When the concept of birth.com.au was conceived, we knew much of the information existing in the public forum was journalistic, or biased or in some cases misinformed. We also knew how hard it was for people to obtain quality information easily. The challenge for us was to write about everything we knew in an accurate way, presenting all the facts based on sound research findings. We wanted to avoid sensationalising aspects care, be it medical or natural and we did not want to emphasise risks or side effects. Putting each issue into perspective was a fine balancing act between telling it all, yet not scaring people with what may be a rare, or possible outcome. Part of this meant explaining medical terms and procedures that parents hear about (or experience) on their journey to parenthood, in a way that was easily understood.
Birth.com.au has aimed to revolutionalise how potential parents learn about having their baby(s) and embark on early parenting. Even if people choose to attend face-to-face childbirth and parenting classes, our extensive reference library of information complements this learning. The Internet medium has allowed us to explore individual issues in great depth, including a wide range of information that cannot be realistically covered in six class sessions, or even in one book.
BIRTH the book is a 600-page concise summary of the approximate 1.2 million words on the site (and growing). Birth.com.au provides a convenient alternative for people who don't have the time (or the inclination) to attend childbirth classes, particularly those having their second or subsequent baby.
Birth.com.au allows people to read about very personal issues, such as sex during pregnancy and emotional issues, which can be difficult to explore in class situations (and with caregivers). We know potential parents tend to focus on labour and birth issues during the pregnancy, and then psychologically 'move on' to parenting information after the birth. Accessing our site means we can continue to support new parents in the early months of caring for their baby. Some sections also assist to 'debrief' after the birth, clarifying unexpected outcomes or interventions.
We know we cannot provide all the answers, and cannot make decisions for you. However, what we do hope to achieve is a way to provide you with what you need to help make informed decisions about your care and create an awareness and understanding of the issues around pregnancy, birth and early parenting, regardless of where you choose to have your baby. We hope to give you an understanding of where your caregivers are working from and why they may suggest certain approaches and what you can expect along the way.
Our thoughts........
How each person ultimately feels about their pregnancy, birth experience and parenting has much to do with having their expectations met and feeling in control of the decision-making, whatever these decisions may be. This should be the case, regardless of where, or how a woman gives birth. However, parents' expectations need to be realistic and it can be hard to know what the benchmarks are, or what a reasonable choice can entail. In most of life's endeavours, we research our choices before we make our decisions. The experience of pregnancy, birth and parenting should be one of life's most rewarding journeys. However...