Pregnancy isn’t just about growing a baby, it’s also about growing to become a parent.
There are few people who understand this transformation better than Needed Changemaker Carson Meyer. As a doula, mother, and author, she’s spent years supporting families through this life-changing journey. Her new book, Growing Together, is the guide she wishes every parent had—one that goes beyond just the medical side of pregnancy to honor the emotional, spiritual, and intuitive shifts that come with bringing a child into the world.
Inspired by her popular Growing Together virtual birth prep circles, her book serves as both a guide and a grounding force, offering weekly insights, nourishing rituals, expert-backed knowledge, and encouragement. If you’re looking for a fresh, holistic take on pregnancy, one that reminds you to trust yourself as much as the process, this is the book belongs on your nightstand.
Carson sat down with Needed to share the inspiration behind her book, including why pregnancy care needs a mindset shift, the postpartum truths she wishes more parents knew, and why trusting yourself might just be the most important preparation of all.
Needed: Growing Together is such a great title—it suggests that pregnancy isn’t just about growing a baby but about evolving into a parent, too. What inspired you to write this book, and how did your experience as a doula shape the way you approached it?
Carson: Thank you! I really love the title too! To me, it also reflects that I, as a doula, continue to learn and grow alongside my clients, who are my greatest teachers. The book is inspired by the virtual birth prep circles (also titled Growing Together) that bring together women from all over the world to learn and unlearn together to prepare for birth and beyond. My own journey to motherhood was also a driving force behind writing the book.
Needed: So many pregnancy books focus on the medical side of things, but yours takes a more holistic and spirit-centered approach. Why do you think that’s so important for expecting parents?
Carson: Many of the best-selling books on pregnancy over the past few decades have a strong emphasis on data analysis. Although this information has great purpose and value at times (and my book contains much of it too), it was really important to me that Growing Together brought a more balanced perspective and heart-centered approach to the conversation. The book speaks to the spiritual and emotional aspects of matrescence that cannot be reduced to numbers.
In our modern world, there is a desire to grasp a feeling of certainty and find answers outside of ourselves, yet parents are more anxious than ever. I believe that birth and parenthood, by design, invite us to expand our capacity to be in the deep unknown and meet our children with greater presence as a result. When we recognize birth as the divine rite of passage that it is, it reminds us to have reverence for the individual needs of a child and a family. The brilliance of the body and the innate wisdom of mothers have kept our species going since the beginning of time.
Needed: Your book includes rituals. If you had to pick one practice or mindset shift that can make the biggest difference during pregnancy, what would it be?
Carson: One simple yet powerful ritual for me was talking to my daughter while she was in the womb. It not only helped me regulate my nervous system, but I found it also strengthened our bond in utero and after birth. This practice really came in handy during my labor. I spoke to her the entire time between each contraction. It came more naturally for me to mother her through the gravity of birth than it did to reassure myself. Speaking positive affirmations of love to her undoubtedly helped me through each wave.
Needed: Nutrition is such a key piece of pregnancy and postpartum recovery, but it’s often overlooked in standard care. What are some of the most important foods or nutrients you emphasize for feeling your best during this time?
Carson: The ancestral approach to eating resonates most with me, and I have seen really great results with clients after prioritizing animal protein, high-quality fish, and organ meats in the diet. Organ meats are rich in iron, choline, B vitamins, and other essential nutrients for pregnancy. Fish is an excellent source of healthy fat that supports both the maternal and fetal brain.
Bone broth is rich in collagen and can be a nice blood sugar-balancing snack to sip on throughout the day to help with digestion and hydration while delivering a boost of nutrients. Plus, adding homemade broths and stocks to home-cooked meals makes meals extra delicious.
Needed: Birth environments can be wildly different—from home births to hospitals. What are the most essential ways parents can advocate for themselves no matter where they give birth?
Carson: Education is power. Knowing your options—and knowing that you have options—is the first step. This is where the Growing Together Circle and book come in as valuable resources to do just that.
In the book, I walk readers through activities that invite them to take inventory of any blocks they may have around speaking their needs or advocating for themselves. Other chapters contain more practical advice, such as creating a birth intentions document to talk through with your provider prior to birth to gauge if you are working with someone who is aligned with your values and who honors your right to informed decision-making.
Needed: You don’t just stop at birth—you dive into the fourth trimester, too. What’s one thing you wish every new parent knew about postpartum recovery?
Carson: I wish every parent knew that investing in postpartum doula support, nourishment, and bodywork is far more valuable than any baby gear or nursery investment. I also wish that every parent knew that it is okay to ask for help and create boundaries to honor the rest, space, and peace of their postpartum bubble.
Needed: There’s often so much emphasis on preparing for labor, but not nearly enough on preparing for what comes after. What are some ways expecting parents can set themselves up for a smoother transition into postpartum?
Carson: The pace that postpartum asks of us and requires for rest and healing can be challenging for women and couples to drop into in the busy, fast-paced, high-achieving world we live in today. I can speak from experience—shifting gears does not come naturally to me and actually requires some practice. Often, the end of pregnancy is perceived as a race to the finish line to pack in as much work and as many to-dos as possible before the baby arrives. However, I think there is a lot of value in using this time to soften into a different speed and prepare for a season ahead that will not look efficient in the same ways it once did.
Another crucial consideration when planning for a harmonious postpartum is making sure you have the support you need for good nourishment (this is so key!). Whether you hire a postpartum doula, have a meal delivery service, or organize a meal train with friends and family, make sure that thoughtful, nutritious meals are taken care of in the early weeks of parenthood. This will not only take a task off your or your partner's plate but will also promote balanced blood sugar to support your hormones and enrich your breast milk quality and supply.
Needed: The mental and emotional shifts of new parenthood can be intense. What advice do you have for navigating the ups and downs without feeling completely overwhelmed?
Carson: Commit to working on regulating your nervous system and addressing your physical and emotional needs so that you can show up as your strongest and sturdiest self. This is a lifelong practice, and boy, does parenthood really propel you into deep growth!
Also, I know it sounds cliché, but support and community are key.
Needed: Have any parts of parenting been harder or easier for you than you expected?
Carson: My work gave me the privilege of experience and wisdom that left me feeling so prepared for birth and deeply held through postpartum and life with a newborn. I was equipped and ready to be in the trenches of sleep (or lack of it), breastfeeding, and the physical and emotional changes of early motherhood. The toddler years, on the other hand… I am humbly trying to navigate day by day. It is truly the best—having this hilarious, brilliant, energetic little human running the show—and wow, I didn’t realize how quickly they grow and keep you growing too! Finding the balance of reintegrating into work and personal needs while in these early years is not always easy for me. I keep returning to a lot of the core themes and tools within my book that served me so much in those first 100 days. Specifically, the inner child work that Jessica Silver walks readers through has been a helpful tool for me now more than ever.
Needed: Your Growing Together Circle offers community support alongside birth prep. What are the biggest benefits of having a built-in support system during pregnancy and postpartum?
This journey was never intended to be made in isolation. Having a community of women to lean on—who understand what this transformation entails—can be so comforting and supportive. Within the Growing Together Community, we have a group chat where moms connect with one another all day long, feeling seen and heard through whatever they are navigating in the season of motherhood they are in. When we come together, we feel less alone and can uplift one another, being a source of strength and encouragement. Giving support is just as valuable as receiving it, and when we are in community, we get to experience the benefits of both.
Needed: There are so many outdated narratives about birth and postpartum. What’s one common misconception you’d love to see parents unlearn?
Carson: I think there is too much emphasis right now on maternal age. I wish that we, as a culture, could detach from the fear-based narrative around age and see each woman as a unique individual whose health, fertility, and vitality are reflected in her biological age, not merely her chronological age.
Needed: If a parent-to-be could take just one message from Growing Together, what would you want it to be?
Hard to pick just one! A big theme within my book is trusting your body, your baby, and your innate instinct as a mother. I hope parents take away the reminder that they always know what is best for their baby and should not be afraid to follow their authentic path and intuition.
Growing Together isn’t just another pregnancy book—it’s a mindset shift, a call to trust yourself, and a much-needed reminder that you don’t have to go through this journey alone. Carson Meyer is leading a new wave of birth work, one that prioritizes intuition, nourishment, and real support. Whether you’re an expecting parent or showing up for someone who is, this book is a must-have.
To learn more about Carson Meyer and her work, visit her website.
