in the aspect of me being a black female, you know, that also was a huge thing for me to like, make sure that they like I was being heard and I was being listened. To. When it comes to my birth preferences and like, making sure I like feel safe in the place that I'm birthing was super important.

Unknown 0:44

So Exactly. Now, were you who did you have on your birth support team?

Unknown 0:51

My husband

Unknown 0:53

and wife right? Yeah, midwifery I

Unknown 0:55

just okay. But I didn't I wanted to do a lot but it's just we didn't have it in our budget. So

Unknown 1:01

yeah, you know, our projects will does that to you. So yeah. Okay, so how did how did the birth unfold? Compared to your birth preferences?

Unknown 1:12

And actually, what really, for the most part is very well, like I had to get induced, which is not what I wanted, but like they let me most hospitals will let you have and go sort of will let you go to like maybe 41 weeks I know things have changed now. In the hospitals. It's very different. But at least then they let me go at least a 41 and still wasn't here. So they did like the stress test and all the different things and everything came back fine. So I stood my ground. I was like, I'm just not going to come until I'm ready.

Unknown 1:46

You made me Yeah.

Unknown 1:48

So that I went for 42 weeks in two days. And eventually like they're like, Okay, like, you know, that let's let's, they want they put an induction on the schedule, and so I did get induced. I was surprised they let me go that long in there. But the induction was just not really working. And we started with cytotec and then did all the rounds of that and then serve until what's next? And then that's what like with try to go to sleep. It was on a Sunday I went in at 7am. And then this was going into Sunday night like midnight will go into Monday, more like midnight 1am. Nothing was happening. So then they tried to serve until I had to stay in for at least 12 hours. And so I went to sleep there, like just try to get some rest and there's nothing really happening. And so then I woke up into like, massive pain like that. I was like, oh, okay, so this is birth, like, like, yeah, things are happening. And then it just wasn't progressing like and it was having these induction contractions are very different from natural. So I was having like, I was getting no break. So it was like constant constant constant pain, maybe like 30 seconds to a minute of a break. But and then it would go again, like it was just like pretty constant and I couldn't relax. And so I eventually, my midwife knew that I was like, I did not want a C section. So we were we had a point where she was like, when I look at you, I give you that look, you know that it's time for us to try something else. And we're gonna then we will talk about it and I was like, okay, so you gave me the look, and she was like, Ashley, this is the time because I was going into like Monday like afternoon at that point, and I was exhausted, she could tell. And she was like epidural, possibly. And it was like, All right, and like that was a scariest but one of the scariest moments of my life was getting an epidural because I was just like, because you're having contractions and they tell you to be still and you're just like in their stickiness mess. And I was just like, Oh my god. So my husband was absolutely freaking amazing. He was just like, just look at me. And so and then the epidural came on, I was like, This is why people do drugs. I know like, it's like, oh my god, like and I just wanted to go to sleep. And they were like, and so then I went from like, Oh, I was two centimeters literally the whole time.

Unknown 4:27

Isn't that the worst? I feel like every birth story we've done it's that defeating moment of like, check me out and they're like

Unknown 4:33

yes in meters. Yeah. Good so that once I got the epidural within less than 30 minutes, I went from two to like, 10 how God Yeah, the display of showing that my body was just not relaxing. And it did actually did need help. And sometimes you do need help. You know, I was really upset that I had to get an epidural. So I had to work through a lot of that postpartum mentally but like now I know that like that had to happen. Like I was more than likely going to relax because my body was just in so much stress and so tired. But I was trying to go to sleep and they were like, Nope, you got to wake up. You got to birth the baby and I was like, oh man. Like Alright, let's do this. And like three pushes she was out. So it was my goodness. It was amazing. And that's

Unknown 5:24

just I don't know, I Yeah, a gold star because even I mean birth in general is always you know, unpredictable and amazing and beautiful. But then you throw into those family dynamics of what was going on in your world and chiropractic school is not for the faint of heart and so I'm always in awe. Yeah, that have families that are forming while while that is going on. So you take that quarter off that next quarter at school, which is probably so smart. And then I guess coming back and transitioning into that postpartum world you find birth fit. And so I want you and briefly because we have a whole other episode where we talk about birth fit, and we go in depth with that, but just kind of give us at what you learned of it and how you saw that you could apply it to your unique situation.

Unknown 6:21

So I for me, it was like knowing how to work out again, you know, my postpartum after my first was not very smart, like my second postpartum versus my first was night and day. I was definitely didn't have the right mindset. I was all like, I was still like, trying to find figure out who this new person is. And that's something that's really hard for a lot of postpartum women. It's like, I was this person before baby and you're still trying to be that person, but now you're a mother. So it's like you have it's you're trying to figure it all out, like so I've been like, I've always been known when people see me they know Ashley, the athlete works out really well. Looks, you know, like, you know, you look like you have all these muscles and only like, you know, that's like what people see. And so I felt like I still needed to do that. And so I like I my midwife, which is crazy. Gave me the clear. I had a I signed up for a half marathon while I was pregnant to be to do it. The my birthday weekend three months postpartum. Oh, wow. I started she gave me the clear to start training for it two weeks postpartum. Okay, so I started running it two weeks postpartum, which is not smart. Even though it hurts. I still did it because as an athlete, you just push through pain. So like I had that like I had that mental thing I had to like figure out and so I ran a half marathon three months postpartum and then that's when everything hit me. That was like, my I literally was in so much pain. My husband had to carry me to the hotel like it was that bad. And that's when I had that realization. Like, this is not how it should be like, like, I pushed myself way too hard. My husband told me that the whole time people told me I was doing that the whole time. But I had to prove something. I felt like yeah, that I can get a pre baby body back for like, you know, like, be this person. Everyone saw me as being and so discovering birth fit and figuring out that like, your postpartum shouldn't need to be slow. You know, like you got to listen to your body more. If something hurts you probably shouldn't be doing it. But my mindset was like, you just push the pain unless you're bleeding and like, you're about to pass out like then you need to keep working out. Like that's literally it because that's how I had to always be ready. Yeah. And so mentally It was perfect timing because it really helped me. I guess I was, at that point seven months postpartum when I discovered birth fit, baby. Okay, something like that. I can't remember I was some amount I can't remember but now I was. I guess that's 14 months postpartum. Sorry, my that math is wrong. But anyway, but like, I was like, wow, this is like, perfect, because it's like teaching me teaching people how to like, start a foundation. And then grow from there and like, have a stable base so that you can do the workouts and move how you want to in a safe, more productive, intentional way. So it was perfect timing for me and like it was great because I wanted to bring pregnancy and birth and exercise all together.

Unknown 9:54

I know. And you had said something to that was so beautiful about that first birth story that you have because it's kind of like you had you had to unpack and process what happened because it maybe wasn't, you know, exactly the preferences that you wanted. But then it you know, it's like it led you to the understanding of what could be are the possibilities of next time you know, and so it's kind of the same thing with postpartum it's almost like you know, cuz I had an emergency C section first time that I had a VBAC. So like I wouldn't have had my feedback, had I not had that sucession right. So you wouldn't have probably had that amazing postpartum experience with birth fit if we didn't like push it too hard and say what the crap like, you know, so there's that. That beautiful mix there that I think is so important to your story, and that understanding of that postpartum time and kind of changing the thought process. And that new identity, you know, that's so important. That's so important, and I love that it's

Unknown 10:59

talked about and I love what birth fit has given you while in school because I guess that changed the trajectory of your chiropractic school. Debt came at right at the opportune time as well. So now you have two kids. So when did you have your second once you graduated?

Unknown 11:24

I had a friend I was pregnant after I graduated. So how the universe works like when you're everyone says I'm like very intentional. So like a lot of times like, I really highly believe if you write it down, or you're very sorry, excuse me, you're very intentional or like, what you attract and what you want. And I did not want to get pregnant again until I graduated. I was like, I can understand that. Do two kids in school. I don't know how people did that. Like there was one was hard. There's some people that had like two or three or four and I'm like, I don't know how they're doing this. But anyway, so it's funny like my husband and I apparently like we, both our kids are in January, Born in January. So that tells you something our conception is usually around April, which is both our birthdays and our wedding anniversary. He can love you Debbie Rodman and so I literally like graduated. We like spent a week together like celebrating it all and then found out I was pregnant. Like right when I started like my new like associate ship so like I had my baby like January 2018 see in a second.

Unknown 12:41

Yeah, okay. Now how was that birth compared to your first

Unknown 12:49

very different because it was at home

Unknown 12:52

girlfriend I love it. Yeah, so you had to you got that that homework, but you were in that space? To handle it right to do the research to really put forth the effort in it and I think that's so important. This is why I love to share their stories so you don't beat yourself up for that first one. It was like you know what, where I was at that time, was it it didn't need to happen that.

Unknown 13:15

Yeah. And that's what I tell women is like, you know, you got a birth where you feel comfortable. Like, you know, for me, I actually would have like I did feel more comfortable at home like definitely because I can be there and both births like I endanger friends like, but some people feel safer in a hospital or in the birth center or you know, it's like depending on where you want to birth, because you have to feel safe with where you're birthing because that's how both can happen.

Unknown 13:42

You know, we are going to surrender. Where are you going to surrender best, you know?

Unknown 13:47

Yeah. And so my second one was completely different and amazing. off it was so awesome. Tell us about number. So it was was working in the office the Saturday before contractions, real contractions started. Sunday at 11am. The next day, I was gonna start at 11 ish. And then I was like eating a sandwich and I told my husband like, I think that was like a real one. Like a real contraction.

Unknown 14:18

How far along were you?

Unknown 14:19

I was 42 weeks at that point. Okay. Yeah, my kids like to stay inside me. I thought that was gonna be out sooner. So it's like, I'm rolling into 40 weeks and I'm like, Yeah, this has come in and then 41 And I'm like, seriously? The funny thing is that like I say I'm intentional. Like my husband worked for a company that if Sienna was born in 2017 No, yeah. 2017 she he would have only got four weeks of paternity leave when she was born in 2018. She would have gotten 10 weeks. So and they were very hard on that. So like if she was born December 31. Four weeks, January 1 10 weeks she was born on January 1. So yeah, like she literally held in there till then.

Unknown 15:15

Like she's like exam and doing this for you. Daddy, Yeah, Dad.

Unknown 15:19

People are like, again, they get that tax write off. I'm like, it's fine. We got dad for 10 weeks like that. Yes. Pay 10 weeks, you know, so but birthing started to ramp up a little bit and I called my midwife and she was like, I think because like I was having back labor. So she was like, I think she's sunny side up. She was sunny side up the whole time. Both my kids love that position. So she was like, I just, you know, she told me you know, do your exercises. You know what to do? Blah, blah, blah and like tell me because the contractions were all over the place. They weren't consistent. But she was like, but I am this is around one, maybe one 130 And she was like, I will send my assistant like, over so like the person I was trained to be a doula not doula midwife. But she came over because she was nearby. And she she was hanging out with me and around like, I guess five o'clock. I was doing like, what's my call it the mile circuit? So I was doing I was on like, the third position, the lunging position, in my bed on in, like one legs on the bed and then all of a sudden, like, my first pregnancy. I didn't have my water break. So I had no idea what a water breaking was like. And so I'm just hanging out. And all of a sudden was like, I just think My water just broke. Like, yeah, it did. And then everything like exploded, then obviously contractions were closer and on track, like, you know, more consistent, more consistent, and like my midwife actually finally showed up, because I guess, you know, she was texting and calling her whatever and telling her so she showed up at like 30 minutes before Sienna was born. Like and I went from billing to but soap totally fine like be able to control the contractions to like, Okay, this is like getting real. A one in like a water birth. So my husband's like filling trying to fill up the tub downstairs. Like the big pool that we have. And I was my midwife comes in she's like you let's get her downstairs. I guess but my mindset was so like this is going to take a while like I didn't want to be like this will be super quick and fast. Like I was like I thought I had another like 12 hours in the gym like in that mindset like Yeah, and so we thought they give me downstairs. The waters not high enough so my husband had their sprint back upstairs, throw in some some trucks from back down and get in with me to bring the water level up so I could berth in there. And I like I said water broken five. She was born at 5:47pm So it was very quick. Because like she liked that she said the head was like she felt down there and she was like Oh, I feel the hair. And like she asked my husband to fill in. So he felt and that's when I had like another contraction and like she popped out and so he caught her. We didn't know the sex either. So we're like just like so happy and like, you know, feeling so good. And then we're like wait, what is she what? Yes. You know girl because we had two names picked out so that's been seen and was born. Ah, that is so far sister came downstairs. My mom had her upstairs in her room coloring and so she came down and like yeah, it was awesome. So till this day Mariah is like where CeCe was born right there. So ah, so talk about it. That's this evening.

Unknown 19:03

Have her be there and everything. Ah, I'm all smiles. I got chills. That's so cool. Yeah, um, okay. So then you were working at the time. So it was it and so you are currently it's where you're currently at there. Right? Because we have Ferguson. So you're an associate at Ferguson Family Chiropractic. You work closely with Dr. Karen Ferguson who is she's amazing. There's a lot of words but she's saying like, Yeah, I do adore her. And so she's got a really big prenatal pediatric office as well. So you were working there while pregnant. And so had your little one there. And postpartum so postpartum, probably were able to institute all of those birth fit principles.

Unknown 19:52

I was like, I did all the real stuff for the whole my whole pregnancy and then the postpartum I did too. So like I did the Adelaide I did the lying in we didn't have the lying in program then but like, I just you the amazing book first 40 days. I have everyone read that on the podcast before but yeah, loves it. Yeah. And then the fourth trimester, the money plan. There's so many amazing books out there to help and like talk to you about how like other cultures. Besides there are culture in America do really push 30 to 40 days of like, Mom doesn't do much of anything, you know? And so I rested a lot. I didn't do any kind of form of exercise. I feel like I did my diaphragm breathing you know when I felt good to like maybe walk around the neighborhood a little bit. When baby were like it was very like gentle like, chill, ate good healthy food, you know, food nourishing foods. And so it was night and day from my first postpartum versus my second. I didn't start even working out until I was I like three months postpartum or something. Yeah. And like it was just easy like bodyweight like whatever are like with the work that postpartum plan is so workouts are so very eased into it. And I feel like my healing was a lot better. Definitely the second time around versus the first so

Unknown 21:26

Exactly. And it sounds like it. That's it, but it's so good to have those two perspectives, though. I do think and I think that makes you a really good you know, well rounded not only person but practitioner and chiropractor as well to you because you can speak to lots of different avenues you know, with that understanding. So, now I want to know, because I do want to like we've mentioned earlier with your first chiropractic adjustment, like no explanation, this what we're doing, you're like, Ah, I don't know about this to the office that you first you know, where you worked, and learning that education. How does that influence how you approach approach your patient care now?

Unknown 22:09

Lots and lots of education. I mean, that's what we hear a lot when people come in is how much we do educate. I mean, within the first two appointments, the new person exam and the report of findings like, I mean that there's so much there because we like we, a lot of people don't know, you know, they don't know about what chiropractic really is they don't know what true health is saying like how everything's connected and how we can affect more than just your muscles and your bones. We're affecting your whole nervous system. So we're constantly educating and those made from the beginning and then every appointment. It's constant education, reiterating the things we've already said probably 100 times but some people need to hear things like 1500 times with what sometimes they get it. So I feel like I'm never seeing it too much. Like you know, and so with us like, we adjust you but we also explaining like, what we're doing and like how to encompass a wellness lifestyle like are you moving? Are you getting any movement in your life are you what are you eating? You know, what, how are you feeling mentally? You know, because a lot of times people's physical symptoms are mentally caused, because they're just not they're not aware of it, how much of their mental stress is affecting your physical being. And so yeah, in every aspect, education is huge. And we hear it all the time where some people go to another chiropractor and then come to our office, and they're like wow, like, I didn't know that like someone that I did their exam. The other day was 20 years chiropractic care. I'll just randomly in different offices and like she had learned so much from just our education. And so that's why I just don't assume when someone comes in, it's like, Oh, I've been going to chiropractors for forever. Like, I'm still going to teach you something. And if you heard it before, great, you can hear it again. It's sometimes you need to hear something or something different and we might explain things differently than someone else does. So

Unknown 24:14

exactly. And helping people understand what and how you would have you mentioned before to like supporting the body's innate ability to heal. And I think that's that, you know, that big take home message.

Unknown 24:25

Yeah, our biggest factor Yeah. Our biggest thing is people taking ownership of their health and being in the driver's seat of their health. A lot of people don't feel like they're being heard. So our exams are, we're always trying to make sure we listen and hold space for everybody. And to is like, telling them that you do have a choice. Like you don't have to do what someone tells you to. Like, I may tell you to do something, but I still want you to go and do your research like a lot of times will be like, hey, I really think this is a pelvic floor issue to how about you like do some research like look into pelvic floor like and next time we come we see you, you come in we'll talk about it more. And like if they actually did go do it and like look into it a little bit even if they did a quick Google search. It's just showing me that they took the next step. And like, wanted to learn about it. And so then opens that door for me to educate them a little bit more about it, because we're a team. If I tell someone to do something over and over and over again, they're still not doing it. Then I'm going to meet them where they're at, you know, and this is how you know how to educate this person versus this person. So it's like every person is different. And we just want people to understand that like, especially in these times, like how important is to like, look at every aspect of it and kind of figure out what your journey is versus just what everyone else is doing.

Unknown 25:50

That's so true. That's so true. Helping people invest you know, in themselves and in their help. Now, how does birth fit fit into your everyday practice? and adjusting of families?

Unknown 26:07

So with that, it mostly my birth bit. I do like a post I'm only doing I only do postpartum series right now. Postpartum is like my love pregnancy and prenatal and everything about it. But like I've noticed since I've been in the office, postpartum is something that I feel like women need way more support in and it gets lost sometimes and women feel lost and not well supported in that area. So I offer postpartum classes, my different series per month. They're four weeks long. I'll do like a month, skip a month, a month, skip a month. And then I also if you are a postpartum person or pregnancy, I am teaching them through each adjustment like different like this is diaphragm breathing. This is how we do it. Now I want you to go home and like breathe every day for two to three minutes practicing how I told you, you know, taught you to breathe. And then and then we just build from there like what is stability breath, what is intra abdominal pressure, like I just show them gradual stuff when I have them time when I'm adjusting, but then I also like we'll be like

Unknown 27:36

Okay, so I want to know, um, what is he mentioned a little bit. I know you really love that postpartum time period. So, what are some of your most favorite, you know, pregnancy or postpartum resources that you provide? So obviously, we do have birth fit, because we've talked about that, but there were a couple of books or what what do you give or offer and that postpartum, those postpartum adjustments because again, too, I know you want those. You want those families to come in. You want those moms to come back in because, you know, there's just a lot that happens in that postpartum time. So what are some of those things that you offer? Favorite resources,

Unknown 28:17

favorite resources? So I start talking to people about what do you want your postpartum preference like postpartum like to look like? Well, second trimester. A lot of times if I talk to them about in the first trimester, and I've been thinking about they're using you know, excited about they found that they're pregnant, they're also might be dealing with the morning sickness and the super tiredness. So it's not the best time to talk to you about that. So usually, I like the second trimester when you're starting to feel a lot better and like that's the best you know, that's when I start talking to people about it because you know, you talk about like a lot about the birth plan, but like, what about what's your postpartum plan look like you know, and so from there, that's when I talked to them about you should look into the first 40 days. The you know, the fourth trimester money plan these different books that I like, really like in like, even real food for pregnancy because she has some postpartum stuff in there too. Like that's even just for if you're pregnant, you know, or even before pregnancy. And then from there, talking to them about I've been do a lot of pelvic floor work. So like I will teach them how to release their pelvic floor postpartum and during pregnancy. I was I will actually check their pelvic floor like as best as I can, like at least the posterior aspect of it or the coccyx and give some like, like release work in there and also teach if their spouse is there, teach them how to do their release work to help them at home. Because even in the postpartum that's a big like me, depending on how your birth goes. your pelvic floor is like super exhausted.

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