Rowan's Birth Story

Hi friends! It’s been a long time! Since we last talked, we welcomed our sweet baby boy - Rowan - in May. I took the entire summer off and slowly started back to working with clients in September. Figuring out how to work with two kids, one being a baby, is very different different that with just one, but I’ve learned to be as flexible as possible and very much lower my expectations for myself. I love helping people overcome their health obstacles and I still very much feel called to that, but also recognize that this isn't the season for that to me my main priority, which is hard. I want to be able to do all the things but am also very much aware of my capacity right now. Hence, eight months of radio silence over here on the pod 😜

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I’m excited to share Rowan’s birth story with you! Let’s jump in!

I should have written this right after I had him because many of the details are foggy now at 6 months postpartum, but I will do my best to remember all the details. 

I had a planned c-section with Ro. My delivery with Remi was very long and very hard on my body. After delivering her, I was told by multiple providers, including my OB and my pelvic floor PT, that they would strongly recommend that I have a C-section should I have more children in the future. I had to do months of therapy after her delivery and knew I didn’t want to repeat all of that, so when I got pregnant with Ro, I decided early on that was likely going to be the best for me. When they gave me an estimate of his weight and size at my 36-week appointment, it confirmed my decision. Y’all, I don’t know why but I have really big babies, which is hilarious because I’m not tall at all - it doesn’t exactly add up. He was also transverse most of my 3rd trimester- likely because he was out of space - and although he was occasionally head down, he wouldn’t stay that way for more than a few hours. Every time I would start to doubt if I was making the right choice, something would confirm that this was going to be the best option for us. 

So the morning of my due date, I was supposed to go into the hospital at 5:30 a.m. and was scheduled to be in the OR at 7:30 a.m. I had a hard time sleeping the night before with all of the feelings - nervousness about the surgery, excitement for meeting this new sweet baby I had been growing for 40 weeks, and a little sadness and uncertainty knowing that our life and little family were about to change forever. 

My alarm went off not too long after I had finally fallen asleep and it was time to get up and go. My in-laws were coming to stay with our daughter while we were in the hospital, so I think they arrived around 4:30 that morning. The plan was to quietly slip out of the house without waking my daughter since we had to go in so early, but when I called to check in to the hospital, they asked me to move back my arrival time by about an hour. Since we had a little time to spare, we decided to wake Remi and spend a few minutes snuggling with her before we left. She was excited about meeting her baby brother and also a little teary that I wasn’t going to be home for a few nights. I remember that being a really sweet moment with her before we left. 

We arrived at the hospital a little before 6:30 a.m. and got checked in. I used to work in the hospital where I was delivering and would often have to go in at that same time for an early morning meeting, so walking in felt strangely familiar. Once we got up to the L&D floor and into a room, it was right at shift change time for the nurses, so Scott and I just kind of sat there in our room for what seemed like 20 minutes (I’m sure it was more like 5) but I remember looking at the clock and thinking “there is no way they are going to get me into the OR by 7:30”. Little did I realize how very true that was. 🙂

My BFF, Chrissy, used to be an L&D nurse there and is still pretty good friends with a lot of the nurses, so I was super blessed that she had already found out who was working that shift and who my nurse would be. She came in and we chatted for a few minutes and then started getting everything rolling. One thing about me is that I have HORRIBLE veins. Even getting a normal blood draw with me is usually an ordeal, so I was really dreading the IV. I always have to give a spiel about how I’m a hard stick and oftentimes they think I’m just being dramatic until they try to stick me. With my daughter, it took five tries to get my IV and it was pretty miserable (I had 12 sticks one time with a previous surgery and ended up with an IV port in my neck, so I’m a bit traumatized by IVs at this point). I didn’t want to repeat any of that experience, so I was praying it would be a quick success this time. Of course, when you are having any type of surgery, you can’t have anything to eat or drink 12 hours before, which is not helpful for tiny, stubborn veins. Thankfully, after one failed attempt, my nurse decided to ask for someone else to come in and try. (I always appreciate it when a nurse puts her ego aside and just gets someone else). Around that time one of the anesthesiology students had come in to go over what I could expect to happen in surgery and noticed that I didn’t have my IV yet. Since he wasn’t overly busy at the time, he offered to start the IV using an ultrasound machine that would show him the best vein to use. He got it on the first try and I was so thankful for him. He also joked around the whole time and told me about his kids. He really helped to calm me down. I jokingly say he was my good luck charm through the whole day because he was so great in the OR as well. 

After getting my IV in, we just had to wait for the OR to be ready. Little did I know though that there were a couple of other deliveries on the floor that had either been going a long time or there were complications with them, so since my section was planned and not emergent, I kept getting bumped back by those deliveries. I was a little frustrated by that at first because I was already starving and feeling antsy that things weren’t staying on schedule, but I kept trying to keep myself calm and remember that I was just thankful that I could be bumped because both I and my baby were good and stable. 

Around noon we were told that they were ready for us and things started moving fast. We did a few last-minute prep things, my nurse got my fluids started in my IV and off we went

So as I’m thinking back through all of these details and that postpartum/newborn haze, I want to take a quick little detour and share with you about this new productivity hack I was introduced to recently. It’s a little drink called Magic Mind and I mean little literally - as in only 2 oz but it is packed full of nutritious, brain power-boosting ingredients. It’s made with a blend of matcha green tea - think sustained energy without the jitters, nootropics like lion’s mane and cordyceps mushrooms that support mental clarity and bust brain fog, and adaptogens like ashwagandha and rhodiola for natural stress support. It also only has 3g of naturally occurring sugar, so it doesn’t spike your blood sugar either, which makes it super easy to incorporate into any part of your day. I’ve taken it first thing in the morning before heading out to school drop off and I’ve also really loved drinking it in the afternoon when I’m feeling a little draggy. I love that it doesn’t spike cortisol, so it provides sustainable energy without any of the negative health effects on your adrenals or hormones. I even gave it to my husband one afternoon when he came in from his office complaining about how tired he was - I honestly wanted to see how he would respond to it without knowing anything about it. When I asked him about how he felt later that evening, he was like “Oh yeah - I forgot I was even tired, so I guess it works! “ That pretty much sums up how I feel when I take it as well. 

If you have any issues with productivity, brain fog, lack of focus, or a drop in your mental energy in the afternoons, I recommend trying out a 30-day supply of Magic Mind. If you hate it or it doesn’t work for you (which I doubt) they offer a full money-back guarantee! You can order Magic Mind for yourself by going to www.magicmind.com/alainad and using the code ALAINAD20 for over 50% off your first subscription or 20% off your one-time purchase. I think you’re going to love it!

So where was I with the story - oh yes - finally heading back to the OR.

I remember feeling nervous as they wheeled me back. They gave Scott instructions to get all geared up while they got me settled in the OR, so he left me at the door. I thought it was so odd to be wheeled all the way to the OR door in the bed and then they had me get up and walk into the actual OR. I’ve had a few surgeries before and it was such a different experience being highly medicated before ever getting in there and this time being fully aware of everything that was happening. 

Once I was situated on the operating table they started my spinal block. I was super nervous and I think all of the emotions of the day finally caught up with me because I remember shaking a lot - before they ever got the spinal block in. All of the nurses and anesthesiologists were great and kept trying to ask me questions and distract me. There were so many people in that small room and everyone seemed to be focused on what they were doing. Once the spinal was in, they laid me back and started prepping me for the procedure. I got super numb fast and before I knew it, they were ready to start. The anesthesiologist was by my head the whole time checking in on how I was feeling and helping me to get as comfortable as I could be on an OR table. Scott came in just a couple of minutes later and my OB announced she was ready to start. Within 2-3 minutes I heard her say “Oh, lots of hair!” and she dropped the little window covering down in the drape. She held up the sweetest, chunkiest baby boy so Scott and I could get a good look at him. It’s so crazy how I fell in love with him immediately. He looked so much like Remi did when she was born, it blew our minds. I felt like I had given birth to the same baby twice! 😝 My OB held him there for at least a full minute for us to just soak him in while they cut the umbilical cord. 

They took him over to do a quick assessment of him while the team put me back together. I remember starting to feel a little light-headed at one point and mentioned it to my anesthesiologist, but he had already noticed my BP dropping and pushed a med to help. He was amazing! After a couple of minutes, they bundled Rowan up and brought him over for Scott to hold while they sewed me back up. I think this part may have lasted about 20 minutes or so but it was all a really quick blur. We just stared at him taking in all of his squishy newborn goodness and I was so relieved he was out. I remember commenting on how I could already breathe so much better! He weighed 9lb, 2 oz, and was 21.5 inches long. Such a big, chunky baby boy with a head full of dark brown hair. 

Within a few more minutes my OB said she was finished and everything went beautifully with zero complications! Thank the Lord! I was super relieved that I didn’t get nauseated or feel awful. I actually felt really good for just having major surgery! 

Scott handed Ro to me and they wheeled us back to our room for recovery. I immediately got to do skin-to-skin with Rowan and let him start nursing.  We had that lovely golden hour of soaking him in and just getting to be the three of us. 

Once I could feel my legs again and everything looked good, they moved us over to the postpartum floor. 

My parents had been waiting in the waiting room all morning, so they wheeled me right past them on the way. They visited with us for a while and then Scott’s family came and brought Remi up to our room. Watching her meet her baby brother for the first time was such a sweet moment. I’ll never forget her jumping up and down and dancing around with pure joy and excitement. It was a moment I had prayed for many times and it was just perfect. 

We were in the hospital for two days before they discharged us and both of us did really well with recovery. I had great nurses who stayed on top of my pain meds, so I never really had bad pain during the whole stay. Getting up the first time was a challenge but once I was up and could change clothes and pull myself together a bit, I felt so much better. It’s very hard to sleep in the hospital (unless you’re my husband 😝) so I was super tired, but Rowan was a dream. He nursed and slept like an angel baby. 

My only regret from our hospital stay was not asking for more help from lactation. They came in multiple times and offered assistance but because I had breastfed Remi and Rowan had latched quickly, I thought I was good to go. It wasn’t until I was already home that I realized that he had latching issues (a lip tie) and we were going to need some help. So let that be a word of warning, always take the help. Don’t assume you have got it down, even if you’ve done it before. 

All in all, I really couldn’t have asked for a better c-section experience. It obviously isn’t my preference for giving birth, but I feel confident that it was the best choice for what my body needed and I’m thankful for the team that I had during the delivery. I think the doctors and nurses can really make it break the experience in this type of situation and mine were truly all wonderful. 

I will be doing another episode all about recovering from a c-section, so I’m not going to get into that part today. If you have any questions about c-section recovery, or postpartum recovery in general, or something that you want to be sure that I cover in that episode, send me a DM on Instagram and let me know!

Prioritizing Your Health as a Mom

Hi friends! This past Sunday was Mother’s Day so in honor of that, this week’s #hfpodcast episode is focused on prioritizing your health as a mom. This can be such a struggle and takes intentional planning and effort that if we’re being honest, oftentimes we don’t feel that we have the energy for. Today I want to encourage and hopefully inspire you to think through some ways that you can support your health and care for your body so that you can continue to love and serve your family well for years to come!

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I reached out to my followers on Instagram and asked them what some of their obstacles were to prioritizing their health as a mom and here are the most common responses that I got:

• Time 

• Hectic schedules

• Exhaustion 

• Lack of motivation 

• Body image struggles 

• Guilt when taking time for yourself

I think all of us moms can relate to pretty much all of that!

The thing we need to remember is that we are all in this together. Most of us who are caretakers in any capacity, moms or not, but especially when you have tiny humans that you are responsible for 24/7 can relate to the struggle of knowing that it’s best for us to take care of ourselves and do things that support our health and figuring out how to actually do it. 

It’s also helpful to remember that this is just a season - not forever. We’re just not going to get to it all every day no matter how organized and planned we are and that’s okay. That doesn’t mean that we don’t try to do things that we know will help us, but we’re going to agree here together to stop beating ourselves up about it when it’s not all done, okay? Deal! 

Here are a few tips and ideas that I hope will encourage and inspire you to take the time and be intentional about caring for your body and supporting your health:

• Spend time with Jesus every day in any way that you can. This will look different in every season, maybe even from day today. The truth is that we just simply cannot care for other people well and pour out of a cup that’s empty. Mothering well requires amounts of patience, wisdom, and care that I just simply do not have without the help of the Holy Spirit. I literally need help with it and I can tangibly feel a difference in my parenting on the days that I don’t prioritize this. 

• Take a little time for yourself. This can be so incredibly difficult to do, but I truly believe that it makes a difference in our mental and emotional health. This may mean asking for help or trying to get up a little earlier before the kids do, or maybe choosing 10 minutes of time to decompress instead of doing the dishes {again}. Get creative - it’s worth it.

• Eat actual meals that are for you (protein+carb+fat, every 3-4 hours, including snacks). The key here is to have a plan but know that it doesn’t have to be elaborate. Stick to the basics and make it work for your season. For ideas or help with this, grab my Foods that Heal Guide and my Easy, Healthy Eats Recipe eBook.

• Try to have food before coffee - I know. 🙈 Here’s the deal - coffee (while amazing) spikes one of our stress hormones- Cortisol - and can make your blood sugar unstable as well as put stress on your adrenals and hormones. Essentially, it can make you have less energy and more irritable. Bad combo for a mom (well, anyone - but you get what I’m saying). So simply adding a small balanced meal or snack before your morning cup of coffee can help to stabilize your blood sugar and support your energy levels and mood.

• Prioritize your sleep. I’m well aware that our kids do not care about our sleep at all. However, a long-term lack of sleep can take such a toll on our health (if you want to hear my personal experience with this, make sure you listen to the whole episode). There is some lack of sleep that comes with parenthood, especially in the newborn days, but I want to encourage you that it’s worth the money, effort, time, whatever you need to do to help your kids to sleep well and independently so that you can too! Also, choose sleep over an extra hour of work or even scrolling. I know that it feels like you’ve earned some numb-out time (and you have) but if it’s a choice between staying up really late to “escape” or get more sleep, the sleep will serve you better every single time. 

• Have a plan for moving your body. This is one of those areas that really has to adapt after having kids but it’s still totally doable. We just need a plan and realistic expectations! Find ways to make it work for your schedule and season of life. You can include the kids by letting them join you in your workout if they’re old enough or let them have a little screen time will you fit in a workout at home. Go for a walk and take them in the stroller or let them ride their bikes or scooter along side you. If your budget allows, joing a gym that provides childcare - this will give you a little alone time and you can fit in a workout - win win! Just be realistic with your expecations of what it will look like. It won’t happen everyday, but if you make it part of your daily plan and shoot for it, you will at least hit it some days. 

• Give yourself some grace. Choose the priorities from this list and don’t try to do everything! Remember, living a healthy lifestyle is really about balance, it’s more like juggling. So choose a couple things that you can focus on and feel good about. Also, learn to let go of some things. Maybe the house isn’t perfectly clean all the time, maybe you have to ask for help, maybe you can’t go to every event you’re invited to. Spend some time thinking through what is most important and what you actually feel called to, and be okay saying no to other things. 

• Don’t give up when you have an off day (or week, even month). It’s not starting over, it’s not getting back on the wagon,  it’s just living your life and tomorrow is a brand new day!

Mama- friends, it’s okay to take care of you too. You will love and serve better if you aren’t trying to pour out without ever taking the time to refill. Think through what you know will help you the most a prioritize a few of these things we’ve talked about today.

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