My do's, don'ts and hopes

I thought I would write out some of my do's, don'ts and hopes for those I speak to about childbirth. I got this idea from this site and loved the idea. So here's my list for my friends, associates and readers.

Things I don't care about:

I don't care where you give birth.

I don't care how you give birth.

I don't care what type of providers you use.

What do I care about then:) I mean, if I don't care about any of these things, then why do I write this blog.

I do care that you feel you made your choices based on what you want and desire, and that you received enough information to make informed decisions.

I do care that you feel you can look back at your decisions and learn from them.

I do care that both you and your baby are healthy, but that (more important, in my opinion), your cumulative life experiences have brought peace and joy.

I do care that you don't feel like you where stepped on, put down, or shoved around.

I do care that you have taken your birth experiences and used them to make you a better person.

My hope:

I hope that women can come to understand the great importance they play in bringing lives into this world, and that they can respect that in other women also. I hope that labor and birth can become of time rejoicing, overcoming, stretching, and finding the best in ourselves in preparation for motherhood. I hope all, at some point, can make peace with their choices.

I do advocate a natural approach for many reasons; medically, emotionally, and spiritually. But, I recognize that we are all different and at different points in our lives. Where we are at can largely determine how we experience pain and joy. That not only changes from person to person, but from time to time. Mostly I just encourage everyone to research their options, look at where they are at now, and learn from experiences they have had to become better women and mothers.