Some thoughts on pregnancy and childbirth, from someone staring it in the face

So, I have two general beliefs about pregnancy and childbirth. The first is that it is a natural, healthy, necessary part of human life. I've had many people tell me this. (Though, I might add, never a woman in late pregnancy or who just gave birth.) As in, "pregnancy is such a sacred and beautiful time of life!" Or, "women have been giving birth in the fields for thousands of years!" Or, "I know a woman who delivered a baby while driving/mountain climbing/checking her email!" Meaning, we should be able to naturally and fairly uneventfully carry and deliver our babies the good ol' fashioned way.

The second is that there are a lot of natural, healthy, and necessary parts of life that are pretty dramatic and destructive. Like lions mauling gazelles, praying mantises eating their mates, and wildfires. That's pretty much what I think about at the end of every day when I can barely move because there's no room for this baby anymore and none of my bodily functions seems to be functioning properly, and I lie awake in bed reliving every moment of my last three birth "experiences." And I wonder if I will ever feel normal again, or have the energy it seems everyone else has, or eat a full meal, or sleep on my stomach.

That's about where I am at the moment. Dwelling on #2 while trying to remember #1. But check back in a month or so, and I'm sure I'll have forgotten all about this and be advertising the glories of pregnancy and natural childbirth. Maybe.