Birth Stories

Birth stories serve both to educate and as a bonding experience among women. Whether they are horror stories that make you second-guess your decision to become pregnant or sweet tales of growing love and new life, you will find yourself seeking birth stories out.

Horror Stories

We have all heard them—stories about women who were in labor for forty-eight hours; who delivered in a New York cab during rush hour; who did not know they were pregnant until they went into labor. And if the true stories are not bad enough, authors have taken pains to create an entirely different twist, such Rosemary’s Baby. Fortunately, only a small percentage of all pregnant women will experience labor and childbirth complications. Read the stories and realize that even in the best of circumstances problems occur, then sit back and be all the more thankful when your childbirth goes off without a hitch.

Bonding Experience

There is nothing more likely to create a feminine bonding experience than talking about childbirth. Not only is it a badge of honor, it is unlike any other experience you will have. Best of all, when it is over, you will have this little life in your hands that you created. Sharing stories is a means of preparing others to go through the process and to find out how your birth compares to others.

Educational Exchange

If you are Choosing Where to Give Birth, reading birth stories can give you the personal feedback that you may need to distinguish whether Water Birth , Home Birth, Natural Childbirth, Lamaze, or Doulas is the right answer for you. They can also help you decide if breastfeeding will fit into your busy life.

Word of Warning

While the stories can be both entertaining and educational, be leery about taking medical advice from anyone who is not a medical professional. A lot of inaccurate information is passed around; hence the growing host of wives’ tales that are passed down from generation to generation. In fact, any advice you receive from even a medical expert should be run by your own OB or midwife before it is implemented. This is because only your doctor or midwife is familiar with all the details of your specific case.

Where to Find Birth Stories

Birth stories are shared among family and friends, especially during baby showers. They are also available online at websites like BirthStories.com and Childbirth.org. You can also pick up books like Living Miracles : Stories of Hope from Parents of Premature Babies. Many Pregnancy Journals include other womens' experiences as a means of giving you ideas on what to write about. Pregnancy support groups, such as the one at Support Groups for Large Women and Pregnancy offer you a chance to talk with other women about giving birth. TLC's A Baby Story features one or two new stories about childbirth on each episode.

Share Your Birth Story Here

Do you have a birth story you would like to share? You can read and share your story here. Please remember, these stories are not meant as a means of giving or receiving medical advice, rather as a bonding experience between expectant mothers and seasoned parents.