So what is the alternative to a medically-managed hospital "delivery"? Some
would say a homebirth with a midwife. It is true
that midwives as a whole are much more trusting of birth than doctors are. Many
of them understand not only the dangers of medical intervention, but the effect
of fear on a laboring woman's body. A loving midwife can offer a fearful woman
a tremendous amount of emotional support. Yet midwife-attended births are not
without their problems.
When
a midwife attends a birth, she is legally responsible for the outcome. Fear of
prosecution may cause even the most non-interventive midwife to intervene in
birth. Artificial rupturing of the membranes, instructions to
push or not push - regardless of the desires of the laboring woman -
and aggressive management of the third stage of labor (delivery of the
placenta) are not uncommon in a midwife-attended birth. Part of this may be due
to legal requirements. A midwife is required to "chart" a woman's labor. What
this means is that technically she must measure dilation and time contractions
(among other things). If a woman doesn't give birth within two hours of
cervical dilation (this may vary from state to state), she must be transported
to the hospital. A woman must also be transported if her placenta hasn't
delivered within an hour of the birth - even though there is no evidence that
suggests retaining a placenta for longer than an hour causes problems.
Of
course, many midwives ignore these requirements, and allow women to give birth
in their own time and in their own way. When a midwife does intervene, however,
the consequences can be devastating.
Several
years ago there was a woman in my area who gave birth at home just minutes
before her midwife's arrival. The birth went well and the couple was thrilled.
When the midwife arrived, she insisted that the placenta be delivered NOW. It
had only been fifteen minutes since the birth, and the mother knew it had not
yet detached. But she allowed the midwife to reach in and manually attempt to
remove it. The midwife pulled out half the placenta and the mother hemorrhaged.
She ended up being transported to the hospital where she enjoyed a three day
stay.
Although,
based on the letters I receive, this is not an isolated incident, certainly
there are cases where a midwife has helped to prevent a tragedy. But how many
so-called life or death situations are simply normal variations that do not
require "assistance" at all? My first baby was born face first, my second was a
footling breech, my third was posterior, and my last baby had the cord wrapped
around her neck. I dealt with all of these "complications" easily. Had I been
attended by a midwife, perhaps she would have dealt with them easily, as well.
But why pay a midwife for something I'm perfectly capable of handling myself? I
refuse to believe that birth is this big mystery that the ordinary woman can't
possibly understand. If a woman is in touch with her physical and spiritual
instincts, she does not need to be told how to give birth, any more than she
needs to be told how to make love or how to go to the bathroom. Birth is a
natural bodily function that is sorely in need of demystification.
It's
time women stopped putting doctors and midwives on pedestals and started
believing in their own abilities. The sun will come up tomorrow, the grass will
continue to grow, and our babies will come out if we let them. The key is to
not interfere - either physically or psychologically.
My own experiences, and those of others who have chosen to have
unassisted births, illustrate this point.
Corey
Alicks had her first baby via Cesarean section. Her second child was born at
home with a midwife. When she became pregnant with her third child, she decided
she felt comfortable giving birth without an attendant. She wrote about her
experiences in her story "Finding Truth":
We
had set up the birthing pool in front of the fireplace and it was heavenly
sliding into the warm, deep water in the dark, firelit room. I still shudder as
I think of how I reached in myself and felt her head; no mirrors, no one else
seeing, only absolute connection, only me; and how, as I floated, suspended in
the birthing water, I pushed Eva out into the same dark water, like we were
both being born. We watched her, still underwater, floating arms outstretched,
looking up at us, her body glowing with an unearthly light. Peter was kneeling
on the floor at the side of the pool, and I slowly brought our baby's face to
the surface. It was the holiest moment of our lives. She breathed effortlessly
and without a sound.
Corey's
next birth was even more spectacular. Once again, she gave birth in a birthing
pool in front of the fireplace, but this time she delivered
twins all by herself!
Women
aren't the only ones who benefit from having an unassisted birth. Carl Norgauer
wrote about the joy of catching his own baby in his story, "A Bond of
Admiration and Love":
After
four hours of labor, Lilana finally slid out to my waiting hands. She was
delivered to her waist, and as she paused, she wrapped her little hand around
one of my fingers and held on tight, forming at that moment a bond of mutual
admiration and love that will endure 'til I die. Moments later she was all the
way out and announced her arrival with a robust, housewarming cry. What a joy!
We had partnered with God a beautiful child....For months afterward we were in
a state of exultation and euphoria. This tremendous birthing experience
developed a great momentum for bonding, nurturing and loving and was the high
point of my life.
There
is one other person to consider when deciding the best way to give birth. Few
people think about the fact that perhaps babies have a preference as to how
they would like to be born. Sam Woods felt that her daughter, Luca, actually
led her to have an unassisted birth. On her web site "Journey To Divine
Childbirth" she writes:
How
can I even begin to describe my home birth experience? Of course it was the
comfort of husband and home, freedom from harmful medical intervention, joyful,
painless labour and the sheer ecstasy of birthing my child into my own hands.
But it was so much more than that. It was the most profound spiritual
connection I have ever made. It was reaching into the deepest part of my being
and finding my soul power, it was choosing faith over fear, it was truly
listening to an inner voice that said, "Follow the light!" I followed and I
found a miracle. I found my infinite, loving source and I found my precious
Luca. She was the light that I followed. I believe that Luca chose this
wonderful birth experience and guided me in my decision. Our babies are Divine
and infinitely intelligent. I pray that we can help them maintain their Divine
connection, and I thank Luca for helping me find mine.
It
has been twenty-nine years since my first unassisted birth, and twenty years
since my last. My baby-making days are probably over. But the births of my
children will forever be imprinted upon my mind. I will never get over the
thrill of catching my own babies in the solitude and sanctity of my own home.
It is a joy I wish every couple could know.
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