Wednesday, September 24, 2008

I Birth My Babies...

...Thank you very much.

Its been reported that the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists after issuing a statement deploring homebirth,gave its members a bumper sticker which stated "Home Deliveries are for Pizza."

Clever.

Except I reject their premise that babies are "delivered." In my experience, babies are birthed by mothers, not be obstetricians. And mothers do not need to be "delivered" by their saviors the OB. Also "delivering" babies connotes to me that mothers are delivering a load, or depositing excrement. And babies are far too precious to be termed as a "delivery" like unto one that is deposited and flushed down the toilet. Although it wouldn't be the first time I've thought that OBs would like birth to be equated to a bowel movement (see my blog: POOP on the ACOG)

If we want to follow that logic that normal, psychological process are not supposed to take place at home, then process such as defecation, sexual intercourse and even sleep would have to be carefully observed and assisted by medical professionals. In that birth is a normal psychological event like sleep and pooping, its domain in within the home where a person is able to allow their body to work in a normal, undisturbed, unobserved manner. Home birth is safe, safer than hospital births because the occurance of risky interventions is much less likely in a home environment.

My babies are birthed, by me, through the power of my body which was given life by a Divine Creator. The one person I feel I need to be delivered by is my personal savior Jesus Christ. And whoever is in attendance at a birth, be it husband, midwife, obstetrician or doula, are only there as observers. They do not have the active role of birthing the baby. I take hold of that power and claim it for myself: I Birth My Babies, thank you very much.

2 comments:

jennifer said...

That was awesome. Especially that last paragraph.

It took a long time for me to feel like that after my son was born. Lately I've been able to say that my baby wasn't "delivered", I gave birth to him while everyone stood idly by.

It feels good to finally say that.

Erica Renee said...

I saw a shirt that said. "pizza's are delivered, Babies are birthed". i just saw that today actualy