“Inuit people of northern Canada… in large hospitals in Winnipeg… women deliver in a supine position… and also describe being tied up while giving birth” (Berger, 2009, p.117). This is how I felt when the nurses put the fetal monitor on me, making me immobile. “Several new birth centers have now been created [in the Inuit homeland] and nurse-midwives are bringing in traditional midwives as assistants during childbirth…” (Berger, 2009, p.117). I aimed to bring in traditional methods into the hospital, which were not easily accepted. I am recently seeing hospitals embrace more holistic birthing environments. My second birth reflected my determination to stick to my holistic, intuitive birthing nature on the hospital grounds. My first birthing experience had unexpected turns. Both experiences leaves a story that I enjoy sharing.
My mom described me like a cat in labor. Slinking around, quiet, and calm until I found my place (or time) to deliver. This description my be in response to my second labor where she was “slinking” with me much of the time, especially since during my first labor I came walking up her steps announcing “I need to have the baby now” and proceeded to walk back to her bed, leaving her stunned, with her purse in hand planning to meet us at the hospital.
Both of my births can have a lengthy description, I will try to summarize the two most important events in my life. I believe they both reveal nature driven acts.
During my first pregnancy my partner and I practiced the Bradley Method, a natural approach to childbirth. We planned on delivering in the hospital. I knew that giving birth was a totally human experience, therefore I would let my birth take its natural course and if a medical need arose we would have that support.
The morning my water broke I went back to bed to get some rest (not meaning to fall back to sleep) before my long haul ahead. We were abreast of the many facts including: 12 hours of labor, the stages of labor, and the birthing plan ahead for the hospital. About two or three hours later I woke up in my last stage of labor.
As my contractions became increasingly painful I knew that it was time to start our 50 min. drive to the hospital, ASAP. Yet, when I spoke it hurt, so I gathered things to take while my companion put on soft music and called our birth practitioner. She mentioned surely we had 12 minus 3 hours left, so take our time. A bit later I was sitting in the Jeep with some stuff on my lap, when my partner came to the window with a shocked look, “There you are, I couldn’t find you! Should we go now?” I nodded.
The next 1-2 hours happened quickly. As we drove my labor intensified and I no longer kept quiet. I remember ripping off my seat belt, practically arching along the roof of the Jeep, and trying to get out the word “Faster!” as many times as I could. We wouldn’t make it to the hospital in enough time so we stopped at my mom’s. 911 was called, in the meantime my mom and partner gathered a towel and bowl. In near shock and amusement, I swear I saw small smiles on their face, they stared at me. “I can see his head,” stated my mom, and I remember saying, “make sure you catch him”, as I moved in random positions on her bed.
The paramedics got there before my almost unexpected home birth and I delivered the moment the ambulance began to drive. We carried out our post birth at the hospital as intended.
My second birth reveals determination to bring traditional birthing into a hospital full of protocols. Arriving much sooner than I needed to, yet I had learned from my first birth, I immediately frustrated hospital staff. My doctor was busy and I did not mind because I was fine with my husband and family. I also did not seem to care that my nurses were rude either I had my own agenda. I walked or shuffled with 1-2 people at my elbows the entire labor period. The fetal monitor possibly stayed on for a few moments of time because it would get uncomfortable and I’d take it off and leave the room again to do another circle of the hospital. Nearing close to 10 hours after my contractions had started I was intensely fatigued. As I shuffled through the waiting room where my family sat, somewhat amused, I stated, “I’m going to go have the baby now”. With a chuckle they said, “Okay”.
My water still had not broken; he was making his way within the sac (forgot the term). As I kneeled by my hospital bed my husband was a bit frantic, “What can I do?” “I’m thirsty”, and off he went. My water broke and the pain hit. I struggled make my way onto the bed to push the nurse button. My husband returned just before my grumpy nurse. She proceeded to put the fetal monitor on me again and said, “You have time”. As she started to walk away apparently I was bearing down because she whipped around and said “Are you bearing down!?” After that I remember pain, things with wheels flying around the hospital room and her yelling, “Get the doctor, we have a runner!” It was stated that he was born in 5 minutes.
I am not yet sure on the importance of the birthing experience on development, I do have ideas and some facts. I more strongly believe that a mother’s intuition is best, and the nurture and nature that the baby receives as soon as he or she is with the caregiver after birth is more important.
Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers
