We hope you’re enjoying this series about how collagen can help you. If you’re pregnant and thinking about taking collagen, you may have many questions. We recommend you consult your GP and/or midwife, and in the meantime enjoy Amy’s story.
Amy and Ian wanted their firstborn to have the most natural birth possible. They undertook a hypnobirthing course designed to help Amy manage labour pain through a combination of deep breathing techniques and visualisation. Their plan was to avoid drugs if possible.
However, when it comes to childbirth, plans often go awry.
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Pregnancy and coronavirus
The first curveball came in the form of a global pandemic.
Whilst pregnant, Amy had returned to her homeland, Australia, for a wedding. Ian, a professional cricket player, had also gone to Australia, but returned earlier in time for the beginning of the English cricket season.
Within days, however, it was clear that the world was shutting down. Amy faced the prospect of becoming stuck in Australia, and giving birth on the other side of the world to her husband. She made the difficult decision to sacrifice attending the wedding, and began emergency preparations to return to the UK. By the time her flight landed, the world was going into freefall. Along with seemingly every other event around the globe, the wedding was very suddenly postponed.
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Labour - a team effort
It was always essential for Amy that Ian be part of the birth.
He had played a big part in the hypnobirthing preparation, and his presence during labour was part of her pain management strategy and helping to keep her calm. Given the risk of coronavirus hanging heavily over every hospital patient, if something were to go wrong, this was no longer a certainty. Everything therefore needed to stay to plan.
Waters breaking early
But, of course, the opposite happened.
Two weeks and five days earlier than anticipated, Amy’s waters broke. With the threat of infection very real 24 hours after waters breaking, the situation now became a ticking time bomb. It was Wednesday.
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To induce, or not to induce
24 hours after waters breaking, and the hospital was ready to induce.
It was a non-negotiable for the two. Amy knew that unless she had either a natural birth or a c-section, Ian’s presence would be significantly curtailed. They really wanted their baby to come naturally. Although she began with very strong contractions, they had now subsided. Then Amy became violently sick. She was given an injection in the leg to help reduce the vomiting and subsequent dehydration. It was clear things couldn’t continue as they were. The hospital pressed again to induce. By now, Amy knew they were at the precipice. With the medical team involved, the two opted for an immediate section birth.
Surgery complications
What should have been an hour-long operation extended into three, with Amy hemorrhaging and her body going into trauma. She lost more than a litre of blood. The spinal block began to wear off, which Amy describes laconically as “not ideal”. By Friday, however, little Leo made his fairly quiet (typical for section babies) entry into the world.
Collagen and pregnancy
Amy is fastidious about the ingredients of anything “on the shelf”.
Before purchasing, she researches extensively to understand the product, its contents, the brand ethics. She takes an almost forensic approach. She has to - it’s not only for her and Ian’s health and wellbeing, but to ensure nothing they consume can be even remotely at risk of compromising the strict anti-doping regulations surrounding professional athletes. So when she decided to start taking collagen during her pregnancy, Amy naturally began to investigate.
Convinced by her research that collagen would help not only the pregnancy, but her body’s recovery from it, Amy now just needed to find the right brand. Everything about Edible Health met her approval - the quality, the natural/ pure ingredients, the business transparency, the ethics. Amy referred the product to her midwife, waited for her feedback, and shortly thereafter made a purchase.
With exception to just a couple of weeks immediately prior to Leo’s arrival, Amy took Edible Health collagen in her coffee before and after the birth. She believes it has been key to her remarkable bounce-back.
Collagen and recovery from childbirth
Within 30 hours of giving birth, Amy was discharged.
Normally she would have remained in hospital for up to four days. However, the fear of coronavirus was setting a new precedent to time spent recovering in wards. So, home they went, this happy new trio, to settle into a new life that was (for the time being) devoid of any physical support from anyone beyond their four walls.
Getting in and out of bed was, in Amy’s signature downplay tone, “interesting”. The internal wounding was significant, but in less than a week her scar was healing superbly and her movement was so much more fluid. It only took two days for the bruising around her incision points to fade. She was careful to listen to medical advice and keep things as physically low-key as possible for at least six weeks.
Aside from arnica and collagen, she relied entirely on food and water to heal naturally. Amy doesn’t have a precedent, but she’s convinced collagen has played an active role in assisting such a smooth and fast return to strength. It’s very much a daily part of her nutrition.
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Grandma has not been able to see her first grandchild, yet. Her flight from Australia was, of course, cancelled. Amy is unsure when they will be able to head Down Under with their new little man. But there’s nothing anyone can do in such uncertain times, other than to wait it out and continue with living. Little Leo has now well and truly found his voice. So at least when the family reunion is able to at last happen, grandma will hear all about it.
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