This week we talk with Amanda about hiding her first pregnancy from everybody she knew, her dramatic home birth, and deciding whether to keep the baby or allow her to be adopted.

Topics Discussed:

(0:00) Introductions

(3:33) The Pact: Early in their relationship, Amanda found out she was pregnant, and made a pact with her boyfriend (now husband) right then and there that they were not telling anybody, not even a doctor. They continued living their lives, working, seeing friends and family, but now they had a secret, and no plans for the baby's arrival.

(11:29) The Birth: Amanda details her dramatic home birth, and hospital stay.

(16:50) The Secret: Amanda continued working and talking to family, who still did not know that she had given birth. She continued to visit her baby in the hospital every day, but just didn't see any way that she was going to be able to keep this baby.

(25:07) The Decision: Amanda and her now husband, decided to sign over their parental rights. They began the process of choosing a family to raise their daughter, then decided that they couldn’t continue the process without telling their loved ones.

(36:30) Bringing Amy Home: After deciding to raise their baby themselves, they were faced with having to tell friends, family, and co-workers that they’d hidden a pregnancy and were now parents. They didn't have it all figured out, but worked together to figure it out as they went.

(39:32) Raising Amy: Amanda talks about telling her daughter the story of her birth, trying to learn as much as she could about childbirth and pregnancy, and eventually becoming a doula, and building a beautiful life together as a family.

(54:26) Take- Aways: Amanda shares what she hopes we all can learn from her story.About Amanda:

Life is meant to be unexpected and it’s hard to always know what the right answer is.

A mom of 3, constantly reinventing and surprising herself and those around her, Amanda will be talking about the pregnancy and birth of her first child. Not as planned, not as expected but created the woman she is today. Sometimes it’s in life’s greatest challenges, we find ourselves. This is a journey of uncertainty and struggle but one that ends in triumph and joy beyond measure.

Amanda is a lifetime resident of Scarborough along with her amazing partner Greg, 3 wildly delightful kids and their goofy pug (and the 2 reclusive cats). She has reinvented herself more than once in her adult life and is constantly looking for the next challenge.

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