Let's Get Curious with Replenishing Soul
Let's Get Curious, a podcast where moms care for each other, tackling the conversations no one likes to have. We share insights on self-care and navigate parenthood, especially for those raising neurodivergent children, creating a supportive community for all moms. Join Lori & Dorothy as they share their professional expertise as healthcare professionals along with their personal stories of mom struggles. We are moms supporting moms.
Let's Get Curious with Replenishing Soul
Episode #7 - A Path to Parenthood: Lori's IVF & Birth Story
In today's podcast, Lori shares her deeply personal journey to motherhood. She discusses the challenges of trying to conceive naturally, the emotional decision to turn to IVF, and the fears and hopes that came with it. Lori opens up about the difficult conversations with her husband, the heartbreak of a failed IVF attempt, and the process of overcoming feelings of inadequacy. Despite the setbacks, Lori's story is one of resilience and determination, ultimately leading to a joyful outcome. Join us for an intimate and inspiring episode as Lori reflects on her path to becoming a mother and the strength it took to get there.
Disclaimer:
The information shared on this podcast is for informational purposes only and is based on the opinions and experience of Lori Dorothy and their guests. The content should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Diagnosis or a treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast
Welcome to let's get curious. The podcast for women and mothers seeking connection, support, and inspiration. We are friends, mothers, and therapists. Laurie, a physical therapist and Dorothy, a speech and language therapist. Together. We share our personal stories, including IVF birth experiences and navigating children's learning difficulties. Through our discussions, we uncover profound lessons for personal growth. Join us on this journey of curiosity, compassion and empowerment. Welcome to let's. Get curious.
Dorothy:In today's podcast, Lori is going to take us on her journey to motherhood. Hi, Lori. How are you?
Lori:I am good. So today we are going to share my birth story. Yes.
Dorothy:was very much a part of all of this.
Lori:Yes, you were. Yes, you were. Well, I remember, well, as I was trying to get pregnant, which was many years in the making before I had made the decision to do IVF, I remember you and I walking at Chrissy Field in San Francisco and you telling me that you had a vision of me having twins. Do you remember that?
Dorothy:I don't remember that. Although I am really good with babies coming in, so I'm not surprised, but like, no, like knowing when babies
Lori:are. You are.
Dorothy:are leaving too, but, oh my gosh, okay. I don't remember that. I remember. Okay.
Lori:I remember us walking at Crissy Field.
Dorothy:I remember us going to the astrologer up in Northern California, was it Sonoma or Napa? And he told us I was having twins and this was like, right when we first met, like years before, I don't even think you had known your husband then it was like, right at the beginning of our, friendship. And, um, he told me that I was having twins and you're like, nope. it's gonna be me. And then I think he told me that I was gonna move up to the Pacific Northwest. And you're like, no, I think that's going be me too. And, and it was, we're like dotie, I think. I think that they mixed up our readings. And you were right. You had the twins and you moved up there.
Lori:I know. Well, our energies are so connected like sisters. Right. So I'm not surprised, but yeah, no, I remember we were walking at Chrissy field and again, I was going through trying to get pregnant naturally and you just telling me that you had this vision and I don't remember the exact time frame in between that. But, um, Yeah. So I was having trouble trying to get pregnant naturally. And, I was just getting older. I think I was 37 at the time. And my husband was, yeah, he was my husband at the time. I'm trying to remember all the way back. And, he just, came to me the one day and he's like, I think we need some help. And I was like, well, what do you mean? And, you know, cause I did everything right. I, I Properly, I watched my gluten, my dairy, I exercised, like, how could there be a problem with me? And, um, so we decided to go in and both he and I get testing and I was the one with. The problem because my follicle stimulating hormone, my FSH was high, which pretty much meant I was in like early menopause, right? So I was like running out of eggs. And, so the answer would be to that would be to do IVF. And, um, I was, uh, it was, it was a hard note for me right from the beginning, because one, it made me feel broken and two, I couldn't understand again, how I live such a healthy lifestyle. Like, it just didn't make sense to me. And then there was the fear factor. I feared that if I were to put these hormones and stuff in my body, what would that mean for me for the, for the future? So as my husband and I were having this conversation, I was like, Nope, not doing it. And he's like, okay, well then we need to talk about this because what does it mean for us? You know, we came into this relationship, both agreeing that we wanted to have kids. If this is something that you're not comfortable with, I honor that. But I still want to have kids. And if you don't like, this is, this is a conversation, right? It opened up Pandora's box. It's a big conversation. And so I was like, well, we're not having it right now. Cause I had to just kind of digest the whole, I need to go down the path of, you know, IVF to have babies. And so I just needed some space to process. And I remember driving to work the one day and I kind of go through each scenario right in my head where I'm like, okay, I'm Um, I do IV, or I don't do IVF. He and I split up. Well, does that feel good? No, that doesn't feel good. Um, okay, I do IVF. I get babies from that. That feels wonderful. Um, And if I do IVF, and if something, if I were to get sick down the road and years later, well, that's just me making a decision out of fear. And I don't know. I mean, I could be hit by a bus tomorrow. Right? So I'm making a decision about the future that I don't have. Like no insight about, it literally would have been based off of fear. And I was like, well, you know what? Okay. Um, and I've always said this to myself. I don't make decisions based out of fear. I, you gotta remove that factor. And so once I removed that factor, there I was. With, okay, I do it and we walk that path together or I don't and that may mean that he and I split up and I didn't want that either. So I was like, okay, you know what that means? I'm doing IVF. So, literally that the next day after we had the conversation, I just kind of had time to process and walk myself through those scenarios and me sit with those scenarios and see how they made me feel inside. I then came home later that day and I was like, okay, let's do it. He's like, what?
Dorothy:Mm-Hmm.
Lori:Cause I, I said, I just needed space. I just needed time to sit with my emotions and digest each one of those. Like, what would the scenarios be? And how did those scenarios make me feel? So, okay, make the decision to do it, research the doctor that I wanted to go with, and, I had decided to go with Dr. Zvezda's clinic, in Foster City in the Bay Area, and they were wonderful. So, yep, I get on all the hormones, go through the process, do the egg retrieval, then they, of course, do it. Unite the egg and the sperm. Now I have embryos and I mean, and I had low numbers. So my chances even with IVF were low. But I ended up having, uh, two embryos that were healthy enough. To put into me. And so we did that. Then, of course, you have to wait the, um, this is, this was almost what 13 years ago that I went through this process. So I'm a little, little fuzzy on exact memory of everything, but I think I had to wait like 5 or 7 days, go back for blood work. And. It didn't work, and I was so devastated, and I was amazed at how sad I could be over something I never had,
Dorothy:I remember you saying that.
Lori:and it was literally this deep loss in my heart, like on my soul level, and I just, I mean, I felt all that, but I also couldn't understand it because I was like, I didn't have. I didn't have anything. So how could I be, how could I be mourning something I didn't have? I mean, I had the idea, right? And of course you're full of hormones and you're going through that process, which is a super stressful process. And I was, so I was mourning and I was also extremely mad because I was like, I did everything that I was supposed to. I kept every appointment. I mean, I was off gluten dairy. Any type of inflammatory food, including alcohol. I was off for years, even when we were just trying to get pregnant naturally. And I was like, I did everything right. How could this not work? And I think it was like a Thursday or a Friday. We got that phone call from the office. And of course I call my husband at work. You know, he said, just like I am, he comes home from work. We're sitting on the couch, we're crying together. And I was like,
Dorothy:Mm-Hmm?
Lori:this, I need to go out for a margarita. I, so I'm like, get your shoes on, we're going and we're drinking. So we go out to this, our, one of our favorite places for margaritas and I have two and I come home and then I just go in the bathtub and I cry for hours with just like the shower. Watering over me, um, and yeah, I mean, it was like mourning a death
Dorothy:Mm-Hmm.
Lori:and so it took me a while, to kind of process all that, um, and decide what we were going to do next.
Dorothy:Mm-Hmm.
Lori:And then, we just, we decided that, okay, we are going to give this a 2nd round, but we're gonna just give my body some time to heal and we'll just kind of, you know, go from there. And I think we did like our 1st round, like May or June or something like that.
Dorothy:I remember all of that. I remember you calling me. I remember the devastation in your voice. I remember you saying, I don't know the exact words again. It's, it's fuzzy for me too, but I just remember you being like, I need to get, I need to. I need to not think about this. I am coming to see, I was, I was living in San Francisco at the time. So you said, I'm coming up to the city and we are drinking. And I said, done. And I know it was a work day and I was like, all right, well, I'm not going to the gym after work. I am hitting that wine bar. And I will support you. We will drink as long as you need to. Not that we were like heavy drinkers. I don't want to, I don't want to say that we, you know, right. But, um, yeah, so we, we went on union street and we went to a super cute wine bar, I don't remember the name, but I just, I remember like the chalkboard with the, the wine list. And we're like, yeah, we're just going to go down the list. We'll share. Um, and yeah, and you processed all those things. You know the grief and the loss and all the emotions and yeah It was really really hard to see you go through that and yeah I'm so glad that your story has a happy ending because that part was really rough.
Lori:Yes. And it was just, like I said, it was just that more of like being so trippy in this, in the sense of how could I be so sad over something I never had. You know, and that's where I think, when people are to keep that in mind, when people are making the decision to go in and get help with fertility, there's it's hope, right? And I don't take the word hope lightly, for many reasons in my life. But you know, hope is this idea of something, something positive turning out, and you don't realize how strong that word is until it doesn't work until something doesn't work or, or the outcome, right, turns out to be different than what you expected. So yeah, it was that warning, that hope and that loss, um, and really then knowing like how, how badly I wanted to have children. Right, so, yeah, so we take a break from everything and, then it was, and, and, you know, I did that 1st round too. I mean, I did everything the doctor said, right? Like, take the 3 days off from work. I actually even had an acupuncturist come to my house and help with, the implantation and energy work and all of that. And then when we'd made the decision the 2nd time, that was, um, in December, the month, uh, yeah, the month of December that I remember because I remember both Alan and I. You know, the song, uh, Mariah Carey sings, All I Want for Christmas.
Dorothy:Yep. Mm hmm
Lori:Yeah. So anyway, and I remember it was around Christmas time and that song came on, I was like, all we want for Christmas is babies. And, you know, and so anytime we hear that song, that's our reminder of just the process we went through, but, um, yeah, so we made the decision to do it a second time and the second time, though, I did things differently and the second time around, I learned the difference between doing. Doing all the things, watching my diet, exercising, going to my doctor's appointments, all that stuff. And I just became part of the process. So it was a really big aha moment for me between the difference between doing and being just present and still. And so again, you go through the whole process, right? The hormones are the same. The egg retrieval, then the implantation and even my husband was like, okay, you had, you know, you took the three days off from work. Like the doctor said, the first time he's like, I want you to take the whole week off. And literally he's like, this is when Netflix still sent you like the discs in the mail. Yeah, he's like, what chick flick movies do you want? I listed them all. He took care of all the food and everything in the house. And literally for a week I laid, I watched chick flicks. I of course still ate healthy and everything that was, you know, he was either cooking or bringing in the house. Um, I napped. I'm not a napper, Deedee.
Dorothy:not.
Lori:I'm not a napper. I mean, I napped. I literally sat and I colored mandalas
Dorothy:Mm hmm.
Lori:and yeah, and it was just me and my, my Dunny buns, my yellow lab and we just, I don't even think I got out of pajamas for that entire week. And there was just this, you remember?
Dorothy:when I called you, you were like, Didi, I I've done nothing today like and even your voice was slower every you're like I just feel like I'm in slow motion right now. Like I'm moving slower I have never been so slow, but in a good way you just slowed Everything down. Yeah, I remember Right.
Lori:and became part of the process, right? I mean, I'm asking life to grow inside of me. You know, I mean, and if you think about it for yourself, like, are you more invited to go into, a room or be around people who make you feel, you know, calm and connected, or do you rush into a room craziness? So, I had to create an environment that would be inviting for babies to grow in. And, and at least this is how I felt it was my process because I, again, who you and I are getting curious. I knew there was a lesson in all of this for me. I just had to figure out what that lesson was. And that lesson was the being versus the doing. Cause I was always a doer, always a doer. And I'm, and trust me, I'm still having lessons in all of
Dorothy:yeah, and there's, yeah,
Lori:When is the time to pause? Right. I've planted the seeds. I watered the garden and now it's time to be still. It's, I mean, it's, it's
Dorothy:and I think I, I remember you also talking about, you know, it was the first time it was control. It was control based. It was like, what can I do and control, and I'm controlling my diet, and I'm what, more and more, more like, do more, more actions. What can I control? And the second time it was just putting out the intention. And then creating this plate, like almost like letting go, like it's like you're, you're putting it out there, you're letting go and you're just creating the space and the invitation for life to come in. I remember that. Wow.
Lori:beautifully set. Cause that is exactly what it was. And I remember I was due to go into work, later in the afternoon. Like this was like, after like a week off and it was going to be like that Monday or again, the days are kind of fuzzy, but after this long stint of being off and nurturing and everything, I was going to go into work just for the afternoon. And, Everything in my being had said to me, no, you are going to sit at your altar and you're just going to be still. And I mean, to, for me to sit and do any type of meditation, I'm much better now, but I mean, you know, five, 10 deep breaths and I'm out the door. Right. I literally sat at my altar DD for two hours, which literally felt. Like 10 minutes. It was the trippiest thing. It was almost like I was in this time warp and I literally just sat there and I just could feel this energy around me. And for me, it felt like I just, like, that was the moment that the souls of my children came in to my being.
Dorothy:Oh,
Lori:I got goosy bumps as I say that to you right now.
Dorothy:too. Me
Lori:And yes, I'm, I'm a spiritual person. And, but I didn't think that that journey was going to be a spiritual lesson. But it very much was, you know, again, of being still the power of connection. The lesson in doing less is actually doing more. And so, um, yeah, I just then all of a sudden kind of felt like I was done with this meditation. I looked at the clock. I was like, Oh my gosh, I sat there for two hours, but it was just, it was yummy and it was warm and it was calm, it was just this, like this space that I did not want to leave, um, until, you know, it was, it was done until the process was done. And then I think it was like that next week or a couple days after that time, that I went then for blood work and my HCG hormone was through the roof, through the roof and, had to go in for an ultrasound. And this time around, I should mention, I actually ended up having three healthy embryos. To put into my, into my body the 1st time, and we had to the 2nd time I had 3 and so we go in, you know, there's the ultrasound. There's 2 egg sacks and, uh, so, of course, like, you know, we're happy, right? The implantation worked and I did say to the, to the, um. The tech that was doing the ultrasound, I was like, well, just so you know, the doctor put three embryos in me. And I remember looking across the room at my husband and of course he has like this smile on his face, right? Like we got it this time. And then I mentioned three and all of a sudden his face was like, Oh, shit. Like, what if there is three in there? Like, I should be happy because this is what we wanted. Oh, my God, could we, like, could we handle three, you know, and it was right, like, talk about, like, how just certain situations, right, can just change you instantly. And so it was like, I want this, but oh, my God, three, I and it was just a look on his face, but I can feel it. I could see it that it was like, yay, but oh, my God, three. Let's say there were not three in there, there was two. My two baby girls, um, who, uh, you know, are just amazing and whatnot, but, yeah, I mean, it was a process. It was a process. And, we're going to be sharing your birth story, next time, but, you know, We want to share these stories because, well, again, to not have any woman ever feel, like they're alone and that each story is also so different, right? There is no right. There is no wrong. There is no correct birth plan. It is what it's supposed to be. And I think it's, you know, that's the piece, like how can sitting with yourself connecting for what it is that you need to do or, or not do across the board from the time that you are trying to get pregnant to, you know, once the kids and stuff are. Are alive and thriving. And now you're a mother trying to, you know, figure the next,
Dorothy:Mhm.
Lori:next layers out. Right?
Dorothy:Yep, absolutely.
Lori:Yes. But yeah, I mean, and it was, it was so interesting because I had so much trouble getting pregnant, but then, you know, the pregnancy itself was smooth. I mean, I did have four months of, of, um, horrible, um, Morning sickness but, other than that, everything went great and smooth. The babies actually came three weeks early which was still really good considering, twins and, um, yeah. I mean, like, I remember being in the kitchen and, um. I went to go to the bathroom and I just felt a little wet after still going pee. And I was like, did my water break again? This is my 1st rodeo. Right? So I'm not quite sure, but I'm wet and I shouldn't be. I don't think I should be wet. So, of course, I called the hospital. And now my husband's out at the park, running our dog and. I call, they're like, yes, it sounds like your water broke. So, you know, I call him at the park and I was like, Hey, just so you know, we need to go to go into the hospital because my water broke. And I mean, I don't, I think he was home back from the park, even before we hung up, the phone call. And I was like, Oh, we have time. I'm going to go shower. I'm going to shave my legs. Right. I mean, all that stuff, right. We have to drop the dog off. Yeah. We have to drop the dog off at the dog sitter, all that stuff. So I think we like finally get into the hospital at like
Dorothy:having contractions at that time? Were you having contractions or not yet? No. Okay. Okay.
Lori:no, nothing. And, um, so I literally, I go there and they're like, they, they checked me. They're like, yep, your water did break. So of course they had to keep me because they didn't want me to, get infection and so they just kind of let me labor, throughout the night, trying to allow labor to come on naturally. I dilated a small amount, of course, I'm just, they're like walking with the IV pole, in the room trying to Keep it coming naturally, keep it coming naturally, but, it did not work that way. I need to have Pitocin. Um, but that was by seven in the morning, and I forget what time you got
Dorothy:It was a Early? I think you texted me at
Lori:the room with
Dorothy:o'clock in the morning that you were at the hospital and then I think I just got dressed and got there maybe for eight or nine. It was early in the morning. I remember I stopped by Starbucks. I'm like, all right, Al's gonna Need some food. So I grabbed everything I could find and showed up with that. And, you know, and, and I didn't know what I was walking, like what, what I get there and you'd be pushing or what I get there and you'd be in like mid contractions, I walk in and you're like sitting there looking at a menu, just hanging out. I'm like, childbirth looks pretty darn easy. I mean.
Lori:Until the Pitocin really kicked in. That was a whole other
Dorothy:But yeah, I was there early. I was there, I would say before nine o'clock.
Lori:You were.
Dorothy:Um, yeah. And
Lori:I know. Well, yeah. And you were very much part of the whole birthing experience with us. And you probably remember more than I do
Dorothy:I just remember, yeah, I, what I remember is like when the contractions would come. Now, again, I don't know what I'm doing. I was just a supportive friend. I don't know how long contractions last or, what they feel like or nothing, but you're like, all right, when the contraction comes, I want you to count me down. So I'm like, all right, I can do that. And I'm like, how the heck am I supposed to know? Like, whatever. So, okay, I'll count you down, Lore. So, and I think there was a monitor that kind of showed when they were going up, but then we didn't know how long they would stay up. So I know it, we knew it was coming, but we just didn't know like for how long and then how long it would take for it to subside till the next one. So I'm like, all right, 10. Nine, whatever. And I had to get to like three and I'm like, Oh my gosh, it's still plateauing. And look at Al. I'm like three, two, and I, I managed to get it like timed. So when your contraction ended, we were at one and Al's like, how did you do, like, how are you doing that? I'm like, I have no idea. I'm faking it, Al, I'm faking it. But yeah. Oh my gosh. So.
Lori:Faking it till I make it. Well, and you know, and that was the other thing. Cause I mean, I, and I remember too, even, you know, you do all the birthing classes, right. And I remember saying to, I'm like, you know what, I'm going to want you to like massage me. I just, I love massages. Massages make me feel good. Oh my God. That day I was like, don't effing touch me. And I remember like, I wanted him near me and I remember just like, I would, anytime the contraction would come, I would grab his shirt like this. And I would pull him in, right? And so, of course, as, as that contractions three, two, I'm still holding him, even sometimes like after, and then he'd be like, pry my hand open where he could like, move away and get some space. But yeah, I mean, that's why it's like your birth plan, you know, what you're going to need in that moment is a whole other ballgame. Right? Yeah. And so, but I mean, all that went, went smooth. My OB wanted me to give birth in the OR because and, and she wanted what my, let me back up a second. When I was meeting with my OB, I had said to her, too, I was like, you know, I want to take this as natural as possible. Um, but then, of course, you know, we had to do the Pitocin because of the number of hours that I was exposed. So to decrease the risk of infection, which again medically made sense to me. So we decided to do that. And she did say even prior to going in, before the babies were even born, I want you to have an epidural. She goes, because with twins or multiples, you run the risk of possibly two things happening. One, when, the first one comes out, then that placenta of the first twin could block the passage of the second. Or what ends up happening is now the second baby has more room and can become breach. So she's like, I need you ready. Just in case I have to do an emergency C section, which again, I was like, yep, makes total sense. So, because of that, with the multiples, and then possibly running into an emergency C section, they wanted me to give birth in the, uh, in the, or so we did that. But I mean, you know, and I remember, like, even up to that point, and I had had the epidural twice because it didn't go, And they weren't successful getting it in the 1st time. Um, but I mean, yeah, talk about a world of difference, but I mean, I remember vividly DD of you, holding my hair back, and me puking my brains out and then becoming freezing cold and with chills and just.
Dorothy:I remember,
Lori:like, I, I, I remember that everything else in between. Sometimes what Al talks about to him, like, yeah, I didn't know that happened. Didn't know that happened. Right. But, then we waited for my OB to finish her day in the clinic. And then it was by like, you know, six o'clock or whatnot, they start wheeling me into the OR and you couldn't be with us in the OR because of the number of people with the space. And, um, so you were great. You're like, okay, just, you know, tell me what you're going to want to eat, you know, afterwards. And of course, you know, I, I think we sent you
Dorothy:yeah, that Greek food. Yeah, it was amazing. Yeah, we had the opus, right? Yeah, we had the, uh, yeah, the salads. Oh, they were so good. Yeah,
Lori:were so good. Um, so you're like, yeah, you're like, I'll stay back. And if I mess this up, because again, you know, you were the, you were the one coherent. I wasn't, but I remember you saying, I'll stay here, chill a little bit, and then I'll leave in about, you know, maybe 20, 30 minutes or
Dorothy:well, okay, so you're, so the, let me tell you, let me fill in the part that, Like my experience, so
Lori:please.
Dorothy:they wheel you out. So it went from Lori's vomiting that we're counting down the contractions, right? Well, it was, it was intense and the epidural came and then things were like calm. But, um, but still we're dealing with contractions and vomiting and all that stuff. And then they wheel you out and we go from the energy goes from this intense. Charged room to now empty and still and quiet. And, and there you are, you and Al are like, you're being wheeled away. And there you are. And I know that when you come back, there's going to be almost double the amount of people in the room. And that was such a trippy feeling. So it went, so I just sat there and I was like, wow, it's so quiet and peaceful and still. And then I see. Owl coming back is you had you the babies and Al came first and then they were still like doing the post What is that called? They were taking care of you like that. Let's say they're coming out whatever you were still in there So then I just see owl and like these two new lives like being wheeled into the room and I was like overcome with love and joy and just like wonder and amazement like oh my gosh we left there there there they left these two you know my two friends and then like these two new people are just showing up into this room and yeah and out like they they wheeled the girls in and I looked at them and like, Shed some tears because they were so cute and I just could, I saw Al just like calling, I think he was on the phone with his mom and he was, I've never seen him so full of joy and love and pride. Like, he was just like beaming. He was beaming and he's like, yeah, they're here. I don't even know what else he said, but it was, it was just so beautiful to be a part of, um, Yeah, it was like one of the most wonderful moments of my life, honestly, to be there for that. And then, yeah, and then you came back and I was like, wow, there's now five of us in this room. Trippy, trippy. And then, yeah, and then you're like, yeah, give me some food. They're super cute. You know, you, you came in, you're like, the love happened and the cuddling and all of that. And then you're like, yeah, I haven't eaten for a while. Right. Cause you don't, you don't eat. But after the epidural, right? So
Lori:No. Well, and being in there too, I know Ellie, I think she was, um, well when, when the first twin came out, I think I had done like two, two pushes and she was out. And then of course we had to wait for the second twin, right? To come down. Mm hmm. And that took about 17 minutes, but, um, and if there's any, you know, healthcare professionals listening to this, um, please take this as, as advice. So as I'm, as the first twin comes out. And they take her back and Al goes with her. I hear the doctor come back in and say, She has facial asymmetry. So, of course, in my head I'm thinking, Holy shit, do we have like one eye down low and one eye up high? Facial asymmetry, like you're, like he freaked me out. And this also happened to me on a separate occasion with a surgery for Um, you know, for my other daughter, but these healthcare professionals, like, yes, that's your job. Yes, you're in it all the time, but his words, I don't know, he could, I don't know if that, if he had to say them at that time, if it was necessary, um, say them in the room, you know, behind me, but. I was freaked out. I was freaked out when I heard those words and I did not know what they meant, but I knew I had to keep myself calm to get the second baby out. And I thought, you know what? Al is with her. All will be well. But those words of anybody who is in, in any, in the room, they matter. That energy matters. And I think healthcare professionals, and hey, I'm, I'm one myself. You have to be very careful. Of what words you use, how you use them, and when you use them, because it changes, it changes stuff, for that patient going through, um, whatever it experience it is that they're going through. Um, so yeah, and then, so it was only because she was, um, in the canal for so long that she ended up having just some swelling. So swelling, I understand, yes, the swelling caused
Dorothy:So that sounds like facial edema to me
Lori:facial edema, not
Dorothy:That sounds better.
Lori:So, and again, doesn't it? And with me, I mean, again, I'm in the healthcare world. I know what these terms also mean, right? And I know there's different degrees of it, but where are you? I mean, come on. I'm paralyzed from the waist down. I got to get a second baby out. And this is what I hear. Right. It's like, where do you, where, where is your mind going to
Dorothy:point
Lori:go? You're going to freak out. Right. And then on top of it all, I'm a, I'm a, I'm a new mom to all this. Like this is my first time going through all this stuff. Um, but yeah, so all turned out very well, but yeah. And then I remember, yeah, coming back, I don't even think you went for the food yet. Cause I came back to the room
Dorothy:Oh, no, yeah, I got, I saw you and we, I chatted with you, but I think it was for maybe like five or ten minutes, like, we held the babies and whatever, like, I saw you for a bit.
Lori:Yeah. So I was out giving birth a lot quicker than, than I think we all had, you know, expected. So all that stuff went super smooth. But I remember saying to you, I was like, Deedee, I want
Dorothy:Oh, I remember! Mm hmm.
Lori:and you being the awesome friend that you are,'cause I mean, I had not drank soda in years, right? With all the nutrition stuff and the path that I was on. And even if I, when I did drink soda, I was a Pepsi drinker, not a Coke drinker, but I, I craved a coke. And I was like, Deedee, I want a Coke. And you being the good friend that you are, you're like, you looked at me and you're like, a Coke. You're at, like, you want a Coke. And I was like, yes, I want a Coke. You're like, on it. So you go, you get me a Coke. I pound the Coke. Oh my God, it tasted so good. And then I was like, I want another one. And you're like, Okay, just checking though. You, you want another Coke? And I was like, I want another Coke. You're like, on it. I chugged that second Coke. And you know what? The crazy thing is for a week after I wanted Coke in the house, and then all of a sudden, Whatever it just done, hated the taste and I have not drank it since. So it's just so crazy what your body, what
Dorothy:Oh, yeah
Lori:Um, but I listened, I listened to it. I didn't care, you know, about what was in it or anything at the time. I just knew I needed a Coke and yeah. You know, you being the good friend that you are, you checked with me in a very nice, calm, subtle way. But you got me my coke,
Dorothy:you know and now that being a mom myself and going through that I 100 percent get get it I drank four Big containers of apple, four big containers of apple juice after delivering my son
Lori:I
Dorothy:four of them. I mean, I I Don't I can't even it was I don't even know how I had room for all of that But yeah, I just couldn't stop I couldn't stop I needed the sugar apparently, but yeah, oh so
Lori:the sugar. We needed the sugar. I know. So yes, I mean, you know, our, our IVF, our birth story, you know, turned out, you know, to be positive. But yeah, I just wanted to, you know, Share my story because it was just, there was a lesson in it for me. And that's, I think the biggest piece that I want people to just take from all of this and not even just centered around a birth and birth story. But again, like, where can you pause and be still in your life to sit and just know, like, the, the answers are within us. Right. And I think we make that mistake a lot of times, and I'm guilty of it too, of like, okay, what book can I find on this topic? What podcast is out there, like always searching, right, for information and, and yes, that holds an important space. But then once you have a good handful of that, also checking in what resonates with you. Okay, now I have all these tools in front of me. How, how does this tool make me feel versus this tool versus this tool versus this tool? And I think that's the, you know, that's the, what I want to come from this with sharing, you know, my birth story is this was my story. This was my lesson. Um, and I, I mean, I learned a lot in that. That was like, Going through that process and holding that space for those babies to come in, it was, it has built my foundation for how I maneuver and move through life. Even now, to this day, um, I'm not perfect in the practice, but I'm a lot more aware and. I just, you know, I know the power in slowing down and being part of the process and not trying to do everything that I am being told that I should do or should not do.
Dorothy:Yeah,
Lori:and you know, people can kind of take that for however it fits into their life, whether they are trying to get pregnant, um, or whatever, you know, they might be going through. Um, right now, so that has been my intention of sharing my, my birth story,
Dorothy:I love that story
Lori:is really about the lesson that I learned along the way.
Dorothy:Love it. And did I tell you that, uh, as a final note, did I tell you that I was so exhausted from you giving birth that I took the next day off from work?
Lori:I
Dorothy:Like, I, I am so tired from this birth that I am not going to work the next day.
Lori:I remember. Well, I mean, you too. Yeah, you were there early in the morning with us till late. I mean, I don't even think you left the hospital till like 10 I mean, it was, it was
Dorothy:but Lori, okay, the, the word tired has a new meaning after you become a mom, right? So no, was I, yeah,
Lori:totally it does. I know.
Dorothy:but I said, Hey, I listened to my body. I took the day off and I'm, you know, I don't feel, I don't feel bad
Lori:body. Exactly.
Dorothy:well, thank you for sharing. I love that story. And it was, it's, it was nice to remember. And yeah,
Lori:I know we have to go back and try to find some old videos. I think Al even has some videos of it. It'd be fun to go
Dorothy:I'll send, yeah, I, I will send you the one that I have. Cause I think I actually have him on the phone with that person, like beaming about the kids. So I'll send you that video. Yeah. Yeah.
Lori:Yeah, that would be great. Yay. Well, thanks everybody for tuning in. And, yeah, stay tuned. We're going to have, we're going to share Dorothy's birth story. Much different than mine. Right? Much different than mine.
Dorothy:All right.
Lori:All right. Bye everyone.
The information shared on this podcast is for informational purposes only and is based on the opinions and experience of Lori Dorothy and their guests. The content should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Diagnosis or a treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast