I, and the information/thoughts that I share are certainly not for everyone. I often say that I offer non-judgmental support, but I am not and never will be unbiased. I am an advocate for physiological birth, postpartum, and newborn care. Essentially, this just means that I believe that our bodies can and should be trusted. And that the more we support and protect the physiological functions of pregnancy, labor, and birth, the better the short and long term outcomes for both mom and baby. Does that mean I don't "believe" in deviations from normal that require intervention? Or see value in medical pain relief and surgical birth? Or that everyone should give birth at home? Of course not! But if you are going in to the birth experience planning to do whatever your provider tells you, if you know without a doubt that you want an induction/to avoid pain/are electing for cesarean birth, or feel safest with a highly medicalized birth experience, this probably isn't the right resource for you. I want you to have a baby however and wherever you feel safest, and my hope is that whatever happens, you and your baby come away from that experience feeling respected, cared for, and empowered.

I hope that what I share is thought provoking or informative enough that most people could get something from it. But the person I envision when writing and creating is someone who: Doesn't want to settle for the status quo and will advocate for themselves and their baby Is willing to dig deep within themselves in order to create a more conscious, intentional journey into parenthood Appreciates data and evidence, but knows there's more to the human experience than what is deemed worthy of studying Understands that birth is only as safe as life is and has the capacity to sit with the true complexities of risk analysis Is willing to take ownership of their experience Believes that baby's experience throughout the process of labor and birth truly matters Is open minded and open hearted Rejects the narrative that pregnancy, birth, and parenting have to be filled with suffering and sacrifice, and wants to enjoy it

My deepest, sincerest wish is that you meet your baby wherever you feel safest. That might be in the privacy of your own home by candlelight, or that might be in a hospital room knowing there's surgical support or pain relief one floor away. Feeling safe boosts oxytocin. And we want the oxytocin flowing! What I focus on is how to get the most physiologically supportive version of whatever birth you choose.