From the moment I met with Gloria and Beka, I knew this decision was the right one. Their care was exceptional and personalized in a way that truly made me feel heard, valued, and supported. The midwives didn’t just provide medical care—they offered emotional and spiritual support that made me feel safe and empowered throughout my entire pregnancy. Their focus was on not just my physical health, but my mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being as well. I felt reassured in knowing that these women were experienced and deeply committed to providing the highest level of care, no matter the circumstances.

Exceptional Prenatal Care: Holistic and Comprehensive

Throughout my pregnancy, our midwives went above and beyond in their care. They didn’t just see me for a few quick appointments—they truly got to know me, listened to my concerns, and respected my desires for my birth experience. Each prenatal visit was filled with warmth and attention. A midwife would carefully check my vital signs, listen to my baby’s heartbeat, and monitor my health in a thorough but unhurried way. What I appreciated most was the time they took to educate me about the birthing process, offer holistic care, and address any questions I had. They provided nutritional advice, shared helpful resources about natural childbirth, and offered emotional support during the inevitable ups and downs of pregnancy. Their care was truly comprehensive, and it felt like they were partners in this sacred journey—not just medical providers. They were with me every step of the way, praying for me, guiding me, and reminding me that God was present in every aspect of this process. There was an undeniable peace in knowing that I was in good hands. Our midwives provided regular check-ins, both physically and emotionally. They were available to answer questions between appointments, always offering reassurance, advice, and support. Their gentle presence allowed me to stay calm, trusting that they would be there to support me, no matter what.

A Prayerful and Peaceful Environment

As I began to feel the first signs of labor, there was a sense of calm that settled over me. The house had been prepared with soft lighting, calming music, and gentle scents. But more than that, the atmosphere was filled with prayer. My husband and I prayed together often throughout my pregnancy, asking for God’s protection and guidance. I knew this was a sacred moment, and I wanted to invite God into every part of it. As my contractions started to intensify, I held onto my faith and reminded myself of the truth in Isaiah 40:29, which says, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” I whispered this verse to myself, leaning on God’s promise that He would give me the strength I needed. The contractions came and went, and although they were intense, I trusted God would carry me through each one. Gloria and Beka checked on me periodically, ensuring everything was progressing smoothly, but there was no rush. They reassured me that I could take things at my own pace, just as I had always desired. Both had a calm presence, helping me trust that my body knew what it was doing. I was also aware of my doula, who gently guided me with soothing words, offering encouragement, and helping me change positions to ease the intensity of the contractions. In the midst of it all, I felt God’s peace, knowing that this moment, though challenging, was part of His beautiful plan for my family.

The Moment of Birth: A Gift from God

Then, finally, it was time. As the baby began to make its descent, I could feel a rush of excitement and anticipation, but also a deep sense of awe. I knew this moment was sacred. This was not just the birth of a child—it was a testament to the miracle of life that only God could create. I felt His presence surrounding me, guiding me through the final moments. When my baby was finally born, I was overwhelmed with relief. There was a brief scare as our son was unresponsive, but the midwives were calm and collected. After a few moments, my son was able to breathe. As Gloria placed my son on my chest, I could only think, “Thank You, God.” There, in the peace of my home, with my husband beside me, our baby in my arms, and the love of our birthing team surrounding us, I could feel God’s goodness. It was a sacred moment—a gift, a blessing.

A New Beginning in Christ

In the hours that followed, as we settled into our new rhythm as a family of four, I felt a deep sense of peace. I held my son close, thanking God for this miracle of life. I thought about the verses from Psalm 127:3: “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” I had trusted God throughout my pregnancy, and He had delivered on His promises in the most beautiful way. This homebirth wasn’t just a physical journey—it was a spiritual one. A moment where I was reminded that God’s presence is with us always, especially in the most intimate, vulnerable, and sacred moments of our lives. And as I held my newborn child, I felt God’s love in a way I never had before, knowing that He was with us every step of the way.

The post The Decision for a Homebirth: Trusting in God’s Design appeared first on Glory Birth.

Excellent Midwife Prenatal Care

One of the biggest blessings of my third pregnancy was the excellent prenatal care I received from our midwives, Gloria and Rebekah. I had found Glory Birth during my second pregnancy, and I was so grateful to be able to work with them again. The team is incredibly knowledgeable, compassionate, and rooted in faith, which made me feel at ease throughout the entire process. Throughout the pregnancy, they took the time to listen to my concerns, pray with me, and ensure that both baby and I were healthy. There were always encouraging words shared, and I felt surrounded by support. The midwives approach, which combines medical expertise with nurturing spirits, helped me to feel prepared physically and spiritually for the birth. Having prenatal visits in the comfort of a familiar place also helped me feel more relaxed. We took time to discuss the birth plan and any changes that might need to be made. It was clear that they cared deeply about providing care that aligned with my faith and personal birth preferences. I truly felt that their care was a partnership, one that emphasized both the sacredness and beauty of birth.

Dad and Doula Delivery

One of the most beautiful aspects of this birth was how my husband and doula played an active role in the delivery. My husband, who had been an incredible support throughout my first two births, was present and involved every step of the way. It was so special to have him right by my side, holding my hand and comforting me with words of encouragement, always reminding me that God was with us. My doula, Molly, who had been an invaluable source of support during my second pregnancy, was once again by my side. She has a deep understanding of the birth process and provided calm and steady guidance through the quick labor. I couldn’t have asked for a better team. As the time came to deliver our baby, we realized just how much of a beautiful team we all were. Mason and Molly worked together to ensure that I was as comfortable as possible while preparing for the final moments of labor. With my midwife team guiding us from a distance, knowing that we had everything under control, we were ready. And then, our sweet boy arrived—so quickly, so peacefully, and filled with God’s grace. It was a moment of absolute joy and awe as we saw our baby for the first time. I was shocked at how fast it all was. Our midwife team walked in right as I had delivered! I still praise God for the courage and strength He gave me and the calmness of my husband and doula during that time.

Reflecting on God’s Faithfulness

In the days and weeks that followed, I took time to reflect on the journey. God’s faithfulness was evident in every moment of the pregnancy, labor, and birth. From the excellent prenatal care that allowed me to feel supported and empowered to the beautiful team that helped bring our baby into the world, I saw God’s hand at work. He had been with me through every contraction, every prayer, every moment of uncertainty, and every joyful minute after Asaph’s birth.I feel so blessed to have had another homebirth experience. It was a reminder that God’s design for birth is one of strength and grace. For me, a homebirth is not just about the physical experience; it’s about connecting with my faith and trusting in God’s perfect timing and plans for our family. I look forward to sharing this journey of faith and empowerment with other women who may be considering a home birth, knowing that God’s presence is there in every step. Whatever path a woman chooses for her birth, I truly believe that through prayer, support, and a trusting heart, she can experience the incredible gift that is childbirth.

The post My Second Homebirth Experience with Glory Birth appeared first on Glory Birth.

I’m so thankful for Glory Birth and look forward to birthing with them again!

The post Hannahs Birth Story appeared first on Glory Birth.

You’re heading into the interview and suddenly you go blank. What’s important to know? I’ve compiled the top 6 questions and topics that I have had asked in a consultation. I thought were important, well-thought-out, and intelligent questions. A good midwife loves challenging topics and hard questions!

How Long Have You Been Practicing?

1. How long have you been in the profession? And how long have you been certified/licensed? Outside of the amount of time: it’s always important to know that experience and time are not a perfect match. Many midwives take a slower route and had less experience in their many years than I did when I first started. Experience and variety of experiences are significant, particularly when you are utilizing a homebirth CPM. Let’s say you love the midwife but she doesn’t have as much experience as the last one you interviewed. Does she have a mentor or more experienced care provider she can call to ask for advice in situations she maybe hasn’t encountered yet? Is she continuing her education? Do you feel she is confident and adequately prepared to help walk you through your pregnancy and birth? When you feel peace and trust you will know, don’t let the details override it if your intuition is telling you it’s a beautiful match.

How Did You Begin?

2. How did you begin practicing what you have changed since developing your personal and professional style of midwifery? This is important to see because instead of giving an over-inflated or exaggerated comparison to another practice, you will see who they’re becoming. Maybe the initial struggles they had in being patient with extended labors, and now, how they’ve learned the trust the process or they’ve learned better tools to navigate long births. You want to see not just who they were but who they are becoming. This too lets you see what they’ve become passionate about in the process.

How Busy Is Your Practice?

3. How busy is your practice in comparison to the other practices? If you’re fairly busy how do you navigate off-call/on-call time and staying rested and practicing safely? If 2 moms go at the same time do you have a good backup? You want to be sure that you’re covered and that a midwife is there. More than that, you want to be sure that the midwife is not so haggard that she is exhausted and not able to make good quick decisions at your birth. A practice of more than 1 midwife (and of course assistants) can do this far better with far more clients than even a small practice with a solo midwife.

What Type Of Equipment Will You Bring?

4. For homebirths what kind of equipment can your midwife bring? It varies legally from state to state, but even where it’s legal midwives choose to bring different things. The most common emergencies are hemorrhage and the baby needing resuscitation. You don’t always need medical-grade items to navigate these emergencies. But if you are concerned with bleeding you should ask if they carry Pitocin, Cytotec, iv fluids, and then methergine if you have a low-lying placenta. There are also herbs and tinctures that help, and midwifery care tends to prevent hemorrhaging more effectively than ob care.

What About A Mal-Positioned Baby?

5. Do you work with me in labor if my baby is mal-positioned? Talk to me about what you have done in the past for long dysfunctional labors! This is an important question because you will want to know what she considers and if she practices “spinning babies” to help, or if she expects the doula to do that. Or if it’s taking too long historically, does she transfer? Does she just wait out a mal-positioned baby? Are you okay with that? Ask if she takes courses on how to resolve mal-position and her success with it. There’s not necessarily a right answer here, but more what you want out of your midwife.

How Many Transfers?

6. Lastly, gather their statistics. How many people transfer out of their care prenatally, in labor, and postpartum? Who is she risking out and why?  This may be important to know if she is comfortable and experienced doing twins and breeches. What’s the worst outcome they’ve had? What’s their c-section rate? Breastfeeding success rate? Pain relief rate? Could that have been prevented? What do they do to prevent the most common emergencies? What’s their VBAC and primip rate of successful delivery at home? If they have had a bad outcome you need to know the solution and if they’re adequately prepared to handle things appropriately in the future. It doesn’t even necessarily mean that they didn’t, but you will learn a lot about her protocol and her decision-making process by learning these things. Some midwives are okay taking on riskier situations than others, you need to know what kind of a midwife you’re more comfortable with. Someone who is more conservative or someone who will go the extra mile with you! For every question there is a good follow-up question, dig deep!

I hope these questions help you feel well-covered and prepared at your next consultation with a homebirth midwife! Don’t shy away, be bold and ask! This is your family and your future, it’s serious business. Learn more about the midwives at Glory Birth HERE.

The post 6 Interview Questions To Ask A Homebirth Midwife appeared first on Glory Birth.

Every first-time mom has more than a few questions about breastfeeding. Here are some of the top 15 most frequently asked questions about breastfeeding.  I had each answer reviewed by an IBCLC lactation consultant for accuracy.

When Should My Milk Come In?

If this is your first child you will have colostrum until your milk comes in for the first 3-4 days (sometimes longer, which is fine). Colostrum is a nutrient-rich substance that is protective and perfectly satisfying for the newborn. This is all the baby needs as its stomach is between the size of a cherry and walnut until your milk comes in. Your breasts will start to feel firmer and fuller as your milk comes in. For subsequent children, the milk comes in sooner and sooner.

Is Breastfeeding Difficult?

Breastfeeding is easy for some and a challenge for others. It may be natural, but like walking or anything else natural, we still have to learn and work hard at it. Determine what about it is difficult for you if it hurts you might improve the latch, or ask a pediatrician if a tongue tie is the issue. If the difficulty is feeling overly emotional consider speaking with a doctor or midwife to help with your hormones. If the difficulty is the time put in and the lack of sleep, that is standard for nearly every newborn. Breastfeeding tends to be easier than formula feeding in that regard. You have milk on tap, any time of the day or night that you don’t have to measure out or warm that saves you considerable time and energy. Most women, even if things are going quite normally need some extra support at least for their first child. Consider calling a lactation consultant or joining a La Leche League group.

How Do I Know If My Baby Is Getting Enough To Eat?

You can determine this a few ways. Watch them as they drink, a baby that is receiving milk as it sucks has a certain pattern of drinking. It will open its mouth, pause, then close to swallow. The longer the pause the more milk more milk it has received. Watch the throat for swallowing motions.
You can also determine by the bowel movements. The first few days after the birth the baby should be passing meconium, which is a dark green almost black newborn poop. If the baby is still passing meconium on the 4th or 5th day this is a problem and they should be seen immediately. The poop should have lightened up by then to be usually a mustard color, watery, sometimes seedy and normal variations are green, orange, and/or containing mucus or curds. After 3-4 days of life, the baby should be producing 2-3 poopy diapers a day. After 4-6 weeks infrequent poops are common and some breastfed babies go 20 or more days without a bowel movement and are quite normal and healthy. As long as they continue to put on weight and have wet diapers this is not concerning.
So how much should the baby be peeing? The baby should be SOAKING at least 6 diapers every 24 hours, 4-5 days after birth. Weight should be checked by a care provider to ensure that it is accurate and increasing at a normal rate. Don’t be afraid to get a second opinion if you’re not sure of the first answer you get.

Should I Be Supplementing?

The short answer is probably not. Most women can successfully exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first 6 months of life if given the chance and the support. Before you consider supplementing with formula, there are other options. First, consider taking the steps to increase your milk supply, the second option is to request human milk from a local milk bank. If neither of those work with your situation, talk with a lactation consultant or care provider about supplementing properly for your situation.

What’s The Difference Between Formula And Breastmilk?

The differences are vast. First, your breastmilk is tailor-made for your baby’s every specific need. If there is a virus going around, through skin to skin contact your body will recognize its need to protect the baby from it and begin producing the correct antibodies in the milk to protect the infant. Breast milk is a live culture containing enzymes, bonding hormones, and the exact calculated vitamins and nutrients your baby needs for optimal growth, immunity, and health. All things that formula cannot ever compete with. Formula has a higher amount of casein than human milk also making it harder on the baby’s digestive system. When you compare exclusively breastfed children to exclusively formula-fed children – formula feeding increases 4 times the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

Why Are My Nipples Sore?

This is primarily due to incorrect or poor latching at the breast. This can be caused by a tongue tie, but most likely you both just need a little practice getting comfortable. To get a good latch, ensure that the baby is positioned securely and held firmly abdomen to abdomen. Position the head so that it’s not overextended or tucked, a slight extension upwards is good. Put the baby’s nose to your nipple and wait for it to open its mouth. When open, you want to aim the nipple to the roof of the baby’s mouth, not the middle. To see if it’s latched properly you should not see much areola below the mouth, but more above the mouth. The mouth should be wide, taking in a large amount of breast to properly express. This will prevent sore nipples, although they may still be tender in the beginning as you get used to the new pressure. Watch this video for more visual help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l5BpqllTLg

Is Breastfeeding Ever Contraindicated?

There are 2 conditions in which a baby would need formula instead of breast milk. Galactosemia, which is a rare metabolic disorder that prevents it from metabolizing sugar galactose properly. The other one is maple syrup urine disease, preventing the breakdown of amino acid. PKU disease was previously thought to be a contraindication to breastfeeding, but it’s been found to raise the IQ of the developing child and contains less phenylalanine than formula. This must be done with careful monitoring.
There may be physical deformities making breastfeeding difficult, but simple surgeries are available which usually resolve the issue.
There may be reasons though in which you should not or cannot breastfeed.
1. True low milk supply from previous radiation therapy, insufficient glandular tissue, PCOS, hypothyroidism, or previous breast surgery may prevent you from breastfeeding exclusively.
2. You should not try to breastfeed if you are dependent on illegal (street) drugs, as these can pass to the baby through the milk. If this is the case please reach out for the help you need to be the mother your child needs, you can reach out to this addiction hotline 24/7 http://drughelpline.org/.
3. There are a few medications that are dangerous for breastfed infants, if you’re concerned you can contact infant risk +1 (806) 352-2519, or talk to your doctor about a safe replacement.
4. There are a few infections that contraindicate breastfeeding in the US, including HIV, HTLV, an active tuberculosis infection (this depends on the onset, you may be able to still breastfeed), and active herpes lesions on the breasts. If there are active herpes lesions on one breast and not the other you can still breastfeed from the unaffected breast.

Where Is My Local Milk Bank?

Here is a list from the Human Milk Banking Association of North America of pasteurized donor milk with their contact list – https://www.hmbana.org/find-a-milk-bank/overview.html.
There are also several Facebook groups that you can join and ask if any donor in your area has milk. These groups have rules against selling, only free milk donation allowed. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2055556058022976/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2491931147/
A Kansas group https://www.facebook.com/HM4HBKS/
A Missouri group https://www.facebook.com/HM4HBMissouri/

Why Are My Emotions All Over The Place?

Breastfeeding is commonly an emotional time as your hormones are in a frenzy, however, there are a few markers you should watch out for.
If you’re feeling sad/angry/anxious right before your milk lets down, this is called Dysmorphic Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER). You may feel wildly devastated suddenly for no reason at all for 30-90 seconds while your milk is preparing to let down. The feelings can vary, but the words commonly used to describe the feelings are a hollow feeling in the stomach, anxiety, sadness, dread, introspectiveness, nervousness, anxiousness, emotional upset, angst, irritability, hopelessness, and general negativity. The moms that experience D-MER will often say that for this 30-90 seconds they are feeling suicidal or wanting to self-harm in some way. Rarely do they act on it, it’s not a negative experience creating this feeling but rather a hormone fluctuation, although at the time it may be hard to distinguish. These moms should not be treated as an abuse risk but rather be well supported and cared for as they care for their newborns. Causes and treatments are unknown but a solid nutrient-rich diet may be beneficial. Read more about D-MER here: https://d-mer.org/understanding-d-mer
Many mothers also struggle with postpartum depression (PPD) for many of the same reasons. Your hormones are on a pendulum, while you are lacking in proper sleep, and taking on probably the hardest job of your life – being a 24/7 on-call mother. Your body is working hard to give your baby every nutrient it needs expecting that you will replace them as needed. If you aren’t eating a nutrient-rich diet you may be experiencing a deficiency that could be causing it as well. These are the warning signs for postpartum depression: a constant feeling of panic or anxiety, unwanted scary or racing thoughts, wanting to hurt yourself or the baby, regretting motherhood, difficulty sleeping or eating even when you have the chance, deep anger and/or sadness, feeling detached and unable to bond with the baby, obsessive irrational fears about the baby (worrying is normal), uncontrollable mood swings even towards the baby. If you’re having these feelings you certainly aren’t alone, but you shouldn’t deal with them on your own either. A good solution for one person may not help the next person struggling with PPD. For this reason consider seeing a professional in your area to find out if you need a diet change, emotional support or counseling, antidepressant medication, or maybe just a nap and some help around the house.
Baby Blues are fairly common and not much to worry about. It can be defined by some simple parameters. It may begin 2 days after birth, but usually much better or gone by week 2. The feelings should be getting progressively better and not worse. If they don’t go away or get better this is when it is defined as Postpartum Depression rather than Baby Blues.

Hang in there mama! Don’t go it alone, and don’t be ashamed or embarrassed about what you’re experiencing. You’re not alone and there is someone who would be happy to help you and support you through this tough journey.

How Do I Increase My Milk Supply?

The most effective way to increase your milk supply is to increase its demand. Your body makes whatever has been needed in the past. Please wait until your milk has come in (day 3-6) and beginning to establish supply. If you believe your baby isn’t getting enough based on the signs above, you can begin to take measures in increasing your milk supply.
Breastfeed your baby first, then when your baby is done, pump right afterward for 10-15 minutes on each side, do this as often as possible (about every 3 hours). Keeping your breasts regularly ‘emptied out’ for 3 days in a row (or sooner) will tell your body that the needs have increased.
There are supplements you can take that may increase supply or that may support your body in its efforts. Fenugreek is the most popular one, you can take it in capsule or make a tea from it. Many people also encapsulate their placenta after birth to help with their milk supply if they suspect it will be an issue, the research on the benefits of this is controversial, but placentas are not thought to be harmful as long as you had a healthy uncomplicated pregnancy.

How Do I Decrease My Milk Supply?

Moms that are often experiencing engorgement, plugged ducts, or mastitis due to an oversupply of milk may desire to decrease their supply. You can do this by breastfeeding on just one side per feed. Let your baby drink as much as it wants on just the one side and only express a small amount on the other side if you’re experiencing engorgement. Just enough to relieve some pressure. At the next feed, you’ll switch sides and do the same thing. Sage tea decreases milk supply significantly, I would be very careful with this as you could react strongly to it and lose your milk supply. Start with half a cup of tea and go from there. Sage may be a good option for mothers that have miscarried and do not want to donate their milk.

When Should I Nurse My Baby?

The most beneficial way to feed your baby is ‘on-demand’. This implies that it is baby-led, as the baby’s body knows when it needs more to get through a growth spurt, a developmental milestone, or movement into its next phase of an eating and sleeping schedule. Babies don’t take more than they need when breastfeeding, although they will if formula-fed. This actually benefits them by helping them create a lifelong discipline of only eating when hungry and not overeating just because it’s ‘time to eat’. Scheduled eating can create a fear of the baby not knowing when it’s next meal is coming so it overfeeds itself.

Is It Legal To Breastfeed In Public?

It is legal to breastfeed anywhere you need to public or private. You do not have to move to the bathroom, car, or put on a cover. In fact, it’s not just protected in all 50 states (including The District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands), it is illegal for someone even to ask you to leave or to harass you for breastfeeding your child. Be free to feed your child, put on a cover if you prefer to remain modest but you should not leave any establishment for anyone else’s lack of comfortability, they can look away or decide to get comfortable. You may even help someone else feel brave enough to stick it out with breastfeeding.

What Are My Local Resources For Breastfeeding Support?

There are many different kinds of breastfeeding support. To connect with a La Leche League group for education, information, support, encouragement, and friendship with other breastfeeding moms check out https://www.lllusa.org/locator/ and search your location.
This is the list for groups in the greater Kansas City area. http://www.lllofgreaterkc.org/find-local-support.html
For a lactation consultant search here https://www.ilca.org/why-ibclc/falc
For Kansas City mom’s I highly recommend lactation consultant Summer Friedmann

Will Breastfeeding Help Me Lose Weight?

Breastfeeding is not just good for your baby, it’s great for you too. Breastfeeding helps your uterus contract back down efficiently after birth. It decreases your chances of breast and ovarian cancer, especially if you do it for over a year (collectively with each child counts as well). And there’s more, it heals your body after delivery and provides a natural form of birth control (not 100% effective.)
And yes, it helps you lose weight by burning on average an extra 500 calories a day. If you exclusively breastfeed your body will go back to its pre-pregnancy weight fairly quickly, although it may be slower to do so with each subsequent child. Give yourself grace and patience, you just did the most amazing thing a human body can do. You grew another human being and gave birth to it. Your body is incredible in all of its shapes, nourish and care for yourself not in disappointment but out of love and respect.

The post Top 15 Breastfeeding Questions appeared first on Glory Birth.

To push or not to push? What are your options in labor? There is a lot of information floating around, for different methods of pushing, or no pushing at all. So I am going to compile the options, evidence, and my experiences right here for you and let you make an educated decision for you and your little one.

Directed (Or Valsalva) Pushing

Women are commonly laying on their backs and instructed to hold their breath and bear down during their contractions. In a directed birth you will hear “You’re at a 10, you can go ahead and push!” or “Stop pushing! You’re not fully dilated yet!”  While this type of pushing may be fine and it seems to work most of the time, is it really the best way? Having other people tell you how to have your baby can lead to you not trusting yourself, so it removes bodily intuition, and causes you to not know what to do next in labor. And it’s not always accurate. Just because you’re dilated to 10 centimeters doesn’t mean that baby is necessarily ready to come out. Women can push for hours this way, causing exhaustion, swelling, tearing, hemorrhaging, and extended recovery time. Worst case scenarios, prolonged laboring can mean increased chances of having a cesarean, fetal distress, assisted delivery (by vacuum or forceps), uterine infections, abnormal heart rate for the baby, the list goes on. There have to be better ways! Yeah, there are, let’s check them out.

Breathing Your Baby Down (Or J-Breathing)

Here is a wild concept for you: your body can have this baby without you. If you were in a coma, you could still birth a baby vaginally. This should let you know that you can do whatever you want and this baby will come out. Unless there is a medical emergency, get on all fours, stand up, squat, find a position that feels right, and then let it happen. You may feel like you want it to end as soon as possible and just push with all of your strength. But we know that there are benefits to going slowly.

Your body is the most relaxed when you breathe out, so that is when you will be opening and softening to let baby through. However, you don’t really have the strength to push the baby through that nice opening on your breath out.  It feels like a contradiction, but let me explain.

Step 1: WAIT WAIT WAIT

You’re gonna hate that when all you want is your baby to come out. But trust me. You want to wait until the urge to push is so uncontrollable you can’t NOT push. You will have so much success this way. It’s similar to pooping. You would take much longer in the restroom if you said “Well, I think I could go poop, seems like it’s coming on soon.” and went then. But when you wait until you’re running to the restroom for fear of it flying out, you’re on the toilet for much less time and much less straining. Same in birth. WAIT UNTIL YOU CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER.

So I tell my clients not even to tell their care providers at the first urge (unless the dr. is not in the hospital, and may take a while making their way over) But wait until the urge gets very strong, invite the team in, they will check the cervix and if fully dilated they have a lot less time to wait. So they will be patient with her as they’re putting on gloves and getting baby warmer ready etc.

Step 2: Focus on your Breath

When you breathe in, use that strong breath as energy to push the baby out softly. When you finally let it out – let it out very slowly and make your body completely relax again. And repeat.

This may feel like you’re not progressing, but the body is designed to move this way. It’s more like 5 steps forward and 4 steps back. You are progressing, but it takes patience, and it’s usually for the betterment of your baby and your body to take it very slowly. Of course, if the doctor who knows your plan in advance tell you to give it everything you’ve got and push, do it! It may be because of a sudden change in the baby’s heart rate, breathing, etc and of utmost importance that you hurry.

Step 3: Plan ahead

You want to practice this while pooping, every single time until baby’s arrival. Even if you think “this is easy, I know how and I’ll just do it.” It will begin to rewire you to do this without thinking, questioning, or doubting. You will do it so perfectly and naturally in labor ONLY WITH PRACTICE.

The next thing to plan ahead on is before you ever go into labor you should speak to your care provider telling them that this is what you would like to try. They may be able to give you extra tips to help you as well. But that way they don’t start directing you in another way while you’re trying to focus on breathing the baby out unless there is truly an emergency.

FER Fetal Ejection Reflex

FER is sort of a unicorn or Bigfoot. We’re all talking about it, but not many people have actually seen it. It is absolutely the preferable way to birth. Read a birth story from a mama that experienced Fetal Ejection Reflex HERE. This is when your body does the work for you, you didn’t breathe or push the baby out. Your body took over and you didn’t have a choice in the matter.

So the thing is while many people hope for this, this kind of birth doesn’t happen accidentally or luckily. This comes with mental, physical, and environmental preparation.

Every long once in awhile someone does get a bit lucky and stumbles upon FER.

But don’t count on it. If you want this – prepare for it. Here’s how.

Step 1: Mental preparation

This is the opposite of what it sounds like. You want to practice NOT thinking. Practice becoming absolutely primal and as Ina May Gaskin says, “Let your monkey do it.”

So practice this through meditation, and practice this through dancing. Dancing is a great example because as a woman we are supposed to follow our partner and not ‘think’ or anticipate what’s coming next – but rather just feel it. When you are moved, move. If you want your body to take over you can’t be overriding it with thoughts, they’re far too demanding. Just become loose, limp, and ride the wave of labor.

Step 2: Physical preparation

The only people I’ve seen and heard of that are able to do this have either had a child before or are in great physical condition. This is because if the uterus and core muscles aren’t strong enough, how will they take over and do it without you? The two most important things to do would be squats and all things relating to your core. Do these every single day and don’t give up. It will benefit you far more than just your labor and delivery, your recovery time will be much quicker as well as natural health benefits. Start small, do 10 squats 3 times a day, and 25 crunches twice a day, and 5 sit-ups once a day. Then edge yourself up until you get to 500 squats a day (this can be 100 squats 5 times throughout the day) and as Ina May Gaskin said, “You will give birth very quickly.”

Step 3: Environmental preparation

Watch how mammals give birth. They retreat into the darkness away from both predators and their own tribe to be alone and quiet. They feel completely safe and give birth quickly and beautifully. This is what we are made to do. You need to give birth in the environment that brings you the most peace and feelings of safety. If that’s a hospital I would recommend that you keep lights off and noises very low. The highest rates of FER happen at home because the setting is familiar and safe. Limit the people in the room to be only those that are needed, helpful, will follow your birth plan, and are quiet. Watch positive birth stories to familiarize yourself with safe and positive birth. Many times moms have anxiety simply because they don’t realize how normal all of it is, and they’re just waiting for something to go wrong. And if you’re waiting for something to go wrong, you’re asking for something to go wrong.

The post To Push or Not to Push? What Are Your Options in Labor? appeared first on Glory Birth.

If you read part 1 of my blog, “How to Rock Natural Birth” – you’re already going to do so well with those simple and basic preparations! Part 2, the pro tips are for the moms that go the extra mile, and basic info isn’t enough. “Give me every tip you have!”  That’s what this part 2 is about. How to prepare throughout your pregnancy to give yourself the best chance at a great birth. It doesn’t matter what kind of birth you are having, natural, cesarean, induction, etc. Good preparation will make any birth have much better results, even in getting a quicker recovery afterward. Thrive in this labor. These labors happen all the time, but we only hear the horror stories because it is the traumatized people that are compelled to tell their stories again and again. You won’t be one of those. Rock your labor with these pro tips!

1. Nutrition is Key

Nutrition is the building block that everything stands on. If you don’t have good nutrition you can be sure there will be problems. So what does good pregnancy nutrition look like? For a healthy you and a healthy baby you need to be taking a good prenatal supplement to start. I recommend Thorne, Seeking Health, or Zahler Prenatal DHA. As far as what you should be eating, it is recommended that a pregnant woman eats:

• At least three servings of protein per day, about 100 grams a day.
• Five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day three or more servings of healthy dairy products per day (for fat and calcium).
• Foods with essential fats (Omega 3’s and 6’s).
• Bone broth is a staple for pregnancy as it provides minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus and is rich in gelatin, collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, and amino acids. It can also help you overcome morning sickness.

There are plenty of things to avoid as well, but we are all well aware of those and those have very little to do with how well your labor will go.

2. Exercise for Labor

Did you know exercising in pregnancy increases the IQ of your baby? Exercise during pregnancy is incredibly beneficial. If you work out all the time, you can keep doing that, but there are certain things that help prepare your body for labor. Ina May Gaskin recommends 500 squats a day for a quick labor. It may take some time to get to that point. Split it up throughout the day to do as many as you can handle. But you should be up to 500 before the birth of your baby. Walking: many midwives won’t even take on clients unless they agree to walk 5 miles each day, rain or shine. It must be important! And last, is stretching. Some may not consider this an exercise, but it certainly prepares you physically and mentally. Doing yoga or pilates stretches and holds for a minute at a time prep your mind to be comfortable in the uncomfortable and to breathe through a minute of contractions.  Learn more daily labor exercises you can do HERE. I always recommend moms do the Miles Circuit in early labor or if they’re having lots of prodromal labor.

3. Baby Positioning

There are many things you can do to improve the position of your baby. Most of us know that a sunny-side-up baby (occiput posterior) means a longer harder labor with a ton of pressure on your back. If this is the case you should spend a lot of time on your hands and knees every day doing some slight rocking. About 30 minutes to an hour every day can really help encourage your baby to move into optimal positioning. You can find out from your care provider where your baby is lying, and then do some belly mapping to fill in the missing pieces. From there you can get to work. There is rebozo sifting, yoga, and exercise that can get baby moving. Any movement is said to be good movement because it just gives your baby more opportunity to do what it already knows to do. If your baby is breech at full term it will usually result in a c-section, so it’s best to get to work on that from 32 weeks on. A few things have been shown to help with that. The first thing is frequent deep pool diving, this creates pressure that has been successful to turn many babies around. Having your partner speak or sing to the baby down low; your baby is attracted to the familiar sound and will draw near and hopefully engage in a vertex position when this is done regularly. The right kind of massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic care has been shown to help at times as well. If all of these things fail to engage a breech baby head down, then find a provider that has great statistics for ECV’s, a procedure where the doctor will attempt to turn the baby manually (an external cephalic version). For more information on how to turn a particular position visit spinningbabies.com

4. Perineal Massages

A massage (think intense pressure downwards) on your perineum. I didn’t used to be a fan of this because nothing can “stretch” you to prepare for having a baby come out. However I am now changing my mind due to a couple of moms that did this and had a beautiful crowning experience. They were able to wrap their mind around the intense pressure, slow down and breathe. These particular moms were grinning while a baby’s head was half way out!   It may be hard to do for yourself, you’ll need partner for this. Whoever is doing it needs to make sure hands are scrubbed clean! I recommend using coconut oil or vitamin E for this procedure, and to do it every day from 35 weeks on. Detailed instructions can be found HERE.

5. Stay Loose and Breathe

Now, in labor, there are things to remember and techniques to do. This is why it’s so helpful to have a midwife, she knows what these things are and how to help you in those moments. So first thing to remember is that a loose jaw = open cervix. There is a direct connection with the tightness in your mouth, and the tension down below. So keeping your sounds low and your jaw slack help keep the looseness needed to avoid fighting your own contractions. Then there are breathing techniques, which there is no ‘right one’ just pick one you like. They are designed to keep you breathing deeply and getting plenty of oxygen to the baby, keeping you calm, and… distracting you. That’s right. Counting those breaths through every contraction really helps to refocus you and distract you from any negative feelings. You will also want to mentally or verbally welcome the contractions. We know the contractions are bringing your baby to you and fighting them can cause pain or slow labor. I like to have my clients welcome the contraction to the degree of the pressure. So a bigger contraction is a louder (still low) “YES!”  Smiling through contractions or whenever you remember, is also very helpful, it tricks your body into a good experience.

6. Mental Preparation

I am all about mental preparation. In fact, I include meditation sessions with most of my packages, and will give them instructions on how to do it if they don’t choose that package. I think it single-handedly makes the most difference in the actual labor process. So there are many avenues of mental preparation. There is childbirth classes to educate you, a Bradley or Lamaze class to instruct you, and Hypnobirthing to change your mind. I think they’re all great, but if we are being honest we all have fear during our pregnancy lingering in the back of our minds concerning childbirth. This fear is ingrained in our body and even if we chant positive mantras, our body still reacts to the unknown with fear and negativity. I believe we can have positive labor, a pain-free birth, and a glorious experience (even without the medication). Since these are the ‘pro’ tips from a doula I will give you unconventional wisdom. In addition to meditation and the things mentioned in my last blog, EFT tapping is a way to address your fears and then rid yourself of them. Watch positive labors on Youtube or join BirthTUBE on facebook. Speak out what your birth will be and how you’re creating a pathway for it to be this way. Don’t speak anything that doesn’t feel honest. Speak only the truth. Ground yourself in nature for the meditation and visualize what your birth will be like because of your preparation and incredible birth team.
If you apply all of these things well, then you’re set up for an expert birth. You’re rocking this pregnancy, and you will rock motherhood as well. Just remember to hire your doula, and hire your midwife; knowing everything does not decrease your need for actual educated support during labor – physically, emotionally, spiritually, or as an advocate.
Let me know if there is anything I missed and how you are preparing for labor!

The post How to Rock Your Natural Birth – Expert Tips From a Midwife (pt 2) appeared first on Glory Birth.

Labor and delivery can be extremely daunting. We are counting down the days from the beginning, dreading the labor, but excited to meet our little one. But the thing is, it doesn’t have to be. You can rock your birth so well that the fear doesn’t resonate with you anymore. As a midwife, I have the amazing opportunity to guide women through pregnancy and labor and find out what works, and what doesn’t. And I have found unsurprisingly that those who prepare the most, trust the process and are at peace with their decisions and their team handle their labors the best. I have some basic tips for you if you’re a first-time mom, or a mom that wants a better labor experience than before – oh that’s all of you? Okay, let’s delve into this topic and learn how to have an incredible experience in your birth.

1. Get A Doula, Or At Least Do A Childbirth Class.

We all knew I had to say it. It’s my highest recommendation I believe in them more than words can tell you. It makes a massive difference in your birth. I have seen personally the statistics for who is able to stay at home to birth versus those who transfer for exhaustion is very tightly linked to whether they have a good doula. I haven’t met anyone that regretted getting a doula (maybe the wrong doula, but not a doula in general) if there are none in your area or in your budget, take a local class geared towards natural birth HERE. It will give you understanding, ease your mind, and make you more confident about your upcoming birth. Find a doula in your area HERE. I have all of my first-time moms hire a doula and I’m happy to share my recommended doula list, feel free to email us for that!

2. Make A Birth Plan

Now, I have to give you the disclaimer that you won’t get it to happen exactly according to plan. But it goes along the lines of “Shoot for the moon, even if you fall short you’ll land among the stars.” This may be incorrect astronomy, but you understand. Making a detailed birth plan increases your chances of having the birth you want. You’re not going to remember everything you want in those intense moments, but having someone remind you to change positions, or turning down the lights for you, adding some relaxing music, these little things make a big difference in your labor. In your birth plan also you should have a procedure protocol ready for you and your baby as well. A good place online to make a birth plan (if you’re not hiring a doula) is HERE. As a midwife, I love when my clients know what they want but affirm they are flexible if things have to take a turn. But be aware, your doula and midwife love a birth plan, but most hospitals are not fans. Getting so many people on board in a moment without a standing relationship with you and remembering all your discussions about this from visits prior when they have 50+ clients they see a week is not realistic for most.

3. Release Your Fears

Since we know you don’t progress well unless you’re relaxed, and fear fights your natural hormones from releasing, it becomes extremely important to ward off fear. How? First, through education, learn all you can about birth, WARD AWAY FROM THE HORROR STORIES. Secondly, through prayer/meditation, take time every day to focus on the birth you want and remind yourself that you will get it. Pain-free, easy births are possible and they happen all the time. Remind yourself of all the measures that can be easily taken if something were to go wrong. Contractions are just flexing muscles and like a wave to embrace and ride. Think of pushing your baby as a safe pressure, easy because your body has already opened like it’s designed to and made way for your baby.

4. Relieve The Pain

Water birth has been called ‘the natural epidural’ for good reason, the temperature and weightlessness contribute to major relief. If you’re not able to do water birth you can use similar techniques with a shower, hot water bottle, heating pad, or your partner holding you up to relieve you of any muscle usage (the weightlessness factor). There are instinctive position changes, massage, distraction, focus, oils, counter pressure, comb squeezing for acupressure, rebozo sifting, kissing, and many other natural ways to decrease or eliminate your pain. Top 2 but lesser known and used pain relief options for back labor are a tens unit, and subdermal sterile water injections. Your brain only has so many sensory receptors and if you combine as many of these things as you can, chances are you won’t have the space to feel pain.

5. Beat Exhaustion

Many moms confess that although they did all the right things and had a great labor in many regards they were just totally exhausted. Early labor is anywhere from a few hours to a few days or even weeks in some cases! Active labor can last up to 20+ hours, but from 6cm it’s usually between 4-8 hours. When you have to focus intensely through every contraction, those hours get very long. So first thing is preventative care. When you are in early labor many moms get excited about impending labor and find it hard to sleep. Don’t be that mom. Pretend it’s not happening and take a nap. Even if you can’t actually sleep, lying there is better than walking around trying to provoke labor to get rolling. If you were going to run a marathon in the evening would you exercise all day? No. Exercise should have happened in preparation for this day, but delivery day requires all the rest you can get. Also if you’re able to nap between contractions early on it’s a very good way to get you through the finish line. Secondly, you need fuel. Unless you’re planning on a C-Section (or believe you may need one) you have every right and responsibility to eat something. I recommend a smoothie as it is easily digestible and is good healthy energy to burn without the crash (try these yummy recipes!).

These are the basic tips to rock your natural labor. If you don’t prepare you can expect to run into unexpected events and more easily fall into bad patterns. Every woman needs to be well prepared before undertaking this amazing feat. My next blog (part 2) is the expert tips to rock your natural birth. This has more to do with preparation in your body and is for someone who is very dedicated to having a great labor and delivery, and a healthier body and baby. You can expect better results when you put in the time and effort. Let me know what you did to prepare for labor!

The post How to Rock Natural Labor, Basic Tips (pt 1) appeared first on Glory Birth.

I recently asked Hannah who is a mom, a doula, a holistic coach, and much more to tell me her favorite and most glorious birth story. She had the most incredible water birth pictures that spoke volumes about her experience. Here it is in her own words.

From Hannah:

I love sharing Eden’s birth story because it truly was such a peaceful, blessed birth. Thank you so much, Gloria, for hosting me here. I will try to share my story and some helpful tips here!

Eden is my third baby, my only girl and my only Australian born so it was pretty special. We gave birth to the two boys in London where I lived and ran a Doula & Nanny consultancy.  I really enjoyed water for use in pain in labour and I had invested in a birthing pool for my 2nd born at home (I had had a water birth in a birthing suite in London for my first) so in many ways, I was looking forward to the labour and birth because the warm water so alleviated my pain and discomfort in my hip and backs.  Being my third baby born, I was prepared for what my body would be doing but in each pregnancy (including two that I miscarried many years before) the fear and worry can creep in and rob us of our peace and joy. I knew that I was low risk for the actual birth but every time I had a cramp, or Braxton Hicks, or a small show, the doubt would come.

So I prepared in several ways to ensure I had a peaceful birth.

I Read Books Like:

“Guide to Childbirth” by Ina May Gaskin, which helped confirm my body was made for giving birth and I was more than capable of a natural birth, and what to ask for in my “support crew”

“Stand and Deliver” is full of practical, easy-to-understand birthing tips by Janet Balaskas

“Your Baby, Your Way” by Sheila Kitzinger

I listened to guided meditations and hypnobirthing CDs, and I am working on my own now because I loved this SO much!

I Diffused Essential Oils During The Pregnancy And Birth Such As:

• Lavender – Oh, I love this one. This scent truly calms the nerves and reduces anxiety
• Frankincense – Calming, especially towards the end of labor or when transitioning.
• Clary sage – Minimising tearing and relieving muscle tension (especially from emotional stress) and again towards the end of labor. (Note: this oil can induce as well so you wouldn’t use it until well into labor and under the guidance of a Doula/midwife/support partner such as the husband)
• Peppermint – helps when feeling exhausted in labor. A true pick me up. (Read more about essential oils in pregnancy here)

In pregnancy, I loved nothing more than a bath, candles, chamomile tea, and a citrus oil or lavender blend in the bath, or sometimes bergamot or ylang-ylang.

NB: With oils, they are volatile. Always read the instructions, always get a premium oil and take care of how and when you use them. They can, however, be VERY effective.

Eden was born within 1 hour and 15 minutes from when I realized things were kicking off. I didn’t have a lot of time to process (clearly). I had hubby on hand with specially made herbal teas, I rocked a lot and made low sounds, I asked the lights to be down low and voices low. We had 2 midwives, my husband, my mum, a birth photographer at her first birth and at any point, my boys could have woken! I believe birth is intrinsically primal and that quiet, dark spaces help retain a sense of control and peace so it was important everyone knew to sort of “leave me alone”

It was a relief to hop into that birthing pool and really concentrate. Breathing deeply, sipping tea, and staying in the zone in between strong contractions.

At one point towards the end, contractions were coming in hard and fast and I was feeling overwhelmed and started to lose my peace. I asked my mum to pray with me. She just confessed that we were not alone and things were going ok and I was immediately at peace. 2 more pushes, maybe 3, and my precious little girl was out. I gently brought her to the surface where we watched her take her first breath earthside. What a powerful, glorious, sacred moment!

Our bond 2.5 years later is still so strong, she is still cuddly, still rests her hand right here on my chest, and still breastfeeds which has been helpful in keeping asthma and associated colds at bay.

(5 days old first snuggly photo shoot with talented Carrie from www.bugglebee.com.au)

I think what is so evident throughout her story is that Hannah had to fight to get the birth she wanted. She could have easily succumbed to the fear of past tragedies and the worry of future pain, but she chose to educate herself enough to feel confident, and when confidence falls –  to surround herself with those that would encourage her and give her peace.

Prepare the best you can, learn to tune in and trust your instincts, and only have people around you who will support your birth

Hannah is a nurse, birth and postnatal doula, holistic life coach, and busy mum of 3. She homeschools, enjoys playing piano and listening to music, the beach, meeting new friends and catching up with old friends, and honoring & supporting women in finding work/life balance so that the family unit is peaceful!

To read more encouraging birth stories to empower, inform, and embolden you, check out Medium.com/@glorybirthkc

To follow Hannah for encouragement & insights, holistic wellness, coaching, and love you can find her here:

www.instagram.com/lovethosepics

www.faceboook.com/thepeacefulmama

www.facebook.com/thepeacefuldoula

Photos by Stephanie with The Capture Project

The post Hannah’s Glorious Birth appeared first on Glory Birth.

“I don’t need a doula, I’m getting an epidural.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that, and I’ve had to bite my tongue. An epidural is not suddenly going to make this an easy DIY experience. Let’s get real here for a few minutes. Don’t worry I am not going to talk you out of your epidural, just going to educate you so that you don’t walk into this blindly.

Pain Coping

Nobody signs up for a natural birth because they just love the idea of being in pain. You can read that again. You don’t get a medal for having a natural birth. Birth is birth. They do it because, in a non-medicated birth, hormones flood your body making you capable of withstanding the immense pain. Sometimes it’s even enjoyable to the point of euphoria and a feeling of being high. In the case of an epidural, your medication blocks both pain and pleasure hormones. With pain being the stronger of the two, sometimes that’s all you’re left with and you feel the pain without the endorphins to help you cope. You’re typically confined to a bed to be monitored properly, thus reducing many natural pain coping measures. An epidural doula can help. She knows how to get you through the remaining pain. There are pressure points, massage techniques, essential oils, etc that she is trained to use effectively for pain reduction in such times. And that’s just if you decide to get a ‘parking lot epidural’. Deciding to naturally cope through labor as long as you can, has been shown to help shorten labors. Have an epidural doula by your side to get you through the toughest part, and she knows the best time to opt in for the epidural for maximum effect.

Relaxation

Many moms report that after getting an epidural even though their pain went WAY down their anxiety went WAY up. Someone close to you can help somewhat with this just by being by your side, but epidural doulas are trained in relaxation techniques and are some of the most comforting people in the least annoying way. They are going to help by calming your fears – they’ve seen this before many many times! They are going to help by reminding you who you are and why you’re doing this (There’s a baby at the end of this tunnel!) And they can even take your mind off of it by creating beautiful imagery with their words. Giving you tasks relevant to you can really help anxiety; for one woman, singing hymns got her through labor beautifully! Once relaxed, most women dilate much faster -if you’re anxious, this is going to be a long labor.

Breastfeeding

Although there are minimal to no adverse effect on babies with an epidural, there has been evidence that babies born via epidural are less likely to breastfeed than those born in unmedicated labors. The good news is that moms with (epidural) doulas are much more likely to succeed in breastfeeding than moms without doulas! If you plan on breastfeeding and getting an epidural, hedge your bets and hire an epidural doula. She knows how to help you and baby get a good latch, and she is there for advice and education on your breastfeeding journey.

Your Birth Plan

Even though you will be awake, you won’t feel quite yourself in an epidural (unless you’re choosing to nap, hooray!). Many moms report grogginess, forgetfulness, and feeling ‘out of it’. If you have a birth plan with instructions regarding the baby following birth, or your body it’s important to have an epidural doula there. Examples include opting out of an unnecessary episiotomy, delayed cord clamping, not washing the vernix off of your baby, and many other important options that are standard procedures, and doctors will not usually remember to ask about. A dad/partner or friend is emotionally involved, and doesn’t always know or see what’s happening and therefore not often the best advocate for your birth plan when the moment arises. The doula will not speak on your behalf but will remind you, or ask you what you want when the doctor is present. The doula will pause the caregiver from performing any actions until they have your consent. That alone makes an epidural doula invaluable.

Prenatal & Postpartum

Yes, even epidural doulas will be a phone call away during pregnancy or postnatally. Some epidural doulas (like myself) will attend a prenatal doctor’s appointment with you to help facilitate communication, ask the right questions, and receive truthful answers. An epidural doula will also check up on you postpartum. An epidural is not easy to heal from, and because it interrupts the body’s natural process of carefully cascading hormones, sometimes things go awry afterward. Having someone watching over you that knows what to look for, how to help, and who to recommend, is a tremendous lifesaver.

Hey mom, whatever you choose, an epidural in the hospital, un-medicated in the woods, or anything in between, arm yourself in education and don’t be ashamed of your choice. This birth is for you and baby, no one else. Make the best decisions for the two of you, but however your birth – I hope you choose a doula. A birth team doesn’t make you weak, it makes you smart. Wherever you decide to birth, however, you decide to birth, let’s make this birth glorious.

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