I recently wrote about knowing what questions to ask. Understanding your decisions is really an extension of that discussion.
Take food for example, there are a LOT of different kinds of eating habits around these days. Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, high fat, low carb, classic meat and three veg, pre-prepared meals, keto and the list goes on and on and on for days!
No matter what kind of a ‘diet’ you choose to eat, I think we are all well informed enough to know that what you eat directly impacts the way you feel long term. Healthy choices equal healthy mind and body, junk equals junk. The quality of the choice is just as important, even an organic apple is a dodgy choice if it was picked last year, has worms crawling out of it and it’s gone mouldy.
Also, the healthiest option for you may not be a healthy choice for me, for example, you may choose an organic wholegrain loaf of bread instead of a highly processed white bread and out of those two options I would agree, that it’s a great decision, however for me, neither of these options are “healthy” as I can not eat wheat. I am highlighting this little comparison as sometimes the option that seems most obvious is not a ‘one size fits all’ choice and we need to be respectful of each others decisions.
When I look for ‘healthy’ information, it’s the quality and relevancy of the information that counts. Education will be your most influential tool so get good quality education from a variety of sources. Don’t worry too much if it has come from Aunt Jules, Grandma Doris, Doctor Watkins or your yoga teacher Sky, it’s more important that what they are saying is factual and not just opinion (see my blog about distinguishing the difference) Seek information from relevant studies with evidence based results and decide what your own beliefs are from there.
When you are choosing a care provider for your pregnancy and labour, the same logical thought process is helpful.
Whether or not you have been anticipating this pregnancy for a long time or it has taken you by complete surprise, you will have certain desires for the outcome.
It is reasonable then, that you would want to understand how that outcome can become a reality. Although no one can predict every outcome of every pregnancy or labour, there are obvious consistencies between choices and consequences. There are also consistencies between care providers and outcomes and it’s helpful to know what these are when making the decision that is best for your medical circumstances and personal beliefs/desires.
No matter what decision you make during your pregnancy, know why you are making that choice. “Because my doctor/midwife said so” is really not doing yourself justice. If you proceed with a decision someone else has recommended before understanding the probable outcomes, it is likely to lead to some sort of trauma later, either physically or emotionally. That is not to say that doctors or midwives were wrong, its the principal of doing something with your body without complete comprehension of that act that causes the trauma.
I guess this is just a very long way of saying. Make healthy choices for yourself so you will know what is happening with your body.
For every woman, for every birth
Beth x
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