Birth Better with Meghan

The village used to be a 10-year-old girl with a copy of Green Eggs and Ham. 😂

Apparently supporting mothers and taking care of babies was always going to be my career path.

Maybe I was never bad at sticking with things.

Maybe I just hadn’t found the thing worth sticking with yet.

Seven years later, birth still has my whole brain. 🤍

And I’m just getting started.

Hiring a great provider matters.

But it’s not enough.

Because the provider you carefully chose may not be the person standing in your birth room when decisions need to be made.

That’s why self-advocacy is part of birth prep.

Know what matters to you.
Know how to ask questions.
Know that you can ask for time.
And make sure your support person knows how to back you up.

Want something practical? Practice these 3 sentences before labor:

“Can you explain why you’re recommending this?”

“What are my other options?”

“Can we have a few minutes to talk about it?”

You don’t want the first time you practice using your voice to be while you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and having contractions.

A supportive provider is an incredible resource.

But your voice needs to come with you no matter who’s on call.

Save this and practice those 3 questions with your birth partner before the big day. 🤍

A birth plan doesn’t make you a difficult patient.

Asking questions doesn’t make you difficult.
Having preferences doesn’t make you difficult.
Wanting time to make a decision doesn’t make you difficult.
Changing your mind doesn’t make you difficult.

A birth plan isn’t a list of demands.

It’s a tool to help you understand your options, communicate what matters to you, and have conversations before you’re in labor.

And if having one earns you the label “difficult”?

Maybe being a little difficult isn’t such a bad thing. 👀

Send this to someone writing their birth plan.