Over the years, a few women in my life have asked me to be a support for them during birth. Through the process, I realized that as a whole women are very under-educated on their choices and what evidence is out there about birth.
When women my sons’ ages would tell me how scary birth seems to them, I found myself having a lightbulb moment. I understand that it can be this big, intimidating and slightly overwhelming thing. But a lot of that feeling comes from lack of knowledge!
In a nutshell, this is what I tell them:
Women have been having babies for millennia, successfully. Women have been supporting other women through birth for millennia as well. The only new thing about birth is how medicalized it has become, but at it’s core essence, birth is an absolutely natural process that women are perfectly suited for.
As more and more women had negative or traumatic birth experiences, less and less good information was passed on to the next generation. As women stopped supporting other women in birth (I mean dedicated support, not hospital personnel), a higher anxiety was connected to the idea of going through it alone.
I am absolutely NOT saying that we shouldn’t have all the options and tools we now have access to. Nor am I suggesting there is not a time or place for medical intervention. But the fact remains that for a developed country we don’t have a great track record even with all those interventions. So something needs to change.
One of those changes, I firmly believe, is for women to once again see birth as a natural part of life. To have other women supporting them, and have confidence in that support. To be educated
I truly and passionately believe that there are amazing birth experiences to be had. I also believe that educating yourself is one of the best self-care options out there and that you are absolutely capable of taking charge of your experience and making it exactly what you want it to be.
My hope and prayer is that this generation can reclaim birth as the positive, natural experience that it can and should be.