It’s Published! Brave Beautiful Birth – Trusting God Through VBAC
Brave Beautiful Birth - Trusting God Through VBAC Hi friends! It's been awhile! I have been busy over on Facebook and Instagram and finishing up my book. And I'm so pleased to tell you it is published and available on Amazon! The reviews have been awesome so far! Some have described it as inspiring, encouraging and the BEST book. Which is such a compliment. Giving thanks to God for His incredible work in my life and the ability to pass it onto others. Maybe you feel alone on your journey. Pregnant or not, you...
Birth Matters – I Know That It Does
My VBAC To go against people's opinions. To face my insecurities. To be persistent. To fight for the birth I wanted for my baby and myself. To do something which most thought I was crazy to attempt. My VBAC A reminder of who I once was and who I have since become. ******************************** People say it doesn't matter how we have our babies. I disagree. It does matter. It shapes us and we carry those memories good or bad. Like a necklace that can never be removed, faded or worn, the birth stories of our children we will forever...
Determination and Strength
If you have had a VBAC, are preparing for one, or even planned one that perhaps didn't come to pass as you wished, I would dare to say you're bold. I would dare to say your determined. I would dare to say you're fierce. I would say you are brave. To say what YOU want for YOUR birth. Not everybody does it. The system can almost seem like a factory. And when one stands up to say "My way," it can make things a little hard for the system to not have...
I Knew The Next Time Would Be Different
Reflecting back to my third c-section. Oh my. Was meeting baby precious. But it was my one time I showed up on the scheduled day and never went into labor. Heartbroken, anxious. Wanting baby to pick the day of birth. Not the doctor. As my time slot was pushed back, I sat at the door of the OR watching them prep for me. Waiting. Seeing all the tools they would use on me. This is was very normal for them. Not for me. I had shakes and chills and wanted...
Choose Your Focus
Raised eyebrows. Questions. Concerns. They didn't understand why this was important to me. They just didn't get it. I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt me. The ones I wanted support from, didn't know what that support looked like. But then I realized, it's ok. It's REALLY ok. They don't have to understand. And I can *still* love them, get along with them, laugh with them and honor them. I didn't need someone to honor me for me to honor them. I decided to remain focused on what I wanted....
Confidence
"Just in case you need a c-section, this is what we will do," the anesthesiologist told me between contractions. Politely I listened. Inside I refused to agree. I knew what they would do. I knew his job. I knew it well. He left. "I'm not here for that. I won't need him," I said out loud. I had to clear the air. I was in my zone, going with my body and he came in to talk about what ifs. Understandable. But this was MY birth room. I was here for MY birth. I didn't...
New Birth, New Life
It seemed so surreal. Holding my baby, I put my hand on her head. A wet, gooey, fresh baby. On me. My baby. No one else taking her. No one separating us. Together. For the first time. "Ohhhhhh." "Ohhhhhh." It's all I could say in disbelief. This new person I was meeting for the first time. There's magic there. There's beauty. There's comfort. All those good flowing hormones! Sometimes we fear the worst, we doubt ourselves, we don't know if we can truly trust our providers. This isn't easy. My first birth I...
Our Words Carry POWER!
I was so determined. When a negative thought came into my mind, I immediately refused to keep thinking of it. "What if I can't do it?" No, I told myself as I purposely refused to align myself with the 'what if.' "I can and I will!" I said it out loud while doing dishes, picking up toys and even working out. "Labor will be hard. I am afraid of the intensity." Being aware of the thought, I told myself no again. "I am created for this. I will do this." I know this almost...
Turning Point
Have you had a turning point in your life? Where you just knew things would never, ever be the same? My water broke. My dress all wet. I threw it into the washing machine and just stood there. Looking at my familiar washing machine. That I used every day, multiple times in fact. It seemed so familiar to me, that washing machine. But what was happening to me in the moment, was not familiar. I was in labor and about to attempt what I was told not to. As I...
A Few Important Things Before Baby
Today I sat holding my VBA3C baby. Not so much baby anymore. But it makes me think of the birth day. And I held this little peanut and felt it again. The way I felt when I first reached down and grabbed my baby from the doctor. The Birth day matters. It's such a holy God moment when new life comes and breathes its first breath. Only God gives life and the day a child enters the world, there's nothing like it. If you want your day to be the...