Choice Also Means Choices in Birth
Choices In Birth means something immeasurable to birth. It means birth options are here, now, in her town, in your town, in any town. It means that birth options are available to this woman, to that woman, to any woman. Choice rebirthed and the world made bigger because of more birth options for more women.
This post is part of our "What Does Choice Mean to You?" series commemorating the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
In the beginning, there is birth, I always say. And strangely, to me anyway, Choices In Birth is sort of the new girl on the sexuality and reproduction block. Or at least the one who keeps trying to move in but finds her key getting lost, or broken off in the door anyway.
Who is she, this Choices in Birth? Smart, educated. She might choose Door No. 1 with midwives and out-of-hospital birth, or she might choose Door No. 2 with obstetricians and conventional birth options in hospital settings. But that’s her Gemini way I suppose. Such vim! Such duality! Such affinity with Monty Hall!
When she chooses Door No. 1 with midwives, depending on the circumstance, her location, her preference, she may seek Certified Nurse-Midwives, or Certified Professional Midwives, but mainly she is on a sincere quest for the out-of-the hospital kind of midwife to help her navigate that beginning birth point as safely, and as close to, "on her terms" as possible. Not because of some imperfect reason to seek the "perfect birth experience" but because it’s written in the DNA of her modern choice-filled heart. (I’ve seen the mitochondrial function up close and personal.)
What is interesting is that when she chooses Door No. 2 with obstetricians and conventional birth options in hospital settings, her chances of encountering a Key Slapping Slippard in the key hole of birth virtually vanish. The door opens wide, and lo, the drapes are installed!
But she knows better. Choices In Birth is no one’s fool. And she knows well that choice means something immeasurable to birth and the whole damn block, via Door No. 1 AND Door No. 2. It means birth options are here, now, in her town, in your town, in any town. It means that birth options are available to this woman, to that woman, to any woman. Choice rebirthed and the world made bigger because of more birth options for more women.
Last I heard, she was inviting friends over for a big block party out in the street. Friends, fans, and followers from organizations in every one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. You can’t miss it! It’s BYOB. BOBB. Mainly, it’s bring your own choices in birth, babeeeeee. And say hi to that girl for me! I just don’t get out like I used to.
The Big Push for Midwives Campaign 2010
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Envisioning a safer, less-costly model of maternity care in the United States.