I’ve never been to a rally or a protest.  I’m usually not one to feel the need to get involved in those kinds of things.  I don’t like pushing my beliefs onto other people.  But this…. this is important.  The idea of “Improving Birth” is a good one and yes it’s important.  The culmination of knowledge and experience I’ve gained over the past 9 years while I’ve birthed four babies, photographed 25+ births, doula-ed for a handful more, talked with moms about their experiences, attended childbirth classes, and read related material, is that how we labor and deliver and are born can have massive effects on our lives.  Ina May Gaskin’s most recent book is appropriately titled “Birth Matters“.  Yes, it does.

Like I said, I’m not one to push my beliefs on others.  Although I love and cherish my homebirths, I would NEVER tell someone that homebirth is the best way to give birth or that she “gave up” because she got an epidural.  We are all different and what may be “best” for me will certainly not be best for someone else.  The way to improve birth is not to strip every birth experience of every piece of medical equipment.  The way to improve birth is to educate ourselves so that each mama can make informed decisions about her body and the life of her baby.  Giving birth is responsibility of the mother, not the midwife or the doctor, and mothers need to step up to that responsibilty and own their births.  If a birth includes an induction, an epidural, a c-section, or any other proceedure, mamas need to be the ones making those choices while being aware of the pros & cons of those proceedures.

And so, I invite you to join me!  I will be part of the Improving Birth Rally in Las Vegas on September 3.  There will be other vendors and PinkPeas will be hosting.  It’s also my birthday so come give me a birthday hug 😉

Improving Birth Rally – Las Vegas

Monday, September 3, 2012 – Labor Day!

10:00am to 12:00noon

3920 W Charleston Blvd Suite J, Las Vegas, NV 89102