I am buzzing around my house this morning packing for my weekend trip to the first annual Birth Activist Retreat that is being held at The Farm in Summertown, TN. As I am buzzing I have been thinking about how I came to be going to this retreat and why it is so important to me. Me, the person that didn't even put much thought into having children until about two weeks before I was pregnant with Fisher. Me, the person that used to think I would "have the baby cut out" because it seemed like the easier thing to do. My focus used to be on what wildlife conference I would be going to next. And now I am going to a hippie commune this weekend to discuss what can be done to improve maternal care in the United States. What?
It is for Fisher. It is for me. It is for all women who deserves good, skilled, compassionate care. I can't sit back and let what happened to Fisher happen to other children. It breaks my heart to think of other mama's going through the emotional journey that I have been through the past three years. I have to act. I have to. It isn't about interventions, c-sections, and injuries. It is about listening to moms, supporting them, informing them, and empowering them. It is about having options and access to those options.
I am excited and a little nervous. Three years ago when I was pregnant with Fisher and reading every Ina May Gaskin book I could find, I would have never imagined I would be actively involved in something like this and going to The Farm for a retreat! What a long, strange trip it has been and continues to be. I will continue this trip and see where it takes me.
