I’m back—and this time, I’ve got a new baby in my arms and a whole birth story to share. This episode is a deeply personal one. I’m pulling back the curtain on my third maternity leave, giving you an honest look into my home birth with baby Wesley, and talking about what postpartum has looked and felt like this time around.
It’s my first time experiencing birth while also being a podcast host, so I figured it was finally my turn to share what I’ve listened to so many other women do: tell their birth story. Grab your coffee and come hang out with me in this behind-the-scenes, heart-on-my-sleeve solo catch-up.
Listen to this episode now:
Search for episode 151 of Called to Both on your favorite podcast player!
The Moment My Water Broke at the Kitchen Island
It was Easter Sunday, three days before my due date, and I was done. Exhausted, uncomfortable, headachy—you know the drill. I’d just hosted Easter with my family and was shuffling my older two kids off to bed when I felt it. My water broke while I was standing at the kitchen island. For the first time ever, my labor started like something out of a movie.
It was 7:30 PM.
I didn’t feel any contractions yet, just a little lower back soreness.
This was my second home birth, but it still felt new in some ways. New state, new birth team, new baby, and even though I’d done this before, the butterflies were back.
With my parents on call to grab the older kids I decided to text my mom right away so she could come get them before labor really got going. Leading up to labor, I wondered how this would go and if my mom would have to come in the middle of the night, so I’m REALLY glad it worked out this way.
By 9 O’clock, my two older kids were safely at their Grandparent’s house and I could get into my birth bubble.
I began tracking my contractions around ten and tried to snack on a few things to keep my energy up. It was at this time that I put on the TENS machine. This helped me so much in my previous labor with Lewis and you’ll also see a comb in my hand in the photo below. I used this as another pain coping measure that serves as a great distraction and focus point. When contractions would come, I would notch up the TENS unit a little higher and focus on the feeling of that rather than the tightness and pain of the contraction itself.
For about an hour, I labored this way. Felipe put air in the birth tub and we chatted about when we should tell my midwife to come. She lived about an hour away and I wanted to make sure I was in active labor before telling her to come. I would rather not have her there for hours and hours if she didn’t have to be.
The TENS unit helped tremendously with back labor, as did the double-hip squeezes my husband did during contractions. I stayed inward, eyes closed, breathing, praying, visualizing.
At 11:00 PM, There was a definite shift.
I felt like I wanted to get in the tub, and I knew we should tell Emily the midwife to come.
In a rush, Felipe filled the tub with water and communicated with the midwife while bringing me the things I wanted and setting up his phone so he could record the birth.
I got into the tub and felt immediate relief.
I didn’t have a birth doula but we joked before labor that Felipe was going to be my doula and he really was – he offered me sips of water between contractions, encouraged me, and rubbed my back. 10/10!
One Contraction at a Time: The Labor Mindset Shift
Every birth has taught me something, but this one gifted me with a powerful mindset shift: stay in the contraction you’re in.
Rather than spiraling into the “how much longer?” or “can I do this again?” thoughts, I focused on riding each wave.
When my midwife arrived, Wesley was just mins away.
I remember looking up and seeing her setting up for the birth. She took the baby’s heart rate, and said “We’re going to have a baby soon!” and I said “I hope so.” Truly not knowing if I was close or not.
I started feeling pushing contractions and immediately remembered why I hated this part last time.
It’s a crazy feeling to have your body push without you even trying!
A few contractions later, he moved downward with each one, and I knew he was very close. Within 2 more pushing contractions he was born.
Welcome, Baby Wesley
He came into the world just after midnight on April 21st, not quite an Easter baby, but close. My midwife looked at me and said, “Go ahead, pick up your baby,” and I pulled him up out of the water and onto my chest.
That moment was everything. It’s joy. It’s relief. It’s “we did it” in its purest form.
Postpartum Hits Different the Third Time Around
Now let’s talk postpartum, because it was a full-on journey. Wesley had latch issues and a tongue tie, just like my other two babies. I hoped it would be different this time, but it wasn’t. And honestly? That really disappointed me and I had to let go of the expectation that it would be easy this time.
There I was, on my third baby, still Googling, still crying in the pediatric dentist office, still navigating tongue tie revisions and trying to get him back to breast. It was emotional. But we did it. And I’m proud of both of us.
We have exclusively breastfed. Talk about a FULL time job. Honestly more than full time, because you have the nightshift too.
What Helped the Most This Time
Freezer meals. Like, game-changing levels of helpful. We stocked breakfast sandwiches, lunch burritos, dinners—everything. I also got a whole box of Restorative Roots Postpartum Meals which are specifically designed to be nourishing and healing foods for after birth. I LOVED them.
We barely had to cook for six weeks. 10/10 recommend.
Keeping childcare. I kept our nanny during maternity leave, which meant I could rest more, focus on feeding and healing, and not feel pulled in five directions. It was the best decision for all of us.
Following the 5-5-5 rule. Five days in bed, five days on bed, five days near the bed. That framework helped me resist the urge to do too much too soon—and made a noticeable difference in my recovery.
Four Weeks In: The Spark Comes Back
At four weeks postpartum, something magical happened. I cared about business again.
I started outlining a newsletter on my phone while feeding Wesley. By five weeks, I was dreaming about offers. By six weeks, I was back in the office for short stints at my desk and by 12 weeks I was doing coaching calls. Slowly, with intention. And it felt so, so good.
My best friend said, “You’ve been restored to factory settings,” and honestly? That’s exactly it.
The Truth About Returning to Work After Maternity Leave
There’s always that fear: will I want to come back? Will I still be good at what I do? But every maternity leave has shown me the same truth—my ambition doesn’t disappear. It just gets quiet for a while. And when it comes back, it roars.
Coming back part-time with support from my husband and team has made the transition feel sustainable and exciting. I’m in a creative rebirth season right alongside my literal newborn.
Find It Quickly
- 04:36 – Birth Story Begins
- 07:11 – Labor Progresses: Water Breaks
- 08:49 – Preparing for Home Birth: Midwife and Family Support
- 13:39 – Active Labor: Coping Strategies and Mindset
- 22:17 – Midwife Arrives and Pushing Begins
- 24:52 – The Birth of My Baby
- 26:27 – Post-Birth Reflections and Midwifery Care
- 29:16 – Breastfeeding Challenges and Tongue Tie Revision
- 32:57 – Postpartum Recovery and Childcare
- 39:53 – Returning to Work and Finding Balance
Mentioned in this Episode
- Planning for a Maternity Leave as a Self-Employed Business Owner
- Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
- Introducing Affiliate Boss: A Step-byStep Marketing Course for Affiliate Income
- Affiliate Boss
- The Artist’s Way
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