u/downtothelake — reddlx

Redemptive home birth 💛

Last night I gave birth for the second time. Both times we planned at home. The first time around ending up being 44 hours of active labor and a transfer to hospital where I requested epidural to progress. After seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist a few weeks postpartum, she explained that my muscles were so tight they literally weren’t letting baby through. That was so enlightening for me so for my second pregnancy learning to relax was a huge focus of mine.

Fast forward to last night… less than 3 hours of active labor and baby was born at home perfectly healthy, everything went as smoothly as could be and I just can’t believe we DID IT!

The only position I wanted to be in for the whole labor was draped over the birth ball, they had the birth pool set up and kept offering to help me get in but I just kept saying “I can’t move, it hurts too much” but after pushing for 30 mins (pushing was completely involuntary by the way, it was amazing how my body just took over and led the way without me having to think about it) I got a quick surge of motivation to get in the tub. Literally right away baby was born completely in the next 2 pushes after I got in the water. The warm water felt so good to be in freshly after delivering!

Baby started crying immediately and was pink from the start. It was a surprise gender and I was over the moon finding out it was a baby girl (my intuition the entire pregnancy told me this was a girl). After about 30 mins of hanging out in the tub with baby girl and my husband, the birth team (2 midwives + my doula) assisted me to our bed and about 10 mins later placenta was born. From there I stayed snuggled with my sweet baby girl who loved suckling right away, my doula brought me soup and after about 2 hours everyone packed up and headed home and our family of now 4 were left to snuggle in bed 💛

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u/downtothelake — 11 days ago

▲ 68 r/exmormon

I wrote a paper in high school about banning Victoria Secret pics in malls because: pornography.

And this is coming from a female 🙋‍♀️

When I was in 10th grade, I wrote a paper for English class on why the Victoria Secret model pictures should only be allowed inside the store- not publicly facing, because it’s pornography.

It’s crazy to me how much even as a female I was indoctrinated to feel so offended by “immodest” women.

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u/downtothelake — 1 month ago

▲ 32 r/exmormon

Reasons to attend event include free food and “because we told you to”

A lot of things in this Tab Choir watch party invitation have me loling but I’ll just point out my top 3:

-Free food is listed as a reason to come above the actual reason for the event itself (watching the choir)
-Another reason to show up is because the stake president told you to
-Neil Andersen proclaimed this choir performance is among the most significant events of the YEAR?!Like what 😂

u/downtothelake — 2 months ago

▲ 686 r/exmormon

“the Lord’s standards will not change.” 🙄

This is from the For Strength of Youth I grew up with and meticulously made decisions with as a teen. Well MFMC, looks like somebody’s standards changed. And much to your dismay we’ve got the receipts 🧾

u/downtothelake — 2 months ago

▲ 301 r/exmormon

Finally getting rid of temple bag!

Husband and I pulled our temple bags out of the back of our closet and are finally getting rid of them 🥳 it’s funny how at first it felt like too big a deal, now it’s like wait do we really still have this stuff?

Also, we were given nice embroidered pouches to hold the temple clothing with our names and wedding date on them for a wedding gift years ago… I’m getting rid of everything else but want to keep that, any fun ideas of ways I can reuse that pouch now? Toiletry bag, snack bag? 😆

u/downtothelake — 3 months ago

▲ 193 r/exmormon

Were my boundaries too much to warrant a response from the missionaries? Lol

Every couple of months we get new missionaries stopping by our house or texting me (apparently the mission president here is always doubling missionaries out and putting brand new ones in, literally this happens every couple of months). My husband and I are genuinely fine with talking with them or letting them inside. They’re just kids doing their best, the last thing we’ll be is hostile to them. We actually really enjoyed the last ones we talked to.

The one annoying thing is the message that we have actually left the church never seems to get across to the new ones. Judging by referring to me as “Sister” and wanting to “get to know the family” that feels more like they must have us written down in their notes as “friendly less actives” lol. I really want them to be clear on where we stand before they come over and it’s awkward for everyone when they try to share a church message or invite us to church. Hence my explanation in the text. I want them to know we are not “less actives,” we have left the church. Still welcome to come by though.

It’s just funny to me to be left on read by the missionaries after giving them an invite into our home, like I feel like they truly don’t know what to say because they probably never got the message from past missionaries that we do not identify with the church in any way anymore 😆 to be fair I’m sure they will get around to responding eventually (& I don’t care if and when they do), it’s just funny that every couple of months we get new missionaries wanting to visit us and we are always having to explain where we stand lol. Like PLEASE write down in your notes that we are ex mormon, not a less active family you have a chance to reactivate 😂 as a TBM would say, bless their hearts

u/downtothelake — 3 months ago