Dear Natural Birth Advocates... (A letter from a regular person.)


Dear Natural Birth Advocates,

It's me.  A regular person.  I wear a bra, I drive a Toyota, and I get my hair highlighted.  I have on occasion, even voted Republican.

I am pregnant and I have been looking into natural birth.  I really want the best possible birth for my baby and it just doesn't make sense to have unnecessary drugs in the equation.  So I have been researching and stumbled upon you- the natural birth community.

I have to admit...

You frighten me a little.

People are talking about skipping the epidural (which makes sense to me) but acting like to do that you also have to:

-eat your placenta (YUCK!)

-skip vaccinations (WHAT?!)

-birth at home (!!!!!!)


-breastfeed topless and for years and years on end (I don't want people to see my nipple!  Is that so wrong?!  And two year olds look HUGE!)

-stop wearing deodorant and shaving my armpits (I am not ashamed to admit that I LIKE having smooth legs.)

-cloth diaper (I remember my mom doing it, and seriously...WHY would you use cloth if you had another option?  No toilet swishing for me!)

In fact, somebody on an online forum told me yesterday that men who are circumcised don't really enjoy sex and can't satisfy their partners.  That is just plain insulting to me and my circumcised husband.

So, while I really want a natural birth, I am a little freaked out by the intensity and the depth of weirdness that appears to be required to have one.

Can't regular women skip the epidural without all the other stuff?  It makes me uncomfortable and I feel like I will never be accepted into your community unless I become a different person.  A smelly person who eats their own organs...

A message from the masses-

EVERY WOMAN WANTS THE HEALTHIEST BIRTH AVAILABLE FOR THEMSELVES AND ESPECIALLY THEIR BABY.  We want that as much as you.  But when you act like all my other life choices are toxic or fear based, or simply a result of lack of education, it is a tad rude.  

I want birth choices and I don't want to be scared off by what you have to admit, are VERY different life choices.  I want to learn without being insulted and I want access to information that doesn't offend or scare my husband. 

 Sincerely,

A regular pregnant woman

PS

I  know lots of people who have stopped even considering natural birth because you freaked them out.

~~~
(Maybe this wasn't clear.  (I thought it was obvious.)  This isn't a real letter from a real person.  This is me, Mama Birth, pointing out that the natural birth community does things that totally backfire on us and really freak people out and send them asking for c-sections.  If you don't think it is funny, then don't laugh.  But if you think people will listen to you when you tell them that they are stupid for going natural and then vaccinating, then you are blind.)

Comments

mary faybik said…
Ha! I love it! Don't be frightened-- everyone creates their own journey into motherhood. I had a home water birth after my first ended in a c-section. My options were scarce in Las Vegas, so in order to have the natural birth I wanted I had to go to the extreme-- and I wouldn't change it for anything. Yes, I carried my baby in a sling. I nursed, but only made it 6 months. I wear Birknstocks AND shave my legs and even though my birth team would have preferred it, I did not eat my placenta. I vaccinate my kids and let them eat Chick-fil-a but buy only organic milk, etc. You take some good with some bad and don't punish yourself or compare yourself to those who did, didn't, should, could or would. Be confident in your choices and do what' right for YOUR body, baby and family. Best wishes on a happy, healthy and drug free delivery!
Nadia said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jenn D. said…
I can totally appreciate the mainstream perspective on the crunchy mama community. Just so you know, there is a vast continuum of crunchy. We don't all cloth diaper. We don't all avoid vaccination. We don't all eat placenta and we haven't all kept our sons penises intact. That being said . . . you don't have to be scared. The only reasonable expectation is that you make informed decisions on behalf of you and your child. We want this for you because we want to celebrate a positive, uplifting and joyful birth experience with you and want you and your family to have the advantage of looking back on your decisions without regret or remorse. We've been down this road, some of us a few times, and with that experience comes wisdom. Is it so bad to want you to avoid the mistakes we've made? It comes from a good place from most people. I think the ones who are so passionate just want the culture to shift more quickly so that being crunchy is the "norm" and they don't have to seem "scary" to people like you.

I wish you a peaceful, joyful, supported, amazing and life-changing birth. I hope that you will still consider keeping your son intact even though someone might have said something negative about sex with circumcised men. DrMomma.org is a great place to look for gentle information and The Intact Network has chapters all over that can compassionately help you make an informed decision.

<3

Anonymous said…
You don't have to do or participate in any "natural" events you want to. Do your research on anything that interests you and if you decide it's not for you, that's fine.I do some of those things you mentioned, but not others. All I ask is that everyone educates themselves. And honestly, you need to be a bit more open-minded. I'm not saying to agree with the extremes, but just hear them out. You may learn something important and that you may love. (PS - I cloth diapered two children until they were potty trained and never once swished a diaper. There are much more modern ways of CDing than there was 30-ish years ago :) )

Happy Motherhood!
JuliPickle said…
While I appreciate the thoughts, and have felt a few of the things she's mentioned myself, I have to say that if you decide not to have a natural birth because some crunchy people freaked you out then you probably weren't seriously considering one in the first place.

I thought much the same about cloth diapers and home birth but I still had an awesome natural hospital birth with my second child. Now I birth at home and cloth diaper! :)

But yeah, sometimes I feel like I don't fit in with the natural birth advocates because we do vaccinate starting at 2 years (and selectively) and I drink Diet Coke sometimes and eat a lot of chocolate. Then on the other hand I don't fit in with the mainstream moms because I cloth diaper, don't vaccinate until 2, breastfeed without a cover, and wash my hair with baking soda, and whenever one of my friends is complaining about a sick child or a headache I say "I have an essential oil for that!"
Unknown said…
Dear regular person,

I am a natural birther. I drive a massive diesel guzzling over-sized truck. I probably the least 'granola' person out there. I highlight my hair and have an occasional love-affair for fake nails & tanning beds :-)

I did give birth at home, I also had my 1st child in the hospital w/ drugs because I was not fully educated then. My home births trump the hospital by 1000x. I was in control which is a big deal while giving birth. And in a safe familiar environment.

I did not eat my placenta, however my mid-wife offered to bury it in my yard, and that still puzzles me to this day.

I can see how the extreme side can be uninviting to some. But I thank goodness everyday for the women/men that believe in the natural birth process so passionately so, that they make sure an effort to pass on education to those that want to learn more.

I wear all my babies (before it was cool & on pinterest) and nurse all my little ones till age one. I am happy you wrote the letter, and I have many friends that refer to me as 'crazy' for have muti homebirths. Thats fine with me too.

For me I relied heavily on blogs and sites like this one to learn about how to make the best choice for myself & baby.

My advice it to take what you want and be yourself. The advocates (in their hearts) don't want to freak you out, rather they have beneficial info & want to share it. You are the ultimate designer of your birth. I wish you the best.

PS - my hospital birth I had a Douala and ended up taking all sorts of meds and was unable to be intimate for up to 6 months after due to my episiotomy (yuck). With my 2 homebirths I was up and walking my older kids to school the next day with my new baby & felt great.
XxBigVxX said…
I think it is good that different perspectives are brought to the forefront. To have birth choices is the goal here- you don't have to fall under a particular "title" or group to access those. You have the right as a woman to choose what is best for your baby, your body and your family. Those choices should be respected in the birth community! I am a mother of 3 boys, two are circumcised, the newest one isn't. I had two in the hospital and the last baby was born at home. I like to wear make-up, use deodorant and I shave my armpits and legs. I do however cloth diaper and we use sposies at times. I didn't eat my placenta, I had it encapsulated. We are a delayed vaccine schedule family, due to allergic reactions with number 1. I breastfeed, but like to be modest about it because that is my personal taste. I take interest in things that are organic and natural because that is what I like, and I am learning new things all the time. =) However... my choices shouldn't make another feel shunned as though I am in an elite or high-end "granola club." I am who I am, and proud to be that woman, wife and Mom. I am also inspired by the journeys and differences in other women. So be encouraged you don't have to be anyone, but yourself. And feel supported in knowing there is an amazing circle of women who embrace natural birth, the definition or depth of that is different for each woman, and that is ok!!
Christine said…
I birthed naturally in a hospital, and I must say, that not everything you mentioned is how it really is. For example, modern cloth diapers are the same simplicity as disposables. You can have diaper sprayers where you can just hold the diaper over the toilet, spray and you're done. Wash it when you have a full load. You don't have to toilet swish! (google: Thirsties AIO Diaper , or FuzziBunz Pocket Diapers for some great examples). A common misconception of cloth diapering (today) is that it's like our parents did. Boy has it changed! We love our cloth!

I don't want to EAT my placenta, I can't stomach the thought.... but I am going to have it encapsulated because I really could benefit from all the nutrients and energy it gives you. To those women who manage to eat their placenta raw, more power to them... I just can't do it!

I understand skipping vaccinations, though my son is vaccinated. I don't want my next child vaccinated now that I've done so much research on it. I guess I have a problem with a bunch of people that GOT vaccinated catching something they were vaccinated for. I would likely do selective vaccinations (i.e. Polio, but not chickenpox), but a lot of them are really ineffective. That's still very much a personal preference, of course, but not all natural birth advocates don't vaccinate.

I'd LOVE to do a homebirth, but quite honestly? I'm scared to. I'm one of those people always afraid something will go wrong. What's more, I am group B strep positive (just like last time), so I need those antibiotics before birth. Not messing with that at home. Besides, last time my child came a month early... which wouldn't really make homebirth a safe option for me.

I was all about nursing my son as long as I could... but topless? Meh, I'll pass on that! Maybe those first 2 weeks at home when my nipples hurt like hell from the new pressure applied to them, but not in public! I almost made it to 2, but my supply dried up. After your child starts eating solids, they don't really nurse often... many times, nursing at 2 or beyond is really just when they wake up, just when they go to bed, just when they go down for a nap, or a combination of those times. My toddler never asked for milk unless it involved sleep after about 14 months. :)

I am NOT going to stop shaving my armpits! In fact, my husband started shaving his armpits! The hair follicles retain odor, so you have a much better chance of not stinking without the hair. I went deodorant-less for a while, but only because I couldn't find one that I liked that didn't have the parabens (cancer-causing agents) in them. I finally found one that actually WORKED (surprisingly, Arbonne), so now I still shave AND wear deodorant.... but I still am a natural birth advocate!

I cannot say that a circumcised male doesn't enjoy sex, but I *CAN* say that is a needless (and surprisingly risky) surgery that is purely cosmetic for 99.9% of the cases. That is one thing I wish I knew more about before having my child.

While I realize that some people come off as overbearing on issues, please do try to keep an open mind to some things... like when people get all excited about cloth diapers, maybe there's a reason to it. They are a lot cooler (and cuter!) than they used to be, and don't require pins to close them up! Or placenta consumption (be it eating raw *shudder* or encapsulation)... have you looked into the benefits of it and why those women mention it? It can kick post partum depression. It provides energy. It provides nutrients. This is why mammals eat their placenta after birthing their young... they need that energy and those nutrients back! Of course, no amount of facts will ever convince me to eat it raw (or whole, or anything like that), but I'll do the encapsulation so that I can get the benefits without the visual grossness. :)
rach said…
Like everything else out there in the world, some of what she says is true, but much is just a common misconception. I still remember my slight surprise when I saw that a LLL leader of my local group was a put-together women with dyed hair and makeup (and a bra). And not an eyelash amiss when her pigtailed toddler jumped on her lap to nurse. When you start to delve, you realize the degree to which stereotypes don't cut it, and everyone does things their own way. I'm a big natural birth advocate, but I didn't choose homebirth, and I didn't co-sleep, and my kids got all their shots. I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of comments like mine here, today.
Walker Karraa said…
Such important feedback for the natural birth paradigmers...thanks for posting. We end up doing to others that which we fought against. As a perinatal mental health professional and retired birth doula DONA(CD), I wholeheartedly support the inclusion of multiple perspectives. And to "regular person", you rock. And the condescending nature of I am a better mom because I x, y, and z...yea, I hear it too. A lot of us do. Why do you think I left the doula world? No birth is a bully-pulpit.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nancy said…
The insulting part to me is that those of us that decide to have our births in a hospital with drugs are made out like we don't love our babies. But you home birthers love yours so much that you would take a chance on having the cord wrapped around the babies neck with the possibility of depriving the baby of oxygen for a period of time. If I had not been in the hospital with 2 of my babies they would not have survived. Is it really worth the risk of having your unborn baby choke to death because the cord was wrapped around the babies neck? Please don't act like yours is the best way. You can't convience everyone. The other thing that I agree with that she posted in her letter is the whole breast feeding thing. I did it with all of mine. Did I do it in public? No. I have never been one for that kind of public attention. There are great drapes that I have seen in lots of places to buy or make. I just don't get the "hang em out there for the world to see" thing. But then I also don't condone Playboy type magazines in my house.
Let others make up their own minds about their birthing decisions. Just don't condem them if they choose an epidural.
Written by a concerned woman that wears deodrant.
Unknown said…
This is so fascinating, how we tend to "other" each other to justify our choices & deep beliefs. I don't shave my armpits, but I often shave my legs. I wouldn't dream of eating at McDonalds but I will buy some office supplies at Walmart. I wear skinny jeans and love going to the spa (and even worked in one!) I also encapsulate placentas and nursed my homebirthed daughter til the age of four. I am a queer woman and I value femininity. I am a deeply committed unschooler who is on an academic track in college and sends her kid to private school. Blessed are we all to live in a society that does afford us much freedom and the ability to make our own choices, even when those choices seem like oxymorons or fringe beliefs....what I try to remember is that we're all doing the best we can and hopefully enjoying this life, being a hater doesn't serve me personally. As your mama said- just try it, you might like it. ;)
The Quinns said…
I think the point was that some people who think this misguided info might also be interested in natural birth, not that it is a true statement that people who use homemade or natural product deodorant stink.
The Quinns said…
Your statement about 'loving your child so much you take the chance of having the cord wrapped around their neck and depriving them of oxygen' seems to me to be in direct conflict with your statement that its not right for someone to assume and act like their way to birth is the only and best way. By boiling home birth down to that one statement it sounds like you are totally discrediting it as a viable way to birth. If home birthers should respect other ways to birth, shouldn't you support theirs?
Sincerely, a deodorant wearing two time section mama
The Quinns said…
My husband has joked to me before that the natural birth community needs a new PR person. I fall somewhere in the middle on the natural/crunchy/spectrum and get so frustrated with the 'do it all or nothing' die hards I encounter. Which is why I still devour your blog- that mind set doesn't live here!
Anonymous said…
I'm saddened by this post. I completely understand your point, but wasn't there another way to get your message out? This seems to fuel the fire burning on this subject right now, as evident by the comments. Women on both sides of the spectrum are insulted.

We need to be supporting each other in this journey we are on as women and families. Where is the village - the sisterhood - to help one another through pregnancy, birth and parenting? As a mama trying to navigate rough waters of motherhood, a village of support is something I'm desperately searching for on a daily basis. Messages like these remind me that women are often very brutal towards each other and my efforts in finding comfort may be futile.
Mama Birth said…
You know what- I have talked MANY MANY MANY TIMES about kindness and love and all that stuff. Guess what- nobody reads it. People like stuff that gets them angry. People like to read about celebrities. People like to argue. I don't like that- but its true. And I know because I watch my numbers and I SEE what is actually read and what isn't.

Another true story- I teach birth classes. The students are regular, awesome, people from a variety of backgrounds who just want what is best for their baby. Then they try to research this stuff and they get so much hostility and crazy from the natural birth community that it scares them. It is sad- but I have actually had students tell me that they started to research circumcision, but they ran into intactivist stuff and were SO turned off by the brutality (of those people who want to save the foreskins of the world) that they assumed EVERYTHING THEY SAID WAS A LIE and dismissed it and were thus seriously considering circumcision.

I am out there, on the front lines working with people. And I can tell you in all honesty that much of what we do sounds so weird (or is presented in such a judgmental way) that it scares people off and they don't take us seriously.

And I am simply TIRED of it. It is time for some good, hard, and painful self-reflection on the part of natural birth communities. We need to re-assess our message, re-assess our audience, and realize that what we are doing ISN'T WORKING. The c-section rate is climbing, hardly anybody births at home, the information is out there and FREE but nobody is interested in our message.

Case in point- MANY people (crunchy folks) read this and took it seriously and then took many minutes out of their day to MOCK AND BE MEAN to this mythical letter writer.

Yep- we need to re-assess.

You can say I should be nicer about it- but you never read my nice posts about it, did you? Nope. Nobody else did either.
Unfortunately, not ALL women want to do what is best and healthiest for the baby. And I am not referring to the ones who don't do research and truly are uninformed. I am talking about the INFORMED moms who still choose poor choices for their babies when it comes to birth. As a nurse, I see this ALL the time. Other nurses who choose an elective induction at 37 weeks because they are too uncomfortable or choose an elective C section to "save their vagina." And these are educated health professionals! It is nice to think every mom wants to choose the option they know is healthiest, but simply not true. And I do none of the crunchy things mentioned! I am simply a natural birth and breastfeeding supporter!
Bethanie said…
I have to agree with previous posters who said that they thought this was an ineffective and insulting way to prove a point.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I knew I wanted an epidural-free birth. Unfortunately, I was not as educated then as I am now, and I ended up with an induction and an epidural. I knew when I was pregnant that I did not want to cloth diaper in the slightest. When a friend asked at my baby shower if I was going to cloth diaper, I told her "hell no!" My daughter will be a year old in 2 weeks, and we've been cloth diapering for almost 6 months now. I knew when I was pregnant that I wanted to wear my daughter. She was 4 months old before I learned about ergonomic carriers that wouldn't kill my back (which has lingering issues after that unwanted epidural).

I shave and would wax every hair on my body (minus my eyebrows and head, of course)if I had the money to keep up with it. I wear mainstream deodorant (I tried every natural brand and home remedy that I could find, but nothing worked to keep me stink-free). I drink coffee (A LOT). I don't eat organic. I eat fast food far more often than I should. I still indulge in diet sodas on occasion.

I also cloth diaper (as aforementioned) full time. I use a reusable menstrual cup. I use essential oils instead of most mainstream remedies. I upcycle, recycle, and thrift a lot of my family's belongings. I am kind of obsessed with babywearing. I breastfeed without a cover. I plan on allowing my daughter to self-wean. I fully intend on encapsulating my placenta after my next pregnancy. I am delaying vaccines for my daughter. If I could find a way to get my insurance to pay for a portion of it, I would have a home birth.

I feel like I fall somewhere in the middle of the "extremes" portrayed in this post. I usually feel like I've found a balance of "crunchy" and "mainstream" that works for me and my family. When I read things like this, however, I feel attacked from several angles. The truth is that we do the best with what we have and what we know. I enjoy hearing how other people find their balance, and I know that my choices may be extreme to some.

I can't help but feel that posts like this (and the ensuing comments) are not going to do anything to end the "Mommy Wars" that are raging.
Anonymous said…
I'm a relatively new follower and was just hoping this was something out of the norm on your blog. I typically subscribe to pregnancy, birth, and parenting blogs that encourage intelligent, thoughtful and compassionate dialogue, in hopes of informing and encouraging people to make the best possible choices for themselves and their families.

I do hope that you'll continue the fight on the front lines and do what is best for you as an advocate. You, along with many other advocates, are a part of the big movement to educate and inform (not scare or intimidate).

I wanted you to know that as a woman and a mother (as well as a new follower), this post hurt a bit. Persevering through education and compassion is hard. My toddler teaches me that every day. If it's numbers you want, then write what you need to get them, but I hope you'll continue writing from your heart.
Anonymous said…
Persevering "with" education and compassion. Ahh, iPhone typos.
Marc and Megan said…
Okay, I thought this post was hilarious! I seriously don't understand how or why anyone would take offense to anything you've written here. Totally baffling. I think it would be so helpful if women, in general, all loosened up a little and didn't take themselves (and every birthing/parenting topic under the sun) so seriously.
Unknown said…
This is so necessary! I'm pregnant with my first, (today is actually my due date)and I knew that I wanted natural birth from day one. I was really surprised at the level of judgement I heard from other moms in the community, and to be honest, it's kinda pissed me off. Every woman wants a healthy baby and a good experience. That just may not translate to every woman giving birth the way that you or I do.
It's that simple.
Your empowering birth choice may be a planned c, an epidural, an orgasmic birth, a freebirth, a water birth, a planned induction, or whatever. It's about what works for you and your family. It's about choosing the birth experience that's right for you. To me, revolutionary mothering has nothing to do with whether you vaccinate, cloth diaper, babywear, co-sleep or breastfeed, revolutionary mothering is choice. It's women making choices about their bodies and their babies, choices that feel right for them.
We can't empower other Mama's by essentially calling them idiots. We need to stop with the whole "Your epidural is tantamount to child abuse! You fed your kid a non organic pear! You chose bottle feeding! You must not love your baby as much as I do! This invalidates women as mothers, it invalidates their choice and their power. It's just as damaging to an expecting or new Mama as "You can't birth vaginally! Your birth choices don't matter! Lie on your back!
We can and should say; "Hey, I've got this really good information about epidurals/pitocin/breastfeeding, you might want to read it!" In sum, new Mama's are fragile beings coming into their immense power. We must nourish their power by validating their choices, even if we do not endorse them for ourselves. This is how we change the birth narrative for our daughters, and ourselves.
The Quinns said…
Mamabirth-I nominate you for the job of new PR person for the natural birth community! Way to take the blinders off (not that you were ever wearing them but you get where I'm going here!) and acknowledge that something has to change for good info to reach more people in a way that invites them to learn more about it all. I think this post rocks-and I've read every. single. one. Ever. Loved it.
Elizabeth
Carrie said…
I've never really self identified with the natural childbirth movement, even though I've had homebirth midwives for all 3 births, co-sleep cloth diaper, skip vaxs, left our boy intact and finally with baby #3 did indeed consume my placenta.

I think I never wanted to identify with the NCB movement because it does come across as so... militant. And Judgey. I made those choices for myself, and I encourage people to learn and make their own choices. It's not my business what another family chooses, because honestly, most of those choices don't make anyone a bad person. It seems like in the past NCB was just about that - natural, unmedicated birth, in whatever setting, INCLUDING hospital. Now, somehow birth involves all this other parenting?! We need to get back to focusing on making sure that women actually have access to birth choices, and the support to have the birth they want, in whatever setting, with whatever provider.
Unknown said…
I think if we all seek evidence-based care for ourselves and each of our own, unique situations, and then encourage others to do the same for their own unique situations, everyone wins. The goal is not to get everyone change to ANOTHER one-size-fits-all schedule of care, it's for people to look into options and seek out what is best for them.
Moderate Mom said…
Well I thought this was a great post. The fact that so many people are up in arms about it is surprising to me, but perhaps also proof that this post was needed. I am a passionate advocate of natural childbirth, but I am an even more passionate advocate of educated childbirth and informed parenting. The natural childbirth/crunchy/attachment parenting communities pay a lot of lip service to educating women, but too often what they're really saying is, "If you were educated, you'd make the same choices as me." I just don't believe that's true. We all have different backgrounds, different levels of comfort with different types of risks, different socioeconomic backgrounds, different home settings, different religious beliefs and cultural practices, etc. How can there possibly be only one right answer when it comes to childbirth, babywearing, vaccinating, circumcising, homeschooling, etc.? There isn't.

Evidence is not 100% conclusive. Studies are not infallible, nor are they always in agreement. Every good choice still carries with it a set of risks and disadvantages. All we can do is look at the research that's out there, weigh the risks and benefits, and make the best choice we can based on our individual circumstances. And respect that other women's individual circumstances are different and will sometimes lead them to different but still valid choices.

When we, instead, act like having a natural childbirth must automatically require membership in the Granola of the Month Club, we alienate people who might otherwise support us, we feed into the Are-You-Mom-Enough? wars, and just generally show ourselves to be no less tolerant of individual needs than a c-section happy OB with a golf game to get to.

So thank you, MamaBirth, for having the courage to say what needs to be said and for having the wit to say it an an entertaining way.

-- A natural childbirthing, uncovered breastfeeding, mostly vaccinating, public schooling, disposable diapering, non-circumcising, babywearing, and otherwise moderately crunchy mom
Joy@WDDCH said…
I think my comment got eaten, boo!

So the short, re-written version is this - BRAVO!

Natural birthers calm down. Be respectful and be present, not pushy. (This coming from a natural birther.) Friends will come to you when they know you're a safe place to come to for advice.
Susan Sene said…
I have found that me talking about what I've learned about natural birth and other natural topics in a non pushy way around friends has made them curious to know more. They ask me questions and read articles and watch documentaries. I have a passion for natural birth and you tend to naturally talk about what you're passionate about. There's definitely a way to speak to others in a nonjudgmental way.
crazychickylady said…
I love this post... every time I talk to another mama I try to be respectful of her life choices. I pay attention to the looks on her face, and if she gets a grossed out look at the idea of eating or encapsulating her placenta, well," It's definitely not for everybody!" always clears the air and gets a laugh. We can educate without alienating!
Thiccc Momma said…
No matter which side of the spectrum I'm on (because it really doesn't matter), I just want to say THANK YOU to Mama Birth for writing this. You know, it takes courage to actually speak up! Someone has to do it. Talking, discussion, and conversation are GOOD to do, and I give her lots of kudo's for being the person who has done that.
I think more people need to exercise their rights, and use their voice if they think something is important enough to do so.
Unknown said…
I found this whole post annoying. Why do other moms feel the need to discredit those that want to have a natural child birth or do more holistic things?

alicia said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
alicia said…
"EVERY WOMAN WANTS THE HEALTHIEST BIRTH AVAILABLE FOR THEMSELVES AND ESPECIALLY THEIR BABY."

Was the best and most honest thing you wrote in this post...can't be leave it at that and NOT tear each other down...whatever you believe/however you live/wherever you choose to birth is YOUR choice but you know what WE are all women/mothers/sisters/caretakers let's focus on what HOLDS us together and NOT what separates us because those are the tiny things. And this world need a WHOLE LOT OF LOVE right now!!!