I agree with you all about the power of birth stories. The two *most*
empowering experiences of my life were relactating and overcoming multiple
other problems while beginning to BF my first child, and the unmedicated,
midwife and sister supported birth of my second child at a freestanding
birth center. My first birth experience was probably "normal" for a
first-time mom--in-hospital, induced, forceps, vacuum, epidural, no useful
support from anyone, flat in bed for the sake of the EFM, blah, blah,blah.
The poor dear came out MAD and screaming and I feel sorry for her and me
even 5 years later. I'm awash in sadness as I write this. The common
set-up for the-baby-wont-latch-on-panic-anxiety-etc. Breastfeeding was
truly like climbing Mt. Everest. That experience radicalized me in an
amazing way (along with The Politics of Breastfeeding...). My second birth
was wonderful, empowering, resolving, and healing. Both experiences are
there embedded in my mental, emotional, and body memory forever. I 'm
just glad to be one of the lucky ones who gets to have a wonderful birth
experience. LCs and LLL groups can and do change peoples lives! Birth
and breastfeeding experiences have a profound effect on the mom's identity
as a woman and a mother.
With passion,
Debbie Campbell, RN, MSN, LLLL
--
Registered ICC User
check out http://www.usefulware.com/~jfoltz
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