08/03/2026
A friend of mine just tried on her wedding dress and felt… wrong in it.
You know that feeling.
The zip wouldn’t quite close the way she imagined. The mirror suddenly felt harsh. The dress that looked perfect on the hanger made her question her body.
Immediately the suggestions started.
“Maybe lose a little weight before the wedding.”
“Cut carbs for a few weeks.”
“Just tone up your arms.”
“You’ve got time to change your body.”
And for a moment, she considered it.
Changing her eating.
Changing her routines.
Changing her body, all to fit the dress.
Then she paused and said something beautifully simple:
“Why would I change my body for the dress… when I could just change the dress?”
So she did.
She bought a dress that fit her body exactly as it was.
And suddenly she looked radiant. Relaxed. Completely herself.
Nothing about her body had been the problem.
The dress was.
And I think about this story a lot when I talk about birth.
Because so many women are being told to change themselves to fit a system.
To accept things that don’t feel right.
To bend around policies.
To adjust their instincts.
To reshape their plans to make the system comfortable.
But what if we asked a different question?
Where are you trying to change yourself to fit the dress?
Are you planning to birth in a location that doesn’t suit the type of birth you actually want?
Are you inviting people into your birth space because it’s expected not because it feels safe to you?
Are you agreeing to tests, meetings, timelines, or interventions just to keep the system happy?
Sometimes the problem isn’t you.
Sometimes the problem is the dress.
You don’t need to shrink yourself to fit it.
Change the bloody dress.
Choose the environment that supports you.
Choose the care that respects you.
Choose the people who make you feel safe.
Birth isn’t about becoming smaller so the system can manage you.
It’s about creating a space where you can be fully yourself.
Thanks for the inspiration Roxy Potts!!!