134. The Real Reasons You Need a Birth Plan with Dr. Sarah Leahy of Birth Uprising

“It’s ridiculous that birth plans even have to exist. The purpose of a birth plan really is to decrease the likelihood that you are going to be abused while you’re in this setting. To decrease the likelihood that people are going to do stuff to you that you don’t want done.” -Dr. Sarah Leahy Join our Birth Plan Workshop on July 19, 2022! (www.birthuprising.com/events) There was a crazy letter circulating on IG recently that was penned by three OBs from New York about birth plans, letting their clients (specifically their pregnant moms) that birth plans were not welcome in their practice. There was a poor attempt at justifying their reasoning behind this, but the simple fact this “rule” in their practice was put into place is enough to show me that women NEED to talk about birth plans more—including what they are and why they are essential. Birth plans are about so much more than the ridiculous stereotypes that surround them. People dismiss them (medical providers and OBs) because they assume women are creating them thinking that their birth can be planned. We don’t create birth plans hoping our births will be “perfect,” they are an education tool, a path to clear communication with a healthcare provider, and so, so much more that we’ll talk about today. It’s insane to me that there are OBs in the world that don’t trust in a mother’s ability to give birth to the point that they manipulate and micromanage every aspect of our pregnancy and birth experience—down to your expectations about your birth and your right to communicate with them. Birth plans are a necessity now more than they’ve ever been. In this episode, you’re going to hear real life examples, stories from our birth and pregnancy experiences, how to find your conviction & strength to speak up, and even “elephant in the room” topics like “I want a homebirth and my partner does not” and explanations for basic questions like “why do I need a birth plan?” and “how do I start to create a birth plan?” Dr. Sarah’s Bio: Dr. Sarah Leahy is a doctor of chiropractic, mother of three, artist, birth educator, and the creator of Birth Uprising. She shares passionate, funny, and informational videos & slides on the regular over on her IG account @birthuprising  FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: WWW.ELEVATINGMOTHERHOOD.COM   Please Visit:  WELLNESSE: www.wellnesse.com/loribeth  Code: LORIBETH for 10% off your order HOMESCHOOL EXPLAINED: www.homeschoolexplained.com