Submissions

I am now collecting birth stories for this blog! :) Please submit stories to rynnalovesyou at gmail.com (with the @, of course) with the subject line "Birth Story" and note the following within the body of your story or separately:

1. When and where did you give birth? (e.g. November 2002, Pennsylvania)
2. When did you decide who (if anyone) would care for you during your pregnancy and birth, and why? (e.g. family doctor, midwife, doula, etc)
3. What interventions (if any) did you request during your pregnancy and birth? What interventions did you receive? When did those interventions occur, and how much input did you have in the process? (e.g. ultrasound, fetal heart doppler, cervical palpitation, epidural, etc)
4. Did you feel empowered during your pregnancy and birth? Why or why not?
5. If you could change the decisions you made during your pregnancy and birth, what would you change and why?
6. If applicable, how did your birth change the decisions you made during subsequent pregnancies? What would you do again and what would you change?
7. What did you learn from your experience that you would like to share with other women?

*Please send separate messages for each birth, and please limit identifying information to first names and ages-- this is still the internet! Stories will be posted anonymously unless you give explicit permission to post your name.

Everyone deserves to be heard, but I will not tolerate the hurling of accusations; Consider this a judgment-free zone when posting comments. Respectful questions are appreciated.

Welcome!

Birth. Women all over the world from all walks of life have experienced childbirth, but in America right now pregnancy and birth seem to divide women from the moment of conception. No matter what we choose, most of us will find that our choices are viewed most harshly by those who ought to be most supportive-- other women. I'm sick and tired of hearing it! Accusations of irresponsibility and groupthink are hurled from all corners. If you choose to give birth in a hospital, you are supporting a corrupt system and dooming your child to a lifetime of problems. If you choose to give birth at home you're hopping on the latest bandwagon and if you choose to give birth without an attendant you're just plain crazy.

Here's the thing. Nothing will ever change and none of us will learn anything, unless we hear each others' stories. Not every hospital birth is a scary, complicated production geared toward giving scalpel-happy obstetricians an opportunity to cut you open. Not every homebirth is a train rocketing out of control, and unassisted birth is not necessarily a tragedy waiting to happen. Regardless of where or how you have given birth, you have something to learn about the other side. This blog will hopefully be a place for women to share stories of their own, and to share what they have learned from their experiences. I would love to see a truly supportive atmosphere, free of scare tactics from either side of the fence, and an honest look at what birth is like for women in the U.S. today.