I have referenced my own birth stories in several episodes, but I haven't shared them in their entirety on this podcast... until now. I knew I probably needed to share more, to put my experiences in perspective when I share little tidbits here and there, but I was dreading a long monologue. Then I realized, well, I've walked through these stories before with a really fantastic interviewer and unless you found me through @happyhomebirthpodcast you may not have heard this story before. This exact interview was originally published as Happy Homebirth Podcast Episode 193: Preparing for Birth When Plans Change Last Minute. If you like encouraging birth stories and deep conversations about things that matter in the birth world, I cannot recommend Katelyn's podcast enough, by the way. EVEN IF you have zero desire to have a homebirth (spoiler alert: none of mine ended up being home births, although the third was supposed to be until plans changed at 38 weeks). Notes on this interview:

These are really three happy stories. However, my third birth experience ends with some unexpected events after delivery that registered as trauma in my body. I give a trigger warning before going into it, so if you're in a sensitive place, go ahead and skip forward 5 minutes or so when you hear that warning. Katelyn says, "Despite my great love and desire for mothers to know about homebirth as an option, that does NOT automatically mean that home is the best option for everyone. The best option for a mother is for her to give birth where she feels safest and most comfortable. We are asking our bodies to open up and be fully vulnerable. If they are most comfortable doing that in a hospital, there is absolutely no shame in that."

I go into my People Pleaser Tendency here. Katelyn says, "This is very common in pregnancy and birth, and it's something we need to be aware of so that we can prepare ourselves beforehand. Strengthening our boundaries during pregnancy can be incredibly useful." Finally, birth can be beautiful and still have complications. There can still be traumas after something amazing and lovely, and we can eventually find ways to integrate these experiences and not get stuck in those traumatic moments.

**This podcast is for educational purposes only! The opinions of myself or my guests are never meant to replace individual medical advice. Please practice informed consent with your mom intuition and your care team.** ---

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