Why Pregnancy Was the Awakening Call That I Needed

In Autumn 2021, I was neck-deep in a catering business venture which consumed all my energy and finances, draining what little passion I had for cooking and sharing food away. I then discovered I was pregnant and was relieved at the fact I could slow down and focus on something else. Something more life-giving. I instantly perceived my pregnancy as a blessing.

I was, however, disillusioned to the world I was walking into, with this being my first experience of pregnancy; I was naive to believe that this will be a walk in the park. I had all the faith in my health, in my ability to welcome my child into the world, but I quickly learned that faith will not be enough. The first instance of this experience was when I shared my desires for a homebirth to the midwife during my antenatal appointment to which she scoffed and replied, “that’s not going to happen”. My naivety transformed into frustration and then finally grief as I discovered what so many birthing people have been experiencing before me. What my ancestors have been experiencing. I broke down in my grief, and I recall this moment as an awakening, since I heard the call of my ancestors to ‘do the work, child’. My doula journey began at this moment.

I spent the remainder of my perfectly healthy pregnancy reading and discovering traditional methods of birthing and learning about the current birth climate. I discovered the beauty of physiological birth, and the power of my Birth Rights, whilst carefully planning the birth event itself. I made choices which challenged the original choices made for me by medical professionals, and I stood strong and confident as I observed midwifes and obstetricians adjust the way they have been practising, to some of their dismay. I’m elated to share that I birthed my baby boy with ease and confidence, exactly how I envisioned. I was euphoric. Can you imagine my disappointment, however, to discover birthing people still experiencing poor outcomes in childbirth following my experience? Did my positive birth story not change the birthing landscape? The answer to this question was…not yet. It was here that I realised that the work was only just beginning.

A few months into motherhood, I realised how undesirable returning to my previous working life would be as I found incredible satisfaction and rewarding self-esteem from the ‘work’ of mothering itself. How can I commit to anything more meaningful than this? Yet, I found myself drawn back to the books I devoured during pregnancy, and invested in the birth stories of those around me. My passion for improving birth outcomes was becoming abundantly clear, as was my unfolding career path in the birth world. I began to deepen my learning, engage in the perinatal community, and fast forward to 2025, The ReBirth Space was born. I owe it all to my pregnancy and ultimately, my beautiful son.