The business of being born

Watch the film HERE

Last night i finally got chance to watch this film everybody seems to be talking about. It was a very emotional 1 1/2 hours for me. I admit i cried nearly the whole way through! It is so emotionally filled, with JOY, joyfull birthing and that amazing feeling of "OMG my Baby my BABY!! THat is my BABY! OMG i did it my BABY" after giving birth, all the pain, sweat and tears of the last hours just disappear at that very moment and DAMN right I am proud of doing it all by myself, I am proud and happy and so unbelievably thankful that our bodies were designed so well to make this miracle possible. The day I gave birth to my son was so unforgettably PAINFULL but so miraculously, amazingly, other wordly beautiful and fulfilling. I know people who have had cesareans and I really don't want to sound pitying but i do feel sad for those who were robbed of a chance of giving birth the way nature intended. Yes, cesareans cand and do save lives but sadly they are used far too often. Even Forceps or Ventouse deliveries, being cut, being laid on your back bacause you can't move from you Epidural... All these things rob Women of their right to use their abilities in their bodies. Two of my lovely friends, Julie (who is pregnant) and Ann want to have homebirths after difficult first deliveries. I wish them all the best wishes I can... but i just know that they will get the experience they wanted the first time round and that it will be like another miracle.
I was lucky.
When I think back to the birth of my son I really couldn't have wished for a better birth! Everything just went exactly as i wished and hoped for. If you want to read my birth story go visit my other blog http://williamus.blogspot.com/.
My friend and neighbour is pregnant at the moment, she is due to have her baby end of July and still thinks she would prefer a hospital birth to going to the birthing centre. I know i can't make her change her mind, I cant make her see things the way I do but I will show her this film so whatever decision she makes it will be an informed one.
One thing has definitely been settled (at least in my head) and that is that the next baby is going to be a homebirth baby! As i know i can do it without intervention, without pain reliev other than swimming in a pool and gas and air (and SCREAMING!!!!) I know I will be able to give birth at home. Just my lovely Partner i need to persuade before ... but I have got a few years time!
We have decided to start trying for baby number 2 when William turns 3 years old. I think that is a nice age gap - obviously I will be watching William, I want to know he is ready to be more independant as I don't want to push him. But 3 years and 3 months seems to be the magic number too!

Here's to natural birthing!