The Miracle of Birth

(Well I guess Blogger decided that Botticelli's The Birth of Venus was inappropriate so it was removed from this post. I guess this makes me a dirty porn fiend - ha, and all this time I had thought it was just art. SILLY ME.)

Wow. ... I just finished watching The Business of Being Born. I am so moved. I have always had views about home-birth being the best choice in low-risk pregnancies (which are over 90% of the time, in fact) and this has just further confirmed that for me. I think that giving birth is one of if not the most sacred events to take place for humans (and all animal life, actually). As a little girl I remember hearing the story of my middle sister's birth at home and I was always enchanted with both my mother and sister for what they went through together and I felt that was what had made them both so "down to earth". My mother had books on homebirthing and I would sit and look at the pictures in awe of this incredible event. There have been a few opportunities througout my days (as an aunt and as a friend) to witness birth; what a sacred, beautiful event! I have also always *known* that I too would have (or like to have) a homebirth, barring of course any reasons that would prevent that. But it seems to be the most natural and dare I say even correct way to have a baby. Women have been giving birth since the dawn of human existance and I believe have in modern times been convinced that they do not know how to have their babies. The stats on what's really going on with hospital births is quite frightening, and while I realize that today most women are just going to opt for the hospital birth (approximately one half of one percent of births in the US are done in the home!) I would just hope that the mother and father make the choice that is right for them and their baby/ies after careful research. Mostly, my feelings about homebirth come down to emotion and connection, both of which I think are not only paramount in importance, but in fact essential to the bonding of mother and child as well as being essential to the child's emotional health. I truly believe that the first moments of life outside of the womb are crutial in terms of security, love, attachment, and subsequently health.

Wow. I am still just in awe and in love with the miracle that is birth...