Reclaiming My Own Birth Story: What Telling It Taught Me About Storytelling

For two years I coached other women through their stories — and somewhere along the way, I stopped telling mine. When I said yes to speaking at the Reclaiming Birth Conference, I remembered how vulnerable, terrifying, and beautiful it is to be the one on stage again.

Preparing for this talk was a reminder that every story starts as a messy draft. When one of the scheduled storytellers stepped back, I offered to fill in — and suddenly I was revisiting my second birth story. It was hard to shift from coach to creator; I knew what “good story structure” looked like, but I was still just a mother trying to find her words.

Practice is essential

I wrote late at night, practiced while making lunches, and rewrote whole sections after friends said they couldn’t tell which birth I was talking about. It was humbling to forget my own lines on stage after weeks of rehearsal — but that moment taught me the same lesson I teach others: storytelling isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present.

Telling my own story again reminded me why I started Mothertelling in the first place: stories heal when we let them be messy. Each version of a story carries its own truth. We grow not by getting the words right, but by saying them out loud.

If you’ve been waiting to find your voice, this is your sign. Join the Mothertelling Academy or subscribe to the newsletter for more storytelling guidance.