I know this is a strange concept, but stay with me. Unless there is medical intervention, on both, birth and death occur on their own time. Yes, we can predict birth by calculating date of conception or date of last menstrual period. We can sometimes predict death of those struggling with a disease based on time of last intake of water. But basically they both occur when the time is right. And having gone through both birth and witnessing the slow demise of the human body, time, again, I know this is true.

It was around the 1920’s when midwifery began it’s decline, doctors were stepping in once the AMA was created, and birth was then treated as a medical condition. Birth is the most natural part of life, and litigious nature of Americans didn’t help,  but I’ll keep my opinions to myself on that. The increase in the medicalization of death occurred about the same time in history. I’m not saying the AMA is the bad guy here, but it took away natural processes from the family and handed them over to the “professionals”. We are grateful for the advances in both as they have been monumental, but the aspect of family was ripped away from both.

American’s have sterilized both, and there is a movement now to bring both of these natural processes back into the hands of the family. Natural childbirth is on the rise, and slowly, home funerals are too. Once we realize that both of these processes are normal and natural and not to be feared, but embraced alongside the professionals, then I think we would all have a better outlook on both.