Rhea’s honesty was such a contrast to the more polished calm birth messaging. I’d done that too, and while I took things from it, Rhea’s voice felt more real. She wasn’t selling me an easy birth, she was reminding me that I was strong enough for a hard one.
I let go of needing a ‘perfect’ setup and focused more on how I would protect my mindset. I couldn’t have my ideal continuity model due to timing and staffing, but I still wrote out my needs clearly and made sure my husband could advocate for me. I also completely rewired how I saw the sensations of labour, instead of fearing the intensity, I leaned into it. I resisted the pain in my first birth, I welcomed it like an old friend for Lily’s.
