Welcome to our dedicated space for those on the path to becoming or advancing as size-friendly birth professionals.
Start your exploration with a brief quiz to find out how you align with size-friendly birth practices.
Rest assured, we're here to support you!
Lean on our expertise and resources, all crafted to champion size-inclusive maternity care.
Take the first steps, enrich your knowledge, and let your expertise shine brighter in your role.
What is a size-friendly birth professional?
A size-friendly birth professional is someone who provides evidence-based, compassionate care or services.
Additionally, it's a person who has addressed their size bias and is comfortable and competent in supporting people with a BMI over 30.
Resources for Size-Friendly Birth Professionals
Below, you'll find helpful Plus Size Birth articles, insightful podcast interviews, and further resources to bolster your journey.
Plus Size Birth
With millions of visitors and over a decade worth of content, Plus Size Birth is the leading plus size pregnancy website. Here you'll find resources for plus size pregnancy, a guide to plus size maternity clothes, birth stories, week-by-week plus size pregnancy breakdown, and so much more!
In our blog, you'll find helpful articles like 5 Steps To Becoming The Size-Friendly Midwife Someone Really Needs.
We also offer the My Plus Size Pregnancy Guide and audiobook cover everything a person wants to know about having a plus size pregnancy.
Be sure to connect via social media on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. And if you're interested in consulting on how to be a size-friendly professional, learn more.
Plus Mommy Podcast
The Plus Mommy Podcast, hosted by Jen McLellan founder of Plus Size Birth, explores topics around plus size pregnancy and parenthood. Some of the most memorable episodes are with size-friendly birth professionals sharing their expertise. We're highlighting three below!
You can listen to all episodes via your favorite podcast app from Apple Podcast to Spotify.
Size-Friendly Birth Professional Podcast Episodes
- How Research is Revealing Fat Shaming in Maternity Care, hear from researchers Dr. Erin D. Basinger and Dr. Margaret Quinlan (episode 201).
- Fat Black Pregnant – Fiona’s Powerful Story And Fight For Change, an unforgettable episode with a Black woman hoping to see a change in the maternity system (episode 185).
- Pregnancy Ultrasounds – 7 Things To Know During A Plus Size Pregnancy, with an ultrasound technician (episode 165)
- How To Navigate A Broken System with Dr. Christine Sterling, OBGYN, with Dr. Sterling, OBGYN (episode 162)
- Why We Need To Be Talking About Weight Stigma In Maternity Care with Dr. Neel Shah, MD, MPP, FACOG (episode 133).
- Powerful Conversation About Plus Size Pregnancy With An OB-GYN with Dr. Nicole Calloway Rankins (episode 121).
- A Promising Look At The Evidence Behind Plus Size Pregnancy Risks with Rebecca Dekker, PhD, RN (episode 70).
- A Labor And Delivery Nurse Talks About Failing Plus Size Moms with a labor and delivery nurse who chose to be anonymous so she could be brutally honest (episode 51).
Pregnancy For Everybody
In 2019, the National Child And Maternal Health Educational Program from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Pregnancy For Everybody initiative.
Plus Size Birth is listed as a resource, and Jen was honored to have collaborated with NIH on this needed project.
The Pregnancy For Everybody resource standouts by sharing evidence-based information in an empowering way.
ACOG's Obesity In Pregnancy Frequently Asked Questions is also a valuable resource. However, it contains language some may find triggering and focuses heavily on increased risks and weight loss.
Advantage Midwifery is another evidence-based resource with a lot of helpful information, including educational videos. It also comes with a warning for language and focuses on weight.