It’s been a pure blessing to give birth and raise my two Little Women on beautiful tropical islands where the smell of the ocean is always in the air, mango, avocados, and papaya grow wild, and my kids can run around with wild hair without a care in the world.
But behind all that loveliness is a bitter reality. Mother and child centered birth environments are harder to come by–both here on Guam and in Puerto Rico. Labor induction is very common and c-section rates are higher. Women are often shamed for asking questions. I’ve heard countless stories of women being held down, cut, and screamed at.
Many people wanting more holistic services choose to leave the island to give birth. When my husband and I decided that we would stay both here and in Puerto Rico to give birth we knew we’d need to do our research and prepare. Well, I can tell you it was quite an adventure!!
If you’d like to hear both of my birth stories you can listen to me share all the details here at The Birth Hour Podcast on Episode 134.
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