I often say that when it comes to birth, I’ve lived it all—and I truly have.

My first pregnancy ended with an induction at 40 weeks. At the time, access to natural birth education was limited, and social media had only just begun to open conversations around informed choice. I followed the system I had been trained in. The result was a vaginal birth with an epidural and a second-degree tear. It wasn’t traumatic, but it wasn’t empowering either. Something was missing, though I couldn’t yet name it.

My second child was born via cesarean section due to complications. When I speak about this birth, I say “we delivered him” because my physician was patient, compassionate, and truly collaborative. He listened, explained, and involved me in every decision. Still, I cried through the surgery, grieving the birth I had hoped for. While my bond with my son was immediate and profound, my postpartum recovery was far more complex than I had anticipated.

Then came my third pregnancy or what i like to call it “the turning point”
From the moment I had my C-section, I dreamed of a VBAC. The statistics and information available to me were discouraging, yet something deeper kept calling me forward. When my water broke, I trusted my instincts. I labored at home, listened to my body, and went on to experience a deeply empowering vaginal birth, one that changed everything.

That birth redefined how I understood labor, recovery, and the innate intelligence of the female body. It marked the beginning of a profound inner shift.