Dear Raegan, You are beautiful, and I love you to the ends of the earth. I had so much fear upon learning we were pregnant again. Between finances, balancing life, and figuring out how I was bringing you into the world, I was nervous. You were not planned, but you were loved from the minute we found out you existed.…
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Peregrine’s Birth Story: From Home to Hospital
An eternal 12 days after my due date, which contained both moments of patience and absolute cry-my-face-off, hormonal battiness, a complete lunar eclipse, two stretch-and-sweeps, two ultrasounds, and the looming likeliness of medical induction, it was finally starting to look like I was in labour. I had been having short, manageable contractions about 15 to 20 minutes apart for the…
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Rueger’s Birth: Learning to Give Into the Power of a Woman’s Body
First of all, I’m writing this on his second birthday. His birth is rather fresh in my memory even though so much time has passed. At about six AM on New Year’s Day, 2014, I started having mild contractions five to ten minutes apart. He was due on December 31, so it was exciting to think this might be the…
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Accidental Unassisted Birth, Down Syndrome, Mom Catches Baby Born En Caul
My pregnancy with Blake was discovered in October 2014; I had noticed clothes not fitting well for a while and was having to pull my t-shirts down when wearing Tyler on my back. I didn’t think much of it until one day I posted in a tandem nursing Facebook group, complaining profusely about how painful it was to feed the…
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Ladies & Gentlemen, Husbands & Wives, Mothers & Fathers: We Are Strong
I am Strong because I waited until the age of 32 to have my first child. I am Strong because I saw our would-be son one day looking up at me holding onto the knee of the man who became the love of my life at the age of 28. Dream became Reality. I am Strong because as the youngest…
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Photo of Laboring Mother Touching Her Arriving Baby’s Head
“When I was pregnant and thought about labour, I hoped for the opportunity to touch my baby’s head if the moment arose, but didn’t realize the challenge of doing so until it was time. I remember seeing his head in the mirror that the doula was holding and thinking this is it, now or never, and I forced myself to lean…
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One Woman’s Successful Frank Breech Vaginal Hospital Birth
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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A Decision to Birth Unassisted
When I first planned my birth, I wanted an empowered homebirth. With my doula, my midwife, a student midwife, my birth photographer and my husband and children present. I wanted a party! I wanted a shot of jacks after birth to celebrate. (I know kinda crazy but I can dream, can’t I?) That all changed at 36 weeks. My whole…
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Chaos. Life. Birth. {A Pretty Pushers Mama}
Ever had your house robbed, car stolen, an emergency c-section, an emergency scar eruption, and a move to New York City within a matter of days? This is the story of our dear friend, Lisa Berger, President of Cranial Cradle. She wrote it as she re-lived it. She comes out feeling nothing but gratitude. You are one strong chick, mama! – Pretty…