I’m Pregnant! My Pregnancy Announcement + The First 20 Weeks

I'm finally sharing the secret I’ve been keeping… I’m pregnant! 🤰✨In this very special and personal episode of The Natural Birth Podcast, I’m sharing my pregnancy announcement and taking you with me through the first half of my pregnancy, from conceiving on Valborg, the day before Beltane, the ancient celebration of spring and fertility, all the way to 20 weeks pregnant.I’m sharing the week-by-week signs that made me feel pregnant, from progesterone headaches, breathlessness and a little nausea to the absolutely bone-deep exhaustion that became the defining symptom of my first trimester. I talk about the brown spotting at eight weeks that had me bracing myself for a possible loss, the bloating that made me look six months pregnant almost immediately, the aches and pains, cravings, aversions and my least favorit pregnancy symptom.I share what it has been like moving into the second trimester while still waiting for that famous burst of energy everyone talks about, feeling my baby become stronger and more present every day, turning 40, and suddenly reaching 20 weeks and realizing: I’m halfway.I also share how I’m preparing for birth and postpartum, the care team I’m building around myself, my plans for a home birth, and my experience of stepping into the conventional maternity care system for the first time in this pregnancy.And I talk about a decision that I know may be different from the path many women choose: so far, I haven’t had any prenatal screening or ultrasounds. I share some of the thinking behind that choice, what information feels meaningful to me, and why I may still choose an ultrasound later in pregnancy.This isn’t an episode about telling you how pregnancy should be done. It’s simply an intimate look inside how I am navigating mine as a midwife, a woman turning 40, and just simply a mother-to-be.I am so excited to finally bring you along for the journey. ❤️Want to join The Sacred Birth Worker Mentorship?www.sacredbirthinternational.com/thesacredbirthworkermentorshipFind Anna’s Website & How to Work with Her, as well as all Links & Resources she mentions in the episodes here: www.sacredbirthinternational.com/links-podcast