Feminist Pride Day 2012

My feminist awakening was when I gave birth to my son. Things went relatively smooth at the hospital and my son was born happy and healthy. However, I knew something was wrong. Things didn’t go the way I wanted them to in the hospital. It felt unnatural. I was given drugs even though I originally asked my doctor not to give me any. I was given an episiotamy without being informed. I was forced to stay in bed the entire day before I went into labor. Then I read “Misconceptions” by Naomi Wolf and it all made sense to me. Many women have experiences like mine and while they know it is not right, they do not know what to do about it. I have spent the past few years trying to help women make sure they had the opportunity to give birth to their babies the way they wanted to, not the way the hospitals or doctors wanted them to. I’ve always been a feminist, I just didn’t always know it. Now nothing makes me prouder than declaring “I am a feminist!”