to think that the 'positive birth' movement has gone too far?

[Scoutingaround1789]

Had a baby last year, was your typical induction-failure to progress-EMCS story. However me and baby ok, I felt well looked after by staff. I did read about hypnobirthing etc and followed 'positive birth' groups on instagram and facebook, but I was very realistic about how birth could go and wasn't fixated on a particular plan. Look back on the birth of my baby positively, but don't think about it that much. It was just one day.

I haven't unfollowed all these groups (yet!) but I was reading some of the birth stories/articles that they were posting a few days ago and I felt really...well, irritated. This idea that you can have an 'empowering birth' that 'how you give birth is the start of how you mother' (if that's true, oh dear, I was off my face on drugs)...isn't this becoming a little...narcissistic? Posting photos of you breathing calmly in your birthing pool...'just gas and air!' comments etc... I mean, why did you get pregnant, to have a baby or to have a birth experience?!?

I mean look - obviously women should be well cared for and I am not saying we should go back to the 1950s where episiotomies were routinely given, women had little to no say etc...just that this whole social media/childbirth aspect feels very uncomfortable for me, and I worry will have a damaging impact on pregnant women approaching labour.

I get your point but in my experience, hypnobirthing and 'positive birth' is exactly what you said about being realistic about how birth can go and not being fixated on one exact plan.

I was terrified of labour more than anything. Hypnobirthing and following the positive birth movement gave me confidence that my choices on the day were the most important and that I had control in what happened to me. I knew the best breathing techniques and positions to be as comfortable as possible and try to encourage a straightforward delivery, but I knew what I wanted to happen if I needed a c section etc and felt confident in making my voice heard. To me that's what made my experience positive, not whether baby was born vaginally in a pool or with an emergency section.

@Jasging your experience doesn’t invalidate those of others.