276: HOME BIRTH STORY - From an Unplanned Cesarean to a Planned, Unassisted HBAC with Sarah Leahy

Can birth be redemptive? We often hear on the show how different birth experiences bring the opportunity to heal and take back your power.  This is an element of our conversation with Sarah Leahy. Sarah shares the varying aspects of her two birth experiences. Her first, an unplanned cesarean with multiple interventions, left her feeling like her body was broken and it had failed. Following her birth, Sarah experienced PTSD, anxiety, guilt and depression. She knew she wanted to have another baby and wanted to create a different result the next time around. So after initially planning to birth at home with a midwife, Sarah and her husband Adrian eventually opted to “do it at home” by themselves. The second birth experience was, as Sarah puts it, “a complete 180 from the first birth.” And the best description of her HBAC that we can surmise - “NORMAL.” Yes, a completely normal event, and yet incredibly powerful. Following her second birth, Sarah’s new belief around herself and her body was that it was not her that failed the first time - it was the system she subscribed to. Her confidence returned, and she has since grown more active in the birthing community by creating outlets for others to share their stories in both her Facebook page, Autonomous Birth Project and her Instagram @birthuprising. Links: Sarah’s Facebook page for Autonomous Birth Project: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2232618540316867/ Sarah’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birthuprising/ Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/ DIAH Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/diahpodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diahpodcast/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/diahpodcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1904721379788084/?ref=bookmarks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices