On April 26, 2017, my plans for a third homebirth went sideways and I learned why it is important to always have a back-up plan, and that a c-section -- even an unexpected one -- can be an incredibly empowering birth experience.
Read MoreWARNING: post contains discussion of fertility-related issues and may be a trigger for anyone struggling with these problems.
Read MoreThere are moments in all our lives from which we cannot go back, moments that leave us forever changed or transformed, points of metamorphosis that we can rail against or embrace. Pregnancy is one of these thresholds, birth is a doorway through which no woman emerges unchanged.
Read MoreIn one of my early midwife visits last Fall, I was asked by my primary midwife what I wanted to accomplish in this pregnancy and birth. At first I thought it an odd question, but my answer then and throughout the rest of my pregnancy was "calm". Gone were the detailed birth plans I'd constructed for my first two births and in their place was only a desire for simplicity and peace. If I could have that, I'd be able to cope with any curve balls that might come my way during the labour and birth. [...]
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