YOUR Birth Matters- Guest Post By Melissa Meyer
Just adore this guest post from a new Birth Boot Camp teacher in Oregon! (Yes, we are everywhere!) Melissa is incredible and she says something that incredibly has been FORGOTTEN these days.
Women- they actually matter. The health and the happiness of the mother matters. It impacts her baby and their life together.
Let's not forget about mothers.
Enjoy-
Birth Really Does Matter
When a group of women get together the
conversation almost always comes around to childbirth. The memories
and feelings of our births are so strong that they are imprinted on
us for life. They are memories we want to share with one another good
or bad, to talk through the pain or joy. From natural birth to
cesarean we all have a story.
Birth Matters.
When I hear people say: As long as the
mother and baby are okay, that’s all that really matters. - I
cringe. Of course we want a healthy mother and baby. But don’t we
want them physically and mentally healthy?
When a birth doesn’t go as planned
the mother’s feelings are brushed aside. She is told to be thankful
she and the baby are healthy. And she is thankful for that but
there is so much more emotion, hopes and feelings that have been
shattered. She just needs you to listen. She wants you to
validate her feelings. They are real.
Birthing Mamas- Just because your
first birth didn’t go as planned does NOT mean you are doomed for
life. There are people out there who understand and want to help
you educate yourself so you are able to make truly informed
decisions. Birth can be amazing and joyful. It can be full of
excitement and wonder. Each pregnancy is different just as each birth
is different. Please don’t sell yourself short and miss this
beautiful rite of passage.
My goal in becoming a natural
childbirth educator is to empower women to stand up for themselves. I
want to teach women that birth is a normal, natural process. Birthing
women have choices and they do not deserve to be bullied into having
unnecessary interventions.
Looking for natural birth classes in Corvallis Oregon? Call Melissa! She is awesome!
Comments
Another part of this is that birth does affect baby. They may be healthy physically, but with invisible mental scars that they will often not even remember consciously. I know of a well respected hypnotist who will often reframe a clients birth, and suddenly several issues will resolve without any other intervention.
I've devoted almost thirty years of my life [as a perinatal educator and breastfeeding specialist] to helping expectant moms to really "get" this:
"It's YOUR body, YOUR baby, and YOUR birth!"
Of course everyone wants a healthy outcome and a happy ending in the birthing process. Sheesh! That should go without saying! But our mental and emotional well being is just as vital as our physical health. "State of mind" should never be glossed over or swept under the rug.