Birth is Mental & Emotional, with Megan Othling

We continue on our “Birth Stories” for the summer series! Megan Othling is here to tell us about her four– yup four– birth stories. She explains how birth can happens as much in your head as in your body, and how facing the unexpected feelings you are having for your child can be just what’s needed for them to be born. Check it out!

Listen directly through our website player, or however you usually listen to podcasts.

Some of the things that Megan learned, through her 4 births:

Feel what you’re feeling, and don’t judge yourself for those feelings
Complications during the third stage are not the “most fun”
Have more grace for yourself
Be as loud as you want to be: you don’t have to live up to any expectations
If your mind and your emotions are not in the same place as your body, birth is not going to flow until they sync up.
Falling in love with your child doesn’t have to be immediate
A later birth experience can heal an earlier one
Birth is not linear: sometimes it can ramp up so much that dad has to catch the baby if the midwife doesn’t make it in the room
Make birth what you need it to be in order to have your baby. Give yourself the freedom to be loud; don’t judge yourself. Advocate for yourself.
Don’t buy into our “bounce-back” culture. We’re not meant to be “bouncy” after having a human being. Give yourself a guilt free postpartum, even if it’s a few days.
Take the time to look at your baby, and get to know him/her. Soak it in.