Birth Is Good

I came across this cool story of one woman's journey to birthing at home. I resonated with much of what she wrote, especially:

In fact, I am not a hippy. I don't buy organic, I drive a SUV-cross over thing, and sometimes I even vote Republican. When I chose a home birth for the birth of my first son, it had very little to do with what kind of experience I was hoping to have, and everything to do with wanting to avoid the cascade of interventions: the use of chemical augmentation in labor, vacuum extraction, forceps deliveries, c-sections. You know, the things that could be harmful to my baby.
...
So, I chose to birth my son at home. And it was a LONG PAINFUL EXPERIENCE. But you know what? Even though I had not set out to have a euphoric experience; even though his labor was the most painful and exhausting thing I have ever been through, it was my single greatest triumph and accomplishment. His birth was a testament that there is nothing you cannot do if you set your mind to it. I did get a medal. My award was a new sense of self-confidence, the likes of which I have never before possessed.

You can read the whole thing at the Birth Is Good blog!