Personal trainer Leia wanted a homebirth, but because her husband wasn’t comfortable with that idea hired hospital midwives instead. She did lots of prenatal education and prep, and hired doulas who were the perfect fit for her. In hindsight she’s very glad she did that because she knew how to both advocate for herself and had an advocate there to help her navigate the unexpected twists and turns of her birth. Things like her water breaking as the first sign of labor as well as labor going on for longer than she anticipated. She’s able to have the birth without pain meds that she hoped for, but certain hospital pressures require some strong self-advocacy all along the way. You’ll also hear her describe how indispensable postpartum support was with her doulas, a lactation consultant, a virtual postpartum support group, and bodywork for her baby.

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Taylor and her husband never expected to have kids, and if ever maybe around 40. Then one day when Taylor was only 30, surprise! She was pregnant. In today’s episode, Taylor, who identifies as a biracial Black woman, shares how she went from working with a hospital OB to planning a homebirth with midwives and a doula. Her beloved doula, Chana, joins in today’s sharing, too. Taylor shares how getting off her mental health meds in her pregnancy wasn’t a good idea and how she had never realized that prenatal depression is a real thing until she experienced it. She also shares how well-supported she felt, how everyone deserves to feel safe and supported in their births, and what a gamechanger her choice of birth setting and team has been in supporting her mental health every step of the way. And of course, she shares all the juicy details of her homebirth story, which will include a passionate dislike of castor oil’s unpleasant side effects and an in-home visit from an acupuncturist to help move labor along.

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Ellen, who shared her first two babies’ birth stories in Episode 26, returns to share her son’s preterm birth story following a relocation from NYC to California where they are now homesteaders growing toward self-sustainability. She had wanted an unmedicated birth with midwives, but due to her history of two premature births, she stays with a high-risk OB who provides midwife-like, compassionate care. At the 20-week scan, Ellen learns their son has a cleft lip, like his dad. Despite this, he ends up being the only one of the 3 for whom breastfeeding comes easily. Ellen lays low and stays pregnant a bit longer than with her daughters, and despite her son being born a preemie, he doesn’t need the NICU after birth. She shares how much she struggled in the first month, despite all her preparation for and support in the postpartum period. The details of Ellen’s story drive home the importance of being quick to speak up if you’re ever not okay in the journey into parenthood. And stay tuned for some mental health resources that may be a lifeline for anyone who might be struggling; those will be shared in the commentary after Ellen shares her story.

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