Reclaim YOUR Power!

I feel it is my duty to warn my sisters of the harms in captive birth. They need to know that hospitals, birthing centers, and governed birth in general, comes with true risk to mothers and their babies.

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I originally started this post trying to explain how to have an empowering captive birth experience, and take back your power. You know, trying to keep it PC and inclusive to the majority of the population. I'm not going to feed you a bunch of shit though. 🤷🏼‍♀️

A woman in a captive setting is not in complete control, as she has someone governing her birth, with final say.
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If the OB becomes afraid, they can demand a cesarean and deem it a medical emergency.

A licensed home birth midwife can become fearful of liability so she calls 911, when you are truly fine.

A birther in a birth center has had her waters ruptured for 12 hours. She is deemed 'failure to progress', and is sent to the wolves in the facility, without choice, even though there is no danger.

The birther doesn't have final say. She is not in control. Not only this, in each of these settings during the actual birth, the power is typically not being given to the mother. It is being taken by the provider present. Many providers in captive birth practice by trying to fix what isn't broken. Then, priding themselves on their ability to clean up their own messes.

Example: Provider rushes labor, orders Pitocin, baby's heart rate tanks, it becomes an emergency, doc saves the day by slicing the woman open. What a hero, right?!

Some providers feel pride in governing women. Their power is obtained when telling her when to push, what position she needs to be in, to quiet down, "hurry up and get baby out or you are having a cesarean", threatening transfer (OOH labor), threatening tools such as vaccuum, forceps, or epesiotomies. Not only this, but when baby is emerging, many have their hands all over the baby/inside the vagina. Some, more handsy than others. 🤮 It gives them power to be in control and use their hands.

Often, the first one to touch this new being is an irrelevant individual, the provider. The first one to hold baby while their soul meets their human form, is someone irrelevant. There is POWER in these moments, of soul meeting human form. This power and radiant energy belongs to the birther and their family.

It is our responsibility to reclaim this power, ourselves, and help empower other women to do the same! Share with others your stories of trauma, abuse, and lack of empowerment that is so very often a result of captive birth.

I personally feel I should not be standing beside our sisters in captive settings, defending/protecting them on the battle field, while they are vulnerable. Watching and condoning their abuse and trauma. We should be educating and encouraging them, IN ADVANCE, to AVOID these toxic environments altogether, if at all possible.

When we know the facts, how can we ignore them?

Birth is most successful untouched. This is rare/unheard of in captive birth.
Majority of complications that occur are iatrogenic; caused by the medical provider or medication/procedure provided by the provider.
More women in ratio are left traumatized after facility birth, than after home birth.
The USA establishments kills more women and babies in child birth than ANY other established country.
The THIRD leading cause of death in the USA is iatrogenic care.
Those of color, poverty, and other oppressions have even worse outcome statistics, and are more at risk for trauma.

We need to warn our sisters. Let them know ahead of time so they can avoid the trauma. They shouldn't need a "healing birth" to recover from the trauma of the first.

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Do not let the establishments to take your power. It is YOURS. It will be yours for the taking. Make your choices wisely, your experience will impact the rest of your life! ❤