Daily i am asked about home birth followed by the comment 'i don't think i could do it'.
I fell in love with a quote in a recent interview with Ani DiFranco in "Mothering Magazine" --"I'm really happy in the end that i felt every last bit of pain and was as present as i could be. Whenever you go through something terrifying and come out the other side, you grow and have more self-respect in terms of your own strengths. I wanted that more than i wanted whatever sort of numbing the hospital would have offered".--Beautifully stated! Couldn't agree more. Something important happened in my experience. Getting through one of the toughest challenges as a human being prepared me to be a stronger person for my child and appreciate my strengths. The pain connected me and made me search deep for strengths i probably never knew i had. On the other end, it's pretty cool to look back and say I DID IT on my own terms. It was like winning the most important athletic event you've ever participated in times 10.
Here is Kellen's first few minutes, hanging out in the warm water with Dad. Peaceful.Looking back, i thank my parents for teaching my that i have all the tools i need for whatever comes along my path. I think women are superhero's that quietly make the world turn. So in response to those who doubt their capabilities- You have your own tools, use them. Have a birth you could only dream of.
That's my story and i'm sticking to it (anyone remember who said this all the time?)
-molly
