#99: The Power of Partnership: How Kim & Will Prepared for a Powerful Birth

Clara O'Rourke
Sep 30, 2025
4 min read

Welcoming a baby is never just about the birth itself—it’s about preparing, learning, adapting, and building a strong foundation as partners. In this conversation, Clara sits down with Kim and Will Kneeland, parents to 14-month-old Lily, to explore how intentional preparation and community support shaped their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey.

Whether you’re planning your first birth or supporting someone who is, Kim and Will’s story proves that knowledge, teamwork, and flexibility create a foundation for confidence—no matter how unpredictable birth may be.

You’ll Hear About:

Intentional Partnership: The big conversations Kim and Will had before pregnancy to stay united as a team.
Education with Flexibility: How they filtered endless advice into an empowering, evidence-based plan.
Advocacy Without Conflict: How Will calmly and firmly protected Kim’s autonomy when staff dynamics got tricky.

Postpartum Joy Through Teamwork: Practical strategies for rest, shared responsibilities, and accepting help that turned the fourth trimester into a season of connection.

Listen to the episode now:

Welcoming a baby is never just about the birth itself — it’s about preparing, learning, adapting, and building a strong foundation as partners. In this episode of the podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down with Kim and Will, new parents to their 14-month-old daughter, Lily. Their story offers so much wisdom about intentional preparation, embracing uncertainty, and leaning on community. Below, I’ll unpack the key lessons we can all learn from their empowering journey to parenthood.

1. Entering Parenthood with Intention

From the beginning, Kim and Will approached pregnancy thoughtfully. They had discussions not only about logistics, but also about values and how they wanted to show up as parents.

Shared vision: They saw themselves as a team and set intentions to stay connected and collaborative.
Preparation together: Even something as simple as raising and training a dog beforehand gave them practice in communicating, problem-solving, and co-parenting a living being.
Knowledge as empowerment: Will was especially motivated not to be the stereotypical “clueless dad.” He wanted to know enough to advocate for Kim when she couldn’t speak for herself.

👉 Takeaway: Intentional conversations before baby arrives can strengthen a couple’s foundation. It’s not about predicting every outcome — it’s about setting a tone of teamwork and communication.

2. Gathering Resources and Support

When they looked for information, Kim and Will quickly realized that one-off hospital classes weren’t enough. They wanted depth, context, and honesty — not just surface-level tips.

They worked with a doula (that’s how we connected!), which provided continuity of care and a trusted sounding board.
They supplemented with podcasts, books, and classes — but critically, they filtered opinions and focused on evidence-based learning (they took my birth class, A Path to A Powerful Birth online).
They created action plans that combined knowledge with flexibility.

👉 Takeaway: Education is more than memorizing facts. It’s about creating a framework that allows you to adapt when things don’t go as planned.

3. Facing the Unknowns of Labor

Kim and Will’s birth story is a reminder that birth rarely unfolds in a straight line.

Early labor stretched over several days with on-again, off-again contractions.
Hospital admission happened late at night during a thunderstorm — adding to the epic feeling of transition.
Supportive tools like the shower and peanut ball helped Kim cope, but exhaustion set in.
Decision-making: After hours of labor and little progress, Kim chose an epidural. Later, she confidently requested a cesarean when she sensed labor was stalled.

Their OB later confirmed that Kim’s uterine opening was too small for Lily to be born vaginally. Trusting her instincts was crucial.

👉 Takeaway: Birth plans matter, but flexibility matters more. Kim and Will embraced change without fear because they had prepared for multiple outcomes.

4. The Role of Advocacy and Communication

Not every interaction with hospital staff was easy. At one point, a nurse’s ego created unnecessary tension. Instead of escalating, Will calmly but firmly advocated for Kim. They balanced assertiveness with collaboration — a skill that carried them through labor.

👉 Takeaway: Advocacy doesn’t mean conflict. It means asking questions, voicing needs, and protecting the birthing person’s comfort and autonomy.

5. Postpartum: Thriving Through Teamwork

The early days after birth can be some of the hardest — but Kim and Will described their postpartum period as joyful. Why?

Shared responsibilities: Will handled many diapers and household tasks so Kim could rest and recover from her cesarean.
Sleep strategies: They created a schedule where each partner got a solid block of rest.
Support systems: They had frozen meals, family visits, a lactation consultant, and even a postpartum doula lined up ahead of time.
Community care: They embraced help instead of resisting it. Friends and family brought food, held the baby, and did chores — all without expectation.

👉 Takeaway: Postpartum success isn’t luck. It’s preparation, teamwork, and willingness to accept help.

6. Lessons for Expectant Families

Kim and Will left us with powerful advice:

Communicate deeply: Use “big questions” to understand each other’s values as parents.
Trust your partner: Don’t micromanage each other’s parenting styles. Trust that your partner is capable.
Keep perspective: Don’t sweat the small stuff — focus on the big picture of safety, nourishment, and love.
Balance knowledge with flexibility: Learn the options, but embrace the reality that birth and parenthood are unpredictable.

Kim and Will’s story is full of wisdom because it’s grounded in both preparation and adaptability. They show us that:

Knowledge reduces fear.
Teamwork strengthens resilience.
Support systems create joy.

Their first six months with Lily were, in their words, “a blast.” Not because everything was easy, but because they trusted each other, accepted change, and embraced their community.

If you’re preparing for birth and parenthood, take these lessons to heart. Build your team, gather resources, and remember: flexibility is the real birth plan.

If you’d like to take the childbirth class that helped Kim and Will feel prepared for their birth, check out A Path to A Powerful Birth!

Thank You for Listening

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