Shame?

You know since it's been well over a year since my last post, that something really had to get me fired up! Recently I read somewhere that a woman was uncomfortable with the nurses and doctors talking about her labor progression with her while she was in labor. My knee jerk reaction to this was a little harsh, so I tried to step back and think about it from other points of view. What I came up with was this burning question of when and how have women become so uncomfortable and even ashamed with their bodies? I mean, our Creator designed us and all the intriquite details of the process. I understand that, especially as a Christian woman, I can't go around talking about my junk and giving out all sorts of details, and that modesty is important. However, I think it is extremely sad that the process of labor and birth has been made out to be this gross, messy, shameful event and the only good thing is the baby at the end. I agree, the baby at the end is the most fun part, but the journey getting to that end is amazing. When I was pregnant with Jonah I couldn't wait for the intimacy and closeness that the birth process would offer. Granted, my labor was very different than how I'd dreamed it would be, and I'm dealing with that, but even still I was never ashamed of what my body was doing. In fact, after it was all said and done, my husband called me his "superbirther" and my nurse said I was made for having babies. Let me tell you, I have never felt more powerful and feminine than I did when they were telling me this. So this also brings up another thought. I fully believe that my job as a Doula is to make every woman I assist feel this way. Yes, I have strong beliefs in a natural, unmedicated birth, but ultimately I want every mama to feel like the super power that she is as she has just brought life into this world. It isn't something to be shamed, it's something to be celebrated and I hope that our culture will start to embrace this more and because of that, women will begin to feel more free to express themselves in their journey to motherhood!
Doula Tiffany