My readers do not disappoint! There’s always a bit of nervousness when starting something new, and when I published the intro post for the Why didn’t anyone tell me? series, I did it with a mixture of hope and excitement and a knot in my stomach.
The knot loosened as comments and emails poured in. You seem to be as excited as I am about this! Questions, experiences, post offers… they just keep coming, and I’m loving every minute of it.
Before we get this series rolling, there’s something you need to know. I’m not a doctor, nor am I an expert in pregnancy or childbirth. I’ve just been there, done that a few times and know a thing or 12 about it. When reading this series, please know that this is where I’m coming from.
While I welcome differing opinions and experiences (your best childbirth may not be my best childbirth!), and I try hard to “never say never or always,” my pregnancy and birth stance remains that if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it.
- God made our bodies to do this job.
- He knows the perfect time for our baby to enter the world.
- He is in control, and I like to mess with that as little as possible.
Pregnancy and birth can be messy and painful; it’s also beautiful and affirming. Pregnancy is not an illness, and I’m not one to treat it as such.
And in the end… what we’re all after is a healthy baby and healthy mom.
*** To those of you who have responded to my plea for questions or guest posts, thank you! I’m organizing and digging through email. You will hear back from me! Keep it coming, too. This is going to be an amazing source of sharing and information, thanks to all of your fabulous experiences!***
Can’t wait for the series to get up and running. I’m expecting my first child in 2 weeks! So hopefully I’ll have some useful information by then.
Hmmmm, we’ll just be getting started, Crystal. Is there anything specific you want to know right now? I’m sure my readers would help you out!
I look forward to your series. As a labor and delivery nurse with 15 years experience, I enjoy other views and opinions on the subject. Coming from a “medical” perspective, I know my ideas of childbirth are very different to others who choose a more “natural” approach. I respect a mother’s decisions to choose the childbirth experience that is right for her. I am just glad that when a mother chooses the hospital, or her condition is so high risk she requires medical intervention, God has put me in a situation to help. It has been a blessing to share that moment with so many families over the years.
Looking forward to it all Amy.
I like knowing “you’re” there, too, Lisa… because you just never know! I had my previous 3 and will have my 4th at a hospital. I’m grateful for the “just in case” but also very thankful that my doctor and nurses let us do our thing.
Want to come to Kansas to assist my next birth?!
I’m prego w/baby #2 and very much looking forward to this series! Wonderful idea!
I am looking forward to this! We are expecting our first baby in about 5 weeks. Hopefully we can get some good info!
Thanks for doing this!
I am SO looking forward to this series, Amy! My birth/pregnancy philosophy is very similar to yours but, as you know, I had it all turned on its head when my second child arrived at not quite 24 weeks gestation via emergency c-section. I still struggle with feelings of failure for not having the “natural” birth I so desired for my 2nd and 3rd babies… I have to confess that I feel shame when I tell people that my daughters were born via c-section, as though I somehow fell short. But, in the end, what matters is that all three of my children are here and healthy!
Look into your healthy daughters’ beautiful eyes. Your c-section births were NOT a failure!
I will be looking forward to this series. I again would like to offer to guest post or provide my perspective on these topics. I agree with what you said today.
I’m so far behind, Jackie! I will be contacting you about a guest post… I promise!
I can’t wait for this series. I had a very challenging high-risk pregnancy with all the specialists/testing/yada, yada…If it wasn’t for all the medical interventions, I wouldn’t be here and neither would my son. Though my son was born “naturally” (technically, though he was evicted 8 wks before his due date for medical purposes), I don’t consider having a c-section a failure (commenting to previous poster). My view is the goal is to have baby and mom safe and if that goal is achieved, all else doesn’t matter.
Absolutely! If birth can be done without intervention, great. If not… do what’s best for mom and baby!