I was listening to a podcast recently that was discussing how birth is portrayed on tv and in the media. With the editing that often takes place, many programmes often show births with elements of drama, uncertainty and chaos. This is what brings in the most views/listeners and what encourages people at home to keep watching or listening through those ad breaks.
Oftentimes when I sit down with parents we discuss what depictions of birth they know. What television programmes do they watch, have they read any books or online forums and what stories have they heard from family, friends and strangers? Without fail every expectant family I sit with describes some of what I call "high drama horror stories." You know the type- an expectant mum who is screaming in pain, whose labour is spinning out of control and filled with interventions. Meanwhile her disoriented partner stands in the background while medical staff rush in giving orders and saying "we need to get the baby out NOW!" What they are describing is the media standard that so many families are being fed on a daily basis- and it’s scary.
Women often feel a path is already carved out for them. We are told birth is a physical event in a medical environment- something we simply need to physically "get through" or even suffer through, so we can meet our precious babies.
But what if there was another way? What if we started to view birth differently?
Birth is MORE THAN a physical event in a medical setting. You can opt to birth wherever you like, at home, in a birth centre or in hospital, but what I wish more soon to be parents knew is that birth can be:
Uplifting
Empowering
Emotional
Loving
Connecting
Joyous
And so much more!
Once we start to think about birth differently, we can DO birth differently. Once we realise our own power and our own strength, we can envision our birth as so much more than a passive physical event.
Notice I didn't describe any certain "type" of birth because the truth is ALL FORMS OF BIRTH can be experienced in this way! We can look beyond the physicality of what is happening (without excluding it) and focus more on how the entire birth process can be respectful, inclusive and positive.
Are you ready to prepare for your birth in a different way? Are you open to learning more about birth and how it can be a joyous, amazing experience that you look back on with joy for years to come? Get in touch with me to organise an in-person or Skype consultation or look into my birth doula support!
