Birth Story: Unmedicated, Hospital Birth with Sally Steffy

Some stories are too tender and too good to leave sitting in the archives, and Sally's is one of them. 

Sally shares her unmedicated hospital birth, and she does it gracefully, while her sweet grandpa had passed away just days before she went into labor. Her story is a powerful picture of the goodness of God woven through both grief and joy, all in the same week.

We talk about how giving birth brought her and her husband closer than ever, and the little things she brought to the hospital that made a real difference, the snacks, the water bottle, the comb, the fan, all the tiny tools that kept her energized, hydrated, and distracted from the intensity of contractions. 

Sally is also a wedding photographer who shot 25 weddings while pregnant and worked right up until the day before labor, so we get into how her active, fitness-focused lifestyle shaped her whole experience. 

I hope this one speaks to your heart the way it spoke to mine.

Here are some highlights from the episode:

[3:10] How Sally shot 25 weddings while pregnant — and worked right up until the day before she went into labor. 

[6:45] Why she compares an unmedicated birth to running a marathon (she's run a few, so she'd know)...and I have to agree 😏 

[9:30] Choosing her provider and hospital blind during COVID — and why she couldn't even tour her birth space. 

[13:15] The role her husband played — the book he read, the way he prepared, and why she says she never felt alone for a second (tune in dads!! 😉)

[17:40] The daily prep that made the biggest difference — breathing, worship music, and the ice pack rehearsal.

[22:30] Her water starts leaking... and she goes to church anyway (that's my kind of mama - using anything and everything to distract yourself and carry on in the very best way.

[26:00] The heartbreaking loss that hit her family the same week — and why she wonders if it set off her labor. 

[30:15] The back labor she didn't expect, the shaking, and the snacks that got her through.

[34:20] The moment she knew her baby was coming — fast. 

[37:00] The honest truth about not instantly bonding with your baby — and why that doesn't mean anything is wrong with you. (This is a very important message for every mom to hear, please tune in here)

[40:00] The little tools she swears by for labor — the comb, the water bottle, the stroller fan — how she uses them and how they will come with her for every birth.

One quick note: this episode is for information and education, not medical advice. Always work with a provider you trust for your pregnancy and birth. 

Links Mentioned:

My Essential Birth Course

My Essential Birth Instagram

3 FREE Exercise Guide

Water Bottle

Portable Fan

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