In honor of C-section awareness month, I decided to drop another C-section episode.This episode I dive into my second daughter, Camille's C-section birth story and I also touch on our rough breastfeeding journey.I thought I would be overwhelmed with emotion when she was born but instead, I was left feeling abandoned, not seen, and emotionless.Hope you can appreciate some of the vulnerability I bring in this episode! ❤️ --------------------------------------------------------------------------...

Since it's cesarean awareness month, I thought I'd share my experiences with the 3 c-sections I've experienced.This episode is a super short glimpse into my first c-section.It was a struggle navigating this experience as a 16-year-old, in a future episode I'll be deep diving into my pregnancy and postpartum journey as a teen mom.If you'd like to know me, don't hesitate to reach out! I love to share with you.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------...

Wife, mother of 3 boys (twin 2-year-olds), and two fur babies, Lauren Bennett is a birth photographer, videographer, & Doula.Her love of birth peaked when she was pregnant with her first son in 2017 & she started researching all things pregnancy & birth. She worked in the veterinary field prior to starting her photography business full-time. Since then she has become a doula (birth & postpartum) & she enjoys helping families expecting twins know their options for their jou...

VBAC is becoming more mainstream and I'm so here for it!There are so many reasons why VBAC could be right for you. For me, having a VBA3C was transformative, it changed the trajectory of my life in so many good ways.For that reason, I'd love to shout from the mountain tops, that "VBAC IS POSSIBLE!" Just because someone says no, that doesn't mean that's the end all be all. You can do this without a supportive provider.✨In this episode, I share some of the pillars I practiced to have the ...

Planning a hospital birth? Lisa Marie and I discuss some hospital practices you may not have realized take place while you're doing some of the hardest work of your life.Birthing your baby is such a beautiful experience but just be aware that you may be talked into doing something that doesn't align with your values.We talk about the best ways you can prepare yourself if hospital birth is your preferred birth location. Our discussion also touched on holistic practices, plant medicine, and how...

These tips are taken from my experiences with my own pregnancies and postpartum journeys. Some I practiced and some I wish I would've implemented to have a more peaceful experience.Setting boundaries during pregnancy and postpartum can help you build confidence, strength, and your intuition.Being a parent is hard enough without someone telling you they have a better way for you to try or forcing their beliefs or fears onto you.Every woman experiences pregnancy and postpartum differently and e...

Have you felt like you're carrying the weight of the world plus your family on your shoulders?You're wondering if anyone else is feeling this way or if you're the only one...Well, I'm here to tell you, you're NOT alone!In this episode, Jerry Silva and I dive into how normal it is for women to feel the pressure from society to be happy, "get their body back," cook, clean, and cater to their partners' needs on top of caring for their newborn and that doesn't even touch on their own needs.As a s...

Struggling with being a people pleaser plus a perfectionist on top of breaking through the "good girl' conditioning barriers?! Wooooo I'm exhausted just writing that out.In this episode, Nicole Pasveer and I chat about unlearning everything you’ve been led to believe about birth, understanding how good girl conditioning shows up in pregnancy and motherhood, and entering motherhood unapologetically. Nicole is a former nurse, current birth educator, and confidence coach.She is also ...

Being a people pleaser can be detrimental to your physical and mental health, there is literally no benefit to you in practicing this personality trait.In this episode, I discuss how normal people pleasing is and where it might stem from. After that, we dive into 10 steps towards breaking through those people-pleasing tendencies.If you're tired of easily saying yes to others' requests while completely ignoring your own needs, then this episode is for you!Let's Connect!✨ The Birth Junkie Websi...

Welcome to The Birth Junkie Podcast! Everyone is invited to this space where we dive into real, raw, and awe-inspiring conversations about all things pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and VBAC.I'm Petra Cruz and I'm obsessed with all things birth and helping you navigate through the binge-worthy and as well as the hard seasons of life. I'll teach you what I've learned along the way as well as share expert interviews to help you build confidence, self-awareness and so much more.Get excited because...