Wow, Nami. Thank you for sharing. I had a tough “natural” birth, without painkillers because it was too risky. I spent most of it alone, hoping the midwives would come through with a magic trick to make the contractions stop and bam: healthy baby. My husband wasn’t into the ward with me until it was time to push (Hong Kong public system rules say he had to take a class, which we didn’t know about until it was too late). So it was a dark, scary and lonely experience, with my family in another country and my mind and body at war with me. We need to have more of these conversations — breaking down the myth of the perfect birth story in a world that doesn’t value or listen to women. I’m sure some women sail through it (???) but even then, we should be encouraging each other and creating supportive spaces for sharing and reflecting.

    Nomfundo Sarah Msomi

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    Writer and Startup-tress from Africa. // #Opinions. nomkong(dot)tumblr(dot)com