As you approach labor and delivery, you will be trying to put together everything you
know about childbirth and wondering how it will be for you.
Just make sure you use at least one word incorrectly, or take a fact from a medical book horribly out of context, and you'll sound properly self -
educated about childbirth.
I read many, many birth stories on various birth blogs, and often talked to women who had similar
beliefs about childbirth.
One of the reasons I enjoy
writing about childbirth issues is that every time I fear I have exhausted the topic, I find a new aspect to study.
You should think
about childbirth classes if this is your first pregnancy; these are very informative, with a diverse array of classes available.
In fact, homebirth midwives know so
little about childbirth that they actually believe that efforts to prevent «disruptions» are what makes childbirth safe.
I do believe that we all have a responsibility to make informed
decisions about childbirth — but those choices won't look the same across the board.
Read
books about childbirth, network in your community, and talk to other mothers who have already had babies.
If you are feeling a little extra exhausted during this stage or maybe even
nervous about childbirth, put some great songs on a playlist and go along with the chores of the day.
That doesn't mean that they know everything, or that they are always right, but it does mean that they have a strong foundation from which to assess
claims about childbirth.
And don't ever let anyone make you feel bad about the choices you
make about childbirth... regardless of what those may be.
Many mothers find that simply having a birth plan helps them feel more
confident about childbirth and allows them some degree of control during this time.
Those are her deep
instincts about childbirth, but we have buried these for so long that most of us have forgotten that knowledge.
It wasn't until the birth of my first child in 1992 at the age of 21 that I would discover just how passionate I would
become about childbirth and breastfeeding.
These days, most women don't experience much
about childbirth until they're actually pregnant and contemplating giving birth themselves.
You can read about why I haven't enjoyed my pregnancy here and what I've learnt
about childbirth here now that I am nearing the end of my term.