Why Birth Stories Matter

The Power of Birth Stories: Empowerment, Choice, and Community

At the Sacred Birth Centre, we deeply honour the journey of childbirth as one of the most transformative and empowering experiences in life. Birth stories hold an incredible power—they are not just personal narratives; they're shared wisdom, comfort, education, and inspiration for others. By hearing and sharing these stories, we strengthen our community, elevate birth education, and promote informed birth choices.

Empowerment Through Storytelling

Each birth story is a testament to individual strength and resilience. When parents share their experiences, especially surrounding natural births or home births, they contribute to a collective understanding that birth can be safe, gentle, and profoundly empowering. These stories often reveal the vital role of birth support—from midwives, doulas, partners, and communities—in creating positive outcomes.

“Water, lots of water. I am in the tub of my bathroom, but at the same time, I am in the pool of another world. My body knows. Incredible. I am touched. I didn’t know that my body knew! I will never see it the same again. Maybe I will respect it more? I open up, my body opens, the gate opens…The pain is wild, rhythmic, I follow it. It’s an important thing. An important task. This pain seems to wake me up strongly from the numbness of centuries of forgetfulness. It seems as strong as it brings the strength of my nature to my consciousness. “Wake up, you are this.” - Laura (a section taken from Motherworld by Kathy Jones)

Birth Education and Support

Birth stories serve as invaluable educational tools, providing expectant families with realistic, diverse perspectives on what birth can look like. Reading varied accounts helps demystify the birth process, reducing anxiety and reinforcing the concept of birth as a natural and achievable event. At the Sacred Birth Centre, we actively integrate these stories into our educational programs and workshops, highlighting the importance of informed birth choice and robust birth support systems.

“In 2008, when I was born as a mother for the first time, I faced the challenge of aligning my personal beliefs with the realities of motherhood. Living in a patriarchal society with a strong emphasis on medicalized birth, I felt constrained by conventional practices…

I was born as a mother choosing a different world from my family's traditions, where pregnancy was a taboo subject, the belly is to be hidden because it is not elegant and children are not to be breastfed in order not to "spoil" breasts and become less attractive to husbands...   I sought a different path, one that resonated with my own values… 

While my daughters were born in hospitals due to my medical needs, I actively sought alternatives to rigid protocols, particularly regarding delayed cord clamping. With my first daughter, born in water, I negotiated a 30-minute delay—a unique request at that hospital in 2008.  The breastfeeding did not go well (even the pediatrician insisted on artificial milk, I felt very lonely). We moved area and with my second daughter,in 2012, I found a hospital that allowed Lotus birth, a profound experience. Breastfeeding and newborn care, including wrapping and massage, went smoothly. 

My third daughter's birth in 2016 was even more empowering: a midwife-led labor with personalized care, including massage, essential oils, and chosen music and lighting, a stark contrast to typical hospital experiences. Despite becoming a UNICEF breastfeeding champion and advocating for parent-hospital relations, I faced government restrictions that banned Lotus birth in public hospitals. We tried to protest, to explain our point of view, but we could not change the decisions taken. This decision saddened me deeply, as Lotus birth represents a loving, gentle introduction to the world, allowing the newborn to adjust at their own pace. It is a symbolic act that centres the mother-child relationship, respecting their natural timing and viewing birth as a sacred welcoming, not a rushed medical procedure. - Violet

Celebrating Birth Choices

The choices families make—whether it’s opting for a natural birth, home birth, or a specific approach to birth support—deserve to be celebrated. Sharing these decisions through personal narratives reinforces the critical message that birth choices belong firmly in the hands of the birthing individual. These stories inspire others to explore and trust their instincts, creating a culture of empowerment and respect around childbirth.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to make, to elect for a C-section when I found out I was pregnant again. I did wonder if I would be able to birth physiologically and would have loved to have had the beautiful experience that so many of my amazing friends had experienced. But I carried so much fear and trauma from my previous birth with Kobe…I knew that the one thing I was desperate to experience this time around, was a calm, peaceful entry into the world for my little girl.As part of this process of preparing for my next birth I realised I really needed to unpack the held trauma from the last and I knew instantly that my amazing friend Sophie, who is an incredible doula, had to be part of my journey.” - Calli (a section taken from Motherworld By Kathy Jones.)

Your Story Matters

Have you experienced the transformative power of birth? Your story could empower others, educate new families, and help shift perceptions about childbirth. 

“My first birth was not what I expected. I had read everything I could, been to classes, and although I was young, I was educated about what I wanted. I did not get the birth I had dreamed of. I had a placental abruption. It's rare, and particularly so in younger mothers. I had an emergency C-section. As a result, I was seriously ill, and my son had to be resuscitated and spent time in intensive care. I always took care not to tell my birth story. Who would want to know about such a horrible thing? Yet speaking about it has helped, even though it was many years ago. Telling my story in a held space has made my birth story matter.” - Louise

We warmly invite you to share your birth story with the Sacred Birth Centre community.

Together, through shared narratives, we build a world where every birth is respected, every choice is honoured, and every family is supported.

Join Our Community

Explore more empowering birth stories in Kathy’s Book Motherworld, or submit your own through our website. Your voice matters in shaping a future where all births are celebrated and supported.

Share your story

---

The Sacred Birth Centre is based in Glastonbury in the UK. We aim to be a Centre of Excellence for Sacred Birth Philosophy, Education and Practice. We desire to inform, inspire and enhance the experience of Birth for parents, babies and birth practitioners worldwide.