Midwives – Quick Look

Casey at Expectant Waiting had an interesting post on midwives and homebirth…

I did not have a homebirth. I had to have hospital births for both due to birth defects on my part making it just too risky. BUT I did have a midwife at the second birth – or else Logan might not be here. Yes, my first birth experience was THAT bad – I considered no more children just so that I wouldn’t have to do that again.

But something Casey said struck me. “I learned a lot from both of my birth experiences, and anyone who says birth experiences aren’t that important can suck it.”

I too learned a lot from both of my experiences. And those experiences made me a different woman. Both of them. I learned from the first one never to let other people have control of my body ever again. It felt like a mental rape, and since I’ve already been there physically, I will never again let that happen mentally. I also learned that I can be violent with “authority” when necessary. They were yelling at me so much to push harder that I kicked an intern in the face and punched a nurse in the face (yes my birth defect is so interesting they invited students and interns in to look up my crotch – while giving birth. Without my permission.)

In the second birth, I learned that I can be strong. And that sometimes just letting go and screaming is a good thing. And that when you feel like you’re going to be split in two – you really can keep going. I went through the entire labor and birth completely drug free with the second one. I did that. Me. The doctor did not deliver my child. I did. And I now compare everything. You gave birth to a child, you CAN do this.

The first birth gave me an instruction manual in how NOT to let people treat me in life. The second birth taught me just how strong I really am if I let myself.

Yeah Casey. Anyone who says birthing experiences aren’t important can suck it.