My Birth Story & Postpartum Reflections 🌊
Hello! Can you believe we’re halfway through June already?! It’s been 2 months since I gave birth to my son, and it feels like I’m coming out of a hazy magical challenging fog of postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, bonding, and learning a whole lot of new skills all at once.
I’m running on a few hours of sleep per night and feeling delirious and exhausted, but whenever I see my little boy smile and hear him coo, it makes my heart burst with bliss. 🥹🤩❤️🔥
My birth story
Last night, I followed a curiosity to pull up the video my doula took of the last 1 minute 30 seconds of my labor. I wanted to re-watch myself push out my baby.
I had recently been joking with people about how I bet that my recollection of my birth will soon morph into a hazy memory, and it’d been true. As weeks went by, I began to remember birth as “Wow how powerful, yeah I can do that again” vs right after I gave birth when I felt immense relief and thought to myself, “Wow I’m never doing that again, that was HARD.”
Ok so in the video I pulled up, it’s 9:10pm.
At this point, it had been about 5 hours of actively laboring at the birth center, although at the time I had no idea how long it had been (it felt like forever).
My sounds, movements, and positions throughout labor all felt very instinctual. I was following the lead of my body.
I’m in the water tub on my knees, leaning my arms on the edge of the tub, with my head down. Next to me on the edge of the tub is my wooden comb, which I had been using for acupressure throughout labor. With one hand, I’m squeezing the hand of my doula as she tells me, “You can do this.” My husband is in the tub with me behind me with his hands on my hips for counter pressure. My midwife and OB are by the water tub observing me intently.
I let out a long, primal sound out my mouth, reverberating through my entire body, sending all my energy and breath downwards, knowing that at that point, the only way out of the situation was through. I knew I was close. The end was near.
Throughout pregnancy, my voice played a big role in connecting with my baby, soothing my body and nervous system, and dropping in deep with my spirit. It took form in humming, singing, and talking.
During birth, it was more like moaning, roaring, sighing, breathing, and even blowing raspberries. I tried out different tones, pitches, textures, decibels, paces, and directions of sounds—anything to help me cope with the intensity of contractions and keep progressing the labor.
In between contractions, I was mostly still, in silence. I remember my soul felt like it was outside my body, out somewhere in another dimension talking to my baby, communicating with him to help him feel safe and ready to come down. Holding his hand and retrieving him.
Have you seen the Pixar movie Soul? Where the souls jump from what looks like another planet in outer space into Earth into the human form of a body. It felt like that.
9:11pm. With a loud uninhibited roar, I push and his head comes out.
The next few seconds are a blur as I push out the shoulders, the rest of his body gliding out into the water and into my arms like it was meant to be.
He immediately lets out a cry, as if to say “I’m here.”
Teo Blu was born 🩵
Reflections Pt. 1
I probably rewatched this video like 10 times this past day. I’m fascinated and in awe of what happened and that this is me, real and raw.
What struck me most were the sounds I was making. And how calm I was with him in my arms immediately after he came out.
I’m realizing that the most liberated I’ve felt in my life with my voice has been during labor and the birth of my child. The most powerful I’ve felt with my voice too.
Healing my relationship with my voice changed my life.
I truly realized the power of advocating for myself during my pregnancy, birth, and postpartum and how I could’ve had a very different journey to motherhood otherwise.
Speaking up for your needs and desires in hospital settings and communicating your needs with family can be very challenging especially for us daughters of immigrants and first gen folks who were taught to keep the peace and anticipate the needs of others, at times at the expense of our own.
My clients have also experienced life-changing transformations in various ways through healing their relationship with their voice. For example, one client grew her comfort to express herself authentically and advocate for herself as a daughter of immigrants and mother navigating family dynamics, enabling her to feel seen and heard—a skill she knew she wanted to model for her children.
If you’re ready to empower yourself to speak your truth with more confidence and create the life and motherhood experience you desire, I’d love to support you.
Schedule your 1:1 consultation call, and we’ll dive deep into your goals and create a plan to support you.
Rooting for you,
Eunice
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Hi 👋🏼 I'm Eunice (she/her).
I’m a Somatic Business Coach for visionary daughters of immigrants, entrepreneurs, and creatives. I help you embody your brilliance, shine unapologetically, and create a thriving business and life you love, without burning out. ❤️🔥
Learn more about me & my 1:1 coaching.
Curious about what it could look like for you? ➡️ Book a Free 1:1 Clarity Call.
