Down to Birth · Cynthia Overgard & Trisha Ludwig

#362 | Birth Trauma to Redemptive Birth: Holly's Birth and Breastfeeding Stories

April 8, 2026·49 min·3 clips

An OB Holly never met screams 'cut it out' in her face during labor, leaving her feeling demeaned and powerless.

1. Down to Birth episode #362 features guest Holly sharing a first-birth trauma story and a redemptive second-birth story, with hosts Cynthia Overgaard and Tricia Ludwig. 2. Holly is a listener and mother of two; Cynthia is a birth educator and postpartum support specialist; Tricia Ludwig is a certified nurse midwife and IBCLC. 3. The episode's core purpose is to show that a traumatic first birth does not determine what a second birth can be, provided the mother has adequate preparation and the right support team. 4. Holly's first pregnancy was uncomplicated, but she did no birth preparation, planned for an epidural, and skipped any podcast content involving pain or pushing. 5. After going into spontaneous labor at nine days post-date, Holly's epidural wore off just as she reached 10 centimeters with a high baby, leaving her to push for three hours without food, water, or coping tools. 6. Two nurses told her her pushes 'were not productive,' her request for more epidural medication was denied, and a vacuum was brought in after she was unable to push the baby down. 7. An OB Holly had never met entered the delivery room during the vacuum attempt and screamed at her to 'cut it out' while she was mid-push with three attempts before a C-section. 8. After delivery, a nurse performed aggressive fundal massage on Holly without introducing herself, explaining the procedure, or making eye contact, leaving Holly terrified and in pain. 9. A hospital lactation consultant told Holly at 2 a.m. that she would not be able to breastfeed her son and suggested formula and wine; Holly exclusively pumped for a year before being diagnosed retrospectively with postpartum anxiety. 10. Holly states she decided to be 'one and done' for four years before her father's death shifted her perspective and she decided to pursue a second pregnancy. 11. For her second birth, Holly spent an entire summer with her husband completing six-session Bradley birth classes, hiring a doula, doing Spinning Babies exercises including forward-leaning inversions and sideline releases, and maintaining a workout routine through 40 weeks. 12. Holly also practiced hypnobirthing, read Ina May Gaskin's guide to childbirth, and did prenatal yoga specifically for breath and relaxation training. 13. Her OB was broadly supportive of a natural birth plan but repeatedly attempted to perform cervical checks from 37 weeks on, culminating in getting on one knee with prayer hands at the last prenatal appointment to try to convince Holly to consent. 14. At an NST two days post-date, stress in the hospital environment drove Holly's blood pressure to 150, leading the on-call OB to recommend immediate induction; Holly signed out AMA after refusing. 15. The following morning Holly agreed to come in for an induction after her blood pressure remained elevated at home; she was surprised to be greeted by a hospital midwife to whom her OB had transferred care. 16. Holly's blood pressure dropped from 150 to 117 within minutes of meeting the midwife and never elevated again throughout the entire labor. 17. The induction used three to four doses of cytotec administered orally every two hours with wireless Bluetooth continuous fetal monitoring; Holly supplemented with nipple stimulation and went into active labor by midnight. 18. Holly labored on all fours with a blindfold, using sustained counter-pressure from her husband for four hours and deliberate low-register vocalizations instead of screaming—tools she specifically learned because of how helpless she felt in her first birth. 19. Listeners who experienced a difficult first birth and are preparing for a second, or who are curious about the difference a midwife versus OB birth team can make in the same hospital, will find this story directly useful. 20. Those seeking a general childbirth education overview rather than a personal narrative with extended birth-trauma processing may find this episode too focused on Holly's specific journey.

As heard by us

A painful first birth leads into a practical case for support, preparation, informed consent, and postpartum confidence.

The episode opens on a brutal birth story: an OB she had never met shouted in her face, leaving her embarrassed, exposed, and without much control while the clock kept ticking before a C-section.

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Why you'd press play

You want a second-chance birth story that treats preparation like a lifeline.

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