Through my first birth, I learned that patience and timing are everything and that cervical dilation is no indication of imminent birth. I was 7 cm dilated at 38 weeks, yet not in active labor. Not knowing what to do, I waited around to see if magically labor would start. When it didn’t, my husband and I were so anxious from waiting to see what would happen that we just went to the hospital. I was admitted, and interventions were thrown my way. My OB broke my water, then started me on pitocin, then I received an epidural. Fortunately, all went well and I delivered my healthy baby boy the next morning. 

The questions that keep swirling around my brain at those memories are: What if I had waited? What if I said no to the interventions? What if? 

Knowing that doesn’t help change the past, I’ve let those feelings simmer. 

Then my second birth happened later than I had hoped and expected. Being pregnant at 41 weeks is no walk in the park. I was anxious for my son to be born, since his brother made his debut 2 weeks early. Finally, we set an induction date when labor, once again, did not happen spontaneously. Again, my water was broken, pitocin was administered, and I received an epidural. This experience was different as the OB on call allowed me to pull my son out to my chest and I watched his gradual entrance into the world with the help of a mirror. It felt so empowering! But I knew there were choices I had left up to others to dictate how the labor went. That didn’t settle well with me either and again I had questions such as, “What if …?” I learned again that patience and timing are everything and I learned that there was much more to be understood about birth that I still didn’t grasp. The last thing I learned was that a medicated birth can also be a beautiful, wonderful, empowering experience.

Then my third birth happened and I decided I wanted to try without the epidural and hoping upon hope I would spontaneously go into labor. Without a plan for how to handle the contractions, it was tougher than it needed to be. Labor stalled when we were admitted to the hospital and then I allowed my midwife to break my water. After that, things finally picked up. I tried hydrotherapy and then moved out of the tub as I went into transition. My husband and midwife did all they could for me as I reached completion. I don’t remember how long I pushed, but it wasn’t long before my beautiful daughter was placed in my arms. It was hard. I didn’t have the glorious, empowering feeling I had with my last birth. I was focusing everything on getting through the contractions, and without a guide, mind you. I learned that I should have prepared better and should have had a doula. ​

By the time I was pregnant with my fourth, I had a deeper grasp of childbirth, the stages of birth, comfort measures and the importance of knowing your choices and making informed decisions. I was so ready to take on this one (possibly final) challenge of birth and of making the choices that were best for me, my baby and my body. I took a childbirth education class from my doula. And yes, I hired a doula. Because of timing and circumstances, I chose to be induced. That wasn’t the first choice I had made. I was well-trained by that point, working with my health care providers as I navigated gestational diabetes, potential Intrauterine growth restriction, or IUGR, of my baby and choosing not to be induced sooner than was necessary. I already felt empowered before even stepping foot into the delivery room. 

With my induction, I was prepared to make even more choices, even though there were some restrictions. I felt my voice was heard and I labored how I wanted and then, when the time came, pushed how I wanted. I grasped the shoulders of my doula and husband, stood up on the bed and pushed and squatted my baby boy out into the world. It was incredible. I felt so strong and so capable. ​

That amazing birth experience gave me the strength I needed through my postpartum time. That first year was challenging, but because I knew I had already done incredibly hard things, I knew I could push through and endure these additional hard things. 

I’ll be forever grateful for my transformational birthing experiences. My hope is that every mom can have that same feeling from the births she has. 

My other hope is that every woman can feel the eternal pull of the divine role of motherhood. Motherhood is eternal and the joy we feel as mothers will continue beyond this life. ​

It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to be when I grow up. I may even still be figuring it out. :)

After high school graduation, I headed to college, thinking I would study English and get an editing minor, and would spend my career ridding the world of comma splices, bad grammar, and sentence fragments. After not too long, though, I decided I wanted to make a gentler, more inspiring impact on the world. I switched my major to Elementary Education and graduated with that degree.

After teaching for a couple of years I realized something important about myself: I do not have the patience to manage the behavior of large groups of small children all day. At the end of my second year of teaching, I also gave birth to my twin daughters, which kept me busy for a while. :)

In traditional cultures around the world, strong traditions of postpartum food prevail: warm, easy-to-digest food is prepared for new parents as they recover from giving birth.

In modern U.S. culture, we've unfortunately stepped away from the wisdom of many of these traditions. While some attention is given to prenatal nutrition, many new parents aren't given a word of counsel about how to feed and nourish themselves during the weeks following birth. (The textbook I consulted while writing this post had 12 pages of information about prenatal nutrition, and only 5 pages about nutrition and lactation, and didn't address general postpartum nutrition at all!)

Giving birth is a whole-body process that affects every body system, including your digestive system! Being mindful about appropriate postpartum nutrition is crucial!

Let's go over some essential nutrients to include in your diet during the weeks and months after giving birth.

Protein plays an essential role in physical recovery postpartum. The main function of dietary protein is building and repairing tissue in your body. So if you had a perineal tear during your birth or you had a cesarean birth, it's especially important to have an adequate protein intake as you recover. Protein can also be lost from your body due to increased bleeding, inflammation, infection, and physical stress, so there's good reason to focus on prioritizing protein in your postpartum diet!

As a general guideline (for all healthy adults, not specifically postpartum), protein should make up 10-35% of your daily caloric intake. If, for example, you eat 2,000 calories each day, 200-700 of those calories should come from protein. Another recommendation is that you eat 0.8 g of protein for every kg of your body weight. For instance, if you weigh 150 lbs, that is equivalent to 68 kg. 68 x 0.8 = 54.4, so you should aim to eat at least 54.4 g of protein every day.

Protein also helps build up your immune system to keep you healthy while caring for your new baby! And protein plays essential roles in carrying nutrients throughout your body and balancing water and pH levels inside your body.

So, what are some good sources of protein? Protein sources are categorized as complete or incomplete. Complete protein sources contain all nine amino acids that your body needs to carry out its functions. Complete protein foods include eggs, milk, cheese, meat, poultry, fish, and soy (which is the only plant-based complete protein source.)

Incomplete provide some of the amino acids your body needs, but not all. Incomplete protein sources include grains, legumes (beans, lentils, and peas), nuts, and seeds. These protein sources need to be paired with a complementary protein source in order to meet all of your body's protein needs. For example, if you eat legumes and grains (think beans and rice) together, these two incomplete protein sources form a complete protein.

Other protein combos that result in a complete protein include legumes and seeds (e.g. eating chickpeas and sunflower seeds in the same meal) and grains and dairy (e.g. whole-grain cereal and milk, or yogurt and granola).

What's your favorite protein source? Do you prefer eggs, poultry, seafood, beans, or chickpeas? Are there other protein sources you love? Pick out a few favorites and keep them well-stocked!

Vitamin C is also an important nutrient that promotes healing and supports immunity. As you recover from giving birth and care for your baby, make sure to load up your diet with good sources of vitamin C! Some options include brussels sprouts, broccoli, bell peppers, kale, cantaloupe, mustard spinach, strawberries, oranges, and kiwi.

Like Vitamin C, zinc boosts your immune system and helps your body heal damaged tissue. As you recover from giving birth, be sure to include sources of zinc in your diet. Oysters are the best dietary source of zinc, so if you love seafood, enjoy some oysters! If oysters aren't your thing, all meats are high in zinc. For non-meat sources, nibble on some pepitas, almonds, or peanuts. Legumes like chickpeas and beans also provide zinc, and all of these foods are great sources of protein as well!

Preliminary studies show that having sufficient amounts of omega-3 fatty acids (specifically DHA) is protective against postpartum depression. Omega-3s also increase mental focus and decrease inflammation. As a bonus, if you're lactating, high Omega-3 concentration in your milk will help your baby's brain and vision to develop! So, what are some good sources of omega 3 fatty acids? The most common source is fish (and fish oil supplements), including mackeral, salmon, herring, oysters, sardines, anchovies, and caviar. Not a fan of seafood? Flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts, are also good sources of omega-3s. You can also opt for omega-3 fortified eggs or dairy products or swallow a high-quality fish-oil supplement.

Iron stores can become depleted during pregnancy and birth, so the postpartum time is an important time to replenish your iron stores. It's estimated that 10-30% of postpartum women experience iron-deficiency anemia during the postpartum period. If you have symptoms of iron deficiency, such as fatigue, depression, and altered cognition (memory loss, trouble concentrating or understanding), be sure to see your medical care provider to monitor your iron levels.

​As a guideline, though, everyone should prioritize iron during the first months postpartum. Iron-rich foods can be found in most food groups: most meats are good sources of heme iron (beef, ham, turkey, chicken, pork, etc.), as are eggs. Many seafoods provide iron, including shrimp, tuna, oysters, clams, and mackerel. Vegetables and fruits can provide non-heme iron, too! Non-heme iron isn't absorbed by your body as easily, so you need to eat more of these plant-based iron sources. Load up on spinach, sweet potatoes, peas, broccoli, strawberries, watermelon, prunes, dried apricots, and more! Whole-wheat and enriched grains also provide iron, and tofu, beans, lentils, and blackstrap molasses are other sources.  And cooking in a cast-iron skillet boosts your iron intake as well!

After you give birth, there are so many demands that pull on your time and energy, primarily your sweet new baby! But remember, that you, too, are being reborn. Take time to care for yourself and your physical body as you recover and adjust during the postpartum period. Fuel up on foods that will replenish your body--it's one way to tell yourself that you matter, too!

Cpt, M. G. M. R. (2022, June 24). Postpartum nutrition: A guide to healthy eating after giving birth. Nutrisense Journal. https://www.nutrisense.io/blog/postpartum-nutrition-eat-healthy-after-giving-birth

Leung, B., & Kaplan, B. (2009). Perinatal Depression: Prevalence, Risks, and the Nutrition Link—A Review of the literature. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 109(9), 1566–1575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2009.06.368

Lindberg, S. (2020, July 31). Postpartum diet plan: Tips for healthy eating after giving birth. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/postpartum-diet#guidelines

Reinagel, N. D. M. (2024, February 20). Top 5 nutrients for Postpartum recovery. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/top-5-nutrients-for-postpartum-recovery/

World Health Organization (2016). Iron Supplementation in postpartum women. [PDF]. In WHO
Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data.  https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/249242/9789241549585-eng.pdf?sequence=1

Yahya, N., Teng, N. I. M. F., Das, S., & Juliana, N. (2021). Nutrition and physical activity interventions to ameliorate postpartum depression: A scoping review. PubMed, 30(4), 662–674. https://doi.org/10.6133/apjcn.202112_30(4).0013

The first time I ever visited a chiropractor, I was 36 weeks pregnant. I'd been waking up for my middle-of-the-night bathroom breaks with SO much pubic bone pain that I had to wake my husband to help me walk the five feet to the bathroom.

I waddled into her office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, feeling very pregnant, very uncomfortable, and very desperate. At the end of my appointment, I stood up and walked to the door. I realized that, for the first time in weeks, I wasn't doing my pregnant waddle! I was SO much more comfortable. My pubic bone discomfort (symphysis pubis dysfunction, also called SPD or pelvic girdle pain) was minimal. I visited her for the last few weeks of my pregnancy and was extremely grateful for her specialized care.

And I'm certainly not the only prenatal chiropractic success story!

A doula friend of mine had a client who had been in early labor for three and a half days. She was having contractions, but they just weren't forming a pattern to lead to active labor, opening of her cervix, and birth of her baby. On day four of early labor, she went to a chiropractor (the fabulous Dr. Nick Shelton at Shelton Chiropractic in Salem, UT), and within five minutes of her appointment, her contractions were strong and regular. Her baby was born 6 hours later!

When I asked for prenatal chiropractor success stories in a birth group on Facebook, my post was flooded with comments.

One mom said, "My chiropractor knew I was working hard for a VBAC so he was a key part in that for me. I saw him weekly my entire pregnant and it always gave me some relief from the pregnancy related aches. Then in my last 8 weeks, he saw me twice a week and would focus more on adjusting my hips so we could get the baby in a good position. The consistency of my visits not only helped me stay active my entire pregnancy but I also had a very smooth delivery and a successful VBAC! I completely credit a part of it to my chiropractor."

Another mom shared her story of how she'd barely been able to walk due to SI pain (pain at the sacroiliac joint, where the spine joins the hips). She visited Timpview Chiropractic in Orem, UT. After chiropractic care, she was able to walk and stay active during the rest of her pregnancy and birthed a 9 lb baby!

​Still another mom shared how uncomfortable she'd been during her pregnancy, suffering from general pain and sciatic pain. Her chiropractor was able to reduce her general pain and eliminate her sciatic pain. Now pregnant again, she's made regular chiropractic care at Renegade Chiropractic part of her self-care, and she's able to stay active as a student, at work, and as a mom.

There were too many stories shared for me to recap all of them here, but I'll share one last story about how a chiropractor was able to help a client have a successful VBAC:

"My chiropractor is the reason I was able to have a VBAC. My baby in a sunny side up orientation was no match for stalled dilation; but once my chiropractor adjusted my back, and aligned my hips, my baby was able to drop and rotate into a more optimal position. I labored for 26 hours, got adjusted, and had our baby 90 minutes later at the birth center."

At this point, you're probably thinking, "are they magic? How are chiropractors so effective at minimizing pain and speeding up labor?"

During pregnancy, labor and birth, your baby descends into your pelvis. The pelvis is, in my opinion, the coolest-shaped bone in the body. Check it out:

Technically, it's two bones: the ossa coxae (singular: os coxae), that meet the sacrum (the large bone at the base of your spine) in the back, your left and right femurs (thigh bones) on each side, and come together at the pubic symphysis in the front.

Along with the muscles of your pelvic floor, your pelvic bones are responsible for holding much of the weight of your growing baby and body throughout pregnancy. As your baby grows and your body accommodates baby and grows as well, sometimes the pelvis can get a little out of whack, or misaligned, as chiropractors would say. Your spine can also get misaligned during all of this growing and stretching.

One way chiropractors work their magic is by re-aligning any misalignments in your spine and pelvis, which in turn helps your whole body work together more effectively. This also creates optimal space for baby to rotate and descend during labor and birth.

This is not my field of expertise, so from here, I would invite you to reach out to some of my favorite chiropractors serving Utah County who specialize in care during pregnancy. They are also great resources for pediatric chiropractic care and see kids as young as newborns!

If you're looking for a prenatal chiropractor in your area or more information about chiropractic care during pregnancy or for infants and kids, check out ICPA or Utah Pediatric Chiropractors. For more amazing resources about physiological birth and how your positioning, alignment, and body balance impact your comfort during pregnancy and your baby's descent during labor, check out Spinning Babies.

Wishing you a well-aligned pregnancy and birth!

By Eliza Payne

8. Stay at home as long as possible. Especially if your goal is an unmedicated birth, it is a good idea to stay at home as long as possible. In early labor your baby does not need to be monitored and it is better for you to be in the comfort of your home where you can get in a good rhythm without the constant interruptions from the medical staff. Often things can progress faster at home because you can more easily incorporate all of the suggestions above. After all, when you are at home it is easier to stay patient, ignore labor, rest and relax, eat and drink, create more oxytocin, not be in your thinking brain, and move intentionally.

Early labor can be a time between worlds and you may experience a range of feelings, from excitement and nervousness. All the months of waiting and preparing for your birth have led to this moment. In the coming hours or days, you will soon be meeting your baby! Hopefully some of these tips can make your labor more of a positive, empowering experience where you discover your strength. ​

Preparing for a new baby can be expensive, and the list of things you could spend money on during your pregnancy can seem endless! Childbirth education can be a bit of a financial investment, but taking a high-quality childbirth class is worth every penny! Here's why:

Knowledge is power! Especially if this is your first time giving birth, there's probably a lot you don't know yet about the physical, physiological, and emotional process of giving birth. Many first-time parents who don't take a class feel overwhelmed by all of the unknowns during the birth process and end up second-guessing their decisions and having a less-than-ideal experience. (I speak from my own experience and from the experiences of many clients who came to me wanting a better experience for their second birth.)

Taking a group birth class is a great way to connect with others in your same life stage! The people you meet in your birth classes could become some of your close friends, and will be great options for play dates as your kids grow! This goes for both moms and dads. Our childbirth classes are designed for both parents to attend, so you'll have a chance to meet other dads and moms who "get it." Making the transition to parenthood can feel lonely if your friends are in different life stages, so birth classes are a great chance to make new friends who are celebrating the same milestones and facing similar challenges as you!

We get it. There's SO much info on the internet and social media apps these days. It's tempting to think that you can get all the information you need to prepare for childbirth on your phone or computer. There's a huge benefit, though, to having an expert childbirth educator facilitate your learning. After spending some time following Instagram accounts and searching Google, you'll quickly discover that there's WAY more info on the internet about birth than you could ever hope to learn during your pregnancy. And some of it seems contradictory! Taking a childbirth class means you have an experienced, knowledgeable teacher who has mined through all of the childbirth information and found the most important content to share with you. And if you take a birth class through Summit Birth Utah, we can guarantee that our classes will be memorable and engaging... way more fun that scrolling on your phone! 

The Summit Birth Utah tagline is "discover your strength." Childbirth is unlike any other human experience. When else do we go to the edge of what we thought we were capable of, persist through and past it, and bring forth new life?

Sometimes, the magic and wonder of birth are lost to beeping machines and hospital gowns. But no matter how or where you give birth, the act of bringing new life into the world is incredible. You are incredible. And we hope that, through this experience, you are able to discover new strength within yourself. We hope that, through birthing your child, you also rebirth yourself. You are so much stronger than you know. And birth can help you discover your strength.

"We can go our entire life feeling like we know who we are, and what we are made of, but it’s not until you experience the incredible opportunity of creating a unique individual inside of you, and bring that child into the world that you truly discover the depths of your own strength. During those incredible moments, you experience innate inner strength on a level that could not be adequately described to you, but must be experienced to comprehend. The cries of a woman delivering a child are some of the most beautiful sounds in the world. I am woman, hear me roar!"

-Esther Whitney

"I discovered my strength when I was giving birth to my fourth child. I was at the point of pushing and I felt like I just couldn't do it. I didn't WANT to do it; it was too hard! But thanks to my midwife and my doula, they reminded me that I have the strength to do it, to push my baby out. Only I could do it. And guess what? I did! I remember distinctly summoning the courage, taking a breath and pushing my little boy out and into this world. It was the most amazing thing."

-Sarah Roberts

"Birth is a brave journey into the unknown that requires mental, physical, and emotional strength. I have witnessed this strength in every woman who has risen to the challenge of giving birth. Sometimes this means facing fears, advocating for needs, processing difficult emotions, coping through intense contractions, or simply being present with what is. Even -maybe especially - when things don’t go as expected, strength is found as you carry on and face the unknowns of birth."

-Eliza Payne

"In pregnancy and birth we are at our most vulnerable and, in that, our most powerful. There is a particular and deep strength inside us that can only be accessed in doing the intense, instinctual, and incredible work of bringing a soul to life. That strength is there in every birth, but sometimes can be masked by many different dynamics that can accompany birth. When we are educated and supported, we can truly discover (and use, and celebrate!) our powerful strength."

-Charity Eyre Wright

If you're a parent-to-be researching adding a doula to your birth team, you may have asked this question. Depending on your area and the experience level of your doula, a complete doula services package is typically $1,000-$3,000. That can feel like a big investment! But I guarantee, an excellent doula is worth that much (and more)!

In order to understand a doula's value, it's important to first know what a doula is. If you're not quite sure, read this post for a detailed explanation, and then head back here to keep reading!

In addition to the physical, emotional, informational, and relational support outlined in the "What is a Doula?" post, doulas do so much behind-the-scenes work that adds value to what they offer as a member of your birth team. 

• Your doula will be on-call for you 24/7 during the days and weeks before and after your due date. She'll answer your middle-of-the-night phone calls, restrict her personal and family activities to being within a reasonable drive (~1 hour or less) of you at all times, and must always be in range of cell service. 
• Your doula will serve you outside of your scheduled visits with her. She'll answer texts, phone calls, and emails when you have questions or need emotional support. She'll point you toward reliable sources as you make decisions throughout your pregnancy, and she'll offer a listening ear when you're overwhelmed by the demands of pregnancy.
• During the early labor time, before joining you by your side, your doula will likely offer support from a distance through texts or phone calls.
• Most doulas attend multiple continuing education trainings each year to keep their knowledge and skills sharp. They also read books, listen to podcasts, and network with other professionals who serve birthing families to make sure they are informed and connected with the community.

In addition to all of this value that doulas offer to their clients, consider how doula support can be an investment that ends up saving you money in the long run!

• Studies show that having a birth doula on your team increases the likelihood that you'll be satisfied with your birth. Feeling positive about your birth can make a big difference as you heal and care for your baby. Think of doula support as a long-term investment in your well-being.
• Having a doula also lessens the likelihood that you'll choose an epidural for pain relief (10% decrease, whether or not you were planning on one) and lowers the incidence of cesarean birth by 39%. Depending on your insurance, avoiding these interventions could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
• Preliminary research indicates that having a doula at your birth may lower your chance of developing postpartum depression. Again, you'd be saving money with postpartum mental health resources and medication in this case. And, most importantly, you could feel so much better!

I'm hoping, by now, that I've convinced you that doulas are well worth the doula package price of $1,000-$3,000. Even so, it may still feel out of reach for you to hire a doula. What can you do?

​You may need to think outside the box a little, but there are definitely ways to make having a doula a possibility for you! Here are some ideas:

• For a group baby shower gift, ask for donations to your doula fund! We'd be happy to create a custom gift certificate for you to open at your shower. :)
• Plan ahead! If you're thinking about getting pregnant, start a doula savings fund now!
• Do you have a marketable trade or skill? Many doulas offer bartering for part of package fees. If you or your partner teach piano lessons or do leatherwork or help with taxes or do photography or... (the list goes on!), ask a doula during a free consultation whether she's open to trading some of the package price.
• Many doulas offer monthly, no-interest payment plans. While you'll still pay the full package price, it will be broken up into smaller chunks each month, making it easier to fit in your budget.
• Find a childbirth educator or birth photographer who is also a doula. Many childbirth educators/doulas will give you a discount if you sign up for both services.
• Use your HSA/FSA plan to pay for your doula's services. If doulas are an eligible expense, you will likely be able to pay the full package price from these pre-tax, already-set-aside dollars.
• Do you have a family member or friend who feels strongly about birth support? Sometimes a doula-loving parent, aunt, or family friend will offer to pay (or help pay) for a doula's fees.
• Look around your house for good-condition items you no longer need that you can sell on Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, KSL, or at a good old-fashioned garage sale.
• Crowdfund your doula fee. You never know who would give $10, $50, or $500 towards you having the birth support you long for, until you ask!

Have I got your ideas flowing? What other ideas can you think of?

Sometimes, even with all of these ideas, hiring a doula may still feel unreachable for you. If finances are tight and the above ideas aren't working for you, or aren't reaching far enough, please fill out an application for a grant for birth services. We offer grants of various sizes based on client need and current grant fund balance. We're typically able to offer at least a small grant (and sometimes a very substantial grant) to everyone with true need who applies!

​At Summit Birth Utah, we truly believe that everyone deserves a supported birth, and we will do everything we can to make doula support a possibility for you.