We make lists, take classes, read books, practice breathing, learn positions, choose providers, hire doulas, tour hospitals, and write birth preferences. We try to understand what might happen, so we can feel ready when the day comes. And I believe in all of that.

But after experiencing birth in several very different ways myself, I have come to understand preparation differently.

We met just south of the Santa Monica Pier for a short maternity session to celebrate a growing family and announce the exciting news that their little one is on the way. The beach was alive with summer energy. Families wandered along the shoreline, the tide was low enough to leave a beautiful stretch of wet sand reflecting the sky, and every now and then we could hear cheers from the World Cup watch party on the pier.