On the 10th episode of The Labor Line, I’m joined by my friend Valeria, who had only ever held one baby before she had her own! From finding the right circle of friends that helped her feel confident enough to become a mom to utilizing all the tools offered to her from a local pregnancy help center, Valeria went from being a newborn novice to a birthing boss! 

In this episode: 

• Positive labor with an epidural at 42 weeks 
• Navigating the complex US healthcare & insurance system as a Peruvian immigrant 
• Big baby and a subsequent 2nd degree tear 
• Learning to stand up to negative nurses 
• The emotional strain of exclusively pumping for 10 months

Valeria’s story is full of laughs and heart and is a great reminder that surrounding yourself with the right people can empower you to do things you never thought possible before. 

I also end the episode by sharing 10 things that I’ve learn from 10 episodes of The Labor Line, so be sure to stick around to the end!  

Full episode transcript available at thelaborline.com/episodes

Chapters:

00:00 - Meet Valeria

08:06 - Pregnancy: Nausea, Birthing Classes, & Community Support

24:44 - Labor: Positive Delivery of a Big Baby With an Epidural at 42 Weeks 

27:40 - Postpartum: Cranky Nurses, Negotiating Medical Bills, & Exclusively Pumping

42:26 - To My Pre-Mom Self…

45:58 - 10 Lessons From 10 Episodes