Create A More Positive View Of Birth

Recently I'm left frustrated and furious about yet another brain-washing perpetrated against all women. I'm heading into my second birth, just eight weeks away and am filing my head with positive stories and affirmations regarding the VBAC I'm attempting. After reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth there was one part in particular that jumped out at me. Granted this part isn't the premise of the book, it's mainly a very informative, delightful book that sends a woman away with a different belief of how great a birth can be. Much different than what we've all grown up with here in western culture. 

So the part that ruffled my feathers was the connection between everything reproductive oriented that is portrayed in the movies, on tv and even in books that leaves women with a sense of failure. Far too many women have been bombarded by the notion that in while engaged in sex they immediately are aroused but also reach climax. If you don't you're somehow wired wrong. If you don't give your partner that sense that they've brought you to climax so easily, again, it's you, not him or his notion of how this is all supposed to happen. 

Birth also is portrayed as this immediate 0 to 60, water breaking dramatically out of no where, the woman's surprise and fear, and then blam! so much pain she has to be rescued by the doctor in shining white coat. Suspense and drama being key in any story...both are too quick to come about. Regarding sex and orgasim it took many years of a caring, loving partner and being very honest with myself to work towards the challenge of sexual satisfaction which was far from the "sex ed" I received after watching so many clichéd scenarios. 

Now as a mother, and getting ready to be one twice over, I'm aware of the same clichés that are foisted on us regarding childbirth. Myth being it's not only going to hurt worse than anything, but this natural physiological function your body has been created to do... you won't be able to handle. You will need medical intervention. You will need machines. A strict orderly process of having a birth. A time frame in which to "accomplish" said birth. Medications, augmentations, on and on. That there aren't readily available and consistent messages out there showing women with great support systems in place, lovingly surrounded, even in the comforting environment of home giving birth and actually enjoying the process. I'm not naive... it's labor. But the definition of which does not by default embody all that we have been lead to believe.

On both ends of the spectrum we have not been raised to trust our bodies. To explore and give into the divine power which is embodied in both. We have no clue how to listen to our intuition to connect our mind with our body to achieve our desired end result in either case. Yes, there has been women's liberation. Yet there is still far to go in how all media portrays women at their most fundamental, base, primal moments. Creating life with her partner and bringing it forward through birth. If one day girls can grow up seeing positive images on all fronts of both scenarios I can't fathom the satisfaction and empowerment it would bring to so many sacred acts. 

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Other incredible birth and parenting books I've fallen in love with are: Spiritual Midwifery, Birthing from Within and Our Babies, Ourselves.