The International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) is a professional organization that supports educators and health care professionals who believe in freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives in family-centered maternity and newborn care.
Quick Comment about Birth in the Media
I am not the type of person you will ever find reading, watching or paying much attention to celebrities, their birth experiences, or their children (though I have been known to get fired up when some celebrity opts for an elective cesarean and goes public about it). Therefore I have been avoiding this Gisele Bundchen birth story like the plague...until last night.
On my way home my family and I were listening to the radio in the car. My son insists on listening to a few select stations-very mainstream. During the break they were talking about the upcoming morning program and this is what I heard:
"Listen up ladies-Giselle Bundchen just had her baby at home and in the water. She said she did not experience any pain-she said birth did not hurt at all. And get this-she did not use any pain medication. The second day she was up and walking around and doing dishes."
I will admit there was a hint of excitement when I heard this statement-not for any reason other than the fact that if I heard it on the radio-SO MANY other women heard it as well. Movies and television spend so much time trying to scare us about childbirth-water breaks, panic sets in, rush to the hospital, and the screams begin-inevidebly something goes wrong or the woman is screaming for her pain meds. Rarely do we ever get a different image of birth. As unfortunate as it may be-people, especially women listen when celebrities talk and thankfully this time-this one has something positive and powerful to say...so just this one time I hope this celebrity mom keeps it coming...




