Stand up for Birth

Stop for a moment and breathe.  Clear your mind and think. . .. . . about birth. Recall the last mention of birth you heard.  Perhaps it was a story from a friend, or a scene in a movie.  Maybe it was a scene from a show on birth that you saw on tv or even your own personal labor.What came to your mind?  Well, here are some direct quotes from people I spoke to."I was watching one of those TLC shows and this woman was screaming her head off like she was being split in half and telling her husband that this was his fault.""I don't remember.  But I don't even want to remember in all honesty.  Birth terrifies me.""I'm pregnant and this woman goes to me: Oh wow, about ready to pop huh?  Get the epidural.  Hell, get knocked out if you can.  There's nothing pretty about pushing a baby out."Read that again.  There is nothing pretty about pushing a baby out.  Giving birth is the beginning of so many things.  It is the beginning of life, the beginning of a mother, the initiation right into special community of women who have been exactly where you are.Birth doesn't have to be scary.  It doesn't have to be a mystery.  And it shouldn't be a lonely road.My first birth was everything you hear about on tv.  The rude doctor, the drugs, the tears, the unnecessary c-section.  My second birth was everything you don't hear about.  The loving midwife who held my hands and massaged my back, the tears of joy, the instant love I felt and the sense that I had belonged to a community; a community of strong women who were helped by other strong women.This is what birth should be about.  Support, love, and connection.  I am asking you to please support me in my education to become a midwife and doula so that I can give back to other women who need support.  In our busy, disconnected society, this community of loving hands is dwindling.Stand up for women.  Stand up for education.  Stand up for birth.