Kristen

I am in no way anti-midwifery. I still love the midwifery model. And in fact, with my second baby, I went with midwives. They were all CNMs. They all delivered in a hospital setting. I don't regret that at all. They were amazing, lovely people who knew their stuff. They absolutely came through for me. They did a great job with my second, but the trauma still came back.

I really wanted to try to have a redemptive birth experience to prove to myself that my body could do it. There's also this reality that we have to confront, which is that we don't know how your body is going to react in any situation, really. The sad thing is, as much as I thought I had worked through that trauma, as the time got closer to having my second, I started having irrational thoughts.

I really wanted to try to have a redemptive birth experience to prove to myself that my body could do it. There's also this reality that we have to confront, which is that we don't know how your body is going to react in any situation, really. The sad thing is, as much as I thought I had worked through that trauma, as the time got closer to having my second, I started having irrational thoughts.

I really wanted to try to have a redemptive birth experience to prove to myself that my body could do it. There's also this reality that we have to confront, which is that we don't know how your body is going to react in any situation, really. The sad thing is, as much as I thought I had worked through that trauma, as the time got closer to having my second, I started having irrational thoughts.

Like, I don't think I'm going to make it out the other side of this. I think I'm going to go into that hospital and be in labor and I'm going to die. And then once we were there at the hospital in labor, I wanted so desperately to try to do it all by myself. The contractions got so bad and I knew it was nearing that time and I thought, I can't do this again.

Like, I don't think I'm going to make it out the other side of this. I think I'm going to go into that hospital and be in labor and I'm going to die. And then once we were there at the hospital in labor, I wanted so desperately to try to do it all by myself. The contractions got so bad and I knew it was nearing that time and I thought, I can't do this again.

Like, I don't think I'm going to make it out the other side of this. I think I'm going to go into that hospital and be in labor and I'm going to die. And then once we were there at the hospital in labor, I wanted so desperately to try to do it all by myself. The contractions got so bad and I knew it was nearing that time and I thought, I can't do this again.

I ultimately opted for an epidural again, and it was the greatest thing. It was amazing to come out of the hospital the second time and say, that's how birth is supposed to go. That's how you're supposed to be treated by the people that are caring for you.

I ultimately opted for an epidural again, and it was the greatest thing. It was amazing to come out of the hospital the second time and say, that's how birth is supposed to go. That's how you're supposed to be treated by the people that are caring for you.

I ultimately opted for an epidural again, and it was the greatest thing. It was amazing to come out of the hospital the second time and say, that's how birth is supposed to go. That's how you're supposed to be treated by the people that are caring for you.

I wanted to share my story just to bring awareness, but also to try to bring justice to all the women that were wronged by origins and the people that worked there. Such a vulnerable time, obviously, birth, and we put our full trust in the providers and in the system.

I wanted to share my story just to bring awareness, but also to try to bring justice to all the women that were wronged by origins and the people that worked there. Such a vulnerable time, obviously, birth, and we put our full trust in the providers and in the system.

I wanted to share my story just to bring awareness, but also to try to bring justice to all the women that were wronged by origins and the people that worked there. Such a vulnerable time, obviously, birth, and we put our full trust in the providers and in the system.

The reason I wanted to talk about this was hopefully to bring some closure, but to encourage people to keep an open mind and to recognize the risks and the benefits of any decision. If I was telling somebody weighing their options, particularly in Texas, go into it with a clear knowledge of what the credentials mean. Also understand and have the humility to realize that

The reason I wanted to talk about this was hopefully to bring some closure, but to encourage people to keep an open mind and to recognize the risks and the benefits of any decision. If I was telling somebody weighing their options, particularly in Texas, go into it with a clear knowledge of what the credentials mean. Also understand and have the humility to realize that

The reason I wanted to talk about this was hopefully to bring some closure, but to encourage people to keep an open mind and to recognize the risks and the benefits of any decision. If I was telling somebody weighing their options, particularly in Texas, go into it with a clear knowledge of what the credentials mean. Also understand and have the humility to realize that

You can have a plan in mind and it can go completely wrong. And if they do go awry, you need to make sure that you trust the people that you're with and that you've vetted them. I have all the admiration and support for anyone who wants to go the birth center route or even a home birth. To my younger self, I would have said, weigh all the options.

You can have a plan in mind and it can go completely wrong. And if they do go awry, you need to make sure that you trust the people that you're with and that you've vetted them. I have all the admiration and support for anyone who wants to go the birth center route or even a home birth. To my younger self, I would have said, weigh all the options.

You can have a plan in mind and it can go completely wrong. And if they do go awry, you need to make sure that you trust the people that you're with and that you've vetted them. I have all the admiration and support for anyone who wants to go the birth center route or even a home birth. To my younger self, I would have said, weigh all the options.

There's so many things you learn the first time you go through any experience. Why would you not want to be in a place where all of the modalities to keep you safe, the knowledge to keep you safe, all of that stuff is there if you need it? I don't want to find myself or my friends in a position, again, where we have no recourse, really.