🌹 *What if I told you, You Started Writing your Birth Plan as a Child?* *Part 1: Casting Down Imaginations* Most people think a *birth plan* is something you write when you’re pregnant, permit me to 😄 But the truth is… You started writing it when you were just a small child maybe around 7 or 8 years old. You didn’t sit down to write anything. *It happened quietly* , the first time you saw or heard about someone giving birth. Maybe it was: * A scene in a movie or Nigerian drama * A story someone told about their labour * Something you heard about your own birth * A woman in pain at the hospital or a neighbour talking about childbirth * Comments about how terrible birth is from Moms around you as a child. Whatever it was, *your young mind made a decision* about what birth looks like. Because children think in simple, strong ways, you might have believed things like: 🧠 “Birth is scary and full of pain.” 🧠 “Birth is easy if you just breathe.” 🧠 “Only doctors can keep you and your baby safe and alive.” 🧠 “You must be strong and not complain during labour.” 🧠 "Birth is a journey to the land of the dead". 🧠 "Every woman is cursed with the pain of Childbirth, you cannot escape it". These ideas became part of your thinking, like a secret birth plan you didn’t even know you had. Now, many years later, as you prepare to give birth, you may be drawn to advice, people, and ways of doing things that match this hidden plan. 👉 If your real birth matches that old belief, you may feel strong and happy. 👉 But if it doesn’t, you may feel sad, confused, or even like you failed and not really understand why. I have even seen people disappointed for birthing spontaneously at home. *This is why real birth preparation is not just only about breathing exercises or positions.* It’s also about asking yourself a big question, *“What do I really believe about birth and where did that belief come from?”* When we understand our early thoughts, we can decide what to keep, what to let go of, and how to welcome birth with peace and strength. In Part 2 I’ll share a story the memory that shaped a lady's view of birth and how it affected her first labour. But for now, take a moment and reflect: ✨ What’s the first thing you remember about birth? ✨ What message did it give you? ✨ Could that message still be affecting how you feel about giving birth today? Let's talk about it here with MPM Doula; https://wa.link/ol4pzr