Giving Birth in Modern America

As many of you know, Ben and I are expecting our first baby. I have always known that I wanted to have a homebirth, but it took some time for me to convince Ben that this was not only safe but the best option for us and our baby. Being pregnant, I've spent a lot of time reflecting on the birth experience and how I want it to look for us.

In America, the process of birth has become a thing to fear. Women enter their pregnancies thinking that childbirth will be the most painful thing in the world and the best thing to do is avoid the pain by undergoing intervention; unfortunately, it is often the intervention that intensifies the pain of childbirth and causes the excessive measures that we see in America more than any other developed nation. In America, 1 in 3 women has a cesarean. This is much higher than the rate in other developed nations where most women see a midwife for their birth unless there are complications. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that there are OB's to assist when a birth does become complicated or when there is danger to the mother or baby.

For me, this birth is a rite of passage. An opportunity for me to join the ranks of women who have labored for hours or days and become stronger better women because they put in the work and persevered through the difficulty to finally become mothers. I know that when I hold this beautiful baby in my arms it will because I did everything that I could to love and cherish this baby into being. If something goes wrong and if it is deemed necessary, I will go to the hospital and allow doctors to do what they do best. I believe in my body. I believe that as a woman, my body was created to do this job and that this job is a process designed to help me become a better mother. I have made the choice to take control of my birth experience and to trust in my body and in my faith.