My daughter Amelie, on the left aged 2 days, and on the right (with me) aged 18 months, the one who started it all!
Natural Birth Stories is a website run by a mom for the benefit of other parents and parents-to-be (let's not forget the Dads!) out there. My reasons for starting this site are twofold. Firstly I had such a positive experience with the natural birth of my daughter, which ended up having a profoundly empowering effect on my life.
Secondly I have had so many friends who would have liked to have natural births but ended up with most probably unnecessary Inductions/Caesar’s/medical interventions, and not a positive experience. In South Africa we have one of the highest ceasarian rates in the world. I don't really want to go into the reasons for that, but increasingly more and more moms are requesting natural births. This website is an attempt to empower them with the information and inspiration they need to give them the best chance to have the birth experience they want.
The internet has become our global village, a place where we can take back control, do our own research and share our knowledge and experiences with our peers. I hope the collection of stories on this site will be an inspiration and a resource for all moms, dads and caregivers looking for information about natural childbirth through the real-life experiences of others, in the South African context. My heart aches for the moms who don't know what an incredibly positive and empowering experience childbirth can be. Through ordinary moms and dads, midwifes, doctors and doulas sharing their experiences, successes and also their disappointments in the pursuit of natural birth I hope to make information about natural birth in South Africa more accessible.
I hope that the site would also become an important resource for any care giver in the sector, as, in time through the addition of lots of stories, we will build a library of births. Then one could search for example for VBACs, Home Births, or births attended to by specific midwife/doctor etc. Because these stories are told by the moms and dads involved it will be a better reflection of peoples experiences in South Africa than that provided by official statistics.
I hope that the site would also become an important resource for any care giver in the sector, as, in time through the addition of lots of stories, we will build a library of births. Then one could search for example for VBACs, Home Births, or births attended to by specific midwife/doctor etc. Because these stories are told by the moms and dads involved it will be a better reflection of peoples experiences in South Africa than that provided by official statistics.
