Why Birth is Just Too Important to Wing It By: Hollie Hauptly Birth Boot Camp, CEO Doula & Childbirth Educator,Doula Trainer
Why Birth is Just Too Important to Wing It
There are a handful of days in life that change you forever. Birth is one of them. Not just the day your baby is born, but the day you are born as a mother. That moment, that transformation, stays with you in a way few other experiences do. Which is why I believe that birth is far too important to just wing it.
But that’s exactly what so many women are encouraged to do. They’re told to trust their doctor, not overthink things, and just go with the flow because you can’t control how your birth is going to go. That everything will work itself out. And while I understand where that mindset comes from, especially in a system that treats birth more like a medical emergency than a normal, physiological event, it leaves far too many women walking into one of the biggest moments of their lives unprepared. It’s no wonder that 1 in 3 women describe their birth as traumatic. The truth is: you deserve better than that. Your birth experience deserves more intention than just showing up and hoping for the best.
Birth Changes You Physically
However your baby enters the world, birth is a powerful physical event. Whether your baby is born vaginally or by cesarean, with an epidural or without, your body, that experience will stay with you. The physical process of birth is intense and sacred. It demands everything from you; your strength, your breath, your stamina, and your trust. And afterward, it requires healing. That healing can be smooth and supported, or it can feel like a shock to your system often depending on how informed and prepared you were going into the experience.
When you understand how labor works, how your body opens and moves your baby down, when you’ve practiced positions and breath work and coping techniques, your body doesn’t just go through birth. You’re not fighting against it; you’re moving with it. That kind of physical preparation can help reduce unnecessary interventions, support a smoother recovery, and give you a sense of ownership over your body’s experience. And that ownership matters. Because you’re not just birthing a baby, you’re starting a journey that continues long after the contractions stop.
Birth Changes You Mentally and Emotionally
Birth doesn’t just leave its mark on your body, it imprints on your mind and heart. For many women, their birth story becomes a defining memory, one they carry for the rest of their lives. I’ve worked with so many women who can recount every detail of their birth ten, even twenty years later. Not just the timeline of what happened, but how they felt during each moment. Were they heard? Supported? Respected? Or did they feel ignored, rushed, scared, or powerless?
Birth has the potential to be incredibly empowering. It can deepen your confidence, connect you to your intuition, and give you a profound sense of strength. But it can also be deeply disorienting if you’re unprepared, especially when things don’t go as expected. When you haven’t learned about the process, or practiced how to cope, or thought through your options, it’s easy to feel like you’re being swept along with no voice and no control. That emotional imprint doesn’t end when your baby is born. It shows up in the early days of postpartum, in how you connect with your baby, in how you view yourself as a mother.
This is why I feel so strongly that women need to do more than just trust the system. Birth is not just a series of medical events. It’s a transformational experience that deserves thought, care, and preparation.
So… How Do You Prepare?
This is where childbirth education becomes essential. You don’t need a degree in obstetrics to feel confident in birth, you just need the right tools and information. A good birth class doesn’t just teach you what to expect; it helps you actively prepare. You learn how to understand the stages of labor, how to make informed decisions when things change, how to use comfort measures, how your partner can truly support you, and how to communicate with your birth team. You also learn what’s normal, what’s not, and how to advocate for your needs.
But it’s more than just logistics, it’s about mindset. Preparing for birth gives you the opportunity to face your fears, build your confidence, and enter this moment with clarity instead of confusion. It helps your partner feel empowered too, so they’re not standing on the sidelines unsure of how to help. It gives you language, tools, and confidence to step fully into your experience.
At Birth Boot Camp, we walk you through all of this—from pregnancy and labor to postpartum recovery and breastfeeding. Whether you’re planning a natural birth or want to understand epidurals and interventions, our goal is the same: to help you feel prepared.
Birth Stays With You
We talk a lot about “healthy mom, healthy baby,” and while those outcomes absolutely matter, they’re not the only things that matter. Your birth experience matters, too. Because how you feel about your birth doesn’t disappear once your baby is in your arms. It becomes a part of your motherhood story. And you deserve to feel proud of that story.
That’s why I don’t believe in winging it. Birth deserves more than that. You deserve more than that.
If you’re expecting a baby, I invite you to take the time to prepare. Learn about your options. Ask questions. Practice comfort measures. Talk to your partner. Take a birth class that equips you with knowledge and confidence. Don’t wait until the big day to start thinking about what matters most.
Because birth will change you. Let’s make sure it changes you in the best possible way.
By Hollie Hauptly
Birth Boot Camp, CEO
Doula & Childbirth Educator
Doula Trainer
@birthbootcamp