MY BIRTH STORY

My pregnancy was truly amazing. I had hardly any morning sickness and felt comfortable and supported in my body throughout the entire journey. Because of that, I felt deeply optimistic about birth — I trusted my body and believed a natural birth was absolutely possible, even though I knew I wouldn’t be having a home birth. I felt calm, confident, and ready.

On the night of December 4th, I headed to the hospital on my induction day with my husband by my side, hearts full and nerves buzzing in the very best way. We met my mom there, and having her presence felt grounding and reassuring as she helped me prepare for delivery. There was an air of excitement, anticipation, and sacredness in those hours — the feeling that everything was unfolding, that something extraordinary was about to happen, and that we were stepping together into one of the most meaningful moments of our lives.

As labor progressed, I held onto the hope that I might still be able to have a natural birth—even within the hospital setting. I waited. I breathed. I trusted my body as long as I could.

But as we got closer to delivery, the pain became unbearable in a way that felt different—sharp, consuming, and alarming. When my doctor checked me, we realized that I had stopped dilating altogether. My body wasn’t opening the way it needed to.

In that moment, everything shifted.

The concern was no longer about preferences or plans—it was about my baby. About whether he would be able to move through safely. About what was happening inside my body that I couldn’t control.

It was scary. Truly scary.

And yet, within that fear came a profound sense of clarity.

Gratitude in the Midst of the Unknown

At that exact moment, I felt immense gratitude for modern medicine. For technology. For doctors who could assess what was happening and step in when my body needed help.

I surrendered fully—not from defeat, but from love.

I trusted the team around me. I trusted the process as it was unfolding. And most of all, I trusted that doing what was safest was the most powerful act of motherhood I could make in that moment.

A Safe Arrival, A Healthy Baby

My baby was born safe and healthy—and there are no words big enough to describe that relief. That wave of emotion. That instant knowing that nothing else mattered.

In that moment, every attachment to how I thought birth should look dissolved. All that remained was gratitude. Love. Awe.

Because birth, at its heart, is about one thing:
bringing your baby into the world safely and with care.

The Lesson Birth Taught Me First

My birth story didn’t go the way I imagined—but it gave me one of motherhood’s earliest lessons:

Sometimes strength looks like surrender.
Sometimes intuition says let go.
And sometimes love means choosing safety over the dream you once held.

And that, too, is a beautiful birth.

🤍

Honoring the Birth I Dreamed Of — and the One I Was Given

Oh, how I would have loved to have had a natural water birth at home.

I imagined it so clearly—the quiet, the candlelight, the warmth of the water, being held by the rhythm of my breath and my body, cocooned in the safety of home. I held that vision close during pregnancy, the way so many mamas do, trusting intuition and nature and the wisdom carried in our bodies.

But motherhood begins with one of its first and most profound lessons: surrender.

Due to my situation at the time mentioned above, a home water birth simply wasn’t in the cards.
And while there was a moment of grief in letting go of that dream, something beautiful unfolded in its place.

An Unexpectedly Incredible Hospital Birth

I gave birth at Scripps, and I can honestly say—I could not have asked for a more supportive, compassionate experience.

From the moment I arrived, I was met with kindness. The nurses, the doctors, the staff—every single person treated me with care, calm, and respect. I felt listened to. I felt safe. I felt supported.

And surprisingly?
It felt less like a hospital… and more like a hotel.

The room was peaceful. Comfortable. Grounded. There was a softness to the experience that I hadn’t expected—and it allowed me to fully drop into the moment of becoming a mother.

Letting Go of “How It Should Look”

Birth, much like motherhood itself, rarely follows the exact plan we imagine.

And yet, that doesn’t make it any less sacred.

While my birth didn’t happen in water at home, it was still deeply empowering. Still emotional. Still transformative. Still filled with presence, strength, and love.

I learned that the magic of birth doesn’t live in the setting—it lives in how supported a woman feels as she brings life into the world.

Gratitude for the Birth I Had

Looking back, I feel immense gratitude. Gratitude for the safety. Gratitude for the care. Gratitude for the team who held space for one of the most important days of my life.

And perhaps most of all, gratitude for the reminder that there is no “right” way to give birth—only the way that unfolds for you.

A Message for Other Mamas

If you’re holding a vision for your birth that may need to change, know this:

Your birth is valid.
Your experience is enough.
Your strength is real—no matter the setting.

Sometimes the dream shifts.
Sometimes the plan changes.
And sometimes, what unfolds is even more beautiful than we imagined.

🤍 with love to your and yours~
Kris from Soul Tribe