Question everything, mama.

If they can’t tell you the benefits, risks, AND alternatives, get a different service provider. Period.

Doctor, OB, Doula, Midwife, Nurse— they should ALL be able to tell you the benefits, risks, AND alternatives for EVERYTHING they recommend to you in order to provide 100% informed consent—

If they have not or cannot provide those 3 things for you, you have the right to deny ANY recommendation, procedure, intervention, etc.

If they go ahead and perform any procedure or intervention without your consent, they are committing obstetrical violence, coercion, and birth r*pe. Full stop. This includes cervical exams !

Know your rights and use your voice to exercise them, beautiful mama.

#InformedConsent #Doulas #Midwives #OBs #Pregnancy #MamaInTheMaking #FlorCruz #BirthLikeABadass #BadassMotherBirther

I can’t remember the last time I devoured a book so quickly 😆

I love, love, LOVE Ina May and am so deeply grateful for her light in this world.

I felt pretty confident in my body and my body’s ability to give birth naturally, but honestly still had some lingering fears..

Ina May’s ‘Guide to Childbirth’ and ‘Spiritual Midwifery’ put those fears to rest in a flash 💥💥

Sharing how environment and attitude play a HUGE role in how our body experience birth, the hormones at work to keep us relaxed, tuned in, and attentive throughout the experience,

how the energy and intention of others in the birthing room directly impact mom and her ability to give birth,

plus the countless stories of women who gave birth naturally, whether at home, in hospital, or in a birthing center was exacting what I needed in solidifying my natural lean towards an unmedicated and intervention-free birth experience for me and my family.

We, as a society, NEED to hear more of these stories and of what birth is SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE outside of the medical industrial complex

(which, as a reminder is FOR PROFIT here in the US)

and inside of the nurturing care, compassion, and service of TRUE midwives.

I cannot recommend this book and ‘Spiritual Midwifery’ enough !!

#InaMay #InaMayGaskin #GuideToChildbirth #SpiritualMidwifery #NaturalChildbirth #UnmedicatedChildbirth #OrgasmicBirth #Midwives #MidwivesSaveLives #OBsAreSurgeons #InterventionFreeBirth #Pregnancy #MamaInTheMaking

Pregnancy process pic / baby bump update 😋

Baby D and I have clearly hit a growth spurt 😆

Carrying and caring for this growing one has brought me so much joy 🥹

Pregnancy is frickin magical✨

#mamainthemaking #firsttimepregnancy #pregnant #pregnancy #isthereapossiblythatimpegrant

Movin right along🎵😊

Don't mind my dark circles—
pregnancy can be v healing, if you allow it to be.

So crying, and lots of it, can be part of the journey 🥲

Crying (say it with me) "Is our nervous systems resetting themselves."

So always allow the tears to flow freely whenever they arise 🫶🏾

And Yes, 13 weeks OR 15 weeks 😆

It's common practice to begin counting weeks in pregnancy from the first day of the last moon cycle.

The claim is that it's "more reliable."

However, I have been tracking my cycle for 12 years (“religiously” for 10)

including specific days of ovulation (which FINALLY became regular 2 years ago, 12 years AFTER getting off birth control)

so I know EXACTLY when we conceived ☺️

#pregnancy #pregnant #mamainthemaking #progressphoto