When you are choosing somebody to be in your birth space to support you, it shouldn't just be the person that makes you feel guilty for not having them there that you invite in.

This should be somebody that is going to love you and protect you and protect your space and do exactly what you want to do.

They have no other motives, no other

desires. They're not trying to heal their own birth experience by supporting you through yours.

This is somebody who believes in whatever you need them to believe in you during this time.

Getting pregnant and giving birth are two of the most exciting things you can ever hope

to experience in this life.

The moment you think you could be pregnant, you're frantically searching for all the best

information, which is why you're here today.

I'm Stephanie King and with my many years of experience as a professional childbirth educator,

doula and lover of all things, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, I'm here to make preparing

for your birth enjoyable, empowering, and totally easy.

Each week I'll cover different topics, interview professionals, and get into the nitty-gritty

birth stories from mamas just like you.

And when you're ready for more, you can join me in the My Essential Birth course at myessential

birth.com, where I take you step by step through exactly how to prepare your mind, body,

spirit, and partner for a birth you love. So let's get started.

This week's episode is all about how to include people into your birth space as kind of your

own personal doula. So imagine that for whatever reason you do not want a

dula or can't afford or don't have one locally. You don't have a dula at your birth space,

but you really want one. But you have your mom or your sister or your aunt or your birth

partner or a friend or family member that you want in that birth

...