Birth Stories - Are You Willing to Share Yours?

If you've been pregnant and haven't read Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth, you are missing out! Go to Amazon.com or your local library and start reading. During my last several months of pregnancy I vowed to not watch any television or movies that depicted labor and/or birth (because of the over-dramatization and de-sacredization - is that a word? - of the experience). Instead, I would read one or two of Ina May's birth stories each evening before falling to sleep. These short vignettes offer wonderful inspiration and insight into natural birth. Each story is different and unique, told from the perspective of mother and partner - yet also interestingly similar. Many of the emotions felt during and after natural labor are almost identical. Always, there is a profound sense of awe ... a sense of "I actually just did that!"

I only have one small complaint: accessibility for some readers. The stories all take place on "The Farm" (a commune where Ina May has lived and worked since the 1970's) in a home birth-type setting. I am a firm believer in home birth for low-risk pregnant women ... but they account for only 2% of births in the United States. The majority of births in our country take place in birth centers, or, more commonly, in hospital settings. Additionally, some of the language is a little hard to get past. Phrases like, "I was feeling very psychedelic" or "We were grooving out and tripping together" are everywhere. While most moms I know don't seem to mind the dated descriptions, I've had other moms feel like they just couldn't quite connect.

My goal? An updated book of birth stories. While I firmly believe that every woman has an incredible, unique birth story to share ... I am specifically looking to gather stories of women who labored without pain medications (I am including births where pitocin was given if necessary, or where medical interventions such as cesarean/vacuum extraction were necessary after natural labor did not progress). Our culture is currently full of stories on television and in movies that depict only epidurals, c-sections, and over-dramatized birth scenes. And while those are definitely necessary and important options for many women, I would like to give women something to read that can inspire them in their decision to labor without pain meds. Whether it is at home, in a birth center, or at the hospital ... I hope to collect stories of women who chose natural birth as an option.

Would you be willing to share your story? Do you have a friend or family member that would? Stories will be short (1-2 pages) and can include your partner's point of view as well, if you like. I'd love a photo of you and your little one after birth (or during birth, if you want to share) to go along with the birth story.

If this is something you feel you might be willing to share, please email me at oregonmother@gmail.com and I will send you more detailed information about the project.

Please pass this link along to friends that might be interested!