Hey mamas, welcome back to the Birthing Bestie Blog where we talk about real topics pertaining to birth, parenting, pregnancy, partnerships, and just real life. Here on the blog, we don’t shy away from talking about the hardships of parenthood. Instead, we encourage, validate, and welcome you with open arms.

Welcome back to the blog, and really this is a “welcome back” for everybody. This is the first blog of 2024, and ICYMI, I made a little announcement on my Instagram last week: 

I’m expecting! The Brier Family is growing! I am, quite literally, in this with you, 2024 Mamas. 

And so, WOOF! That first trimester really got the best of me, and there were no blogs to be happening. So I’m excited to be back. I’m excited to share a little bit about my pregnancy and some of what I’ll be doing differently this time around. And sharing things that are a little top of mind for me during pregnancy, that I know will really resonate with you as you go through your pregnancy and your parenting journey as well.  

Prefer to watch, Mama? See the video below!

So truly welcome back to the blog in 2024. All right, let’s get to it! 

Today I am sharing my Top five people that you need to add to your birth team and why.

1. First and foremost, ranking top on the list is a care provider. This might be a given for most, but also might not be as important to others.There’s definitely people who are really called to free birthing and that is beautiful, but for me, I think having a care provider on your side is really important so that you can kind of check on how things with your baby and in your pregnancy are goin, when and if needed. 

And of course, if you have followed me for a while, you know that I am very “pro-hospital birth” because I believe that you can have the best of all worlds in hospital birth (to some extent), so a number 1 on this list is having a care provider.

Whether it be an OB, a rotation of OBs, a midwife that specializes in home births, hospital births, whatever! Having a care provider to make sure that your pregnancy is going well, everyone is healthy, and who can answer any of the questions that you might be having. 

2. A birth partner. When I say birth partner, I mean someone who knows you really well. Whether that be your actual partner, the person who is in this pregnancy and parenthood journey with you, a close friend, a confidant, your mom, your mother-in-law… whatever that looks like for you! Having someone who really knows you, and has known you for quite some time, to be in your corner and be with you in the birthing space is really important. 

3. Now, this next one kind of goes hand in hand with number two, the birth partner, but this is a support person.
   
   What I mean by this, and how this person differs from a birth partner, a support person is someone that you can rely on and reach out to at any point in your pregnancy, your delivery, and your postpartum phase. This person is an expert in birth, an expert in this phase of life, and really answers validates, and gets you resources on anything you need.
   
   Now, when I think of birth or support people, I think of people like doulas or childbirth educators. People that can either be with you in that birthing space, physically or even virtually, or at least the very least, someone who you can confide in and rely on, for that third party perspective that’s outside of your medical staff care provider. This person knows the ins and outs of pregnancy, especially labor and delivery, and should be someone who you can lean on for postpartum support as well. 

This is where it gets a little broad here. Numbers 4 & 5 are intentionally broad because I know that support looks different for everybody and everyone has different preferences. 

4. I want you to add someone on your birth team who can really rally behind your physical wellness.
   
   Now that can be a chiropractor, a pelvic floor specialist, or a physical therapist. It could be a trainer who specializes in prenatal athletic training, or a nutritionist. It can be an accountability buddy that you go on walks with… someone who is going to help keep your physical wellness at the forefront throughout your pregnancy.
   
   Your physical health is really important, always, but especially in pregnancy. Throughout Erin Brier Birthing, we talk about how important it is to be physically well and how that translates to your birth. There are some really, really special benefits for birth when you prioritize your physical health.
   
   Bodywork in pregnancy and really into postpartum is so important, but can have such a difference and an impact on your birth. So number 4 on this list is a physical wellness champion
   
   
5. Equally as important is someone who specializes in mental health. Again, this might look like a whole lot of different people. This could be someone who is a certified counselor, mental health therapist, or life coach, or reiki master. It’s important to find someone who can specialize in that perinatal timeframe, from pregnancy through birth and motherhood, is really important. This might even look like your village of friends and family who you can confide in.
   
   This transition is not always an easy one, and it definitely can throw you for a loop mentally….  Pregnancy and birth literally changes the makeup of your brain. It changes your brain, so having someone who can help you reground, refocus, and just make sure that you’re taking care of your mental health throughout this process is so important.

These are five types of people and professionals that I think are so important to have on your birth team. So let’s run through them again. 

1. Your care provider
2. Your birth partner
3. Your support person
4. A physical health professional 
5. A mental health provider

Okay, mamas. So I would love to know. Who of these five people on your team? Do you have all five people or maybe more on your team? What does that look like for you? Share with me.

I will be sharing my birth team as I build it and put it together, but tell me who are you adding to your team? What are those people look like? I’d love to know. 

And if you’re looking for more information about this or any other type of support in your parenting journey, I always encourage you to reach out to me. You can email me at ebbirthing@gmail.com, or you can slide into my DMs over on Instagram @ebbirthing, or I’ll be sharing about this pregnancy and things like this and so much more. I hope you’ll come say hey! I’ll see you next time on the Birthing Bestie blog.