Child birth is a womens rights issue

Birth advocacy, specifically as it relates to cesareans and vbac seeking moms, has really become like a child to me since Evelyn's bith.  Helping other moms find information, supportive health care providers, process their experiences, and even heal gives me purpose and a sense of fulfillment.  Yes, motherhood gives me purpose.  But after days of poopy diapers, nursery rhymes, and battles over toys I don't get the same satisfaction. I find myself wanting to pour out myself for these moms, much like I did for my students.

I've been interested in social justice issues for at least a decade now.  Our current education system and maternal care are very much social justice issues, so it makes sense.

Its a shame that a woman living in the US in the 21st century does not have control over her body.  Legally we can abort but we cannot choose how and even where we give birth.  Its as though we are too stupid to make an informed decision. It is as though the millions of women who successfully carried babies to term and birthed them the way God intended means nothing in our present day and age.   What does it tell us about our health care when a mom is in the throws of labor, exhausted, and wants to throw in the towel and no one offers an ounce of help or encouragement and is put under the knife?  What does it tell us when a mom has to get permission from complete strangers that know nothing about her but her name and that she had a successful vaginal birth, to birth in the safety of her own home with a trained professional?  What does it say about legions of health care providers who are unwilling or too scared to let the body do what its designed to do or even follow their governing body's recommendations?  I don't get it. Birth is not inherently dangerous or life threatening.   When mankind strays too far from what God intended things just get messed up. 

Something has to change.  Women need to realize what is at stake if they don't reclaim birth as their own.

People have often said to me after my cesarean just be thankful your baby is alive. First of all, where does someone get off telling me I am NOT thankful?  What about me?  A cesarean is a major surgery. Because it happens often doesn't make it any more safe.  What about thank God I didn't die under the knife. Thank God nothing was cut on accident.  Thank God I did have a horrible infection on my scar.  And what about my mental health? Does a mom's well-being not matter?   They don't have to be bothered by or care about their birth experience, but don't impose that on me.  Maybe they should be thankful I didn't smack them! 

Then,  while preparing for my vbac and hbac people also said things like: I don't want my baby to die so that's not the birth I want.  Yes, you ignorant fool, I want my baby to die and that is exactly why I'm choosing this course for birth. Please, don't insult my intelligence.  I spent HOURS reading published papers, articles and the like to come to an informed decision.  

I feel sad for women who feel the need to tear other women down.  I am sad that women cannot acknowledge we take different paths in our journies to becoming mothers.  It upsets me that we make women feel bad for caring how their children enter the world, for grieving a lost experience, and telling them its no big deal.