Raquel's Breech Homebirth After 3 C-Sections

Raquel is a married mother of four with a passion for birth choices. Her first birth was a Cesarean section due to having a breech baby, and the trauma of that process stuck with her for years. After two subsequent C-sections, Raquel was determined to do things differently with her fourth baby despite opposing opinions and having a heart-shaped uterus. Her journey to a successful breech home birth after three C-sections led her to become a doula and birth educator, and it highlights the importance of research, education, advocacy, emotional connection, and having a supportive team and partner.

Raquel now partners with her husband to teach birth classes that empower birth partners to become birth advocates. They support families in California from Ventura to Santa Barbara County, and from there she also partners with Midwife Blyss Young and Dr. Stuart Fischbein on the Birthing Instincts podcast. Being able to join this amazing duo and being a part of something that played a huge role in her last birth story feeds her soul daily.

In this episode, we discuss:

-Raquel's three surgical births
-Trauma resulting from a fear-based "standard of care"
-Dissociation as a protective mechanism
-How doulas can help mothers navigate their birth experiences
-The importance of joy and relaxation in pregnancy
-How laws and policies can limit birth choices
-Navigating the decision to have a home birth
-Navigating VBAC bans and varying levels of hospital support
-Birth journeys as transformative experiences to personal growth
-Children witnessing birth
-Emotional challenges during labor
-Nuances of breech birth
-Significance of the birth experience as a profound connection point to her newborn

Raquel is a doula and birth educator who partners with her incredibly supportive husband to teach birth classes that empower birth partners to become birth advocates. They provide support for families in California from Ventura to Santa Barbara County. She also partners with Midwife Blyss Young and Dr. Stuart Fischbein to support the Birthing Instincts podcast. Being able to join this amazing duo and being a part of something that played a huge role in her last birth story feeds her soul daily.

Resources:

[e-mail]
@lolitasrebellion on IG
@birthinginstincts on IG

Follow @triumphant_birth on IG

Thank you for listening!