The Birthing Experience of My Daughter

The birth of my daughter was my first experience of childbirth. I remember it was a Wednesday night, and I had just taken a shower. I dressed and climbed into the bed, ready to sleep. I remember feeling like I was urinating on myself, and I got up and ran back to the restroom. Just as I stood up, I remember feeling a release, and then more water began to run down my legs. I was excited and scared all at the same time. I ran into the bedroom and told my husband that it was time. He jumped out of bed and we were on our way to hospital. I was accompanied by my mom, my dad, my husband, my mother-in-law and my brother-in-law. During the delivery, my mom, husband and mother-in-law remained in the room, while my brother-in-law and dad waited in the waiting room. As I began to feel the contractions, I remember thinking “ok, this is not that bad…I can handle this”. The nurses and Dr. made my family and I feel extremely comfortable. They provided me with physical and emotional support, they monitored the health and heart rate of my daughter and I regularly, and the overall service was amazing. As the contractions began to get stronger the pain began to get worse and worse, till the point where it was just unbearable. I pleaded with my mom, to please call the nurse for the epidural. I remember cringing anytime someone touched me, outside of my husband. The Anesthesiologist came shortly after and administered the epidural. Minutes after, my Dr. entered and reassured me that I made it to 8 cm before getting the epidural, and suggested that my daughter would not be ready for delivery for another two, maybe three hours. Roughly, thirty to forty-five minutes later, I began to feel immense pressure. I called for the nurse and requested that the Dr. return because I knew my daughter was ready for arrival. To their surprise, my daughter was already crowning and ready for delivery. The whole delivery process was smooth and painless. After my little Olivia arrived, the Dr. allowed me to hold her, to initiate our mother/daughter bond by encouraging her to latch. She then placed her under an incubator, washed her up, and then placed her on the scale. She then held her by her hands, as Olivia griped the Dr.’s thumbs, and pulled her up in the air. The Dr. reassured me that she was extremely healthy and that her bodily functions were moving great. After completing a few more standard procedures, Olivia was wrapped up in a blanket and placed in her daddy’s arms. The whole process was a life changing experience for our entire family. My daughter is now 10 months and just as healthy and happy as she can be, thanks be to God.

Due to lack of technology and other vital tools needed for healthy deliveries and safe childbirth, many infants are born with lasting effects of insufficient childbirths. Without enough oxygen, children can suffer from mental disabilities, which can affect child development. There are many tests that nurses and Dr.'s may advice expectant mothers to take prior to delivery. Tests that may help detect signs of modified genes or chromosomes that can cause Down Syndrome, perhaps. Without accurate tools such as Doppler heart radars, Dr.'s may not be able to detect when a child has a low heart rate, which can also cause mental disabilities, or even death.

After reading about different child birthing rituals and practices in different parts of the world, I was fairly intrigued by the child birthing rituals of Native Americans. In comparison to my child birth experience, Native American expecting mothers do not lie down during childbirth, but instead, either stand, kneel or sit. When Olivia was born, the Dr. supported and gently withdrew her as she was being delivered, whereas, during Native American child birth, no one attempts to catch the baby during delivery, but allows the baby to fall onto a patch of leaves, placed under the mother. Native American mothers also undergo diverse post-delivery practices as well. After a child is born, for two years, the mother practices a ceremonial act of dipping their child into a river; a ritual that is said to strengthen the child that no deformation comes upon them.