Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

The ‘Sup, Moms? Podcast is a member of the Amazon Affiliates Program. As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn a small income from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

**This episode discusses pregnancy and delivery. If this is triggering for you, please don’t listen. Our hearts go out to anyone who has experienced pregnancy and infant loss**

On this episode, it’s Jess’ turn to share her birth story with Luke. And this is an extra fun story because Jess gave birth in Stuttgart, Germany!

Here are some facts:

• Due Date: October 31
• Birth Date: October 9
• Weight: 61/2 pounds
• Jess Weight Gain: about 25 pounds

From Jess:

At 3 AM on October 9, I got up to pee, walked back into our bedroom and said, “Uh oh.” I had a feeling like I was still peeing, called the crisis hotline for the hospital and she asked if I could go back to sleep and if I could and to come to the hospital in the morning. Of course, I couldn’t fall back to sleep and spent the rest of the night Googling “how to know if your water broke.”

Show up at the hospital, go to the delivery area, knock on the door, have the midwife answer the door, check to see if I’m the labor, basically get kicked out, go check into the hospital and go get food! Yes, I had a pretzel! The midwife told us to come back in an hour and a half.

It went on like that for hours: do a contraction check for about 20 minutes, go for a walk (OUTSIDE!) and then get checked again.

Here’s the details:

• Arrived at hospital around 7:30 AM
• Got checked, went for walks, came back to get checked after an hour and a half
• Labor wasn’t progressing so at 4 PM tried to start labor, was about 3 CM
• Upped Pitocin at 7 PM
• Got epidural at 9 PM around 5 CM (took 45 minutes for it to happen, had to sit “like a banana,” and then was asked if my legs felt “furry”)
• Started pushing at 10 PM in several different positions
• Luke was born at 11:20 PM

A couple of notes:

German hospital food is disgusting & was served a chuck of feta cheese! Midwives and nurses do a lot of the work, even changing Luke’s diaper during recovery! I had private health insurance, so I was able to have a private recovery room with a shared toilet. Vinn also could not sleep at the hospital and had to go home.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

The ‘Sup, Moms? Podcast is a member of the Amazon Affiliates Program. As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn a small income from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

**This episode discusses pregnancy and delivery. If this is triggering for you, please don’t listen. Our hearts go out to anyone who has experienced pregnancy and infant loss**

Amazon Finds

• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• Kid Fishing Game
• Lap desk
• Busy Little Hands: Food Play book
• Toddler Knives
• Kid’s Rainbow Sandals
• Megan’s favorite leggings
• Reusable baby food pouches
• Bluetooth keyboard
• Megan’s favorite Birkenstock sandals

Megan & Marin’s Birth Story

Due date: 9/18/18
Birthday: 9/24/18
Weight gain: 60 lbs
Weight lost: 65 lbs by first birthday
Baby birth weight: 7 lbs 9 oz

Megan’s biggest pregnancy takeaway: Give up your seat for a pregnant lady on the bus!

The birth details:

• Got a call on Friday at work that induction was scheduled for 1pm on the coming Sunday, almost cried with happiness
• Just knew that Marin would not come out on her own
• Only 1/2 cm dilated at last appointment, 1 cm
• Mucus plug (maybe) came out the morning of
• Labor was moving SLOWLY, typical for a first baby
• A lot of it was just a waiting game
• We loved our hospital, the rooms were great
• Cervical balloon helped get labor going, but it was awful coming out
• Before the epidural, got a shot in the thigh/muscle, specifically requested to opt-out of that for Eve’s birth
• Got an epidural at 2 cm
• Had the shot for RhoGAM because positive for Strep-B as well, consult your physician
• In the hospital for labor for 21 hours 
• Had to break bag of water
• Noticed that Marin’s heart rate was slowing during contractions and then would return to normal
• Primary doctor was at the hospital for whole birth
• Recommended C-section if heart rate didn’t normalize, but it did
• Then it was time to push
• !A ton of people were in the room, teaching hospital
• Med student delivered Marin, felt comfortable because it was a standard delivery
• Pushed for about an hour, The Proposal was playing on TV
• Then she was here!!!

• Stayed in the hospital for 3 days and 2 nights
• The BEST food (also had for Eve’s birth and PE’s)

Very lucky that pregnancy and delivery was healthy
All you ever want is for the baby to be healthy