Childbirth In My Life and Around The World

Sydney is born!

My girls on Jessica's "Birthday" May 2, 2007

On March 12, 2003 my daughter Sydney was brought into the world by Cesarean Section. After 26 hours of labor I was unable to progress to 10 centimeters and my doctor decided that it was best to perform a C-section. I have to say that by the time Sydney was born, I was so exhausted that I don't really remember caring that I couldn't deliver her by natural birth. My husband and I had gone to Lamaze classes and prepared for the coming of our new baby but we didn't anticipate having to have a C-section. The doctors did what they could to make me comfortable in the operating room. Just before  the  doctor did the  first incision she asked me if I could feel anything. I told her that I felt a sharp prick... At that point, the doctor realized that my epidural had started to wear-off.. My husband tells me that the look the doctor gave  the anesthesiologist was scary. I was given more medicine in my IV before the surgery could begin. Shortly after that I could feel lots of tugging to get her out. The birth didn't seem like it took a long time and it was probably I was so excited. Not too long after they started, Sydney was given to me in a blanket. I was so thankful that the surgery was done without any complications.



I decided to share this experience because it is my own. It's an experience that I will NEVER forget. I really did want to have a natural birth but having a healthy baby became more important than me saying that I had to have the experience of giving birth naturally. The doctor explained that they wanted to be sure that the baby was getting enough oxygen. During the course my labor, sensors were placed at the top of the baby’s head to monitor her heart rate.In the end, I was glad that the decision was made to perform the C-section.  

Traditional Chinese Beliefs about Childbirth

 

During labor and delivery

• The pregnant woman's mother is present at the first delivery but not for subsequent ones.
• The woman should try to be quiet during labor, as crying out will attract evil spirits to the new child.
• A necklace is placed around the baby's neck before the umbilical cord is cut. This ensures that the baby's life is tied to the necklace, not to the cord.
• The ideal position for labor is squatting. The baby will not have enough energy to come out if the mother is lying on her back.
• The father is not present during delivery, although he is expected to give the baby its first bath.

Reference

http://gbtimes.com/lifestyle/family/traditional-chinese-beliefs-about-pregnancy-and-childbirth 

What I learned...

When I think about  the birth of my daughter and how births take place in China, there really are no similarities. In the United States if a women has a spouse that person is usually with the mother when she gives birth. I was surprised to learn that the expectant mother in China has her mother with her during her first birth. If there are additional births, the mother performs the birth on her own. The website that I read did not go into details about what would happen in the event that there are complications during childbirth in China. I was shocked to learn that after a mother gives birth for the first time she is expected to give birth by herself for the subsequent births. I couldn't imagine having to go through a process like that without the assistance of a doctor in a hospital setting. The website also mentioned that the mother has to be quiet during birth so that the child does not attract evil spirits to the baby. The release of pain is encouraged during the birth experience in the United States. There is an effort to make sure that the mother is comfortable throughout the birth process. This is what I experienced during the birth of both of my daughters.