The Tribe.

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It’s no secret that I want to be a mother. I literally cannot wait to meet my future babies. And I’m not sure what it is about my 25th and 26th years, but it seems like my biological clock is all of a sudden running at the speed of light. I’m sure it isn’t helping the situation that I recently found this ah.may.zing. podcast about childbirth and motherhood that I cannot stop listening to. It’s called The Tribecast and you can find it on iTunes. (and Twitter!)

You’re probably wondering why I would even tell people that I’m listening to a podcast about childbirth with no baby in sight. I personally think it’s totally normal, but I’ll tell you a story to make it less weird anyway…

7 years ago (I think), I attended my friend Jacque’s baby shower. Jacque and I have been friends since middle school. I love her to death, but she is one of my only friends who doesn’t share my love of fashion. In fact, she recently told me that she’s repulsed by about 80% of the clothing/accessories I pin on Pinterest. Have you seen my Pinterest boards? They’re stunning. Poor thing just doesn’t know any better. Anyway, at her baby shower, I met this girl Stephanie and I immediately liked her. I don’t remember our actual conversation that day, but I do know that it included something like this: “ohmygawd, I love your bag/shoes!” That was it. Instant friends.

I’ve probably seen Stephanie only once or twice since that day, but we’ve always kept in touch through the online stalker’s dream: Facebook. And when I say “kept in touch,” I mean I basically stalked her pictures, especially after she got pregnant. So this girl, who I’m convinced is my long lost bestie, goes and has a natural childbirth. Unmedicated. And I was just so confused. She posted her birth story and I remember thinking, even as I’m reading exactly how it went down, HOW IN ALL THE WORLD?! And as she’s posting all of these pictures of her and her adorable little baby in his little baby sling I’m like, “She pushed that boy out with no medicine and is walking around like everything is still normal?” And then a few years later, she did it again, at home this time. I needed to know more. I had questions.

But of course, I didn’t ask. Not until a few months ago when Jacque got pregnant and told me she was going to have a natural at-home birth too. My lifelong friend, who was now a nurse, was going to have a natural, at-home, birth. Unlucky for Jacque, I know her better than I know Steph so I had no problem asking a very pregnant woman why in the world she would do this to herself. I’m sure she wanted to punch me in the face. But she ignored my terror, explained her very good reasons and completed, what sounds like, a perfect at-home birth a few weeks later. And somehow, I found myself wanting to follow her lead.

Which brings me back to the podcast. Steph’s “Tribe” of women have started this podcast to educate women like me on the benefits (physically, emotionally and spiritually) of natural childbirth. But it’s not just 45 minutes of statistics or a bunch of medical terms I don’t know. It’s a group of women opening up and talking about the nitty gritty. And as terrifying as those details can be, the more I listen, the more convinced I am that I want to experience this type of birth. And more than that, I want it for my future babies. Sudan thinks I have gone completely crazy, and is probably already having nightmares about how I will react to the pain, but I know in my heart that this is the way it’s supposed to be. Whenever my time comes to join the mama club, this is the way I want to join it.

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So I said all of that to say, go to iTunes (or Facebook) right now and subscribe to The Tribecast. If for no other reason than to be inspired by the strength and courage of these amazing women.

Tagged as: birthing center, childbirth, Friends, homebirth, motherhood, natural childbirth, podcast, pregnancy, Pregnant, The Tribecast, women