10 | Not so by the Book Mommy - Isabella Otarola

Isabella and her husband found out just a few days before they were to get married that they were pregnant with their son. They would find that with his birth he would surprise them again. When considering her birth options, Isabella had always pictured herself having a homebirth. As she had a healthy and smooth pregnancy, she worked through making that possible with the help of her cousin who was a doula.There were many aspects of her birth that Isabella expected. However, the speed at which her son arrived, caught her and her husband by surprise! Soon after her water broke, contractions began coming fast and fierce. She explains that when her midwife arrived, she looked at both her and her husband and told them she could feel the baby's head. Isabella followed the intuition of her body and birthed her son in their bedroom, squatting with the support of her husband.A valuable lesson we took from Isabella's story is the way in which she listened to her body not only during her sons birth but also in her 4th trimester. While postpartum for her was both physically and emotionally tiring, she remained patient and in contact with her body to assure the best recovery she could have!Resources:La Leche League International | breastfeeding supportBirth Without Fear