Today’s guest is Taylor, a new mom and student of My Essential Birth, who recently gave birth to the first baby in her family. In spite of rough symptoms in the first trimester, Taylor had an extremely positive experience being pregnant.As the life grew inside of her, she experienced a wide array of emotions, symptoms, and cravings (most strongly that of watermelon). Though visits to a chiropractor alleviated some of the symptoms, after delivery they completely disappeared, showing that 99% of the solutions to pregnancy-related symptoms are to just have your baby.Taylor describes the initial doubts in her mind when she first learned she was expecting, but something that helped to quell the barrage of “what ifs” was the support of her husband.For the first 20 weeks of her pregnancy, Taylor saw a doctor and observed that despite a courteous bedside manner, they did not often spend the time to get to know her. Rather than taking the time to understand her expectations for her pregnancy and delivery, doctors tended to approach her and her baby with an assembly line rigidity. In contrast, seeing a midwife opened Taylor up to a higher level of attention in all aspects of her life, meeting her expectations with open ears.Taylor woke up to contractions and within a few hours rushed to the birth center where she safely gave birth. In spite of its title, a Natural Birth doesn’t just happen.It’s not easy, but being prepared and putting work in beforehand will allow you to go into birth with confidence. Just because it’s not easy, doesn’t mean it needs to be confusing. Taylor highlights the techniques that helped through the early stages of her labor, natural approaches that helped her feel relaxed and comfortable.In the days that followed, Taylor had to recover from a bad tear that prevented her from taking part in activities at home or for the baby. She illustrates the difficulty of the postpartum period and the reliance she had to place on those around her. Her lesson is that it’s okay not to be comfortable with your body in this period and to ask for help because it will pass and your body will heal.Taylor closes with advice to partners and moms. This is a hectic time for mom. Changes are going to come and the dynamic is going to shift. Now is the time for support and comfort, the time to be an anchor for your family. Moms are encouraged to take the birth course and be prepared for what is to come, both before, during, and after delivery.Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @myessentialbirth and for even more great info head over to www.myessentialbirth.com to check out the totally FREE Pregnancy Guide & other incredible downloads.  Looking for all the FREE downloads and links mentioned in this episode? Go to www.myessentialbirth.com/podcast, click on this week's episode, scroll to the bottom of the page and download away!