Alison Rieke - HELLP Syndrome

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Hello. Today I have with me, Alison Rieke. Alison is a mother of two and she is here to share her birth stories with us. Alison experienced HELLP syndrome during one of her pregnancies, which is a rare medical condition of pregnancy. The acronym help stands for. Homolysis elevated liver enzymes . And low platelet count. Alison will be sharing her symptoms and her experience. as well as her wisdom and insight. After her second, Alison made a crucial career pivot and partnered with a health and wellness company, which allowed her to work from home. 

Alison welcome. And thank you for joining me. 

[00:00:40] Track 1: Absolutely Kelly. Thanks for asking. 

I was Not expecting to have any issues at all, because this was my second pregnancy. My first was without a hitch really. And, at 36 and half weeks, I had. Been doing, I think all the right things. I was working out five or [00:01:00] six times a week. I was doing yoga.

I was eating really well. I was trying not to gain as much baby weight as I did the first time around. And so it was really unexpected that I started having, preeclampsia symptoms, that I feel like often go undiagnosed because they are just. More extreme normal pregnancy symptoms. And so I couldn't believe it happened to me.

And, it was probably the scariest, one of the scariest moments of my life going through that. But, I'm here to share because I, my hope is that it helps other women recognize those symptoms earlier on.

[00:01:40] kelly: Yeah, definitely. So you talk about how it was a shock because you, had been so healthy during this pregnancy. so one of the things about help syndrome, is that it's not necessarily anything you did wrong. So I think a lot of moms have this feeling, this mom guilt, about maybe they brought this on themselves.[00:02:00] did your doctor do anything or did your healthcare providers do anything to help you work through.

[00:02:04] Track 1: No . if they did, I don't really remember because, it was such. a blurry time. I mean, the 

magnesium you get, makes everything sort of just foggy anyway. But the reason I even knew about it at all was because two days prior, one of my best friends, went through the exact same thing and she delivered her baby at, I believe 24 weeks.

And. One of those moments. That's just a, to me, just a total God wink that she, even from her hospital room told me her story, because I feel like I would have ignored my symptoms if I didn't have it in the back of my mind that, Hey, this could be serious. This could be something that like my friend had, because it.

Extremely unexpected for her and her case. Her pregnancy, [00:03:00] was very, very early. Her son was very early and I was just completely blown away. I had to leave work. I was so sobbing so hard. I got a bloody nose, 

 but, also that was devastating for my friend for her first pregnancy.

And so the fact that she told me, I don't think she told very many people what was going on with her at that point in time. but she told me. And, the night that I was starting to experience my own symptoms, two days later, my husband was about to go on a work trip and. I just know me. I know I would've taken some or Tylenol and some Gatorade and like just gone to bed because that was the advice they'd given me a few weeks earlier when I started, getting those pains.

I had gone in and talked to my doctor about it because. They were concerned. I think about preeclampsia and I, I did get tested more regularly, 

[00:03:48] kelly: Yeah. and that's so interesting that you luckily I guess we'd say, had a friend that was going through the same thing, because this is such an extremely rare condition I mean, you know, I think everybody [00:04:00] hears things that happen to other people and they're like, oh, they start diagnosing themselves.

but it's so important to take some of those things seriously during pregnancy, because some of those symptoms can start off really. And did, so did your husband end up staying home? from the trip you went in that night?

[00:04:15] Track 1: He did. Yeah, I was about to drive myself because I knew it was that serious. I like grabbed a garbage bag because I was so nauseous 

the garden size, it was 

gigantic. And so I have this and he is like, okay, you're serious. Like I will drive you. You're not driving yourself.

Finally. But, it was like two in the morning and he was not thrilled, but, it was a little bit like a scene outta the Exorcist. I was in the worst pain, upper abdominal pain. And, my reaction to that apparently was throwing up. And so it was terrifying,

[00:04:49] kelly: Yeah.

So you've described some of the symptoms, which. a lot of us brush off as normal symptoms of pregnancy, not necessarily the right upper quadrant pain, the nausea [00:05:00] and did you have a head? You said

[00:05:01] Track 1: I had headaches and one time driving down, I 25 on my way home it, the light was such a bright light that everything sort of went fuzzy and white. And I was like, oh my gosh, should I pull over? I'm driving, you 

[00:05:12] kelly: mm-hmm. 

Yeah. those are definitely preeclampsia symptoms. the bright light and the visual disturbances, but did you have migraines before? Was that something that you'd experienced before?

[00:05:22] Track 1: I had them about quarterly before. 

[00:05:24] kelly: Okay, So it was really easy to brush off those symptoms.

[00:05:28] Track 1: yeah, especially when you have a three year old 

already, when you're busy with work, you're commuting an hour each way. And I think we're often told just to like toughen up what I did feel was felt more extreme.

And I was like, well, maybe it's because I'm older now I'm advanced paternal age. I don't know what was I 35, I suppose. and I had a three year old.

[00:05:52] kelly: Yeah.

[00:05:53] Track 1: It was very easy to write off.

[00:05:55] kelly: Right. and you knew about these symptoms because of your friend or because your [00:06:00] doctor had warned you about these

[00:06:02] Track 1: it was really because of my friend. I remember I had the book what to expect when you're expecting, and I never wanted to open the scary chapters of all the things that could go wrong, because I didn't didn't that in my head, but at the same time, it was pretty naive. It's really important to know those symptoms.

[00:06:20] kelly: I feel like we have this cultural conundrum, we have lots of people looking up symptoms and trying to diagnose themselves. we also have women trying to tough it out, and brush it off as normal experience as a pregnancy. And then we also have this whole, situation where we don't really talk about the hard things. And so I feel like we're maybe just setting ourselves up for failure. If we don't have. understanding going in, there's so much to know, about your health and about, pregnancy and you get to see your doctor for like what, 15 minute visits every couple weeks.

And they hand you this huge packet of information and that's all the insurance company [00:07:00] covers. And thank you very much. Please read through this. It's so hard. so I just think it's so important that we talk about this and that we share our experiences. That women understand that they're not alone and that, it's not this big secretive, club about, it's not fight club.

[00:07:17] Track 1: I feel like women don't often talk about it. Because we want more joiners. We want more people in our club. Like 

motherhood is fun for the most part, but, you also don't wanna scare anybody away from doing it But it's like, as soon as you get pregnant, then, then you start hearing the stories. And like, then, you know, if you spend time around other women who are moms, then you start hearing those things. and I was in a workplace where I was, I was the first person to ever be pregnant there and they had like no nursing area.

Like I was like, I don't know how to, I'm gonna go back to they're not really accommodating. so I wasn't at that point in my career at a place where I had any mothers around me, but I have [00:08:00] a good group of girlfriends and several of them were moms.

[00:08:04] kelly: so let's talk about, .

I guess we can go back to the. The medical aspect of it, there's so much, there's so much surrounding a normal pregnancy and then a difficult pregnancy. And then the whole going back to work and just all, all of that. what was the most challenging part of this whole process and journey?

[00:08:28] Track 1: I really feel like the hardest part for me was that it was just so unexpected because I felt like prior to getting pregnant and prior to, This example of what happened. I thought I was doing the right things

[00:08:42] kelly: well, you were, 

[00:08:44] Track 1: and, and maybe I was right, but it wasn't, maybe it's something in my genetics who knows.

Right. I, I still don't know that much about preeclampsia 

really, which is. 

[00:08:55] kelly: one knows there's theories.

[00:08:59] Track 1: You know, I'm [00:09:00] eight years out. I used to do the preeclampsia walk here in 

Denver, so I used to be really involved with that. but I think the hardest thing for me was really. It happened at all. And then I knew other women that it happened to.

my friend, I told you about already and another friend, and we were all, at elevation and I always wondered if that had something to do with it potentially, being in mountains. But,

I think the hardest part is that there are so many unanswered questions. And I feel like if this was something that happened to men, there would be more answers.

[00:09:33] kelly: wouldn't there. and the other, difficult aspect of that is that there's all this ethical and moral, question about the ability to, do any kind of testing on pregnant women because you know, the baby can't consent, And, and then what are we testing for? You know, there's some, there's some thought that preeclampsia and, anything surrounding it, maybe even help syndrome has to do with [00:10:00] the mother's reaction to the placenta, that maybe there's, antigen. In the placenta or some of the fetal DNA, that's the, the mother's bloodstream is reacting to and immune system is reacting to, but we don't really know. 

[00:10:15] Track 1: That's very interesting because my doctor looked at my placenta and she was like, Hmm, that's interesting. Are they supposed to be like, round like

[00:10:26] kelly: mm-hmm 

[00:10:27] Track 1: She said mine was like the shape of like a T-bone steak or like a ribeye. She said it was 

[00:10:34] kelly: Did you eat it? let's not get into that.

[00:10:37] Track 1: that's podcast.

[00:10:39] kelly: a whole different podcast. yeah. So what we, what we see though, we do see placental changes and we do typically look at the placenta of women that have preeclampsia, if there's a reason or, or help center, if there's a reason, if there's some sort of disorder of pregnancy, we do tend to study those placenta. it was the shape that your doctor was talking.

[00:10:58] Track 1: That's what she said [00:11:00] to me that I was. I don't know. I, I mean, if I had like been with it, I'd been like, Hmm. Maybe like submit that to science or something. Like, you know, like if there something that dramatic about it, then maybe don't just like, throw it away.

[00:11:13] kelly: Yeah. so I'm not sure if it was the shape necessarily. I, I guess I'd have to see it because there might have been some other stuff going on with it. Cuz we typically, when we are looking for it, we're looking for like calcifications. So you'll feel, you'll see like big chunks of like looks. like salt chunks or cheese or something like that, where the placenta's calcifying and that's usually kind of an indication that, something's going wrong there. anyway, we we're going down a rabbit hole on

what placenta's look like. but the, the point we know what the risk factors are, but we don't entirely know. And I'm really interested to see if there's anything about like what you said about elevation. Cuz I don't live in a high elevation. but we still in both places that I practice, We still see, preeclampsia and help syndrome, but it's rare. So I guess I'd wonder what the. the rates are,

in higher elevations. That's really

[00:11:59] Track 1: [00:12:00] And I know my help syndrome was I, I believe they called it acute. So it wasn't as extreme as either one of my friends 

who, who had it. but still even to hear that that's. Even acutely terrifying. I actually, I feel like I know a lot of people and some are family members, so may, maybe there is a genetic factor to it, obviously.

I don't know. And I've kind of stepped away from like really looking into it. Like I kind 

of was. Before, I think when things happen to you, you come, you become your often become your own advocate and try to figure out like why. And not that I planned on having any more children, but if I definitely, if I wasn't quite done, if I went in number three, then it would've been really scary for me to go for another pregnancy because of what I'd been through.

I know, my other friend, the first one I mentioned, she, had subsequent pregnancies that were very healthy

and, so it is possible, but I just feel like there's so much that we don't [00:13:00] know. And so I'm really grateful to you for bringing these issues to light.

[00:13:04] kelly: Yeah, I really, I really feel like most people. Know them like most of the moms that I see that come in for preeclampsia have no idea that this is, I mean, they, they, they're starting to understand because we have these fun little handouts now that talk about maternal AR early warning signs and things that we need to be paying attention to in their little bit more user friendly, what we had before, the big packets that we used to hand out. but still there's just so much, there's just so much that moms need to know. 

[00:13:31] Track 1: that your list together and do a nursery. if you're lucky and try to maintain your family life and like relationship with your husband and your. Child or children it's, it's just a lot to manage at the same time. So you're trying to like find yourself in it.

[00:13:50] kelly: So let's go back to that night where you kind of, where you realized something was wrong.

[00:13:54] Track 1: Mm-hmm

[00:13:55] kelly: you said that your husband took you to the hospital. At 36 [00:14:00] weeks, you're not necessarily planning on, arranging for childcare for your other.

[00:14:05] Track 1: No.

[00:14:06] kelly: to me about that.

[00:14:07] Track 1: we have really good neighbors

who are like family to us. And so it was a very quick phone call and, we got my older daughter taken care of, and then my mom who's also an RN. she's just the kind of mom that you call and she'll be there as soon as she can, even though she's eight hours.

So she drove over the night instantly and was there by the time, I knew what was going on really like where we kinda got settled in the room. And then my daughter wasn't born until the next evening, almost midnight. It was like 1140 something at night. So she was born on Mayday, but almost born on grandparents day.

[00:14:46] kelly: oh, that's the other fun aspect of motherhood. It's, you know, you don't get to plan for anything, your baby and your body are in charge and. You always have to have a backup, which it sounds like you have a village, which is amazing. [00:15:00] were you living in the neighborhood that you're living in now

[00:15:04] Track 1: yep. We've been in this house since I was pregnant with my first

[00:15:07] kelly: Yeah. Okay. I was gonna say, cuz cause that's a good way to establish a village.

yeah, I do see a lot of parents coming in with no. this is another challenge with no, backup care, which is understandable because we're not always planning for these things and you can't necessarily have someone there to drop of a hat and sometimes people move and just all these extenuating circumstances.

And yet most of the time when you go into the hospital, it's a locked unit. They don't allow. Additional visitors. So a child needs to be attended to by an adult. And it can't be the mother who is sick. It can't be, the nurses because they have to attend to emergencies. So then it's like, what do you do? And then, plus COVID this past couple years, I know that wasn't your situation, but it's just become more and more challenging. To the [00:16:00] point where nobody has backup and people are ignoring symptoms and we're just going so downhill and making it so much harder for moms. 

[00:16:07] Track 1: Can you off the top of your head, know the maternal death rate for

[00:16:11] kelly: I don't, 

[00:16:12] Track 1: or, or.

[00:16:13] kelly: no, I know that it's like, four to 12% of women that have preeclampsia can develop help. preeclampsia is. not as rare it happens. mean, I see it every day, but then I work at high risk centers. So I have a skewed view, but I have not seen very much help syndrome.

think I've maybe seen two or three cases. in the past eight years that I've been practicing. So, it's pretty rare. They may have been on our floor and maybe I just didn't take care of them, but tho personally that's, the actual diagnosis of help, I think have been two or three,

[00:16:49] Track 1: Hmm. 

Also interesting. I think to know is both of my daughters were I U G R. 

And so, but my first was four 40 weeks in a day. And then [00:17:00] my second was 36 and a half weeks. So they're just little, we're also 

[00:17:05] kelly: yeah, they're little, but that is associated with Freelan and help. So that's interesting. Yeah. I don't know. I wish I wish I knew these things. I wish I wish we'd have answers. I wish we could study it, but, So then you were tell, let's talk about some of the treatments that you had. so did you, first of all, did you have high blood pressure with this?

[00:17:21] Track 1: I did. I don't remember the numbers.

[00:17:23] kelly: okay. So did they have to treat the, the blood pressure itself or did they just treat with magnesium? Do you remember? This is getting really technical

[00:17:32] Track 1: mean, I know there was magnesium drip, because at first it was like, I felt like I was laying on a beach, like with the sun, everything just felt warm. And, I don't know if I had anything else. I, they gave me a cocktail of something, but I think was like PEPM and something to eat nausea.

But other than that, I.

I think they were just trying to, prevent from any seizures. 

Right. 

[00:17:56] kelly: right. 

Of course. Yeah. So that's why we use the magnesium. And then it's interesting [00:18:00] that that was the feeling that you had because a lot of people,

don't enjoy it. a lot of people don't enjoy it. so I'm glad that you had a positive magnesium experience

[00:18:10] Track 1: at, and then I was like, I wanna get.

[00:18:13] kelly: yeah. Yeah. Oh, for sure. Yeah. Afterwards, did you have to be on magnesium afterwards?

[00:18:20] Track 1: I think for a little while longer. my husband had taken a video of her in, in the NICU and I got, see her and like hear her little squeaks. And that was probably, that was the hardest thing was to not 

have her, With me immediately. And she was just so teeny and squeaky and she still makes she's eight, but she still makes those same noises.

And it just reminds me of that time. But, she's a fighter, know, she's so, 

[00:18:41] kelly: is.

[00:18:42] Track 1: and just awesome. 

But, those memories of being in there, I don't remember the treatments. I just felt like all I cared about is that they were taking good care of her. And I was like, I'll be fine. , 

I'll be. 

[00:18:54] kelly: Okay.

[00:18:55] Track 1: just like not let this happen again. And, you know, whatever I can do to [00:19:00] like, be healthy and, and not have this happen anymore. Great.

[00:19:02] kelly: Yeah, for sure. so you'd had a baby before, you had a normal delivery with your first, and you didn't have to have a C-section with the second. You just, you had a, a normal delivery. let's talk about kind of your expectations with either the first or the second. When you went to the hospital, like what, what did you feel like it was gonna be? And then what was it? 

[00:19:25] Track 1: our first daughter was born during March madness and

[00:19:29] kelly: Hmm.

[00:19:34] Track 1: mother-in-law told playing.

[00:19:37] kelly: Of course she did. 

[00:19:40] Track 1: I felt a little bit, misled we were watching basketball, but by the time I got induced, with my first pregnancy, the, the contractions came on so intensely that I was like, I don't even know how to breathe anymore. this is so hard. Like I had done the pregnancy classes, I had tried to do all the right things along the way.

[00:20:00] And I was like, This is rough. Like it was beyond rough. 

And so I was like, there's no playing cards. Like let's just try not to pass out because how do you breathe when the contractions are so strong and so intense?

[00:20:12] kelly: your whole body is contracting

and there's no space for breathing.

[00:20:16] Track 1: Yeah,

a little bit laughable, What you prepare for versus what you get sometimes. And I guess it's best to be prepared cause it could have been nice, but like when you are induced, obviously the contractions come on 

quick and strong my epidural was quite a relief. remember seeing the needle and I don't I was like, just let me have it if that's gonna make this

go away. And so after I had the epidural, cause far my body could go. I was like, we're made for this.

[00:20:46] kelly: right.

[00:20:47] Track 1: Run a 

marathon you know, I can do hard things. However, it was just too much.

but by the time it was actually time, to push and on all of that, it did feel [00:21:00] festive and happy again, I was able have a mirror and, and see, you know, see that 

whole process. 

Then, they were worried that she wasn't coming out. and that her heart. And so they had to use, of a vacuum like help suck her out.

[00:21:14] kelly: Yep.

[00:21:15] Track 1: out essentially.

[00:21:16] kelly: there.

[00:21:17] Track 1: And I was like, do whatever you need to do. I, after all this, I do not wanna have an emergency C-section

so, but like, even with that, like my mom was in the room. I wanted her to be there. My husband was there. It was very. Happy joyful. Wonderful. In-laws came into town as, as could. So it felt like a great, a great experience.

We actually checked out the hospital early because we were so confident in our parenting abilities. I basketball at home.

[00:21:47] kelly: Yeah, I wanted to hear more about that part. you did mention that whole checking out early. How'd that go? Did you have people with you. 

[00:21:54] Track 1: LL never forget. Look on Andrew's face. Like, oh my God, what did we do? [00:22:00] And looking at me for guidance. And I'm like, I have absolutely no idea either. just went through something major. So, I will never forget the look on his taste and it makes me giggle. I would never recommend checking out early. If you take all the time, you need in the hospital to sleep, to rest, to be cared for, to be watched labor and delivery. Nurses are amazing 

[00:22:24] kelly: So our postpartum nurses, 

[00:22:26] Track 1: all nurses are amazing. And, least the experiences that I had at rose hospital was just, they were, they were pros like for both And then actually, when it was my second pregnancy, I expected a lot of that same thing, even, even with the preeclampsia and help. I did not realize the severity still.

[00:22:47] kelly: Mm-hmm

[00:22:48] Track 1: my mom and my husband were in the room again, but this time. The nurses were checking on him because they were worried that he was gonna pass out. Cuz I could just, he was just standing there, and he was like, [00:23:00] no, no, don't pay attention to me. I'll be fine. And then my mom, I just remember praying over me too, which was just really scary.

The room went from, I think three or four people in it to like maybe 20, 22. And it was just an amazing thing to watch when you're kind of out of it and what happens with the magnesium, but it just like a dreamlike state to me, but everybody had a job. It was very quiet

[00:23:25] kelly: mm-hmm

[00:23:26] Track 1: and, Machine, like in a way, just like everybody knew exactly what to do.

And I just remember how quiet it was because, oh gosh, this is a really crazy part of it too. Sloan was trying to come out. She was facing the right way and everything, right. Position, not breach, but then the doctor thought, well, what am I seeing? she was like, maybe she flipped, maybe she's breached now.

And she was trying to come up, like with her cheek.

[00:23:52] kelly: Oh, my gosh, of course she was

[00:23:56] Track 1: So she was like her head on, [00:24:00] I think my pelvic bone and just almost had emergency 

area because she just wasn't coming out. Right. And, and then she was, so she had to be resuscitated. So she was a little bit gray when she came out and not crying. And that was awful, awful, awful to.

and so that was when I remember just everything just watching everybody do their jobs and like praying. And, then when I finally heard her cry, it was like this sigh of relief,

[00:24:27] kelly: mm-hmm

[00:24:28] Track 1: but that's why I didn't care so much about me. I was like, just take care of my baby.

[00:24:33] kelly: yeah. Yeah. It all just like everything goes away in your head except for that one sound that you're

listening for. Yeah. first of all, it sounds like you had a spectacular hospital that you delivered in and that the staff was very well trained. because just the fact that everybody seemed know, like a well oiled machine, that that's such a relief. I've heard a lot of women talk about the sudden influx of [00:25:00] people into the room. it sounds like it might have been somewhat calming for you. It felt like suddenly you knew that everybody was there

[00:25:09] Track 1: Everybody had one specific job. And it wasn't like, know, like when you watch ER, or any show

it was like all these orders being shouted. It wasn't like that at all. It was just like, everybody seemed very confident in doing exactly what they needed to do 

[00:25:23] kelly: that's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. It's definitely not supposed to be a big dramatic thing like

in ER, and the best practice is to give everybody a specific job. So that's amazing. That sounds like you had a very prepared hospital. You've been through so much. you had Sloan in the, in the NICU and you're still, hanging out in labor and delivery and you have a baby or a three year old at home, which is still to, to me, that's still a baby. how do you wrap your head around all that? where do you go from.

[00:25:54] Track 1: I mean. It makes me think that like counseling should be a required part of this.

I [00:26:00] covered my insurance, but it wasn't. So you are just sort of left there in a puddle of emotions and a puddle of breast milk and.

[00:26:11] kelly: And everything else comes out.

[00:26:14] Track 1: Everything. and then you're just sort of left to figure it out. like I said, I have a really strong support system, really great family, really great husband. I'm a strong person also. So I think sometimes the strongest people get some of the hardest challenges so that they will share stories and help others.

But one thing that I was nervous about for a long time, and it really affected my desire to go back to work or not was that my doctor warned me that because Sloan was at without oxygen for such a long time at birth, I don't even know how long it actually was. It felt like forever, but maybe it was about almost a minute or so that she might, have some learning disabilities or, different things like that.

And so I think I had a lot of extra anxiety about that for a [00:27:00] long time, know, she was a premie as well. So she wasn't as, expressive as my first, she took longer to, To do the things that I thought were normal because I only had one other pregnancy to compare it to. So I did a lot of comparing and now that know, eight and 11 now their personalities are just so different and it's so funny.

They're, just totally different people. And I don't really think it affected her, that I can tell because. Incredibly bright, inquisitive, just like the create most creative little thing. And, I, who knows, maybe I could have had a genius, but like , but she's incredibly bright and just a joy.

So they both are,

[00:27:48] kelly: These are a lot of things to navigate for new.

[00:27:51] Track 1: it is. And then the hormone.

[00:27:53] kelly: Also that.

[00:27:55] Track 1: And then the decision to go back to work or not. And what my husband and I ultimately [00:28:00] decided on was that I was gonna do, an extended maternity leave while I kind of figured things. And then I found a work from home opportunity 

that was the right fit and helped me feel better.

And, gave me a plan B. So I didn't have to then make that hard decision that so many women have to make 

to go back to work, to leave your babies, to pay, you know, in Denver at the time it was $3,000 a month for two in, in, um, Montessori daycare.

So I was like, if I cannot spend basically almost all my check

On on on childcare while I'm doing something that really isn't fueling my passion. I mean, I liked it. I 

liked it a lot, but, I just found more purpose in what I am doing now.

I, I think it's important to know, there are groups like, the preeclampsia foundation, they do, uh, a walk. Annually in most big cities there. I mean, it is a great community. It is a great community [00:29:00] for support and information. So that was something that I leaned on. And I also shared with people who were, pregnant, just say like, don't ignore your symptoms.

And I have been on social media, sharing my story.

[00:29:11] kelly: you have. Yeah,

[00:29:14] Track 1: You know, I think like there's power in sharing stories and there's power and information and not being like, I want it to be like an ostrich with my head in the sand, but there's power in knowing the possibilities so that you can tell if something is off in your body and it, it comes down to really trusting your gut and trusting your intuition, which I think mothers have a heightened state of that, because it's not just about us.

[00:29:41] kelly: Yeah, totally. I feel like I could talk to you for hours about this. Like we could come up with solutions for 

[00:29:48] Track 1: Well, I really enjoyed this. If you think of more questions that come up, we can definitely do a part.

[00:29:53] kelly: Of course. my goal is to just have women hear some of these stories and either feel completely [00:30:00] heard, or start to feel prepared and understand that let's maybe expand our village. Let's make it a village of women all over the world and just reach out and help each other. So thank you so much, Allie. I really appreciate you coming here

[00:30:18] Track 1: Absolutely. Thank you 

Do you have questions that you wish a labor nurse could answer as your due date approaches? Do you wish you could pick someone's brain about all the things that might happen during your labor? When you meet with your OB or midwife, do you forget your questions in the moment? Do you feel like you need someone to take more time to walk you through what might happen in the hospital and how to truly mentally prepare. 

You're in luck because I'm offering this as a free service in 2023. To get details on how to schedule a free session with me. Email me at birthjourneysRN@gmail.com.