Birth is an unpredictable, unimaginable experience. It is like a snowflake – never the same thing twice, or for any two women. It transforms everyone that experiences it in its most natural form, and those who unfortunately do not may be left with a misunderstanding of its beauty. Nevertheless, birth stories are passed on through the generations in many families, and have been done so for centuries on end.
Some women are put off of birth by the way it is portrayed in the media, or from a personal negative birth experience. They may not enjoy sharing their personal stories because of this. I have heard many women refer to the pain of labor as something they would never want to experience again. This is completely understandable. It’s no surprise then that some women aren’t too keen on sharing their birth stories, especially if they involve trauma. Conversely, I’ve also been around plenty of women who’ve had horrible birth experiences and love to talk about them. It may be that they want to rant about their disappointment. It can be very therapeutic to relive the experience by talking about it with other women. But this doesn’t necessarily bring joy to a mother.
Instead of ranting or clamming up about our births, let’s bring power to our personal experiences by sharing them with others. This may be easier for some than for others. Those of you who have had positive birth experiences may find it more pleasurable to share your stories. But every story deserves to be told.
I recently found a baby tee-shirt online that reads: “Ask me about my birth”. I also found a tee for mom that reads: “Ask me about my homebirth”. What a novel idea, to encourage the discussion of the way we all came to be in this world. Some people don’t like to talk about their personal lives to strangers, and that’s perfectly normal. But I really enjoy spreading the good news about homebirth in particular, and usually share my stories with any poor soul who will listen. The good and the bad parts, because I own them all.
I want to read your birth stories! Post them here or go to the forums:
Birth Stories Forum
See also:
Let’s Talk About Dealing with Grief from Birth Loss
Let’s Talk About the Affect of Prior Birth Trauma
Let’s Talk About The Four-Minute Delivery!