Expectations vs. Experience

 

Women's expectations of childbirth are a major factor in the entire process, as the experience can not be predicted or fully controlled at this point. The data taken from the pre/post surveys shows that most participants not only acknowledged this claim to be true, but also many women did go on to have experiences that were much different than they had imagined.

 

The expectations I had for this project were mirrored in those of the participants for their use of the /r/birthstories library. I had anticipated that women would be attracted to the subreddit because of its organization and specific purpose. I also predicted that women would take advantage of the subreddit's functionality to seek out specific learning goals by reading certain stories of interest. My hope that women would learn some functional components of childbirth while gaining insight into their unique and personal nature were realized as well. Likewise, based on comparison of the surveys, it seems as though what women claimed to have learned from the stories was consistent with their own expectations. 

 

 

Addressing the Central Question

 

Through the general feedback and comments received in the pre/post surveys it can be seen that expectant women have an innate desire to seek and hear birth stories. They do this in the pursuit of comfort, confidence, and ultimately knowledge. Story telling, be it written or orally, gives these women an opportunity to learn informally and socially about the forthcoming event. These stories are written in honesty and often show deep, raw emotions. This gives them an aesthetic presence that captivates and inspires their readers. Furthermore the act of writing is both a public and private performance. The story teller has the opportunity to process the event, reliving moments of joy and hopefully finding peace in any reservations. 

 

The support, encouragement, and level of participation I received in just a short time since the creation of /r/birthstories is a testament to the need for such a venue for informal learning in expectant mothers. It is indicative that Reddit is a strong, diverse community for women in this position. The functionality of the website allows users to initiate and perpetuate independent learning within a social atmosphere. /r/birthstories gives them the unique opportunity to solidify their learning as they share the knowledge gleaned from their own birth experiences. 

 

 

Personal Reflection

 

In creating this project, I embarked upon my own journey of informal learning. Reading birth stories started as a way to spend some free time while satisfying my growing interest in my growing baby. The newly gained knowledge from this course paired with the call to complete a project created a favorable scenario for me to foster my learning. This educational journey has culminated in my contribution. The initial fascination I had of birth stories has been deeply explored through research, participation, and now, the creation of content.  

 

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