You’re a Rock Star Even if Nobody Tells You
We’ve got to get something off our chests. It’s a secret that shouldn’t be. It’s something that doesn’t, for some reason, get said enough or only gets said when the “right” conditions are met. And it’s a shame.
You’re a Rock Star! Yes, YOU!
Birthing a baby and parenting said baby until they run your refrigerator out the door, is hard work no matter what. Even for us folk who seem to be floating on cloud 9 in the best breeze, there are days that are just hard. And you’re a rock star for showing up. Giving birth to this tiny human is also an incredible feat, no matter the mode of delivery.
Society at large seems to place a higher value on certain types of birth though.
We’ve even noticed that the professionals with whom so many new parents place their trust have demonstrated public preference to birth and are biased in what they deem worthy of public merriment. As care providers and professional support persons in a position of authority, this behavior implicitly ascribes a morality to this value and as such, shames different choices and outcomes. And while it may be unintentional, many parents end up feeling like shit about their birth.
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“I don’t know why it bothers me so much, but it does. I did all the things. I took an eight-week childbirth class, hired a well-known doula, read articles, and I joined a moms group for women who were and had birthed naturally. In the end, it was just me, all alone. Noone cheering me on and telling me, ‘You’re a rock star’, or ‘You rocked your birth’ after a 12-hour labor turned cesarean. I was heartbroken, it would have just felt good to know others saw how hard I tried. Instead, I felt like I let my doula and closest friends down.”
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Our birth experiences shape us, whether we like it or not. How we feel as we enter parenthood matters! Words matter! Hearing, “You’re a rockstar” matters, and not hearing it matters too!
When the most popular doctor, midwife, or doula in town always posts and shares the “best” births on their social media platforms, and you notice that they always say, “Congrats to this Rock Star mama who had a non-medicated vaginal birth” but doesn’t mention the rock star parents who labored for hours and chose to pursue relief via pharmaceuticals, or the parent who chose a cesarean birth from the get-go, it hurts.
We get it.
We hear you.
Having a “natural” birth (which is a misnomer, by the way) is definitely something to be proud of and it is worth celebrating. No doubt, at all. But choosing an epidural or opting for a cesarean birth is an equally valid choice and one that deserves the same frequency and intensity of accolades.
This isn’t simply a matter of target market or ideal patients/clients on the part of the midwives or other birth professionals in regards to their statements/behavior online and off, because
a). not all of their patients/clients want the same things for their birth that the provider wants
b.) a provider and/or doula shouldn’t necessarily “want” anything other than a healthy, safe, and happy experience and outcome to begin
c.) they are all held in esteem in the greater health community and because of this, have influence and
d.) even if, by some chance, all their clients/patients did want a completely drug-free/intervention-free, vaginal birth, there will always be some who, for their safety and health, cannot and will not birth as originally intended.
The consequences of feeling like one “failed” at birth are very real and entirely damaging.
Not to mention, it isn’t a test to pass. By saving our “You’re a rock star” for specific people, we are effectively setting people up to believe that birth is a test of their abilities and ultimately, of their parental devotion and/or suitability. By always exclusively referring to these “mamas” (another issue for another day), we do a disservice to all those parents who need and want validation and…shared joy in their hard work. Because let’s be clear here: non-medicated vaginal birth is hard. Medicated vaginal birth is hard. Cesarean birth is hard. Birth is hard. So what are we saying?
There is no right or wrong way!
YOU’RE A ROCK STAR. With capital letters. Unequivocally. All-day, every day!
P.S We recommend surrounding yourself with people who will tell you you’re a rock star without any strings. It doesn’t have to be us-we just want nothing more than your fully knowing your power.
