Language Lab:
Are you giving away your power?
No one is delivering your baby.
When you give birth, there may be people attending, witnessing, supporting or assisting you.
Can we please stop calling it labor and delivery?
Why, in 2022, does a hospital have an L&D floor?
When I think of the word delivery . . . what comes to mind are the packages that arrive at my door from Amazon. Occasionally, I’ll receive a flower delivery too.
In business, goods and services are delivered in exchange for money.
Herstorically
Beginning in the 1950’s in the U.S., birthing women, drugged by male OBs were stripped of their agency. Midwives, who view birth as normal and natural, went missing. Instead of being able to assert her primal power and birth as Nature intends, a mama was laid out on an operating table, semi-conscious, and coerced into surrendering her authority to a male doc who assumed the role of savior.
Think about that.
This era, referred to as twilight birth, is a time when much of our collective birth wisdom was lost.
And now:
Even though it’s estimated that 85% of OBs practicing today are female, the patriarchal system persists.
Why hasn’t the medical profession updated outdated words, practices and thinking?
As long as the phrase labor and delivery exists and is used - unconsciously, we haven’t reclaimed our power.
Isn’t it time to dismantle the patriarchy?
Why language is important?
Exploring language interests, me because ultimately, language creates reality.
Words and phrases reveal who a person is, how she sees the world and how she feels about herself.
Birth in the U.S today
A laboring woman is at her most intuitive and most powerful.
Why then are we accepting a label or term that essentially strips her of the reverence and respect she deserves?
Instead of giving her the space and grace she needs, and creating a peaceful environment in which to labor and birth, she’s hooked up to beeping monitors and restricted.
Is this not a metaphor for how society has suppressed and limited the chaotic and creative generative power that is female, and female alone?
It’s not surprising that a predominantly male court recently stripped us of our agency by overturning Roe.
We are complicit. By tolerating and blindly using disempowering language, we’ve tolerated and contributed to a climate where this became possible.
Isn’t it time we dismantle archaic and patriarchal restrictions?
Isn’t it time we consciously choose words that affirm our beauty and power rather than submit to the lexicon given to us by past generations?
How to Empower Yourself
Awareness is the 1st step towards transformation.
What you can do:
What words make up your vocabulary? How are you speaking to yourself?
Listen to your words. Are you being critical? Negative? Towards yourself? Towards others?
“Notice your words, they become your thoughts.
Notice your thoughts, they become your actions.
Notice your actions, they become your character.
Notice your character, it becomes your destiny.”
No one is delivering your baby.
When you start envisioning how powerful you truly are and starting speaking your truth, you will know, deep in your bones, that only you can birth your baby.
What words, phrases and views can you let go of so you can create the birth you desire and deserve?