Let me rewind a little bit…At 37 weeks, we found out via ultrasound that Everett was frank breech. We tried everything we could to turn him. Everything was totally unsuccessful in turning him. He was stubborn and comfortable in his breech position. Typically, a breech baby these days means a c-section. But I was being told by my midwives that I…
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Birth Of Elsie {Homebirth Story With Siblings}
We were just waiting for the Braxton Hicks contractions to turn into the real deal so we could get our daughter here. Sunday morning was spent with the church family and then the afternoon was spent with Greg’s family celebrating his mom’s 55th birthday. I was feeling pretty good and honestly didn’t feel like I’d see my daughter anytime in…
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The Birth of Sicily Rose {Postpartum Hemorrhage, Vanishing Twin Syndrome}
Had it not been for your blog and all the amazing women behind the stories you share, I might not of had the courage to go through what I endured. But, looking back now, I made and I’m a stronger mother and women for it. This past February, we welcomed our second daughter, Sicily Rose to the world. I didn’t…
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Finally, Relief! {A Painful Pregnancy, Spinal Injury}
This is Tammy’s story. May 13, 2011 (Friday the 13th), I picked up my two children from school, (ages 7 and 4) and was a block away from my home when I was in a terrible accident. I was rushed to the ER where they found I had a collapsed spine, and I underwent surgery. A few weeks later, I…
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A Mother Will Overcome {I Am Strong}
A short and sweet story of a teenage mother, or just a mother, this is Jada’s story: I am strong because I found out I was pregnant at 17, two months into a relationship, and decided then to keep the baby. I am strong because I decided to end the relationship, because I wasn’t happy anymore. I am strong because…
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Mothering the Mother, Part III: Postpartum Plan {now, with kittens}
I wrote this post just after getting back from the inaugural Birth Without Fear conference almost a year ago. The dust had settled, baby E was back on her (haywire, semi-self-directed) routine, and I had finally stopped wearing my lanyard. I took a few minutes to reflect on my experience and gloat over my new Beco. What was it like?…
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Overcoming 9 Months with {Hyperemesis Gravidarum}
I am strong because I survived nine months with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which causes severe nausea, vomiting, and dehydration. I found out I was pregnant back in December of 2013. We were in the middle of moving into our new home, and I had the sudden urge to throw up my lunch. I brushed it off telling my husband it was…
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Unintended Unassisted and Completely Peaceful
Veronika shares this story of her unintended unassisted home birth… and what it was like to nurse her toddler during early labour. “My darling Penelope Green, this is the story of your birth… It was a hot day on July 19th, I was 41 weeks and four days pregnant with you. I had been having weeks of prodromal labor which…
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Deep Rooted Faith Leads to a Healing Second Birth
Surita Carstens from South Africa described her first baby’s birth as, “…one of the most traumatic experiences in our lives.” We published that story in 2012 and it moved many of us to tears with its senseless cruelty. At the end of it she wrote, “I hope that one day I can have a VBAC to empower me and feel…