100: 100 QUICK TIPS & ADVICE for Pregnancy, Labor, Postpartum and Breastfeeding

I asked and you answered! To celebrate our 100th episode, we are running through 100 quick tips for pregnancy, labor, postpartum and breastfeeding! Some of these you may have heard before, and some of them may be brand new to you. Whether you're pregnant or know somebody who is, please share this episode and spread the news about Surrendered Birth Stories' 100th episode milestone!

Transcript

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If labor starts at night, go to bed. Go to sleep. Even if you're only sleeping between contractions, get that sleep. That's what early labor is meant for. Go to bed. First time moms, I'm talking to you because second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth time moms already know that. So first time moms, go to bed if your labor starts at night. Hi, I'm Kayla Heater, follower of Jesus, wife and mother of five children, Christian childbirth educator in doula, and your host of the Surrendered Birth Stories podcast, where we share God-centered birth stories, evidence-based birth education, and our pursuit of surrendering our birth plans to God. Let's get started. Well, hey everybody, and welcome to our 100th episode. What a milestone. I can hardly believe that we are here. We have hit 100 episodes. We've been at this for almost two years. It is wild to think of. I mean, I can just remember a few years ago, I was walking around in my backyard listening to something, just like with a cup of coffee in the winter. It was like January or February, and just dreaming about this business and birth and what God was going to have me do and what I felt like the next step was going to be. And this podcast is what he really spoke to me and laid on my heart. And then it was just, you know, one thing after another, planning, prepping, getting ready. And we launched, I think that Labor Day. So however many months later. And then here we are, episode 100. I know there are podcasts out there with like 500 episodes or a thousand episodes and whatever. And maybe one day we'll get there. But I am just grateful and excited that this humble little podcast of ours has reached a hundred episodes. So I'm just excited. And now, um, you probably saw it in the title if you looked at it, but I did a poll on Instagram and asked what you guys wanted this episode to be about, because we like to do, you know, special different things for milestone episodes or holidays or things like that. So out of the four choices, which were a birth story or a QA episode or a hundred quick birth tips or other, and you could have sent me your own idea. By I don't want to say a landslide, but definitely by majority, a hundred quick birth tips was the most popular choice both times that I did the poll. So I did the poll twice and both times, um, and different people voted both times. And there was 100 quick birth tips was the winner. So that is what I've been prepping for. I will say QA came at a pretty decently close second. So I'll probably prep a QA episode here in the next couple of months. But we're gonna do 100 quick birth tips. And as I was getting my little notebook out and just literally at the top of the page wrote 100 quick tips and wrote like number one and started writing them, I thought, wow, a hundred tips about just birth might be a little overwhelming, um, a bit much. So I actually broke it down into four categories. And so instead of a hundred quick birth tips, it turned into 25 quick tips for pregnancy, 25 quick tips for labor, 25 quick tips for postpartum, and 25 quick tips for breastfeeding. Wow, that was kind of like a tongue twister. I just finished reading Fox and Sox to my kids tonight for bed. And if you've ever read that, I've yet to do it correctly. It's such a tongue twister. Woof. Okay. So for a matter of time, because you've all, if you've been around this podcast long enough, you know that I can talk about birth without even having to think about it. And I can go on and on, I can get on tangents sometimes. And so, in order for this episode not to be, you know, 200 minutes long and take a couple minutes for each tip here, instead, I am simply going to try to do my best to just read the tip and move on to the next one because that's what makes it quick, right? 100 quick birth tips. So I'm really gonna not try to explain myself. I'm just gonna try and give you the tip and move on to the next one. But if I say something and you have a question, like, but why? But like, why would you say that? Please send me a message. Like, please just DM me on Instagram or send me an email or something. Or if you have my number, just text me. Um, and if I get enough repeat questions, then I'll just add that question to the QA episode. I'll respond to you regardless. But if you have that question, that means somebody else probably has that question. And so I would love to get those answered in the QA episode. So are you guys ready? Because we're gonna do this. We're gonna do this, the hundredth episode. Okay, here we go. Number one, don't get an early ultrasound, don't get a confirmation ultrasound. Number two, research and interview multiple providers before landing on one. Please do not just run to the nearest OBGYN or the one that you've maybe been seeing since you were 15 or something like that. Number three, announce your pregnancy whenever you want to. That could be the day that you take the tests and it says yes, you're pregnant, or that could be the day you're holding your baby in your arms. Whenever you want your decision. Number four, use a Dollar Tree pregnancy test. Okay, save your money. They work the same way. You don't have to spend$12 or$15 on a test. Go grab a Dollar Tree test. Number five, not all supplements are created equal. Just can't stress that enough. Um, so choose wisely. Number six, see a chiropractor early on in your pregnancy, often in your pregnancy, and all the way through your pregnancy. Number seven, create boundaries with unsupportive people, people who don't support the way you want to give birth or your vision for birth, please set up some boundaries with them. Number eight, read Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols and consider that your pregnancy nutrition bible. Number nine, read Aina's Guide to Childbirth. If you're only going to read one birth or one book to get ready for birth, let it be Aina May's Guide to Childbirth. Number 10, balance your activity and rest. You don't have to be constantly active, but please don't be constantly sedentary. Make sure to keep them in balance. Number 11, if you get severe nausea and vomiting, just survive. Please don't try to do all the right things for pregnancy during that season. Please just survive that part of the pregnancy. Number 12, eat way more protein than you think you need. Like way more. Focus on protein as much as you possibly can. Number 13, spend more time on your birth prep than your nursery prep. I promise, promise, promise you won't regret that. Number 14, spend more money on a doula or people on your birth team than you do on your registry or items off of your registry. Please invest wisely. Number 15, you don't have to love pregnancy, but remain grateful for it is a blessing. And the Lord tells us that children are a blessing. Number 16, whether it's your first baby or your sixth baby, God loves those babies equally, and so will you. So don't even have a second thought about that. Number 17, drink a lot of filtered water. Yes, but please make sure you're also getting your minerals in. Don't over drink water and waste all your minerals. Number 18, get a birth ball or a yoga ball, if that's what you want to call it, and make it your chair, especially in the third trimester. Just make it your new chair. Number 19, if you get a bigger belly like me, use a pregnancy support band. It will save your back and your pelvis. Number 20, take magnesium. Whether it's orally, topically, or both, make sure you're taking some type of magnesium. Number 21, eat animal organs. That's right. I'm just gonna leave that right there. Eat animal organs. Number 22, research all vaccines thoroughly before agreeing to any. Okay? You can decline everything, everything during your pregnancy and for your newborn. Number 23. There are alternatives to antibiotics if you test GBS positive near the end of your pregnancy. It does not automatically mean that you should be hooked up to IV antibiotics during your labor research. Number 24, please decline all end of pregnancy ultrasounds. I'm gonna leave that there. Don't do it. Number 25. If you want a home birth, you can find a way to make it happen. All right. That was pregnancy. Wow, I feel like I did pretty good. We're like what 10 minutes in or something like that. That was good. I'm proud of myself. I really, really wanted to expand on a lot of those. But there will be time for that in a future QA episode. All right, moving on to labor. Labor. 25 quick tips for labor. Number one, cervical exams mean almost nothing and are rarely necessary. Whether in the office or during actual labor, um, they're often not needed. Number two, don't tell the world or even your family that you're in labor. Gosh, it can come with so much pressure. So it's really only the people in your birth team that need to know. Number three, mentally prepare for a marathon for days of labor. Get that in your head. And then if it's any shorter than that, then great, awesome. But prepare for it to be several days long so that you're ready. Number four, choose your birth team wisely because they can make or break a labor. Number five, in the same vein, choose your birth location wisely because that can also make or break a labor. Just your entire experience, really. Number six, invite the Holy Spirit into your labor from the start and follow his guidance above anyone else's. Number seven, empty your bladder at least once an hour minimum. Because you're staying hydrated, right? You're staying hydrated, but we also need to empty that bladder because that full bladder is going to hinder any descent or progression for your baby. Number eight, ignore your contractions until you can't anymore. And that will make labor seem way shorter. Uh, number nine, if labor starts at night, go to bed. Go to sleep. Even if you're only sleeping between contractions, get that sleep. That's what early labor is meant for. Go to bed. First time moms, I'm talking to you because second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth time moms already know that. So first time moms, go to bed if your labor starts at night. Number 10. Before your water breaks, have sex with your spouse for the last time in a long time. So if you're in early labor and you know this is this is probably it, but your water hasn't broken yet, take advantage of that last time that you're gonna have. It will also help your labor progress. Number 11, if you are leaving your home for birth, don't overpack. Don't bring a hundred things into the birth center or the hospital. I promise you don't need all those. Number 12, if your labor is stalling, do the mile circuit. If you don't know what the mile circuit is, look it up. Number 13, if your water breaks, there is no need to do anything. You don't need to rush anywhere. You don't need to go straight to a hospital. You don't need to call everyone over. It's just part of the natural process. Number 14. Only time your contractions if you need to report them to your midwife or your care provider. Otherwise, the intensity of your contractions usually means a lot more than how close together they are. Number 15, counterpressure and hip squeezes go a long way for making contractions more endurable. Promise. Number 16, change positions consistently and try to stay mostly upright as much as you can. Number 17, stay hydrated and snack whenever and however you feel like. Don't, you know, pay attention to like a clear liquids diet if that's what the hospital's telling you you need. Um, but don't feel like you need to eat this giant meal if your stomach doesn't fill up to it. Just listen to your body and make sure you're eating and drinking what you feel like eating and drinking. Number 18, don't forget to breathe and relax. Having a peaceful labor, um, those are like the two most important things. Making sure you're breathing, making sure you're relaxing. Okay, your body won't be able to progress if you are uptight and tense. Number 19, focus your mind. Remember, this is a mental battle, primarily more than anything else. So don't think about how you physically feel. Don't concentrate on what's going on in the physical, concentrate on the mental. What is going on in your mind? Because I promise you that's 90% of it. 90% of getting through labor, especially in natural labor, is what is going on in that head of yours. Number 20, labor on the toilet. Doesn't sound glamorous, but I promise you it's not called the dilation station for no reason. Whether you're facing forwards or backwards, laboring on the toilet is the best. I prefer backwards with a pillow over the commode. It's actually quite comfortable and put one foot up on a stool. It's uh it's great. But alternate those feet because you're your leg will fall asleep. Number 21. If you're being vocal during contractions, if you're making noises during contractions, make sure they are low noises. Think finding Nemo dory speaking whale, or think mooing cows. Very low, open jaw, loose noises. Number 22, wait to push until the actual fetal ejection reflex kicks in. Just wait. Even if you're completely dilated, just wait and just keep waiting. Wait until your body starts to do it for you so you don't have to do all that work. Number 23, don't push on your back if you can help it. Please try all the other positions first. And you can change positions during pushing. You don't have to push in the same position the whole time. You can flip-flop all around, just like you do during labor. Number 24, if you or dad wants to catch the baby, you can. Just because an OB or a midwife is in the room does not mean that they need to catch your baby. If you want to catch your baby or your spouse wants to catch your baby, by all means, go for it. And number 25, remember, labor, while it usually follows a typical pattern, is, I mean, in case-by-case basis, completely unpredictable and can go just about any which way. So, with that being said, have those plans, but surrender those plans, right? That's what this is all about. Surrender those plans to the Lord in order to get that peace. Okay, that was labor. I'm doing pretty good. I'm actually, I'm, I am quite proud of myself right now. And if you know me and you know me well, you know how easily and long-winded I can be about anything really, but especially about birth. So I'm like biting my lip over here, trying not to not to expand on these too much and just give you the quick tip like it's supposed to be. Okay, category number three, 25 quick tips for postpartum. And this is like immediate postpartum, like right after the baby comes out, and then also that extended postpartum, like when you've been at home for several weeks or months. All right, number one, wait to deliver that placenta until it's ready. Okay, don't let your provider tug on the cord because they're in a hurry. Please just wait until you feel like pushing. And honestly, if you just stand up, it usually just comes right out. Number two, don't clamp or cut that cord until after you deliver the placenta. That way you know baby gets all the blood that they need. And that's really standard of care at most home birth practices and even birth centers. So the hospital's um the oddball out there. Number three, keep that baby skin to skin for at least an hour or two, right after they're born, but then as much as you can in those first several days. I'm in weeks, even honestly. That's gonna be their happy place and it's gonna help y'all bond. Number four, try to latch the baby and nurse the baby within the first hour of life. The sooner they latch, um, tends to usually be the better they'll latch going on, unless there's some sort of tie issue. So get the get that baby on that breast as soon as you can. I know labor was usually long and hard and quite the experience, but it will benefit your breastfeeding journey greatly to get them latched sooner rather than later. Number five, research every routine newborn procedure, okay, because they're not all necessarily. And you can decline any that you don't want. I promise you. Number six, don't bathe your baby right after they come out, especially. And you really don't even have to do it for a while, like for weeks, even. And when you do, you don't need soap. Their skin is so sensitive. Warm water goes a long way. And it's usually just under their neck that really even gets any kind of grossness at all. Number seven, if you have stitches, um, keep those legs together, but also try manuka honey on them. That can really help aid in the healing process. Number eight, rest. Like actually rest. Take that 555 rule seriously and rest, rest, rest. Number nine, nourish yourself with good food postpartum. This is as important, if not more important, than it was in pregnancy. I know a lot of people think, oh, pregnancy, and I gotta watch what I eat and all this stuff. But then after I have the baby, I'm like, it's free game. It's not. You want to make sure you're nourishing yourself that much better after you have the baby. Number 10, prepare yourself for afterpains. Um, especially if this is not your first child, which with each subsequent child, the afterpains get more and more and more intense. So prepare for that. Number 11, lay large towels down in your bed to catch all sorts of bodily fluids. Okay. Your fluids and your babies. Because trust me, changing out a towel at three o'clock in the morning is much easier than changing all of your sheets or than being forced to sleep in a pile of curdled milk. All right. Number 12, prep freezer meals and snacks ahead of time, like before postpartum, so that you can have them during postpartum and prep more than you think you'll need because you'll go through them more quickly than you think you will. Number 13, have a close friend or family member start a meal train for you. And that doesn't mean all these people have to come see you. Um, it can simply mean them dropping off food on your porch, but food is going to be, you know, it's always necessary, especially if you have other children in the house who need to be fed. Um, but you should be resting and in bed. So get that meal train started. Number 14, charge admittance for people to see the baby. I'm very serious about this. No one except maybe your 95-year-old grandpa, which this is what I have my example. My 95-year-old papa, I didn't charge him admittance. But if anyone is at all capable, they need to earn, earn their right to see that baby. So they need to bring you food, or they need to do your dishes, or they need to fold your laundry, or they should be doing something. They should come bearing diapers. Um, it's not a free pass just to come over and hold your baby. This is a time when you need support and help. And so you should be holding your baby while they are holding you. Number 15, let people help you and ask for help. And this is sort of kind of goes with number 14. But if you're that type of person who doesn't like asking for help or likes doing everything by yourself, this is a season where you need to lay that down because it's just going to be the most beneficial for you and your baby if people are able to help you, your spouse included. Number 16, after a couple of weeks of that rest, rest, rest, get outside daily. Every day, get outside at some point. The longer the better. Um, I know different weather affects that, but even if it's 32 degrees, put on a coat and hat and get outside. Number 17, lavish in your postpartum body and be proud of every stretch mark. Okay. You earn that and you created an entire human, grew them in your womb for nine to 10 months, labored with them, pushed them out of your body, and you're now nursing them and continuing to be the reason that they're alive. So just be proud of it. Be proud of your postpartum body. Number 18, remember that your spouse came first and keep your marriage a priority. Okay. Oh man, I am starting to expand. Okay. All right, moving on. Number 19, trust the instincts that God gave you. Don't self-doubt in your parenting and your caretaking of your children. If you feel like you need to ask someone, the first person you should ask is the Holy Spirit. Number 20, everybody has an opinion on how you should care for your baby. Literally the whole world. I think you should be an educated parent, but I think you should do what you feel like God is telling you to do above all else. And this is on everything from passies to swaddles to nap schedules to everything. You'd be amazed how many spectrums there are in the parenting world of people on opposite sides of the spectrum with completely opposite opinions on how you should do things. So ask God. Ask God what you should do. Number 21, don't be afraid to let your baby sleep in your bed with you. And I'm gonna leave that right there. Number 22, if you're choosing a pediatrician, choose wisely. Number 23, six weeks is not a magical number to have sex again. Promise. Um, you should do what you feel like is right for you, and that can fluctuate baby to baby if you've had multiple babies. Um, but whenever you, you and your spouse do decide that it's time again, take it slow and steady and use lots of lubrication. Number 24, have a re-entry plan for church or small group or the things that you're involved in. Okay. Um, I understand if you have a baby in the middle of winter and not wanting to go to church for a couple months. I get that. Totally get that. Sick season, cold, all the things. Get it. But don't let that be a reason to not go back to church for a year. Okay. I see that so often, especially now that churches have online services. It has become more and more common for couples just to watch it from the couch on Sunday mornings. But I challenge you after those first, I mean, I used to go back after a week or two. That was probably a little too early. Um, but I challenge you after those first few months at least to get back, get back to church. Know that it'll be different. It'll take you longer, you'll probably be late, but make that effort. Number 25. So last one for this category. Postpartum lasts much longer than six weeks. Okay. So, number one, savor it. Savor it because it is such a precious time. Enjoy it, but also give yourself grace because it is as much difficult as it is joyful. All right. We're gonna round it out with 25 quick tips for breastfeeding. Woo! Here we go. Number one, breastfeeding. It is natural, but that doesn't mean it comes naturally, especially in our culture today, when people aren't used to growing up around it and seeing it constantly and having, you know, aunts and sisters and cousins and moms and grandmothers and all the things nursing around them. So give yourself that grace. There's a learning curve. Number two, a good latch means pretty much everything. And if your latch isn't right, it will lead to problems, all sorts of problems. So getting a good latch is the foundation of breastfeeding. Number three, try sideline nursing. Okay, try nursing laying on your side, especially at night when you're trying to sleep. It will change your life, your postpartum life, especially. Number four, if you have flat nipples or inverted nipples, um, check on that before your baby is born and try to help bring them out before your baby is born so that your baby will have an easier time latching once they're born. Sometimes when your nipples are super flat or inverted, it's really hard to get a baby to latch in those first few days, especially. Number five, nurse that baby on demand. There is no such thing as a newborn schedule. I promise you. You will drive yourself crazy if you try to make one. Um, there's such thing as lots and lots of cluster feeding, that's for sure. Um, but nurse that baby on demand. Number six, if your baby is full term and gaining weight, you do not need to wake them up to feed them. Pay no attention to the hospital every two to three hours. They must wake to feed. Don't worry about that. If they're full-term and they're gaining weight, they are fine. Several of my babies, especially in the early weeks, would randomly give me like a six-hour stretch or sometimes an eight-hour stretch. And it wasn't consistent, but when it would happen, it was like, oh my gosh, you know, your breasts would fill up with milk and you'd be wondering what's going on. But they just they need sleep as much as they need that food. Number seven, you do not have to burp a breastfed baby unless they're acting really fussy. Promise you, it's not that's that's more, a lot more for bottle feeding. Number eight, nursing your baby to sleep is not a bad habit. It is a God-designed and ordained one. You will realize as you watch them nurse to sleep, they feel the safest and most satisfied in that situation. Number nine, don't wear a bra for those first few weeks or months. Um, let your nipples and your breasts breathe as often as possible. So letting them get air, letting things get space, it will help you dramatically. Number 10, before trying any supplements for a low milk supply, please first try to just nurse more often and take away all passies and bottles of any kind. Don't jump straight to supplements. Number 11, if you get engorged, especially right away, treat it aggressively and immediately because people think low milk supply is an issue. Um, but engorgement can lead to a lot of issues if you do not treat it. Number 12, if you're engorged, don't pump. You will elongate the problem. Temporary relief, sure, but you just extended your engorgement. Number 13, if you pay attention to them, your baby will actually cue you in that they are hungry before they start crying. So don't wait till they cry to latch them. Um, watch them because they're giving you signals ahead of time. Number 14, be aware of growth spurts. Okay. You remember having those as a kid, but they start as soon as you're born. Um and prepare to settle in when your baby is going through one. Number 15, if you are going to be leaving your baby to go back to work of some kind, like some kind of work outside the home, um, you do not need a gigantic stockpile of milk in your freezer in order to do that. I promise. You really only need a few days worth. Number 16, if you are going to be pumping often, get a pumping bra. It is so much better than having to hold the bottles up to your breasts constantly. Number 17. If you're not engorged, okay, because you want to make sure that's handled first, use a haka to catch your letdowns in order to store milk instead of having to have like separate pumping sessions. If that doesn't make any sense to you, please talk to me. Number 18, wait to introduce the bottle until breastfeeding is very established between you and your baby, till you feel like you have a hang of it, you feel like they have the hang of it, and it feels like normal and almost second nature to you. Wait to do the bottle until then. This is usually around somewhere around a month old. Number 19, if your baby gets a bottle at any point, you need to pump, or else your supply will go down. Some women have no issues with their supply the first few months, and then they'll go back to work or something, and they will not keep up pumping as much as their baby's getting a bottle, and their supplies will drop. Number 20. Breast milk can sit at room temperature way longer than formula. So um, it's kind of magical that way. God designed it beautifully, and I gosh, I want to go into so much more detail about that, but I don't have time. Number 21. If you ever have to supplement for your baby, donated breast milk will always be better than formula. So always try to get donated breast milk first. Number 22, don't use hormonal birth control. I say ever, but especially if you're breastfeeding, because it will mess with your supply. Number 23, um, breastfed diapers can look pretty funky. Um, but almost everything you see and smell is normal. There'll be like a transitional week that first week, and then it gets pretty much the same. But I quite prefer them over formula diapers. Um, they smell better. I know that sounds funny, but they just they're the smell is way easier to tolerate than a formula diaper. Number 24. Babies don't automatically wean themselves at six months or a year or something like that. Um, that is that is not, you know, whatever your standard American pediatrician says. Um, babies will want to continue to nurse much longer. And while it looks different than it does when they were a newborn, it is absolutely normal and natural for babies to continue to nurse as they are toddlers, as they are one, two, three, and even four years old. And if you want to learn more about that, you'll have to take my class. All right, and number 25. This is our last tip. This is technically tip number 100. Okay. Lean on Jesus every step of the way. Let him be your guide through pregnancy, through labor, through postpartum, through your breastfeeding journey, let him be your guide. Obviously, people like me, um, we are here to help you, you know, with your specific questions. But if you are tossing and turning over things, give it to Jesus. Just pray to him and make sure you are following him as your main guide through this entire journey. Wow, we did it. We did it. A hundred quick birth tips. When I first thought of that, I thought, wow, that's too many. That is gonna take forever. But that would only be if I explained each and every one as thoroughly as I wanted to explain them. So if you heard a tip and you had a question about it, just shoot me a message. I'm gonna be happy to answer your question. And also, if I get enough of those, um, we will put that question on the QA episode that will come up here in the next few months. Okay, y'all. 100 episodes are officially released, and that uh such a milestone. Here's something that you could do to help this podcast. If you love this podcast as much as I do, or maybe even half as much as I do since I do it. But if you could do me a favor and share this podcast, share it on your social media, your Facebook page, your Instagram stories, an Instagram post, share it with friends or family, text people individually. They love that. Like I know I'm much more likely to listen to a podcast if someone sends me, you know, like a specific podcast or a specific episode or a few episodes from a podcast or something. Um just to me. Or, you know, whether it's somebody that you know, like an acquaintance, or somebody you know deeply, like maybe your sister or your best friend, please share this podcast. This is a very much uh grassroots effort of a podcast. We have no formal advertising or marketing or anything of any kind. There's no budget for that. I don't get paid for this. It's a passion project, but I want to spread the word. We are following the Lord's guidance and continuing to do this as we feel called to do. And every time somebody tells me um how much this podcast helped them and their pregnancy, that means the world to me. But I want it to be able to help more people, more women out there that are pregnant and expecting whether it's their first or second or sixth, like mine. So if you could please, it costs you no money at all, I promise. Um, if you could just share this podcast with other people, one person, 10 people, that would be amazing. Social media, personally through a text, whatever, and everything, all routes would be great. Um, that would just mean the world to me. Um, it would be like a let's say a birthday present, but a 100th episode present um is for y'all to share this. So thank you so much. Thank you for my Loyal listeners who have been there since episode one, um, almost two years ago, thank you for any brand new listeners that we have. Maybe this is the very first episode you've ever listened to. So just so grateful that y'all are here. Thank you for being with me through this milestone. I love you guys, and I hope you have a wonderful week. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. You can reach me at Surrendered Birth Services on Instagram or email me at contact at Surrendered Birth Services.com. Be sure not to miss an episode by hitting the follow button. Also, we'd love for you to leave a written review of the show so that more people's births and lives can be changed by the love of Jesus and the empowerment of accurate birth education. If you really enjoyed this episode in particular, please take a screenshot of it and post it to your Instagram story tagging Surrendered Birth Services. If you would like to be a guest on the Surrendered Birth Stories podcast, please click the link in the episode show notes to fill out your interest form. Also, if you're interested in taking my childbirth classes, birth consultations, or having me as your birth doula, please click on the link in the show notes to take you to my website for online and in-person options. Just as a reminder, this show is not giving medical advice. So please continue to see your personal care provider as needs arise. We hope you have a great week. And remember, learn all that you can, make the best plans, and then leave it in God's hands. I need to go potty really quick. Don't be here. I'm distracted. I'll be waiting until you go back in the closet to finish. Wrinkly's been hiding in the closet because I'm doing this late at night while Chris is out of town and all the boys are in bed. And she promised she would be silent in there. And she was pretty silent, but she just came out to use the bathroom. And now I'm totally thrown for a loop.

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Where was I? Where was I?

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Don't wear a bra. Don't wear a bra.