After a traumatic C-section left her physically battered and emotionally scarred, Desiray took her power back—at home, on her own terms. Now a mother of three and a trained doula, Desiray’s birthing journey charts a powerful path from fear to fierce autonomy, challenging the very system that once failed her.

Desiray, a Latina mother of three, has experienced the full spectrum of modern birthing experiences—from a medically managed cesarean to two empowering home births. Her story is one of resilience, informed decision-making, and a steadfast commitment to bodily autonomy.

Desiray’s first pregnancy ended in a C-section. “I was just so stressed from the moment they told me it was going to be a C-section,” she recalls. “I honestly thought I was going to die.” With no clear explanation for the decision and a care team that ignored her pleas for help, the experience left her traumatized. The aftermath was equally disorienting—pain, nausea, a fog of medication, and a delayed connection with her newborn daughter. “I didn’t hold her for seven hours. I didn’t even know what she looked like.”

That birth experience sparked a transformation. Desiray became a doula and immersed herself in learning about childbirth. Watching documentaries like The Business of Being Born and reading extensively on birth practices, she vowed to take a different path in future pregnancies. “I realized that birth doesn’t have to be a medical emergency.”

Her next two births took place at home. “My first home birth was peaceful and empowering,” she said. Despite a quick labor the second time, she felt confident and safe.

Still, her decision to give birth at home wasn’t without challenges. During a post-birth hospital visit, Desiray faced judgment and what she perceived as mistreatment from medical staff. She was repeatedly offered medications she didn’t want, and her requests for bodily autonomy were ignored. “I kept saying no, and they kept pushing,” she says. “It felt like they thought I was a drug addict for choosing a home birth.”

The physical and emotional pain was compounded when a doctor inserted a catheter without her consent. “I said no, and she did it anyway,” Desiray recounts. “It felt like a UTI immediately. I couldn’t sit, pee, or even think about intimacy for months.”

Desiray’s story highlights systemic flaws in maternity care, especially for women of color. “Doctors and nurses should listen more, respect informed consent, and recognize the value of physiological birth,” she says. As a doula, she believes hospitals should welcome doulas as partners, not adversaries. “We’re not threats. We’re there to support the mother’s voice.”

Now a stay-at-home mom who supports friends informally, Desiray hopes to become a birth assistant, and if she has another child, she dreams of a water birth.

“We need to start trusting women’s bodies again,” she says. “Natural birth isn’t crazy—it’s powerful.”

Stand with Southern Birth Justice Network as we continue to demand dignity, equity, and safety for all birthing people by joining the Florida Statewide Birth Justice Coalition. Help us amplify the Birth Justice Bill of Rights—a powerful declaration affirming every person’s right to respectful, culturally affirming, and empowering care. Be sure to explore and share the Maternal Health Guide, a critical tool created to educate, inform, and protect our communities.

Together, we can build a future where all births are just and all families thrive.