In this episode, we're celebrating Violet's upcoming fourth birthday by telling the story of her birth—and the chaotic final hours that brought our family’s last baby into the world. After previous birth experiences that included a C-section, Pitocin, and an epidural, Julie went into her final pregnancy hoping for a more natural, unmedicated birth. We talk about navigating gestational diabetes, preparing physically and mentally for labor, and choosing a hospital midwife and doula in hopes of having the birth experience Julie had always wanted.

We also get into the parts that didn't go according to plan, including being pressured into an induction, disagreements with the midwife over Pitocin, and learning how difficult it can be to advocate for yourself while you're actively in labor. After progressing naturally without Pitocin, Julie eventually reached the point where her body was pushing before Violet was ready, leaving her exhausted, defeated, and asking for an epidural just to make the pushing stop.

Then everything changed. While the anesthesiologist was preparing the epidural, Violet suddenly dropped into place, and within minutes Julie delivered her standing beside the hospital bed while Ryann helped catch her. We look back on the chaos of those final moments, finding out Violet had been sunny side up, what it was like for Ryann to catch their baby, and why—despite everything—this became Julie's favorite birth experience. Four years later, knowing Violet's personality, there really couldn't have been a more fitting way for her to enter the world: on her own terms, facing her own direction, and causing just a little bit of chaos.

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Julie is a podcast manager who helps people tell the stories they’ve been too scared to share. If you’ve been thinking about starting a podcast… this is your sign. Home - Julie Beck LLC