Birth Stories in Color

High school sweethearts Elizabeth and Jose Luis started to build their family shortly after marriage. There was no family history of infertility, but after many conversations within their circle, they felt it was worth starting a family as soon as possible. After learning more about ovulation tracking, they were expecting their first child without any challenges. Thankfully the internet didn’t let them down the way her provider did by telling her to try to conceive and come to her in a year if it didn’t work.

Elizabeth recalls having some fatigue early in the pregnancy. And overall felt like she had a happy, energized pregnancy. Exercising during pregnancy felt good, simply moving her body. Recognizing limitations on her body helped her stay in tune with herself.

Fear of birth was built up by not knowing enough about the process - education helped release this fear. They took childbirth education and prenatal yoga together, which also helped them bond in the experience.

When they arrived at the hospital for labor, Elizabeth started to feel the cascade of interventions taking away her voice. She felt disconnected from her body after receiving an epidural. The pushing stage was long, three hours long. The feelings of joy she expected when her daughter arrived earthside were replaced with relief. It was over. Their nursing journey started as painful as the baby had a lip tie. Elizabeth didn’t feel equipped with proper knowledge of breastfeeding and pumping. Their discharge felt overwhelming, and they would go home with a crying baby with minimal support. They hired three different lactation counselors and endured two lip tie procedures. Elizabeth was determined to have a nursing relationship with her daughter, and she did.

Elizabeth wanted something different for their second birth as she recalled her first pregnancy. This time she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which pushed her to make some health and nutrition changes as she worked through the initial shame she felt from the diagnosis. Sharing her diagnosis with friends and other birthing people helped her work through the emotions as others shared that they had endured the same. They hired a doula to provide additional support for managing the pregnancy and labor.

Labor was spontaneous, and she managed the contractions at home in a way that felt good and empowering. She isolated herself as labor progressed. Jose Luis was more engaged during labor as he found his role this time. They would arrive at the hospital already 9.5 cm dilated with a cervical lip. She had created an environment to stay connected to her body with music and utilizing an eye mask during contractions. Elizabeth maintained her voice throughout her hospital experience. She asked questions and spoke up when she needed help. They welcomed their second daughter less than an hour after arriving at the hospital feeling joyful and empowered.

Youtube & Instagram Recommendations from Elizabeth:

Robyn Compton - gestational diabetes dietitian

Your Badass Natural Birth - childbirth education

The Pelvic Docs - pelvic health support

Nurse Zabe

BodyFit by Amy

Nourish Move Love

Sara Beth Yoga

Resources:

Kellymom | provides evidence-based breastfeeding and parenting information to both professionals and parents

AZ Breastfed Babies | international board certified lactation consultants providing in person and virtual consults located in Arizona

Real Food for Gestational Diabetes by Lily Nichols | book providing effective alternatives to the conventional nutrition approach

The Birth Partner | a complete guide to childbirth for dads, partners, doulas, and all other labor companions

Natural Hospital Birth |a guide for navigating the hospital setting with minimal birth interventions

The Birth Hour Podcast | birth stories and pregnancy resources

Birthful Podcast | podcast talking to perinatal pros and new parents to inform your intuition

Built to Birth | online childbirth education

*We recommend listening to this episode in two parts, there is so much to learn from Janelle & Mivon’s story, and we hope you take the time and space to connect to all the intricacies of it*

Janelle & Mivon perfectly timed their conception to align with their wedding day. They were able to share their pregnancy with their wedding guests as a sweet surprise.

The early stages of pregnancy were plagued with exhaustion and food aversions. Her midwife reminded her that the work of growing a baby was intense. This allowed Janelle to give herself grace for what she had considered “laziness.” Aligning their spirituality with their birth and parenting goals with the support of a spiritual doula helped them feel ready and calm.

After preparing for months through education, optimizing their physical health, and mental preparation, labor started one night, as it often does. A quiet moment of solitude brought Janelle gently into labor land as she practiced her breathing and tracked her contractions in the darkness. Eventually, they made it to the birthing center to determine progress and the next steps. Mivon, Janelle, and her mom started to create a peaceful environment and managed consistent contractions, and progressed through early labor. Time passed, and Janelle fell back into solitude when space allowed. During a heart rate check, the midwife captured a heart deceleration, and the baby's heart recovered quickly. More time passed, but her dilation had not changed, accompanied by another heart deceleration. The difficult conversation about the possibility of a hospital transfer was necessary. The midwife felt confident that the baby was ok and encouraged movement. Mivon and Janelle’s mother started to feel uncertain about their plans to stay at the birthing center. Janelle felt the shifts in the room. She trusted her intuition and stuck to the plan, and trusted in the midwife and Janelle. Prayer and shifting through position changes led to active labor and no more decelerations. Mivon’s hands would be the first to touch Baby Zara as Janelle pushed her out. Skin-to-skin started immediately with Janelle as they welcomed their child and the flood of emotions that would ensue.

Baby Zara would come earthside on her late uncle’s birthday, making her entry a blessing and a tribute. The term labor is fitting as the work for her to get here was intentional and intense.

They have had a great breastfeeding relationship and are managing cloth diapering. Work/life balance needs pushed Janelle to quit her job. Mivon quit his job, too, fostering happiness and creating the family life they desired. They were able to find new positions that met their individual and family needs. Janelle remembers the highs and lows of her emotions as she adjusted into motherhood. Leaning into her support system proved beneficial and has eased her concerns for her mental health. Surrendering to the flow has helped her maintain and manage continuous transitions of new parenthood.

Resources:

The Business of Being Born | a 2008 documentary film that explores the contemporary experience of childbirth in the United States

Celia Kelly Bouza and her husband, Terrell, welcomed two children in the last three years while managing their busy careers at ESPN. Leading up to their son Axel’s pregnancy, they were met with a PCOS diagnosis for Celia and a miscarriage. The provider was supportive and helped them manage fertility support, and their journey was off to a great start.  

However, upon arriving at the hospital, the nurses didn’t provide the support she had expected. There was a series of heart decelerations and position changes that led to an emergency surgical birth (belly birth) Things happened so quickly that the staff forgot to bring her husband along. He made it just in time as the surgery commenced. Due to meconium aspiration, there was a delay in bonding due to breathing issues, and was transported to a local children’s hospital, his father went with him. Thankfully, Celia’s best friend had been there for the labor and stayed with her. Celia was transferred to the same hospital after 12 hours of waiting. Their nursing journey started with pumping and delivering colostrum to the NICU.

After fertility challenges conceiving the first child, Celia and Terrell had no problems when they decided to expand their family again. Celia decided to hire a doula for additional support for her second pregnancy. She had experienced a dismissive provider about her extreme nausea early on, prompting her to change the medical team. Celia found her doula Whitley after a quick Instagram search. Whitley was forthcoming about her inexperience with VBAC as she met with Celia and offered her referrals to additional doulas. However, Celia felt they were the perfect fit due to her humility and their instant connection. This pregnancy through a few curve balls as they managed placenta previa, a slight increase in protein in the urine, and a couple of high blood pressure reads. The placenta previa would resolve itself but the other two issues led to an induction that triggered PTSD from her first birth experience.  

Celia, Terrell, and Whitley arrived at the hospital for the induction. They were armed with deep knowledge of her medical records from Axel’s birth, empowered to make informed decisions, and a strong desire to have a redemptive birth.

After a rocky start, Whitley helped create an environment to help Celia relax and rest. That space of peace would be interrupted as her dilation and progress didn't match her expectations as the induction went on. The spiral started, and Celia’s mood shifted; her doula helped her recenter and reclaim her power in that moment of deep discouragement. They made some decisions about pausing the Pitocin and starting an epidural. The epidural placement did not go as expected. The anesthesiologist denied her reality when she told him it wasn’t working. She effectively banned him from her care team. The epidural was fixed, and she started to feel relief. Celia got her redemption by way of VBAC; despite the baby having a “true knot” and meconium present in the amniotic fluid, there were no complications. Celia was also able to find a space in healing about the loss of her mother in the same hospital she had just given birth in. A true story of redemption that has allowed her to feel a sense of wholeness. 

Resources:

Nubeing Doula Services | childbirth education and doula services in the Greater Hartford area

Intentional family planning set up Deborah Woodson and her husband, Mike, for an empowering journey. She started eating healthier and working out before they started trying. YouTube offered helpful insight about ovulation, and they conceived soon afterward. Homebirth was top of mind, but they were in a relocation transition, so they started care with an OB. After Deborah interviewed a few midwives, she landed on one that clicked with her, Grand Midwife Claudia Booker. They would continue care with both providers to cover all the possibilities. Meanwhile, she still needed to get her husband on board with the idea of home birth. Watching documentaries and reading articles about birth and, specifically, Black birth experiences helped bring the two of them in step with home birth planning.

Early morning bathroom trips hinted that early labor would start soon. However, after some nausea and a walk, the body shifts calmed down. Deborah’s mom was there and shared that she believed labor would start that day as she managed her stomach pains. Her mom was right, Deborah would lose her mucus plug that night, and intense contractions began. Her midwife advised that she rest and to contact her when things picked up. Deborah fell into labor land and frequently retreated within herself. Their baby girl arrived before the midwife. However, her husband, mother, and sister were present in the home. Shock kept her frozen as she waited for her midwife’s care. Mike held their daughter, sobbing with joy.

Deborah’s key takeaway from her first birth was learning that she could rely on her body. She became more aware of the intricacies of her body and how it changed. She felt good physically in the immediate postpartum period.

Less than two years after their daughter's birth, their family expanded again. There was an unexpected shift in care providers as they learned they had lost their midwife after a hard-fought battle with cancer. The loss deeply hurt Deborah; grief showed up as she had to find another midwife. She had grown close to Claudia and was accustomed to her no-nonsense approach to care that she needed. Eventually, she connected with a birth center to establish care while she searched for a homebirth midwife. She found a midwife that knew Claudia and that was comforting her.

Deborah struggled with the concept of expansive love for multiple children. The pregnancy was uneventful and without physical challenges. Deborah's hyperawareness about her body helped her know that her baby had shifted to a breech position. Her midwife helped her flip the baby through skillful maneuvering. Labor was a lot more painful as they discovered during the pushing phase he was malpositioned in  LOT (Left Occiput Transverse). Once he was delivered, her baby was calm; the family bonded comfortably in their home.

Her second birth has helped her release the need to control and embrace flexibility. Parenting two young children comes with the need for patience and understanding of their individual needs.

Yoga Instructor and traveling Occupational Therapist, Kelly Barnes shared her quicker than expected homebirth at 37 weeks. An experience she describes as "challenging, overwhelming, and rewarding all at the same time." Her expectations regarding when and how she would give birth were dismantled but the result was pure magic.

Kelly maintained an active lifestyle which included yoga and running throughout her pregnancy. Dual care with a certified homebirth midwife and OB. Envisioning a water birth was a focal point for Kelly as she embarked on her pregnancy. As a contingency, she enlisted dual care with a licensed professional midwife for the homebirth and an obstetrician to cover in case she needed to transfer from home.

Building up to her maternity leave, she loaded up on work to fully fund her maternity leave. As the nesting phase started to kick in she started to show signs of early labor. This sudden change caught Kelly off guard, and she wasn’t mentally or physically prepared for the baby to arrive. Her husband enlisted her sister to help her reconnect in mind and body to settle into the reality that she didn’t have weeks to prepare. Labor progressed as her husband scrambled to complete the homebirth checklist, thankfully, their doula was present to support her. The atmosphere shifted as her team slowly made their way to the home and set up the environment. Kelly managed labor with what was familiar to her, movement. She would live out her vision as she pushed her baby out.

Postpartum wellness was intentional for Kelly as she knew what challenges could be ahead of them. One issue was breastfeeding, Kelly found that latching issues and a painful and fast letdown would discourage the experience. Her support group and doula helped center her in this new work for her and the baby. The emotional lows were expected, but she didn’t know how it would feel. Allowing her body to rest and relax while she embraced her husband, and taking on additional responsibilities in the home has aided in her healing.

Birth and motherhood are teaching Kelly that research is key, aligning with your care provider, and making informed choices.

Resources:

NATAL | a podcast docuseries about having a baby while Black in the US

Homecoming Podcast |black home birth stories

Doing it at Home Podcast | space for empowered, loving and real birth stories and conversations from home birth families

Mindful Birthing | training the mind, body, and heart for childbirth and beyond

The Bradley Method | childbirth education series

In collaboration with Pacify Health, this month’s episodes will focus on the doulas. You’ll hear conversations with four Pacify Doulas, getting a chance to reflect on “ The Other Side” of birth. Today we meet Danielle Miller.

Danielle Miller was an established lactation counselor when the call to birth doula work pulled her in as a change agent supporting Black birthing people. She completed both birth and postpartum training, allowing her to build upon her skills. The first birth she attended felt like such an honor that she couldn’t believe she had waited to become a doula. The love for the work has determined her path, and feels purposeful. Witnessing babies come earthside has demanded she respect the process, not rush and allow.

Introducing virtual support to her practice with the Pacify app has further developed her skills to provide more mental guidance for her clients. Tapping into the ability to reach clients from wherever was uncomfortable but necessary. Now she embraces it as birth can call on mindfulness that connects with the body. Helping mothers and birthing people feel seen and heard during their pregnancy and labor is key to how they feel about their experience.

Danielle has coined the term “Pacify is the uber of doulas.” When her purple app lights up, she knows she’s about to connect with someone and can share information about birth. It provides an extra layer of protection for people not feel alone and helps them find their voice. The convenience of the app for doulas has helped her work/life balance. She is generally up with her newborn at night and has created a life for her family that allows her to support both in-person and virtually while being present at home.

Sponsors:

Pacify Health | virtual, value-based maternal and pediatric care

Pacify Health is the leading provider of virtual, value-based maternal and pediatric care. The Pacify tech-enabled platform provides 24/7 perinatal and infant feeding support to new and expecting parents via their smartphones. The Pacify app connects families to a nationwide network of doulas, lactation consultants, and registered nurses within minutes, reducing costs and improving outcomes for managed care organizations, public health programs, health systems and employers.

In collaboration with Pacify Health, this month’s episodes will focus on the doulas. You’ll hear conversations with four Pacify Doulas, getting a chance to reflect on “ The Other Side” of birth. Today we meet Zoerina Ledwidge.

A college assignment captured Zoerina’s attention; it was a report on the maternal mortality rates in the DC area. She took into account the disproportionate findings regarding Black women. The report introduced her to the positive impact of doula support for birth. Zoerina discovered  Mamatoto Village, where she was introduced to holistic perinatal care. After training there and attending births; she was instantly hooked. They offered opportunities to shadow experienced doulas at births, which helped build her confidence.

Zoerina balances the new ways of in-person and virtual support while anchoring in a holistic approach to birth. Initially, virtual support was tricky in developing a voice that was not in the birthing room with her first virtual client. There were lapses in communication, but now she feels like she has been able to get the kinks out. Letting go of her own expectations and allowing her presence alone to be the best thing she can provide for her clients. She helps her clients develop birth wishes instead of birth plans to ease their minds about what they want to happen, allowing them to surrender to the process.

Pacify’s virtual doula app has supported Zoerina’s passion for finding new ways to serve the black community. Because Pacify is available to all people with Medicaid in select states, it provides accessible care for Black people who may not be able to take on the expense. Over 50% of the doulas on the network are Black; culturally affirming and sensitive care is critical. This platform allows Zoerina and other doulas to answer questions that may not be addressed during prenatal visits regarding common discomforts and concerns. Many topics can be addressed during the doula calls; the importance of prenatal care, finding a doctor or midwife they trust, explaining the process of labor and birth, pain management and coping skills, bodily changes, and stress management are just a few.

A few takeaways from Zoerina - get a doula; there is a doula for everyone, and seek lactation support for infant feeding. Lactation consultants support formula feeding and breast/chestfeeding. Pacify offers both!

Families who call Pacify are connected with convenient 24/7 on-demand access, support with creating a personalized Birth Wish List,  access to a resource library, evidence-based information, non-judgmental support, and the boundary of the virtual environment. 

Resources:

Mamatoto Village | providing accessible perinatal support services devoted to serving Black mothers, babies, and their families

Sponsors:

Pacify Health | virtual, value-based maternal and pediatric care

Pacify Health is the leading provider of virtual, value-based maternal and pediatric care. The Pacify tech-enabled platform provides 24/7 perinatal and infant feeding support to new and expecting parents via their smartphones. The Pacify app connects families to a nationwide network of doulas, lactation consultants, and registered nurses within minutes, reducing costs and improving outcomes for managed care organizations, public health programs, health systems and employers.

Yasmin had a natural inclination to work with babies at an early age. She thought she would be a gynecologist or pediatrician; the pain of seeing sick children shifted her career plans.  She became a teacher instead, and her love for being an educator was helpful when choosing birth work. After training in birth and postpartum work, she included lactation and even explored a path to midwifery.

Yasmin has noticed how hard women can be on themselves from her  experience as a mother and a birth worker. Remembering her personal vulnerabilities informs her practice regarding the need for patience, gentleness, and compassionate care.

Working with Pacify has amplified the educational component of her doula experience. She can work with families through the app and can address prenatal questions and concerns. The ability to touch more lives via lactation and doula support through this medium blows her mind. It is not lost on her when she greets a Black or Brown parent who is excited to see someone who looks like them. Acknowledging parents that call Pacify that are Black and using doula support and breastfeeding resources is important to her. Black families are among the lowest demographic to initiate breast/chestfeeding. The lack of diversity in the lactation field partially contributes to this statistic.

When women have a baby, it may be the only time in their lives that people offer unsolicited help. Yasmin encourages new parents to ask about their family traditions surrounding birth and postpartum and for help with unexpected needs. Many cultures report healing practices about maintaining warmth in the birth giver's body and staying home in the first 40 days after birth. These traditions are major keys to Yasmin’s postpartum practice; she shares them with virtual and in-person clients.

Her doula journey continues to unfold; Yasmin is grateful to add her time with Pacify as priceless work. She feels supported by the team and valued as they provide a consumer-driven service and a space for doulas to make a difference for new parents and for their work to be deemed necessary.  

Resources:

The Milk Doula (Yasmin Baskin) | lactation and postpartum support

The Birthing Place | a center for health wellness and family

Sponsors:

Pacify Health | virtual, value-based maternal and pediatric care

Pacify Health is the leading provider of virtual, value-based maternal and pediatric care. The Pacify tech-enabled platform provides 24/7 perinatal and infant feeding support to new and expecting parents via their smartphones. The Pacify app connects families to a nationwide network of doulas, lactation consultants, and registered nurses within minutes, reducing costs and improving outcomes for managed care organizations, public health programs, health systems and employers.

In collaboration with Pacify Health, this month’s episodes will focus on the doulas. You’ll hear conversations with four Pacify Doulas, getting a chance to reflect on “ The Other Side” of birth. Today we meet Lare Ngofa.

Free-Spirited, science-loving Lare is a birth and postpartum doula who entered the birth worker world when she caught her baby cousin at age 16. She deepened her knowledge of holistic pregnancy care through education and family conversations, but she waited to move forward in the work as she wanted to explore other avenues. 

While working through her career choices, her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Lare shifted gears to care for her and her autistic brothers. Unfortunately, treatment would not heal Lare’s mother as she passed away after a brief hospice stay. Lare refocused her intentions on what family and work would look like; as she managed the waves of grief.  Lare finally trained as a doula with the support of her cousin and has developed a practice that features intuitive and holistic care in the Los Angeles area. 

Supporting families in-person and virtually allows Lare and other birth workers to be accessible to families who want their services. Doulas spend a lot of time educating families on their options and encouraging them to give birth without fear. Lare found that her clients teach her new techniques and advice as well. One client taught her the value of a focal point in the birthing space and reminded her that she told her, ”Surrender or be dragged; surrender to this process or be dragged through it.” The connection between doulas, birth givers, and new parents can vary based on personalities and individual needs. This unique relationship helps build trust and confidence for birth and the subsequent parenting journey. Doulas can only take credit for the role required of them and how they show up in sacred spaces. 

A chance encounter with a client coping with a mother fighting cancer would transform Lare’s practice. She stepped into asking the hard questions that pulled back the curtains of grief as her client lost her mother during the third trimester of her pregnancy. The weight of being a motherless mother was bearing down on them. With no expectation of how to feel or be Lare held space for her client to ground herself into simply being present. 

These types of relationships are built one conversation at a time. Choosing to connect and open up about our experiences and concerns about pregnancy and birth is developed by taking the first step of reaching out to a known resource. Every call will not be a deep and emotional conversation, but every call is a human connection. Working with Pacify has added value to Lare’s doula practice; she is now accessible to people who may not be within her reach financially or geographically. 

Sponsors:

Pacify Health | virtual, value-based maternal and pediatric care

Pacify Health is the leading provider of virtual, value-based maternal and pediatric care. The Pacify tech-enabled platform provides 24/7 perinatal and infant feeding support to new and expecting parents via their smartphones. The Pacify app connects families to a nationwide network of doulas, lactation consultants, and registered nurses within minutes, reducing costs and improving outcomes for managed care organizations, public health programs, health systems and employers.

This is a story about loss and rebirth; specifically what the Medical Industrial Complex deems a “near miss.” A maternal near miss occurs when someone nearly died but survived a complication that occurred during pregnancy, childbirth, or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. 

Consider where your mind, body, and spirit are sitting during the time you read and listen to this story. 

Shawnise embarked on her third pregnancy with intentional care for herself and growing her family one last time. She managed her health and nutrition while raising her other daughters without complications in her pregnancy.  A mother's quiet preparation had carried her through to term. 

She planned a tubal ligation after the birth upon deciding that her family was complete. Shawnise understood that the procedure was simple and harmless, that would not be the case for Shawnise. Soon after delivering her daughter, she was rushed into the operating room for her procedure, not allowing time for skin-to-skin or initiating lactation. Post-surgery, she showed signs of severe illness over the next few days. The family immediately advocated for her care and informed her care providers that something was wrong and that she may be showing signs of infection. The response was not immediate and was dismissive at first. Her family pushed harder for emergent care; exploratory surgery began that night. Shawnise would spend two months in the hospital after being diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure, Renal Failure, Perforated Bowel, Double Pneumonia, and Upper Respiratory Failure.  Shawnise’s thoughts started to echo that she would not survive. Shawnise flatlined on the day before her expected discharge from the hospital. Her sister returned to the hospital and showed up in her scrubs from her job. She was mistaken for a staff member as they interacted with her in the room. Only discovering later that she was Shawnise’s sister after she passed out seeing her lifeless sister on the bed. Twenty minutes passed as Shawnise experienced a spiritual awakening in what she calls the Afterlife. She describes feeling the love and grace of God before being sent back home. 

After her revival and subsequent discharge, she would report additional health concerns. She would receive a pacemaker to keep her heart beating and depression would settle in. Before her surgery, she had no preexisting conditions or health challenges. Her previous pregnancies were uncomplicated. Shawnise had a support system that helped her with the transitions and daily work as a mother of three and managing her healthcare. 

Trauma has a way of stealing joy from beautiful moments in our lives. You would never know that Baby Kensie’s birth was peaceful. It was perfectly normal. The pregnancy was beautiful. The family was strong then and even stronger today. Addressing her mental health has brought her to the point of sharing her story of triumph. Shawnise wakes up every day and can care for her children. Love helps her move forward and not look back.  

Resources:

Shawnise Website | shawnise chantell

God Within the Lily | the shawnise chantell story - the death and resurrection of me