Coaching with Audrey

When discussing who would survive the I said that I for sure wouldn’t. One of my friends paused, sized me up and said, “No, you would. You’d just complain the whole time.” And let me tell you, I felt f*ckin’ SEEN.
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Fast forward a few years to me giving birth to my first child. Between every contraction, I complained about how much it hurt. Why did it still hurt when I wasn’t having a contraction?! Towards the end, I started reciting the phone number to the anesthesia provider at the hospital I worked for because, if I transferred to the hospital, I wasn’t going to call the triage line, or my midwife colleague on call, or the charge nurse. I was gonna call the CRNA and tell them to meet me in the parking lot with the epidural cart. I confessed this to my midwife at home and she laughed and said, “If you really want an epidural, you know what to say.”
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And she was right. And I didn’t really want an epidural. It did hurt a lot, but I was coping, and complaining about a situation while I actively deal with it is one of my coping mechanisms. 🤷🏻‍♀️
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It’s said that we birth the way we live. How do you deal with stress and discomfort in your every day life (or during the zombie apocalypse)? How do you think that will (or won’t) apply in labor? Answer in the comments! *
Want to keep pulling the thread? My free guide “The Hidden Beliefs Shaping Your Birth” is a great place to start! DM me beliefs and I’ll send you the link.

Cervical ripening, or preparing the cervix for labor, is the first step in the induction process. There are a variety of ways to help ripen the cervix:
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Membrane sweep is a cervical exam. If the cervix is open your provider can insert one finger into the cervix and make a circular/sweeping motion between the bag of water and the cervix. This releases a hormone that helps soften the cervix. These can be uncomfortable and can cause some spotting and cramping after.
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Prostaglandins can be administered orally or vaginally and also help soften and thin out the cervix. They can cause contractions, which can sometimes be quite strong, but are typically mild and crampy.
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A cervical ripening balloon is a thin plastic tube inserted into the uterus through the cervix. There is a deflated balloon at the very tip that is then filled with water created a balloon that sits directly on the cervix, creating pressure that manually softens, thins out and dilates the cervix. They can stay in 12-24h depending on your hospital’s policies. Hopefully by the time it comes out, the cervix is at least 3 cm dilated and you’re ready for the next phase - getting into active labor!