What a GIFT!

On Mother’ Day, May 9, 2010, I received a wonderful gift!  I was given the opportunity to preach.  Never had I received such a gift as this on Mother’s Day, besides the beautiful outfit I’m wearing that my daughter gave me.  My pastor, Bishop Louis Clark, blessed me by extending the opportunity for me to preach about “The Miracle of Birth.” Over the past year and a half, I learned that birth is not an illness. I came across several writings on natural childbirth in addition to films on water births.  Last year, I had shown the film to a couple of women groups I led.  I was honored and proud that one of the women, who attended the meeting I hosted, said that she was so inspired by the film that it led her to have her baby naturally. She shared the results of the natural birth with me.  Her baby immediately latched onto her breast and was highly alert following the birth. Throughout my research, I was most surprised by the way other countries treat birth so differently. In various countries, midwives attend to births rather than doctors. The woman is encouraged to go through the process of labor and not to hurry the time.  I am convinced that birth is not an illness.  Other countries also have less medicated births mainly because they believe birth is natural.  I was also impressed to learn that a doctor in France designed the first maternity unit of a hospital which was completely a non-traditional way of facilitating a healthy pregnancy. Can you imagine prenatal care consisting of bringing the staff and pregnant moms around the piano to sing and eat sardines?  That was what a prenatal care visit consisted of.  Can you imagine the outcome of the visit on both sides?  He shared how pregnant moms, including staff, would have a much different attitude while interacting with one another. I began to envy women of such countries. The high value that is placed on childbirth is not one that I’m familiar with.  I believe it’s time to restore the value and virtue of childbirth not only in our country but in our communities, families, and homes.