This week I’m joined by my amazing friend Meredith, who is a type 1 diabetic mom who breastfed three babies (one of them not even her own!) for over six months! What makes that even more incredible is that she once wasn’t sure if she’d be able to have children at all.

In this episode, Meredith opens up about how diabetes has shaped her motherhood journey, her difficult first delivery that led to her daughter’s dislocated shoulder, a NICU stay, and a fourth-degree tear (!!), and how her second birth, a planned C-section, brought a much more positive experience in contrast.

Meredith’s episode is a reminder that you are more capable than you think and that you are strong enough to feel scared but to do it anyway.

Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodes

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Meet Meredith

00:11:18 - 1st Pregnancy: Slow Fertility, Wonderful Endocrinologist, & Big Baby

00:26:29 - 1st Labor: Spotty Epidural, 4th Degree Tear, & Dislocated Shoulder

00:38:03 - 1st Postpartum: NICU Stay & Breastfeeding Success

00:59:09 - 2nd Pregnancy: Struggling to Find Supportive Doctors

01:08:26 - 2nd Labor: Scheduled Positive C-Section

01:11:21 - 2nd Postpartum: Changes in Milk Production, Milk Sharing, & 2 Under 2 Haze

01:25:34 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

This week I’m joined by my amazing friend Meredith, who is a type 1 diabetic mom who breastfed three babies (one of them not even her own!) for over six months! What makes that even more incredible is that she once wasn’t sure if she’d be able to have children at all.

In this episode, Meredith opens up about how diabetes has shaped her motherhood journey, her difficult first delivery that led to her daughter’s dislocated shoulder, a NICU stay, and a fourth-degree tear (!!), and how her second birth, a planned C-section, brought a much more positive experience in contrast.

Meredith’s episode is a reminder that you are more capable than you think and that you are strong enough to feel scared but to do it anyway.

Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodes

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Meet Meredith

00:11:18 - 1st Pregnancy: Slow Fertility, Wonderful Endocrinologist, & Big Baby

00:26:29 - 1st Labor: Spotty Epidural, 4th Degree Tear, & Dislocated Shoulder

00:38:03 - 1st Postpartum: NICU Stay & Breastfeeding Success

00:59:09 - 2nd Pregnancy: Struggling to Find Supportive Doctors

01:08:26 - 2nd Labor: Scheduled Positive C-Section

01:11:21 - 2nd Postpartum: Changes in Milk Production, Milk Sharing, & 2 Under 2 Haze

01:25:34 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

This week I’m joined by my friend Jessica, who pushed both of her babies out in only two pushes!! Her experiences include first-trimester nausea (particularly in the car), a negative reaction to IV pain medication, and pubic symphysis dysfunction, which was especially difficult because she’s a dancer. She also talks about her experience with a velcro baby who wouldn’t sleep without her, breastfeeding both of her kids at once, and dealing with anxious, intrusive thoughts.

Jessica’s episode is a beautiful example of standing firm in what you believe is right for you and your babies, even if it looks different from what you had originally planned.

Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodes

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Meet Jessica

00:13:19 - 1st Pregnancy: Car Sickness & Hip Pain

00:31:58 - 1st Labor: Water Breaking, 12 Hour Labor, & A Finicky Epidural

00:38:42 - 1st Postpartum: Committing to Breastfeeding, Choosing to Co-sleep, & Intrusive Thoughts

00:50:21 - 2nd Pregnancy: Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction & Slightly Enlarged Baby Kidneys

01:02:26 - 2nd Labor: Negative Reaction to IV Meds & Side-lying Epidural

01:10:41 - 2nd Postpartum: Tandem Breastfeeding & Mental Health Help

01:20:16 - To My Pre-Mom Self…