Preparing for Birth — What I Found Helpful

I wanted to share a few things I’ve come across recently while looking into pregnancy and birth. This includes prenatal education, what to pack for your hospital stay, and some pregnancy support services that might be helpful.

Firstly, though, a small update. A couple of weeks ago, I had my 20-week scan and was told everything looks good — she’s growing well, with a strong heartbeat. They also mentioned she has long legs — my tall girl, lol. She never seems to stay still during scans. I wonder if that means she’ll be a squiggly baby — always on the move as she gets older.

Anyway, back to the research. I’ve included some of what I came across below, along with links. Some of this will vary depending on where you live — particularly the support services — but it should give you a sense of what’s out there, if you need it.

Making a Birthing Plan

I’ll start with the birth plan side of things. To be honest, it wasn’t something I’d given much thought to until this point. In my mind, there weren’t really any specific preferences — like a water birth, which my hospital doesn’t offer anyway. The plan was to just see how it went on the day and go with the flow. I also thought that even with a plan, depending on how the birth went, it could all go out the window anyway. After speaking with my doctor, she essentially said the same thing.

It wasn’t until I started looking into things a bit more, and came across some really helpful information from Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, that I realised there’s more to a birth plan than I first thought.

Things like who you want around you for support (ok, I had thought of that!), whether you want to stay active during labour, and how you feel about pain relief or medical intervention.

There are also decisions around what happens after your baby arrives — things like skin-to-skin contact, feeding, and who will be there to support you once you’re home.

For me, it shifted the idea of a “plan” into something more like understanding my options and thinking about them ahead of time — while knowing things can change.

I’d recommend having a read through Making a birth plan by Pregnancy, Birth and Baby — it has some really useful information.

Prenatal Education

Next, I wanted to look into birthing classes. I don’t know if it’s just my area, but free face-to-face options seem quite limited. That’s not to say they aren’t available elsewhere. For me, though, if I want to attend a weekend course at the hospital where I’m giving birth, it costs just under $400. Then there is another hospital closer to me offering a similar course for $140. Both of these are priced for two people to attend. You’ll also find independent classes — often run by doulas — which can be a good option, but they usually come at a cost as well. So it’s worth having a look at what’s available near you and comparing options.

If face-to-face classes aren’t accessible or are too pricey, online options can be a good alternative. As an example, if you visit Tummy Talks, they offer a range of free webinars covering pregnancy, birth, and the early stages once your baby arrives. What stood out to me is that these sessions are run live, so you can ask questions as you go, rather than just reading through information on your own. It feels a bit more like a conversation, which I think could be helpful.

I also came across some helpful information on Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, which explains what antenatal classes actually involve. It goes through what they typically cover — like the signs of labour, pain relief, breastfeeding, and newborn care — as well as who runs them, the different types available, and how to find one. I found it useful just to get a clearer picture of what to expect.

Lastly, I found a program called the Shichida Method, which is an early learning approach that focuses on development from a very young age.

While looking into it, I found they also offer a free ebook called the Guide to Shichida Prenatal Education. This guide looks at early learning before birth, including how babies may respond to things like sound and light in the womb, along with ideas around communication, environment, and building an emotional connection during pregnancy.

If you visit their page, you can download the guide and read through it in more detail. I found it interesting to look at, particularly as it offers a slightly different perspective on preparing for what’s ahead.

FREE Hospital Checklist

Thinking about a birth plan, as mentioned above, also led me to start thinking about what I might actually need to pack for the big event. I came across a really handy hospital bag checklist that is free to download through You Birth. It’s created by a registered midwife and is part of a broader focus on supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and early parenting.

The checklist itself is quite practical — covering things for you, your baby, and your support person, along with a few extras that aren’t always obvious (and that I found quite funny). If you scroll down to the bottom of their page and join their mailing list, you’ll receive the free Hospital and Birth Checklist — and you’ll also stay up to date with any additional birth education information they share.

A Helpful Audiobook on Pregnancy and Birth

I don’t know about you, but I love being able to put something on while I go for a walk, drive, or potter around the house — so it made sense to use that time to learn a bit more as well. I came across an audiobook on Spotify called The Complete Australian Guide to Pregnancy and Birth. It covers a wide range of topics, from pregnancy and labour through to birth and those early postpartum stages, and brings together insights from midwives, doctors, and other health professionals.

It also includes real birth experiences, which I find helpful for getting a sense of how different they can be. If you have a paid Spotify subscription, you can listen to it without any additional cost. If not, the audiobook is currently around $35.90 — so depending on how you prefer to access it, it might be worth considering a one-month subscription instead.

Support That’s Available

To finish this post off, I wanted to include some information on support services. Right now, a lot of people are doing things tough, and there are organisations out there that can help — not just with smaller baby items, but also with larger essentials like prams, car seats and cots.

One organisation I came across is We Care Connect. They support families across the Central Coast and Hunter Region by providing good-quality, pre-loved baby and children’s items to those who need them. It’s a great service that supports families, or soon-to-be families, with items they need. Depending on where you live, there may be similar organisations available in your area — I’ve included this here just to give you an idea of what might be out there.

To access support through We Care Connect, you do need a referral — they don’t take direct enquiries. You can contact the Benevolent Family Referral Service or Uniting Family Services, where you can talk through your situation over the phone and explore what support might be available. This could include access to baby items, as well as other services such as parenting support or financial assistance. From there, they can connect you with the appropriate programs and help guide you through the next steps.

If this is something you think might be helpful, it could be worth reaching out to see what’s available in your area. To find out more, you can click here — you’ll find contact details for both services on that page.

Looking Ahead

I hope some of the information above has been useful. I’ll continue to share anything that might be worth looking into over the coming months. I’m also planning to put together a dedicated resources page. If you’ve come across anything that could be worth including, feel free to share it — you can contact me here.

Are you pursuing IVF as a single woman, or know someone who is?
Me, Myself & IVF Journal — find out more here.