Invite Support
Everyone has boxes to be “checked” when pregnant, right? The registry, the nursery, the hospital bag, getting the car seat installed, and in my opinion the most important box to check - support.
Support during pregnancy; sounds normal to have while growing a new baby in your belly! Everyone thinks of the medical perspective of support during pregnancy, but I want to talk about the mental, emotional, and physical support of pregnancy as well. You, your sister, your friend, your neighbor, you all deserve to have this box checked. The only difference in the support between you, and your friend, is that it will look different, that’s a good thing! You are deserving of an individualized, personal, customized support experience throughout your pregnancy.
“Kelli, what do you mean and what does this look like?” It looks like a safe space for the mom who had a non-complicated pregnancy but didn’t “love” the way pregnancy made her feel. It is a safe space for the mom who is processing complications during their pregnancy and needs an ear for someone to listen. It is a place of celebration for the mom who has waited for, and prayed for this baby for years. It looks like a comforting hug and helping plan for the mom with the unplanned pregnancy. It is the place for the mom who has fears about pregnancy and birth to come to be informed and her fears comforted and battled with her. It's about the comfort measures during the last weeks of pregnancy when you're tired and need the bath drawn for you, the foot rub to help the swollen feet. The list is endless, and it is custom fit for just you, your individually unique pregnancy, because you deserve it no matter what your pregnancy looks like.
Pregnancy is a sacred time in your life, it is when you find your power, your strength and create a love so great you could only imagine it before now. So, invite the people that will help you nurture yourself and this time, that will protect your space and decisions, and to hold space with you during the good, bad and everything in between while on your journey. This might be your spouse, mom, sister, bestfriend , or birth doula. My motto - the more people on your team, the better. So, invite them all to help you, support you.
You might've just read all of that, and still ask “but, why?” Now listen, women are the strongest, most powerful people on this earth and you couldn't convince me otherwise. So, of course you could have a successful pregnancy with no help. I mentioned earlier that this is a sacred time in your life, but it is also a time of preparation for birth and the rest of your life with your new baby. So mama, invite all the things in, to assist you in having an impactful, cherished memory of the time your powerful body grew your greatest love.
-Kelli Pilgrim
Birth Doula with Doula at Hart
