Early Beginings--Birthing

Write about a personal birthing experience. It can be your own birth, your child's birth, or one you took part in. What do you remember about the event? Why did you choose this example? What are your thoughts regarding birth and its impact on child development?

What a great assignment.  I birthed four children, however, with the drama and excitement I am not sure if I was really engaged other than to bring the new little lives into the world.

My daughter birthed my grandson, that was amazing.  I actually experienced a wonderful thing.  My daughter was put in the hospital early with her pregnancy.  She had developed Toxemia.  She was a young mother,(17 years).  She was monitored for one week getting huger and huger and the Doctor one day came in and said, "well we can watch her get sicker and sicker or we can take the baby".  The baby still had seven weeks to go before his due date.  We decided to allow the birth.  He started her labor and then the birthing began.  To see the work that happens for a baby to enter the world is amazing.  I remember after about an hour we saw the baby's little head and the struggle to enter the world was amazing.  The doctor assisted  pulling the baby out of the birth canal.  Then he was here.  It was a quite delivery and I was nervous.  The baby did not cry, he lay there and they were sucking things from his moth and checking him all over.  I just asked why he was not crying.  Well my daughter was on Paxil for anxiety and they said that these babies are sedated when they are born.  He was alright, Being seen weeks early his skin was very transparent and his little eyes were not quite developed.  He was rushed to the NicU unite where he remained for two weeks.  I remember I was allowed to go and be with him.  Through an incubator and being able to touch him through the wholes in the incubator was hard.  The nurses were amazed because when Maddix heard my voice when I entered he perked up and was turning his head.  They said that he recognized that voice.  I said, well I spent the lat months with him and his mom while he was developing".

I believe that there is much development in the womb and those special moments in the hospital with my grandson were crucial to his development.  The touching and talking I believe made him strong.  I know that I have a special bond with my grandson.  There are many issues because of custody and complications.  However, I hear my grandson tell me things that he heard in that incubator.  Pretty amazing.  I just know that whatever happens in this drama of a world that he and I have a special bond and he had some great early development through touch and talk in that little incubator.

I am thankful that here in the USA we have the choice and the technology to assist birthing to intervene if there is a need for a chance of developing to the best that they can.

Choose a region of the world or a country, other than the U.S., and find out how births happen there. Write about what you learned, and the differences and similarities with your experience (in the personal example you provided). What additional insights, if any, about the impact of the birthing experience on development, did you gain from this comparison?

I chose Mexico to learn more about how babies ere brought into the world.  I have heard many stories and it concerned me.  Being heritage of Mexico and being raised int the USA it has always interested me.  Some of my knowledge was validated.   I learned that, at many hospitals in Mexico, Cesarean sections were the norm, and babies were whisked off to the nursery after birth—instead of staying with their mothers to bond and to breastfeed. I found out that many births are performed without medication.  Which is good and bad.  I feel if the pain can be lessened then so be it.  Probably a personal opinion.I know that the babies I had without medication The recovery was better and faster.  However, with a Cesarean you would have to be medicated. There in Mexico they have little birthing centers with Mid-Wife's.  This is popular, I think also because of the costs. However, if there are any complications there has to be a way to get immediate help to the child and mother.

There are many common ways of delivery.  I believe that where ever you are it is choice.  Birthing depends much on cost and culture.  With education and developments of all countries we are hoping that people can make the safest way to bring life into the world.  It all begins with the early care at time of conception until the child grows and develops into an adult and beyond. However the early years are very crucial.