
E85: Holding the Heavy: When Birth Gets Hard
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Birth work involves witnessing both beautiful and difficult moments, creating an emotional weight that doulas carry alongside their clients. After 23 years as a birth doula, I've learned that acknowledging the challenging aspects of birth is essential for processing and growth.
• Difficult births create emotional weight even when outcomes are positive
• Recent challenging experiences include a four-hour medical emergency with a newborn who ultimately thrived
• VBACs that end in repeat cesareans can be particularly heartbreaking
• Birth can be traumatic even when there's a healthy outcome
• Medical providers often dismiss emotional trauma with statements like "at least you have a healthy baby"
• Doulas experience a unique emotional load due to their continuous relationship with clients
• Processing difficult experiences might involve talking with fellow doulas, writing, or sitting in silence
• Rituals like lighting candles can help process difficult birth experiences
• Hard moments become threads in a tapestry that shape us rather than shatter us
• Finding resilience means adapting to both triumphs and difficulties
Reach out to someone you know who has experienced a difficult time. Make a human connection - you'll both be better for it.
Visit our website, here: https://birthlearning.com/
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Follow us on Instagram at @birthlearning
Show Credits
Host: Angie Rosier
Music: Michael Hicks
Photographer: Toni Walker
Episode Artwork: Nick Greenwood
Producer: Gillian Rosier Frampton
Voiceover: Ryan Parker