September 18th, 2022 - sometime mid-morning.
Here I am, sitting on my parent’s couch, with computer in hand, writing to you. It feels so damn good to write! I haven’t written in quite some time, and now I have a little bit of free time to spare, as my sweet baby boy takes a nap.
I have missed writing and sharing my life updates with you. Four or five months ago, I took a break from social media and since then, I haven’t shared much at all, and I’ve missed it!
For those of you who don’t know, I gave birth to our baby boy, Elliston Creek Caracciolo Garcia on July 29th, 2022 at 2:44pm. It was the most intense and surreal experience of my life. I’m still processing it and will share my birth story very soon!
Here is a photo of our sweet babe!
Prior to getting pregnant, I binged listened to a podcast called Birthing Instincts. It’s hosted by a more integrated obstetrician and a midwife.
I knew early on that I wanted to have a natural birth at a birthing center with a midwife and doula. I have never been one for hospitals. I haven’t had the most pleasant experiences in hospitals, and it was really important for me to give birth in a space where I felt seen and safe, which led me to the birthing center.
My due date was August 10th, but our little angel decided to come a little early, and it was perfect! He knew exactly when to come into this crazy and beautiful world.
I prepared a lot for labor and delivery, as I had some fear around giving birth and I wanted to address those fears before I had Ellis.
I also wanted to educate myself on the birthing process from childbirth educators who teach and promote informed consent, our bodies innate ability to give birth, and lost traditions that empower woman along their pregnancy and birthing journey. Our culture doesn’t do the best job of empowering woman and giving them the tools and confidence to carry and deliver their babies. Most of what were taught is taught through fear, whether that’s through hollywood movies, hearing about other woman’s traumatic and scary birth stories, or listening to a system that treats birth as a medical procedure, rather than the sacred and precious experience that it is.
In my experience, there is an entirely other way to experience pregnancy and childbirth. I want to give a shout out to all of the childbirth educators who help mama’s release their fears and educate us to feel empowered and confident while pregnant and giving birth. I wouldn’t have been able to do it on my own, so thank you for your incredible service.
(I will share a list of childbirth educators and resources below.)
Here are a few things Evan and I did to prepare for labor and delivery:
We took an 8-week natural birthing course, received private hypnobirthing classes, binged listened to podcasts, and I did my own work to release any fears I had around giving birth.
(Baby crying. BRB.)
Alright, that’s it for now folks! I have a crying baby who needs to be fed. I will be back soon and share more as soon as I can.
Much love to you,
Sarah
Pregnancy and Birthing Resources:
Podcasts:
Natural Birthing Courses:
Hypnobirthing:
Books:
Youtube Channels: