Trusting your Instincts
Perhaps one of the truest, yet most foreign, concepts to birthing people is that you know more than you think you do when it comes to your body and your baby, and you need only to unleash that knowledge by asking questions and seeking your answers. Too often, we are persuaded that we know nothing about pregnancy, birth, and post-partum, so we should blindly trust that others know more than we do and will tell us what choices to make. However, when you really listen to yourself, you start to explore and investigate your questions. So, ask your questions—ask all of them.
If you have a provider who is uncomfortable answering your questions or is annoyed at the time you are taking, pay attention to what you feel inside. It may be time to find someone who is more aligned with your needs. If you are excited for your birth experience, and you hear others share negative or indifferent stories about labor, seek out those who share your excitement because there are many who do. If you want to pursue a natural birth experience but are feeling scared and nervous about what that will be like, look for those who have had a natural birth to share their story with you and soak it up. If you are unsure if breastfeeding is for you, do your homework. Inform yourself of the benefits for you and your baby, the challenges and how to get through them, and make a truly informed decision, one that is based on your gathering information and paying attention to how that information makes you feel inside.
The weeks of pregnancy are a gift for you. A gift that allows you to take the time to prepare for birth and parenting—learning how to relax, paying attention to your breath, taking note of what you are feeling in your body, and spending some extra quiet(er) time with your partner or loved ones. Appreciate the time that pregnancy gives you to be introspective, to learn about the capabilities of your amazing body, and to grow closer to those who support you as you prepare your foundation as a family.
Seek information, determine your answers, and pay attention to where your instincts guide you because they WILL guide you, and you will enter parenthood stronger because of it.
