S2 EP6 | Cata’s Story: 36 Hour Labour and First Time Home Birth

In this episode, Cata shares the story of her first pregnancy, a deeply intentional home birth journey that began before conception and ultimately helped her rewrite the birth narrative she had inherited growing up.After hearing stories of her own traumatic birth throughout childhood, Cata believed hospital birth with an obstetrician was the only safe option. But after watching a birth documentary, diving into birth education and researching the evidence for herself, she and her husband made the decision to plan a home birth before they even started trying for a baby.We discuss:Growing up with stories of birth trauma and how they shaped her early beliefs about birthThe documentary that completely changed her perspective on physiological birthWhy she chose a private midwife and home birth before conceptionPreparing mentally and emotionally for birth through education, podcasts and researchWhat home birth care looked like throughout pregnancyGoing into labour at 39 weeks and 5 daysLabouring at home for over 36 hoursUsing a TENS machine, water, movement, hip squeezes and doula supportThe emotional highs and lows of a very long labourDiscovering her baby was slightly malpositioned and working to help her rotateThe moment hospital transfer was discussed and how she navigated that decisionPushing for hours while trusting that her baby was still wellGiving birth at home just moments before an ambulance transferWelcoming daughter Lupe into the world surrounded by her birth teamWhy she believes education and informed decision-making are critical during pregnancyThe postpartum support systems she intentionally put in placeHow birth helped heal a generational story within her familyLearning to trust her intuition and inner knowing as a motherThis episode is a beautiful exploration of informed choice, physiological birth, perseverance through a long labour and the profound transformation that motherhood can bring.Want more?You can find episode photos over at:⁠https://www.instagram.com/wearemotherspod/⁠You can find me at:⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahcusack/⁠You can find Cata at:https://www.instagram.com/shiftwithpurpose/https://www.linkedin.com/in/catalina-bonavia/www.shiftwithpurpose.com.auCatallina Bonavia grew up in Buenos Aires listening to her own birth story. Years later, when she arrived in Melbourne and started thinking about starting a family here, that story came back to her, and so did the weight of how birth experiences shape everyone in the room, not just the baby.  As a human-centred designer (and founder of @shiftwithpurpose) Cata spends her days understanding how systems work and how they land on the people inside them. So when it was time to think about her own birth, she did what she does best: she researched the system, mapped her options, and went looking for the people who could help her have the experience she needed.Check out Shift With Purpose for all your human centred design needs! Resources mentioned in this episode:Birth Time: The Documentaryhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt13092582/