The BEST pregnancy and birth?

Pregnancy and the immediate postnatal period are of much interest to me, both personally and academically.  There's so much unknown about what exactly goes on during pregnancy and there's always room for new research enlightening us on what's really going on in a woman's womb.  However, I never gave a second thought to what's happening outside of the womb, namely the physical and psychological impact that pregnancy and birth had on a mother, until I became pregnant myself.

I had spent the majority of my adult life (all 11 years of it) swearing up and down that IF I ever got pregnant, I would do everything in my power to make it a painless, easy experience for myself and if that included a planned induction and heavy medications, well, by God I'd do it.  Whatever it took.  I was 12 years old when I asked my mother what it felt like when she gave birth to me and she said, "Scarlett, having you was the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life."  "What's it like?" I asked.  "Like you couldn't f***ing imagine.  Worse than the pain you feel when you're on pointe."  (For those of you who know my mother, you won't be surprised that she's cursing in a typical conversation with her teenage daughter).  I thought about my blistered feet and how they would bleed through my tights night after night during a performance, how the skin would sometimes stick to the tights and get yanked off when I pulled them off...I couldn't imagine enduring worse pain than that.  So from that moment on, I decided that if they had to knock me out to make it so that I couldn't feel a thing during birth, then do it.

And then I read about the risks of C-sections, learned about how pregnancy and birth outcomes are improved if women have the use of a midwife and the help of a doula, and how women aren't made to give birth lying down on a bed (Face it, we're made to squat.  Think about all those times you're on the toilet and have to push with more force than necessary...try bringing your knees up as if you were squatting and TA-DA!!!  Out comes the kiddies to the pool!  Got this tidbit from Kris Carr.) and my whole world just changed.  My perspective on pregnancy and birth went from shutting my eyes tight and shaking my head no to sitting in lotus position and embracing the changes my body would inevitably go through.  Although my pregnancy wasn't perfect (I was as healthy as a pregnant elephant, but also felt like one and was uncomfortable as hell) and my birth didn't turn out exactly as I expected it to, but I was one helluva educated mama and made every decision based on evidence in the literature.

Because of my pregnancy and birth experience and the experience of other women around the world, I became interested in organizations dedicated to the betterment of the experience for women.  I firmly believe that although I think that pregnancy and birth should go a certain way, that is MY best birth and not somebody else's (although I do think that every woman of reproductive age should be given access to evidence-based recommendations and literature to arm her with the resources to have her best birth).  So, when I saw an ad for BIRTH, part of the BOLD (Birth on Labor Day) organization, that said that the play would play in St. Louis on Labor Day weekend.  So I went.  and I loved it.  It was like the Vagina Monologues of Birth.  I drank delicious Pumpkin Ale and watched it among other moms and moms-to-be.  It was great and made me realize that whatever your experience was, it is neither inherently better or worse than anybody else's as long as you are happy with how everything went.

While at the play's Q&A, I found out that St. Louis doesn't generally allow midwives in the hospitals to deliver babies.  I was floored.  I couldn't imagine having given birth with someone other than the sweetest, competent midwives at my side.  I don't think I'll ever have an OB/GYN at any of my births unless it's absolutely necessary and I felt horrified that mothers around the country are denied the simple option of choosing a midwife to assist them in their hospital-based births (at the very least).  Then, I read this article at Offbeat Mama and was a little more than interested since it occurred in a state where I spent part of my teenagehood growing up:

This is from the 2010 Walk for Midwives in Huntsville, AL. Photos by Heather Ellis.

What is the Alabama Birth Coalition? 
Alabama Birth Coalition is an all-volunteer, grassroots, non-profit organization, working for healthier moms and babies. We hope to achieve this goal through increased access to midwives and by empowering citizens across the state to make informed maternity care decisions based on the best evidence available. We were founded in 2003 by a group of families who wanted access to Certified Professional Midwives without having to cross state lines.
What is the goal of the Alabama Birth Coalition?
The Alabama Birth Coalition is working to change state law to license Certified Professional Midwives to attend out-of-hospital births in Alabama. We want all Alabama families will have access to the safe, proven, cost-effective care provided by Certified Professional Midwives.How is the Alabama Birth Coalition impacting the lives of women and children in Alabama?
First, we are educating Alabama families on maternity care options and the benefits of the midwife's model of care. As the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NARM) states, the application of the midwives model of care "has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma and Cesarean section." Second, we provide a much needed support network for families in Alabama who are choosing out-of-hospital birth. We are somewhat of a family for those who choose out-of-hospital birth in this state.
Why is an organization like the Alabama Birth Coalition necessary?
With Alabama home birth rates increasing, public safety demands access to a certified care provider licensed to practice out-of-hospital maternity care. While Certified Nurse Midwives are licensed in our state, very few actually attend births in hospitals and none provide out-of-hospital care. There are no freestanding birth centers in the state. The state has failed to authorize Certified Professional Midwives, who are specially trained to provide out-of-hospital maternity care, to practice legally.
As a result, Alabama families who wish to deliver out-of-hospital with a midwife are often surprised and distressed to learn that any midwife they hire to attend them risks prosecution. Families are forced to choose among difficult and limited options. Some find a midwife who is willing to risk prosecution to attend the birth. Some choose to birth in the hospital although they would prefer a midwife-attended birth. Some travel to birth in states that license midwives. Some give birth unassisted. Alabama families deserve better options.
Why aren't midwives licensed in Alabama?
That is a great question! Here is my opinion: Alabama is quite behind more progressive states in our nation, and places extremely tight restrictions on health care professionals other than MDs, including physicians assistants, chiropractors, physical therapists, and Certified Nurse Midwives. It appears to have a very strong "good ol' boys' club of Alabama MDs" who very much care about protecting their financial interests. They may say they are concerned about safety; however, this concern does not seem to be valid in light of the studies which support Certified Professional Midwives, as well as the numerous states that safely and successfully license Certified Professional Midwives.
Unfortunately, The Medical Association of the State of Alabama (MASA) vehemently opposes our legislation to license Certified Professional Midwives to attend out-of-hospital birth. They feel that a hospital birth is the only acceptable way to have a baby, and so far, have been unwilling to compromise at all with the Alabama Birth Coalition. They are financially and legislatively powerful and actively lobby against our cause. Many legislators are understandably reluctant to vote against MASA's agenda. However, in the end, whether MASA or other physicians groups like it or not, home birth is on the rise in Alabama. Public need will demand an out-of-hospital care provider, and the state of Alabama will need to issue licenses to Certified Professional Midwives.
If you're near the area, the Alabama Birth Coalition will be hosting a fund-raisingWalk for Midwives in Huntsville on Saturday, September 17, from 11:30am until 12:30pm. You can snag tickets (they're $10 per household) at the site, and if you don't live close enough to make it, you're always more than welcome to donate to the organization.

So, cheers to the good fight and to keeping pregnancy and birthing options open so that women could have a successful, beautiful birth.