This Mother’s Day, I’m grateful to Choices in Childbirth, an organization that helped guide me to where I am today and one that I know firsthand never stops fighting to improve birth outcomes and experiences for all moms.
But let me back up: When I was pregnant with my first child, I assumed I would have my baby in a hospital with a doctor. I’d show up after my water broke, have a baby, and go home — like in the movies.
I was only vaguely aware that a “birth plan” was a thing and that I was in control. Then my mother told me to watch The Business of Being Born, which taught me that midwifery care was an option. I wound up birthing my son at home, attended by amazing midwives, and had the most transformative experiences of my life. It was the right choice for my family and me.
And that’s what it’s all about: choices. Being aware that you even have them in the first place and then being able to take advantage of them.
Eager to be part of this community, I took several of Choices in Childbirth’s workshops during my second pregnancy. And now, I speak to them because I’ve become a doula and a childbirth educator.
I want to make sure that choices are available to all women — will you join me and support Choices in Childbirth? From day one, I was particularly impressed by how they strive to involve women of color, non-traditional families, and other groups often left out of the conversation. This is real-world advocacy that genuinely changes lives.
There’s no better time to reflect on how important it is that our birth experiences–essentially, our initiation into motherhood — are thoughtful and positive. In honor of the mothers in your life, please keep this good work going by making a gift to Choices in Childbirth today.
Yours truly,
Naima Beckles
Also check: CIC Awards