Achieving your best birth is totally doable. Some might even say, “Birth is natural!”— implying that no preparation is required. “After all, your doctor or midwife will save the day if anything goes wrong!” And that notion works . . . if your only goal for birth was to avoid life-saving measures.

BUT if you want more out of your experience than simply surviving, then you need to understand that birth IS natural . . . but natural like walking, not natural like breathing. Walking is a learned skill. Breathing . . . well, that just happens without much thought.

The same goes for birth. It’s a learned skill, and there are MANY moving pieces and potential failure points along the way.

What should I do if my labor stalls at 3cm? Which techniques work best to avoid pain? What are my real options if I go past my due date?

These are just some of the MANY things you’ll have to learn and prepare for ahead of birth.

Time to respect birth for what it is — A LEARNED SKILL — and approach it accordingly.

We’ve all heard dramatic, terrifying birth stories. From TV shows, from friends, perhaps even from our mother or sister. Some people thrive off of the drama, others share their disappointing birth experience as a cautionary tale, and the implied message is (unfortunately) loud and clear: “Birth is hard. Don’t allow yourself to care too much about it so that you aren’t disappointed.”

But bad programming doesn’t just come from the media and friends/family . . . sometimes it comes from healthcare providers who feed women the lie that their body sucks at birthing. “I’m sorry, your body just isn’t making strong enough contractions.” OR “Pushing is taking too long — you are too tired to push your baby out by yourself.”

What do both of these things have in common? ⬆️

They are LIES that ruin your mindset for birth. Your body is perfectly made to create and birth babies. It’s how our species survives. You’re not broken! Believe in yourself, believe in your body, believe in the process. The body achieves what the mind believes, and that absolutely holds true for birth.

No, Stacy down the street isn’t just born with “good birthing hips.”

We say this with complete respect and from a place of brutal honesty from personal and professional experience: the perfect birth you’re envisioning doesn’t happen by luck.

Luck has nothing to do with it.

When you are reading or listening to incredible birth stories and watching calm, empowering births on YouTube, 99.9% of these women prepared . . . and a lot! And while those births probably weren’t exactly what the mother had envisioned (whether in a good or not so good way), because of their preparation, they were equipped to handle whatever came their way.

Whether or not your birth is amazing is a choice, your choice, and your choices matter. How you birth is not luck, it’s where knowledge and preparation meet determination.

Most mamas assume that any birth class will prepare you properly for an awesome birth.

The truth is, not all birth classes are created equal. What you will learn in a 2-hour hospital birth class will be very different than what you will learn in an 8-week class.

You might be wondering what kind of birth is best for you . . . will it be unmedicated? A homebirth? Should you choose a midwife or OB? What if your main concern is simply to avoid interventions and a Cesarean birth?

Unfortunately, most, if not all, birth classes are set up for one kind of birth, and it’s typically either for “medicated” (a hospital class) or “non-medicated” (a non-hospital class). Truth be told, most of us fall somewhere in the middle and preparing women for only one kind of birth is not smart.

In fact, most “non-medicated” birth classes prepare you in just one area. Some teach you how to prepare your body, but do very little to prepare you with knowledge for handling the unexpected. Others tell you everything you need to know about pregnancy and birth . . . but fail to teach you exactly how to prepare your body.

Sufficient preparation means taking a birth class that will prepare you in every way.

We support all couples in their birthing decisions. Knowledge is power in any situation! For those planning on an epidural, you'll learn the best time to get one, the benefits/risks to those meds and how to keep birth progressing after receiving them. No matter how you birth, you will likely have the pleasure of working through contractions, and this class will support you in learning how to relax and work with them!

The outcome of your last birth was not your fault — you simply didn’t have the right tools and support like you have before you now!  We’ll show you where births often get “derailed,” why they do, and how to prevent or navigate through each “what if.” Not only will you and your birth partner be prepared with the physical skill set necessary for your best birth, but you’ll also be confidently prepared with an empowering mindset as well.

If you are seeking a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC), please know that we address this specifically in the My Essential Birth class! You will feel empowered as we use evidence-based information to show why it's safe, successful, and very healing — our “Fear Release” meditation will renew your positive expectations. You’ll learn how to keep birth flowing smoothly through each stage. I've had two successful VBACs, and so can you!

Mama, I hope deep-down there’s a voice inside you, reassuring you that you are MORE than strong enough for birth. But just in case that voice is a little quiet, let’s lay down some facts:

• Your body was perfectly designed to birth your baby.
• You come from a long line of birthing rockstars ... sure, that may have skipped a generation or two, but all the women before you did it, and so can you!

And just as a warning: joining us inside My Essential Birth will brainwash you into loving pregnancy and knowing you can achieve your best birth. We also offer the Postpartum Course, which is a deep dive into postpartum for mom and baby. We help you transition easily from all the excellent prep work you did for birth into motherhood so you don't have the "I just had the birth of my dreams . . . now what?!" concerns!

Because My Essential Birth is go-at-your-own-pace, you and your partner can watch and re-watch lessons until you have confidently mastered the techniques. And because we don’t pigeon-hole you into just one kind of birth, you are free to explore ALL your options and make choices based off your own preferences.

Unfortunately, nearly all in-person birth classes on the market today focus on just one aspect of birth preparation . . . as doula, I've discovered this meant that my clients had major knowledge or skill gaps that contributed to less than their best birth experience. I combine comprehensive knowledge with the most tried-and-true practices and share them with you in a simple, convenient online format.

If you only have weeks (or even days) left in your pregnancy, all the more reason to jump in NOW and learn how to achieve your best birth! The My Essential Birth class provides approximately 8 hours of video content, along with action-based assignments to get you ready to go! You can even select just the videos that apply to your situation — whether that’s how to handle a potential induction or how to get baby turned into the best position for birth!

If you’re still fresh into your pregnancy, congratulations! AND way to go for seeking out the very best birth class. My Essential Birth is perfect for where you are, because you’ll be able to implement the foundational nutrition and exercise classes NOW — giving you a head start on achieving your best birth. You’ll also love the section on managing pregnancy ailments naturally. We even broke it down by trimester for easy reference. You and your partner will have lots of time to master relaxation techniques, learn about birth and prepare together for your amazing birth ahead.

We used to offer 9-months of access to the online course (get it?! 😉 ) from the day you place your order. But we've had SO many moms returning for their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pregnancies that we're offering you LIFETIME ACCESS to the My Essential Birth Course! You will also get lifetime access to: our exclusive Facebook group, the workbook, downloads, and happy birth memories!

Because you get instant access when you sign up for the My Essential birth class, you’ll have the opportunity to implement the exercises, nutrition, meditation tracks and relaxation techniques into practice BEFORE making a final commitment.

If you don’t feel totally confident and motivated in your ability to birth like a pro, simply reach out, show us you’ve put in the work, and we’ll refund your investment.

You bet! See below.