18. Amanda Ratkowski - Completely Unmet Birth Vision, First Time Mom at 36, Feeling Supported in PP, and Learning to Go With the Flow

In today’s episode I have health coach Amanda Ratkowski on the podcast. She’s a brand new mama to her baby girl living on mini farm land with her husband and their five animals. She shares about how her experience was the polar opposite of what she prepared for. She prepared for a birth center birth but went past 42 weeks and was induced in the hospital, labored for days, and ended up needing a C-section. She still got her midwife care which she speaks to the benefits of throughout. A major theme she shares of is the art of letting things go. Amanda is so laid back and easy to talk to and she shares so openly about many aspects of her motherhood journey thus far. I hope you enjoy her story!

TOPICS AMANDA SHARES:

• Waiting until mid 30s to start a family
• How pregnancy prepares your for motherhood
• Having a birth vision that guides your PP plan
• Personal development and mindset work pre-pregnancy
• Laid out expectations before baby arrives
• Birth experience being the opposite of wishes
• Needing help with literally everything post C-section
• Feeling a wide spectrum of emotions
• Being a do-er but having to actually rest for 6 weeks
• Scar tissue on the cervix
• Shaking with the epidural
• Feeling supported PP in the hospital setting
• Birth vibe preferences honored as much as possible
• Had midwife team in hospital and PP
• Planned for PP support: friends/family cleaned and sent food
• Breastfeeding is hard
• "Go with the flow" mindset
• Everything feeling scary
• Having to work extra hard to be a mom while you're working through your own stuff still
• Pressure to be perfect since your baby is always watching
• Things are gradual
• Wanting to make things special for your family
• Unsure about having more kids

AMANDA'S TIPS + RESOURCES:

• Would plan for safe co-sleeping and a C-section next time

Gentle Birth Hypnobirthing app

Hypnobirthing The Mongan Method (book)

Breastfeeding Accounts

@legendairymilk

@thebreastfeedingmentor

@az.breastfedbabies

Co-sleeping Accounts

@cosleepy

@heysleepybaby

REACH OUT TO AMANDA:

@amandaratkowski