In 2018, Joy and her husband Ian were ecstatic to be pregnant with their first child. After recovering from pancreatic cancer, being able to carry a healthy baby girl felt like a miracle.
However within 24 hours of announcing the news to friends, Joy had sharp pains and was rushed to hospital. A complication arose from her previous surgery to remove the tumor. She needed a life saving abdominal surgery when she was just 18 weeks pregnant. Though the surgery was a success, having a major surgery so early in her pregnancy made the rest of it a struggle. So when she made it to 38 weeks she was relieved. Unbeknownst to them, they weren’t out of the woods yet.
During her planned c-section delivery, her daughter’s heart rate was dropping and the team coded red whilst she was on the operating table. Her daughter was born blue, limp and non responsive. She was terrified but the medics never lost hope. After resuscitating for 6 minutes, her daughter took her first breath before being rushed to the NICU.
After a traumatic birth experience, Joy had to find a way to breastfeed and bond with her daughter. Being separated at birth made both things challenging. With support, patience and resilience, she discovered ways to connect with her baby girl, breastfed for 19 months and enjoyed the early years of motherhood.
3 years later, in 2021, Joy and Ian loved parenting so much they decided to get pregnant again. Though family members were concerned she’d be putting her life at risk again, Joy had faith the second pregnancy would be different. She reflected on what went wrong last time, made new choices and hoped it would lead to a better pregnancy and birth experience.
As a result, Joy had a healing pregnancy and birth with no complications. It was everything she’d ever dreamed of and gave her faith that it’s possible to have a positive birth experience after a nightmare journey. All you need to do is reflect on what works well and what doesn’t.
Joy Randolph Bio
Joy lives in the Cotswolds in Oxfordshire, with her husband Ian and two daughters, Skylar and Riviera. She’s a holistic health coach that has inspired over 2 million women worldwide to do what brings them joy. She’s currently studying an MSc in Psychology so that she can help women find resilience and joy in times of difficulty. When she’s not with her family or working, you can find her working out, decorating her home and gardening.
You can find her on Instagram at @iamjoyrandolph and her website is joyrandolph.com
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Motif Medical
This episode was sponsored by Motif Medical. Motif designs insurance-eligible products for busy moms. With a focus on innovation and empowerment, Motif’s line of breast pumps and maternity compression garments are sophisticated, yet discreet, and made to support mothers as they navigate new motherhood. Discover why moms are reporting more milk in less time with the Luna breast pump, and see how you can get it covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour. Check out great content from Motif here.