Episode 8: Nonjudgmental Support

In recent years the phrase nonjudgmental support has become a buzzword in the birth community.

As birth professionals, we know that language matters. Yet our implicit and explicit biases can often cause us to express judgment. Even when we do not intend to do so.

Today we discuss nonjudgmental support with Kristyn Blocher.

Nonjudgmental support is unconditional. Often we hear a birth professional say “I provide nonjudgmental support as long as my client is making an informed decision”. Statements such as these apply conditions to the support we give. The reality is that people make decisions based on different criteria. Only as mall percentage will make decisions based on all the evidence.

Nonjudgmental support is the ability to support a client’s choices without being tied to the outcomes of their experiences. This is a hard topic to navigate. Especially for those who may have been trained to believe that their role in birth is to help lower the rates of interventions and improve outcomes.

Come join us in the conversation and learn the mistakes we made along the way in learning to provide truly nonjudgmental support.