They say pregnancy and the experience of giving birth is one of the most amazing experiences for a woman, but not all experiences are as magical as others. Take our guest for this week - Chiara Townley. Chiara is a published writer and spiritual counselor. Chiara herself has had a difficult pregnancy, from morning sickness, constant throwing up for months, followed by intense heartburn the entire pregnancy. Her vision of a normal delivery for her baby turned into an emergency C-Section procedure after the head of her son got stuck after 4 hours of pushing. A nightmare for someone who has a bad relationship with sharp objects and blood! To her surprise, she was able to keep it together throughout the procedure, but she did not expect the emotional turmoil after. It’s like her brain couldn’t process the entire experience she went through, from conceiving, C-Section, and then taking care and nursing her baby, while still recovering from the procedure. She was given medications for her anxiety and counseling but all of them just never seemed to work. Even connecting with women going through the same situation just seemed to make it worse, as if all the negative emotions from others just amplify what is already inside her head. Her mind was just filled with anxiety and most of all the self-doubt that she will never be able to take care of her son. She felt like she had lost her former self, someone full of positivity and someone who loves life. That was until she really put spirituality to work, started to listen to her body, mind, and spirit, meditating, and ultimately falling in love with herself again to be able to take care and love her son. Equipped with these experiences, Chiara now helps women who are going through the same journey in motherhood through coaching and guidance and a collection of published articles about healing, self-love, and motherhood. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/carpediemliving/support