It is something that comes up time and time again when talking to parents about making choices about their maternity care: It goes something like this...

Mum: I know that I could have done, but I didn't email the Head of Midwifery asking her to grant permission for me to use the pool for my VBAC because I didn't want to be 'that' person, I didn't want to ruffle any feathers ahead of my birth and then be treated differently because of it.

insert any reason here

When numbers and charts enter the realm of maternity care, they can shape your pregnancy and birth experience far more than you might expect. We are not machines, and treating our bodies as such—through constant measurements—doesn’t always make sense. Though metrics like growth scans, bump measurements, and CTG readings are offered to track progress, it’s essential to consider how much they truly serve you. After all, pregnancy is a deeply personal journey that extends beyond what can be quantified on a chart.