Thank you @laurakdwatson for taking the time with me to share your two powerful birth stories with me. 

“I think my labour and delivery experience with my second child can show the birthing community that there is healing, redemption and overcoming after birth trauma/traumatic pregnancies. I had always desired to have a medication free labour and delivery. With my first child I didn't get that experience (I had all the pain medications, morphine, fentanyl and an epidural), suffered horrible physical trauma and battled postpartum depression and a suicide attempt because of it. I believed I was a failure and that my body had failed me. I went through hell and back recovering from my pregnancy/labour/delivery and postpartum experience. With my second child, I sought out the care of a midwife (I had an OB the first time), rented a birth pool and had an absolutely incredible, beautiful medication and intervention free labour and delivery in the birth pool. I had done what I had always dreamed of but never believed I could've done. My midwife was absolutely amazing and is really the only reason I made it through the process without any interventions. She supported me so well through my entire pregnancy, labour and delivery and I'm eternally grateful for her. I was so traumatized from my first experience that I went into my second labour and delivery with absolutely no expectations because I was so terrified that I'd have the same experience and let myself down all over again. I had set such high expectations for myself the first time that when none of those expectations came true I was absolutely devastated. I tell people now that the beautiful and peaceful birth experience I had this time around was the last piece that I needed to truly heal from the trauma of my first time and to believe my body HAD NOT failed me.” — Laura   

________RESOURCES__________

SUICIDE PREVENTION: 1.833.456.4566

https://suicideprevention.ca/ 

https://talksuicide.ca/ 

POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION: “As many as 80 percent of new mothers experience the ‘baby blues’ after delivery. Up to 23 percent of these women will develop a more severe and longer-lasting depression or anxiety, called postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety, after delivery.” GET HELP HERE 

BIRTH LOCATION: RAH

MIDWIVES: HOPE MIDWIVES 

To apply for midwifery care, please register at: clientcare.alberta-midwives.ca/waitlist/register 

#birthstory #birthtrauma birthwithconfidence #empoweredbirth #yegmom #littledoulaontheprairie #birthingontheprairies

Jess walked into M's during the last weeks of her first pregnancy! Everything was pretty “textbook” until it was discovered that their sweet little prairie baby was sitting comfy in a breech position! 

We discussed all her options including a vaginal breech delivery & I connected her with the area’s vaginal breech experts. 

This goal in general, if choosing a vaginal breech birth is not easily attainable with our current outlook of breech birth in our society. Majority of moms are steered towards a cesarean birth once it is learned baby is in a breech position. This is mainly to the fact that breech vaginal delivery is a fading art and there are a limited amount of confident trained providers in our communities. 

Here is a quick list of amazing people: 

• Milly Friedman @lifesourcedoula

• Breech CONFIDENT & friendly OB’s at RAH @loisholehosp 

(* quick disclaimer * I am in no way saying that a cesarean birth isn’t a good option for your family when your faced with a breech baby. That decision is solely yours. I do feel it’s important that you are given any and all options like any other intervention to explore and discuss in order for you to make an informed & educated decision. You will never regret your decision when you had all the proper information to 

Welcome back to another episode of Birthing on the Prairies! This week we are sharing space with Michelle!

"I have been through a lot. Recovering from ppd/ppa after a traumatic birth, having a healthy happy second pregnancy and birth, to then having 2 early losses, then finally my rainbow pregnancy that resulted in an emergency c-section. Having to adapt to each situation and the difference between vaginal births and c-sections gives me the opportunity to share both experiences."

Grab a coffee and join us as Michellei shares her birth stories in Stettler, her last one involving a marginal placenta previa.

LOCATION: Stettler

BIRTHER: MICHELLE 

LISTEN NOW TO THE murdermerlotpodcast  

BE ON THE PODCAST: HERE

LEARN MORE ABOUT LITTLE DOULA ON THE PRAIRIE: WWW.LITTLEDOULAONTHEPRAIRIE.COM

Welcome back to another episode of Birthing on the Prairies! This week we are sharing space with Dani! 

"I went from being an uniformed first time mom to having an unnecessary csection to a vbac in the hospital and then with a midwife and an epidural and then a hbac waterbith" - DANI

Grab a coffee and join us as Dani shares her 3 birth stories in Edmonton, her last one being a magical birth at home with midwives!

LOCATION: Edmonton RAH x2, Home

MIDWIVES: EDMONTON MIDWIFERY COOPERATIVE 

BIRTHER: DANI 

BE ON THE PODCAST: HERE 

LEARN MORE ABOUT LITTLE DOULA ON THE PRAIRIE: WWW.LITTLEDOULAONTHEPRAIRIE.COM 

Welcome back to another episode of birthing on the prairies. This episode is with first time mom Ashlyn. She planned a homebirth with her midwife and husnand present. After many hours of pushing Ashlyn was tranferred to the hospital where she delivered her son via cesaren section. 

"I laboured for 30+ hours at home with so much faith and trust in my body. Labour was one of the best experiences of my life, even though it ended in a c-section. Midwifery care was the best thing I ever did and truly why I believe I am able to be at peace with my birth amidst the challenges I faced. I feel that my story could inspire many women who fear c-sections or birth in general. My mind was my most powerful tool!"

Join us as we unwrap this poweful birth and learn how Ashlyn's passion has made her a strong advocate for other birthing families in Alberta. 

BIRTHING LOCATION: lac la biche

MIDWIVES: Tree de la Vie 

BIRTH TRAMA RESOURSES: theteaonbirthtrauma 

BODY TALK: Chealsea Snelgrove 

EPISODE 19: Still Choosing Hope: A Still Birth Story

LISTEN NOW @spotify or @applepodcasts by searching @birthingontheprairies 

******TRIGGER WARNING THIS PODCAST DOES HAVE DISCUSSION OF STILLBIRTH AND PREGNANCY LOSS.

Welcome back to birthing on the prairies. I'm so glad to have you guys here. This week we are talking with Casey's stillbirth story of her son Weston. It is a loss mom perspective, from early pregnancy loss, recurrent pregnancy loss and full term loss. But also the perspective of someone who is ready to become a mother and is struggling through trying to conceive. Join us for this powerful story.

BIRTH LOCATION: Lloydminster

CONNECT WITH CASEY @caseyhannis 

• Heart Matters Healing

Welcome back to birthing on the prairies. I'm so glad to have you guys here. This week we are talking with Amanda from Sherwood Park! Amanda has a really cool perspective and experience with her birst story that involves a powerful planned homebirth, and navigating postpartum depression. 

BIRTH LOCATION: Homebirth in Sherwood Park

MIDWIVES: https://edmontonmidwiferycooperative.com/

CONNECT WITH AMANDA: ON INSTAGRAM 

Maternal mental illness has a profound impact on all aspects of a mother’s life and affects her infant, other children and partner. Depression during the postpartum period is estimated to affect up to 15% of mothers. Postpartum Depression (PPD) screening standardization was identified as a priority in the Government of Alberta’s Valuing Mental Health Strategy.

* IF YOU OR YOURSELF FEEL LIKE YOU ARE EXPERIENCEING PPD PLEASE REACH OUT TO FRIENDS OR FAMILY AND SEEK THE HELP OF YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER: https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/services/Page15072.aspx

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I'm Kristy Cooper, birth doula and creator of Little Doula on the prairie, and you're listening to birthing on the prairies. This podcast was made as a safe place for families here in the prairies to come share their birth stories in every shapen form. So come grab a coffee and join us to hear informative and powering birth stories from families right here in our communities.

Welcome back to birthing on the prairies. I'm so glad to have you guys here. This week we are talking with Taylor. Taylor has a really cool perspective and experience with her birst story. I will say there is TRIGGER WARNING* for talk of abortion, body Dysmorphia, eating disorders, and so if that is something that you feel like you're not quite able to listen to right now, I completely respect it and maybe just pass this story and come back at another time.

But I think it's just such a unique perspective with regards to starting a blended family, being a stepmom, navigating early pregnancy and those decisions, and so thank you, Taylor, for for putting your heart and being just so vulnerable with your story and open with your whole experience. I'm so proud of who you are, who you've become the mom you are. Happy Birthday, little Holden, and with that being said, let's get into her story.

BIRTH LOCATION: LUCINA BIRTH CENTRE & rah

MIDWIVES: https://passagesmidwifery.com/ 

CONNECT WITH TAYLOR: ON INSTAGRAM

Maternal mental illness has a profound impact on all aspects of a mother’s life and affects her infant, other children and partner. Depression during the postpartum period is estimated to affect up to 15% of mothers. Postpartum Depression (PPD) screening standardization was identified as a priority in the Government of Alberta’s Valuing Mental Health Strategy.

* IF YOU OR YOURSELF FEEL LIKE YOU ARE EXPERIENCEING PPD PLEASE REACH OUT TO FRIENDS OR FAMILY AND SEEK THE HELP OF YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER: https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/services/Page15072.aspx

Connect with Mel on IG @melvic09

Kwósel Beaded Jewelry on IG @kwosel

DOULA: ALYCIA TWO BEARS & The moss bag project

Kristy Cooper, birth doula and creator of little doula on the prairie, and you're listening to birthing on the prairies. This podcast was made as a safe place for families here in the prairies to come share their birth stories in every shape and form. So come grab a coffee and join us to hear informative and powering birth stories from families right here in our communities.

Welcome back to another episode of birthing on the prairies. I'm so happy that you guys are here.Today's episode is with Melissa. She is a Calgary Mama of three! She is sharing all three of her birth stories tonight and so I'm so excited for you guys to hear them. Big Shout out to Alycia Two Bears, a Doula from down south for encouraging Mel to come and share her birth story because, like I say all the time, these birth stories can be gold for other MOMS as they are approaching their own births and how they want to shape their own experience. So thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this story with us today. I can't wait for you guys to hear it!