One Mother to Another: Canadian Women Talk about Pregnancy and Childbirth

Andrea Levan is Co-ordinator of Women’s Studies at Laurentian
University.

Hunsburger summarizes the purpose of this little book in the last two
pages. “It is only when a woman tells her story that we can know what
birth truly means. . . . No matter what your experience, your story has
something to say about your own strength and courage and the strength
and courage of mothers everywhere.”

This is a book of birth stories. It is organized into a series of
chapters that take us through the birth process: pregnancy, preparation
and education, labor, delivery, adjustment and change. In each chapter
one woman’s story is highlighted and told at some length, but in order
to make some general observations about themes and common experiences,
the author also includes comments from the women whose full stories
appear in other parts of the book. If this commentary at times seems a
little obvious or contrived, ultimately it is the stories that are
important and that speak for themselves.

The stories are in many ways diverse, from women of different ages,
representing many variations of the birth experience—hard or easy
labor; many interventions or none; natural, cesarean, or VBAC
deliveries. Some women found adjustments to pregnancy or new motherhood
easy to make, while others found them difficult. Nevertheless, as the
stories unfold, many common themes emerge. One is empowerment. No matter
what the nature of her experience, each woman remembers the birth as a
transformation, a coming into a new realization of her own power and
competency. On the other hand, disempowerment is also a common theme;
few women have full control over what happens to them and almost all
have trepidation about what is to come. The power of doctors and nurses,
as well as interventions and technologies, to influence each individual
experience for good or bad is evident. The stories also speak of the
value of support, from spouses, coaching partners, understanding health
professionals, and other women.

Put together, the stories give a real sense of the richness and variety
of the birth experience. They are folksy and gossipy, yet full of real
wisdom and advice, like the stories women tell to one another. The book
is important for anyone wanting to understand the meaning of birth in
women’s lives, and would be especially wonderful for those who are
expecting.