Tuesday, July 14, 2009

From One Of The Blog World's Bulliest Pulpits


Before I get my real blog on today I wanted to put this out here. I want you, if you haven't already, and if you have any interest in birth at all, to go visit our Blogosphere godmother, Heather Armstrong and read her Part I of the story of her recent birth.

She had her first child in the American way- drugs, cuts, stitches, and so forth and was a huge proponent of letting the medical people do what they do best during childbirth. And then she read a book called Your Best Birth and it changed her life.

You know, I'm just an old hippie who writes a tiny blog and who believes so very strongly in the power of women to birth their children and the rights of all women to have choices in labor and to have the knowledge to know what those choices are and why we need to make them. And I've talked about that a lot here in my blog. I had three of my four at home and I would not be who I am and I would not have the relationship with my children if I had not had them the way I was so blessed to be able to.

But Heather- well, she speaks and the world gets her message. I am so grateful that she has discovered the spiritual and sacred (her words) aspect of childbirth and that she is now writing about it.

Ina May Gaskin, Ricki Lake, Heather Armstrong.
All the mamas. A long chain, sometimes broken, then mended and continued.

Go read it.

10 comments:

  1. I'm so glad Heather (and Lake) are getting the word out. It's so like evangelizing; people just think you're nuts talking about this "other way" in life.

    Unfortunately I'm not a good spokeswoman for natural birth because I do "weird hippie shit" all the time (though i do NOT smell like patchouli) and people just shrug off my water, home births as something only a crazy person would do.

    So it's nice to have these high-exposure, upper-classy kind of women with nice hair do's promoting "the product."

    The medical establishment is robbing women of a profound, life-building experience with natural birth. You don't know the kind of power you are capable of as a parent and a woman until you let your mind and body get blown away by each unique labor/birth.

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  2. I love it. I want to read that book.

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  3. Thank you for the link - I follow Dooce and have been eager to read the start of her recent experience, but I always click YOU first these days - you are resonating with me very much.

    Take care,
    Mary

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  4. Ms. Geeksinrome- Wow! Thank-you for stopping by! What an interesting life you have! And although I am a self-proclaimed hippie, I do not smell of patchouli either and never have. You're right- when the well-coifed and cool ladies start getting the message out, it's a big deal.

    Mwa- You could. You just don't know it.

    Ms. Lemon- I haven't read it either but the movie was great.
    And I will read it.

    Mary- Are you a Mary I know? Thanks for the sweet words and I'm glad you come by.

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  5. thanks for sharing - i can't wait to read these!

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  6. Xbox- Yes. Don't believe me. Do your research.

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  7. Oh I most certainly believe you.

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