When Samantha became pregnant with her first baby, she was already working as a doula and felt more familiar with birth than most first-time mothers. She planned a home birth with a midwife, but after a long labor she transferred to the hospital. There, her experience was deeply impacted by a nurse who yelled at her during the pushing phase. Although her baby was born healthy, Samantha struggled with severe postpartum anxiety after the birth.

For her second pregnancy, Samantha chose a new midwife and planned another home birth. Once again, she transferred to the hospital near the end of labor, but this time the experience was completely different because she was the one making the decisions.

At the hospital, Samantha began having panic attacks during contractions and ultimately decided she wanted a cesarean birth. Even though there was no medical emergency, the staff respected her wishes and supported her choice. In this episode, Samantha shares how an empowered hospital transfer and maternal autonomy turned her second birth, and cesarean experience, into something deeply healing and unexpectedly beautiful.

Find Samantha on Instagram @Samantha_yeaton_

Samantha's Website

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Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard

Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto