Halfway through the pregnancy, issues such as high blood pressure or gestational diabetes are sometimes discovered and care suddenly needs to be taken threefold. Those who at first expected a full-term birth after 40 weeks now become certain they will deliver at 34, 35, or 36 weeks or earlier. These are just some of the many possible realities you will find in these stories.

Victories, achievements, sadness, and tears happen daily in the world of motherhood. Among these touching birth stories we are taken into every detail, imagining the situation, rejoicing, and crying with every step of that moment.

The moment a birth story is published, this experience that belonged only to the mother is now shared with those who read it, bringing hope, joy, and even solidarity with the lived story. The intention is to show that, one way or another—be it vaginal birth or cesarean, humanized or water birth—childbirth is a sublime moment that should be remembered with respect and experienced with dignity.

Birth stories go beyond tales of birth; they detail all the anxiety felt by pregnant women at the end of pregnancy, as well as the rush to prepare for the baby’s arrival, which you don’t always have time to finish. Many stories recount experiences of obstetric violence, not with the intention of traumatizing others, but to warn of the risks women face daily in maternity wards. When you are aware of what is right, you are much less likely to take part in something wrong.

Photo: Ana_Cotta