~Keeping secrets makes us sick.~ But what if you have never been allowed to speak your truth? As she gives birth for the first time, her plans for a well-prepared natural birth are pushed aside. To make sense of this traumatic birth, she is forced to reexamine her entire life and the circumstances that brought her to this point. In the stories that we keep secret, we hear the betrayals of trust that keep victims frozen in their wounds. In a clear voice, M.B. Antevasin asks the difficult questions that we all wish to hear answered. ~Breaking the silence holds the key to healing.~ But what if sharing your story is what terrifies you the most? There is nothing like becoming a mother to make a woman find her courage and push through her fears. This is a recipe for true transformation. As a mother, she demands more; from herself, from the world on behalf of her children, and on behalf of all women. M.B. Antevasin takes us on a healing journey through the exquisitely powerful lens of birth and motherhood. From Cesarean birth to VBAC, to an empowering home birth, this insightful narrative verbalizes her transformation from a victim into a woman with her own power and her own voice. Throughout The Birth of Magdalena, M.B. Antevasin provides resources, tools, and inspiration for other mothers and survivors to create a new story for themselves and for their children. "This book contributes to the discourse on women's birth experiences and how powerful they can be, both negatively and positively powerful." -Tisha Graham CPM, ICCE, ICD, CLC "A brilliant voice in the darkness, M.B. Antevasin brings extraordinary insights that provide a healing path for mothers everywhere who find themselves in unhealed trauma, yet having to hold tight while they parent their own children. Relatable, raw, and full of wisdom, we find ourselves uplifted with hope and a new, powerful way to gracefully hold both the beauty of motherhood and the unexpected gifts that it can bring." Goddess Oceana M.B. Antevasin is a mother, a teacher, and a healer and she works at the intersection of science and spirituality to break patterns and promote healing.