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Breaking the Cycle: Navigating Maternal Healthcare as Your Own Advocate & an Unexpected Home Birth

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Manage episode 478839933 series 3607380
Content provided by Stephanie Theriault. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Stephanie Theriault or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.

What happens when healthcare providers don't believe your experience? For licensed marriage and family therapist Reesa Morala, it meant months of unnecessary dietary restrictions, postpartum pain, and a desperate struggle to feed her firstborn son.
Reesa's journey through motherhood began with a doctor who insisted she had gestational diabetes despite normal test results, simply based on her appearance and family background. The anxiety this created was so overwhelming that Reesa lost 30 pounds below her pre-pregnancy weight. But the challenges didn't end there. For a whole year after birth, she endured excruciating pain from improper stitching that multiple providers dismissed until one finally recognized the scar tissue that needed treatment. Meanwhile, her son mysteriously stopped eating at three months old, resulting in Reesa having to hand-express milk into his sleeping mouth.
Then came her second pregnancy, resulting in an unexpected home birth when labor progressed so rapidly that there was no time to reach the hospital. Finding herself alone in her bathroom, Reesa delivered her baby into just an inch of bathwater moments before first responders arrived. The stark contrast between her two birth experiences – especially how differently she healed physically – solidified her understanding of how profoundly provider care impacts maternal outcomes.
These transformative experiences redirected Reesa's professional path. Having witnessed firsthand how parents' needs often go unaddressed until crisis hits, she founded Embrace Renewal Therapy and Wellness Collective to provide preventative support through couples counseling, intensive weekend retreats, and specialized workshops. Her mission became clear: help parents prioritize their own well-being and relationships as the foundation for family health.
Whether you're struggling to be heard by medical providers, navigating the complex transitions of parenthood, or seeking to strengthen your relationship under the pressures of family life, Reesa's authentic story offers both validation and hope. Sometimes the most powerful healing comes from someone who's walked through the fire and returned to light the way for others.

If you would like to contact Reesa Morala, please see her contact information below.

www.embracerenewaltherapy.com

instagram.com/embrace.renewal.therapy

tiktok.com/@embrace.renewal.therapy

Music Credit

https://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/trendsetter

https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/summer-bumble

https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/afterparty

Would you like to be a guest on our show? Send us a message here!

Support the show

Become a Maternal Wealth Provider Today. Search and Find Maternal Wealth Providers Near You. Visit www.maternalwealth.com
Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review!

Follow Us
Maternal Wealth Instagram
Maternal Wealth Facebook

  continue reading

Chapters

1. Breaking the Cycle: Navigating Maternal Healthcare as Your Own Advocate & an Unexpected Home Birth (00:00:00)

2. Welcome to Maternal Wealth Podcast (00:00:10)

3. Meet Risa: From Musical Theater to Therapy (00:01:14)

4. First Pregnancy and Medical Gaslighting (00:04:38)

5. Postpartum Pain and Feeding Struggles (00:10:39)

6. Surprise Home Birth in the Bathtub (00:17:33)

7. Couples Therapy and Parent Support Services (00:40:54)

8. Advocating for Yourself with Healthcare Providers (00:52:38)

28 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 478839933 series 3607380
Content provided by Stephanie Theriault. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Stephanie Theriault or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.

What happens when healthcare providers don't believe your experience? For licensed marriage and family therapist Reesa Morala, it meant months of unnecessary dietary restrictions, postpartum pain, and a desperate struggle to feed her firstborn son.
Reesa's journey through motherhood began with a doctor who insisted she had gestational diabetes despite normal test results, simply based on her appearance and family background. The anxiety this created was so overwhelming that Reesa lost 30 pounds below her pre-pregnancy weight. But the challenges didn't end there. For a whole year after birth, she endured excruciating pain from improper stitching that multiple providers dismissed until one finally recognized the scar tissue that needed treatment. Meanwhile, her son mysteriously stopped eating at three months old, resulting in Reesa having to hand-express milk into his sleeping mouth.
Then came her second pregnancy, resulting in an unexpected home birth when labor progressed so rapidly that there was no time to reach the hospital. Finding herself alone in her bathroom, Reesa delivered her baby into just an inch of bathwater moments before first responders arrived. The stark contrast between her two birth experiences – especially how differently she healed physically – solidified her understanding of how profoundly provider care impacts maternal outcomes.
These transformative experiences redirected Reesa's professional path. Having witnessed firsthand how parents' needs often go unaddressed until crisis hits, she founded Embrace Renewal Therapy and Wellness Collective to provide preventative support through couples counseling, intensive weekend retreats, and specialized workshops. Her mission became clear: help parents prioritize their own well-being and relationships as the foundation for family health.
Whether you're struggling to be heard by medical providers, navigating the complex transitions of parenthood, or seeking to strengthen your relationship under the pressures of family life, Reesa's authentic story offers both validation and hope. Sometimes the most powerful healing comes from someone who's walked through the fire and returned to light the way for others.

If you would like to contact Reesa Morala, please see her contact information below.

www.embracerenewaltherapy.com

instagram.com/embrace.renewal.therapy

tiktok.com/@embrace.renewal.therapy

Music Credit

https://uppbeat.io/t/mood-maze/trendsetter

https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/summer-bumble

https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/afterparty

Would you like to be a guest on our show? Send us a message here!

Support the show

Become a Maternal Wealth Provider Today. Search and Find Maternal Wealth Providers Near You. Visit www.maternalwealth.com
Don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review!

Follow Us
Maternal Wealth Instagram
Maternal Wealth Facebook

  continue reading

Chapters

1. Breaking the Cycle: Navigating Maternal Healthcare as Your Own Advocate & an Unexpected Home Birth (00:00:00)

2. Welcome to Maternal Wealth Podcast (00:00:10)

3. Meet Risa: From Musical Theater to Therapy (00:01:14)

4. First Pregnancy and Medical Gaslighting (00:04:38)

5. Postpartum Pain and Feeding Struggles (00:10:39)

6. Surprise Home Birth in the Bathtub (00:17:33)

7. Couples Therapy and Parent Support Services (00:40:54)

8. Advocating for Yourself with Healthcare Providers (00:52:38)

28 episodes

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