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From Cesarean to Breech: One Mother's Journey to Build Communities for New Mothers
Manage episode 492196589 series 3607380
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Karen Chipman never planned to become a maternal health advocate. With a background in veterinary science, fate redirected her path after the birth of her first son, leading her to discover an unexpected passion for supporting women through labor and delivery. Her journey through three dramatically different births—a cesarean, a hard-won VBAC, and a vaginal breech delivery—became the foundation for what would eventually become Stork Ready Classes and Community for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond.
What makes Karen's story particularly powerful is her unwavering determination to advocate for herself during a time when maternal autonomy was even more limited than today. When her doctor refused to support her desire for a VBAC with her second pregnancy, telling her she'd need to find another provider, she did exactly that—despite a male colleague telling her, "If you were my wife, I would never let you do this." Her memorable response: "I guess I'm happy I'm not your wife."
This same conviction led her to establish Stork Ready in 2014, creating not just childbirth education but a genuine community for new families. Beyond preparing expectant parents for birth, Karen recognized the critical need for postpartum support in a society that often leaves new mothers isolated and overwhelmed. Through weekly gatherings like Mommy Cafe, women find safe spaces to voice their deepest fears and struggles—from the brave mother who asked, "Do you ever wake up and not want to be a mom?" to the lighthearted but honest discussion about postpartum intimacy where one woman joked she told her husband, "My knee. You can touch my knee."
Karen's insight that "labor hasn't changed, but its management has dramatically" drives her educational approach, empowering families with information beyond what hospital-based classes typically offer. By collaborating with other birth professionals and creating specialized resources for high-risk pregnancies and postpartum preparation, Stork Ready fills crucial gaps in maternal support.
The friendships formed through these communities often last years beyond the newborn phase, with families continuing to gather and support one another through the ongoing journey of parenthood. In Karen's words, "That's why I started Stork Ready—for that community, getting families together to get through that postpartum period that can be so difficult for so many people."
Visit Stork Readyhttps://www.storkready.com/ to discover classes, support groups, and resources for your own pregnancy and parenting journey.
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Chapters
1. From Cesarean to Breech: One Mother's Journey to Build Communities for New Mothers (00:00:00)
2. Introduction to Maternal Wealth Podcast (00:00:12)
3. Meeting Karen Chipman and Stork Ready (00:01:11)
4. From Animal Science to Birth Work (00:02:19)
5. First Birth: Hypnosis and Cesarean (00:05:26)
6. Second Birth: Fighting for VBAC Success (00:10:04)
7. Third Birth: Breech Vaginal Delivery (00:14:25)
8. Creating Stork Ready for Community Support (00:20:23)
9. Postpartum Reality and Saving Lives (00:26:55)
10. Finding Resources for Families (00:32:31)
11. Final Thoughts and Support Request (00:38:34)
38 episodes
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