My 2021 pronoun and gender identity journey was a real fun one– I’m laugh-crying about it tbh because it was A LOT. I went from she/her to she/they to they/she to they/them. (And yes, she/they and they/she mean different things to me.)  I currently describe myself and social location like this: Hey, I’m Court; my pronouns are they/them. I’m a white, trans, nonbinary, pansexual person. I live in a thin body, speak English, attended college and grad school with relative financial and logistical ease, and have access to housing, food, and health insurance. I am mentally ill, neurodivergent ..read more

Project TeenBirth is committed to serving young birthing people near and far. While our in-person services are currently Florida based, we hope that our blog and online resources can reach folks all over the globe. Each May we participate in Sex Ed for All Month. Our 2020 piece is all about How to Honor Your Sexual Health and Education– read it here. In 2021 we wrote Birth Control 101 for Teens and shared our Sex Positive Book + Guide for Teens. This year we are offering some tips and ideas for accessing accurate and sex-positive sex education. What is Sex Education? Planned Parenthood defines ..read more

First and foremost, ALL forms of feeding your baby are valid! This includes using your body to feed your baby, using pumping or donor milk to feed your baby, and using formula to feed your baby. At Project Teenbirth, we value and support your unique needs and preferences, and we will always connect you with support, resources, and information that affirm your choices. This article is specifically for young people who are curious about or choosing to use their body to feed their baby and will be returning to school. We are using the term bodyfeeding in this article, and we invite readers to use ..read more

  Pregnancy is a process with many layers. Each day, you will learn new things about yourself. Some parts of this transition will feel easy, exciting, and fun, while other parts of this transition feel unknown, difficult, and complicated. All of these experiences are valid. As a pregnant high schooler, you will be adjusting to pregnancy, considering your life as a parent or preparing for adoption, AND navigating the elements of your life that existed pre-pregnancy-- family, academics, and friendship, for example.  High school tends to be a time during which young people invest a lot ..read more

Finding out you are pregnant can be big news that comes along with big feelings, big questions, and big considerations. One thing you might be wondering is how to tell your parent(s) or caregiver(s). While each teen we serve and support has a unique relationship with their family, there are some general ideas and tips that can help you prepare for this conversation, if and when you are ready. (Remember: You have bodily autonomy, and you can practice it by deciding when and how you want to tell different people in your support network about your pregnancy.) As you explore these ideas, notice wh ..read more

“Bodily autonomy is the simple but radical concept that individuals have the right to control what does and does not happen to our bodies. When we have full bodily autonomy, not only are we empowered to make decisions about our health and future – without coercion or control by others – we also have the support and resources needed to meaningfully carry out these decisions.” -Positive Women’s Network As a birthing person, specifically as a birthing teenager, naming and claiming your bodily autonomy can support you in feeling empowered in any pregnancy experience and outcome.  Bodily auton ..read more

As you anticipate your birth and work through your birth preferences, you will also want to spend some time thinking about your birth bag. For many birthing people, this task feels overwhelming, as they don’t know what to expect or anticipate. Others are so busy thinking about the birthing process, that “stuff” slips their mind. Project Teenbirth is here to offer you some guidance based on what has worked for our past clients. As always, take what works for you, leave the rest, and trust yourself through your process. What You Need to Know About Packing Your Birth Bags You will need and want a ..read more

One service that Project TeenBirth (and many other birth workers) offers is placenta encapsulation. Sometimes clients come to us knowing they want this service, while others have not heard of it. This article will give you a solid introduction to this practice, as well as other placenta-related ideas you might like to consider as you create your birth preferences.       What is Placenta Encapsulation? During pregnancy, your body develops an extra organ-- the placenta. The placenta’s job is to exchange nutrients, oxygen, and blood between the birthing person and their baby ..read more

In previous blogs, we’ve talked about creating your birth plan and different hospital interventions you may consider or be offered. In this article, we are sharing information about newborn care procedures and options you have as a parent, which can be elements of your birth preparation and planning. As you work with your care providers to discuss options and create your intentions for birth and postpartum-- including newborn care, it can be helpful to apply the BRAIN strategy. Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition (checking in with body and heart), Nothing (as in “What if I do nothing ..read more

If you are a birthing person, as you prepare for labor and birth, you will consider who will be present at the birth and what support you’d like from them as you create your birth plan. If you are the partner of a birthing person, you may be wondering-- what exactly will my role be?! In some cases, you may be interested in working with a doula in addition to your personal support person. (Read more about our services if the term “doula” is new to you!) In this blog, we will outline some of the ways partners can show up during the labor, birth, and immediate postpartum time. We will use the wor ..read more