Over the years of supporting various families through their pregnancy, birth and postpartum journeys, I have been asked numerous times about what birth education I most recommend. Initially I didn’t have a great answer for this, I’d just say, ‘Here are some local options, take a look and decide which one fits you and your family best!’. I didn’t recommend any one education model over another, but I did notice that oftentimes the families undertaking Calmbirth classes had so much more information and preparation, not just for their ‘ideal birth’, but also for the potential changes in plans that can arise – they seemed to have an understanding of and a preparedness for whatever the birth entailed, and tools they could use regardless of where they ended up. I love that I witnessed this before knowing Calmbirth’s motto: ‘With knowledge comes confidence’!

Birth. It can be so unpredictable, incredible, transformative, inspiring…it serves as such a huge catalyst for growth for so many of us! For some, it is the time when we find or rediscover our voices, we learn to navigate a system in an entirely new way. For others it can be a time of what feels like powerlessness; a lack of control or unwinding of plans. Ultimately, in any scenario, it is up to us as the individuals to take back our power, advocate for what we want and need, for what we believe is best for us and our babies. Control what we can, surrender to the rest