What Do You Believe?
I was in a store during my ninth month of preganacy. The sales lady was chatting me up, asking me questions about my family and complimenting me on having a healthy pregnancy.
I thanked her and replied, “Yes, this is exciting, I’ve enjoyed being pregnant and I am looking forward to my labor.”
The sales lady’s face dropped in amazement, and after a moment she said something to me that changed me forever.
“I’ve never heard a woman say she is looking forward to the birth, every woman I know is TERRIFIED to give birth!
I realized that this is very likely true. Woman are afraid. They doubt themselves, whether they can handle the experience and if their body will support them or fail them. In this doubt and fear, we unknowlingly give our power away and allow others to dictate how our birth experience will be.
In the age of woman’s liberation, what has happened to us that we would fear such an amazing experience?
Any pregnant woman will confirm that they have heard one too many horror stories about birth. If a woman does not grow up recounting the birth story of her mother she will attach to the stores of those close to her. Over time these stories build up an expectation of what can happen for her birth.
I felt it was time to raise the bar on what women expect for their birth experience. To share the stories of countless woman who are giving birth peacefully, confidently, and even pain free.
Natural Birth is not always enjoyable. The goal to birth vaginally without drugs can be an incredible shock unless we plan for a birth that includes peaceful and empowering strategies that put a woman at the center of her birth.
After all, isn’t it YOUR BIRTH STORY you are creating?
We are drawn to tragedy. When you listen to the stories of others, the heartbreak and the drama, you know that the birth experience sticks around. For better or worse.
What if we raised the bar on birth and imagined an experience that not only empowered us but drew us closer to our loved ones and helped us care for new life without any birth baggage.
What if, one by one, we began to turn around this epidemic of fear around birth to return to a woman’s innate wisdom.
Birth matters a great deal, so why not give yourself the best opportunity to have a confident, peaceful and even pain free birth.