Th last two of my four children have been born at home. One was a quick peaceful waterbirth. The other was a long grueling painful birth. It would have been a cesarean anywhere else. It’s only been a couple months and I’m still processing it all. But, I completely identify with what Ani said, “The memory
of pain always recedes. The memory of triumph does not.”

“Colleen,I doubt Ani meant for the statements to sound anti-male. I didn’t even see anti-male statements.”

You’re joking, right? Please tell me you’re kidding. This act of acting like nobody but yourself has any valid points is seriously stale.

“I would definitely choose a homebirth again despite the fear mongering of this patriarchal society, which convinces women that they are incapable of having babies without the intervention of men and their machines.”-Ani DiFranco

Does that make it easier for you to understand?

i think it’s sad how judgemental some women are of other’s experiences.
that’s where i really think we’re eons behind.
when women can value each other and their position as “good” mothers regardless of choices or experiences whether they be IVF or epidural or c-section, then we’ll know we’ve come far.
but i don’t think we need men to oppress us when so many of the women who judge our experiences are happy to do so.

Colleen,I doubt Ani meant for the statements to sound anti-male. I didn’t even see anti-male statements.Maybe instead of judging her, we can put ourselves in her shoes instead. We all probably say something that would be offensive to other people everyday but we don’t realize it. I thin Ani thought she was saying something to motivate other women who want to do home birthing.

Wouldn’t a real feminist embrace another womans right to choose? As if women who choose medicated, hospital births are like cows, or Stepford Wives? I am a well read person, and researched my options initially not wanting an epidural for fear of becoming paralyzed or separared from the whole birthing process. An unmedicated birth certainly isnt for everyone, esp a homebirth. Thats great Ani was able to manage and endure the pain, but it certainly does not make her a saint. I find it sad when women who have had natural births put other women down for wanting meds. Thats not what this is about. Its about those women feeling they lack power and needing someone or something to blame. I loved my nurses and had an empowering experience w/epidural. I was treated w/respect and was able to enjoy the moment when my daughter was born not feeling guilty because I decided to have meds. I am more concerned about how mothers choose to parent than what kind of birth they choose. Thats what matters. I am also sick and tired of supposed “liberated” women such as Ani make such hateful anti-male comments. Thank you to all the wonderful FEMALE (no male nurses tended to me) nurses @ Rose Med Ctr in Denver who encouraged me and treated me like a goddess in the “hospital”.

Ani sounds like a lot of new mothers I know, they have a baby naturally or a home birth (which is something to be proud of) but they then think they automaticaly think they know everything about childbirth and motherhood. I think in time, Ani may grow some perspective on the situation and realize that a homebirth isn’t for everyone and that the situation is differnt for every mother and every pregnancy.

I also agree with some of the opinions stated here. I am a pretty progressive person, and openminded to homebirths and midwives, in fact,I want one w/my next pregnancy. It is true that the hospital births and dr’s mentality toward birth is not spiritual or client centered. But her comments were so condescending. Its all about choice. I had a hospital birth and so what if I had pain meds. I wanted it.It was a choice. She shouldnt put others down with her self-righteous attitude becasue SHE did it naturally. Youre not better than anyone else Ani.

Alice Park wrote a pretty balanced article about the U.S.’s rising elective C-Section rate in Time magazine from 4/17. It does state that more malpractice claims are made in vaginal births vs. C-sections.