Real Birth Stories: Rachel on Pregnancy, Birth & Motherhood

Meet Rachel

Every birth story and motherhood journey is unique, and today I’m honored to share Rachel’s. She’s a mama of two adorable boys, a wife, and the creator and founder of Viva La Bonita. I’ve been following Rachel’s business and motherhood journey since 2017, and it’s been inspiring to watch her creations come to life, see her thrive as a mom, and even crush it on her Peloton bike and tread! Today, she’s opening up about her experiences with pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and motherhood.

Pregnancy: The Journey to Motherhood

How did you feel when you first found out you were pregnant for the second time? 

When I found out I was pregnant for the second time I felt every single emotion at the same time. Lol I was happy, excited, relieved, scared, overwhelmed. I knew the test was going to be positive since we were actively trying. But I’m not gonna lie, once that test read “pregnant” I was like wait a minute…We really made another baby. And then the guilt came in. I just changed my firstborn's life. He is no longer my only baby, how is he gonna feel? His entire life has been him, mom, dad. How is this going to affect him emotionally? Then the tears came. My entire pregnancy I was so happy I had a healthy growing baby but I felt so guilty at the same time. Flash forward to today, as valid as those feelings I felt back then were, they were silly. Having our second baby was the best thing ever for all of us.

What was the most unexpected part of pregnancy for you? 

The pre-baby blues. I always knew about postpartum depression but I never knew about prenatal depression. Without getting into too many personal details I was just really sad and isolated my entire pregnancy. The hardest part was still having to show up for my firstborn and for my business. It was a lot to handle and I didn’t know how I was gonna get through 9 months of this. I just kept telling myself everything was gonna be okay, this will pass, next month will be better. My OB kept telling me it was normal so I held on to hope. But the depression lasted the entire pregnancy. But I had an amazing husband and family who supported me in every way they could. I was taken care of and I am forever thankful for them. They didn’t let me stay down. I don’t know what I would have done without them. Oh and the metallic taste in my mouth that lasted the entire pregnancy. WTH was that? lol

Did you do anything special to prepare for birth the first and second time? 

Preparing for birth the first time was such a hot mess lol I had no idea what I was getting myself into so I only focused on my baby and what I thought his needs would be when he arrived earthside. (So I spent so much on buying all of these little things and bring us meals postpartum, help me take Aydn (my firstborn) out on the weekends or drop/pick him up from school, send me groceries, do my Target pickups, help me with laundry, etc. I really wish I would have thought of the support I was gonna need the first time around. Happy Mama, Happy Baby, Happy Family.

Birth: The Big Day

What are some moments in your births that have stuck with you? 

Some moments that have stuck with me for both of my births are those first few hours with your baby. It’s your first time meeting this little human but you feel like you’ve known them your entire life..not just the past 9 months. Love at first sight is a real thing, mamas. How amazingly strong our mom bods are. How incredible our brain is. The fact that we go from the unknown of motherhood to instantly tapping into our power and knowing what to do. Oh and the first time hearing your baby cry. I’ll never forget both of those first cries.

What emotions did you experience during labor the first and second time? 

Omg first birth was scary. I had no idea what to expect but I’ve always been brave since I was a kid. So I just knew I needed to be brave and do whatever was needed to get my baby safely to earthside. But it was a bit traumatic, not gonna lie. I was induced due to having GD (gestational diabetes) and I was showing early signs of preeclampsia. Then we almost went into an emergency C-Section because we experienced shoulder dystocia. Thankfully my doctor knew exactly what he needed to do to avoid C Section but it was a close one. Hearing all of these terms for the first time was a lot and really scared me but we made it through. S/O to the amazing nurses who really love their healthcare jobs.

Final Thoughts

It was such a gift to sit down and learn more about her journey. I was truly in awe of her strength, wisdom, and openness. Her honesty about experiencing prenatal depression, having a c-section birth, and moving through the healing process was so beautiful and brave. There’s so much conversation out there that paints prenatal depression and c-sections in a heavy light, often making it seem like postpartum depression is inevitable—but her story is a gentle reminder that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Rachel, you are such an inspiration to many mamas. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!

You can find Rachel HERE

You can find Viva La Bonita HERE