Your Birth Story by Emma Watson

Please don't feel pressured to share your story before you are ready.

A simple question, often asked out of a supportive place and without even a thought:

"𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩?"

I've been chatting with mums lately who noticed they would get this question almost instantly. Some would be asked right after announcing the arrival of their little one, others at the first visit or coming days.
And you know what...
It's okay to not feel ready to chat about or tell people your story.
Every single person out there has a different experience and will take a different amount of time to digest that journey and how they feel within the space.

The pressure parents may experience to answer this question and answer it in detail is not okay.
It is time for us to reframe and instead of jumping straight in and asking about the birth let’s just ask:

"𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶?"

Let's open a safe space for a new parent to share when they feel ready to.
Of course there is benefit in talking about birth and debriefing.
But this needs to be done in a safe and useful way, at a time when the woman feels ready.
Not for the benefit of the intrigued listener but to benefit the woman and protect her emotional wellbeing.
To do this as a listener it is sooo important to remain non-biased and unopinionated.
The woman isn't sharing her story to hear your thoughts on how it could have been different or better. She doesn't need to hear your "what ifs". If anything, she needs someone to listen as she finds her own way through the mammoth journey of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood.

This is a message I wish I could spread to every mum, parent, or caregiver out there. 

Know that you don’t have to meet anyone else’s expectations. This includes telling them your story, opening your soul, and bearing all. 

Emma Watson is a Tasmanian based Midwife, Nurse and Childbirth educator, teaching Calmbirth amongst her local community. She is the founder of Seasons of Birth, an online platform she created to share knowledge and experience that will support and educate women and families to feel confident and prepared for pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. Seasons of Birth was created after I was able to see the power of knowledge and confidence in the birthing realm and noticing how much fear, stress and anxiety currently surrounded this. To empower women and remind them of their ability to emerge physically, emotionally, and spiritually well from this journey is what it is all about. Follow her on instagram @seasonsofbirth_