by Sarah Iralcea

Created on: January 23, 2011

There are many instances in life where ignorance is bliss. Pregnancy and childbirth is not one of them. This is one time when one cannot simply bury their head in the sand and say "I just don't want to know!"

Would you expect to be wheeled into the operating theatre at hospital, about to have an operation, without knowing what operation you were going to have, or the risks involved? Would you take medication without reading the side effects? Would you try to rewire your entire home without knowing anything about electricity? Would you trust a person off the street to mind your children? Facing any unknown situation with no information is generally a bad idea. When it comes to something as important as pregnancy, it can be dangerous.

Pregnancy and childbirth hold many, many risks. Fortunately, most of the time, they simply do not happen. But what if they do? What do you do when you're halfway through your pregnancy and a doctor tells you that you've been diagnosed with a certain complication, and you don't know what it is? Being completely unprepared, you are much more likely to fall into a pit of antenatal (and later postnatal) depression, refusing to accept the issue, or doing something dangerous for the condition because you don't know what's safe.

There's no point in pretending that pregnancy and childbirth are risk free. If you think they are, or you refuse to educate yourself about the risks and complications, you are simply being irresponsible. Remember, it's not just about you anymore. You're responsible for another human being, a human being with the right to be carried and born safely, not placed at risk because their mother 'didn't want to know' about any problems.

When I gave birth to my first child, my pregnancy and labour proceeded as normal. I read every pregnancy book I could get my hands on, and spent hours each day examining information online. But there was one article I skimmed over because I thought it wouldn't happen to me. And, of course, that was the one thing that happened to me. I remember feeling at a complete loss, not knowing what to do because I had decided that I wouldn't go through this. During the weeks and months that followed, I had many nightmares and flashbacks over the experience. It significantly affected my relationships with everyone around me, including my new baby.

Pregnancy and childbirth are not risk free. We must stop pretending that they are.

Learn more about this author, Sarah Iralcea.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.