We all think that all women are prepared to become a mother? Or maybe a midwife who becomes a mother, will it be easier for her? Today, Rebecca will be sharing her experience as a midwife and as a mother, so I suggest to read her article and please share to any new parents who are expecting 😉
What is the Positive Birth Movement?
The Positive Birth Movement is a global network of free to attend groups, connecting people
together to share their stories and positivity around childbirth. It happens all too often that
expectant couples hear ‘horror’ stories from relatives, friends and sometimes even strangers!
Yes that (not so) well-intentioned stranger you meet in the street, who notices the bump and
goes on to tell their birth stories from a few decades ago.. meanwhile you try to pull off a smile
and appropriate response, or find an excuse to get away as fast as possible! Unfortunately
people seem to be all too willing to scare expectant parents.. this is all too true with dads, who
are often told how they will faint (which in my experience is VERY rare) or how they will not
cope, when in fact we know that dads can be the greatest support for their partners and for
most fathers the birth of their child is a precious memory and experience for them too! There
are plenty of positive birth stories, in fact, the majority of birth stories are positive, however its
these stories that are less talked about and that is where the positive birth movement comes in!
Founder Milli Hill started the Positive Birth Movement in the UK in 2012, she was motivated by
her own birth stories and has gone on to become a well-renowned birth activist and author. The
Positive Birth Movement itself is now in 30 different countries, with 300 groups worldwide and
we are lucky enough in Malta to be one of those countries! In Malta the Positive Birth Movement
started in 2017 and has since been meeting every month at various location as well as holding an
annual public meeting and walk to raise awareness on local childbearing parents’ needs.
Who can attend?
Everyone! Everyone and anyone can attend the meetings, pregnant women, their partners,
mothers, fathers, grandparents, birth workers, health care professionals and we are often
delighted to have some babies there too! The meetings are facilitated by a midwife, however it
is far from the traditional antenatal class! Every meeting a topic is set and the discussion will
revolve more or less around this topic, some choose to stay quiet and just listen and others will
be more chatty and ready to share their own opinions, so it truly is a meeting for all to attend.
Why attend/ What to expect
Attending the meetings during pregnancy is allocating time to prepare for birth and to listen to
others who have given birth or others who are also pregnant to share their own experiences and
information, likewise, you can share any of your own ideas and wishes for birth. If you have given
birth already it is lovely to attend to give back to the community by sharing the positives of your
own journey into parenthood to those who are pregnant. The groups have in fact been popular
with second-time parents who would like to birth differently this time around.
My own experience
When I was pregnant, as a midwife, I already had a lot of the information at hand, however I
was experiencing pregnancy for the first time and going through all the emotions that many
pregnant women experience. My husband and I attended the Positive Birth Movement meetings
together as part of our preparations for birth, which was a lovely opportunity to share with
others the experience of pregnancy, we then took our daughter when she was just a few weeks
old and shared her birth story. As a midwife I’ve enjoyed attending these meetings over the past
2 years as I learn a lot from the sharing of experiences, and what mothers and fathers would like
from their birth experience.
The Positive Birth Movement has a big social media following internationally so if you want to
know more, you can find Positive Birth Movement on Facebook and Instagram as Positive Birth
Movement Malta, this is where information on meetups can be found.
Thank you, Rebecca, and stay tuned for her next article!
