My heart & soul are wrapped up in the power of birth. My passion surrounding birth education and informed choice (or informed refusal) in birth is often misunderstood and seen as a dig against medicalized birth. So… I want to clear a few things up.
I believe that it’s a woman’s right to choose how she births her baby. I believe the choices we make have a profound effect on our perception of the experience. With REAL education, birth experiences can be made better. It is sad that so many people think that the only thing that matters at the end of the day, is that mama and baby are alive- the truth is, many women (including myself) who have experienced birth trauma would wholeheartedly disagree with that statement. There is no place for fear and terror in birth. I have taken the time to learn about these effects, and I choose to help women experience birth in a positive & loving way. Knowledge and choice create powerful and meaningful outcomes. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions and seeking out education on natural physiological child birth. Knowing your options BEFORE you give birth is the best way to make decisions during birth that you are comfortable with.
Living in a country where there are many options for mothers, from care providers, to places of birth and even different pain coping techniques is a GOOD thing. And in the event that it is needed, we have state of the art life saving practices in place that can often prevent terrible tragedy. I will ALWAYS be thankful for my right to choose, and the resources in place for women who want to make informed choices. My role as a doula is to provide emotional and physical support for birthing women, regardless of how they choose to bring their baby into the world. I would never bash a woman for her choices, I would never say that cesareans are unnecessary and I would NEVER push my own beliefs on another woman.
Empowering yourself through birth is one of the most rewarding life experiences there is. My birth experiences are the reason I do what I do. They drive my passion EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. and those experiences have literally changed the course of my life. If that isn’t empowering, then I don’t know what is.
In closing… I want women to trust their bodies, explore their options and open their minds to experiencing birth in a positive way- whatever way that might be. There is no judgement here, only love.
xx
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