Week 1: Childbirth in My Life and Across the World

My son's birth and my daughter's birth were very different. With my son, I was a first time mom who had a birth plan and some ideas about how I wanted his birth to proceed, but I was also afraid to make decisions that might harm him. I wanted a low-intervention birth but my doctor pressured me into an induction on my due date by saying "if you go over forty weeks, he's more likely to die". I knew that my body was not ready, but the doctor's scare tactics left me feeling like induction was the only responsible choice I could make. I endured three days of chemical induced laboring, three hours of pushing, and an episiotomy before finally being asked to choose between having my son removed via c-section or vacuum suction. I chose suctioning, and he finally arrived, 8lbs 10 oz, 20.5 inches. 

With my daughter, I  alternated between a low-intervention doctor and a set of midwives for my prenatal appointments, and all were present for her birth. There was no pressure to induce or deliver early, and I very happily and comfortably delivered my daughter at 41 weeks 5 days after just under 30 minutes of pushing. She was 9 lbs 15 oz, 21.5 inches. 

I chose this example because there was a dramatic difference between the two births, and having the appropriate provider and environment really makes an amazing impact. Childbirth standards and practices vary not only from provider to provider, but also from one country to the next. For example, I read an illuminating article about the world's best and worst places to give birth (Sweden and Niger). In Sweden, mothers have access to affordable prenatal and postpartum care as well as high quality delivery rooms and well educated doctors and surgeons. Hospitals are clean and offer alternative pain treatments to laboring mothers. Very few mothers or babies die in Sweden as a result of labor or delivery. In contrast, in Niger, mothers have a one-in-seven chance of dying during labor/delivery and one-in-six children will not survive to the age of five. Mothers labor in silence and if they are assisted by a medical professional, it is usually in a dirty facility with outdated or unsafe equipment. Prenatal, postpartum, and labor/delivery services, if available, are unaffordable for most mothers (Moorhead, 2006).

Birth, and the circumstances surrounding birth, including prenatal care and labor and delivery, absolutely affect child development on multiple levels. If mothers do not receive adequate care, nutrition, and services, their infants will be negatively affected- developmentally, physically, and cognitively. Proper care for mothers, then, is essential for the healthy development of their babies. 

Reference

Moorhead, J. (2006, October 3). Different planets. The Guardian. Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/oct/03/healthandwellbeing.health