Birth Stories in Color

Megana knew that she wanted a family, and before meeting her husband, she had even considered taking on the role of parenting without a partner. But soon after moving to a new city, she met her husband; they fell in love and began discussing expanding their family. They both wanted to have two kids before Megana got a bit older and had planned to start trying to conceive after getting married. But...

Giánni and Ron expanded their family in 2019 and 2020, welcoming two beautiful daughters to fortify their new marriage. They were already parents building their blended family, but these pregnancies connected all of the dots and allowed them both to journey through the highs and lows of creating a new life together. They were both interested in having mature and intentional pregnancy experiences....

Being the youngest of four siblings and having loved the role of aunt since the age of ten, becoming pregnant with her daughter had been a long time coming for Charlene and her husband. Charlene read, watched, and listened to anything she could to prepare for her birth. Knowing all the negative messages surrounding the birth experience for Black women, she wanted to make sure she was educated for...

“When you decide to conceive, you’re going to have a hard time.” This was the assessment given to Keneisha during her first appointment with a new gynecologist. There were no tests completed to make that determination, only a conversation that the provider thought it was abnormal that she had never had a pregnancy scare or abortion. Striking Keneisha as odd and concerning for her health, she never...

Starting her first day of nursing school, Derikka Vaughans was surprised to find out that she had also started her journey through motherhood. She would take medical leave from school during her first trimester as navigating being sick and family stress would leave her a bit overwhelmed. Derikka expresses that, in full transparency, "I didn't get a chance to fully embrace pregnancy in the first tr...

Carrita Flie graciously opened up to us about both her miscarriages and birth. We have had an opportunity to hold space for families that have experienced loss and traumatic birth experiences. As BSiC storyteller Dani Kilgore stated, "Joy and pain can sleep in the same bed." This was the first time Carrita shared the details of both her traumatic losses and one amazing blessing. Due to her history...

Alicia Tetteh joins us for a second time after sharing her twin birth with us in Episode 57:  The Body Holds the Score . Alicia and her husband, Solomon, discovered they were expecting their third child during the pandemic shutdown of 2020. Luna was a surprise for them but came with a new and experienced version of Alicia.  Alicia started with a previous hospital for care but added midwifery suppo...

Dr. Petagaye English graciously joined us to share her experiences with pregnancy and birth. She privately miscarried three times before she carried her baby to term. Petagaye and her husband found out they were expecting again. After the losses, she felt like she was on pins and needles as she attended each prenatal appointment. The next few months through her pregnancy would challenge her health...

When Teairra was pregnant with her second son, she knew right away. Once confirmed, she began preparing for a birth in which she felt that she was in control. She decided a homebirth was best and hired a midwife who was supportive of all of her decisions to navigate her pregnancy in a way that felt intuitive, safe, and liberating for her. Late in her pregnancy, Teairra traveled with her grandmothe...

We first met Alyestal Thomas when she shared her first birth story with us ( Ep. 19 |The Power Within ) and were delighted when she reached out to share her second. This pregnancy would bring both mental and physical challenges for Alyestal to navigate. Her anemia had brought on intense exhaustion that would require continuous monitoring throughout her pregnancy. And while at times she would feel...

In reflecting on her pregnancy and birth, Lauren Jones shares that it involved longing and fear. Being someone who enjoyed knowing all the things and being as prepared as possible, the uncertainty of pregnancy was a constant juggling act. She was used to doing things a certain way, and this time required a level of letting go and immense learning she could never have prepared for. She began to und...

Before the pregnancy of her son, Annette Perel had been a doula for about four years. Considering her experience from supporting other families, she was set on the plans for her birth and what she needed to do to prepare. Key aspects of that preparation included hiring a doula and midwife for her home birth, learning to become assertive in her communication to advocate for herself, and soaking in...

Tiffany shared her birth story and reflections on her journey through a rough pregnancy, being sent home from the hospital, resulting in unassisted home birth, and how her healing from it all continues 11 years later. Early in the pregnancy, Tiffany decided to continue the pregnancy without her child's father for her own mental and physical health. Due to inadequate finances, she did not start pre...

Dr. Lauren Collins, a chiropractor, and birth worker tapped into the wisdom and experiences of the families she's supported over the years and empowered her during her homebirth. A birth that was peaceful, intense, and also faster than expected. Conception came easy for her and her partner, and they enjoyed a healthy pregnancy. Although she paused birth work during pregnancy, she found that the ch...

Ingrid Carney is the founder of Ingrid & Isabel , the largest maternity brand created by moms for moms. We had the opportunity to hear her own birth stories and how they changed her and have shaped the brand. For Ingrid, pregnancy was another item on the list, coming together to round out how she had planned her life. But as she moved through her pregnancy, shifts would require her to release cont...

Charlotte Shook welcomed her son in January of 2021 after experiencing pregnancy throughout 2020 and the many challenges and triumphs of that unpredictable time. She credits yoni steaming for helping her body prepare for pregnancy after having early difficulties with fertility. Charlotte had an easy pregnancy and was able to work from home and maintain an active lifestyle. She was focusing her lab...

Bianca Pryor felt led to start sharing her personal birth experience and how it interweaves with the birth story and untimely passing of her best friend, Dr. Shalon Irving. Dr. Irving's passing made headlines in 2017 after she suffered from postpartum preeclampsia and did not receive proper medical attention when she addressed her concerns. Her story stood out as Dr. Irving was a lieutenant comman...

For Dr. Amber Thorton, her second pregnancy followed suit of her first. She found ease in the pregnancy and was able to stay very active until about 36 weeks. The parts of this second journey that would require more from here would be finding the harmony of providing the attention she needed to her toddler son and managing the shifts both physically and emotionally from pregnancy, releasing the fe...

Katya Suh and her husband, Ndamunkong Suh, discovered they were expecting shortly after their nuptials amid the pandemic in 2020. They were excited to expand their family and began preparing for what lay ahead. She shared the whirlwind of a year that included a pandemic, a wedding, a twin pregnancy, and a Super Bowl victory.  The early weeks of her pregnancy felt uneasy as she had early spotting t...

Adriana Lozada is an advanced birth doula, a postpartum educator, child sleep consultant, and creator/host of the Birthful podcast. The most impactful learning experience for her regarding birthwork was from her own. She graciously shared her birth story as she welcomed her daughter for the first time. Adriana did not venture into birth work until after she gave birth herself. She started self-edu...

Cristina Hernandez and her partner Sy Bernabei shared how they navigated their journey through assisted reproductive technology (ART), planned for homebirth, and ended at the hospital with a belly birth. Their story delved deeply into the world of fertility support and the mental and physical highs and lows that can affect both partners. Cristina bravely walked us through her each step with Sy by...

An unexpectedly easy pregnancy led Shay and Joshua through a journey of exploration and intention setting that would create a backdrop for a pregnancy and birthing experience that would be become a love letter for their daughter. Shay and Joshua chose to announce their pregnancy to a few select people. They managed to keep their happy secret despite Shay's work on social media that often finds her...

May is Maternal Mental Health Month. When we finished recording Hiwote's story and sitting in processing with her, we knew her story aligned with the awareness this month brings forth. Hiwote's story carries the heavy parts that we often hear of - the weight of being a Black birthing person, navigating a medical system that isn't designed to support us. There is birth trauma in this story. Sharing...

Dae joined us to share her beautifully intertwined birth stories of loss and joy reclaimed. She experienced the unexpected loss of her first child during the early part of her third trimester. She began a healing journey that included therapy, where she started journaling. The process proved therapeutic and taught her how to make space for herself and rebuild her trust in God. Dae worked through t...