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Birth Kweens


Jun 28, 2018

Heather Thompson is back on the podcast to share her birth stories! You may remember her from episode number 25 when she came to talk about the work she does with the birth justice organization, Elephant Circle. Heather is a queer birth worker and scientist with extensive experience working in the birth and social justice fields. She lives with her partner Tom and their two children in Denver, CO. Here’s an overview of what’s covered in this episode:

  • Heather’s experience with birth work and her feelings about the importance of having adequate postpartum support
  • Her family background (Christian and conservative) and what it was like for her to come out as queer
  • The origin of her relationship with her partner, Tom, and their story of getting married and starting a family
  • The story of her first pregnancy, including what it was like to be living in a new city and trying to find a supportive and queer-friendly care provider/birthing location
  • Heather’s sexual and gender identities and her experience with having body dysphoria during pregnancy
  • A great explanation of the difference between sexual identity and gender identity
  • The story of her first birth – an unmedicated birth at home – and how the postpartum period went for her
  • The story of her second birth – a precipitous birth center birth with the same midwife she used for baby #1
  • How she healed from her births and how/when she made the decision to return to work outside of the home
  • Some suggestions for birth workers/care provider for how to be sensitive and supportive to non-traditional families (queer, same-sex, etc.)
  • The Gender Unicorn graphic mentioned by Heather
  • The Gender Inclusive Language Experiment that Heather conducted (posted on the Elephant Circle Blog)

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