Because preparing for birth should include preparing for your mind. What Is a Mental Health Birth Plan™? When most women prepare for birth, they’re told to think about: Which hospital will they deliver at Whether they want an epidural Delayed cord clamping Skin-to-skin contact Who will be in the delivery room Breastfeeding vs. formula Pediatricians and diaper bags All of those things matter. But there’s one question that often goes unasked: Who is helping you prepare for your mental health?...

Pregnancy loss is something that many women experience, but it is still surrounded by so much silence. It's not talked about openly. It is not always acknowledged in the ways that it should be. And for many Black women, that silence can feel even heavier. I have seen how quickly the world expects women to move forward after loss. To return to normal routines, to continue showing up, to carry on as if something significant did not just happen. There is often very little space to sit in the...

We talk about birth in a very specific way. It is often framed as something beautiful, something empowering, something that ends with a healthy baby and a sense of relief. And while that can be true for some, it is not the full story. For many women, birth can be overwhelming, frightening, and in some cases, traumatic. I have worked with mothers who replay their birth experience over and over again in their minds. Not because they want to, but because it does not feel resolved. There are...