To whom did God give the gift of childbirth? To women. Children are given to the entire world, but women are the chosen ones through whom this gift is brought forth. It is natural, it is supernatural, and our bodies are created for this function.
When I first saw a photograph of a smooth and shiny head crowning through the labia of a powerful and wild-haired woman, I realized at once the "why" of my body. I understood my own sexual anatomy. Since then, I have seen countless pictures and videos and the 'yes' within me grows louder each time-- the affirmation stands firm.
We are capable.
But I find there is a sad disbelief among women that we are, indeed, fully capable. Of course, we should have a trained professional assisting us in pre-natal care, in labor, and post-partum, but so many mothers-to-be today are not fully informed, and they opt for the establishment: the hospitals, the OB-GYNs, and all the interventions that come with them.
This is a letter to "plug" midwives!
This is a letter to encourage homebirths and natural labor!
This is a cry against epidurals, Pitocin, and narcotics to ease the pain, to increase contractions, and in many cases, to slow down labor due to loss of muscle control. What does this lead to? Induced labor, rapid delivery, and C-sections! Look, this is not how babies were designed to come out! I used to think that the belly button was the way, when I was 4, but I have since learned otherwise. It is, in fact, the vaginal opening that allows for both departure from the womb, and the baby's mighty entrance into the world.
I do understand that there are times when a C-section is necessary to save the life of the mother or child, but when it results after any one of these interventions, it is an outrageous crime.
I believe a child is deeply affected by the experience of their birth. I believe they know much more than we imagine; that the process of pregnancy and childbirth is a communication between the new soul and their first spiritual teacher. Our thoughts and attitudes toward pregnancy, even our fears, are absorbed by the baby growing within. Even hoping for or expecting the child to be a certain sex can have long-term effects on his or her identity in many ways.
I want to encourage women to not shrink from or resist the pain of childbirth. Read "Spiritual Midwifery" by Ina May Gaskin-- account after account of women adjusting their own thoughts and bodies to the miracle of labor. Refuse to be a mere spectator of your child's birth. I hear women saying they want epidurals so they can lay back and enjoy the birth, as if it were an episode of Monday Night Football! No, you are not the fan; you are every player on the field! You have a job to do. Bring forth your child! Would you receive more personal satisfaction by hiking a mountain, with all its rugged terrain, enduring and pressing on through those moments you felt you just couldn't go on, or by riding the chair lift to the top? I have a feeling many reading this would actually opt for the easier route, but it is through hard work that we receive the fruit of our labor.
I say refuse to believe you are weak-- refuse to doubt the power of God within you. Just say no to their drugs! Women, get educated! The statistics of homebirths, natural births, and those with midwives and women attendants versus standard hospital procedures will startle you! This is a call to repossess your birth experience-- don't rely on an OB-GYN to inform you; check it out yourself! Listen to women share their stories, who know that childbirth in all its unique forms should be totally natural! Do not remain closed. Do not just assume that hospitals, this country's pride and joy, are the most informed, the most qualified, or even the most caring. Do the work-- your child will thank you for it.
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