Take Control of Your Pregnancy and Birth Planning

It’s important to take control of your own pregnancy, and the planning for your own birth – and not just rely on your medical caregivers. You should rely on them for the role they play. But, it’s really important to remember that what’s happening to you is happening to ‘your’ body. Which is different than anyone else’s body. So while there are standard, uniform things that happen in pregnancy, you’re going to have an experience that is unique to you.

Understanding Your Body Signals

Pay attention to what’s happening to you. Understanding the signals your body gives you is incredibly important, as far as physiology is concerned. We ‘get it’ in almost every other part of our lives, but not always when we talk about pregnancy and birth. This is not necessarily a medical event– but we are being followed by medical caregivers as diagnosticians, and others – who help us have a safe and healthy delivery. You play such a big part in this because ‘only you’ know what’s best for ‘you.’

Become Educated

The most important thing is to become educated. Have information that you know is factual and truthful. Then take that information and combine it with what is important to you and your values– what you know is best for you. That’s what’s going to make for the safest and healthiest, pregnancy and birth experience.

Partner With Your Medical Caregivers

When you take control of your pregnancy and birth, you’re essentially creating a partnership with your medical caregivers. You’re not pushing them to the side. It’s not one-way or the other. We’re not swinging the pendulum from one side to the other side. But, instead of assuming that your doctor, your midwife and your nurses attending to you during birth know what’s best for you– remember that you are able to make these choices yourself. You just need instruction, and information. When you combine that with your values and what’s important to you, are going to be able to create the best experience ‘for you.’

You Have Options

A lot of people don’t realize is that there are many, many options. You don’t necessarily have to have your baby the way your friends are, or the way your mother had her babies. You get to make these choices. Know why some things are important to you. Then through your research and what you value – you’ll know how you’d like this pregnancy to unfold. Have your birth become what ‘you’ want it to be. You have the right to do that, and you really have ‘the need to do that’ if your ultimate goal is to have the best experience possible.