The Business of Birth - Andy's Birth Story

Aug 10

When you’re in the first few years of business, you’re wearing ALL the hats and doing ALL of the things - it’s very easy to burn out.

That’s exactly what happened to us.

In 2017 we’d just expanded Open Space and as a result our expenses also increased. We knew we needed to make some changes in order for Open Space to be sustainable and continue to grow. And for us to not just survive, but thrive.

So one of the first things we did was to delegate.

Things You’ll Learn in This Episode of Hustle With Heart:

How to set yourself and your business up to succeed while on maternity leave
How to prime your body and mind for a healthy and positive birth experience
The importance of birth and becoming a mother

What we’ve learnt about delegation and why it’s important

We have something very exciting to share with you…

Andy is pregnant and expecting her third child at the end of the year.

So it got us thinking - we know as someone who has kids or is thinking about having kids in the near future - you might be experiencing some fear surrounding birthing a baby birth, especially taking time off and managing your business.

In today’s episode of the Hustle with Heart Podcast Andy shares her birth stories and how she navigated these times in business.

Plus being integrative chiropractors, we also speak into health, and how to create a strong body and baby and a positive birth experience.

Birth is such a HUGE topic so this episode is a summary of the key lessons for you (based on Andy’s experiences).

The advice we’re giving in this episode is general in nature and should not be considered medical advice. So you should always do what is right for you and consult with your primary health care provider.

So let’s begin!

Why is birth so important?

Birth is a rite of passage from maiden to mother.

It can be the most transformational experience in your life, and help unlock parts of you that you never knew existed.

It can strengthen and shape you into the person you need to be in this world

AND

It can also be the opposite, creating postnatal depression when you do not have an empowered or supportive experience.

The way you birth literally is shaping our next generation - it’s that important.

It’s time that our culture realises and supports the importance of motherhood and birth. It’s sacred and more support from the community is needed.

This also means redinfing motherhood and business - it’s not one or the other. You can be BOTH a mother and successful business owner.

Which is why it’s important to take the time to honour your body and baby pre and post birth and have a plan in place for your birth.

Please know that there is no right or wrong way to birth - you want to have an empowering and positive experience where you feel supported, informed and that you’re the one making the decisions.

Andy’s Birth Story

Being an integrative chiropractor and part of the health industry I feel very privileged and grateful to have advice available to me in terms of reading material and mentors, etc.

So I had a very clear idea of how I wanted my birth experiences to go. And that really set me up for the most amazing transformational experiences.

More of these positive birth experiences need to be spoken about so that women in our culture know that that experience is possible for them. Because the birth stories shared by the media and family and friends tend to not be so positive.

Your estimated due date is not an exact science, the baby will come when it’s ready and each woman's gestation period is unique. So It's more like a due month, not a due date.

But the cosmic joke was that I went into labour, actually on the due date AND my waters broke (which happens to less than 10% of the population).

I was told to estimate around 12 hours of labour for your first birth but all in all, her active labour was four and half hours.

My midwife and doula arrived at my home 15 minutes before she was born.

I felt amazing afterwards. Like I had literally climbed Mount Everest, and that’s because the birth wasn't interfered with. I had the benefits of the hormones and endorphins that your body naturally produces.

Having a home birth for both my babies was always the plan.

And you might be thinking, “what if something goes wrong?” or “that sounds dangerous - I need to be in a hospital”.

This is a bit of a myth out there.

Because based on studies that have been done - if you’re low risk, and you're healthy, having your baby at home can be safer. There's less maternal death rates, and more positive birth experiences by birthing at home in comparison to to a hospital.

The most important thing is having continuity of care so that you’re being looked after by a trained midwife throughout the entire pregnancy and birth.

Your midwife is the expert of birth - natural birth. They know what a physiological birth is like, and then know how to facilitate it.

When you're with a midwife, they know the signs early on. They know when things are not going well or if something's normal or not. You're never in danger because as soon as they see that sign, then they'll take you to hospital.

Now let’s begin with the key birth lessons based on Andy’s experiences.

Your physical health

You’re leading your business and your health must be paramount in order to be able to keep on doing so.

Start prepping your body at least 3 months before you conceive for best outcomes.
Take the right supplements for you - seek the advice of a health practitioner (naturopath or integrative practitioner)
If you’re healthy, then a natural vaginal birth, if possible, is best - it has the best outcomes for your birth and baby.
The benefits of chiropractic care when you are pregnant, to facilitate a positive and effective birth experience include 85% less back pain, 50% less drug use 39% decreased labour time
Start pregnancy class - yoga, pilates, walking, swimming. You need to keep your body strong for active labour. This will help your labour be more efficient and effective.
Acupuncture, homeopathy are amazingly effective and a great support too

Your mental health

So many people think about the physiological body when it comes to birth. However, your emotional and mental health is as important if not more.

When you're pregnant, you’re more open and more vulnerable. You're like a sponge, just soaking everything up so you really need to protect your body and your mind.

Prepare to slow down - block off your schedule from 36 weeks. Give yourself a chance to bond with your baby and enjoy these last precious moments.
Hypnobirthing helps you understand natural birth, how to work with your body, and work through any fears that come up around your birth
Anchor in the relaxation by having a bath and using oils etc every time you listen to your hypnosis tracks
Affirmations around the house. Find words and sayings that resonate with you. I had them on my splash back in the kitchen, behind the toilet door, everywhere!
Fill your subconscious with positive birth experience stories.

So now we're going to switch hats a little bit and get into more of the BUSINESS side of birth.

Delegation

Put team members in place so that they can take on your workload and you can take a step back.

Pre-frame your plans to the team and set your boundaries. For example: no calls or emails until x date. I will come back in X capacity on x date.

And drop the expectations for business. It will still be there when you return! Birthing your baby is a lot more important! And as a mother now, you’ll have more experience to give your business. The BS will be cut away and you will be more focused and efficient - out of necessity!

Budgeting

How much time you decide to take away from your business will be unique to you, however I would recommend that you take at least 3 months off (1 month before your due month and 2 months after).

The beauty of having your own business is that you get to decide how much you want to work!

This may mean that you need to budget for a VA or new team member so you can take a step back

In Australia, you most likely will be eligible for parental payments $750/wk for 18 weeks.

We also saved approximately 20K each child to supplement the government payments to be able to pay our expenses. However obviously this will be change depending on your circumstances.

The 4th trimester

So much emphasis is placed on the birth, yet the first 40 days after birth is critical for the mothers and baby’s physical and mental health.

You may look at hiring a postpartum doula to help around the house so you and your baby and partner can bond and heal.

This also includes:

Eat easy to digest and nourishing foods
Sleep when the baby sleeps
Limit your contact with the outside world, including visitors

Call in the support when you need and remember that it's all about you and your family during this time.

Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do.

Instead use your mothers intuition - you know best for you and your baby and business.

Your values and priorities may change after birth and that’s OK. Accept and go with the flow, be flexible.

If you are feeling confused or posed with a question. Remember the acronym BRAN - Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Nothing.

And if you want to learn more, some of my favourite resources are:

The Business of Being Born by Ricky Lee
Birth Time by Jo Hunter & Zoe Naylor
If you’re a nerd like me and love stats - then a great book is Gentle Birth Gentle Mothering - Dr Sarah Buckly
And if you want a more spiritual perspective - then Spiritual Midwifery - Ina May Gaskin

And there you have it!

And there you have it - an insight into the business of birth!

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Jacinta Di Prinzio