What happens when you prepare for birth with everything you have, only to discover that the final lesson is letting go?In this powerful birth testimony, Pain Free Birth doula-in-training Annelisa shares how five weeks of prodromal labor, an almost 42-week pregnancy, and a deeply personal journey of surrender led to an unforgettable birth. After a difficult first hospital birth and a redemptive second birth center experience, Annelisa entered her third birth equipped with a new understanding of physiological birth, her body, and the role fear can play in the birth experience.But nothing unfolded the way she had planned. Her carefully prepared birth room and birth pool were left untouched. Instead, after sleeping through what she believes was transition, Annelisa woke to intense pelvic pressure and realized her baby was coming much faster than anyone expected. With her midwife still on the way, her husband beside her, and a perfectly positioned mirror in the shower, she watched her baby emerge while standing and allowing her body’s fetal ejection reflex to do the work.Tune in to hear:How Annelisa’s first difficult hospital birth influenced the births that followedThe difference birth education made in how she experienced contractionsWhat five weeks of prodromal labor looked like for herWhy being 41 weeks and 6 days challenged her desire for controlThe prayer under the stars that completely shifted her mindsetHow addressing emotional tension helped her feel safe enough to surrenderWhy her contractions progressed without feeling painfulHow cuddling her son helped her relax enough to fall asleep during laborWhy Annelisa believes she may have slept through transitionWhat happened when her husband could not get the birth pool filledThe moment her body entered the fetal ejection reflexHow she watched her baby crown and emerge using a mirror in the showerWhat happened when her baby was born with the cord around her neckHow the experience transformed her husband’s view of physiological birthWhy preparation and surrender are not oppositesWhat this birth taught Annelisa about trusting God, her baby, and her bodyCONNECT WITH KAREN:Use code PODCAST to get $50 off the Pain Free Birth E-course HERESubmit your birth story and apply to come on the podcastInstagramFacebookYouTube

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