Bigger Than Birth

In this Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month episode of Bigger Than Birth, we sit down with Emily, a stay-at-home mom of two and former school counselor, to honor the four babies she lost before her daughters were born. Emily shares her pregnancy loss story with raw honesty, from being told to “focus on your weight” during her first miscarriage to the grief, guilt, and depression that followe...

In this episode of Bigger Than Birth, we sit down with Teniel, a first-time mom who got pregnant at 28 after just a couple of months of trying, despite years of messaging that plus size women struggle to conceive. Teniel shares how she found out she was pregnant, from sore breasts and a missed period to a drink that suddenly had no effect, and how a longtime family doctor once told her that her we...

In this episode of Bigger Than Birth, Brittany, a mom of four boys from Ohio, walks us through the wide range of experiences across her pregnancies and deliveries. Her first birth, at 22, was calm and unmedicated with a supportive OB who never fixated on her weight. Her second pregnancy followed an early loss and second trimester loss which brought her to a new provider who diagnosed her with gest...

In this episode of Bigger Than Birth, we sit down with Nicole, who turned 40 and welcomed her first baby in the same month. A type 2 diabetic previously managing her health with a GLP-1 medication, Nicole conceived through an at-home insemination kit while on vacation in New Orleans, continuing a sentimental family tradition. Because of her age and diabetes, she was referred to maternal-fetal medi...

This week's episode of Bigger Than Birth is a first for us — due to the nature of her work, our guest asked to share her story anonymously. We've changed her name to Sophia and won't be sharing video for this episode, but she felt it was important to speak up anyway, because stories like hers don't get told enough. Sophia got pregnant on her very first cycle of trying, at 35, despite carrying year...

In this episode of Bigger Than Birth, we sit down with Carly from Omaha, Nebraska, to hear a fertility and pregnancy journey shaped by PCOS, medical dismissal, and remarkable resilience. Carly opens up about the heartbreak of being told by a fertility doctor to lose 100 pounds before treatment — only to later learn her real barriers were an undiagnosed thyroid condition and, eventually, a life-thr...

In this episode, host Victoria Gaba sits down with Montreal-based plus size mom and fellow podcaster Robyn Flynn to explore her four-year journey through infertility, medical fatphobia, IVF, and childbirth. Managing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), Robyn started fertility treatments with letrozole to induce ovulation, but testing later revealed her husband also had low sperm motility and morpholo...

In this episode of the podcast, host Victoria Gaba sits down with Keyerrá, a pharmacy technician and educator, to discuss her journey to motherhood as a Black, plus-size woman in rural Indiana. Keyerrá shares her raw experience navigating pregnancy, maternal healthcare disparities, and high-risk complications while balancing her career ambitions. Keyerrá’s journey began unexpectedly when she found...

In this raw and transparent episode, host Victoria Gaba sits down with Portland-based first-time mother Sylvia Torres to unpack her journey to motherhood. Sylvia opens up about the heartbreak of a ten-week missed miscarriage, undergoing a D&C, and the cautious optimism of conceiving again during a vacation to New York. She shares the anxiety of announcing her pregnancy after loss and the reali...

In this episode, host Victoria Gaba sits down with first-time mother Lexy, to share her deeply inspiring journey through male factor infertility, a plus-size pregnancy, and an intense delivery. Lexy opens up about navigating fertility hurdles stemming from her husband’s past testicular cancer and chemotherapy. After facing discouraging medical bias and strict BMI cut-offs from fertility clinics in...

In this episode, host Victoria Gaba sits down with Christina Ayala to discuss her journey through plus-size pregnancy, PCOS, endometriosis, and pregnancy loss. As a mother who has navigated six pregnancies, Christina sheds light on reproductive health when facing chronic conditions and medical bias. She opens up about miscarriages caused by low progesterone, the heartbreaking loss of her daughter...

In this episode of Bigger Than Birth , Victoria Gaba connects with Jade from the UK to unpack the realities of having two babies in two years while navigating a plus-size pregnancy . Jade walks listeners through her first birth story, where she chose to trust her intuition, decline an unnecessary medical induction recommendation, and allow her body to go into spontaneous labor —resulting in a rapi...

In this episode of Bigger Than Birth, host Victoria Gaba interviews Margie, a clinical mental health therapist, who shares her journey through pregnancy and childbirth after weight loss surgery. After a gastric sleeve procedure in April 2022, Margie met her husband, and they married in June 2023. Despite common stigmas surrounding plus-size fertility, she became pregnant just three months later. B...

In this episode of Bigger Than Birth , Victoria Gaba sits down with MaRiahh to discuss her complex journeys through infertility, sobriety, and plus-size pregnancy. After a PCOS diagnosis and two years of fertility treatments—including Letrozole, Gonal-F, and IUI—Mariah achieved sobriety just months before conceiving her first son. She shares her experience with severe morning sickness, plus-size b...

In this episode, Victoria Gaba sits down with Melissa to unpack her deeply inspiring and contrasting experiences with infertility, foster care adoption, and plus-size pregnancy. After enduring four years of unexplained infertility, failed IUI cycles, and the heartbreak of back-to-back ectopic pregnancies, Melissa shares the immense shock of conceiving her first biological child completely naturall...

In this episode, host Victoria Gaba sits down with Maddie to discuss her remarkable journey through two vastly different pregnancy and birth experiences, beginning with Maddie's unexpected transition into motherhood at just sixteen years old. Despite a PCOS diagnosis that suggested future fertility hurdles, Maddie’s early experience as a teen parent set the stage for a learning advocacy and grit,...

In this episode, host Victoria Gaba sits down with first-time mom Cera to unpack the raw and empowering reality of navigating a plus-size pregnancy and a successful vaginal birth after induction. Cera shares her journey from the surprise of a quick conception after thirteen years on birth control to the nuances of receiving "high-risk" prenatal care due to her BMI. Throughout the conversation, she...

In this episode, We sit down with Allison to discuss her incredible journey from a decade of fertility struggles to the birth of her "miracle baby," Juniper. Allison shares the raw reality of navigating pregnancy with PCOS and endometriosis, including the specific 30-day hormone reset that finally led to a positive test. The conversation dives deep into the unexpected side effects of pregnancy—fro...

In this episode, we sit down with Cam, a mom from Utah, to discuss her journey through a high-risk plus-size pregnancy, a 15-hour induction, and an unplanned C-section. Cam shares an honest account of the challenges she faced, from managing a pregnancy following gallbladder surgery to navigating medical bias in the delivery room. We dive deep into the realities of C-section recovery, the frustrati...

In this episode, we sit down with Clara to hear about her unconventional fertility journey and becoming a first-time mother approaching age 40. Clara details a fascinating medical breakthrough: how removing a 20-year-old dental bridge—and resolving a hidden metal allergy and chronic inflammation—allowed her to conceive naturally despite a bicornuate uterus. The discussion provides essential insigh...

Welcome Javeé Love to the show for a compelling look at the realities of a pregnancy starting at over 500 pounds. After a surprise conception following the loss of her grandmother, Javeé navigated a healthy and uneventful pregnancy despite pre-existing high blood pressure. She sheds light on the limitations within the healthcare industry, recounting how she was initially turned away from an OBGYN...

We are joined by Becca Fajardo for a sincere and impactful look at the realities of high-risk motherhood. This episode follows Becca’s journey from handling Type 2 Diabetes and PCOS with significant weight loss to navigating a fertility journey with Letrozole. Becca shares an honest account of receiving a Down syndrome (Trisomy 21) diagnosis mid-pregnancy and the transition into life as part of th...

When does a "normal" pregnancy become high-risk? For Sydney , a first-time mom from Texas, that shift happened overnight at 30 weeks pregnant. What followed was a month of strength, patience, and unwavering focus as she navigated a month-long antepartum hospital stay with one goal in mind: reaching the 34-week milestone. In this episode, Sydney shares the incredible highs and lows of her journey,...

This episode is a powerful look at the spectrum of birth experiences—from a smooth vaginal delivery to an emergency twin C-section under general anesthesia. Host Victoria Gaba sits down with Anjelica Otto, a mother of three living in Texas, to discuss her 11-year age gap journey. Anjelica opens up about her first pregnancy at age 20, which involved low amniotic fluid and a successful induction. Fa...

This episode is a deep dive into the intersection of mental health and medical advocacy. Victoria sits down with Sarah to discuss a pregnancy journey marked by the challenges of high blood pressure and prenatal anxiety. Sarah opens up about the emotional toll of being hospitalized twice before her baby arrived and the ultimate decision to prioritize safety through a scheduled C-section. Beyond the...