Koquis Moore’s Birth Story: Freebirth, Trust, and Motherhood
About This Episode
In this conversation, Taylor Gipson talks with Koquis Moore, an entrepreneur, world traveler, and mother whose birth story reached a wide audience online. Koquis shares how seeing a homebirth video years before becoming a mother helped her imagine a different way of giving birth. She reflects on preparing mentally for birth, navigating conflicting opinions while pregnant in France, and the role her doula, Nicola Thompson, played in supporting her through a long labor and the birth of her daughter.
Koquis also discusses protecting her mindset, creating a birth environment where she felt safe, the immediate hours after her daughter’s birth, and advice she would offer women preparing for birth. This episode reflects Koquis’s personal experience and perspective; it is not medical advice.
Resources & Links
Koquis Moore | Personal Brand:
Email: [email protected] (For media inquiries, podcast interviews, speaking engagements, and collaborations.)
Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Youtube
Empowerment Through Dance:
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: Empowerment Through Dance – Adult Women
Instagram: Empowerment Through Dance Kids – Youth Girl Programs
THE VILLAGE BIRTH CO:
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Instagram: @thevillagebirthco | Facebook
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In This Episode
Taylor Gipson (00:01)
Koquis, welcome to the podcast.
Koquis Moore (00:02)
Thanks so much for having me. I’m honored
to be here.
Taylor Gipson (00:12)
Of course. I obviously ran across your viral birth video and immediately I saw what, it
Koquis Moore (00:21)
Eight ounces.
Taylor Gipson (00:21)
was eleven your baby was eleven pounds and how many ounces?
Koquis Moore (00:25)
Yeah.
Taylor Gipson (00:29)
wow. I have all my pa babies have been like nine pounds plus
Koquis Moore (00:33)
Yeah. Big big thing.
Taylor Gipson (00:35)
but never an eleven pounder. And then I saw it led me to read your yes. It led me to read your caption and I saw that you’ve also given birth in France, which I’ve given birth in Finland
Koquis Moore (00:49)
But
Taylor Gipson (00:51)
and Israel. So I thought it was so interesting and I was really intrigued by your story. So
Koquis Moore (00:54)
And I believe
Taylor Gipson (00:58)
Why don’t we get into a little bit of
Koquis Moore (00:59)
I need
Taylor Gipson (01:00)
who you were before you became a mom and then what ultimately led you to these unassisted free births?
Koquis Moore (01:02)
Who was I before becoming a mom? my gosh, you’re taking me back
now. I was actually just starting my small business. So
Taylor Gipson (01:13)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (01:14)
I was just becoming a business owner, founder, and creative director of Empower Me Through Dance LLC. So my business focuses on empowering women and girls through dance.
And I do that through various avenues, whether that be through after school contracts with schools or creating experiences for women through workshops or retreats or just community in itself. So I’ve been doing that actually my that business I launched it in twenty seventeen while I was living in Croatia and I found myself living back here in the US, yeah. And I was able to start
started an official business so a newly a newly business owner but you know and just getting into entrepreneurship working for myself and running my own running my own show so that actually was like my business I started in 2022 and I found out I was pregnant. no no I got pregnant later that year. My daughter was born in 2023. So there’s that just like this new chapter and then it’s like my gosh.
Yeah, so. but yeah, aside from that, I was a world traveler, digital nomad.
Countries around the world and personal development enthusiast. Done quite a few personal development trainings and seminars, and that has truly supported the woman that I that you see today here speaking with you, and yeah, and I was a wife at that time before becoming a mother as well. So that’s another story.
Taylor Gipson (03:10)
Okay. I’m gonna stop you really quick because it’s I had a hard time hearing like any of that, but I didn’t wanna stop you because I you were on a roll. is it do you think it’s possible to maybe find another s a p another place? I don’t know what’s going on. I’m sorry.
Koquis Moore (03:19)
Yes. Smooth. Yeah, let me if I were to sit outside. No, that’s okay. Let’s I want us to get it right, so don’t apologize because I
it could very well be where I’m at.
Do you think the sounds will
Taylor Gipson (03:35)
Yes, okay.
Koquis Moore (03:36)
be okay or
Taylor Gipson (03:45)
I’ve I mean, I’ve heard
Koquis Moore (03:45)
Okay, so then let’s give that
Taylor Gipson (03:46)
podcasts be played outside before, so if it’s not in a like super, super busy area.
Koquis Moore (03:49)
Okay, let me see. And I’m just like,
I feel so bad because I was not really sure how all this worked. And I don’t want to be like interrupting your time because we have Okay, perfect. Alright, so then let’s figure this out.
Taylor Gipson (04:04)
no, you are fine, trust me.
Koquis Moore (04:06)
I’m in another area now, so you can tell me if that’s better. I don’t know. I mean maybe I have to talk a little bit before you can figure out whether this outdoor area.
It’s not I’m not completely outdoors, but I’m not in the same room that I was in.
Is that helpful? I keep looking.
Taylor Gipson (04:29)
Okay. I can he I can hear you but the video is
Koquis Moore (04:31)
Okay, so let me go outside.
Taylor Gipson (04:34)
like super lagging.
Koquis Moore (04:37)
me keep moving now I’m outdoors. let’s see this is let me go this way. Let me know as I keep moving and talking what feels right.
Right now. Okay. Well that’s a good thing. So
Taylor Gipson (04:57)
Okay, I can actually hear you pretty well right now.
Koquis Moore (05:00)
let me is someone in here?
Taylor Gipson (05:02)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (05:05)
Okay.
Is that still better?
Is there someone on the is can you still hear me okay?
Okay, but it’s still not the best.
Taylor Gipson (05:22)
I can yes,
it’s better than it was.
Koquis Moore (05:25)
How about now as I’m walking and talking?
Taylor Gipson (05:28)
Yes.
Koquis Moore (05:30)
you can hear me. Okay, perfect. Well then this may have I am outside, just so
Taylor Gipson (05:33)
Yes, I can hear you.
Koquis Moore (05:35)
you know. So if for some reason Okay,
Taylor Gipson (05:37)
Yes. Yep.
Koquis Moore (05:39)
perfect. Well then let me move my stuff over to the side and
Taylor Gipson (05:42)
it’s okay.
Koquis Moore (05:43)
then reposition this.
The camera, the I’m gonna have to put up my tripod since the sun is over here.
Taylor Gipson (05:51)
Take your time, you’re fine.
Koquis Moore (05:54)
Okay, I appreciate the relaxing. The low pressure. Okay. Ugh. Okay, let’s get this tripod
Taylor Gipson (06:02)
No, you’re good. I yeah.
Koquis Moore (06:08)
set up really quick. And so far you can hear me better for sure.
good, good.
Taylor Gipson (06:15)
Are you a place f yeah, yes.
Koquis Moore (06:17)
What were you asking?
Taylor Gipson (06:21)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (06:24)
yeah, I thought you had were asking me something. If not, that’s okay too.
Taylor Gipson (06:28)
like just
now?
Koquis Moore (06:33)
Yes. yes. This is good. I wasn’t gonna stop until I knew I’d be comfortable somewhere, so and
Taylor Gipson (06:35)
I was gonna ask you if you were comfortable. Like are you gonna be comfortable where you’re at?
Koquis Moore (06:39)
the
Taylor Gipson (06:40)
Okay, okay.
Hehehehe
Koquis Moore (06:46)
it is? Okay.
Taylor Gipson (06:49)
the video’s lagging just a little bit, but as long as I can hear
yeah. Lighting’s good. Yep, you’re good now.
Koquis Moore (06:56)
How’s that?
Looks like I’m on a tropical island. I love it. Right? I love it. And the lighting is okay, you said. Do I need to clean I feel like I smeared my camera a little bit hard?
Taylor Gipson (07:04)
Perfect. Yeah. Do you prefer to start over? Yes. It’s so beautiful. Where are you at? Where
are you located?
Koquis Moore (07:14)
get that clean.
Taylor Gipson (07:15)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (07:16)
did that make it worse? dear. Technology, I’m sorry. Hold on. Hold on one moment.
On your girl. Okay, I think that’s gonna be better.
Taylor Gipson (07:27)
I am not a techie person either, so I totally understand.
Koquis Moore (07:31)
Would hate to have a blurry camera while doing all this.
Taylor Gipson (07:41)
Hey, I’m on my husband’s laptop and I had to do the same thing before I on here.
Koquis Moore (07:45)
And you know, sometimes some men are not as like they don’t
care about that kind of stuff.
Make sure his camera’s clean. Okay, I heard you say, Do I want to start over? If the if the sound is better and like I’m I’m
Taylor Gipson (07:57)
That that’s my husband. He don’t
Koquis Moore (08:02)
okay with that.
Taylor Gipson (08:10)
Okay, okay. So, I think do you just want me to start from the very beginning, like welcoming you back to the show or actually just start off where
Koquis Moore (08:20)
Okay.
Taylor Gipson (08:21)
’cause I can edit all that out if you just say where
you are as a mom. So just start off right there.
Koquis Moore (08:25)
Where I was as a mom before where I was before I became a mom. Okay, perfect. So
my name is Coquis again. Thank you for having me. And before
Taylor Gipson (08:33)
Mm-hmm. Yes, yeah.
Koquis Moore (08:35)
I became a mom, I was actually a newly business owner. I was newly starting my small business, Empowerment Through Dance, which is a business that caters to women and girls. I empower women and girls through dance. and
I was a digital nomad, world traveler. I found myself living in different countries, which is how one of my births even happened in France. The father of my children is French. and in addition to that, I’ve always kind of been a personal development enthusiast for the last maybe 15 years or so. so yeah, I feel like that would sum up who I was before I became a mother. Entrepreneur, business owner, world traveler, and
personal development enthusiast.
Taylor Gipson (09:27)
Mm.
I love that. That’s kind of si I’m very similar to that. And I love the dance piece. I feel like that’s something I have missed
Koquis Moore (09:39)
Really?
Taylor Gipson (09:40)
since honestly like high school. I used to
Koquis Moore (09:42)
Yeah.
Taylor Gipson (09:43)
love to dance and I feel like that’s what’s missing in my motherhood, you know? I just haven’t done it in a long time, so I love that. And then
My husband also played basketball in France. So I never personally got to live there with
Koquis Moore (09:55)
Yeah, it’s beautiful.
Taylor Gipson (09:57)
him, but he loved France. And so the travel part is so interesting to me
Koquis Moore (10:00)
Well awesome. We got we got a few things in common.
Taylor Gipson (10:04)
as well. So Yeah, yeah. And then like the personal development and stuff too. I’m always me and my husband both are very
into that and just being the best we can, breaking those generational curses and everything. So yeah, yeah.
Koquis Moore (10:13)
That’s right. I love that. I knew Spirit brought us together for a reason.
Taylor Gipson (10:25)
yeah. Of course. so if you want to just get started into how you I mean, you’ve had both of your children be free births. That’s pretty unheard of, you know. I’m learning on this podcast that it’s not, but in the grand scheme of the world it’s not heard of. So how do you get to that point?
Koquis Moore (10:46)
you know, I had I had one
egg I had one very close up in person example of someone giving birth in the hospital setting. my sister in law. My my my nephew’s like thirteen years old now. So let’s just say thirteen years
Taylor Gipson (11:04)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (11:04)
ago I found myself in the hospital room with her and I was able to see her my nephew
his birth from start to finish in this setting. lights, noise, people, multiple nurses, her legs up in the air, the nurses yelling push, the baby being pulled out with a sucker. It was just lights, camera action.
It was and you know, I had my camera, it was all the things, and there there my sister-in-law was on this table, you know, really, you know, working
Taylor Gipson (11:38)
Okay.
Koquis Moore (11:39)
hard to get her baby to come. And that was my that was my first up close and personal experience of like seeing a woman give birth. And that was in a hospital setting. So, you know, for me that was very normal. At that moment, there was nothing that I saw that made me think.
What in the world just happened here? It was just like, my nephew’s here, you know? So fast forward a few years later, I find myself
Taylor Gipson (12:03)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (12:03)
on social media and here I am. I come across this home birth video. I’ve never seen home birth before. And this per this woman had given birth in this beautiful bathtub
Taylor Gipson (12:16)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (12:16)
in her living room with these beautiful fairy lights. And it was just so moving that it brought me to tears. And have you ever just
saw something on social media and you just watched it over and over and over. It was like that. And it was in that moment where I felt like I was there with her giving birth in that in that room.
Taylor Gipson (12:35)
Hey
Koquis Moore (12:36)
And I decided in that moment that this is how I’m gonna give birth. This resonates
this feels real. And that was the moment I decided. I wasn’t married. I didn’t have I hadn’t n
Taylor Gipson (12:46)
Wow.
Koquis Moore (12:47)
I hadn’t even been thinking about it wasn’t even the time yet, but it was years before the time had come.
And I made a decision. And when I made that decision, I was for real. So I I actually told myself, like, if you’re if you’re gonna have a home birth one day, you’re gonna need to be able to take some pain because you’re you’re actually signing up to experience what the world describes as the the worst pain in the world.
Taylor Gipson (13:12)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (13:14)
And if you if you if you can’t take some period cramps, then you for sure won’t be able to give have a home birth. So I stopped taking medication on my periods.
When I would have men menstrual pain, yes, when I would have minstrual menstrual cramps, how do you say the word? Period cramps.
When I would have period cramps, I I started learning how to be in tune with my body
Taylor Gipson (13:36)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (13:36)
and how to really breathe through what I was feeling and how to just have I just started developing a new relationship with what my body was meant to feel. I’m not gonna describe it as pain because that’s truly
perspective, you know, and I’m trying to step into the light here ’cause I the the s the the shade is coming over me. Is that just me or
Taylor Gipson (13:58)
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (14:00)
is that what’s happening? Is the light I know that you can edit certain things else.
Taylor Gipson (14:04)
I
Koquis Moore (14:05)
Yeah, I feel like it’s lighter and now it’s like the sun. You tell you let me know if the lighting is becoming
Taylor Gipson (14:08)
Maybe a little a little bit. Yep, yeah, you’re good.
Koquis Moore (14:12)
weird ’cause I feel like I’m I’m shaded now, but it’s
Taylor Gipson (14:20)
It it does seem like it’s shading you a little bit, but you still look really good. So if if you wanna move, you can. It’s up to you.
Koquis Moore (14:22)
Okay, let me see. I don’t know. Well I’m so glad there’s flexibility to delete certain things ’cause I’m just
gonna move so that I’m not
Taylor Gipson (14:34)
Yeah, yeah.
Koquis Moore (14:36)
You can see the camera right on me. Okay, there we go. So woo. So yeah, I made a decision. I made a decision and I started eating s you know healthy. I started just prioritizing my health and my I started preparing my mind for what I knew was to come one day and what I had truly found myself committing to in that moment when I witnessed what this other woman had done. She gave me permission.
To know that if she can do it, so can I. So that was where my Yes, that was where the example was set for me the first time. And as I
Taylor Gipson (15:13)
I love that.
Koquis Moore (15:14)
said, I was moved, I was so moved, touched, and inspired that here we go, fast forward years, years down the line, I find myself, you know, pregnant with my daughter. And there was no question in my mind whether I was having a home birth. I had already decided this 10 years prior, 10, 12 years prior. So it was just like, okay, like I knew.
That
this is how I was going to give, I was gonna have a home birth. and that was non-negotiable for me. It wasn’t even something that I went back and forth on. So it just was a matter of truly knowing myself and knowing what I want and what I don’t want. And what I wanted was to be in control of my environment. What I wanted was to feel safe in my personal space. I didn’t want any type of interruption, I didn’t want anyone coercing me.
Or influencing me in a way that would have me questioning again what I had already decided and committed that I was gonna do. And I also had the feeling of like if I’m going to experience again what the world describes as painful, the most excruciating pain in the world. I’m I mean, if I’m gonna experience any type of healing or pain or whatever, if there’s it gonna be anything that I need to be.
Healing from I want it to be the pain or the healing that I was created to experience, not because of the pain or the healing that it was inflicted on me because of man. What does that mean to me? That means if I’m in the hospital setting, what if I had to get what if I was coerced or s you
Taylor Gipson (16:45)
Yes, yes.
Koquis Moore (16:46)
know, manipulated into believing I needed a C section because I was in labor for 43 hours. I don’t know what hospital, you know, would have would have held space.
Because that’s truly what’s needed when a woman is in labor.
Taylor Gipson (17:00)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (17:01)
Much like animals go into private, secluded areas to have their babies, we need the same. We need to feel unwatched, undisturbed. We need to feel in control of our space. We need to feel uninterrupted. We don’t we don’t need anybody tampering with what we were designed and created to to do ourselves. And you know.
there was a moment in time when I was in France and we were there with the anesthesiologist. And I’ll never forget, he’s there writing in his little sheet, and he says, And why don’t you wanna because i let me just give a little bit of context. At that point, the father of my children, I was seven months pregnant, he started switching up. So what we have previously discussed and agreed upon regarding how we were gonna bring our baby into the world then became
this fearful thing for him of like, I want to go in the hospital. There’s no we there’s no way we’re gonna do this at home. Like there was like this putting he was putting his foot down. Like, we’re not doing this at home. We have to go to the hospital. And at this point, it’s like, you know, this is a decision I made long before I met this man. This is a decision I have prepared for. I have, I have literally mind, body, and spirit
Taylor Gipson (18:22)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (18:23)
signed up for.
And now I have at the at that point he was my husband, you know, at and now I have the father of my children, let’s just say that. going going against what I thought we were on the same page about. Now I think that might be the toughest thing for any woman wanting to decide to have a home birth, let alone a free birth, because a home birth and a free birth are very different. They’re not the same because a free birth requires whole, you have to be.
Taylor Gipson (18:52)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (18:53)
Fully trusting of yourself, the birth process, the process of bringing life into this world. You have to be fully able to surrender and trust your body and your baby to do what they were created to do. And, you know, I had to just take some time away from that conversation that we had and really get centered and grounded and re remind myself that this is my body. These are, and this final choice right here is mine.
So I had to go back. I went back to him and I let him know, you know, as much as I know that you’re you’re coming from a place of love, I know that you want the best for me and our baby. And I know that’s where you’re coming from. But at the end of the day, this is my body. And if I find myself in a hospital setting and I have already written out my birth wish, written out my birth plan, written out my birth wishes, and then a and someone in an author an authoritative position comes in with.
their own perception of how they think my birth should go, you’re gonna listen to them. You’re not gonna listen to me. And that is another reason I didn’t want to be in the hospital. Because I didn’t trust that my partner was going to respect and speak up, not just respect,
Taylor Gipson (20:03)
Yes.
Koquis Moore (20:04)
but speak up for my wishes. Because guess what? I was in France. I don’t speak French. So I I don’t I’m not I don’t speak this language. So if I can’t if if I can’t count on you to
Taylor Gipson (20:16)
That part.
Koquis Moore (20:18)
stand up for me when
Doctors are saying one thing when I’ve decided another, that’s a whole nother reason why I don’t want to be in a hospital setting. Because who’s gonna represent me? Who’s gonna stand for me? Who’s gonna believe in me? And at home, I don’t need nobody to believe in me but myself. So that’s why I’m fast forwarding to now we’re at the anesthesiologist
Taylor Gipson (20:38)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (20:39)
because we I I did go along. Okay, just so that we’re both happy, let’s go ahead and register at a clinic so that you’re happy. That way, if anything does come up, drink.
l birth or labor because of again those things are unexpected, right? So let’s go ahead and have ourselves registered at a clinic so that you’re happy. In my mind I’m like I ain’t going to that clinic, but we’re gonna do it
Taylor Gipson (20:57)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (20:58)
just so he can zust to make him happy, you know? And so after so yeah, I was doing my regular visits and, you know, blood work and all of those things, which is another reason I was very comfortable with having a free birth because all my blood work was normal. I was in
good c health can so that’s important. Everyone’s health, you know, everyone is in a different on a different journey as far as their their health is concerned.
Taylor Gipson (21:24)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (21:25)
So I was very confident in my my health and and my ability to do this on my own. So let’s just go back to the anesthesiologist. He says, So why don’t you want to have an epidural? I looked at him and I said because I’m a woman and because I was created to do this. And he said he just said
And he kept writing. And I’m like, why else would I not want Apple Dirl? Like, because I trust that whoever created me, the creator of life, designed me. I’m a woman. I believe that what I did, every woman can do. And to see all of this attention and love that my video has gotten is amazing to me because I didn’t think I’ve I didn’t think I did
Taylor Gipson (22:04)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (22:05)
anything extraordinary, both the first birth or the second. And apparently I’ve been sleeping on myself because I’m like, what happened?
Like,
what happened? What did I do? I just did what I was created to do. Is that not what you’re doing? You know, but
Taylor Gipson (22:17)
Right. People need it. People need to see it, yeah.
Koquis Moore (22:20)
again, I understand and respect the fact that everyone has different birth wishes and everyone, you know, has a different outlook on the process of bringing life into this world. But I I gotta I gotta touch on my doula in France. So, you know, living in Europe during my daughter was due on August twenty-third. Now during the month of August, everyone in Europe is on holiday.
So I spent my first trimester in Europe. I came back to the the States during my second trimester without having secured a a midwife.
Taylor Gipson (22:52)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (22:53)
I did want a midwife. I did not plan a free birth. I planned to have a home birth. I did not plan, I didn’t know what a free birth was. So
Taylor Gipson (23:02)
Hmm.
Koquis Moore (23:02)
when I got back to France at seven months pregnant, and I start reaching out to midwives to be a part to be present
Taylor Gipson (23:09)
Gotcha.
Koquis Moore (23:09)
during my pregnancy, they’re like either on holiday or they’re like it’s
way too late in your pregnancy for us to be there. We would’ve the the French way is to follow the woman’s pregnancy from beginning to birth. I had no idea, you know, we don’t know what we don’t know. And at this point, I’m seven months pregnant. I’m like, my
Taylor Gipson (23:31)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (23:31)
goodness, what am I gonna do?
Taylor Gipson (23:34)
Right.
Koquis Moore (23:34)
So
I I didn’t give up. I kept asking. I was in a couple of groups with other moms and I kept, you know, putting out my wishes. I want a home birth. I want a home birth. And everyone’s like, that’s impossible in France. Nobody does that in France. Like it’s not gonna happen. But you’ve gotta have your own, you’ve gotta be strong willed and determined when you’re making certain decisions in life that, you know, are are big. This
Taylor Gipson (23:58)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (23:59)
is a big decision.
You know, and unfortunately I didn’t realize that I had waited till the last minute, but I came across people started recommending this woman called Nicola. Nicola Thompson. Nicola Thompson is a doula, she’s not a midwife, but she’s a free birth advocate. And when
Taylor Gipson (24:17)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (24:18)
I spoke to Nicola, I said, God has sent me an angel. Because she educated me and told me that you don’t even need a midwife. And she heard the way I was talking, and I heard the way she was talking, and she’s
Taylor Gipson (24:29)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (24:29)
like, girl.
You
know, she was like, I am not a doctor. I need to let you know very clearly, I’m not a midwife. I can I do not do what midwives do. But she had over twenty-five years of experience in the maternity field. She also worked in the hospital setting prior to becoming independent. And she was also, like I said, a free birth advocate. She had two daughters whose births she had been present at, and those were also free births.
And I mean, the more that we spoke and connected, the more confident I became that this was the person that is to be with me and the father of my children when we bring our daughter into this world. And she was the angel. She was the one who opened my eyes to a world that I didn’t even know. So, you know, I saw that video on social media with the woman
giving a home birth, but then there was like a free birth. And so again, father of my children was not with it. He’s like, there is no way.
No way, we’re not gonna have
a doctor here. And so again, she was she was, you know, just like such a mother when I didn’t when I needed a mother because you know we get pregnant, we all we’re sensitive, we’re emotional, we, you know, and I kind of I was really missing my mom. I was really missing my mom back in the States. And Nicola, she was
Taylor Gipson (25:45)
He’s
Koquis Moore (25:46)
so motherly and she was so real. She kept telling me, you’re gonna have to do what you’ve
Taylor Gipson (25:49)
The ye mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (25:51)
decided to do despite what he’s saying. Like straight up.
Like I know but he he’s gonna have to get over it. He’s gonna have to get over it because at the end of the day, once again, I I’m carrying the baby and I’m the one bringing this life into this world. And if any whether anything show go right or wrong, at the end of the day, let it be because of the choices that I made, not because of the choices someone else made for me. And that’s how I I gave had my first free birth. And with the second, it was a no-brainer. I’m like, do you know what
Taylor Gipson (26:21)
Right.
Koquis Moore (26:21)
I did? I you know, I had 43 hours of labor.
And when I tell you that the doula, Nicola, she just sat there, she held space, she didn’t give me instructions,
Taylor Gipson (26:27)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (26:32)
she didn’t say anything to me other than reassure me that everything is going exactly the way that it should, and you’re doing a great job. Otherwise, she just she just held space. She was just there. You know, just a reassuring force in the room, but for for 43 hours. And you know.
There’s so much more to that, but just to answer your question about like how did I step into the world
Taylor Gipson (26:56)
But wow.
Koquis Moore (26:58)
of free birth? It was thanks to Nicola’s education. And then I took her birthing course. So that also gave me the detailed knowledge of what I can expect as a first-time mom throughout my labor. So that I’m not going into labor freaking out when I feel certain things or when I see certain things. Blood, this, that. It’s like, this is this is what I’ve already, yeah, this is she already gave me the heads up.
So I knew what to expect going into it. I wasn’t,
Taylor Gipson (27:22)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (27:23)
you know, nothing was a surprise to me. Everything happened exactly the way they described in those birthing classes. So it was just a matter of also just like educating myself after that decision was made. I know that was a lot, but
Taylor Gipson (27:41)
Wow, that’s that’s amazing. No, no, no, no. That was that was perfect. I mean, I love how things that seem like, you know, they’re not going
Koquis Moore (27:50)
Yeah, that’s right.
Taylor Gipson (27:51)
right always turns into what you needed at that time, you know.
Koquis Moore (27:55)
Yeah.
Taylor Gipson (27:57)
So I feel like that’s exactly what your story was. It is. so
D did you wanna say anything more about your
like how your free birth went, like how your daughter was born, or do you wanna get into your second story? How what do you wanna do? Okay.
Koquis Moore (28:09)
Sure. I mean, I would love to talk about how my daughter was born. So of you
know, you’ve had free births, you know how this goes. When you’re having when you’re
Taylor Gipson (28:21)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (28:22)
giving lap when you’re when you’re a first time mother, you don’t you don’t really know like all the things. It’s like you you’re and when and again when you’re when we’re not
counting on relying on outside help and support and we’re counting on trusting ourselves, there’s certain things that you just don’t know. So in my mind I thought when a baby’s coming, your water breaks. I thought, you know, certain things you know, certain things have to happen in order to have confirmation that the baby’s
Taylor Gipson (28:51)
Ha ha.
Koquis Moore (28:51)
coming. So I just remember hearing that you’ll know when it’s time because you’ll see the bloody show, right? You know the bloody show where the pink is on the the little pink com is on the
Panties, what is it called? The the whatever it is breaks or something. The the the mucus, the mucus plug is released. Yeah, so I remember I saw that on a Monday. And I
Taylor Gipson (29:10)
That muca mucus flag. Uh-huh.
Koquis Moore (29:14)
was I was on the toilet using the bathroom and I saw that. And you know, we carry our babies for so long and they live
Taylor Gipson (29:19)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (29:19)
inside of us day after day, day in, day out for so long. And then and then again, it’s your first time giving birth. And when I saw that, I’m like, my gosh, the day is coming where I’m gonna, I’m not gonna be pregnant anymore.
And the day’s coming that again the world describes as like the worst pain in the world. And I’m about to experience it. Like there’s there’s only one way to get this baby out of me. And that is to give birth. You know, that is to push it out. So I I sat on that toilet and I just had a moment. I cried. I’m like, my gosh, yeah, like the time is here.
Taylor Gipson (29:55)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (29:56)
I called my I called Nicola.
My doula, I told her what was going on. She said to monitor it throughout the day and keep her informed, which I did. Everything was fine. There were no contractions, hadn’t
Taylor Gipson (30:07)
yeah.
Koquis Moore (30:07)
really been consistent throughout the day or anything. So then Tuesday comes, Monday night, Monday night. And I’ll never forget, we were sitting there watching TV, rubbing the belly, the baby, my daughter, she’s just moving and grooving in the belly. And then at about 11 p.m., the contractions were consistent.
Taylor Gipson (30:26)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (30:26)
And what
what is it? Every twenty minutes, they last a minute and they come every t twenty minutes or something like that. Do you remember? Anyways, whatever it is.
Taylor Gipson (30:40)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (30:41)
Right. So well I knew it was like you’ll know when active labor not active, but the early stages
Taylor Gipson (30:44)
All of mine have been so different.
Koquis Moore (30:46)
of labor starts because it’s like the contractions are lasting a full minute and they’re coming like every I forgot how many minutes in between, but that that was happening Monday night. all I went to sleep all Monday night. The contractions were consistent. Tuesday morning I wake up
Taylor Gipson (31:02)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (31:02)
and I call Nicola. I told her I had consistent contractions all night.
Okay, no problem. She was already scheduled to come and see me that day, which is crazy. So she was like, Well, I’m gonna see you today at one and I’ll just bring my overnight bag. And I’m like, I didn’t think much of it.
Taylor Gipson (31:18)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (31:19)
Again, I’m just like, I just know the contractions have kicked in, no water has broken or anything. So I’m just like going with the flow, but I’m doing my moving, you know, I’m bending over, I’m swaying side to side, I’m taking my yoga breaths and doing all the things because I’m all I’m in it, you know? Even though I didn’t realize.
You’re in labor, you know, but I just knew the contractions had kicked in and they were consistent.
Taylor Gipson (31:40)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (31:41)
And so f father goes to work, doula comes later on in the day, and again, we’re just chopping it up, talking. And I knew that in early labor you’d still be able to talk and smile and like have conversations, but as it progressed, that would change. So I just remembered you know, all Tuesday the contractions did progress. Tuesday night, I found myself
tr I mean throughout the day different positions, try laying down, taking naps, waking up, you know, st hanging hanging on at this point I I’m yeah, Dad. well, I think I’m on Wednesday now because let’s just say this. All Tuesday I had contractions. Tuesday night I remember we we were all set to go go sleep, go get some rest. And I’m like, Nicola, do you want me to, you know, pull out the sofa bed for you?
So you can get comfortable. She’s no, you’ll be back in a few hours. So I’m just gonna stay right here. And I’m thinking, okay. She just knew. She just knew every, you know, she just boom, she was so good. And so I’m like, okay, so I lay in the bed, I couldn’t sleep. I was like breathing through what I was feeling. It wasn’t, you know, it was the contractions were intensifying. And I knew that my only job was to breathe through them. Cause at the end of the day, once again, when you go into a free birth or a home birth,
We have to be f you have to fully surrender. Like there’s nothing you’re gonna do to stop these contractions to lesser to to lower the feeling. You just take it
Taylor Gipson (33:09)
Yes.
Koquis Moore (33:09)
as it comes and breathe through it and enjoy those breaks. Because that’s all that we can do, really. And so, yeah, I couldn’t take it anymore. I woke up from my
Taylor Gipson (33:20)
Yep.
Koquis Moore (33:21)
sleep, I went in the living room and I’m like,
It’s action time. Like I need, you know, so so from from Tuesday night, my daughter was born at six thirteen PM on Wednesday. So this was just like, my gosh. Yeah, I’m talking and I’m only on Tuesday night. So, you know, finally Wednesday morning
Taylor Gipson (33:39)
Wow.
Koquis Moore (33:40)
comes and dad the dad’s like, Do
Taylor Gipson (33:43)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (33:44)
I go to work? Do I stay home? What do I do? And I’m like, I don’t know. Ask me Cola. At this point, I was just still having contractions. My water hadn’t broken. My water hadn’t broken. I don’t I
And here’s the thing. Nicola already knew that I didn’t want to
Taylor Gipson (33:58)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (33:59)
know nothing. I’m gonna say that again. Nikola knew that I did not want to know any details about what was happening because I needed to stay focused mentally. I didn’t want to know if labor began. I didn’t want to know how long I’d been in labor. I also didn’t know how big my babies were as I carried
Taylor Gipson (34:20)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (34:21)
them. Why would I want to know that information?
And how would that serve me when the time came to push them out? so having you know, I didn’t want to know what time it was.
Taylor Gipson (34:28)
Right.
Koquis Moore (34:31)
I didn’t want any family or friends to know what was going on because I didn’t want anyone calling. I didn’t want no outside energy interfering with the bubble that I had created for myself. And so I’m like, go ask Nicola, because I don’t know what’s going on. I just know I got I mean I got contractions and they haven’t stopped. So
Taylor Gipson (34:48)
Yep, I do the same.
Koquis Moore (34:50)
once again, my water hadn’t broken. So in my mind, I’m
And I had already read that you a woman can have contractions and then they can totally stop and then two weeks later start again. So again, I’m still confused because I’m thinking the baby, the baby has to come after my water breaks. And that hasn’t happened yet. So I don’t really know what’s going on. And I don’t want to know what’s going on. Don’t tell me nothing. So let me just give you this example of something that I kept in mind when I was when I told Nicola, I don’t want to know anything.
I don’t need to know the time. I don’t want to know how long it’s been. I don’t want to know how long I have to go. So what I was reminded of prior to going into labor was when I used to have a personal trainer. And when that personal trainer used to have me hold planks and count down 10, 9, 8 by 7, I’m falling. Cause I don’t need to, it hurts too bad. I don’t need to know I got seven more seconds to hold the damn plank. Don’t tell me how many seconds I have. Just let me hold the plank.
Taylor Gipson (35:48)
That’s true, yeah.
Koquis Moore (35:50)
If you continue to count down for me and I tell them straight up, I’m like, stop counting down because that’s not and that’s not encouraging
Taylor Gipson (35:57)
That’s so good.
Koquis Moore (35:57)
me to keep holding it. You know, the goal is to to successfully hold the plank for a minute, and you’re telling me I got 30 seconds left. I don’t want to hear that. So forget it. Start over, you know what I mean? So that was my mindset. If I can’t even hold a plank for a minute, I don’t need to know how long I’ve been having these contractions or how far along in labor or how long.
Taylor Gipson (36:15)
That’s real.
Koquis Moore (36:18)
Been in labor, don’t tell me. Let’s just get to the finish line. And that was my mindset. So I’m like, go ask Nicola if you should go to work. Because I don’t truly know what’s going on. I think I know, but
Taylor Gipson (36:27)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (36:28)
I’m not sure. And Nicola said, You should take off. Your baby’s coming today. I was like, what? How did she know?
She said you should take off work because your baby’s coming today. And I’m like, Coquis, stay focused. You didn’t hear nothing. And once again,
Taylor Gipson (36:44)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (36:45)
I didn’t like get it out of your head. The mental preparation and the mental focus was so necessary because that’s literally
Taylor Gipson (36:50)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (36:52)
the only thing we have control over is our mindset. And, you know, I had worked
Taylor Gipson (36:58)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (36:58)
so hard to protect my mindset prior to going into labor that I had to have that same type of mental fortitude when I was in it.
Because
when you’re in it, it’s so much easier to give in because now you’re act actually feeling all the things. I remember, yeah, I didn’t share my birth plan with anybody, but that doesn’t mean dad didn’t. And I’ll never forget he shared it with a cousin. And again, they these are French people I’m talking about. So they speak a different language that I don’t fully understand. But I but you know, some things, energy and facial expressions, you you understand to a certain degree. And I remember
Taylor Gipson (37:31)
snap.
Koquis Moore (37:31)
he told his cousin what my birth plan was, and she scoffed. She’s like,
Wait till she feels those contractions. And I’m just like, I didn’t need to hear that. I didn’t need to hear that. So what did I do? I went home, I put on my earphones, and I zoned into my birth hypnobirthing affirmations. I filled my brain back with what I needed to hear,
Taylor Gipson (37:53)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (37:54)
what I wanted to hear, and what was going to be conducive to me successfully having a home birth.
And believing that I could do it despite whatever I was gonna feel, despite what however a contr the contractions were gonna feel. Because that’s something we don’t know until we feel it. So, yeah. I think that may have so so yeah, eventually, yes. Wednesdays here. of course things progress. Now I’m hanging on him, I’m trying different positions, nothing no pushing had started and my water still had not broke. But the contractions were intensifying as the days and the hours went on. Looking back, you know.
I’m saying days and hours now because I’m out of it, but in it,
Taylor Gipson (38:33)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (38:33)
you know, I was just in it. And I remember one moment that was so imprinted in my mind
Taylor Gipson (38:37)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (38:41)
that I’ll never forget because again, I did not have a supportive partner. And that’s what I want women to hear. My partner did not support what I was doing. He wasn’t sitting in the room that 43 hours supporting me, bringing me water, rubbing my back.
Doing things. He was he was quiet. His safe face was very serious. His energy was very what’s the word?
I would just say he wasn’t present with what was. He wasn’t present with me and what what I was experiencing.
Taylor Gipson (39:10)
Like fearful,
Koquis Moore (39:13)
He he was sitting there waiting for the moment that I tapped out and said, let’s go
Taylor Gipson (39:16)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Koquis Moore (39:18)
to the hospital. That’s the energy that he gave the entire time that I was in labor. So here I am now in the active, yes, in the active phase of labor, right? Because active is right
Taylor Gipson (39:30)
yeah.
Koquis Moore (39:30)
before transition. And I’m in the bathtub now. I’m on my back, laying it down in the bathtub.
And I’ll never forget seeing those big contractions rise, that muscle, you know, just boom, those contractions, and woo, I’m in it now. This is the part of labor where they say, Yeah, you’re not trying to talk to nobody, don’t touch me, don’t talk to me, don’t look at me, don’t say nothing, because we’re in a
Taylor Gipson (39:52)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (39:53)
different world. We go into this other dimension that only, you know, a mother could understand. And we’re out of this world, you know,
Taylor Gipson (40:00)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (40:01)
we’re truly with.
The divine creator, whoever is, you know, designed us to do this. That’s literally the only person or thing that I could really rely on is like my higher power, you know, God, spirit, whatever you call it. And it’s just like, woo, just breathe, you know. So there I am laying in the tub and father, dad, he’s sitting outside the tub. Again, pooch face, serious. And he said to me, he said, Why do you want to suffer like this?
And I said, this is not suffering to me. Yeah, that that’s what he said. This was not my definition of suffering. Suffering to me is being
Taylor Gipson (40:41)
Right.
Koquis Moore (40:42)
in someone else’s care that is not is not honoring how my wishes, who are who’s sick doing things to me that I am not in approval of, who’s maybe cutting me open. Those are just that’s just me. That’s just me. That’s that’s suffering to me. Because this is my body. And at the end of the day, just
Taylor Gipson (41:00)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (41:01)
like I told him.
Gonna have to go against you and stick with what I want. If I like I told him, if I have to get a C-section, that’s my body being cut open, not yours. So once again, and then I got to recover, and then I’ve got to live with those scars for the rest of my life because I didn’t
Taylor Gipson (41:16)
And you the recovery and everything.
Koquis Moore (41:18)
trust that I was capable of doing something that I knew I was capable of doing. I could have easily changed my mind because of his fear. But again, the mental, the the the mental strength.
Taylor Gipson (41:31)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (41:31)
The amount
of certainty that one has to have in themselves in order to sign, like go walk into this free birth, world of free birth, home birth, is just it’s it’s a strong and powerful decision to make. And yeah, I this is not suffering. There is this is to me, this is not suffering because guess what? Every contraction brings me closer
Taylor Gipson (41:50)
Yes.
Koquis Moore (41:51)
to my baby. And I knew that from those hypno-birthing affirmations I had been listening to. So this is a good thing.
The contractions are good. That’s the only way that this baby can come out is if these contractions continue to come. Without the contractions, I will, we will never meet our baby. And so for me, I had already knew that. I had already accepted that. I had already understood it. So again, now it’s time to, now the game is starting, right? It’s game time now. I’m not gonna tap out back out because now the feeling is, this is what they were all talking about. You just quiet the outside noise. Quiet the outside noise.
And feel my mind with
Taylor Gipson (42:30)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (42:30)
all those affirmations I had been filling my mind with throughout my pregnancy. And just remind myself that this is temporary, Coquis. This is temporary. What you’re feeling now is not gonna last forever. And again, you were made to do this. So just see it through. So there we are in the bathtub. Eventually I get out again, trying different positions. sitting down. I was trying to
Stan sit on my knees with my legs open when I was on the couch. to try to see that. That was that was so uncomfortable. So, anyways, I tried all these different things. Finally, laying on my right side with my leg up was it. And that was the most comfortable position for me. I was on the couch laying on my right the right side, and I put my leg up and I said, I I I asked for my birthing ball. no, actually, I’m on the couch, and all of a sudden, and and the dad at this point, he’s way in the back room, sleep.
All of a sudden I felt this urge to put my first urge to push. And it was just like boom. And I knew it was the waters. You could feel it. It was just like
Just like boom, I was like, you know, it was just like this re
Taylor Gipson (43:38)
I think
Koquis Moore (43:39)
this feeling of relief. It wasn’t a scream of like fear, it was this feeling of it’s
Taylor Gipson (43:41)
Ha ha ha
Koquis Moore (43:46)
just like all these waters. And
Taylor Gipson (43:48)
Yes.
Koquis Moore (43:50)
again, the doula, she was so prepared. We had already padded the couch, so the couch didn’t even, you know, it touched nothing touched the couch. But, anyways, he, you know, dad runs in. I’m screaming.
Taylor Gipson (44:00)
Right.
Koquis Moore (44:01)
And again, I’m not screaming because I was afraid or felt anything.
Unusual, I mean painful. It was just like, you know, this this like imagine your bladder being full and then it explodes. It was like that, and then all these waters came out. And then again, the doula didn’t say much, but here’s what she said in that moment. She said,
Taylor Gipson (44:17)
He
Koquis Moore (44:19)
Okay, now that your waters have broken, I just want to let you know that the contractions are going to intensify, but you can handle it. And boy, and boy, that was the
Contractions, the cousin was talking about. That was the moment that the the the description that the world had described kicked
Taylor Gipson (44:41)
He’s
Koquis Moore (44:42)
in. And that the feelings that I felt in my back and in my body, they were indescribable. Indescribable. I can’t describe it to you. But I know that I had support. So I was able to call I was able to ask for what I needed.
Cold towel, cold water. I started shouting out, cold water, rub water, rub my back. And when I tell you that doula, my doula,
Taylor Gipson (45:08)
Okay.
Koquis Moore (45:09)
Nicola Thompson, she got back there and did things that
Taylor Gipson (45:11)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (45:13)
the dad would have never known what to he would have never knew what to do if she wasn’t there in that moment. And she massaged that lower back. And each time the contraction kicked in, okay, another, and I know she was tired. But each time a contraction kicked in, she massaged that lower back and it helped me get through those.
Those final contractions that lasted for four hours because from the time my water broke until the time my daughter was born, that was pushing for four hours. And at some point, like I said, I was on my right side, my left leg was in the air. I asked for the birthing ball to go between my legs to help me continue the pushing. And again, this is just all happening instinctively.
I’m not receiving any directions. This is just like I need to lay on my side. I need my leg up. I need force. I need, I told the dad, hold my leg
Taylor Gipson (46:00)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (46:01)
up and don’t let it move. When the contraction kicks in, when I start pushing, you pull my leg up. And that’s literally. Nicola’s like, You want to feel your baby’s head? All of a sudden, I feel I’m like, I really didn’t want to in that moment. I’m like, you know, I’m just like, let’s get through this. And I remember feeling her crown. I remember
feeling her crown. And again, it’s just like, you’re here, Coquis. Just
Taylor Gipson (46:22)
He
Koquis Moore (46:23)
Breathe. Just breathe. And one thing I knew before going into labor was from my birthing classes. I learned that the way that birthing should sound is like yoga breaths. It should sound like you’re taking deep yoga breath. It should not sound like screaming. Because when a person is screaming, it’s coming from a place of fear. But you know that that calm, quiet.
Peaceful yoga breath is what carried me through my birth. That’s what carried me through my birth. So there was no crying, there was no panic, there was no screaming, hollering. my God. And it was just a everything’s happening exactly the way that it should. And I trust my body and I trust my baby. And I just had to control my mind and keep my mindset strong. And there she was. She came out. the doula put her on my stomach. And and and then that moment I became a mother. her.
will say this her placenta came out four hours later but you know some of the things
Taylor Gipson (47:23)
Wow.
Koquis Moore (47:24)
that the doula has said we should protect is the oxytocin. So the oxyto oxytocin being that love hormone which is the hormone that allows us to bring our baby into this world. That was something that she really s encouraged me to protect. So that was the reason I chose not to record my birth because you know she had described when
We feel watched or like there’s a someone watching us, it can change the energy. It can change, yeah, it can shift what’s going on, what I need to be happening for me. So although I did want my birth recorded, I went ahead and trusted that she knew best. And I got pictures from after the birth, but we didn’t, you know, I didn’t record it. But that’s how my daughter was born.
Taylor Gipson (48:07)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (48:12)
Yeah. It was powerful.
Taylor Gipson (48:14)
Wow.
my gosh. I love it. I love it so much.
Koquis Moore (48:18)
I will say this.
She
was a doula. Yeah. And I will add this. So after she was born again, I’m in a foreign country. We didn’t have a we didn’t have a doctor there. So
Taylor Gipson (48:22)
yeah, very I love that you had that midwife there. Or the not midwife but the doula. Yeah.
Koquis Moore (48:29)
apparently it was standard to call the pompier, which is the fire department. And they came and that became a whole nother experience of my birth. So if I can touch on that, let me know. Is it okay to just touch touch on that? So the pompier come.
Pompier, of course, I may not be saying that word right, but let’s just use the fire department for English
Taylor Gipson (48:48)
Yes, yeah, go ahead. Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (48:53)
listeners. they come in and they’re and all these men, boots on my carpet, lights on. It was just like, what in the world is happening? Can you guys keep the light off? Can you guys? I was like, move the rug on the floor. I don’t want shoes in the house. It just like chaos instantly. And the man said to me, the baby’s here already. We can turn the light on.
I was also being coerced and forced to hook up to an IV. I was also being told that I need they needed to put an IV in my arms for whatever reasons. And I was refusing that. Do not touch me. Do not put any IV in my arms. I’m fine. The doula has already confirmed that I’m fine. I had, you know, I’ve had all my liquids and I was eating. I don’t even remember eating, but I do know I was drinking throughout my labor. And if I was eating, I just don’t remember. But it w I was fine. I felt fine. The baby was fine.
We had also s we secured that
Taylor Gipson (49:47)
Right.
Koquis Moore (49:49)
let me just back up a little bit because before we called the pompier, after my daughter was born at about six o’clock PM, once again, in order to protect the oxytocin so that I can give birth to that placenta, no one was allowed in the room. So we waited until the placenta was born four hours later and before we called the pompier. So that
Taylor Gipson (50:09)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (50:10)
allowed me and my daughter to experience the golden hour, which is where the baby lays on.
Mama’s tummy and she naturally crawls onto over to the breast and she naturally latches. And I got to experience that with my daughter. Just like Mother Nature. It was the most beautiful thing that I’ve ever experienced because she knew exactly what to do. And she had just she came out with her little mouth like a little bird. And she just latched right on. You know, she crawled up. And again, it was a golden hour. So it wasn’t like she was born and then crawled up, but we secured,
Taylor Gipson (50:39)
Ha ha ha
Koquis Moore (50:41)
we protected that hour right after she was.
Warning and and and and again Mother Nature
Taylor Gipson (50:47)
Right.
Koquis Moore (50:47)
ran its course. So then the pumpier were called after we had already latched breastfeeding, everything was going well, I was fine, placenta was born, then these men come with their big boots and their lights and their and their their their I you know IVs.
And here we are. I’m refusing
Taylor Gipson (51:06)
I
Koquis Moore (51:08)
the IV. They’re wanting to take the baby out away from me into another room. I’m not understanding why. They’re speaking French. I’m wondering why can’t you check the baby right next to me? Why does the baby have to go in the other room? Again,
Dad is not Dad is not speaking up for me. He is telling me to comply with what these firemen are telling me to do, and everything is gonna be fine.
I’m looking at the doula Nicola,
Taylor Gipson (51:33)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (51:34)
which is my mama at this point, and I’m like, you go back there with my baby and make sure they don’t touch her. Because, you know, that’s I didn’t want anything to be
Taylor Gipson (51:42)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (51:43)
given to the to either of my children. And that was respected. And so I’m now being called complicated in French. You know, there are
Taylor Gipson (51:50)
Right. Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (51:52)
I’m not fluent, but there are words I understand. So when you say elle est compliqué, elle est compliquée, she’s complicated, she’s complicated.
Taylor Gipson (51:58)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (52:00)
And again, no one is there standing up for me or saying I’m not comp affirming what I’m my what I’m stand like. So that for me was just like I’m not receiving any
type of respect or acknowledgement for what I just done. It was hurtful. It was I felt very alone. You know, yes, yes, my doula was there and she was wonderful. And when I need when I asked her to speak up, she did. But the
father, you
Taylor Gipson (52:23)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (52:24)
know, I d I just felt immediately all alone.
And so here we are. Now they’re saying we have to go to the to the hospital, which was we they transferred us to that clinic that I told you we’d registered at, which was supposed to be a clinic that welcomed natural births. So we get there and I’m checked out, baby’s checked out, immediately they’re telling me that I need stitches. Stitches? For what? my god. They’re like, you need stitches, you you know,
And I’m thinking,
Taylor Gipson (52:57)
my gosh.
Koquis Moore (52:59)
if the doula doesn’t say I need stitches, I’m not getting any stitches. I trusted my doula throughout with everything. And I knew that if this woman tells me I need to get stitches, then I’m gonna get the stitches. But if she looks at this vagina and
Taylor Gipson (53:13)
Right.
Koquis Moore (53:13)
tells me that my vagina’s fine and I was I didn’t feel anything, I wasn’t in any pain. I felt fine. And now I’m being told I need stitches. In my mind, I’m like
I am not another dollar sign up in here and they’re not about to start charging me up. They got the wrong one today, because the answer is no. That I said, bring her in. Bring my doula in. And if that woman tells me I need stitches, I will get the stitch. She came in and she said
Taylor Gipson (53:40)
Right.
Koquis Moore (53:40)
you do not need stitches. And I said, You heard what she said and they said, And guess what? Then the doc the nurses, doctors, I don’t know what they well you don’t
Taylor Gipson (53:48)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (53:49)
need them, but if you get them, they will help you heal faster. Where in the world do I have to go?
But where do I have to go? Is what I was thinking. I’m in a foreign country. I have no friends. I don’t
Taylor Gipson (53:59)
That’s not even true.
Koquis Moore (54:01)
drive. It’s cold outside. Like, where? Well, it wasn’t cold, it was August. But I’m like, where do I have to go? I’m gonna be at home, and this healing process can take as long as it I have, I’m in no rush. But why would they try to manipulate me into believing I need something that I didn’t? And once again, I’ve learned at some point in my life through those personal development trainings and seminars and work that I’ve done that I have.
voice, my voice matters, my feelings matter. And I don’t have to be disrespectful in order to speak up to authority, but I do get to question what people say. I don’t have to just agree. And so again, it takes a level
Taylor Gipson (54:37)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (54:38)
of confidence in oneself to be able to say this is how
Taylor Gipson (54:41)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (54:41)
I’m going to do things. And I’m not going to allow anyone to persuade me to think any different. And after she confirmed I didn’t eat stitches, I didn’t get no stitches. Me and my baby went home. I was, you know, I I I healed on my own.
My
baby grew. and before we went home, we s I stayed in that clinic for three days. And on one of those days, the pediatrician comes in. And the pediatrician is like, This baby’s so big. You had birth, you gave birth to this big baby. And the anesthesiologist says, You need this special shot that they give
Taylor Gipson (55:14)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (55:15)
just for big babies. The baby needs a shop. This girl, your baby is so big that
Taylor Gipson (55:23)
Huh?
Koquis Moore (55:23)
it
Remember the name of the shop, but there was a shot that they that I was told my baby needed simply because she was a big baby. I’m gonna pause. Okay.
And and once again, dad is there, like, well, let’s just get the shot and da
Taylor Gipson (55:38)
That is strange. I’ve actually never heard of that.
Koquis Moore (55:40)
da da. And I’m just like, we’re in the middle of the freaking clinic arguing after I just pushed a baby out. I’m like, this is not what I this is not how I anticipated this going. Like, I’m all alone. I’m all alone. And I’ve got to use my voice and stand in my power because if I don’t, these people are gonna contr con
Taylor Gipson (55:59)
Right.
Koquis Moore (55:59)
like try to take full advantage of me. I’m not you’re not touching my baby.
Don’t give my baby nothing. That but my baby never left the room. In fact, that pediatrician said, Well, if your some if your baby dies, it’s your fault.
If your baby dies, it’s your fault. Wow. Way to try
Taylor Gipson (56:20)
Yeah, we’ve had that happen test too.
Koquis Moore (56:22)
to be a fear-mongerer. Way to try to project fear onto someone to get them to do what you want them to do, to to sign up to your agenda. Right? And I just knew that if I had if I hadn’t trusted myself and chose
Taylor Gipson (56:38)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (56:38)
to give birth in a hospital, they would have cut me open. They would have tried to. A big baby, C section, emergency!
The baby’s not breathing, her heart’s not whatever. And one
Taylor Gipson (56:48)
Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yep.
Koquis Moore (56:51)
of the most beautiful things about my daughter’s birth is we waited until she was born to find out her gender. So that was another part of just trusting. For me, it was like, what difference does it make? She’s either it’s either a boy or a girl. Like. So
Taylor Gipson (57:03)
Aww
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (57:06)
It’s a 50-50 shop. Why do we need to know? Let’s just go, let’s just experience it. Love on it’s a baby. It’s our
Taylor Gipson (57:09)
My husband says it’s a fifty fifty shot.
Koquis Moore (57:12)
baby at the end of the day, you know. But those are those are the things, you know, that stood out to me from having birth in a foreign country, free birthing
Taylor Gipson (57:20)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (57:21)
my daughter, and my, you know, where my support came from, where my drive came from, my confidence, my mindset. And yeah, I won’t say they made it easy for me because I wasn’t in a my home country.
So
I really was not only going up against a partner who did it, support my wishes, but a whole country
Taylor Gipson (57:42)
Right.
Koquis Moore (57:43)
that has their own rules and restrictions and their own man mandates.
Taylor Gipson (57:49)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (57:50)
It’s mandatory that they get this. It’s mandatory that we do this. And I’m saying, no, no, it’s not. Nope,
Taylor Gipson (57:57)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (57:57)
not my baby. And I had to just speak up and stand up against people that were telling me.
that I needed to do things that were against my personal beliefs and views.
Me too.
Taylor Gipson (58:15)
Yeah. I’m so proud that you did though, ’cause that it really does take such a strong person, especially in a foreign country, like people don’t understand how hard that can be because
Koquis Moore (58:26)
Yeah.
Taylor Gipson (58:26)
even ’cause just like the chatter in the other language that they’re sitting there talking about
Koquis Moore (58:29)
Right.
Taylor Gipson (58:32)
you and you’re like, I know you can speak English. So like I’m in the room, can we speak English? And you know, I don’t expect them to always like bow down to what I say and everything, but if you’re talking about my health and my
Koquis Moore (58:45)
That’s right.
Taylor Gipson (58:45)
my
life in my baby’s life, I I kinda need to know what you’re saying, but they make it a kind of a big deal.
Koquis Moore (58:48)
That’s true. Same same experience I had. And then we become the complicated,
difficult ones. But you know what? These are our babies and ultimately
Taylor Gipson (58:55)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (58:57)
like no one’s gonna look out for them and love them the way that a mama does, you know.
Taylor Gipson (59:01)
Yeah.
Right. I
remember I gave birth in Finland for my first baby and I was in labor for fifty three hours and they knew that and so they were like, We just need to take him and you know, we’ll take care of him all night and I’m like, You are not. You are not. This baby is staying with me this whole time and they just kept every hour coming in. Well, you need rest. Well, you keep waking me up. If I need rest, leave me alone.
Koquis Moore (59:27)
Exactly. Leave stay out of the room. that’s so interesting. Yeah, that happened to me as well. But thankfully we weren’t there that long. I mean, three days was far
longer than I would have ever
wanted to be there. I didn’t want to be there to begin with. But I’m like, why are we still here on day two? They’ve confirmed I’m fine. They’ve confirmed the baby is fine. Why are they asking me to stay here? Why do they keep sending people in this room to give
Taylor Gipson (59:45)
Ugh yeah. Yep.
Koquis Moore (59:49)
me new information, to make new requests, and to talk about things that they just absolutely need to do? Something’s not right.
So finally I’m like, no, you need to tell them we’re going home. We’re going home.
Taylor Gipson (1:00:01)
Mm.
Mm. my gosh.
Right. But then they want
to look at you like you’re the one giving attitude. And it’s like, no,
Koquis Moore (1:00:08)
That’s right. That’s right.
Taylor Gipson (1:00:11)
you guys are doing the most and the most unnecessary things right now. Yeah. goodness. So going off of that experience, you’re obviously free breathing your next baby, so tell us about how that goes.
Koquis Moore (1:00:23)
Woo, free birthing my next baby. So as I stated, I had s you know, before
becoming a mom, I had just started my business and now I get pregnant. So I have a business based in Los Angeles and now
time I was in a long distance relationship. So the marriage we were dad was living in France, I was living in the US, and we were traveling back and forth to see each other as we were planning our wedding and he was going to be moving to the States. Well now I’m pregnant and that kind of that didn’t kind of it changed things. So I end up packing up once again and moving back to France so that I can give birth there with my daughter. Now
That’s how I ended up back in France. And so throughout my my pregnancy, throughout my after my daughter was born her first year, I traveled back and forth when I could to check on my business, to oversee things, and to just make sure everything was afloat. Thankfully it was running itself. So here and now my daughters I didn’t want another child. After going through what I went through, I did not want another child. I’m like, there’s no way I’m gonna do this again with.
This person that I’ve committed to spending my life with. And if this is if this is how it was with my daughter, I’m not signing up for this again. So I guess we’re gonna just have one child. Because had this been a different experience where mom, I felt honored, respected, supported, loved on, and all those things, it would have been very different. I’ll just keep popping them out. But no, I’m not gonna be fighting for my life in the middle of pushing a baby out. That’s not what a woman
Taylor Gipson (1:02:03)
yeah. You’re right.
Koquis Moore (1:02:05)
deserves
to experience
when she has just given birth. I don’t feel like I don’t feel like I received the proper or the what the you know what I d the recognition that I deserve. So now here I am a year after my daughter is a year now, I’m traveling to the States. I’m s just starting to
Taylor Gipson (1:02:24)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:02:24)
feel like myself again. I’m coming to the States for another three month work contract. And as I as when me and my daughter arrive, I start feeling unusual. I’m
Moody as heck. I am sad. I’m like feeling all these feels. And I’m like, I feel like I’m pregnant again.
Taylor Gipson (1:02:43)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:02:45)
But I would be so unhappy if I was. Like, that would be the worst news ever. And so I said to myself, you know what? If I am pregnant, I’m gonna go and have a wild birth. I’m not gonna talk about it. I’m not telling nobody. I’m just gonna show up one day with a belly and everyone’s gonna be like, oop!
You’re pregnant, I’m be like, I guess so. I’m not getting no pregnancy tests. I don’t want I again at this point I don’t wanna know because at that point I realized
Taylor Gipson (1:03:13)
We do the same.
Koquis Moore (1:03:17)
That all of those things that I did while I was pregnant with my daughter, all of that blood work, cervical exams, and all those things, those were optional. I didn’t I just I learned that later in my pregnancy with her that I didn’t even need all that stuff. What? I didn’t even realize that when I was going to see the OBGYN in France and she was, you know, doing her exams like in the, you know, down there, I didn’t realize that those were cervical exams. And those are optional. So for my son,
Well, I didn’t know it was my son at the time, but my second pregnancy, I will say I was like, I don’t want to be touched. I don’t want nobody, I’m not getting no ultrasounds because then I had learned about how an ultrasound can even affect a baby. And I decided I’m gonna do a wild birth. So then I realized you’re in LA, you’re gonna be here for three months. How would your
Family, how would your partner and his mother feel if you go back three months later and you’re three months pregnant? Are they gonna believe that he’s the dead? That was my thought. Yeah. I was
Taylor Gipson (1:04:25)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:04:27)
like, if the roles were reversed, because if I was pregnant, I would have just gotten pregnant and I knew that. So if the roles were reverse, I’m
Taylor Gipson (1:04:29)
my gosh. I didn’t even think about that.
Koquis Moore (1:04:32)
like, if that was my mom and her son, she would be like, That’s not your baby. She was in LA and she did some things and she came back pregnant. So I’ll hell no, I don’t have time for nobody doubting me.
So I told dad, I told him, I think I’m pregnant. I think I’m pregnant. And I did tell him I didn’t want to know at first. But I’m like, you know what? I’m gonna go ahead and get a pregnancy test because if I am, I think it’s important that you know. And so I did, got a pregnancy test, and lo and behold, I was pregnant. I’m like, this is unbelievable, God. You want me to do what again? You want me to push another baby out, unmedicated. And you want me to.
Breastfeed
another baby? Like those were things that I was just like, my gosh, I cannot believe that this is what life is presenting me with. And so there I am, and now I know that I’m pregnant. And so the beginning of this pregnancy was a little different. So I wasn’t as sick as I was with my daughter, but I did have spotting. So for the first four months of my pregnancy, there was blood. There was like, there was like I was wearing.
Pretty much a panty liner the entire first four months, which for me was just like, is everything okay? Because I didn’t want a midwife. I didn’t want to do I’m like, I’ve I’ve had a free birth at this point, so we’re just gonna do it with you. My wishes were that it was just me, dad, and my daughter. That’s what I wanted. And when the when the spotting continued, I became worried. So I got my first ultrasound. I confirmed baby was okay, spotting continued. I was like, well, maybe I should get a midwife.
Maybe I should, and you know, now I’m in LA, so I had access to all these resources that I didn’t I wasn’t aware of in France. So I was even found a program where I got a a free doula. So I’m like, it’s free. Why not? Why not, you know, sign up for it? And then of course I had to pay my midwife. and I had even considered a birthing center, but they didn’t though the midwives there didn’t fully align with how I wanted my birth to happen because again, I’m leaning more towards the free birth side of like you’re there, but you’re not there. You’re there, but
Don’t touch me, don’t look my way, don’t ask me no questions, don’t say nothing to me unless there are some red flags. And they just weren’t vibing with that. I also was expressing my desire not to know any details, much like with my daughter. I don’t want to know how long it’s been, I don’t want to know what day it is, I don’t want to know if labor has started, which I probably would have known this time around because I had already experienced it, but I don’t want to know the baby’s weight. I don’t want to know. I said all these things and and I had that the midwife at the birthing center that I was considering.
She was like, well, knowledge is power. And don’t you think? And so for me, it’s like I don’t again, where you’re when you’re going into a such a big decision like this, the last thing you need is someone trying to persuade you to do things differently. To do things the way that the the way that they think is best. No, I know myself, and I’m telling you what I know to be true about me and what clearly works for me because it worked with my daughter. I don’t want to know the baby’s weight. I don’t want to know the the the
timing of how long I don’t need to know that information. None of that will serve me. And look at here, I birthed an 11-pound eight-ounce baby. Do you think for one second that I would have gone into labor believing in myself? 11 pounds, eight ounces? Do you think
Taylor Gipson (1:07:47)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:07:48)
that would have empowered me? I don’t think so. I didn’t need to know that. And
Taylor Gipson (1:07:51)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:07:54)
thank God I didn’t. Thank again, once again, thank God I I stood in my power and I said this birthing center is not for me.
And I had even had a bad dream about that birthing center. And I had shared it with a friend of mine. And she was like, So my I was my decision was going to be either
Taylor Gipson (1:08:12)
wow.
Koquis Moore (1:08:12)
the birthing center or Debbie Allen with tribe midwifery. It was gonna be one or the other. But I felt like again, the birthing center had a little payment program. It was a lot, you know, the the price was much lower than I would have had to pay Debbie. So again, you get you get what you pay for, and I always I’ve always been a firm believer of that. So
But, you know, I let the father once again talk me into going with the birthing center. So here I am, I’ve decided on the birthing center. Then I have this bad dream. And it was a bad dream because in the dream, the midwives there were like over me, forcing me, holding me down, forcing me to do something I didn’t want to do. That was the dream. And so when I shared it with this friend of mine,
Taylor Gipson (1:08:53)
Oof.
Koquis Moore (1:08:54)
she was like, well, that’s your, she’s like, you can’t ignore that dream. That dream is telling you something. She was like, you need to go with that other midwife.
And she didn’t even know who the midwife was that I was referring to. But she at the more I talked about the midwife, she’s like, Wait, hold on. What’s the name of this midwife you you were thinking about? And I said, Debbie out. She’s Girl, Debbie was my midwife. She delivered all my babies. You gonna you need to go with Debbie a thousand percent. Da da da da da da. And I’m like, see, the universe is working on my in my favor. I’m like, okay, that’s all I needed to hear. And so that’s when
I locked in with Debbie Allen and from there on she continued to support me and follow me through my pregnancy with my secondborn, who we did eventually find out was a boy. And again, Debbie. Now I told her my wishes. I told her I I explained how I gave birth, how I had a free birth in France. And you know, Debbie was just like, okay, girl, but she respected it. She she she gave me the space to feel and to to
you
know, ex to just
Taylor Gipson (1:09:55)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:09:56)
have things my way while also letting me know, you know, I still gotta be there. And I’m like, but don’t look at me, don’t touch me, don’t say nothing. You know, it’s you you can ask yourself, Debbie, like that girl didn’t even really vote me there. I didn’t. I’m like, I don’t need you. I don’t need you. Cause what what are you what can you do for me? You know, ultimately I’m trusting my body and my baby. Where do you come
Taylor Gipson (1:10:13)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:10:17)
in that equation? Unless again there’s something that goes wrong,
Taylor Gipson (1:10:20)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:10:20)
which is why I understand a lot of
People opt for midwives or the hospital setting because there’s just that that question mark of like the what if. Well, just like we just like I can
Taylor Gipson (1:10:30)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:10:31)
ask myself, what if something goes wrong? I can also ask myself, what if everything goes right?
Taylor Gipson (1:10:35)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (1:10:35)
And that’s where I come from. I come from the what if everything works out exactly the way I imagined it would? Imagine exactly the way
Taylor Gipson (1:10:43)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:10:44)
I saw it happening in my mind? What if it, what if everything just worked out with ease and grace? What if I what if what if that happened?
So you know, I was very open with Debbie about my wishes and so on. And but the plan still was to have a home birth in a pool. the woman that I I was friend, you know, my my my girlfriend, she was actually working on a film to document home births, and she’s still working on that film. And she actually asked if she could come for my son for my son’s birth
Taylor Gipson (1:11:17)
wow.
Koquis Moore (1:11:18)
and film the birth. And I’m thinking finally I’m gonna.
I’m gonna have my birth filmed, you know, because I didn’t do that in France. And so so I had I had my midwife, I had my doula, I had someone to film. We decided on a water birth. So we had the pool. And you know, I got the I had all the lights, the water hose. I had my outfit ready just for the recording, you know, because my daughter was 43 hours, something, and I’m gonna have time to change. My daughter even had an outfit, a a a new big sister
Taylor Gipson (1:11:46)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:11:47)
outfit, you know, so I had all these things.
All this, I had it all planned out. And so
with my son, yeah, a lot less blood work. I don’t remember having any sur I didn’t have any cervical exams with my son. eventually that bleeding that I had experienced, that that though the I mentioned my midwife because that’s what led me to get a midwife, the bleeding and the spotting. I’m like, okay, let me just have someone that I can at least go to and reassure me that everything is fine without
the
s without the ultrasounds and without the cervical exams and all that extra stuff. So she was able to use the what do you call it, the one that doesn’t have the the radiation, but they can hear the baby’s heartbeat.
The Doppler. It was the Doppler.
Taylor Gipson (1:12:35)
The is it the Doppler or
Koquis Moore (1:12:36)
It’s the Doppler. The Doppler d it’s just a
Yeah. She was able to use that. Here the you know Mm. And so, I think I got my blood work done
Taylor Gipson (1:12:40)
Yeah. I think I think so. Okay. The little yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:12:47)
once for the just just gas stational diabetes. Is that what is that that what that drink is or I didn’t it was a it was a so I did not take
Taylor Gipson (1:12:58)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:12:59)
the drink. That was something that I didn’t do with my daughter or my son. So she
Taylor Gipson (1:13:02)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:13:03)
was able to draw my blood and then
do the testing. So
Taylor Gipson (1:13:06)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:13:08)
it’s funny because on this on my on my post on the reel on TikTok a lot of people are saying she must have had diabetes. That’s why her baby was so big and that’s just not true. I was actually a healthy woman. And girl you’d be surprised at some of the other things they’re saying, but we’ll leave that out. I just think it’s so funny.
Taylor Gipson (1:13:26)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:13:26)
But it’s crazy if you don’t understand anatomy and how the woman’s body is and all that stuff. But that’s not for me to educate people who are ignorant. So
going back to Yeah, you know, so we’ll let people think what they want. You know, it is what it is. And so
Taylor Gipson (1:13:40)
Right, right.
Koquis Moore (1:13:43)
got my had the midwife. yeah, like I said, a lot less, a lot less happened during this pregnancy. It was just like, okay, I know I’m having a boy. We knew we wanted the ultrasound for that. So yes, I got the one ultrasound when I was like twenty-something weeks, and that was that. there was a lot going on at this point because what I forgot to share was once me and my daughter got here.
From France for that three-month work contract, we were supposed to go back to France. And I said, No. There is no way in H E L L I’m going to France and doing this again. I’m not doing it. And we had already been planning to move to LA in December. It’s now September. And I’m like, I’m pregnant. I’ve got a toddler. What am I gonna?
We’re moving here in December. What am I gonna be going back to France for if we’re already supposed to be coming in December and now I’m pregnant? I’m gonna be moving and doing stuff that I don’t have any but no business doing. So I w I I told dad, you know, father of my children, like, I don’t want to come back. I don’t want to give birth again abroad. It was an awful experience after my daughter’s birth because the birth was just the most magical and beautiful thing I could have ever experienced in my life. It was simply
perfect, it was beautiful, it was peaceful, it was divine, it was uninterrupted. It was just all the things. It was serene. It was just, it was so beautiful. And then afterwards all that other stuff just was like, my God, this is traumatizing. Thank goodness I wasn’t in the hospital. Right. So I’m like, I’m not doing it. I’m not doing it. This baby will be born in the US. And that’s just that. So
Taylor Gipson (1:15:11)
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:15:14)
the dad and I were like, okay, well, you stay there. I’ll see you guys in four months. So here I am.
Figuring
it out in LA. So now there’s a lot more pressure on me than there was in France because now I have to figure out, you know, all the things. Where we’re gonna live and like, my gosh, I want a home birth. And so, you know, I’m like, there’s pressure to get a place and I’m you know, stand with my mom. I stayed with a friend, and I’m just like, we’re doing all these things and eventually I start getting closer to the due date. That was another thing for me. Like a due date is for me not a due date. My baby babies come when they’re ready.
Obviously, you know, so I never when people what is your when is your due date? My answer is always when the baby comes,
Taylor Gipson (1:15:54)
Yeah, I agree.
Koquis Moore (1:15:57)
you know, so the baby will tell me when it’s time. That’s the due date. otherwise I had an idea
Taylor Gipson (1:16:03)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:16:04)
of around the time he was projected to arrive. So as time got closer, the pressure was really on because we were, you know, I was still we were still living with my mom in a one bedroom and I’m like, there’s no way I’m giving birth here, and I just we just needed our own place.
And so I mean at this point I’m like baby can come any day now. I’m huge, I’m so big,
Taylor Gipson (1:16:26)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:16:26)
I could barely walk. My third trimester, I could barely walk because baby was sitting on my side, the nerve on my right butt. So that sciatic was kicking my butt. We know why now. We understand why now. I had a whole freaking three-month-old sitting on my
Taylor Gipson (1:16:40)
Baby was eleven pounds.
Koquis Moore (1:16:43)
I mean, I was weighed.
Taylor Gipson (1:16:44)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:16:45)
Down. That baby was so big. I was like, my gosh. I was so big. I didn’t even know
Taylor Gipson (1:16:50)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:16:51)
if I’d be able to run again one day because that’s how slow I was moving at the time. That’s just so large. And I had no idea how much the baby weighed that I was carrying. And so
Taylor Gipson (1:16:59)
Hey
Koquis Moore (1:17:03)
fast forward to the night he was born. Let’s just get straight to it. I, you know, when you’re pregnant, you gotta pee all the time and all throughout the night. Like sleep, what? Like, no.
Wake up and pee like every two hours. So we finally get a place and we’re in our own place. We’ve settled in, and you know, we’re we’re we’re we’ve got everything where it needs to be. I’ve kind of got my nursing going on, my nursing station and all that. And so here we are. This is now, I think, what two weeks supposedly past my supposed due date, and I am awakened out of my sleep because I have to pee. So
At this point, there had been no signs. There was no bloody show where the you know the mucus plug had been released. There was nothing in my underwear. There was no discharge. My mom kept asking, You don’t have any discharge? Nothing. There were no indications that they there was nothing, you know, so one night I was sitting on the couch, a friend had come to visit,
Taylor Gipson (1:18:07)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (1:18:07)
and contractions had kept coming, but they weren’t lasting for a full minute. They were lasting like
45 seconds, but they kept coming for three hours. They kept coming, but they weren’t a full minute. So I called Adula and told her what was going on. And she said, okay, I’ll come over. She comes over. We put the ferry lights up. We get the ball going. I start sitting on the ball, getting in my zone. She puts up the candles and you know, the pool hadn’t been set up yet because that was coming with the midwife.
Well, as the night got a you know, as a few hours passed, she said, Do you want to go get some rest? Because you’re gonna need it. And I’m like, That’s a good idea. So I went and laid down and woke up and it was like five in the morning. And she was like, Are you still having contractions? And I’m like, No, they actually stopped. And she’s like, it’s called a false labor, but there’s a word for it. Don’t remember. and so she was like, Do you know the word padrome what is it?
Taylor Gipson (1:19:01)
Drum more labor.
Koquis Moore (1:19:03)
Padroma labor, that’s the word. Padroma labor. Yes. Yes. So she said you it was a Padromal labor. So I’m gonna go ahead and go home. And I said, Okay.
Taylor Gipson (1:19:07)
Perdromal labor. Perdromal labor. That came out where. Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:19:13)
So I’m gonna share some things now that you may wanna I don’t know if you wanna include them or not. I’ll leave that up to you. But the next morning I called.
Yeah, the next morning I called my my friend that
Taylor Gipson (1:19:27)
It’s totally up to you, it’s your story.
Koquis Moore (1:19:29)
was supposed to record the birth, and I told her what happened. I’m like, girl, I thought I was in labor last night, and you know, the the the doula came and then the contraction scalp. She said, girl, you need to relax. She was like, you need to smoke some weed. She’s like, you need to smoke some weed. You need to get a prenatal massage, and you need to go to the you need to just sleep all day. And I’m like, what? Smoke some weed, you whatever.
Like, my gosh, is she for real? And yeah, she was for real. So, you know, I I got I I got access to a little something something, you know. Dad, Dad was definitely into that. So I was like, let me just puff what you got going on over there. I was not, I’m not a weed smoker myself, but you know, so I’m like, yeah, yeah, a
Taylor Gipson (1:20:12)
okay.
Koquis Moore (1:20:13)
puff or two. And then I called and scheduled a prenatal massage. They came to the house, I got a massage, and then for
Taylor Gipson (1:20:20)
Okay.
Koquis Moore (1:20:21)
that whole day, that was literally like the first.
time in my pregnancy with my son that I rested because that was the pregnancy that had me ripping and running every single day. Busy, busy, busy, busy. We gotta find a place
Taylor Gipson (1:20:35)
Wow.
Koquis Moore (1:20:35)
to live, work, my, my, my business. This we’re in LA now, so I’m in my my country, my zone, and this is where friends are happening. Things, there’s places to be, things to do. Whereas in France, I just sat at home every day and slept, you know? And so I finally
Taylor Gipson (1:20:49)
Right. Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:20:50)
Rested. I finally allowed myself to just lay down and sleep. I slept
Taylor Gipson (1:20:53)
Mm. Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:20:54)
the whole day. And that night, about four in the morning, I woke up to pee. And when I went to lay back down, boom,
Taylor Gipson (1:21:02)
Wow.
Koquis Moore (1:21:03)
contraction kicked in. And I said,
Ooh, just breathe, just breathe. And and then I’m like, whoa, what was that? It just came out of nowhere again. No, no heads up, no signs, nothing. Just boom, right? Just ooh, up the spine, up the back. And I’m like, my gosh, whoo, okay. You know, contraction is it’s a wave, it’s a surge. It comes and it goes. So it is calm down. I start, whoa, I’m like, whoa, that was intense. What was that? Boom, hit me again. I’m like, whoa, I start reaching up for God. Woo!
Like, okay, breathe. I just breathe, breathe through the contraction. But it was in, it was okay. I said, this feels like the point in my pregnancy with my daughter, where the baby, like the final stage. This is not like with my daughter where I eased into it for four. No, this is like the moment is here, right? So by by that point, I reached for
Taylor Gipson (1:22:02)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:22:03)
my phone. I said, I better start timing these contractions. So I looked at my phone, that’s how I knew it was four in the morning.
Boom,
third contraction kicked in. I start grabbing dad. I’m like, And by this point, he sees that I’m serious. Cause but the first two contractions, he heard me, but he just kind of sleep. So he’s like, mmm, you know, by that third one, I’m like, get up. And then, like I said, I couldn’t walk. So I had this sudden urge to poop. And I’m like, help me, help me run to the toilet. I’ve got to,
Taylor Gipson (1:22:31)
huh.
Koquis Moore (1:22:32)
I’ve got to go. Get to the toilet, sit down. The pushing starts. The pushing starts.
As soon as I sit on the toilet, boom, I’m pushing. And I’m
Taylor Gipson (1:22:40)
Aye.
Koquis Moore (1:22:41)
grabbing on his leg. I’m holding on for gear life breathing because everything just hit me like a ton of bricks. Like there was no warning. And here I am holding on to his leg, breathing through the contractions, on the toilet, pushing, pushing. And I’m definitely actively put pushing, but I’m also pooping. And in my mind, I’m like, I can’t have a
Can’t have a dirty butt on camera because at this point, when I went to you know pull
Taylor Gipson (1:23:10)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:23:10)
my pants down, when I went to pull my pants down and sit on the toilet, I saw the pink. I saw the pink and I said you should call the doula. So that’s when he called the doula. Then I start pushing and he’s telling the doula what’s happening. He
Taylor Gipson (1:23:22)
yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:23:23)
even called my mom and said, Coquis is in labor, but you can take your time. That’s what he told her. He said you can come because I wanted my mom there. She wanted to be there this time. So I was like, okay, that’s cool. As long as you don’t say nothing.
Don’t
say nothing. That’s the you know, whatever. That’s the only thing I ask. Just hold space for me. Don’t say anything. Don’t ask questions and don’t project any type of fear on me. If you are uncomfortable with what’s happening in the space, please just leave. Just dismiss yourself, you know, because everybody’s not built to witness a home birth, let alone I mean, what’s happening for me is a free birth. I’m getting the birth the way I really wanted it. So, anyways,
Taylor Gipson (1:24:00)
Facts.
Koquis Moore (1:24:01)
he’s calling the doula. He called my mom.
And everybody’s getting their stuff ready and they’re on the way. And I’m and I’m pushing, but I’m like, let me get in the shower. I can’t have a dirty butt on camera. I don’t know what she’s gonna be recording. So I was should I should I take a quick shower? So he turns on the shower. I work my way to the shower and I could, I don’t even know if so touched my body before my body, my mind said, get down, get down. I got on my knees and I’m still pushing. And the way I’m pushing was so intense. Something told me to put my hand down there.
Mind you, this is like, okay, I I had the contractions in the bed. I went on the toilet, pushing star. This might have been the third push, third or fourth push. And everything’s happening simultaneously, just like this, back to back to back, without a break. There was no time to think or anything. So my daughter ends up waking up because she hears me grunting. Again, this becomes the animal, this is the part where we become animalistic where we’re we’re
One with our body. We’re one with
Taylor Gipson (1:24:58)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (1:24:58)
the force of nature. And it’s just like this, you know, and it wakes her up. She runs in and I’m here pushing her brother out. And she gets to witness the whole thing. And so I
Taylor Gipson (1:25:08)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:25:10)
said, I should probably feel down there because the way I’m pushing feels like I should be pushing
Taylor Gipson (1:25:14)
Wow.
Koquis Moore (1:25:15)
a baby out. Half the baby’s body was out, girl. My son was already out. He said, the baby’s out. They’re all on the phone. Nobody’s there. Everybody, the doula has.
Doula has the midwife on her second phone while the while the doula’s talking to dad.
My mom thinks she has enough time to take a shower and get to us. And my baby boy is already hanging out. That next push, my boy fell in my arms just like I had. I saw him in a dream. He was laid over on my arm. And he and I caught my baby. He was wrapped up in the he was born wrapped in the
sack. And I just pushed my baby out just like that. And then
That
was it. Like I sat in the tub.
Taylor Gipson (1:25:55)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:25:56)
I just, I was just so grateful that he came so fast because truly
Taylor Gipson (1:26:00)
That’s
Koquis Moore (1:26:01)
I I couldn’t imagine going through 40 hours of labor like I did with my daughter. What in the world would I have done? So that’s how my son was born eventually. The doula got there, then the midwife, my mom,
Taylor Gipson (1:26:14)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:26:14)
and baby boy was already h here with us. Again, had no idea still how much he weighed.
we were both checked, everything was fine. I wasn’t in any pain. There was no crying, there was no screaming. I would describe it as more of a grunt, like an again, like animalistic, you know. and it it did not happen the way I imagined. Like I said, my outfits did not they were not used. There was no birthing pool. There was no bathtub. That’s another thing people are speculating. That’s another thing people are speculating. So just to clear that up, there was no water birth.
Taylor Gipson (1:26:46)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:26:48)
My son was not born in water. I was literally
My intentions were to take a quick shower to clean my butt and my body was like, get down. And so I had one leg up and one knee down, and I pushed my baby out and caught him. And he was not born in water.
Taylor Gipson (1:27:04)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:27:05)
It was this a a quick, very quick dry birth. And you know,
Taylor Gipson (1:27:12)
Wow.
Koquis Moore (1:27:13)
and yeah, so when she when finally he was weighed,
Taylor Gipson (1:27:16)
That’s amazing.
Koquis Moore (1:27:17)
and that’s when I still it never dawned on me how big.
eleven
pounds eight ounces was. I don’t I don’t recall I don’t I don’t I I didn’t know you don’t know what you don’t know, you know, and I didn’t know that that was an extraordinary thing or an extraordinary weight for a baby to be for a woman to push out naturally. So in that moment I I’m just like, you know, she’s saying the weight, guess how baby how much this baby is and you know what, the midwife
Taylor Gipson (1:27:44)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (1:27:44)
even I gotta say this. She doubted me.
She doubted me because she said she had another midwife outside ready to assist. And neither one of them, she was like, you did this all by yourself. And I had even had another midwife on backup, you know? And I’m like, she didn’t think I could do it, did she? And so so as she’s
Taylor Gipson (1:28:04)
I’ll
Koquis Moore (1:28:08)
Go ahead, yeah.
Taylor Gipson (1:28:16)
okay, sorry, it was kinda lagging. I was gonna say I loved the video of your the midwife. She was so sweet and just I she gave you your credit, which I appreciated and yeah, it was it was so sweet.
Koquis Moore (1:28:24)
She said, Coquies, you are a powerful manifestor because you said you didn’t you wanted another free birth and that’s just
what you got. And what can I say? You know, we it’s just I mean, obviously there’s no way of me knowing my baby was gonna come that fast and that no one was gonna be there because I was really looking forward to the footage and the pool. Because remember, that was the first home birth I witnessed. There was the pool
Taylor Gipson (1:28:46)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:28:47)
and the lights and all that stuff, and I was like, ooh, I’m gonna get that now, and that’s just not.
That’s just not how birth works, you know, and ultimately my baby came when he was that was the due date. That was the moment that he was due. And all I needed to do was just be
Taylor Gipson (1:29:01)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:29:02)
ready to surrender to what was, because I I truly had no there’s no way of knowing how or when a baby’s gonna come. That’s why babies are sometimes born in the car or even accidentally at home. But I truly believe that being at home is the safest
Taylor Gipson (1:29:18)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:29:19)
and best way.
to bring babies into this world because we are in control of our environment at home. We are in control of the lighting, the the conversations that are happening, the, you know, the atmosphere, the energy in our home. And and we’re able to eat and try different positions and lay in bed and lay on our couch or walk around or even go for a walk outside if that’s what some
Taylor Gipson (1:29:44)
Yes.
Koquis Moore (1:29:45)
women would want to do. But you know, as for me, I didn’t want to know if it was light or day.
I
don’t need to know if the sun has sex. But in this in the case of my son, none of that mattered anyways, because he came, he came so fast. So posting that video, he was
Taylor Gipson (1:29:56)
Right. Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:30:00)
ready. And he truly worked in harmony with his mama. Cause I’m like, baby, you gotta
Taylor Gipson (1:30:04)
He was ready. He was ready.
Koquis Moore (1:30:06)
wait until mama, we gotta be in our own place. I can’t, I need to have, we need to be in our own space before I give birth to you. And my baby waited. And when he said it was time, he’s like, okay, mama, I gave you enough time. Ready or not, here I come.
Taylor Gipson (1:30:15)
Aww. Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:30:18)
Ready or not, here I come.
truly you know, truly. So I mean, just amazing.
Taylor Gipson (1:30:25)
my gosh.
Yeah, truly. Like I hope that my next birth is waking up and then just giving birth that quick. my gosh.
Koquis Moore (1:30:33)
Waking up and just giving birth. I’m not mad at it. I was so grateful. I’m like, I’m glad he came that soon because imagine even if it was a three hour or two hour, that’s still a big baby to be
working through the birth canal. And that’s another thing. I’ll just say that, you know, there’s a thing called the birth canal where the baby’s like in the uterus and has to come through this canal
Taylor Gipson (1:30:53)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (1:30:54)
in order to reach the vagina. People are like, she’s loose. That’s why she was able to push the baby out loose. A loose vagina has nothing to do.
With how big you know, I’m a I’m five nine, dad six four. It’s genetics. It’s again, it’s it’s what our ancestors
Taylor Gipson (1:31:03)
No. No.
Koquis Moore (1:31:10)
were doing. Big babies were being born centuries ago before Western medicine came into play. So actually the size of a person’s
Taylor Gipson (1:31:18)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:31:19)
a woman’s vagina has nothing to do with her capability, her ability to birth her own baby. I believe that if you can carry the baby, you can birth the baby. You carried it.
Regardless of how how big or small it is, if you could carry the baby, that means that baby is designed to go through your birth canal
Taylor Gipson (1:31:34)
One hundred percent. One hundred percent. Yep.
Koquis Moore (1:31:38)
and come out your vagina. But if someone doesn’t believe that, then you know, other alternatives are being
Taylor Gipson (1:31:44)
Mm-hmm. Yep.
It’s sheer ignorance. I can’t imagine trying to say that somebody is loose because they have a big baby.
Koquis Moore (1:31:52)
Ha ha that’s what I lose diabetes. I’m just like, whoa, no, no, neither are the case actually.
So but yeah, again, we’re big people. And I always wanted tall
Taylor Gipson (1:32:07)
There might yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:32:09)
kids. I didn’t know about big babies, but I wanted tall kids and I know
Taylor Gipson (1:32:11)
Yep.
Koquis Moore (1:32:12)
I got them now. My but my boy is definitely the biggest
Taylor Gipson (1:32:15)
yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:32:15)
on the playground.
At his age, people think he’s older. They’re having like full on conversations
Taylor Gipson (1:32:19)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:32:20)
with my boy. I’m like, he’s younger than he looks. He’s not ready to take instructions on where to eat his food and which bench he needs to sit on. He’s not he don’t talk yet.
Taylor Gipson (1:32:29)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:32:31)
He’s still one. He
Taylor Gipson (1:32:36)
That’s hilarious. I’m yeah, I’m that’s
Koquis Moore (1:32:40)
Mm-hmm.
Taylor Gipson (1:32:40)
how my one and she’s almost one she’ll be one and a half in December and I’m
Koquis Moore (1:32:44)
See there, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Taylor Gipson (1:32:46)
five eight and my husband is six seven. And so people will be talking to our kids
Yes, and they’ll be acting like they’re big dum dums.
Koquis Moore (1:32:55)
Right.
Taylor Gipson (1:32:55)
And I’m like, No, they just are a lot younger than what you think they are. And they’re like, Well I was wondering because they were saying this and this and I’m just like, mind your business, you know? Just kinda irritates me sometimes, but like people just don’t understand.
Koquis Moore (1:33:03)
Mind your business. I understand. I completely understand. Both of my kids are above average. You know, my daughter looks like she’s
three, like she well, she’s three. She looks like she’s well, she wears a size four and five, and then my boy wears three or four, and he’s one.
Taylor Gipson (1:33:17)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:33:18)
And he wears a size seven slash eight shoe. And my daughter’s in a ten and she’s bigger than all the kids her age on the playground, and he’s bigger than all the kids his age on the playground. And that’s just what I wanted. I was the biggest kid on the playground.
I
was that kid. Yeah.
Taylor Gipson (1:33:34)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:33:36)
So but you know, I really had no expectations
Taylor Gipson (1:33:39)
Right. Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:33:41)
when I posted my video. You know, I gave birth last
Taylor Gipson (1:33:43)
I love it.
Koquis Moore (1:33:44)
May and recently I just decided to come out of my shell. I wasn’t again, I wasn’t very happy with my second pregnancy and the idea of breastfeeding and giving birth naturally all over again. And
You know, it is what it is. You know, I went through it with all those emotions and all those feelings. Of course, as women, we experienced so much, so many shifts in our hormones and just our emotion. It’s just a lot. And again, I was bigger than I’ve ever been in my life. I carried such a big baby,
Taylor Gipson (1:34:17)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:34:18)
but it I my foot grew a whole shoe size. I was no longer able to fit certain rings on my finger. Like I’m still my
Taylor Gipson (1:34:24)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:34:25)
body my bones have they’re still expanded. They haven’t gone back.
And you know, I just wasn’t comfortable looking at myself on camera. I also had such negative things to say about marriage and motherhood that I felt like if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t share anything at all on social media because I feel like I would have discouraged the whole world from going either route. And I just wasn’t I didn’t have anything kind
Taylor Gipson (1:34:49)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (1:34:49)
to say. And all of that is what kept me away from
having a presence on social media for what three years, really? Three, two years, two and a half years. And finally, you know, I just started to feel like myself again. I started to get my pink back. And I’m here in the States. I’ve got the support that I need. Yeah. And although Dad is no longer in the picture, well, he’s in the picture, but
Taylor Gipson (1:35:12)
Yeah. Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:35:13)
we’re not together. So he calls, he speaks to the kids all the time. They have a you know,
long distance relationship. I won’t say a great relationship because there’s no great relationship without the presence of a father in the home. But, you know, unfortunately
Taylor Gipson (1:35:27)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:35:27)
he is struggling with his mental health and we’ll just pray for him. But I’ve been able to navigate and find my way as a single mom, November first, we’ll have made a year that he left and went back to French territory. And I didn’t know how I was gonna make it. I didn’t know how I was gonna do it.
again I was still not feeling like myself and just try really trying to navigate like two babies. And I’ve come a long way. I’ve come a long way. And so again, with my decision to start making a bit more of a presence on social media, I decided to share that video randomly. And maybe it wasn’t randomly, because everything happens for a reason. And that was the video I chose to share that night and woke up the next day shocked, like what?
I was shocked at one million views and now it’s at like thirteen million views on TikTok. I’m like, wow.
yeah, girl, it is and there’s people like using the footage and all this stuff and I’m like, my god, this is wild. Like, yeah.
Taylor Gipson (1:36:22)
really? I don’t have TikTok. I d that’s crazy. Wow.
Koquis Moore (1:36:28)
Rep I’ve like had to police the video and I’m just like, my gosh, I wasn’t you know some things you’re just not ready for. I wasn’t expecting all of this and I’m like, okay, well this is what life is giving me and I’ve gotta roll with the punches. So while I’m honored
Taylor Gipson (1:36:43)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:36:44)
to get my story out there and to inspire women around the world.
whether they’re mothers or aspire to be mothers, or even women that have decided they don’t want children, which I respect that those I respect that as well. because my story can still inspire a woman, regardless of, you know, her her personal choices around birth.
Taylor Gipson (1:37:03)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:37:05)
I want my story to remain, you know, original and to come from me. And,
Taylor Gipson (1:37:10)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:37:11)
you know, my with the exposure that it’s gotten, I just, you know, want people to know that I’m that person that
did that big brave thing, you know, and yeah, I think I’m very grateful for your invitation to use your
Taylor Gipson (1:37:27)
Right.
Koquis Moore (1:37:28)
platform to share more and to, you know, in c inspire mothers that are even thinking about it. Because you know, even if one person decides to have a free birth or a home birth because of anything that I’ve shared, you know, that would be amazing.
Taylor Gipson (1:37:46)
Yeah.
Yeah. And I think it will. I’m honestly shocked. I mean, on Instagram I don’t have a lot of followers. That’s not necessarily my goal. The goal is mainly like the podcast. And I’ve honestly been shocked with how many views it’s gotten. And like I wasn’t expecting it to
Koquis Moore (1:38:10)
No.
Taylor Gipson (1:38:12)
gain as much traction as it has so far. And so I really
Koquis Moore (1:38:16)
Yeah.
Taylor Gipson (1:38:16)
think that your story I mean, people are gonna love it. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. You’re so such a beautiful person and it shows and your story will. It will definitely have an impact. Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:38:23)
appreciate that and and thank you for what the the what you’re creating because yeah moth mothers and women wanna hear this stuff
so good for you for creating a space for stories to be told despite all the things going on in your world as a mother yourself, like wow ’cause you’ve got babies yourself and you’re, you know, being of service in this way and that’s amazing.
Taylor Gipson (1:38:56)
Well, thank you. And so before we wrap up I have two questions for you. And the first one is what is your best advice to a mom planning
a physiological birth, whether it’s a free birth or with a midwife?
Koquis Moore (1:39:08)
my advice is you know
consider keeping it to yourself, your birth plan, to protect your your your decision. Consider keeping it private, you know, because you want to be able to invite
feedback that aligns with the wishes your desires and if you start telling the world or people that are really you know, not even the world. If you start telling loved ones, then they may not be res receptive to a home birth or a free birth. And it’s all
Taylor Gipson (1:39:44)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (1:39:44)
be it’s all coming from a place of love. You know, at the end of the day, like everyone just wants the best for a new mom, you know, or or it not you know, a mom a pregnant woman in general, you know, it’s like it’s all
coming from good intentions, but it could open you up to criticism and fear projections that may, you know, be hard for you to move forward with your decision with those bad stories, or that’s another thing, separate yourself from others and their birth stories because I also had to do that, you know. I had an example of
someone that I know, my brother’s girlfriend, she was determined to have a home birth and thirty hours later she was rushed to the hospital and she was given an emergency C section. And that happened before I got pregnant. So that story was in my mind because I I was there with her to help decorate her home and put the affirmations on the wall and she really went in wanting that home birth and it just turned out differently. And thankfully, you know, she was able to bring my niece into the world who’s a healthy, beautiful girl.
Well, at the same time, her story kept popping up in my head. Like, what if you’re in labor for 30 hours and then you have to go to the hospital and then they tell you. So I had to continue to stay focused and separate myself. You know, that was her story, and yours will be yours. So just keep that in mind. Don’t listen to or compare yourself. If you can’t, only watch or entertain stories that have the same outcome that you’re looking for. And
There are Instagram pages or social media platforms where there are content creators that are showing unfiltered, raw, you know, raw, unedited home births where women are birthing their babies naturally and showing us what is possible. And I would encourage anyone who is choosing to have a free birth or a home birth to start looking at videos like that where the women are doing it. Listen to how they’re breathing.
Look at the environment that they’ve set. Look at the people, how how little, like there are not that many people usually in a room with a mother that is having a home birth or a free birth. But again, those are personal choices. But keep it to yourself. you know,
Taylor Gipson (1:42:08)
Mm.
Koquis Moore (1:42:09)
watch other stories or listen to other stories that have the same outcome that you’re looking for. And work on your mind. Work, strengthen your mindset. Affirm yourself, affirm your baby, affirm your birth.
Visualize the birth that you want, draw pictures of you giving birth to your baby naturally and at home. spend time dreaming about it, you know, because those visuals are really powerful for helping us, you know, achieve those the outcome that we’re looking for. and I definitely did practice those things. another thing that I would say is, yeah.
You know, I said the mind, but I say that because you you ultimately you’re gonna want to trust your body and your baby. So if you’re going into a home birth, free birth, natural birth, and you’re committed to doing things this way, just know that the only thing you need to do is control your mind because your body and your baby are gonna do what they are supposed to do. So trust your body and trust your baby, control your mind.
And trust your body
Taylor Gipson (1:43:18)
That’s a fact.
Koquis Moore (1:43:18)
and trust your baby. because the mind, when we’re giving birth at naturally, our mind is the only thing we have control over. Our mind is the only thing we have control over. We cannot control when or how the baby’s coming. Some babies are breach born breach. We have no control. So just control our mind, control, trust our body, trust our baby, protect your your your
Your mindset. So if not knowing the baby’s weight is going to support you, you know, not knowing, you know, certain things about how long you’ve been in labor will support you. And having someone who aligns with your vision. Because I had Maidula when I was in France and her outlook on birth fully aligned with mine. And that gave me permission to truly do what I needed to do when the time came. I didn’t have someone around me who was doubting me or even
Taylor Gipson (1:44:13)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:44:13)
had the slightest bit of fear that the
She’s held space in the most loving, divine way, and she trusted the process of birth 1000%. And that gave me permission to do the same. So having someone that is going to speak life into your process and believes in the process. Having if you’re gonna choose a midwife or a a a doula, choose one that has the same views as you do on birth. And I’m sure there’s other things I can share.
that I may not be thinking of. I can look I also put notes in my phone if you want me to look this up because I do have some good pointers that could be helpful, but for now that’s what’s coming to mind.
Taylor Gipson (1:45:01)
Yeah, yeah, I mean, honestly
Koquis Moore (1:45:02)
Awesome.
Taylor Gipson (1:45:04)
I c I can’t say no more.
That was perfect.
Koquis Moore (1:45:06)
Yeah.
Taylor Gipson (1:45:07)
I think that’s you know some of the biggest things. Yeah, that’s great. And then so the second question is how
Koquis Moore (1:45:14)
well first of all
Taylor Gipson (1:45:15)
can the village support you? Anything like prayers, social media, business?
Koquis Moore (1:45:17)
Absolutely. I welcome all prayers all times. You know, I’m a single mother of two fathers
and I’m still navigating how to do life, raising my babies and giving
Taylor Gipson (1:45:26)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:45:27)
them, you know, the best life possible while also maintaining my status as a stay-at-home mother and a business owner. So, you know, if anyone is interested in supporting my business, it’s Empowerment Through Dance. And it I can be found on Instagram at Empowerment Through Dance. I have a
my adult page and my kids page are separate because the content is you know not appropriate f with my adult classes. I teach sexy sensual and seductive adult classes. So yeah follow my my page and I’ll be actually launching some things in the new year. and if any women or mothers are interested in being empowered, inspired, uplifted.
part of a community, you know, especially for mothers who are looking to reconnect with themselves or that sexy sensual side of themselves, you know, look out for more information and be sure to sign up so that you can benefit from, you know, not only being in a community, but just being facilitated by someone like me who definitely is an advocate for women, for women to walk in our power, stand in our power.
and embrace who we are no matter what we look like, no matter where we come from, no matter what our shape, size, or color is. and then again, my kids page, Empowerment Through Dance Kids on Instagram. And then I do have a TikTok page, Empowerment Through Dance Kids, with some of my content for kids. But
Taylor Gipson (1:47:02)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:47:03)
you know, if there are any other I would love to be on more platforms where I can share my stories. So if there’s anyone out there that, you know
will support the brand of Coquis more, you know, which is getting my name into more rooms, then by all means, that’s that would be extremely supportive because my my new venture is going to be spending more time educating and coaching and not educating because I who am I to teach, but let’s let’s edit that out. But coaching coaching, supporting, empowering women that are even
Taylor Gipson (1:47:40)
Mm-hmm.
Koquis Moore (1:47:41)
interested or committed to giving birth the way
Taylor Gipson (1:47:43)
Yeah.
Koquis Moore (1:47:44)
that I have so I can be reached at info at coquis.com for any interviews, collaborations, or yeah, any type of business opportunity. So that would be awesome.
Taylor Gipson (1:48:03)
I love it. I will also put all of your information in the show notes. So if you’re listening, you can find all of her information in the show notes and go support her, please. my gosh. well
Koquis Moore (1:48:11)
And I need I need at least 10,000 followers on TikTok. I need a I need 10,000 followers on TikTok to start monetizing. So if you want to follow me on TikTok, you know, let’s get those numbers up. And then
I need a thousand on my my Coquis. I need a
Taylor Gipson (1:48:26)
Yes.
Koquis Moore (1:48:26)
thousand followers on Instagram. That would definitely help me get
Taylor Gipson (1:48:29)
Yes.
Koquis Moore (1:48:29)
in a position to start monetizing and earning income from these platforms, which again will support me as a single mother.
wanting to not only get my story out there and use my platforms to emp empower and inspire people, but it will support the lifestyle that I’m wanting to create for me and my babies as a stay-at-home mother and a business owner.
Taylor Gipson (1:48:53)
For sure. Yeah. I love that. Well, thank you so much for coming. I
Koquis Moore (1:48:53)
Thank you, Taylor. I enjoyed it. Thank you so much. This was amazing.
Taylor Gipson (1:48:59)
enjoyed you through and through,
