AIMS Journal, 2025, Vol 37, No 2
I love Birthdays, if we are fortunate, they are often so beautifully layered with memories, reflections and celebrations. I became a mother 43 years ago today. It was an extraordinarily transformative experience for the 23-year old me, and I was changed forever. In my pregnancy I discovered my unquenchable thirst for research and read Ina May Gaskin’s book ‘Spiritual Midwifery’ every night before falling asleep; I sat at the feet of Michel Odent and drank in all he shared; I hung out and followed Janet Balaskas and joined the Active Birth Movement; Sheila KItzinger was my heroine who I many years later got to know and chat with.
I feel deep sadness at how physiological birth is not experienced by so many in our current underfunded, risk averse, undervalued maternity system that is in deep deep crisis. How sad it is that 43 years ago women stood a much greater chance of having gentle compassionately supported births. This is not a judgement about how women give birth, but much more about all women feeling listened to, supported and cared for with kindness and loving respect. Thank you darling Rory for changing me forever and inviting me to this privileged work.
Author Bio: Noreen has been an Antenatal Teacher, Tutor and Assessor for the NCTas well as a Birth Activist, Campaigner, speaker and presenter. She is the mother of 4 grown up sons and grandmother to 4 grandchildren.
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AIMS supports all maternity service users to navigate the system as it exists, and campaigns for a system which truly meets the needs of all.