Your birth partner wants to help and you're not sure they’ll know how.

Maybe you’re worried they’ll panic when things feel intense.

That they’ll keep asking what you need when you haven’t got the words.

Or that you’ll find yourself reassuring them when you need their attention and support.

You want to know they have somewhere to start, so you can put more of your attention into birthing your baby.

Your birth partner may be worrying too

“What if I say the wrong thing?”

“What if I annoy them when I’m trying to help?”

“What if I freeze or something happens to them or the baby?”

Those worries deserve space before birth. This journal helps you start that conversation and agree how your birth partner can get support too.

Turn “I'm worried I won't know how to support you” into clarity and confidence as you walk into birth.

Know Each Other Before Birth guides you through three short steps:

1. Share what helps you.
Explore how you respond when you feel overwhelmed, what you’d like your birth partner to try, and what might feel unhelpful.

2. Make space for their worries.
Help your birth partner recognise what happens when they feel afraid and decide who they can turn to for reassurance.

3. Make your support plan.
Bring your answers together into a few clear reminders you can keep on your phone and revisit before birth.

There are example phrases to help you begin. You can write a few words or talk through your answers together.

Forget “we’ll work it out on the day”

By the end, you’ll have agreed:

Two helpful things your birth partner can try when you seem overwhelmed.

A simple way to check what you need without lots of questions.

Words or actions you’d prefer them to avoid.

A plan for getting reassurance if they feel worried.

For you, that can mean feeling more understood and less concerned about having to direct every moment.

For your birth partner, it means having something specific to do and knowing how to ask for help.

You may still feel nervous about birth. But you’ll have talked about how to face those moments together.

A few pages. A useful conversation before birth.

I’m Laura Wynn, a doula and pregnancy and postnatal yoga teacher.

I created this journal to help you talk about the support you’ll actually want when birth begins and give your birth partner a clearer understanding of their role.

Use it with your partner, friend, relative or whoever will be alongside you.

Download your free journal and start your support plan together.