Our incredible human body is such a miraculous, efficient vessel and never is this more evident than in the process of birth! This past month I have had the privilege of welcoming two new granddaughters into our family. My daughter and my daughter-in-law both had perfect labors – although both were very different.
Read MoreBirth is such a beautiful experience. There is nearly nothing more empowering than growing life inside of you, your body changing, and giving birth through your strength. Something I found interesting is that we tend to focus on the pain, the intense “painful” labor, and we forget to highlight the amount of love and joy that is exploding from our bodies.
Read MoreThere are so many things in life we can’t predict or control! Childbirth comes with a colorful variety of these things. From pooping yourself during childbirth, tearing your downstairs, your baby getting “stuck”, or your vagina never being the same again, there are some inevitable, uncontrollable, awkward, and uncomfortable birth moments that remind us how little control we have over our bodies. But perhaps the worst thing is that there is no knowing whether or not a series of things will happen to you during childbirth.
Read MoreOne evening I was sitting next to a woman doctor at a charity dinner. I was excited and eager to ask her about her views and thoughts on social injustices in maternal health. Her story was not what I wanted to hear, but what I knew I would.
Maybe this conversation got too deep for a first meeting, but these stories need to be told and heard. She began to share with me, “I did my residency on the labor and delivery floor of a small Florida hospital where there was a large Haitian population. The Haitian women have a cultural song that is sung to the woman in labor, it’s a song of ceremony and community.” I knew what she spoke of, I have heard this hymn. She then explained, “The staff made fun of it, they had their own version they would sing in the staff room, but their version was not beautiful or kind, they were mocking and cruel.”
Read MoreAlmost six years ago when I was pregnant with Annabelle, the possibility of a home birth did not hit my radar. Although I wish it would have!
Choosing to have a home birth can be a touchy subject for many mamas-to-be. I am not here to try to convince anyone that home births are the only way. I do however believe that having a baby is a natural process that doesn’t need all the medications hospitals give a mother in labor. Other than home births there are birthing centers and midwives in hospitals that are also great options. I am here to share why I chose to have a home birth.
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