We can only re-envision something when we know what we have now and why that isn’t working.
Where are we now in the Childbirth Conversation?
- We have a Choice-Based Childbirth Trend in most developed countries
- You make a Birth Plan
Was there an earlier Childbirth Conversation? Of course but it was country-by-country instead of the global trend we are in now.
Because Birthing Better skills were developed in the US in the early 1970s the Childbirth Conversation from the 1960s-1980s was a Skills-Based Childbirth Trend. The very first childbirth preparation classes were taught … Lamaze and Bradley. Both of these were entirely skills because women totally lacked choices.
In New Zealand where our registered not-for-profit www.commonknowledgetrust.org exists that holds all the Birthing Better skills and The Concept we are going to talk about today… another Skills-Based Childbirth Trend … Grantly Dick-Read.
Your country has a childbirth history as well.
What existed prior to that? Globally women have always gotten pregnant and given birth. Since Cesareans are very new (post WW2), prior to that time every pregnant woman labored and had a vaginal birth no matter her circumstances.
And there has always been a Truth around Childbirth … ‘There’s no way to know what your birth will be like’.
There are other truths:
- We have so few births in life compared to the two other natural, normal, and physiological human behaviors: sex and hunger
- We can’t practice to birth before hand
- We can’t replay it
- It’s life-transforming
- It hurts
- We don’t know how long it will last ( 3hours to 72 hours)
The present Choice-based Childbirth Trend advocated ‘saying ’no’ to medical care’ and treating birth as a normal, natural and physiological event that is best left alone to unfold naturally.
Unfortunately, the words ‘natural, normal and physiological’ were never clearly defined. Or said a better way. The medical profession sees birth as potentially dangerous until it’s completed with a healthy mother and baby. The natural birth movement and supportive midwives sees birth as potentially safe unless proven otherwise and is best just left alone.
Women are caught in the middle.
Why is it important to Re-envision Childbirth?
There’s no way to know what your birth will be like and babies don’t come to plan so you cannot ‘plan’ your birth. You don’t know what you want and don’t know beyond ‘I want a healthy me and my baby’ and “I want to have a positive experience’.
However, YOU and only you are going to have to DO THE ACTIVITY of birthing your baby. This is true for 100% of all pregnant women without exception.
Re-envisioning Childbirth is a Concept: “It’s normal and natural when pregnant to self-learn birth and birth coaching skills then use those skills to work through your baby’s birth as it unfolds”
SPREAD THE CONCEPT FAR AND WIDE!