After several years of infertility, Alexandria and her husband became pregnant overseas in Okinawa, Japan. Her first birth was a planned induction due to health complications. But when the intervention takes place, she is left to navigate Postpartum Depression as the Covid lockdown begins overseas in Japan in 2020.
Her experience leads her on a quest to understand what happened and sparks an interest in childbirth. As a result, she and her husband sought support for a second pregnancy on the island. However, navigating the military and domestic landscape is difficult at its best and more so when international relations experience a sudden health care crisis.
Her second birth begins as a home birth at the base through a local clinic and ends with a voluntary transfer during the push phase to a local clinic against the advice of her team. An action that ultimately saves her and her son’s life.
Alexandria Parks Bio
Alexandria currently lives in New Mexico with her husband and two daughters. She is an English teacher by trade but is currently a stay at home mom to their one and three year old daughters. They are a military family and were stationed in Okinawa, Japan when Alexandria gave birth. If you want to connect, you can leave a comment for Alexandria here and we’ll make sure she sees it.
Resources
Medical Motif
This episode is sponsored by Medical Motif. Motif designs insurance-worthy products for busy moms. With a focus on innovation and empowerment, Motif’s line of breast pumps and maternity compression garments are sophisticated, yet discreet, and made to support moms as they navigate new motherhood. Discover why moms report more milk in less time with the Luna breast pump, and see how you can get it covered with insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour.
Related Posts
