Deciding with Heart, Not Fear.
When you know your options, you can make
your decisions with your heart, not fear.
~Author Unknown
The Magic of Informed Choice and Shared Decision Making
At The Center for Birth — and through every birth we attend for the Blue Heron Women's Foundation — we believe birth is not something that happens to a woman. It is something she does, something she leads.
And to lead, a woman needs more than support.
She needs information.
She needs options.
She needs trust in her ability to choose what’s best for herself and her baby. As well as build trust in her midwives.
That is the heart of informed choice and shared decision-making.
It’s not just a philosophy — it’s a promise we make to every family we serve.
What Is Informed Choice?
Informed choice means you are given complete information in an easy to understand manner about options available to you — including the risks, benefits, and alternatives — without pressure or fear tactics.
It means that you, are in the driver’s seat of your care.
You have the right to ask questions. You have the right to say yes. You have the right to say no. You have the right to take time to decide.
Our role as midwives is not to dictate your journey.
It’s to walk alongside you, lighting the way, and respecting the path you choose.
What Is Shared Decision Making?
Shared decision-making builds on informed choice by turning the care relationship into a collaboration — not a hierarchy. You know what is best for you and your baby, not us.
Here’s how it looks in real life:
We bring our clinical knowledge, experience, and understanding of safety and physiology surrounding pregnancy, labor, and birth.
You bring your body wisdom, intuition, values, as well as hopes and dreams for your birth.
Together, we create a care plan that honors both.
This might mean discussing different labor positions, the use of water for pain relief, what prenatal testing to have, ultrasounds, childbirth education and doulas, or making choices about newborn procedures and screenings.
It is never about handing you a "rulebook" and skewing our informed consent so you do it “our way”. It’s about building a relationship of trust where your voice matters at every step where we leave our bias out of the conversation.
Why It Matters
Studies consistently show that when women are respected and included in decisions:
Birth satisfaction soars.
Emotional healing after birth is easier, even when the birth doesn’t go exactly as planned.
Trust in healthcare providers grows.
Trauma and disappointment decrease dramatically.
At Center for Birth, we aren’t just attending births — we are nurturing and changing lives one birth at a time.
At Blue Heron Women’s Foundation, we are fighting to ensure that informed choice is not just a privilege for those who can afford it — but a right for every woman, no matter her circumstances.
Our Promise to You
Whether you are a private client or receiving services through our Foundation, you can expect:
Honest conversations
Respect for your unique needs and wishes
Evidence-based care and information without judgment
Freedom to be the author of your birth story
Birth is powerful.
Your birth voice is sacred.
We are here to protect it.
Ready to begin your journey?
Learn more about our midwifery care and what our birth center has to offer you! You can join us on Wednesdays at noon for a free tour of our gorgeous birth center, meet the midwives and see what all of the excitement is about. Let’s get started planning your dream birth!
Life feeling busy and hectic? You can do a free phone consult with Midwife Bri!
She offers flexible times to make it work for everyone’s schedules.
Or, to support Blue Heron Women's Foundation in offering free, empowering births to underserved women - click here. Together we can change peoples’ lives with your donation!