Birth Is Normal

For decades childbirth has been seen as an abnormal event that's only deemed normal when there has been medical intervention.

Interventions and augmentation of labour have been on the rise, and many mothers believe it is a routine procedure that should happen.

Women birthing on their backs, frequent vaginal examinations, the midwife walking the baby out with her hands halfway into the woman's vagina, is not only uncomfortable but unnecessary.

While we do need to keep a close eye on some mothers due to medical reasons that could cause imminent harm for her and her baby, many women can do without this.

Being present when a mother gives birth to her baby, especially when she has taken classes to increase her knowledge, you can see she is in control. Even if she loses direction for a second, she recognises it and works towards getting in control.

Her body harmoniously works with every contraction, her movements synchronise with every uterine surge, and she is in her zone. Labour produces feelings and emotions for everyone in the room as we patiently wait for the first sight of her baby, whose working hard to meet his or her mother for the first time, finally.

Transition provides the mother with a new set of feelings that change her mood and how she feels. She may take a nap, she may feel insecure, she may even feel she can't do this anymore; nonetheless, this is all very normal but is often mistaken for her not progressing and also as a sign her labour is slowing down.

Childbirth is all about having your loved ones around You, being present and active. The warm towels, being fanned down because you feel too hot, the contractions, the power and empowerment, the love, the anticipation and the feeling of triumphant as you meet your baby for the first time.

Somehow, we need to normalise childbirth and bring back some of the old traditions which allowed women to feel normal again. The rituals that made women feel she is genuinely the focus of attention by other women whether midwives or family members during her labour.

I believe some complications and the feeling of fear is brought on by systematic pressures as well as what we see via the media and that shapes our representation of birth and can sometimes cause panic.

If we start focusing on active, natural physiological births and publicising how beneficial it is, as well as reducing the amount of negative, medicalised birth scenes shown on TV, we may start to move towards a healthy birth culture where more women will opt for vaginal births or take a fearless approach.

Perhaps the fear-based culture can be decreased, and we can start with strength and power because childbirth is a normal process!

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#Birthingnormally #vbac #informedcare #childbirth