You Deserve Respect: An Empowering Message to Expecting Mothers

02/11/2025

Back in September, I discussed obstetric violence—a medical occurrence in which a healthcare professional leverages their position of power to place laboring women in unwanted and potentially dangerous situations.

Too often, women giving birth experience violations of their privacy, neglect, and coercion into procedures that make them uncomfortable. These issues are not exclusive to hospital births.

Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) is the practice of ensuring that pregnant and birthing women are treated with dignity, privacy, and respect at every stage of the process—especially during labor.

As awareness grows, more women are choosing to give birth at home to guarantee they receive Respectful Maternity Care. When a split-second decision arises, you want to be surrounded by people who genuinely have your best interests at heart. That’s why, to create a peaceful, empowering, and joyful birth experience, you may need to take on the role of a 'bouncer' in the birthing room. While setting boundaries can feel intimidating, remember this:

You are not mean for setting boundaries.
Having clear criteria for who can be present during birth doesn’t make you Regina George. You can love Grandma Sally dearly, yet still decide that her colorful commentary isn’t the energy you want while bringing a child into the world.

Some may call you selfish—stand firm.
You might hear arguments like:
“I gave you a generous gift, and this is how you repay me?”
“That’s my nephew! I have a right to be there!”
“If I can’t be in the room, don’t expect financial support in the future.”
You do not owe anyone an explanation.

Your birth plan should be tailored to your unique needs. Whether you want to blast cheesy pop music for hours or sit in comfortable silence, that choice is yours to make.
Ultimately, you’re not just making decisions that protect and empower you—you’re making choices that will protect and empower your child as well.

Don't let fear hold you back from creating a beautiful experience. Join the Birth Circle community for more inspirational content and navigate to the Positive Birth Films section to begin setting your intentions for a wonderful birth.