When most people think about preparing for birth, they think about information. They sign up for childbirth classes. They read books. They listen to podcasts. They create birth plans. They learn the stages of labor and research their options. And while all of these things are important, they only address one part of the birth experience: the mind.

Birth is not just a thinking experience.

Birth is a body experience. A nervous system experience. A relational experience. And if we prepare only through education, we may find ourselves missing one of the most important aspects of labor and birth.

Social media has become one of the most influential sources of information about pregnancy and birth. For many expecting parents, it’s where they first encounter birth stories, learn new language around advocacy, and begin forming expectations about labor and delivery. As a doula, hypnobirthing educator, and facilitator of birth story sharing circles, I see both the power and the risk of this exposure every day.

I asked one of our doula clients to share her amazing birth story (and VBAC victory) with you. This story starts with a first, cesarean birth experience that left a lot to be desired for Cori. It follows up with a TOLAC that became a VBAC that eventually became part of the saving grace that brought baby Simon into the world healthy, strong, and in the very best environment to care for his unexpected diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea— a condition that is often undetected until much later in a baby’s life but thanks to Cori’s amazing instincts and her supportive birth team (including her partner and doulas, nurses, and doctors) Cori’s amazing birth became the very best beginning for Simon and a very emotionally healing journey for her as a mother.