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Leah Rodrigues Shares Her Two Hospital Births
Leah Rodrigues had two natural, unmedicated child births at the hospital. It was not her first choice to give birth in the hospital but she felt that she didn’t have another option due to insurance. She wanted to share her story and the ways she advocated for what she wanted and navigated the medicalized environment.
She feels that her birth stories offer other moms hope that they can advocate for themselves even if they don’t get to birth in the place that they want. Leah wanted a birth center birth with both of her babies but financial circumstances prevented her from doing so. She thinks discussing the limited birth options because of socioeconomic status is an important topic. You can connect with Leah on Instagram.
Leah Rodrigues Bio
Leah lives with her husband Jon and their two sons: Jack and Bronson in sunny Southern California. Â When Leah is not working, she enjoys going on adventures with her family and making memories.
Leah’s first education in birth was in an anthropology class during her time as an undergraduate at UCLA.  There, she learned about medicalized birth and the different ways other cultures viewed the birth experience. Although she had hoped to  have birth center births, due to her circumstances, had to settle for unmedicated hospital births. Even though her plans had changed, she educated herself on her options and advocated her needs when necessary. Both of her births were empowering experiences and she has carried that strength with her into motherhood. Her biggest piece of advice to pregnant moms is to be a participant in their birth, regardless of how they birth. She believes that being apart of the decision making process makes all the difference.  Leah hopes that her story will inspire other women to believe in themselves and trust their instincts. Birth is YOUR once in a lifetime experience so be heard.
Babylist
Listen to me chat with Katie about today’s sponsor, BabyList, at the end of today’s episode and check out my sample registry of some of my favorite items for pregnancy and postpartum!
