The wonderful Karaina Magaña, Bella (7), and Ezra (17 months)
Karaina was just 17 and in her senior year of high school when she got pregnant with Bella. She and her boyfriend, now husband, had been dating for three years already and Karaina had known since she was very young that she wanted to be a mother. Pregnancy brought with it a lot of changes, the obvious social ones, suddenly being in a much different place than her peers but physically, as well. Karaina was a competitive cheerleader and always very fit but she gained nearly 100lbs during her pregnancy. Birth went well, though it was much more intense than Karaina had expected. Bella arrived 2 weeks early at over 8 lbs, after a long labor with a failed epidural.
Eventually, Karaina and her husband married and decided to have more children. This pregnancy was so much different for her - she only gained 40lbs and Ezra arrived at term a full pound lighter than his sister. Motherhood as a teen and now a twenty-something hasn't been much different for Karaina but she enjoys the perspective that she's gained along the way as well as seeing the relationship build between her children.
As a birth doula, Karaina, loves all things birth and has found that she's learned to love and appreciate herself more through her work. In supporting other women, she's been able to transfer the supportive messages she gives to her clients to herself and hopes that all women can learn to see that pregnancy and birth do not damage their bodies but simply leave behind stories of their experiences.