Mom Memoirs - Hayden's Story
May 10, 2016 15:07:56 GMT -5
John Craine, Tanya Munroe, and 3 more like this
Post by nlewis on May 10, 2016 15:07:56 GMT -5
For the month of May we will be highlighting special stories and quotes from Centering moms and providers. Our first story comes from Hayden in South Carolina. Hayden participated in CenteringPregnancy in 2014 at the University Specialty Clinics, South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, SC. Read her story below.
Hayden's Daughter as a newborn and her family now.
I am eternally grateful for my experience with CenteringPregnancy! When I first heard about the group-based care, I was somewhat skeptical of the term “group,” but I’m so glad I made the decision to be a part of this educational and empowering program. I felt prepared for pregnancy, labor and delivery, and childcare and it connected me to other moms who were (and still are!) a wonderful support system to me. The care that I received and the support system I now have are so crucial to my motherhood and the decisions I make in my daughter’s life. I want to see other women have the same opportunity.
In my experience, most traditional doctor visits go like this: check in, wait 30 minutes, see a nurse, wait in a holding room, move to an examining room, wait another 30 minutes, talk with a doctor for 15 minutes, and leave. This experience feels rushed and impersonal, and I always leave feeling like I didn’t get all of my questions answered. The model with CenteringPregnancy is SO different! Each visit was scheduled for the 6 month duration of the program. They always started promptly so it was easily incorporated into my work schedule. Most importantly, we spent the entire two-hour visit having actual conversations with our doctor. We covered so many topics pertaining to pregnancy, labor and delivery, and newborn care and what I appreciated most about the visit was the comfortable, casual, and conversational tone of the groups. Our doctor would ask “What do you know about this?” or “How do you feel about that?” which allowed us the opportunity to discuss issues and concerns rather than have a doctor just tell us what to expect in a brief office visit. We even had a session dedicated to stress-relieving and breathing techniques. We spent the entire two hours sitting on big exercise balls and rolling around. I doubt traditional prenatal office visits are that comfortable!
As we approached the end of our pregnancies, we repeated and reviewed all of the signs of labor each session: how to listen to our bodies, what is normal, what isn’t normal, when to call your doctor, and when to get to the hospital. These lessons were so vital in saving ourselves unnecessary worry and time at the hospital. We knew, for example, that if our water broke, we didn’t HAVE to rush to the hospital immediately, but to time our contractions, watch baby’s movement, and pay attention to the clock. We knew that inductions and c-sections should not be our first choice, but rather, an alternative to extenuating circumstances. We felt like our doctor was truly our advocate and was on our side, cheering us on, and ensuring we were involved and comfortable with our experience.
CenteringPregnancy provided me with incredible amounts of content and resources. This helped me feel confident in making the absolute best decisions for myself and my daughter. It also empowered me, motivated me, and excited me about labor and delivery. I felt like I was truly prepared: I knew what to expect, and I knew what to expect if the expected didn’t happen. Even when I came home with my daughter, I had a toolbox of knowledge. I knew the importance of breastfeeding, and even though I struggled and found it to be an uncomfortable and difficult experience, I stuck with it because I already anticipated it would be hard. Even better, I had five other women struggling right along with me and cheering me on! I learned how to differentiate typical “baby blues” versus postpartum depression. I learned about newborn safety and the dangers of SIDS and how to practice healthy sleeping habits. Because we spent so much time having in-depth discussions on these topics, (as opposed to maybe receiving a pamphlet or having a brief conversation), my experiences greatly contributed to the choices I made as a parent, and I see the evidence in my beautiful, healthy daughter.
Because of the level of involvement I felt with my physician from CenteringPregnancy, I felt it was even more important to continue this valuable partnership with my pediatrician so that I could receive the best care for my daughter. I felt a new sense of comfort and confidence when communicating with healthcare providers, and I actively sought for this same personal relationship with my pediatrician. I am so pleased with how I am able to translate her advice and knowledge into our parenting.
Beyond Centering and the birth of our children, I’ve kept in touch with the women of my Centering group (very much thanks to social media). We’ve loved watching our babies grow up together and often consult with one another on our developing toddlers (“which sippy cup is working for you?” or “any tips to make your kid stop throwing food”?). I trust these women and their choices because we shared our education, and very personal, silly, and important questions about pregnancy and motherhood during the course of our CenteringPregnancy experience.
I want Centering to be an option for any new mom and I want them to know about it before even becoming pregnant! I want them to seek a care center where this model is being used because I feel like – had I not participated in this model of care- I likely would have made very different decisions about L&D and newborn care. No matter how much I thought I knew or how many books I may have read, nothing could have prepared me or supported me as much as the CenteringPregnancy.
~ CenteringPregnancy Mom, Hayden
Hayden's Daughter as a newborn and her family now.
I am eternally grateful for my experience with CenteringPregnancy! When I first heard about the group-based care, I was somewhat skeptical of the term “group,” but I’m so glad I made the decision to be a part of this educational and empowering program. I felt prepared for pregnancy, labor and delivery, and childcare and it connected me to other moms who were (and still are!) a wonderful support system to me. The care that I received and the support system I now have are so crucial to my motherhood and the decisions I make in my daughter’s life. I want to see other women have the same opportunity.
In my experience, most traditional doctor visits go like this: check in, wait 30 minutes, see a nurse, wait in a holding room, move to an examining room, wait another 30 minutes, talk with a doctor for 15 minutes, and leave. This experience feels rushed and impersonal, and I always leave feeling like I didn’t get all of my questions answered. The model with CenteringPregnancy is SO different! Each visit was scheduled for the 6 month duration of the program. They always started promptly so it was easily incorporated into my work schedule. Most importantly, we spent the entire two-hour visit having actual conversations with our doctor. We covered so many topics pertaining to pregnancy, labor and delivery, and newborn care and what I appreciated most about the visit was the comfortable, casual, and conversational tone of the groups. Our doctor would ask “What do you know about this?” or “How do you feel about that?” which allowed us the opportunity to discuss issues and concerns rather than have a doctor just tell us what to expect in a brief office visit. We even had a session dedicated to stress-relieving and breathing techniques. We spent the entire two hours sitting on big exercise balls and rolling around. I doubt traditional prenatal office visits are that comfortable!
As we approached the end of our pregnancies, we repeated and reviewed all of the signs of labor each session: how to listen to our bodies, what is normal, what isn’t normal, when to call your doctor, and when to get to the hospital. These lessons were so vital in saving ourselves unnecessary worry and time at the hospital. We knew, for example, that if our water broke, we didn’t HAVE to rush to the hospital immediately, but to time our contractions, watch baby’s movement, and pay attention to the clock. We knew that inductions and c-sections should not be our first choice, but rather, an alternative to extenuating circumstances. We felt like our doctor was truly our advocate and was on our side, cheering us on, and ensuring we were involved and comfortable with our experience.
CenteringPregnancy provided me with incredible amounts of content and resources. This helped me feel confident in making the absolute best decisions for myself and my daughter. It also empowered me, motivated me, and excited me about labor and delivery. I felt like I was truly prepared: I knew what to expect, and I knew what to expect if the expected didn’t happen. Even when I came home with my daughter, I had a toolbox of knowledge. I knew the importance of breastfeeding, and even though I struggled and found it to be an uncomfortable and difficult experience, I stuck with it because I already anticipated it would be hard. Even better, I had five other women struggling right along with me and cheering me on! I learned how to differentiate typical “baby blues” versus postpartum depression. I learned about newborn safety and the dangers of SIDS and how to practice healthy sleeping habits. Because we spent so much time having in-depth discussions on these topics, (as opposed to maybe receiving a pamphlet or having a brief conversation), my experiences greatly contributed to the choices I made as a parent, and I see the evidence in my beautiful, healthy daughter.
Because of the level of involvement I felt with my physician from CenteringPregnancy, I felt it was even more important to continue this valuable partnership with my pediatrician so that I could receive the best care for my daughter. I felt a new sense of comfort and confidence when communicating with healthcare providers, and I actively sought for this same personal relationship with my pediatrician. I am so pleased with how I am able to translate her advice and knowledge into our parenting.
Beyond Centering and the birth of our children, I’ve kept in touch with the women of my Centering group (very much thanks to social media). We’ve loved watching our babies grow up together and often consult with one another on our developing toddlers (“which sippy cup is working for you?” or “any tips to make your kid stop throwing food”?). I trust these women and their choices because we shared our education, and very personal, silly, and important questions about pregnancy and motherhood during the course of our CenteringPregnancy experience.
I want Centering to be an option for any new mom and I want them to know about it before even becoming pregnant! I want them to seek a care center where this model is being used because I feel like – had I not participated in this model of care- I likely would have made very different decisions about L&D and newborn care. No matter how much I thought I knew or how many books I may have read, nothing could have prepared me or supported me as much as the CenteringPregnancy.
~ CenteringPregnancy Mom, Hayden
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