baking soda

rach and i went to a double-feature movie night last night at birthfest. it was really good and i enjoyed rach's company.

i suspect that i was one of the only non-mothers/moms-to-be there. i find birth very interesting and enjoy learning about it partly because it's interesting but also because i'm a woman. i feel that as a woman we are in a unique position, and even if i can't have kids someday, i still cherish the beauty of giving birth and giving life. being a woman rocks!

on the way home rach and i were reflecting on the different approaches to labour and delivery. while i don't believe there's necessarily a right way or a wrong way, i do have my preference if given the choice – and the reality is there isn't always a choice. truthfully rach and i can't understand the perspectives of women who have the opposite approach to what we do. and as i often do in most situations that i don't understand i wonder why. the neat thing that rach and i discovered was what is at the root of our desire for a non-medicated homebirth. for rach... it's the desire to feel everything. emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc. she wants to deeply feel what is going on, and enjoy the richness of those feelings. for me... (while slightly different, still similar) i want to experience everything. i spend much of my life with a desire to experience as much in life as possible. i often do things that i'm reluctant to do simply because i want to add that experience to my collection. i think that's why i'd prefer to experience all of birth and not just skip over it. i think in some ways it's like planning a trip. some people would like to avoid the travel and just arrive at their destination. but i love road trips, trains, buses, and airplanes. i would not skip that even if i had the choice. getting there is a big part of the story. yes, arriving safely is the end goal, but why not make it a really beautiful and memorable trip too? it's not either/or – it can be both/and.

they said last evening that 75% of women watch reality birthshows on tv (shows that are out to make a profit and as a result try to tell dramatic and entertaining tales), and yet only 25% of women take a pre-natal course (where they are given gentle, assuring and helpful information that's not fear based). it's unfortunately that most women learn about birth thru the tv and don't bother doing any research.

here's one of the films we watched last night:




it was a great film. the woman is a PhD student who turned her thesis into this documentary. she addresses the 4 main misconceptions caused by mass media – fear, speed (on tv they usually have to make the delivery fit into a 30 minute segment, so they don't show how slow and boring labour can be), men being unhelpful idiots (when they have the important role of supporting and empowering their partners) and unbearable pain that women need to be rescued from. women are strong, capable, wise, and should be treated with respect. yay girls!

don't underestimate the things that i will do.