the ease with which people are made
Almost six years ago, one of my daughters came to me with news that she and her husband were having a baby. I didn't give much thought to the hows or the whys, I just reveled in their joy with them. I thought of impending baby showers, teeny tiny diapers and itty bitty booties. Pretty soon, some interesting things started to pop up, though. I assumed they would be having their baby in a hospital, I just didn't know which hospital. Would it be one close by, one a particular doctor was affiliated with, or one that came highly recommended by friends? When they told me the baby was to be born at home, I nearly had a panic attack. So that meant there would be no doctor? How could the baby be delivered with no doctor?
conception
Historically, most babies were born at home. Midwives were abundantly available. Women, or women's bodies, intrinsically knew, and still know, how to give birth. The babies know how to be born. This isn't simply true with humans, but across the board with mothers and offspring of every species of mammal, roughly 4,260 species in all. How many of those species have doctors to intervene and assist in delivering their young? Not very many, aside from humans.
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2 months
At first, I simply thought my daughter's decision to have an at home, completely natural childbirth (aside from being crazy) was simply her being stubborn and wanting to "do it herself." After all, she set precedence for this throughout her childhood. But when she began sharing her research with me -- the books, articles, website, and the direct information straight from her midwife's mouth -- I realized this was an unbelievably well-informed and well-thought out decision. She and her husband truly believed in her power as a woman to simply do what she was biologically made to do, and they believed in his ability to be exactly what she needed in a coach and support system.
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5 months
Babies are born every single day in this world. Every minute. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a new human is born every 4.2 seconds. They're born in hospitals, birthing centers, homes, hotel rooms, cars, huts, fields... Every woman has her baby's ideal birth written in her mind, but when a baby is ready to come into this world, it will.
9 months
The human body is an amazing piece of biological artistry. I have learned some things from my daughter that I never thought possible. I have four daughters and I never thought for a second there was any choice but to have them in a hospital, delivered by a doctor. That's simply what we're told. Don't get me wrong; there are times when a doctor is truly necessary regarding childbirth. Some women are high risk, some women have health issues, some women are having multiple babies. Some women simply would feel more comfortable in a hospital setting no matter what information is at their disposal. The problem is not having a child in a hospital with a doctor. That is a valid choice as long as the mother-to-be is truly making choices. The problem is when doctors treat childbirth as a procedure instead of the basis of life that it is. Doctors like to think that the delivery of babies is completely their expertise, but most of the time, babies can give them or take them, really. In childbirth, a doctor is supposed to be working for you, not simply on you. Remember that.
So, my daughter and her husband had a remarkably beautiful, healthy (robust even) baby, at home, in their own bed, the bulk of labor taking place before the midwife even deemed it time to come to the house. It was as amazing of a thing as I have ever seen. Then, a year and a half later, they did it again. Again a perfect birth, again a perfect baby. And then, two and half years later, they did it yet again. Yep, you guessed it. Another flawless baby. All without a hospital. Mostly without help of any kind. Once upon a time, I thought they were crazy for doing this. Now I think everyone else is crazy for not doing this. You see, most of the time, you'd be amazed at the ease with which people are made.
Now, raising them is a another story altogether.
Now, raising them is a another story altogether.