I have chosen to have no children of my own. My sisters both live about 4000 km away so the only birth I have ever been present for was my own. I obviously have no memories of the event. My mom has always teased me that it was the first and only time I was early for any event. My dad told me I was born in a snowstorm. I was born in a hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. I am the oldest child in my family so for my parents it was a first. My dad was with my mom for the delivery. My mom and I stayed in hospital for 2 or 3 days. From the lens of child development birth is an important step. The bond between mother and child is begun. In my case, the stereotypical family was created. Parents always count toes and fingers, make sure the nose and eyes are placed properly, and see that all the body parts are present. Even in this age of images in utero, seeing is believing.
I now live in the Netherlands. I have heard many birth stories from my colleagues here. They all gave birth at home with a midwife. Their husbands were part of the process and they were up and about within hours of the birth. Although the birth itself is never without worry, work and pain, a home setting gave these moms a relaxing place that was familiar to them. I don't believe that either way of giving birth is better than the other. I think it is a choice a couple should make. In some births, the older siblings are also present and part of the process. In terms of future development, I think the bonding with the parents is more important than the actual birth except in cases that have complications. When there are complications, I think medical care is vital in shaping the path the child's development will take.
I now live in the Netherlands. I have heard many birth stories from my colleagues here. They all gave birth at home with a midwife. Their husbands were part of the process and they were up and about within hours of the birth. Although the birth itself is never without worry, work and pain, a home setting gave these moms a relaxing place that was familiar to them. I don't believe that either way of giving birth is better than the other. I think it is a choice a couple should make. In some births, the older siblings are also present and part of the process. In terms of future development, I think the bonding with the parents is more important than the actual birth except in cases that have complications. When there are complications, I think medical care is vital in shaping the path the child's development will take.
There was a time, not so long ago, in the United States when the majority of births were home births. My mother and her 6 siblings were all born at home, delivered by her own grandmother (a midwife) and the doctor. Two of my great-grandmothers were midwives. They were able to help many people. The only negative comment I ever heard was that twins generally did not survive in the days of home births, so when my own great grandmother and her twin were born and survived, many people came to visit them. They had a nickname "the tunnel 9 twins" because the tunnel was near their home. The visitors were disappointed that the girls, fraternal twins, did not look alike! Home births now are probably safe for most women, if their pregnancy doesn't have a known high risk factor. Women should have a choice when possible. On the opposite side of this debate, my dad and his 2 siblings lived in a town and all of them were born in hospitals. Later in his life, his mother became a nurse and loved to work in the maternity ward!
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting to read about the home births in the Netherlands. While a home birth would not be for me (if I were to ever a baby) I do agree that the mother needs to feel comfortable and relaxed in either place (home or hospital) where they give birth. This decision has to be up to the mother and her spouse/partner. I feel it's important to have the husband/partner to play an important role in the birth and birthing decision.
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about birthing in Netherlands. I do recall that in the Berger text as well, stats showed that Netherlands had a majority number of home births. It is encouraging to read that because Netherlands is a developed country and home births are typically seen as the norm in developing nations. In India although there is a vast rural population and another vast urban population, I think hospital births are getting more popular. It could be that Netherlands has more home births as a percentage than India. It is interesting to delve into this topic from a country perspective, I had not thought of it that way! Thanks for sharing!
Divya