Another week, another maternity report. And if you’ve been pregnant for more than five minutes, you’ll have seen it land in your news feed – probably at a time when you were already anxious, already doom-scrolling, already wondering if your body and the system around you can be trusted.

You’re pregnant. . .and if you’re anything like most of the people I work with, you’ve already been down the rabbit hole – the Amazon lists, the ‘must have’ reels, the influencer hauls. You’ve probably spent more time comparing travel systems than you have thinking about the birth itself.

Your fear is not irrational. It is the most logical response in the world. And it doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re paying attention.

Let me guess. You’ve typed some version of this question into Google at an unreasonable hour, then immediately wished you hadn’t. . .