In EBB 350, Krista DeYoung called in from her hospital room after weeks of inpatient monitoring for partial placental abruption. She and Dr. Rebecca Dekker had just finished a crash course on preparing for a Cesarean, not knowing that information would be needed just 30 minutes later.

In this follow-up episode, Krista returns to share what happened next: the urgent decision-making, the move to labor and delivery, and the Cesarean birth that unfolded just days before her scheduled 37-week surgery.

Krista walks through the physical sensations of an urgent Cesarean, the grounding techniques that helped her stay calm during surgery, and the emotional reality of recovering after major abdominal surgery. She also opens up about NICU life, bringing her baby home on oxygen, and the unexpected emotional release that came after finally leaving the hospital following more than a month of inpatient care.

(04:04) Krista's extended hospital stay & partial placental abruption recap

(09:39) Preparing for a Cesarean just hours before it happened

(011:07) Realizing there are Cesarean birth options

(12:59) Staying calm: grounding, breath, and mental preparation

(13:59) Labor begins & the shift to an urgent Cesarean

(18:10) Epidural, tugging sensations, and what Cesarean feels like

(20:54) Baby Jace is born!

(23:40) Focusing inward during surgery

(27:25) First moments with Jace & NICU transfer

(31:42) Leaving the hospital after a month-long stay

(38:10) Feeding challenges after NICU

(41:26) Physical & emotional recovery after a Cesarean

(45:52) Advice for families preparing for a Cesarean

(47:38) Gratitude and shout-outs to nurses & care teams

Resources

EBB 266 – Advocating for your Newborn during an Unexpected NICU Stay with EBB Childbirth Class Graduates Priscilla and Nathan Layman

EBB 284 – How to Help NICU Families Find Empowerment and Healing During their Challenging Journeys with Hollis Wakefield

EBB 305 – A High-Risk Pregnancy and Miraculous Birth with Krista and John DeYoung, EBB Childbirth Class Graduates

EBB 350 – Surviving a Long Antepartum Hospital Stay and Preparing for a Scheduled Cesarean with Krista DeYoung, EBB Childbirth Class Graduate

EBB 356 – NICU-Informed Doulas: What are they and how can they change the NICU narrative? with Mary Farrelly, RN, Doula, and Founder of the NICU Translator

For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.