Birth Experiences

The birthing experience I will share with you is that of my giving birth to my first child, my daughter. The pregnancy was full term, with no complications at all-I didn't even experience morning sickness! My husband and I had attended childbirth instruction (Lamaze) classes beforehand, and thought we were as well-prepared as we were going to be. We went to the hosptal just after midnight and fell into the flow of breathing through contractions, etc., just as we had practiced. This went on all night! Apparently, I was "failing to progress" (past 4 cm of dilation). SO, I was given an oxygen mask and some medication to speed the process, to which I didn't respond well at all. SO,eventually, out of concern for the baby's well-being (oxygen intake level), it was determined that a C-section should occur. Because of the need for speed, I was given general anasthesia, so I was not involved from that point on. My husband was allowed to observe the procedure in the operating room, and twelve minutes later we had a healthy, 6 lb. 10 oz. baby girl, Sarah! He stayed with her through the APGAR scoring,etc., and was the first to bond with her , since I was "out of it" for quite a while. I often think that without the assistance of all those medical professionals and that hospital equipment, either I or my daughter may not have survived to tell the story.Twenty-two years later, I am still grateful for those people. We were truly blessed.

I read an article about giving birth in 6 different communities studied in Africa. There, it is not necessarily the norm to have prenatal medical care, or to give birth in a medical facility. There are many factors determining why women in that area choose no medical services. A prominent factor is that their behavior is impacted by the perception of others in the community. To give birth unassisted is considered admirable by community members. In West Africa childbirth is said to be a "woman's battle". For women who do choose medical guidance for childbirth, the biggest determining factor is their level of education. More highly educated women have more decision-making power in the family, and more awareness of and access to health related services. There is a much higher mortality rate for women in childbirth in Africa  than in the U.S.While I can try to respect the choices made by these women as a result of their culture, I am certain that I am grateful to live where I live, and to have the luxury of the medical care that is available to me.