109 | The Heart Work of Birth - Adriana Lozada

Adriana Lozada is an advanced birth doula, a postpartum educator, child sleep consultant, and creator/host of the Birthful podcast. The most impactful learning experience for her regarding birthwork was from her own. She graciously shared her birth story as she welcomed her daughter for the first time. Adriana did not venture into birth work until after she gave birth herself. She started self-educating as she prepared for pregnancy, and books were her primary source of knowledge. She found that as she and her husband were living on a sailboat, they would need to make changes to create stability due to challenging weather conditions of sailing. Adriana knew that she had book knowledge but had no deep-rooted village and lacked “heart knowledge.” Adriana and her husband hired a midwife to support their planned homebirth but still regret not having invited more people to support them through labor and postpartum.Labor started at 41 weeks as Adriana and her daughter held their own “secret” that would be the beginning of her birth. She managed to labor at home all day long as her family supported her. Upon arrival at the hospital, Adriana discovered that she was not as far progressed as she thought. Adriana tried various labor positions until she landed on a stool, which allowed her body to do the work. Pushing for 2 hours left her exhausted, and she found herself birthing with her brain and not her body. Her baby girl was born as she yelled her out and garnered her anger to propel her body to complete the task.Adriana’s postpartum was complicated by having visiting family who she treated as guests instead of her support. These feelings were paired with a perceived judgment of how she was managing herself. Breastfeeding was an additional stressor as her daughter had a lip tie. The challenges with the lip tie to a three-month challenge that led to exclusive pumping for six months. Releasing herself from chasing achievement opened space for her to “allow.”We found ourselves sitting at the feet of a veteran birth worker who has managed to pave a way for women and birthing people to honor the space of their becoming. Adriana now powerfully describes birth as not an emergency but an emergence. Her podcast, Birthful, seeks to inform your intuition through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.Resources:Birthful | podcast talking to perinatal pros and new parents to inform your intuitionThe Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth | childbirth education book, helping to compare and contrast your various optionsThe Bradley Method | childbirth education series