Childbirth

“Childbirth is more admirable than conquest, more amazing than self-defense, and as courageous as either one.”-Gloria Steinem 

My son Jack was born one year ago, at 6:45 am, weighing 7 lbs. 4 oz., 20.5 in. long. The experience I had giving birth was one that I will never forget. I had a high-risk pregnancy and so my labor was induced after the due date came and went. I went to the hospital in the afternoon, I really did not know what to expect and so I was very nervous (plus I am terrified of needles!). I was given Pitocin to induce the labor and contractions started but after a while my water had not broken so the doctor broke it. A few hours later, I was given an epidural and the labor really began. Shortly after, the baby went into distress-this was the scariest part. I did not know what was happening and it felt like I was dying. The doctors rushed in and gave me something to slow the labor done. They put a monitor on the baby and luckily he stabilized. Hours later, the epidural wore off and I was told that I was too far in to receive another. Finally, it was time to push! Even without the epidural, the pain was not too unbearable; I was more scared than anything! After pushing for two hours, the baby began to come and I received an episiotomy…and finally, after over 18 hours of labor, baby Jack was born November 5, 2009! He was given to me almost immediately and I nursed him right away…holding him erased everything that I had been through!

In Central America today, more childbirths are probably in a somewhat similar setting to that of my son’s-more and more women are giving birth in medical facilities and with skilled birth attendants present. In Nicaragua, infant mortality rates are dropping and more mothers are seeking prenatal care (WHO 2010). However, this is not always the case-indigenous women are less likely to seek care at a medical facility and are more likely to give birth at home and without seeking prenatal care (Gallagher 2010). Traditionally, Central American women give birth at home, in a “crouching position. The woman supports herself with a rope strung from the rafters or in the arms of her husband. Instead of painkillers, the woman usually puts her braided hair between her teeth and bites down on it. Traditional birthing attendants and other family members are also usually present” (Gallagher 2010). One reason that some women do not give birth in a medical facility is because their traditions and/or language may not be respected.

So two different birthing experiences- hospital or home, medical or traditional; neither is right, and neither is wrong. The question really is what is best for baby and mother? In doing this research, I found that a number of indigenous women die in or after childbirth because they are afraid to seek medical attention-it is not necessarily that they are not giving the “right” kind of birth but because they may need medical help. To me, this is really a difficult situation: if the medical procedure goes against cultural or traditional values and practices then many women may turn it down even if it is life saving-is it possible for cultural values to be respected when it comes to medical practices? There are some attempts to solve this problem: in Guatemala, they are “piloting an alternative method of maternal healthcare, run by the state authorities: Casas Maternas (‘maternal houses’)" (Gallagher 2010). Here, women from rural areas can come to stay with their spouse before giving birth. In these maternal houses, women can receive medical care and the pregnant woman's family can stay with her to make her feel more comfortable. Another option is a traditional birth attendant- a midwife who can, in some cases, help bridge the gap between culture and medicine. 

I found all of this to be very eye-opening and fascinating. Childbirth is something that occurs everywhere in the world although it does not always occur in the same manner. The care a baby receives both before and after birth can affect its development-for example, children with malnourished mothers may developmentally be at a disadvantage before birth and may not have the adequate nutrition to continue healthy growth after birth. I am fortunate that I was able to receive the prenatal care and care during birth that I did, without this my son may not have turned out as healthy as he did.  Hopefully, infant mortality rates worldwide will continue to decrease and births-no matter what form-will continue to grow safer for both mother and baby.

References:

Gallagher, Cheryl. (2010, September 16). Indigenous mothers-to-be: not mothers enough? New Internationalist. Retrieved from: http://www.newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2010/09/16/indigenous-mothers/

Health, Poverty, Action. (2010, May 5). Traditional Birthing Practices. Retrieved from: http://www.healthunlimited.org/Policy/MaternalandChildHealth/TraditionalBirthingPractices

World Health Organization. (2010). Department of Making Pregnancy Safer: Guatemala Country Profile. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/making_pregnancy_safer/countries/gut.pdf

World Health Organization. (2010). Department of Making Pregnancy Safer: Nicaragua Country Profile. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/making_pregnancy_safer/countries/nic.pdf