Doing It At Home - The Home Birth Podcast

Home Birth For Baby #2 and Why Squats are So Important for Preparing for Birth with Lindsay Bonnar

·33 min·3 clips

Lindsay's midwife warned they might need to go to the hospital as her baby's heart rate plummeted to 40 beats per minute.

["This episode of Doing It At Home features a follow-up interview with Lindsay Bonnar, who previously shared her first birth story in episode 20.", "Lindsay was pregnant with her second child during that initial interview and now recounts the actual birth of her son, Lincoln.", "She describes her second pregnancy as more uncomfortable than her first, with significant food aversions and painful nerve spasms that would unexpectedly drop her to the floor.", "In the final weeks, Lindsay experienced false labor contractions that stopped, which her midwife explained were normal 'practice' contractions.", "When real labor began, Lindsay cherished a rare moment of solitude and silence in her home, finding it profoundly peaceful.", "Her labor progressed slowly at first, with her midwife and doula arriving in the afternoon as intensity increased.", "After her water broke with an audible pop, things accelerated rapidly, and her baby's heart rate began to decelerate dangerously.", "The heart rate dropped to around 40 beats per minute, prompting her midwife to mention a possible hospital transfer.", "Lindsay pushed through without panic, delivering Lincoln quickly despite the emergency, with her husband calling 911 as a precaution.", "Paramedics arrived just as the baby was born, but services were refused as the baby was healthy with 100% oxygen levels.", "The issue was likely cord compression, which resolved once the baby was out, requiring no medical intervention.", "Lindsay contrasts this birth with her first, where she was exhausted after two days of labor and remembers less detail.", "She reflects on not experiencing the birth as traumatic, crediting her supportive birth team for maintaining a calm, loving environment.", "Lindsay emphasizes the importance of choosing care providers you trust and feel comfortable with, particularly in home birth settings.", "She strongly advocates for physical preparation, specifically doing squats, which she believes gave her the strength to deliver quickly under pressure.", "The episode touches on how unexpected complications can arise in any birth setting, not uniquely at home.", "Lindsay shares a meditation insight about impatience arising from expectations, which helped her during pregnancy.", "The conversation highlights how each birth, even for the same person, can be entirely different in experience and outcome.", "Sarah provides links to Lindsay's blog post about the birth, the previous episode, and resources like Headspace and Informed Pregnancy Plus.", "The episode concludes with appreciation for Lindsay's openness and the valuable lessons from her contrasting birth stories."]

As heard by us

A planned home-birth story about a second baby, a fast-changing labor, and expectations that make time feel strange.

Lindsay's planned home birth with her second baby gives this return episode a clear shape: one person can meet labor very differently the next time around.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a second home-birth story where an audible pop, a low heart rate, and a rush of movement make time feel suddenly strange.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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