Positive birth story sharing with Pam England

Pam England

Does the sharing of birth stories actually benefit those preparing for their birthing time? I ask Pam England, "isn't it a good thing to share positive birth stories?" You maybe surprised to hear what Pam says.


This episode of Pregnancy Birth & Beyond Radio features sharing positive birth stories, and in-particular the listening to positive birth stories as a form of birth preparation. My guest for this episode is Pam England. Pam lives in Albuquerque New Mexico, USA, author of Birthing From Within, Labyrinth of Birth and her latest released book Ancient Maps for Modern Birth. Pam also is the founder of Birth Story Medicine a unique approach to emotional healing after or after witnessing a difficult child birth experience. Pam is also founder of Birthing From Within. Pam practiced as a certified nurse midwife for 18 years, both within hospital and home settings, she also has a masters in counselling. 


In the dominate birth culture there is a focus on the medical outcome of a birth, and this outcome partitions mothers into unspoken birth camps, the natural birth camp, the epidural birth camp, the caesarian birth camp, the traumatised birth camp and so on. This intense focus on the medical outcome of a birth completely ignores the preparation a mother did before birth and the ways in which she managed to find her way through any obstacles and challenges throughout the labor.

Pam shares with us why only listening to positive birth stories doesn't work as a way to fully prepare for birth. The sprinkling of positive birth stories on top of 6o plus years of deep conditioning of overly medicalised birth doesn't work to inoculate a mother to be from having a difficult or challenging birth. 

“If it is hoarded it has no value, if it is squandered it has no legacy. When shared wisely for the benefit of all, it becomes worthy of the blood, sweat and tears you shed to gain it” David Hartman and Diane Zimberoff, sourced from Ancient Maps for Modern Birth by Pam England. 

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Author

This episode was produced by Lara Martin.
- Interviewee Pam England, www.sevengatesmedia.com 
- Aired live May 2017 from Bayfm 99.9 and broadcasts across Australia on the Community Radio Network. 
- Song credit, Blind Pilot with The story that I heard.  Bic Runga with The gift that keeps on giving. 
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