Birth preparation for your first baby—or your next.
Oh sh*t this baby has to come out of me.
That thought probably hit you out of nowhere: in the shower, in the grocery store, or at 4 a.m. when the pregnancy insomnia is kicking in. You’re excited to meet your baby, but nervous AF about getting them here.
Hi, I’m Ivy—a certified birth doula, childbirth educator, and mom of three. And I’ve got you, mama.
No more "I hope it goes okay" or "I'll just show up and do what they tell me."
You deserve to walk into your birth space knowing what you want and how to ask for it.
A 73 page guide to take you from "oh sh*t" to "I've got this"
$19.99 - Let's Prepare Together!
WHAT'S INSIDE THE PDF
Let's swap the fear for confidence.
You've read the birth stories. Saved the hospital bag lists. Opened approximately 47 tabs. And you're still wondering what you're actually supposed to do to prepare.
Maybe this is your first baby and you don't know what you don't know. What goes in a birth plan? What actually helps with contractions? What happens after the baby is born?
Maybe this is your second or third, and between taking care of the kids you already have and growing another one, birth prep keeps sliding to the bottom of the list.
Or maybe you remember your last birth very clearly, and there are things you want to understand, talk about, or do differently this time.
Whatever your story, you deserve a place to work through those questions, with support and zero pressure to choose one "right" kind of birth.
This guide walks you through five sections, packed with reflection questions and planning activities to help you connect what you learn to your birth. Read, pause, make notes, and bring your questions to your provider. Then work through your preferences with your partner or support team, so everyone knows what you want and how to back you up.
I've got you, girl.
Know your options—and practice using your voice
Explore signs of labor and questions about when to contact your care team, alongside your provider’s individual instructions.
Learn about labor positions, birth environments, monitoring, cervical exams, and assisted delivery. Reflection questions, practice dialogues, and discussion scenarios give you a starting point for talking about preferences, asking questions, and communicating boundaries.
Give your partner something more useful than “just be supportive”
The dad’s labor checklist covers preparation, practical support, communication, and questions to discuss together. Talk through who calls the provider, who updates the family, what comfort measures you want to try, and arrangements for your other children.
Because “What do you need me to do?” is a conversation worth having before the contractions start. Use the hospital bag checklist and contact-information page to organize the practical details.
Prepare for what happens after baby arrives
Explore the immediate postpartum period, including skin-to-skin, the placenta, and care after delivery. Use newborn-procedure discussion questions to prepare for conversations with your baby’s care team, and postpartum checklists to organize meals, supplies, household help, and support at home.
Think through pain management before labor
Explore an introduction to medical pain relief and nonmedical comfort measures, including movement, water, temperature, and partner support. Create a pain-coping plan to share with your support team.
An epidural can be part of your plan. An unmedicated birth can be part of your plan. Changing your mind can be part of your birth, too.
Make room for the “what ifs”
Work through 12 backup scenarios, including a very fast labor, a long start-stop labor, induction, an unplanned cesarean, and NICU care. The prompts help you consider communication, practical arrangements, and emotional support if your birth takes an unexpected turn.
Preparing for another possibility doesn’t mean you have to let go of the birth you’re hoping for. It gives you a way to think about support if circumstances change.
Let’s turn “I have no idea what to plan for” into a place to start.
The goal is to understand more of what may happen, identify what matters to you, and prepare for conversations before you’re having them between contractions.
A birth plan that starts with what matters to you.
You don’t have to stare at a blank page and somehow know what belongs on it.
The guide includes a sample birth plan and a blank birth-preferences template, with space for labor, delivery, postpartum, and cesarean preferences.
Use the education and reflection questions to work out your priorities, then bring them together in a plan you can discuss with your care team.
Your preferences matter. So do your needs in the moment.
Get My Birth Prep Guide — $19.99First baby? Third baby? There’s room for you here.
This guide is for you if:
- You’re preparing for your first birth and want a clearer place to start.
- You’ve given birth before and want a refresher or a different approach to preparation.
- You have preferences but want to think through other possibilities, too.
- You want your partner or support team involved in the planning.
- You’re preparing for a home or hospital birth, considering an unmedicated birth, planning an epidural, or still figuring out what you want.
You don’t have to know all your answers before you begin. Working through the questions is part of the preparation.
Hey, I’m Ivy.
I’m a certified birth doula, childbirth educator, mom of three, and the person behind Sutton They Don’t Teach. I also have a Master’s in Education, so helping people learn and apply information is a big part of what I do.
I created this guide to give you birth education you can work through, questions worth considering, and practical tools to share with your support team.
I want you to feel like you have a friend in your corner—someone who can help you sort through the information and make space for what matters to you.
You deserve to understand your options and be part of the conversation about your care.
A few questions you might have
Is this only for first-time moms?
No. It’s also for moms preparing for their second, third, or later birth who want to refresh their knowledge, revisit preferences, or think through a different experience this time.
Will it help if I’m planning an epidural?
Yes. It includes an introduction to medical pain relief as well as nonmedical comfort measures and a pain-coping plan. The planning questions can help you prepare conversations about your preferences with your care team.
What if I’m planning a home birth?
The guide includes home-birth reflection questions and planning tools you can discuss with your midwife. Some sections, such as hospital packing and hospital procedures, will be more relevant to hospital birth or backup planning.
Does this promise a “dream birth”?
Birth can be unpredictable, and no guide can guarantee an outcome. This guide helps you explore the birth you’re hoping for while also considering other possibilities and the support you may want if plans change.
Is this a full childbirth course or personalized care?
It’s a self-guided educational ebook with reflection questions, checklists, and planning tools. Use it alongside your provider’s advice. It doesn’t replace individualized medical care, a full childbirth course, or in-person doula support.
What am I purchasing?
A 73-page digital ebook for $19.99, including birth education, reflection questions, a pain-coping plan, hospital bag and partner checklists, postpartum preparation checklists, newborn-procedure discussion questions, 12 backup scenarios, and sample and blank birth-plan pages.
Give yourself a place to start.
Whether you’re wondering what birth will be like or thinking, “This time, I want to prepare differently,” you can start with one section, one question, and one conversation.
Prepare for the birth you’re hoping for. Make room for the support you may need along the way.
The Ultimate Guide to Preparing for Your Birth: How to Achieve Your Dream Birth
73-page digital guide | $19.99
Get My Birth Prep Guide — $19.99
Sutton They Don’t Teach
Educational information. Discuss medical decisions and your individual circumstances with your qualified care team.
Questions about the guide? Email [email protected]
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