The Journey to VBAC

I had a beautiful conversation with Becca Kyle who is a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner. She utilizes functional labs to help driven women overcome health obstacles so they can make a difference for their families, their communities, and the world. Becca is no stranger to health issues and hopes her own health transformation i...

Closing out Cesarean Awareness month with my VBA3C story that I manifested into reality against all odds! I went from feeling scared and unsure to feeling confident in my own power to have the most blissful birth experience I could have hoped for. All along my VBA3C journey, no provider supported my decision but I had a handful of key supporters that believed in me completely, my husband being my...

Birth trauma is any physical or emotional distress you may experience during or after childbirth. According to a study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, up to 34% of women report experiencing some form of birth trauma. You can experience birth trauma whether you've had a vaginal or c-section birth. Birth trauma gets swept under the rug so easily and some reasons...

In this episode, I share my personal experience of giving birth via C-section for the third time. I discuss how I felt unheard, and disrespected by the medical staff, which created a feeling of disconnect from my baby Leia. We should be kind to others because we never know what they are going through, especially during such a vulnerable time. Empathy and understanding can go a long way in creating...

Having an empowered home birth even when things don't go as planned is possible! Even when you create the best plan for your birth, it can unfold unexpectedly. Having a plan in place can help you navigate something like a hemorrhage confidently. Bekah shares her hospital and home birth story, she talks about how each birth experience helped her plan differently for her next baby. Birth can be so u...

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...

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 s...

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 &a...

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...

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 p...

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...

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 partn...

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 unapologeticall...

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 comp...

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 ex...