Part 2 · Your Support Picture

Your support readiness check-in

1. 1.Who is your planned birth support person?

   Select all that apply

   My partner / husbandMy mother or mother-in-lawA close friend or sisterA professional doula I've already hiredI'm still decidingI haven't thought about this yetI plan to manage mostly on my own

2. 2.Has your support person done any specific preparation for how to support you during labour and birth?

   Yes — they've actively prepared. Read things, watched things, or attended sessions with meThey've shown interest but haven't done much yetThey're planning to "be there for me" but haven't prepared specificallyThey don't think specific preparation is necessary. They say it'll be fine on the day.I don't know what they've done or plan to do

3. 3.It's 2am. Contractions are coming every 4 minutes and they're strong enough that you have to stop and breathe through each one. Without asking, your support person would most likely:

   Already know what to do — massage, positioning, breathing — no prompting neededTry their best but need me to guide them between contractionsAsk me what I need, even though I wouldn't be able to answerFeel helpless and not really know where to put themselvesI genuinely can't picture what they would do

4. 4.Does your support person know the specific encouraging words and phrases that help you when things get hard?

   Yes — they know exactly what I need to hear and whenThey're generally encouraging but we've never specifically talked about thisThey tend to go quiet when things get intense — they don't always know what to sayThey sometimes say things that don't help, even when they mean wellWe've never discussed this at all

5. 5.If a doctor recommended something during your labour that wasn't in your birth plan, and you couldn't respond. Your support person would most likely:

   Speak calmly and confidently on my behalf — ask questions, buy time, hold the spaceTry to help but would probably defer to whatever the medical team suggestedAgree with the doctor, assuming they know bestThey don't know my preferences in enough detail to know what to sayWe've never discussed this scenario

6. 6.How would you describe your support person's emotional relationship with birth?

   Calm and confident — they see birth as something women's bodies are built forFairly calm, though they have some nerves they manage wellNervous — they don't really know what to expect and that showsAnxious — birth feels risky and scary to them and they've said soI'm not sure — we haven't really talked about how they feel about it

7. 7.Has your support person ever been in a birth space before, whether yours or someone else's?

   Yes — they've been through this with me before or supported someone elseNo — this will be their first time in a birth spaceNo, but they've done significant preparation to understand what to expectNo, and they haven't done much preparation either

8. 8.Does your support person have a clear plan for the journey from home to hospital when labour begins?

   Yes — we've talked it through. Car prepared, route clear, plan for every scenarioLoosely — we've thought about it but haven't worked through the detailsNot really — we've assumed it'll be straightforward on the dayNo — we haven't thought about this at all

9. 9.If your labour lasts 18–24 hours, common for first-time mothers, does your support person have a plan for sustaining themselves?

   Yes — we've planned for this. Food, change of clothes, and a backup support person if neededLoosely — we've talked about it but not planned properlyNo — we haven't considered how long it might actually takeI don't think they realise how long labour can be

10. 10.Does your support person know what is in your birth bag and where it is?

    Yes — they helped pack it and know exactly what's in there and whyThey know it exists but don't know the details of what's insideI've packed it but we haven't talked through it togetherThe birth bag hasn't been packed yet

11. 11.When your support person needs to step away to refill water or speak to a nurse. Who is with you during that time?

    We've planned for this — there's a second support person or a doula who covers those momentsMy main support person would handle it quickly and come straight backI haven't thought about this — there would likely be a gapI would probably be alone during those moments

12. 12.Right now, does your support person know the following?

    Tick everything that is currently true

    Which hospital you're delivering at and the exact route to the entranceWhen to leave home versus when to call the hospitalWhat to do if labour starts overnight while they're asleepYour preferences for pain management, what you want and what you don't wantWhat to say if a medical recommendation is made that you hadn't agreed toAt least two or three specific things they can do to help you through a contractionThe name of your midwife or doctor and the number to call when things beginThat their phone should be off or on silent throughout labour

13. 13.After your baby arrives, in the first six weeks, who is your primary support at home?

    My partner, who will take significant time off workMy mother or a family member staying with usA postpartum professional — a night nurse, doula, or maternity nurseMy partner, but they'll return to work within a week or twoMostly just me and my partner figuring it out togetherI haven't thought this far ahead yet — I'm focused on the birth first