Susi Hately came back to speak with us again on the Fourth Trimester Podcast after having twins (her sisters also have multiples!). She shares her personal story of having twins & Placenta Previa.
Twins & Placenta Previa
She was informed she had placenta previa early in her pregnancy. Placenta Previa “occurs when a baby’s placenta partially or totally covers the mother’s cervix — the outlet for the uterus. Placenta previa can cause severe bleeding during pregnancy and delivery.”
Because of the complication, Susi ended up experiencing various reactions from medical professionals to the point where she needed to advocate for herself to find someone who she felt would provide her the support she required.
Susi experienced a Cesarean section during her pregnancy. After the delivery, Susi experienced swelling and limited movement and was determined to recover despite this. Through seeking help from a support network, Susi gradually began adding basic stability and Pilates exercises to her routine while regularly listening to her body in order to prevent injury. Over time she increased the intensity of her activity and eventually achieved full recovery.
Susi advocates for taking enough time off initially and for considering treatment options such as osteopathy to more accurately assess and address alignment issues. Her experience has highlighted the importance of self advocacy and the need to do one’s own research, as well as to communicate expectations to medical professionals in order to ensure the best decisions and outcomes.
She was true to herself throughout the experience: she found a new doctor who was flexible in giving her options, she organized support for herself and her family after her children were born, and she took her time in recovering at her own pace so she wasn’t pushing too hard during the period where her body was repairing itself.
Even if you do not have twins & placenta previa, advocating for yourself matters.
As a professional, Susi has her own yoga therapy studio called Functional Synergy in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Here’s where you can find her previous episode with our program: Episode 22: How New Moms Can Prepare for and Recover from Pregnancy and Childbirth
Listen to Esther Gallagher & Susi Hately on the Fourth Trimester Podcast Episode 77. Click here for iTunes and click here for Google Podcasts. Enjoy! xo
Twin Preparation Reading Twins 101 | The Holistic Guide to Twin Pregnancy