FACT: Your birth does NOT determine your worth.

What do I mean? You may have heard that certain types of births are “easier” or that certain types of births are the “best” type to have.  

One word for this type of mindset.

WRONG!

The type of birth you experience does not determine your worth as a parent.  Vaginal, c-section, home, medicated, unmedicated, hospital; it doesn’t matter. Your child's arrival doesn't equate to your worth as a parent. The important thing is that you were given the opportunity to make informed decisions about your child's birth.

I know I talk a lot about birth plans and how important they are to have.  I believe birth plans are essential because they help you research and learn about the entire process, your options, and your right to informed consent.  They will also help you be a medical advocate for you and your baby. 

BUT! Healthy mom, healthy baby is the bare minimum. It is a good birth outcome, NOT a good birth plan. 

Everyone’s most basic plan should be to have a birth ending with safe and healthy mom and baby, but that's the bare minimum. A birth plan should detail your IDEAL birth experience. No, likely you won't get everything on that plan, but by preparing and researching ahead of time (preferably with the help of a doula), you will have a better understanding of what could potentially change, as well as what the alternatives are. 

Sometimes things have to go differently due to medical reasons. Sometimes you change your mind during labor. Sometimes everything goes according to plan. Every mother and every baby are completely different. In the end, however your baby arrives into the world, as long as you both are safe and healthy, is what matters most--of course, but setting yourself up for success is important. 

When your child is older and running on the playground, no one is going to be able to look out and see which child was delivered at home or in a hospital, which child’s parent was medicated or unmedicated during birth, or which child was born vaginally or by c-section. 

Empower yourself by knowing you are a badass – regardless of how baby is born. You created and grew a baby that you birthed from your body and created a new organ to keep your baby alive.  

You are freaking incredible.  

You are an amazing woman.  

You are so damn strong.  

You birthed a baby and brought an amazing new little life into the world – regardless how it was done – you did it.