There always comes a moment at some point in your pregnancy when you have this moment of  "ok, right, I am going to be giving birth to this baby of mine, how's that going to be? I have no idea how to do that!"

You realize you are heading towards uncharted territory and you really need someone to guide you through that place. And you also realize maybe that your partner likely knows very little and also needs knowledge.

You deserve to be well supported and educated in your pregnancies about labor & childbirth. Not "pandered to". To be told the real truths. All with the goal of this knowledge contributing to an experience that is empowering, informed, non-traumatic, and positive.

The birth experience of your child/children is one of the most life-changing transformative experiences you'll ever have.

Childbirth is an initiatory experience, for both men and women, and deserves to be prepared for, honored and held as a life changing experience for a woman and partner, involving and affecting the whole self.

To simply say "birth and parenthood changes you" would be a huge understatement. You are literally a transformed and changed person. So yes birthing a baby is truly an initiation into parenthood and quite a few would say it is a sacred experience. 

You are likely seeing the need for some tools in your birthing plan, rather than only a list of your preferences and wishes. And that it'd be a good idea to learn some skills and techniques - ones that are tried and true and really work.

• You will learn coping practices for intensity and pain, methods for relaxation, positioning and other techniques for comfort.
• How to make informed decisions and advocate for yourself. How to stay strong despite pressure you may be receiving during your labor from your primary medical caregiver.
• About the huge advantages of bringing a doula onto your birth team - because your birth doula works for you, not your doctor, your midwife, or the hospital.