Well, at least not entirely. A healthy family is a fairly low bar; in our modern time, with the resources we have available and good prenatal care, that should be the base expectation, not our dream. It should be *obvious* that everyone wants good physical outcomes - but that does not need to be ALL you want in your birth experience.
Imagine you are choosing what to have for dinner, and you decide that what you really want is pasta. Would you rather eat tepid spaghetti from a can, or sit down at a set table with a fresh, homemade meal? Both dinners will deliver calories to your body and give you the energy you need to function. Both options are "pasta." Clearly, though, there is a difference that presentation makes!
If your experience didn't matter, we wouldn't spend half our lives deciding what to eat - we would all take some sort of supreme ultra mega-vitamin and call it a day!
The freshly homemade meal will require a bit more preparation in advance. It takes a bit more time and energy, and, yes, more of an investment. We choose to put in this energy because we not only want to feed our stomachs, we want to have an enjoyable experience.
You may find that you do not just want healthy outcomes - you want a rich and meaningful birth experience! Toward that end, there is some preparation involved. Choose your birth team carefully - find an OB or a midwive that respects your wishes and priorities, and a doula who can support you in achieving them! Find a class that aligns with the experience you want so you can have a full picture of your options and prepare.
Research shows that the perception of a negative birth experience is more of a risk factor for postpartum mood disorders than the presence of pregnancy or delivery complications; women who felt isolated or powerless or ill-informed throughout the birth process were more likely to be impacted by postpartum anxiety or depression or PTSD, even if their births looked picture-perfect on paper. Your experience matters!
For more information on childbirth preparation classes, doula services, or for a free consultation on how I can help your family, email sarah@baby-to-go.com or connect on Facebook!