Remember the words of this mother in Colorado, who, in reflecting about the messages she received growing up, says: Never did I hear that birthing is empowering, that it takes strength, that a woman's body is beautiful and resilient. Never did I hear anything about breastfeeding, that a woman's ability to produce this incredible liquid is miraculous and should be honored and revered. We can pump iron and build up our muscles, but the strength of our bodies and the unique things a woman's body does aren't acknowledged. But after birthing and nursing two children, she adds, Birth and breastfeeding have empowered me in ways that no career or educational experience has done. Giving birth taught me that my body has a wisdom all its own and has strength and resilience.

So does yours.

Barbara L. Behrmann, Ph.D. is a writer, researcher, and author of The Breastfeeding Café: Mothers Share the Joys, Secrets & Challenges of Nursing, University of Michigan Press, 2005. She is a frequent speaker around the country and is available for talks, readings, and conducting birthing and breastfeeding writing circles. The mother of two formerly breastfed children, Barbara lives in upstate New York. Visit her website for more information.

All content copyrighted © Barbara L Behrmann. Permission to republish granted to Pregnancy.org, LLC.