Episode 60: When the Birth Plan Falls Apart: Faith, Surrender, and Holding Gratitude with Grief with Jen Duesterhaus

About this episode

Jen Duesterhaus shares her experiences with unexpected birth outcomes and the balance of faith, surrender, and gratitude amidst grief.

B irth stories don’t always unfold the way we imagine. even when we plan carefully, pray intentionally, and prepare thoroughly.   In this episode, I’m joined by Jen Duesterhaus, mom of three, nurse practitioner student and business owner, to talk about her very different birth experiences- and the ones that didn’t go according to plan. After hoping for a VBAC and approaching this pregnancy with a calm, faith-filled mindset for baby #3, she found herself facing unexpected turns and the difficult tension between control and surrender.   Together, we talk about:   How each of her three birth experiences shaped her differently   Why a VBAC felt important emotionally, physically, and spiritually   What it’s like when a carefully held plan starts to unravel   Navigating disappointment while still feeling deep gratitude   Learning to hold grief and faith at the same time   How surrender in birth reshaped her view of control in motherhood and life   This conversation is for the mom who feels like her birth story didn’t go “right.” For…

People in this episode

Host: Denise Tallcott

Guest: Jen Duesterhaus

Topics covered

• birth experiences
• VBAC
• faith
• surrender
• grief
• gratitude
• motherhood

Keywords

• birth plan
• VBAC
• motherhood
• grief
• gratitude
• faith
• surrender

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