I think that birth can be traumatic for a baby, but I certainly don't think
it always is. I have wonderful photos of my daughter's birth - taken 20
years ago - and she is wide-eyed, alert, calm and looking around the room
within a minute or so of being born, then settled in to nurse for more than
30 minutes. I remember my second son, newly born, nursing for a few minutes,
then letting go and looking up at me and smiling. I know, I know, they'll
say it was gas, but I saw that smile - and it was a look of peaceful,
relaxed happiness.

Not that all births are without incident, or this peaceful, but certainly to
think of birth as universally traumatic to the baby goes against not only my
own experiences, but what I've seen at some of the births where I have been
a doula.

Teresa Pitman
LLL Leader, Oakville, Ontario