If I could teach every expecting parent one thing before labor starts, it would be this: You don’t have to know exactly how your birth will unfold. You just need to know how to advocate for yourself along the way.
Birth advocacy isn’t about fighting with your provider or saying no to everything. Advocacy is understanding what’s happening, asking questions when you need to, and feeling like your voice matters. Here are a few reasons I think it’s one of the most important things you can learn before your baby arrives.
1. Your Birth Is Yours
There isn’t one “right” way to give birth. Whether you’re planning an epidural, hoping for an unmedicated birth, or keeping your options open, you deserve to understand your choices and be part of the decisions. When I talk with expecting parents, they often share that their birth goals include xyz because their friend/sister/coworker had a similar experience. As you prepare for birth, remember, it’s YOUR BABY’S BIRTH and whatever you imagine it to be is ok!
2. Questions Are Always Okay
You are never required to say yes just because someone is a medical professional. It’s okay to ask, “Can you tell me more about that?” or “Do we have a minute to talk through my options?” Good providers want you to understand what’s happening.
3. Plans Can Change—and That’s Okay!
Birth has a way of keeping us humble. A large majority of births I’ve attended have some sort of “curveball,” as I call it. Sometimes things go exactly how you imagined, and sometimes they don’t. Knowing how to advocate for yourself helps you feel confident even if your birth takes an unexpected turn.
4. Your Partner Doesn’t Have to Guess How to Help
One of my favorite parts of teaching is watching partners realize they have an important role, too. Advocacy isn’t something you have to do alone! In fact, we want mothers in labor to focus on managing their contractions and not worry so much about advocating and asking questions. Partners: Make sure you learn some advocacy tools before birth! This is especially true if you’ve never supported a birth before.
5. Knowledge Builds Confidence
The more you understand about labor, common interventions, and your options, the less scary birth tends to feel. Education doesn’t eliminate every surprise, but it makes those surprises a whole lot less overwhelming. We have some great birth class options in Des Moines!
6. You Don’t Have to Figure It Out by Yourself
This is exactly why I love teaching Savvy Birth 101 by Evidence Based Birth®. We spend time talking about how to have conversations with your care team, and what advocacy can look like in a birth setting.
If you’ve been meaning to take a birth class, this is a great starting point!
Join me Wednesday, July 15 at 12:00 p.m. online or at 6:00 p.m. in Waukee. I’d love to help you feel more prepared, more informed, and a whole lot more confident walking into your birth. (If you read this post after 7/15/2026, I hope you can join us for an upcoming session!) Please register for Savvy Birth 101 here ahead of time.
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