Kristin Elisabeth Oblak

You make my heart feel like it's summer When the rain is pouring down ... My whole world, my rocks, my family. See more

TW: #miscarriage I’ve debated posting about this for a while now. Gone back and forth, over thinking what people may think, not wanting to draw attention/pity to myself. I’ve always known I’d be open and share early about my TTC, pregnancy journey in the name of education and de stigmatizing many different areas of it all... I don’t see why sharing this would be any different. The unfortunate truth is sometimes the journey to a beautiful baby ending up in your arms isn’t a...lways beautiful, or simple, for many. Sharing this now to release the beast that is still ragging inside of me.. I know if I don’t share in the throes of it all, I may gravitate towards positivity and/or not properly honour the grief this deserves (this is very unconscious for me). Right before Christmas, we found out our baby no longer had a heartbeat. The same day we had planned to surprise our families with the news. I was gutted. This is my second loss. This isn’t the journey I had planned, as I’m sure wasn’t what anyone had planned who has gone through this. I wish I could tell you I’ve been navigating through this gracefully, but it’s been very hard and my heart has been full of firey, heart-aching pain. Add a pandemic and isolation... it’s rough. A lot of my healing thus far has been found in connecting with other women who get this (alongside the support of my husband). Women who can hold my space and understand how heartbreaking this feels. A doula community of my own, if you may (I truly believe this is essential!) Even though miscarriage is common (1 in 4 pregnancies), it doesn’t diminish the devastation that comes alongside it. It’s the end of a beautiful dream... The last year has been a year of trusting.. in myself, in my body and in God’s/The Universe’s divine timing. As horrible as this has been, I am slowly turning a corner and returning back to my roots, learning to trust again. Baby Mundy is calling and through all this noise, I’m still listening. I know our sweet little star seed is waiting for us to call him home. Whenever you’re ready, my love. I know how lonely pregnancy loss can feel. And I know that trauma doesn’t just go away. I also know how an aching mother’s heart feels... ooohhhhh do I ever know how that feels If I can support one woman going through this right now, then sharing my story will be worth it. My wish is that every woman who has experienced loss, or is TTC has someone to hold their space.. love on them.. make them feel safe. No one should go through this alone. My DMs are open, welcoming and safe. I’m ready to listen if you are needing extra support, send me a message that says resources I will send them your way, no questions asked. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to listen

Oh you’re my bestfriendddddd

Dads, we love you. One of my favourite things about birth is witnessing men becoming fathers for the first time. A once calm, cool and collected partner suddenly turns into a puddle of overwhelming love. As if their whole existence has changed in that very moment. It’s the best. I know today can be a tough day for some. Many of you are remembering someone you have lost, mourning a strained relationship, or are yearning to become fathers yourself. I acknowl...edge you today, whatever circumstance you are in, and send so much love Happy Father’s Day to all the dads! See more

Posting a few days early because I know many out there are already experiencing some big feelings. For some, I’m sure those feelings never really go away. I see you. I feel you. I am you. Sending you so much love, my sisters ... illustration by @bymariandrew @ Mississauga, Ontario See more

"I'm going to check you" "I'm just going to break your water" "We're going to start an IV antibiotic" "You really need to do this right now" You’re not allowed... to (walk around, eat, fill in the blank)" None of these are examples of informed consent. Informed consent is a legal, human, and ethical right - established by law. It’s a discussion that includes: 1 risks (including future potential risks, i.e. repeat cesareans, post-episiotomy pain, impacting sex life) 2 benefits 3 alternatives Informed consent also includes the right to INFORMED REFUSAL. That means you have a legal right to say NO at your birth to anything you believe is not in your and baby's best interest. Your voice counts and what you say matters. Being guilted into something or otherwise psychologically pressured is a violation of informed consent. But violations are common and accepted. It’s common for a practitioner to say something like: ‘a good mom would do this’ and ‘you wouldn’t want to harm your baby’ or I know this is what you want, but my job is to look out for your baby. Legally YOU are the one who gets to choose for you and baby and LEGALLY that should be without repercussions to you regardless of outcome. YOU get to make the risk-benefit analysis, but that means getting educated ahead of time. And that’s what I’m here to help you do. If you want to learn what your birth rights are, the difference between birth rights and hospital policy, and more on how to be your own advocate, I invite you to join my FREE pregnancy, birth, and postpartum course via the link below: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ideservebirthsupport/ Once you join, you'll have access to the previously recorded videos (including the one on advocacy), in addition to supplemental PDFs and guided videos - and all of the ongoing classes coming up, plus the ongoing weekly support group. Speaking up for ourselves, and speaking our truth make a difference. It was women’s voices in NYS that changed the entire birthing landscape to secure women’s rights to have BOTH their partner and doula present, to not be separated from their partner in the postpartum, and is now making sure that diverse choices for birthing places be respected. #ideservebirthsupport

Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind - even if your voice shakes. - Maggie Kuhn This quote has seen me through some rough times I felt compelled to write it down today and display it over my desk. Now more than ever, our critical thinking skills are being put to the test. We are in some strange times. Are you asking questions? Are you staying curious? Are you listening to your gut? What is it telling you?... See more

Dear Mother Earth - you are magnificent. We do not deserve you Since your feed is most likely filled already with so many amazing tips to help better our planet, I will tell you the biggest lesson I have learned: Stop. Buying. Crap. YES!!! It is one of the most impactful things you can do to better our collective home Did you know every year we dump a massive 2.12 billion tons of waste per year? And that 99% of the stuff we buy is usually trashed wit...hin just 6 months? For the last year or so, I have put in a conscious effort to buy less. Even though I haven’t completely mastered this yet, this is what I have been aiming for: Ask yourself do I reeeeally need this? (spoiler alert: the answer is usually a big, fat NO! lol ) Buy better quality and make it last. Repair it when it breaks. Look for it second hand if you can and hand it down when you are finished. This has been a huge life lesson for me with some growing pains (I LOVE to shop!), but I truly am feeling more content with less. There is peace in simplicity I would love to hear what you have been doing to love on our earth a little more - let me know down below Hope you are all soaking up all this beautiful sunshine today (at a social distance, of course) @ Rottnest Express See more

Happy Quarantine! Errrr I mean, Easter.. wait.. what day is it again!? #thebestwecoulddo