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This episode is all about being pregnancy and birth with multiples! Our guest Ashley Stetson is a Certified Birth Doula, San Diego HypnoBirthing Educator, and Doula Match Facilitator at the Birth Education Center of San Diego. She became a mother to spontaneous triplets in 2011. Their birth inspired her to join the childbirth community and help families achieve the birth experiences they deserve. She is a highly trained doula with much experience in high risk pregnancy, multiples pregnancies, cesarean births, and induction.Here’s what we covered in our chat with Ashley: Ashley’s experience getting pregnant with spontaneously conceived triplets, including what it was like to see THREE babies on the ultrasound at her first doctor’s appointment What it means to have ‘spontaneously conceived’ multiples and why you should never ask someone whether their babies were conceived ‘naturally’! What her triplet pregnancy was like and how her birth options changed significantly upon discovering she was pregnant with three babies The highlights of Ashley’s birth story – the plan to have a vaginal birth, an induction at 37 weeks + 4 days (with 3 head-down babies!), an unexpected complication during labor followed by a cesarean birth, and a very short NICU stay for the babies A few words about how challenging it is for families who have babies in the NICU and what it was like for Ashley to go her entire pregnancy assuming/being told that she would almost certainly have preemies who’d need to spend time in the NICU The different types of multiples and how that’s determined by the number of placentas and amniotic sacs in relation to the number of babies Some of the risk factors with multiples, including things like twin to twin transfusion syndrome An explanation of what determines whether twins are identical or fraternal Some tips from Ashley on how to go about preparing for delivery with multiples, including choosing a good care provider, getting education about your options, and hiring a doula The studies and resources that Ashley mentioned throughout the episode: Twin Births: Vaginal Delivery Safer Than Cesarean Triplets: Vaginal Birth is as Safe The Birthing Multiples Naturally Facebook Group Twiniversity Multiples of America --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!