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Apr 12, 2022·edited Apr 12, 2022Liked by Hitha Palepu

That Refinery 29 quote hit hard. I’m not Black or queer, but as someone who’s soft spoken and didn’t scream, it was hard to be taken seriously when in labor (it’s been 15 years since and I still remember it as a challenge). I can only imagine how much harder it would be in other cases.

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I felt like I was treated like a robot during my first delivery - it was so emotionless and unsupportive and rushed. My second delivery intended to be a scheduled C-section, but I went into labor early and had the most incredible doula that was our liaison while in triage as we waited for the OR, and an absolutely joyful delivery via C-section with an amazing team. Birth CAN be such an empowering experience, and I wish my second experience was the norm and not the exception.

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