This is something I want all expecting mamas to consider. 

Why are we so focused on birthing baby?

Yet don't put the same effort into growing the mother. 

I can hear your mind ticking over.

You're probably thinking: What are you on about Emma? We have 9 months of pregnancy care that is focused on learning and growing. 

Mmmm I hear you but let's break it down. 

Once you find out you're pregnant you have a few weeks of appointments, scans, tests and care. 

You head to your first antenatal appointment- eager and ready. The appointment ends and then the next is booked for 20 weeks (For many that could be 10+ weeks away). During this time you're given some paperwork, overloaded with all the information that could possibly be squeezed into an hour appointment and then told to read some books and look online. 

LIKE WHAT

Can you now see what I'm getting at?

TRUTH BOMB: on average those accessing a hospital setting for birth with spend just five hours face to face with their care provider in the whole nine months.

via GIPHY

^^^ If this is you right now. I KNOW RIGHT! To put it into perspective you might get a couple of pregnancy massages during the pregnancy and actually spend more time with the masseuse than your own care provider. 

It's not all about babies!

So what I see currently happening is when we talk about pregnancy, the focus is often on the baby – how big is baby? What do they look like? and when will they be born? Then when we aren't talking baby we are often focused on birth. Preparing, questioning and taking classes. Yes also important but we know that  growing a baby is a complex process that requires a great deal of physical, emotional, and mental energy from the mother. 

This is why I really want you to consider surrounding yourself with support and education during your first trimester. 

You're probably wondering- why is this what a midwife wants me to consider?

The truth is because unfortunately, the lack of focus on preparing for pregnancy and becoming informed and prepared can leave expectant mothers feeling overwhelmed and in the dark. Many women are unsure of what to expect during the early stages of pregnancy and may not know how to take care of themselves or their growing baby. This can lead to anxiety, stress, and even depression, which can have long-term impacts on both the mother and baby. 

I mean you can see how this happens with only a few points of contact during the first half of your pregnancy! Hence I often hear women say:

"I feel like I should be doing something, but no idea what"

And I don't want any soon-to-be mama to be feeling unsure or out of touch with their pregnancy. 

I also don't want you to feel overwhelmed by the overload of information, crappy advice and inaccurate google answers at 2am.

So instead, hopefully you're reading this and already looking into the types of education and support tailored to pregnancy. 

P.S

I can help. This isn't the only space I'm sharing on. 

If we aren't Instagram friends then we definitely should be- don't wait. Go now! @seasonsofbirth_

But for now. 

I hope it's a bright say wherever you are,

Em