I have several stories of women's birth experiences running through my head. And I'm just so sick of the medical community making labor/delivery/recovery and then infant care so ridiculously traumatic and difficult for some women. It makes me angry and sad all at the same time.
To most of the American society, my homebirth and experience with Raylan's labor/delivery is an abormality - it's not the norm, and it makes some people feel uneasy. But, in the community of midwives and obstetric providers that trust the woman's body to do what it was designed to do, I blend in with the crowd....my birth with Raylan is as normal as the sun rising each day. It is a community of well-educated people who desire to have patience during the time of pregnancy, to not rush a baby based on some made up time schedule, to educate women on what is going on in their body and prepare them for the big event of labor and birth, to give women the best chance possible at a healthy delivery with a healthy baby, and to not get in the way of God's design.
Women, do you not trust your bodies to DO what God DESIGNED them to do? Do you just not believe you can birth your own child without the need of medical intervention? Do you truly not believe that?
Men, do you not believe your wife can birth your child? Do you not encourage her and get involved in the pregnancy and the labor and the delivery? Do you not know how important you are during this time?
OBs, since when do you know when a baby should come out? Since when has an ultrasound in late 3rd trimester been 100% accurate - enough to be used to scare a woman into giving birth to a baby that wasn't ready to be born yet?
America, do you not realize that we are spending $98 BILLION dollars annually for pregnancy and childbirth - the MOST in the entire world!!!!! But we - the country who claims to have the most advanced medical care - rank 50TH.....50TH!!! in the world for maternal death rate!! This means that 49 other countries....read that right, 49 other countries are better at keeping new mothers alive. What in the world....when are we going to figure it out?!?!?!?! And we rank 51ST in the world for infant mortality rates....50 other countries are doing a better job at keep newborn babies alive. Seriously??? This. Is. Sad.
I realize there are some women that do have high-risk health situations, and it is necessary for medical involvement in those cases. But, literally, 98% (and I'm being generous) of women in the USA do not need medical intervention to go into labor and then deliver their baby. Seriously!! And much of the maternal and infant mortality rates would decrease if we would stop forcing moms into labor or into a c-section and stop forcing babies out of the womb before they are ready!!!!!
If you have had a c-section.....please educate yourself on your REAL options - not the ones your OB scares you into making. Check out this link: http://www.ican-online.org/
If you have been told you have big babies...that they are too big....please educate yourself on your body and on the best positions for childbirth to help your body when in labor. Please check out this link: http://www.pregnancybirthandbabies.com/Big_baby.htm
If you think you have to have an epidural to "survive" labor....please educate yourself on ALL the methods of pain management during labor....and educate yourself on all the true risks to you and your baby if you use pain meds during labor. Please check out these links:
http://www.birthingnaturally.net/
http://www.bradleybirth.com/
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/epiduraltrip.asp
I have experienced my own labors in a hospital - with intervention every step of the way....and at home - allowing my body to do what God designed it to do as a woman. I will always choose the latter - it was a beautiful and pleasant experience like no other. I trust in my body....I trust in my God.
To most of the American society, my homebirth and experience with Raylan's labor/delivery is an abormality - it's not the norm, and it makes some people feel uneasy. But, in the community of midwives and obstetric providers that trust the woman's body to do what it was designed to do, I blend in with the crowd....my birth with Raylan is as normal as the sun rising each day. It is a community of well-educated people who desire to have patience during the time of pregnancy, to not rush a baby based on some made up time schedule, to educate women on what is going on in their body and prepare them for the big event of labor and birth, to give women the best chance possible at a healthy delivery with a healthy baby, and to not get in the way of God's design.
Women, do you not trust your bodies to DO what God DESIGNED them to do? Do you just not believe you can birth your own child without the need of medical intervention? Do you truly not believe that?
Men, do you not believe your wife can birth your child? Do you not encourage her and get involved in the pregnancy and the labor and the delivery? Do you not know how important you are during this time?
OBs, since when do you know when a baby should come out? Since when has an ultrasound in late 3rd trimester been 100% accurate - enough to be used to scare a woman into giving birth to a baby that wasn't ready to be born yet?
America, do you not realize that we are spending $98 BILLION dollars annually for pregnancy and childbirth - the MOST in the entire world!!!!! But we - the country who claims to have the most advanced medical care - rank 50TH.....50TH!!! in the world for maternal death rate!! This means that 49 other countries....read that right, 49 other countries are better at keeping new mothers alive. What in the world....when are we going to figure it out?!?!?!?! And we rank 51ST in the world for infant mortality rates....50 other countries are doing a better job at keep newborn babies alive. Seriously??? This. Is. Sad.
I realize there are some women that do have high-risk health situations, and it is necessary for medical involvement in those cases. But, literally, 98% (and I'm being generous) of women in the USA do not need medical intervention to go into labor and then deliver their baby. Seriously!! And much of the maternal and infant mortality rates would decrease if we would stop forcing moms into labor or into a c-section and stop forcing babies out of the womb before they are ready!!!!!
If you have had a c-section.....please educate yourself on your REAL options - not the ones your OB scares you into making. Check out this link: http://www.ican-online.org/
If you have been told you have big babies...that they are too big....please educate yourself on your body and on the best positions for childbirth to help your body when in labor. Please check out this link: http://www.pregnancybirthandbabies.com/Big_baby.htm
If you think you have to have an epidural to "survive" labor....please educate yourself on ALL the methods of pain management during labor....and educate yourself on all the true risks to you and your baby if you use pain meds during labor. Please check out these links:
http://www.birthingnaturally.net/
http://www.bradleybirth.com/
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/epiduraltrip.asp
I have experienced my own labors in a hospital - with intervention every step of the way....and at home - allowing my body to do what God designed it to do as a woman. I will always choose the latter - it was a beautiful and pleasant experience like no other. I trust in my body....I trust in my God.
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