Sunday, April 15, 2012

What has ICAN done for me?

Almost 6 years ago I found ICAN via my childbirth educator, in my attempt to have a VBAC. I had no idea I needed ICAN. After all, my cesarean was quite necessary and all I needed THIS time was a midwife who didn’t want me to schedule a second one. It was truly astounding, to think of the pre-ICAN Heather and the post-ICAN Heather.

It took a couple of meetings at most when suddenly my world shifted, titled, spun a little faster, became wobbly and almost rolled away into oblivion. To find out my cesarean was not only probably not necessary (well, the induction anyway), but more likely instead of saving my baby and me really almost killed us was quite a shock, even to a suspicious liberal feminist type like me. I had NO IDEA. No idea. Medical model vs. Midwifery model. Cytotec. Inductions. Unnecessary c-sections. Homebirths. Doulas. I could go on and on.

So much changed. I learned so much. I wanted to shout it from the roof top. I wanted to call the dean of the Women’s Studies department at my women’s college and let her know what was going on! I wanted to tell every woman I knew--OUR BODIES KNOW HOW TO HAVE A BABY, and birth is not a medical emergency waiting to happen, and I am the one doing this, not a doctor, or a midwife, or a nurse or a doula, but me. And I CAN!!! So ICAN, thank you. You made my life better, for me, my children, my husband and countless others around me.

So what can I do for ICAN? Become a subscriber! For the month of April, the rate is only $25 for individuals and $50 for professionals. Please, let us know what ICAN has done for you, and become a subscriber! Help us keep on doing this life changing and lifesaving work!

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