Birthing Your Way

The United States has some room for improvement in maternal and infant mortality rates, to say the least. We believe in general, those of us in the doula world, giving families more choices could help to decrease these numbers. Birthing your own way can be relative to your own situation. For one family it might mean being in a hospital without pitocin or epidural. For another, it may mean birthing at home safely with their Certified Nurse Midwife. Again, it might mean choosing to not be induced and instead letting birth come without medical intervention.

While we are on the subject of inductions, although they can at times be medically necessary, did you know that they are associated with higher cesarean section rates?

Here at Your Herbal Doula we support all births, all forms of birthing, and are for empowering families to educate themselves and speak up for themselves. When asked where I support women and what kind of births do I attend? Answer: All births. Although most of my support and births are in hospitals I have attended homebirths, birth center births, surprise births, breech births, VBAC births, transport births, cesarean operating room births and induction births just to name a few.

What can we do as doulas, birth workers or families interested in birth advocacy to make a difference? One, education is key and two, speaking up and not being afraid to advocate for each other. I like to say that I am an advocate and not an activist. I have had my share of activism in making changes but have more success in advocating for, empowering, educating, and supporting women and families in the birthing world. One person, one family, one birth at a time.

There is no perfect box or cookie cutter mold for advocacy and activism because we truly need all forms. We need people voting, we need people educating, we need people lobbying, we need people offering low income friendly services, we need doulas, we need midwives, we need OBGYNS and nurses stepping up, we need hospitals making changes, we need alternatives, and we need empowered families.

I'd love to hear from those in my community what they are doing to make changes and make a positive impact in your area. Please leave a comment below to share you business, your office, your non-profit, your classes and your mission. I'd love to hear from you and spread your work. To me this isn't a competition, but rather a heart mission.

Blessings.

Jessica

Maternal Mortality Is Rising in the U.S. As It Declines Elsewhere
Deaths per 100,000 live births

Notes "Global, regional, and national levels of maternal mortality, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015," The Lancet. Only data for 1990, 2000 and 2015 was made available in the journal. Source: The Lancet Credit: Rob Weychert/ProPublica