Feelings of Change: Stories of Having a Baby

Jenny is just completing her PhD on the impact of childbearing on women's sense of self. The stories in this book arose out of that PhD.

‘Feelings of Change’ is a collection of fourteen Australian women's unique and individual stories about their first birthing journey. The stories chronicle this journey through pregnancy, birth and the first few months post-birth. The first part of the women's stories explores their relationships and sexuality. The women examine aspects of their past which have impacted upon who they are as individuals and as a couple. It looks at how these aspects of self have influenced their preparation for their birthing journey and their expectations of birth: the environment and the people they want present. An important theme in this part of the book is the women's need to be heard during their birthing journey by professionals, those close to them and those she loves.

The women's births are the focus of the second part of the book. The women explore how their expectations of birth compared with their lived reality. Some of the women found that their expectations for a ‘normal birth’ were met. All women experienced that birth unfolded in individual and unexpected ways. Some women's expectations did not match their plans: caesarean sections, instrumentally assisted childbirth, transfers to hospital all happened. At times certain environments and the people within those environments displayed a reductionistic approach towards the birthing woman. When she was not considered as a whole person who has a context, history and goals then her experiences were less positive.

The third, fourth, and for some women, the fifth part of the book are the women's reflections on their unique childbearing and early parenting experiences. The women explore the love for their baby. Importantly the women highlight how their subtle and not so subtle birthing experiences changed, extended and opened them to explore their embodied sense of self. The women talk of the power of childbirth and how this has resulted in a number of life transitions. Women experienced transitions in their bodies, in their thinking, in their feelings, as lovers, as family members, as friends and as a community member; they did not limit themselves to their experiences of transition motherhood.

This book should be recommended to all birthing women past, present and future as well as families, partners and friends. It offers a wonderful insight into how details of their pregnancy, birthing and parenthood experiences make it an individual and unique journey. There are unexpected and surprising challenges, which are sometimes painful to face. This book demonstrates how women through exploration of their beliefs, wants and hopes can adapt, and improve their embodied sense of self as a result of childbearing. Jenny's stories also highlight the way in which other people in the women's lives can have both positive and negative effects on women's embodied sense of self during the first experience of childbearing.