"And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth." -Acts 17:11
When I was pregnant with my first child I was told a lot of things. The information that gets thrown at a new mom can be, and often is, overwhelming. It's hard to know what to do or where to begin processing it all. The simpler thing, and most advised, is to listen to your care provider. Don't question what they tell you, follow each shred of advice to the letter and have faith that the person with the credentials has only your best interests at heart.
This strategy has it's benefits, I mean, you're not a doctor right? How can you be trusted to know what is best for you and your baby? That is a lot of responsibility and if something were to go wrong as a result of your choices you would never forgive yourself. And having a healthy baby is all that matters, right?
A lot of moms feel that way. But consider this, even if you choose to implicitly trust a provider the outcome of that choice (good, bad or indifferent) is still your responsibility. YIKES! right? It's ok... take a deep breath and prepare yourself for what I'm going to say next:
What if I were to tell you that the person best equipped to make decisions about your own birth is you? And why not? You're an adult. You work, you pay taxes, you vote. You make big decisions every single day. And only you can birth this baby, only you can experience this pregnancy so wouldn't you be the authority on what is best for you? A good care provider understands this and wants to equip you with the knowledge that you require to make the best possible decision, not scare you, or take options away from you, or belittle you for wanting something different than the current care model typically provides. You're an individual and what is good for someone else may not be what is good for you.
That being said, what does any of this have to do with Berea or the Bereans? Consider the verse above:
"They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth." To be a person who has "faith like the Bereans" is to be a person who grows their faith through study and reflection. Faith through knowledge. And we are so very blessed to live in an age in which any information we require is literally at our fingertips.
It's my unwavering belief that the more you learn about the process of birth, the more you have faith in it. It's a miraculous, amazing, normal, and safe process. Certainly there are exceptions and I believe women can be trusted to acknowledge when they are, even then there are still options and they still deserve to be treated with dignity and have their wishes respected throughout their unique birthing process.
As a doula, my job is to point mom in the direction of the information she needs, hold her hand and give judgment-free support for the decisions she makes. Help her put into words what she wants out of her birth experience, offer comfort as she works through labor and aid her in her first bonding moments with her new baby. I cheer with her, cry with her, work alongside her and aid her in whatever way she asks of me.
I call myself the Berean Doula, because I trust her to find her truth in birth the way she trusts in me to care for, and honor her. I believe mothers deserve nothing less.
