Who is responsible for your birth?

...you are.

And it really is as simple as that.

It is your responsibility to decide where you wish to birth.

It is your responsibility to decide who will support you in this birth.

And it is your responsibility to prepare yourself mentally and physically for this labour and birth.

What is outside of your control?

Well, the belief systems of the places and people who may support you in your birth journey. So find out what those belief systems are.

There is a possibility that you may not be able to bend the structures, limits and regulations of your birth place to your will. So find out what they are before you end up curbed, snarled or surprised by them.

What your baby does during pregnancy or birth. Although we can nudge decisions on placement if your baby encounters a problem we need to be able to bring resilience and flexibility to the birth process. And knowledge. Always knowledge.

For so very long we have believed birth to be ‘other’, ‘over there’, managed by those more competent than us and we have believed this so deeply that we ourselves, the birthing mothers have lost our way and responsibility.

Now we see change, many of those preparing to birth are meeting resistance. Certainly not all … but so many. We know that there are those who still choose to bully and coerce. To sit behind brittle and seemingly inflexible guidelines. While women worry and potentially suffer.

So as we rise to take control, all of those preparing to give birth need to understand where the responsibility really lies. Where the decision making sits. Who holds the final decisions. Who signs on the dotted line.

And it is you. Always you. 💗