You're going to love this family-centered birth story with Dr. Dekker's brother John DeYoung and his wife Krista DeYoung! On today's episode, Krista and John (who are graduates of the EBB Childbirth Class with EBB Instructor Chanté Perryman) get vulnerable and open up about their complex pregnancy and son Eli's miraculous birth story. In addition to facing a pregnancy with a prior diagnosis of Crohn's disease, they also had to cope with lockdowns during the pandemic, genetic concerns including an initial diagnosis of triploidy, a HUGE and abnormally low-functioning placenta, potential growth restriction, a 39-week induction, and placental retention that led to abnormal postpartum bleeding.
In addition to being inspired by John and Krista's unique story, you will also learn about the emotional rollercoaster of confronting a fatal genetic diagnosis that turns out to be a false positive. You will also hear from John about how active participating in childbirth and parenting has been an incredibly healing process for him— as John was adopted as a child and had no known blood relatives before Eli was born. And don't miss the end of the episode, when you find out about a surprise condition that was the cause of Krista's placental abnormalities.
Tune in for an empowering and insightful discussion that sheds light on the complexities of high-risk pregnancies and the role of evidence-based care in navigating challenging pregnancy and birth scenarios.
Content Note: This episode discusses high-risk pregnancies, history of bonding difficulties related to being adopted, concerns about fatal genetic diagnoses that may result in termination, false-positive genetic diagnoses, medical interventions, the potential of losing a baby in pregnancy, autoimmune conditions, and abnormal postpartum bleeding. Although everything turns out okay for our guests in this episode, we recognize that not all pregnancies with genetic complications have happy endings.
Other Resources
Follow Evidence Based Birth
EBB 201 - Bridging the Gap Between Evidence and Human Rights with Perinatal Nurse and Nurse Educator, Paula Richards
EBB 200 - Taking a Stand Against White Supremacy and Creating Solidarity in Birth Work with EBB Founder, Dr. Rebecca Dekker
EBB 199 - Writing about Racism's Effects on Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes with EBB Research Associate, Ihotu Ali
EBB 198 - Evidence on Eating and Drinking During Labor
EBB 197 - Addressing Perinatal Mental Health for Communities of Color with the co-founders of the Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color, Divya Kumar, Jabina Coleman, and Desirée Israel
EBB 196 - Pelvic Biomechanics and Movement in Labor with Brittany Sharpe McCollum
EBB 195 - Grief and Healing Through Pregnancy and Infant Loss with Full Spectrum Doula, Rose Rankin
EBB 194 - Nutrition and Real Food in Pregnancy with Lily Nichols, RDN
EBB 193 - Evidence on Essential Oils during Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum
EBB 192 - Raising Awareness and Advocacy for Sickle Cell Anemia Families with Advocate and Intuitive Womb Worker, Carissa Hunter
EBB 191 - Cultural Awareness in Birth and Postpartum Work with Community Doula and EBB Instructor, Marnellie Bishop
EBB 190 - Updated Evidence on Big Babies
EBB 189 - Why Black Lactation Matters and the Importance of Black Breastfeeding Week with IBCLC, Janiya Mitnaul Williams
EBB 188 - Birthing a Posterior-Positioned Baby with EBB Childbirth Class parent, Kathryn Remivasan
EBB 187 - Advocacy for Postpartum Medicaid Extension Coverage with Dr. Monica McLemore and Dr. Jamila K. Taylor
EBB 186 - A Positive Pregnancy and Birth Outcome with Multiple High-Risk Labels with EBB Childbirth Class Parent, Angela Jones
EBB 185 - The History of Narrative Medicine and Childbirth with Tyler Jean Dukes
EBB 184 - How Research Evidence is Carried Out with EBB Founder Dr. Rebecca Dekker
EBB 183 - Pushing for Licensed Certified Professional Midwifery in Kentucky with Mary Kathryn DeLodder
EBB 182 - Black-led Queer and Trans Birth Work with Mystique Hargrove, Kortney Lapeyrolerie, and Nadine Ashby
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Dr. Laura Call of the Day
Focus on the Family Broadcast
Calm Parenting Podcast
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Frankenstein
Good Inside with Dr. Becky
Parenting & You With Dr. Shefali