Please Research: Unassisted Childbirth

I have recently been feeling more and more motivated to research pregnancy and birth. (Thus, the reason I finally got access to and watched the film, The Business of Being Born.) I had an intense desire to research when I became pregnant with Bug. I am hoping and crossing my fingers that a positive test will be in my near future. But, whether or not that happens, I am enjoying my renewed awe with the miracle that is pregnancy and childbirth. It truly is one of my greatest passions.

I admit to having less than popular ideas about parenting, which are evident in many of my blog posts. However, I feel like it is extremely important to encourage education on the many options that are available concerning parenting. Whether or not my readers actually study my presented topics, and/or implement them with their families does not really matter. Of course, I would love it if I changed some one's mind about parenting choices! After all, I do feel like I am right, or else I wouldn't practice what I preach!

In this specific post, I haven't YET practiced what I am about to preach. However, I do feel...very strongly...that it is a topic well worth studying. As a matter of fact, I look forward to the day that I will be able to have my very own unassisted childbirth (UC).

There is a great abundance of information on the topic that is available through the Internet. Rixa, from The True Face of Birth, very recently posted a link to her dissertation which she studied and wrote all about unassisted childbirth in America. I have found it to be a very enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to those who would like to get a good general idea about exactly what UC is and why women choose it. A more radical, but also very informative site would be Laura Shanley's Bornfree site (beware: includes birth nudity). Shanley is often referred to as the pioneer in the most recent UC movement. Although, whether or not there is actually a movement is debatable, as the Internet has made information about UC more available and the percentage of women giving birth at home in the US (assisted or unassisted) is very low, only about 1%.

I believe that women should have more options available to them for childbirth. And I believe that a mother shouldn't receive opposition if she chooses to give birth unassisted. There is a definite lack of understanding concerning childbirth as a whole. Please research what childbirth CAN be, and how beautiful it is when it is undisturbed.