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The Journey Of Birth by Leonie MacDonald

Every mother wants a healthy baby. Sadly, the experience of birth is often damaging to women’s wellbeing.

Birth leaves many woman feeling exposed and vulnerable. Some suffer feelings ranging from sorrow and disappointment to anger and betrayal. One in three mothers are traumatised by birth, some experiencing postnatal depression and post traumatic stress[1]. But it doesn’t need to be this way.

An unhindered physiological birth makes a strong contribution to a woman’s wellbeing. The hormones released during labour provide pain relief and enhance the mother’s feelings of joy and bonding with her baby.[2]These hormones are most effective when women feel safe enough to let go of inhibitions, fears and rational thoughts and enter into a deeply relaxed state of consciousness. The combination of birth hormones and joy at the birth of her baby produces intense feelings of strength, love, pride and euphoria for the woman. Birth can be a powerful experience that causes women to exclaim joyfully “I want to do that again!”

When women feel anxious, the hormone that drives contractions is interrupted by fight or flight hormones. Labour may slow or stall and medical intervention may be introduced to move things along. When physiological birth is significantly disrupted, women no longer benefit emotionally from labour’s hormones.

Women can prepare for birth by learning to trust in birth and their ability to birth their baby. Yoga, hypnosis for birth, meditation or deep relaxation are all worthwhile preparations. Women benefit from deeper emotional and mental work to understand how labour works and to acknowledge their perceptions and feelings around birth.

Women who trust their carers and feel loved, respected and treated with dignity by their carers and supporters are likely to experience positive births. The right carer will understand each woman’s needs and will protect her wellbeing. Women need to choose their care provider and supporters wisely and consider the environment they will feel most comfortable in during labour.

A perfect birth is not always possible and sometimes women will need a medically assisted birth. Feeling safe, nurtured and respected remains important and may make all the difference to the woman’s wellbeing. Emotional hurt often stems from the way women have felt during labour, rather than the actual circumstances of the birth.

Birth has the potential to transform women and create mothers who feel healthy and whole, empowered and full of joy – why settle for anything less?

“I am now a woman like never before. I now know what it is to create and nurture life, and to birth wildly and ecstatically like the universe intended. I am woman, hear me roar!” Jessica, mother of three.

Leonie MacDonald is a primary school teacher, writer, editor and mother of two boys aged 3 and 6. Leonie is the editor of "Birth Journeys - positive birth stories to encourage and inspire" a new Australian book of 29 diverse, deeply personal birth stories from every day women and men with informative contributions from midwives, doctors and educators. Through research and working closely with many women over several years to compile and publish Birth Journeys, Leonie has gained an understanding of the factors that help women to come through their births feeling strong, whole and healthy, ready for mothering and feeling wonderful about themselves.

“Your experience of birth does matter. A ‘perfect’ birth is not always possible, but every woman deserves a positive birth.”

www.birthjourneys.com.au