Birth and other things

For my pregnant and soon-to-be (Lord willing) pregnant friends, here are a few articles I have read recently (from mothering.com) and find interesting. It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of natural birth (and natural just about everything else, actually), and am always willing to chat your ear off about it or answer any questions. I'm encouraged by the positive attitude shift I see in women in general surrounding unmedicated (when possible) birthing experiences. Hope you are encouraged, too!

Candles Not Required - An awesome, straight forward article about why one ordinary woman chose to have a homebirth, you *must* read the whole thing, but here's an exerpt:

"I am not the product of hippie parents and I don't consider myself righteous. I am not an atheist, a liberal, or a neofeminist. I am not crazy nor am I from Mars. Yet these are typical assumptions people make when I tell them that my child was born at home. Intentionally...

I expressed my wishes for a natural childbirth experience, free of unnecessary medical interventions, to her. I thought she would be supportive, understanding, encouraging and perhaps even give me a big, burly, bear hug while smiling proudly from ear to ear.

Wrong.

Wrong.

Wrong.

Boy, was I wrong.

How could I have been so wrong? Or better yet, how could I have been so naïve?

Her face flushed, her spine straightened, and a blood vessel appeared at her temple and pulsated with vigor. She forced a sour smile on her face and told me that if I didn't want to take advantage of modern medical technology, that I should hire a lay midwife and have my baby at home. She then went on to explain to me, step by step, what happens when I enter the hospital in the throes of labor."

Homebirth at the Hospital - what it sounds like. :)

Choosing Your Birth Practitioner

Choosing a Place For Your Baby's Birth