Childbirth - Birthing Videos, Photos and Childbirth Stories

Understanding Where Fear Comes From

Having a baby presents a complex mix of emotions, thoughts, dreams, wishes and fears. A pregnant woman can go from one of these states to another in a heartbeat, so dispelling thoughts and fears that take away from the joy of pregnancy and giving birth is a worthwhile endeavor. Once the fear of giving birth - mostly the fear of labor pain - is dealt with, then the idea of a natural childbirth is often embraced. If a woman has a childbirth history of difficulty and complications, learning more about the types of things she's encountered can help her understand what has happened and learn effective ways to cope.

Giving birth is a natural thing for women. Over the years, as we look at childbirth history, we see that the medical profession, which was and continues to be male dominated, took women's power away by creating the idea that pregnancy is pathological, that is, it is an illness, rather than a natural and normal function of women. There was a time when midwives assisted women in giving birth. It wasn't a big fuss and didn't involve medical intervention. Today, the idea that was firmly entrenched in the last century that the way to have a less painful childbirth is with the use of drugs, continues to hold many women and the medical profession in its sway.

Changing Perceptions Through Education

In order to dispel some of the fears and faulty beliefs around childbirth, there are educational classes and other sources of learning a woman can take advantage of in order to be better prepared for giving birth. In many childbirth classes, participants are exposed to teaching through the usual methods of notes and hands on learning, along with the use of childbirth videos where they can actually watch childbirth through its progression. By seeing the process from an outside position, a woman can gain a better grasp of the way things happen. These days, many women have childbirth movies made of them giving birth to their babies. It is possible to see many of them online. Natural childbirth stories abound on the internet as well. It's really encouraging to read them and to view the childbirth movies and videos that are available. They evoke a sense of awe and wonder, and usually tears. Giving birth to a baby is an amazing thing.

Childbirth Classes - A Great Source of Learning and Information

If a couple is taking childbirth classes, then there will likely be a list of reading material available as well as a lending library of books, videos, and other resources to help them learn more about what lies before them. Knowledge is power, and when the time is spent learning about giving birth and how to do so without the use of interventions, the couple becomes more empowered. Of course, there may be situations where a woman is unable to give birth naturally and interventions are necessary. In these cases, it is equally important to learn all she can about the type of birth she will have. Knowing how the drugs or intervention will affect her and her baby is an important aspect of assisted births.

The Value of A Midwife

Having a midwife is a wonderful asset to women going through pregnancy. Since they are really involved in the pregnancy from an early stage, they are much more available to answer questions, recommend reading or childbirth videos and they can be a source of childbirth stories that will encourage a couple. There are also some sites on the internet that provide resources from reputable sources as well as natural childbirth stories of mothers. It is possible for a woman to post her own story on a number of these sites - something to consider in terms of taking what one has learned and sharing it with others. Two such sites are givingbirthnaturally.com and achildbirth.com. Both of these sites are excellent for childbirth stories, childbirth photos and information.

Childbirth videos and childbirth movies help to dispel fears about giving birth as they educate a woman for the most special time of her live - having a baby.