Tell us about yourself. What was pregnancy like for you?  My name is Sanetra Longno and I became a mom the month of September with our little girl Embia. My husband and I are based in the Austin, TX area and we are both entrepreneurs in the film and photo industry. I’m Texas born and raised and my husband is from the Philippines. We have two cats named Jasper, our orange tabby, and our Siamese named Luna.

My first trimester was rough — bedridden basically. I couldn’t do anything besides lay in bed, drink fluids, and eat basic raw foods. At the start of my 2nd trimester my husband and I went on a trip to Japan during cherry blossom season. It was such a beautiful experience and also a time of realization that my body was changing. 

What was a challenge that you faced during your pregnancy? How did you deal with it? The biggest challenge I had to undergo during my pregnancy was establishing boundaries with family & friends. There were moments still to this day that I’m surprised took place. People become someone else when you’re expecting. I don’t know what it is. But it’s a level of disrespect. People would act as if you’re their prize possession, and the obligation to keep people informed of every little thing. My close circle was enough. Social media has been lovely to share updates.

With my family I created a list of boundary requests. We chose one family member to be our voice. No one would reach out to me or my partner directly, only my uncle if they had any questions or concerns and it worked so well.

What gave you joy during your pregnancy? The most joy I had during my pregnancy was being outdoors, morning Barre3 classes, Nautical bowls, and seeing our community show up. It was such a beautiful thing. Because I don’t have immediate family in town I became even closer to my chosen family. 

Simple rituals like morning smoothies, snack plates with peanut butter, and walks at Mueller Lake Park brought me happiness. Staying active with Barre3 classes three to four times a week also helped me avoid common pregnancy discomforts like swelling and pain.

How would you describe your childbirth experience? What stands out most in your memory? One word to describe my birth story is animalistic. I did a home birth with a midwife team.

One thing that stood out most was the moment Leena, my midwife, suggested we walk around through the contractions together to remove the remaining cervix off Embia’s head. I wasn’t excited about it but knew that I trusted anything and everything she said, so I got up from the bed and we held each other as if we were tango partners and created a path throughout the house. I was unclothed, with fluids going everywhere on the floor as we danced our way around. After finishing five or more rounds I lifted my right leg on the birthing chair during a few contractions. Then I returned to the bed to check and my cervix was cleared. While walking the tango route with Leena, I watched my husband wander the house in his slippers thinking, “Oh my goodness he’s getting my fluids everywhere.” I will forever remember that. It gets me laughing every time.

What has postpartum looked and felt like for you? It’s a tough journey — I didn’t realize I was hogging our child until after we returned home from NICU with her. We had to take her after birth because she had consumed meconium. I didn’t get the golden hour. We were in the hospital with her for five days before discharge.

Breastfeeding was wiiillld! At one point I thought she wasn’t getting enough but turns out she was cluster feeding (plus witching hour). I didn’t understand why she was being fussy and hopping from one breast to the next every hour or so. I had my partner purchase formula just in case, but we’ve had affirmation from my midwife and practitioner she’s doing great. 

I had PPD within the first 2-3 weeks and one of my best friends came to the rescue. I was able to care for myself, she gave me some tips (she has four boys), and we practiced having Embia in the car seat during a Target & HEB grocery run.

What’s something you wish you had known before birth, that you know now?  I wish I had known how water birth isn’t for everyone. I wanted it for the longest. Then, when the day came, I lasted less than 10 minutes. My midwife said I was the grounding type, so floating wasn’t something I enjoyed. It was extremely uncomfortable for me because of my long legs and not being able to grip through the contractions on all fours was tough.

Also, the desire to cling to your baby 24/7. Every thought is about them. When you step away to take care of yourself while your partner is tending to the baby your brain is thinking about the little one obsessively. And who smells toes? I do, I smell my baby’s stinky feet.

Didn’t know we had to teach the baby to latch. I thought it was something they would already know. The pumping journey was not taught well in the hospital so days after returning home I was so engorged my midwife informed me to do shower expressions till they felt better. Never knew breastmilk could shoot out like that.

What types of support have meant the most to you?  I have to say there is no way I would have been able to experience pregnancy without my community of friends and family. I feel so blessed for the people God has placed in my life to support me through such a life-changing journey. People reached out asking for anything we may need — we have so many clothes from friends we don’t really need to buy anything for a while. Several helped us set up our baby shower the day of and started a meal train. Close ones would visit so that I could take a shower, eat, do laundry, and so on and so forth. I cannot wait for the day to be able to pay forward what every single person has done for us. Embia is so loved and I can’t wait for her to understand how much they mean to us when she’s able.