Sharing the home birth experience

[RubyOrganique]

I just want to share a lovely thing that happened to me today. I met a woman (while nursing my 11 mo old) in a big city park. She started a conversation with me which eventually led to me telling her my DD was born at home. She listened intently, asked questions and seemed to really get it.

When we got up to leave, she said how much she learned from me and how she is thinking of starting a family. In fact, she said it was such a nice chat she was ready to go out and have a baby tomorrow!

It felt so wonderful to share with her my transformative experience giving birth and becoming a mother. It seemed to give her a lot to think about and I accomplished it without proselytizing.

I guess I'm telling you all this because I think women are really interested in hearing our stories. If you're willing to share, I think you could change a woman (and eventually her baby's) life.

[aricha]

I totally agree. When I was pregnant for the first time, people seemed intent on sharing their birth horror stories with me. So after my son was born, I felt like I should make sure there were plenty of positive birth stories being shared. I love telling people about planting flowers, listening to music, and going for walks while in labor... about the amazing experience of papa and mama holding baby in the tub immediately after birth, about how amazing it is to be in your own space during labor and to climb into your own shower and bed after having given birth.

I don't think I will convince anyone dead set on a hospital birth to go for a home birth, but hope I can at least help someone consider that birth can be a natural, loving, amazing and non-medical experience.