Can we have a Positive Birth Stories section?

[WilheminaAteHer]

Reading positive birth stories was so empowering for me during both of my pregnancies, as it kicked the ass of all the negative birthing images which infiltrate our minds on a daily basis. Can we have an area where people share their positive tales so that anyone who needs a pre-labour boost knows where to look for it?

Hi there, thanks for the suggestion. We do have a birth announcements topic, is that the kind of thing you meant? Does anyone else think we need a separate topic?

I don't think it would work tbh. Because positive to one is negative to others. So if a woman had a positive cs with a lot of intervention but found it an empowering experience, she'd want to post it as positive, yes? But women who are preparing to give birth often don't want stories of complicated deliveries or things 'going wrong' I suppose.

It's too subjective as a concept. Birth announcements and/or childbirth are just fine. And it paints something as black and white too (positive birth but with the odd negative thrown in, would this qualify?).

Fine as is I think.

I was thinking of the sort of stories I read in Ina May Gaskin's books. These include stories of labour not going to plan - of course they do; no labour can be perfect. But the attitude of the woman is actually what makes them positive stories and therefore empowering. A much-needed antidote to what we unwittingly absorb from the telly. And that, for a woman who's never given birth before, can be a radical thing.

On reflection I wonder whether it would work better as a section on the information pages, alongside Pregnancy, etc.

I love Ina May Gaskin DH absolutely refused to ship me over there when pregnant so that I could have a farm birth.

I do understand what you're asking for and I know why but I think it's too reductive. Because in each labour there are often positives and negatives and a woman needs to be able to talk about both of them. Sometimes she feels that she must talk about both of them at the same time because that is her experience. I hate to envisage any woman being told she can't post parts of her labour because they don't fit the topic.

I remember finding a site when pregnant that had lots of lovely birth stories. Something obvious like birthstories.com. American and easy to navigate. Have you seen it?

And if all else fails, there's always dear Ina May to fall back on.

Hmm - difficult one. I had what some people would consider a very medicalised birth with DD3 and it was fantastic. I do try and post it all over the place in appropriate threads to reassure people but I suppose that sometimes I do wonder if people want to see my (2.5 years old) birth story again!

I think I agree with Showy - it's too subjective. I like the idea of something on the information pages but I'm not sure how you'd manage that.

You called me Showy. You're on my favourite list.

There was a brilliant positive birth thread a year or so ago. I know becauses I posted my story and also printed it for SIL.
It was very inspiring.

But what is positive for me may not be positive for someone else.

I may have had a pain free, drug free birth that i personally found horrific but someone else might have found their exact same birth absolutely amazing.

(Morning Showy can i interest you in a cake? a ?...)

I like the idea. I think a positive birth story is one where the mother feels good about what happened. Not important whether it went to plan, whether vaginal or caesarian, home or hospital etc. Just where mother feels great about it, and wants to share it. Doesn't mean everything had to be perfect. I remember how great I felt about DC1's birth but couldn't really talk about it because so many friends had negative experiences and felt like I'd be smug or boasting. I think it would be useful to read when pregnant - am pg now and would like to read positive feel-good stories to put me in the right frame of mind.

Yes well obviously it's subjective and you post if you found it positive.

I've done a search there are lots of positive birth story threads, no need for a separate topic really. Either just start a thread or do a search.