{GUEST POST} Emily from An Unfolding Story of Our Journey: A Birth Story

Emily and I went to college together and have since kept in touch about the amazing journey of natural parenting. She has a very special and brave story to share about her baby’s path from belly to arms and I can’t wait for you to read all the details!
Feel free to connect with Emily as well: Facebook, Pinterest, or email: chandler.ej@gmail.com
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It’s interesting to go back and read the fresh thoughts of a new mom.  I wrote these posts two years ago just after I had my first child, Eva.  She just turned two in May.  While many of our friends are having more children, we have decided for now to wait.  If you read my story about being in labor starting on Friday at 1pm and delivering at 5am Monday morning, you may understand why being pregnant and going through labor again doesn’t sound so fun!  

It may also be helpful to know some background information:
  1. I wanted to have a pain medication-free labor, which I did for the whole labor until the emergency c-section
  2. Many people choose Walnut Creek Kaiser instead of our neighborhood Oakland Kaiser due to the fact that they have tubs and a more natural approach.  I was not able to be transfered there due to the severity of my pre-eclampsia and risk of death if I did.  For this same reason I was not allowed to drive myself there either (my husband and I) nor did they want me to leave the premises at all.  
  3. Some of our story makes more sense if you know that we moved to Oakland 2 months before (from Portland, OR) and had no family in town.
  4. The condition I have and refer to is actually spelled HELLP and you can read more about why it made me at such a high risk here 
  5. I am a therapist by profession.  In the last two years I have seen a lot of links between the young death of my father (the year prior to my daughter’s birth) and the traumatic experience I had while giving birth. Some people don’t understand this, but I think I was in a very primal place and saw a new part of me through labor and Eva’s birth.  
  6. While sometimes I think that telling this story may scare people, I am reminded that we all have stories about births, some unreal and horrific, some sweet and dreamy.  Each person is different.  Each labor is unique.  I don’t want to glorify this and make others fearful, but it is a part of my life, my husband’s life, and my daughter’s life.  Thank you for reading and sharing our journey with us.
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Gretchen again :) Below are the links to Emily’s birth story posts. I highly encourage you to visit her blog and check out each one in its’ entirety! I love Emily’s raw emotion, words, and descriptions of her labor. It’s beautiful to read and feel the power of what a laboring mama can do to safely welcome her baby into her arms. There is no doubt in my mind that Emily is a birth warrior! Her strength and love for her daughter is truly admirable.
Grab a cup of tea and enjoy Emily’s story … 

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