Juju's stuff however, made me want to puke. On every single page she stresses how horrific labour is and how squeezing a ball will distract you through it... no surprises that her protege Sarah Murdoch ended up not coping during her labour
fantastic description The Earthern Clan
and the protege had an epidural and an instrumental delivery

this book is written from a very obstetric and medical point of view where the focus is that labor is pain. I totally disagree with the writings in this book

yes labor is intense and for some painful, but dont fall for the old 'its how we say it is so this is the way its meant to be'

the sensations of labor and birth can be interpretted as pain, but is this perhaps in some way attributable to many, many years of women passing their suffering on as a rite of passage (Eve must suffer for her sins). Lack of education, horrendous intervention to save the soul of the baby at the demise of the mother, and no support are all key factors in the growth of the scare mongering that is alive and flourishing in childbirth today

childbirth has been medicalised and controlled since the church took over, and midwives where burnt at the stake

I had a terrible first birth...I was fearful and did not let go and be with my birthing body

2nd birth I practiced a form of hypnobirthing, and it was the most amazing experience. Intense yes, painful right at the height of the contractions in transition yes, but nothing I could not cope with and when Jay was birthed just a wonderful opening sensation

if you think labor and birth will hurt then you are already setting yourself up to find the pain

I'll get off my box now

x