Preparing For Childbirth In Therapy

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know (And That’s Okay)

Many pregnant women create a birth plan, which helps them feel safe and prepared for childbirth. Childbirth can be a surprising event—it may be easy, hard, traumatic, or perfectly fine. You don’t know what you don’t know. And that’s okay. 

You Need the Right People Around You, However That Looks

While you can’t predict everything that will happen during birth, what you can do is organize the right people around you. We’ll help you get the best support you can and choose what (and who) is right for you by looking closely at what is most important to you: Who makes you feel safe and nurtured? Who will hold your hand? Who will support your partner if they’re scared? Together we’ll create a plan to ensure you have the right community of friends and family that can support your logistical and emotional needs before, during, and after delivery. 

Childbirth Is an Emotional Experience

Practical considerations aside, childbirth is an emotional experience. It involves having to navigate a very public system at a very private time. Sometimes you’ll feel well taken care of, and other times you may not. 

We recognize that your experience and your emotions are unique to you. We’ll make room for you to let those emotions out, or keep them in, as needed. Whatever your emotional needs are, we want you to feel cared for throughout the whole process.

Telling (And Retelling) Your Birth Story

During childbirth, you’re in a state of adrenaline. And when the post-baby shock eventually fades, what remains can feel like grief. Telling (and retelling) your birth story helps you grieve and build on your experience. What happened? What needs didn’t get met? How do you make sense of it? It’s a huge transition between being pregnant and having the baby here, and we’re here to help you navigate it, whether in person in our offices in Lower Manhattan or remotely.