Genevieve Hall

Genevieve Hall (31) and Scout (1.5)

Minneapolis, MN

Genevieve shares -

“My husband and I attempted the whole get pregnant thing for about 5 years - the doctors said I had cysts all over my uterus. It is interesting how I was totally cool with a very transactional doctor until I wanted to be pregnant - then I realized my doctor was horrible and kind of mean. So, I shopped around for doctors - I went through a lot of sad days thinking "okay, kids are not in my future". We actually decided to go through with fostering to adopt - we had one class left and then "boom" pregnant. I was really shocked and kind of upset actually because my life was going one way and then not so much.

Pregnancy was fucking tough.

I felt like hell most of the time and kind of embarrassed - like a big light was shining on me and I wanted to step into the darkness. I became super depressed at the end of it. I think I stopped eating very much and I only gained about 20 lbs during pregnancy, looking back I looked good but I was in a dark place. After becoming a parent and finally going on some antidepressant medication - I felt like a fucking warrior and that I looked awesome. I am still breastfeeding and I have finally started to feel a bit out of sorts with my body - I thought I would start to feel better about things but my body just is not quite what it was. I am for sure stronger though.

Postpartum was also rough - I wish that they would have told us about how depressed you can get. I felt so angry that I was just not doing anything right and I wanted others to feel how pissed I was and how hard it is to be a fucking parent. Good god it is the best and worst thing. Your whole identity is shoved aside and you have to figure out how you fit into this new role and find yourself again - the mom guilt is real - holy shit it is real.

My expectations were that it would be a lot easier after giving birth - that was so not the case - the hard part is when they hand you this little baby and you don't feel that love thing that you think you are supposed to feel and the nurse is telling you that you are not figuring this breastfeeding thing out and maybe you should try some formula. My daughter was breech and with the help of my midwives I was able to find a doctor about an hour away that would deliver breech - such a fantastic experience but man that warrior feeling only can sustain you so far. I would say I did not really love my kid until 4 months in.

She is now almost 2 and I just can't say enough good stuff about parenthood. It is super hard but very very fun. It is amazing watching a little creature gather information and watch your partner move into a new role. Our relationship is very fun and the kid just adds even more fun. Seriously the ups and downs are so wild being a parent.

I had a great birth - like super super great - empowering and I was heard through the whole thing - my options were there and people listened to me. Postpartum, not so much. I want people to know that the 4th trimester is tough and there is help out there - therapy and meds really have helped me - ARE helping me - It is okay to ask for help and it is okay to feel like two people split in half. It is okay to still be you and be a parent. It is okay to not love your kid right out of the womb or wherever they come from - that feeling will come with time.”

Lindi Riffe

Lindi Riffe (34), Lennox (9), Gabriel (7), Norah (6), Penelope (3), Amelia and Estelle (1)

Johannesburg, South Africa | Photographed in Richmond, VA

Lindi shares -

"My body was once prepared for competitive gymnastics, Division 1 Volleyball, and half marathons. After 6 kids in 8 years, I now feel like a 15 yr old, builders grade washing machine. Out of style, falling apart and scarred but damn if that thing is still kicking. That's me. I struggle daily with my body image and find it hard with 6 kids to take care of it the way I should. Ultimately though, when I stand in front of the mirror, I can see strength in my stretch marks, love all over and a slow, growing peace about where I am in life.

Looking back over the births of my 6 kids, I'm not sure where to even begin. I've blocked out some very hard times but also have so many wonderful images that pop in and out of my head. It's been an absolute whirlwind. Honestly, I'm still adjusting. That's what kids bring about right, constant change.

After my first child I was excited and terrified at the same time but in awe of the life I had carried. With a short NICU stay, my goal of breastfeeding was just too difficult for me at the time to tackle, so I exclusively pumped for my son. I still remember eyes gazing up at me from early morning bottles. I loved it but it was a huge adjustment as my husband was studying for the CPA exam.

Before I could blink, I had 3 under 3. I was glad I was able to breastfeed my 2nd and 3rd children. I truly enjoyed the bond. After 3 kids, I really started to struggle mentally and noticed a change in my body. I didn't bounce back like I did after my 1st and 2nd. I struggled to ask for help or reach out. This continued and I still battle today.

By the time I was pregnant with my 4th child, I really looked forward to my births. I was no longer scared of the pain or process and truly enjoyed that time. My 4th birth was an amazing experience and completed our family with 2 boys and 2 girls. I struggled with PPD after my 4th child and still do to this day.

Then came Aug. 30th 2015. I'm pregnant. Not planned. Not exactly happy about it. Found out it was twins and just about lost it. I processed this information for 3 months. I was having identical girls. I fell in love with them. I fell in love with my body. I was in absolute awe as to how I was created to carry multiple children at one time. My water broke at 36.4. To feel the birth of my twins (second was breech) is a feeling I cannot describe. It was absolutely amazing and incredibly empowering. My girls are now almost 2. I enjoyed tandem nursing and sadly sporadic cuddles (as I had 4 other kids to care for) but to be honest that first year is an absolute blur.

I owe it all to my loving mother, family and friends. I learned to ask for help. At 10 days postpartum my uterus decided it had had enough and I ended up having an emergency hysterectomy after hemorrhaging at home. In the midst of depression and anxiety, I am happy to be alive. I am working on 2018/19 being years of healing and having more focus on taking care of me. Learning to love more and to find the inner strength that often gets buried. I am strong. I am beautiful. I will triumph.

You do not have to do it all and you do not have to do it well, but whatever you do, do it with love.

I am always behind the camera. From pictures you would think my husband is a single father. I want to stand up for me, for my body and with my kids."

Rachel Brundage

The radiant Rachel Brundage currently 32 weeks pregnant and Pearl (3). 

Rachel knew from a very young age that her biggest dream was to be a mother. She notes that this may have been because her own mother decided to leave her family very early on, though she was lucky to have a strong father who raised two girls on his own. Rachel met her husband and knew very early on she wanted to have children with him.

They waited about 5 years and enjoyed spending a lot of one on one time together then rather quickly they got married, purchased a home and started trying for baby. They conceived within six months and Rachel decided to give birth at a hospital nearby that was midwife centered, used minimal interventions and offered the opportunity to use a birthing tub. Her pregnancy was beautiful and the only hiccup she encountered was an incorrect diagnosis of gestational diabetes, due to her paleo diet. Thankfully, an amazing midwife fought for her to received the correct tests and the diagnosis was removed from her chart. She went into labor a week after her due date and went to the hospital first thing in the morning after trying to sleep through contraction all night. 

Rachel was only 3cms dilated when they arrived at the birthing center but while they waited to see if they would be allowed to stay or not, her water broke. There was meconium present and Rachel was Strep B positive so they allowed her stay due to the increased risk. She wanted to labor in the water but had to wait a bit for a room with a tub to be ready. Rachel was hoping to step into the birthing pool and have all her pain to disappear, but it didn't. After a short time she told her husband she needed something to manage the pain and was considering a narcotic to take the edge but when the midwife came to do a vaginal check, her face went white, she said "oh shit" and ran out of the room.

Rachel and her husband stared at each other terrified until her midwife returned with a doctor, nurse, and ultrasound machine. They learned that she was fully dilated and effaced but her baby was breech. The doctor looked at her and said, "We can do an emergency c section right now or you can have this baby how you wanted too. You can do it, your body can handle it. Whatever way you choose will be best and you will be happy." Confident in herself, Rachel signed the papers and proceeded with her plans of an unmedicated vaginal birth. She pushed and pushed and pushed for 3 hours when she was finally wheeled into the OR. They placed oxygen on her face and she continued pushing. At one point the baby's heart rate dropped, the doctor gave her a quick episiotomy, and Pearl came right out.

Rachel's husband was able to hold Pearl's legs while the doctor turned her around to get her out properly and all of a sudden she was on her chest. "I burst into laughter. I was finished. I did it. I was superwoman in that moment."

This pregnancy has gone very smoothly and though Rachel will be delivering with a different team of providers, is looking forward to whatever happens. 

"Through this movement I want to continue to help show women that motherhood comes in so many different forms but we are all so beautiful. Each of our stories is magical and deserves to be heard. I'd love for my daughter and son to see this someday and know how proud I am of being their mother and how they have made me into the human I am today."  

Sarah Khalily

The stunning Sarah Khalily, Joshua (10), Milo and Elliot (4), and Olive (10 months).

Sarah is a previous project participant, you can view her photo and story here. 

Sarah's first pregnancy was unplanned. She was 20 years old, had recently dropped out of college, and felt completely unprepared to become a mother. Her immediate reaction was abortion but she had to wait two weeks for her appointment and in that time she realized two things: that she loved her baby and did not want to abort him and that she was feeling him kick, so it was probably too late anyway. Sarah carried Joshua 13 days post dates and had a natural, uncomplicated birth. She struggled to breastfeed him for those first few weeks and felt such relief when she switched to formula. Joshua was an easy baby who grew into a difficult toddler/preschooler/child. It wasn't until he was seven that they finally got some answers as to why: Joshua is on the Autism spectrum (PDD-NOS) and knowing that has helped her understand him better and learn how to parent him better. She was with his father in the early days but always felt alone. He was verbally and emotionally abusive to Sarah and she struggled to make it work for Joshua's sake. Sarah finally found the strength to leave when Joshua was 3.5 because she realized that she was miserable and Joshua deserved a happy mother.

Sarah had been friends with her husband since high school but that friendship grew into love as he was there for her through her transition into single parenthood. They married three years later and decided to expand their family right away. Sarah conceived easily their first month trying and was shocked to discover she was carrying twins. Pregnancy with Milo and Elliot was surprisingly easy and Sarah was able to continue attending college courses and finish the semester on the Dean's List just before being induced at 38 weeks and 3 days. Induced labor was miserable for her and lasted for over 36 hours. Milo was born first head down and delivered with the assistance of Sarah's midwife. Elliot was breech and doctors tried repeatedly to turn him around - attempting both external and internal versions for close to 30 minutes before offering her the choice of a cesarean or vaginal breech delivery. Sarah chose breech delivery and Elliot was born feet first just minutes and a few pushes later.

Both boys nursed wonderfully from birth, spent no time in the NICU, and went home with Sarah two days later. They nursed for over 31 months, slowly weaning themselves down and ultimately stopped when Sarah was about 12 weeks pregnant with Olive

Pregnancy with Olive was a bit of a surprise. They had been discussing the possibility of a fourth child but while Sarah was sure she wanted one more, her husband was not.  One night, he decided he was okay with trying - but just that once, and that's all that it took. At an early 6-week sonogram, there was simply a sac and no baby. Sarah spent a week terrified that she was losing a baby that she wanted so badly, but the follow-up sonogram showed a little fetal pole on the screen and they heard her strong heartbeat.

Pregnancy was easy with Olive until Sarah's 41-week post-dates sonogram when they discovered that she was breech. That afternoon she went to a chiropractor who used the Webster technique to encourage her to turn and went home to attempt inversions she had used 3 years prior to turn Milo. The next day Sarah went to the hospital for an external version. The doctor came in and was negative about breech birth and even more negative about the odds of turning the baby but willing to try. The residents tired as well and Sarah was in excruciating pain but allowed them to continue. They were able to get Olive to turn but the sonogram showed that her cord may be in the way. They agreed to go ahead and start induction and later that evening Olive attempted to turn again but her midwife was able to nudge her back down and bound Sarah's belly with a sheet. 

After allowing Sarah to labor for a bit her midwife broke her waters and the fluid was thick with meconium but cord was not in sight. Labor continued quickly after that and while it was full of interventions and a required epidural, Sarah got the vaginal birth she wanted just a few hours later.

Olive was beautiful and they thought she was perfectly healthy until they went to give her her first bath and the nurses noticed a lump on her lower back with a skin tag dangling from it. They had an ultrasound of her back the following day but the results were inconclusive so they sent Olive home with her at 2 days old with instructions for her pediatrician to keep an eye on the lump. Sarah says she mostly ignored it, as it was hidden under her diaper but at Olive's 3 month well check her doctor noticed the lump had grown. They ordered a follow-up sonogram, which revealed nothing new, and then an MRI, which finally revealed that Olive has a form of Spina Bifida. They met with a neurosurgeon a few weeks later who explained that Olive's case is relatively minor but that she had an opening in the meninges, which surround the spinal cord, and that her cord was very slightly tethered. Olive had surgery at 5 months old to release her spinal cord and close the opening.

Surgery was successful and Sarah was instructed to keep Olive flat, on her side, for the next 3-5 days in the hospital. The nurses gave her sugar water, but she hadn't nursed in over 12 hours. Their doctors had told Sarah, Olive's nurses would help her figure out the best way to breastfeed while keeping her flat but when she asked they only offered to find her a pump. Sarah pumped for a day and watched as Olive sucked the bottles down in pain, gulping down in minutes what took her 20 minutes to pump. She clung to the empty bottles, trying to comfort nurse from them, and Sarah cried watching her. The next day Olive's nurse was much kinder. He listened to Sarah explain why she needed to directly breastfeed her daughter and he went to bat for her with his superiors. They went over the head of the on-call neurosurgeon to Olive's own surgeon who agreed that she needed to nurse directly. By midday they had brought in a hospital bed with a firm mattress and used a board they would normally use to support a broken neck to transfer Olive from her crib to the hospital bed. Sarah was able to directly nurse her by side-lying and her mood improved dramatically from then on. Three days flat were easy with comfort nursing and lots of cuddles and Sarah was able to sleep by her side every night while she rested and healed, nursing on demand. Olive passed the upright test with no spinal fluid leaks and was able to go home at 5 days post-op. Olive's wound healed beautifully and while she'll have annual checks with her surgeon, but shouldn't require further surgery.

Sarah says that she finally feels like her family is complete and wanted to document that. "I felt compelled to share Olive's story because it changed who I am as a mother. Those 5 days in the hospital brought out a strength in me that I didn't know was there. My boys love their baby sister and my heart is full, but I struggle with my body image now. I miss being pregnant because I loved my body each time, but I know I need to learn to love my body for what it is. This body is the only one I've got. It grew four beautiful babies and fed each of them for at least a little while. I'm proud of what this body has done and I want to learn to celebrate that. This movement helps me to walk down that path."

Amanda Koch Gregory

The amazing Amanda Koch Gregory, Rocco Boone (3), and Arlo Graham (11.5 months). 

Sadly, Amanda's first pregnancy was lost to early miscarriage. The pregnancy came by surprise much sooner than she'd hoped to have children but she found that her loss sparked her desire to quicken. 

It took nearly two years to conceive Rocco and Amanda began to wonder if they weren't going to be able to. Once pregnant, however, she felt entirely at ease - she didn't worry, she wasn't stressed, and she found that she could be very intentional and at peace with herself. Amanda saw midwives throughout her pregnancy and planned to deliver at a hospital based birth center. Her labor was very peaceful until she was ready to push and as her water broke her midwife realized Rocco had turned and was now breech. She was rushed to the operating room but Rocco wasn't waiting and she was able to deliver him vaginally without complication. 

When Amanda conceived again, she wasn't quite ready for it and found this pregnancy to be difficult mentally as a result. She was anxious and stressed and found herself fighting to accept it. Physically, her pregnancy progressed well and she thought that delivery would be so much easier this time, with a head down baby but found that too to be a struggle. When labor began she was still fighting and questioning and found things to be much more difficult than she imagined. While Arlo arrived vaginally without complication those first six months were still a struggle and a blur. Amanda says that she did it, the four of them really banded together but in hindsight she feels she was in survival mode. With a little more distance as they approach Arlo's first birthday Amanda is feeling like she's come into her own now and things are good. 

Perhaps it's that experience that brought Amanda to this movement. She very much wanted to capture this moment in time with her boys so she can look back on it and remember the things she may otherwise lose sight of. 

Harley Krein

The lovely Harley Krein, mother to Vanna (Pictured - December 11, 2012 - July 10, 2013), Sora and Roxas (20 months) and Juneau (6 weeks). 
 

Harley had an easy pregnancy with her first daughter until she went into the doctor at 33 weeks and learned her water had broke the week prior. She stayed in hospital for 7 days until she was induced at 34 weeks. Vanna stayed in NICU for three weeks before coming home and continued to do well. Harley's husband is in the military and deployed when Vanna was just 7 days old. He returned in early July and just a few days later Vanna died in her sleep due to SIDS. It was the first night that Harley had placed Vanna in her crib to sleep alone. She got up for her normal feed at 3 am but her daughter was still soundly sleeping so she went back to bed herself. When Harley woke at 6am she immediately feared that something was wrong and discovered that her baby was no longer breathing. The EMT's came but weren't able to do anything as she had already been gone for too long. 

Just a month after Vanna passed Harley learned she was pregnant again. She discovered very early on that she was carrying twins and soon after that they were both boys. Things went very well until she went into preterm labor again at 30 weeks. She was dilated to 5 or 6 cms by time she arrived at the hospital and though they were able to stop her labor she was admitted for a full month. She was released at 34 weeks but she began having contractions three days later and went into the hospital again. They sent her home and she returned just hours later at 7 cms dilated. Her water broke in triage and she able to give birth to her boys vaginally without complication at 34 weeks, 6 days. They were both head down initially but after Sora was born, Roxas flipped and was delivered breech. The boys stayed in NICU for a week to gain weight and have done very well since they came home. 

After bringing her twins home Harley found herself quite scared that SIDS would happen again, and this time had two babies to worry about. On top of her worry, the boys cried constantly for their first three months of life. She was trying to breastfeed them but they had become lethargic and were losing weight. She discovered they had a cow's milk allergy and chose to stop nursing. After switching to a specialty formula the boys symptoms got better and they were much happier babies. 

Harley developed postpartum depression in the months after her boys were born. She sought help and was able to start feeling better after about 5 months. She simultaneously began feeling really sick - her joints were aching and she was exhausted and initially thought it was just depression but learned she had hypothyroidism. She began taking medication and was feeling better but learned when her boys were 10 months old that she was pregnant again. She had hoped to pursue further treatment but was told she'd need to wait to see a rheumatologist until after her pregnancy with Juneau. 

At 34 weeks pregnant with Juneau, Harley's mother in law came down to help with her boys in hopes she could make it to term. She had a healthy pregnancy aside from pain and sciatica and had hoped to have her first labor and delivery without an epidural. After she was induced with Pitocin, she changed her mind around 6 cms. She needed to wait an hour as the anesthesiologist was attending a cesarean birth and by time they placed the epidural, they broke her water and she was ready to push well before she was numb.  Juneau has been very healthy and Harley is hoping to breastfeed exclusively.

Harley has always had a difficult time with her body image and hopes that participating and sharing her story helps not only her personally but other women as well. 

Chloe Halls

The amazing Chloe Halls. Chloe is mum to Thijson-Maddox (7), Oliver (6), Gregory (2) and Wyatt (1). Chloe never had a very close relationship with her own mother. She was mentally disconnected and struggled with alcoholism, leaving Chloe uncertain about motherhood herself. Her first son, Thijson was conceived while she was on Implanon (an implanted contraception) and while her pregnancy was unexpected, her son was very much wanted and loved and probably saved her live. Chloe was in a difficult relationship that became physically abusive the moment she told her partner she was pregnant. She was abused throughout her pregnancy, the worst of which happened right before she delivered when her partner attacked her with a knife for not having money for drugs or alcohol. Chloe was able to remain physically healthy and gave birth to her son without complication. Her second pregnancy was a surprise as well while still on contraception. She gave birth to another healthy boy without any real complications. After Oliver's birth, the abuse continued and despite calling the police every week she didn't feel they ever took her seriously. Chloe's breaking point was when Thijson was 18 months old, and his father attacked him breaking his ribs. The police took things seriously this time, and Chloe was finally able to get a restraining order against her partner. Sadly, her nightmare continued as she began to navigate the legal system and sort things out with her children and their father. Chloe's children were removed from her for 6 weeks with no contact at all, which was devastating to both her and her babies. Thijson has autism and regressed quite a bit while out of his mother's care. Chloe was court-ordered to take medication, making it nearly impossible to care for her children once they were returned to her. Ultimately, a judge decided that she could have custody of Thijson to help prevent further regression but ordered that Oliver should go live with his father because it was too dangerous, that he may "mimic" his elder brother's autism, even though the abuse had been clearly documented. Chloe then had to face separation from her son for weeks, then months, then the better part of two years but has just been reunited with her boys full time.

In the interim, Chloe met someone new who she is planning to marry in just a few months time, who has been the partner she's always needed and an amazing father to all her children. Gregory's conception was planned, and she had another uneventful pregnancy. He was her only baby she was able to successfully breastfeed and is proud to have made it to 7 months while pregnant with his younger brother. Chloe's birth with Wyatt was her most complicated. She had to be induced, but Wyatt was breech with his neck extended and they were worried that his neck could break in the birth canal. During labor, Chloe began to have blood pressure issues, so they prepared to deliver via cesarean. She was on a lot of medication to try to get her back on track and ended up being very out of it. On the way to the operating suite, she delivered Wyatt without even realizing it. Thankfully he was in good health, and she normalized pretty quickly.

Chloe is very much enjoying having her four boys reunited and looking forward to her upcoming wedding. She is very much looking forward to learning to love herself again.

Lindsey Marcum & Linnae Grabner-Hegg

The lovely Lindsey Marcum, her mother Linnae Grabner-Hegg and her boys Landon (3) and Gunnar (11 mo). Lindsey developed anorexia when she was 15 years old and struggled with it through her first pregnancy which ended in miscarriage. She says she had her "aha moment" and now considers herself fully recovered. Lindsey also has Von Willebrand disease, which is a blood disorder. Thankfully, she was able to have healthy pregnancies. However, her delivery with Landon was very traumatic. She was laboring without fully progressing and was pushed to have a cesarean. She did everything she could to avoid it but ultimately had to consent. Because of her disorder, she had to be put under general anesthesia and due to unforeseen complications that she still isn't fully aware of, she was under for 5 hours. When she was out of recovery and able to meet her son she didn't feel a connection to him. It took a few weeks before feelings of love really started to set in. Lindsey was determined to have a much different experience with her second delivery. She switched providers several times throughout her pregnancy because she was continually pushed to have a repeat cesarean due to estimates that Gunnar would be over 10lbs. Just a week before she delivered, she switched hospitals entirely and drove 2 hours away to have a delivery with a provider who agreed to allow her to attempt a VBAC with the understanding she'd consent to a cesarean if anything went wrong. She went into labor just 5 days later and was able to have her natural VBAC without issue!

Linnae has two daughters, Lindsey (28), Lauren (27) and a son Eric (25). Her pregnancies were very healthy and easy, so much so that she joked she should have been a surrogate for other women. She had very quick deliveries as well. Lindsey was born in just 4 hours, Lauren's labor and delivery was 5 hours, and Eric's labor and delivery was a bit longer, but only because he was discovered to be breech during delivery. The OB at the hospital told Linnae that she had to have a cesarean and that if she attempted a vaginal birth, she would kill her baby. But her family doctor supported her choice to have a vaginal delivery and called a retired OB who was willing to supervise the delivery to come to the hospital. A resident who had never before attended a birth was the one who assisted delivery and because a many of the residents and doctors had never witnessed a vaginal breech birth they asked if they could watch. Linnae said that she had a circle of people around her as she pushed Eric out without complication. His Apgar scores were a little low, so they put him in an oxygen tent briefly but he perked up very quickly and was a very healthy baby. Like so many of the grandmothers we've worked with, Linnea has loved the transition from mother to grandmother and gets to spend a lot of time with her grandchildren.

Sarah Khalily

The beautiful Sarah Khalily with 22 month old twin boys, Milo and Elliot. Sarah is also mom to Joshua (10). Sarah got pregnant with Joshua unexpectedly when she was 21. She didn't know she was pregnant until she was 4-5 months along and while she had a healthy pregnancy and an uneventful natural delivery, things were hard for her. She and Joshua's dad stayed together for a few years but their relationship wasn't the best and Joshua was a difficult baby. Sarah and her husband were married and decided to have a baby and were surprised to learn that they were then having two. She had a healthy, midwife-attended pregnancy. Both boys had been breech but at 38 weeks Milo had flipped and and she decided to be induced so that she avoided the chance of him turning back and requiring a cesarean. The Pitocin was more difficult than she had expected but an epidural helped and she was able to delivery Milo vaginally. Elliot still hadn't turned but thankfully the doctor on staff was comfortable with her delivering him breech. Sarah struggled to breastfeed Joshua and ended up quitting at 2 weeks but was determined to exclusively breastfeed her twins. She had to deal with some latch issues at first but is still breastfeeding both today.

Stephanie Stach

The lovely Stephanie Stach and 5 month old Sean. Stephanie didn't think she ever wanted children but she eventually changed her mind and was able to get pregnant with Sean very quickly. She didn't at all enjoy being pregnant but made it to term without issue. Stephanie had educated herself on natural birthing methods and decided to deliver at a birthing center. She had started to feel like she had to push at home but was able to transfer to the center and continued to labor in the water. Her midwife discovered that Sean was breech and asked if she wanted to transfer to hospital for cesarean, but warned that she didn't think that she would make it in time. Stephanie chose to continue pushing and was able to deliver Sean breech presentation without any problems. She found the entire experience of her labor and delivery very empowering.