This piece is published in partnership with Echoing Ida, a Forward Together Program. In a room filled with bright lights, Janeal entered her active stage of labor. With each contraction, she yelled and screamed. I held her hand and reminded her to breathe. Her hands were warm and soft. This was her second birth and her worst fear was to have a c-section or have doctors unnecessarily cut her vagina. In between each contraction, I rubbed her back and feet as she repeated affirmations of “I trust my body” out loud. A couple hours later, she was holding her beautiful baby girl in her arms. She...