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!

"My Endo Story": Rachel Daugherty and Cassie Lawson

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and in this episode, I'm sharing the stories of two more of my friends who also have Endometriosis. As they share their symptoms, experiences with various forms of treatment, and how their lives have been affected, you will hear many complexities of this common condition. Please help us in continuing to spread awareness by sharing this episode with your friends and family members who may also be affected by Endometriosis.

LISTEN HERE: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | GOOGLE

Resources mentioned in this episode: Endometriosis episodes on the Health Forward Podcast; Nancy's Nook Education Facebook Page

Topics in this episode:

When did you first start experiencing symptoms and what were they?

In what way did these symptoms affect your life?

How did you realize it was endo?

What course of treatment did you decide to do?

Where are you on the journey now? 

What do you wish more people knew about endo?

"My Endo Story": Kellie Shortridge and Kayla Collins

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and in this episode, I'm sharing the stories of two of my friends who also have Endometriosis. As they share their symptoms, experiences with various forms of treatment, and how their lives have been affected, you will hear many complexities of this common condition. Please help us in continuing to spread awareness by sharing this episode with your friends and family members who may also be affected by Endometriosis.

LISTEN HERE: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | GOOGLE

Resources mentioned in this episode: Endometriosis episodes on the Health Forward Podcast; Nancy's Nook Education Facebook Page

Topics in this episode:

When did you first start experiencing symptoms and what were they?

In what way did these symptoms affect your life?

How did you realize it was endo?

What course of treatment did you decide to do?

Where are you on the journey now? 

What do you wish more people knew about endo?

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How I Supported My Body through Surgery

Hi friends!! In today’s episode, I’m sharing about my recent endometriosis surgery and some of the things that I did, both pre-op and post-op, to support my body through the process. My hope is that this episode will help those of you who may be looking at an endo-surgery for yourself or a friend/family member, but also for anyone who may have any kind of abdominal surgery, or really any surgery at all. Surgery is hard on the body and providing it with a little extra support can go a long way in speeding up recovery time and post-op symptoms.

LISTEN HERE: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | STITCHER

So in the last episode, I shared with you guys that I was going to be having another surgery for endometriosis and that I would update you on how everything went, as well as how I supported my body through the process. So today, I want to share those things with you. 

I’m about 1.5 months post-op at this point and thankfully, feeling really good! Overall, this was the smoothest and best surgery experience that I’ve had (of the 3) and I’m so grateful for that! I had a whole lot of people supporting me - praying for me and helping out - which I think has played a huge part in how smoothly I’ve recovered, but I also think that doing a few things both before and after surgery has really helped, as well. 

Pre-Op:

As anyone who has ever had surgery knows, it’s quite hard on the body. So, a few weeks before my surgery date I started doing a few things to both strengthen my immune system. I was already taking a prenatal vitamin as well as omega-3 supplements, CBD oil, and a probiotic daily - so I made sure to be very consistent with those. I also started taking an additional dose of liposomal vitamin c and vitamin d. I also tried to be really consistent with moving my body and getting good sleep. I even added melatonin to my regiment a few times a week, just to ensure that I was getting good, deep sleep and because it acts as an antioxidant. (Note- I did stop the omega 3s and melatonin one week before sx as they can thin the blood a bit). 

I also wanted to support my detox pathways as much as possible, knowing that I was going to be given a lot of medication (which I very gladly accepted), so I upped the times of week that dry-brushed and took detox baths. 

The surgery itself went very well. Going into it, I knew that I had cysts on both ovaries, and given that it had been 6 years since my last surgery, I honestly expected for it to be really severe. However, the surgery only took a little over an hour and there were very few lesions, at least in comparison to last time ((where I had stage 4 lesions). My doctor was also quite surprised and happy with that. As I said, I was given so much medication - more so than any other surgery prior, but again - I gladly accepted it. Thankfully, I had no complications (and had a very easy IV stick, which is usually not the case for me), so I was able to go home shortly after waking up. I will say that if you ever find yourself needing to have surgery, get yourself a BFF that’s a nurse to go with you! I basically had my own private nurse who took great care of me, kept me laughing and chatting all day, and was looking over everyone’s shoulder to make sure everything went according to plan. :) {Chrissy, you’re the real MVP here!} 

Post-Op:

So, once I got home, I was given meds to help with both pain and nausea. Thankfully, I didn’t experience that much nausea this time, but I did stay on top of it with the meds for the first 24 hours. Trust me when I tell you that puking and abdominal incisions DO NOT go well together. DO NOT RECOMMEND. I was pretty bloated and uncomfortable from the CO2 that they use to inflate the abdomen for surgery. This is a super common symptom after any kind of laparoscopic abdominal surgery and usually resolves in a day or less. 

The next few days looked like a lot of resting and sleeping as much as I could (hello, 3-yr old:)). I was pretty unsteady for about 24 hours and needed help getting up and down for a couple days. The pain stayed at a moderate level for 3-4 days and was easily manageable with the pain meds and I was able to wean down to just taking Aleve after about 3-4 days. 

During this time I did try to get in as much bone broth / bb protein as I could to start helping my gut recover from all the meds. I also upped my daily dose of probiotics since I was given antibiotics during surgery and also went back to taking the omega supplement as well as CBD, vitamin D, and extra vitamin C. 

Within a couple of days, I found myself wanting to move more, but I quickly had to learn to listen to my body because if I was walking around more than about 5 minutes, I would start bleeding more. That probably lasted for about 5ish days and then I was able to extend that time. 

One of the most challenging parts for me this time was the effect that the anesthesia (and possibly some of the meds) had on me emotionally/mentally. I felt super foggy and kind of just in a funk for about a week. I don’t remember that being an issue in previous surgeries. 

I would say that I was feeling back to myself, at least 90%, at about 2 weeks post-op, and now I am fully 100% back to normal, or honestly probably a little better than I was before surgery. I’m working my way into exercise, prioritizing my core strength and pelvic floor right now, so doing mainly Pilates for that. I’m also continuing with my vitamin/supplement regimen with the extra vitamin c and higher probiotic doses daily, as well as trying to get 3-4 dry brushing sessions and detox baths every week. 

My post-op appointment went really well and so we will resume trying on our own for baby #2 for a while. I will go back in for a follow-up in about 4-5 months, and I am starting acupuncture back next week (a couple of episodes on that if you want to know more - episode 32 and episode 54). So we’re hopeful and will just see what happens. Right now, I’m just really thankful to have the surgery behind me and to be feeling good, less inflamed, and more energetic. 

I hope that this episode has been helpful for you! If you have an upcoming surgery, I hope that you will use some of these tips and ideas as you prepare and recover. If you know someone with #endo or who may have surgery coming up, pass this episode along to them. It can be so unnerving not knowing what to expect or what recovery may look like, so I hope sharing my experience will help a little with that as well as empower you to know that there are things that you can do to help support your recovery. 

Before I leave you for today, I wanted to share with you a little encouragement - especially for those of you who may be facing surgery or any kind of concern over your health. The morning of surgery, I opened my Bible for a few minutes with God before heading to the hospital. I knew I didn’t have a lot of time, so I just randomly opened it, planning to just read a Psalm or Proverb. I opened it to Psalm 35, to a verse I don’t even remember reading before, that said “He takes pleasure in His servant’s well-being” and it brought me so much peace. I hope it brings peace to you as well! 

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Health Update + What's Next for Health Forward

Hi friends! This is episode 62 and this week, I’m just sharing a quick personal health update with you as well as what you can expect for the next several weeks from Health Forward. This is an untraditional episode but as I support you in your health journey, I also want to be transparent in sharing mine with you as well.

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The rest of this summer is going to be a little different around here and I wanted to share a little of what is going on behind the scenes, rather than just disappearing for a month and you wondering what was going on. 

As I’ve mentioned a couple of times now, I started having symptoms of what I call an “endo flare” last fall and after seeing my dr and fertility specialist, both confirmed that it’s time for another excision surgery. That is coming up at the end of next week. So obviously, I’m not thrilled but I’m ready to get it over with and hopefully get back to feeling like myself again. (for more of my endo journey, listen to episode 31 and episode 61). 

That being said, it’s not a super fun recovery and based on my last couple surgeries, I’m not going to really feel back to normal for at least a few weeks - so there won’t be any new podcast episodes again until mid-August.

I am planning to document/share some of my recovery process because I feel that could be helpful for any of you who are also dealing with endo or having surgery soon (of any kind). I plan to share what I’m doing to assist my body in healing and managing symptoms/inflammation after I’ve recovered a bit.

With all of that said, I am really excited for the fall. Episodes will start back in mid-August and I have some guest interviews lined up that I can’t wait for you guys to hear. I think you will really enjoy them and find them so helpful. I will also be taking on a handful of new clients in the fall and may have a few fun surprises brewing as well. 

So, I hope that you enjoy the rest of your summer. I appreciate your well-wishes and prayers, and can’t wait to talk to you again soon! 

Keep moving forward, friends. Go love your people well, and I’ll talk to you soon!