Discovering a whole world of childbirth skills

Oct 25, 2006

The women got very excited when they realized I was about to give them childbirth skills for pregnant women in many areas such as:

1. Breathing
2. Relaxation
3. Childbirth language
4. Body knowledge
5. Preparing our birth canal
6. Putting together our skills during labour
   

Their interest increased further when I told them there were skills for the mothers, mother-in-law, sister, friend or aunt who would help the woman. By the end of the first day I assured them anyone who helps a woman give birth will be able to see and hear when we help a woman and the skills to help her cope with birth pains.

Women in modern countries believe preparing for birth is gathering as much information as possible so they can make choices about their care. In this village as in many other traditional cultures preparing for birth will have more to do with dietary or work restrictions/requirements. However, traditional living women are very skilled and appreciate good, practical, simple skills. Modern women tend to believe 'others' have the skills necessary such as midwives, childbirth educators, doulas or doctors. Traditional women absolutely KNOW they have no one but themselves.

Many Pink Kit families have preparing for birth is a natural extension of being pregnant. When you come to think about it this makes common sense. Being pregnant does lead to a very dynamic experience. Birth may be different from an exam, sporting performance at the Olympics, one’s wedding or climbing Mt. Everest however, no one can deny how BIG giving birth is. No one can deny the woman has to do the work.

Who can deny the pain during contractions can be monumental. Although there were 20-30 women present at this gathering, not one woman considered labour to be pain free. We all laughed when the word 'pain' was mentioned in the way only women do when they are talking about something that is inevitable and they all share.

These women have no illusion about birth in their village. Too many of their sisters, friends and relatives had either died, had a still born, lost a new born or had post birth problems.

As I said, initially they thought Zeeba, a doctor, and I had come to fix the current set of problems in their village:

• There were a number of pregnant women who were feeling weak.
• One woman who was still bleeding too heavily after giving birth two days ago.
• A young woman whose first child was still born at 7 months pregnancy had just delivered a healthy baby (25 days before)who had then died four days after. She was having fevers since the birth.
• There were many women who had piles.
• Another pregnant woman had a massive herpes outbreak under her left breast.
• One woman who had developed an anal fistula after her last birth.

Visit:

http://www.commonknowledgetrust.com
http://www.birthingbetter.com
http://www.thepinkkit.com