Katy has given birth to two sons, and their birth stories were both remarkably similar and wildly different! In both of her births, Katy was supported by midwives in a hospital setting and was able to use water immersion and nitrous oxide for coping. Her first was an unplanned but joyful pregnancy, culminating in a 50+ hour “postdates” induction and birth at 41w5d. That story also includes healing from severe tearing and a NICU stay for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
The three year interim between pregnancies included navigating the COVID-19 pandemic alongside medical challenges for her oldest son. During this time, Katy sought support for her own physical and mental health (pelvic floor PT, mental health therapy, EMDR, and a birth story listening session with Pam England!) – to feel ready to welcome another child.
During Katy’s second pregnancy, she endeavored to balance her desire to set herself and her baby up for success with a pull to surrender to the process. That pregnancy brought a gestational diabetes diagnosis, which she worked hard to manage with diet and exercise, and a planned 39 week induction that went out the window when her husband, Justin, was diagnosed with COVID a few days prior! She went into spontaneous labor shortly after Justin was able to come out of quarantine, and had a triumphant birth at 40w2d with less perineal trauma and no need for NICU support.
Katy’s postpartum experiences have included wins and woes: creating a village, different feeding journeys (“extended” breastfeeding! tongue tie! recurrent mastitis!), postpartum anxiety and intrusive thoughts, discovering new ways to experience joy, and supporting other mothers while going through the transition herself! Now that her children are five and two years old, she views her two pregnancy, birth and postpartum experiences as transformations that expanded her faith in herself and her children to do hard things.
Resources
- The Birth Hour Patrons Facebook group – I spent a lot of time in that corner of the internet during my second pregnancy!
Programs/Professionals
Videos/books/podcasts/self education
- Katy’s essay about the transition to two kiddos on Motherly: Breaking Bigger: Second-Time Parents – Motherly
- Choices in Childbirth | Pregnancy, birth, and beyond
- 4th Trimester Project – A Village for Mothers
- Postpartum Support International – PSI
- Attaching Your Baby at the Breast – Video – Global Health Media Project
- Physician Guide to Breastfeeding for Parents, Physicians, Lactation Consultants, Doulas
- Podcasts (other than the Birth Hour): Birth Stories in Color, Evidence Based Birth, Birthful, The Longest Shortest Time
- Book recs: Mother Brain by Chelsea Conaboy, Real Food for Gestational Diabetes by Lily Nichols, Essential Labor and Like a Mother by Angela Garbes, Origins by Annie Murphy Paul, Ancient Map for Modern Birth by Pam England, The Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International
- Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE), and it’s a parenting program run by public school districts across MN for families with kids birth – preK. Here’s the link: https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/elsprog/ECFE/
Kathryn Markon Bio
Katy lives in Duluth, MN near the shores of Lake Superior with her husband Justin and their two sons, Lou and Jamie. She is proud to be both a mother and a nurse supporting birthing families – where parents gather and share their stories, healing and magic can happen. Katy’s professional experience has included time as an L&D and postpartum nurse, a nurse home visitor with the Nurse-Family Partnership program, a prenatal educator with Amma Parenting, and a group facilitator with Wellhop for Mom & Baby. She encourages the Birth Hour community to check out those organizations, and also welcomes messages via email or on social media. You can reach Katy at kathrynmarkon@gmail.com, or you can find her as Katy Markon (@katymarkon) on Facebook and Instagram.
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