Robin C. Miller
My
Birthing Experience
My
personal birthing experience was over 11 years ago in the year 2001. My first
child was born by the name of Marquis. He is my love, my pride and joy, and my
world. The experience of his birth was priceless. I remember my family being
right in my corner. As soon as I felt the contractions I immediately told my
family and they were in a hurry to take me to the hospital but for some reason
I wanted to take my time. I took the time to prepare myself hygienically and
had the urge to wash a load of clothes before I went to the hospital. I think I
was trying to ease my anticipation and fear of deliver by trying to occupy my
time. I can remember the pain and how quick the birth was. I went to the
hospital around 12:30 and gave birth around 3:43pm. I loved every minute of it.
The experience was priceless and I will be doing the process again by the
middle of June.
Birthing
Experience in Holland
In the United States we have the option to choose
from seeing a gynecologist, using a midwife, or a doula. In Holland soon to be
mothers do not see obstetricians they are taken care of by a midwife. The soon
to be mom has the option to deliver at home or at the hospital but, the
majority of Holland women deliver at home (Schalken, 2012) . In fact, pregnant
women “are required to pick up a kraapakeet which includes all of the medical
supplies necessary for a home birth” (Schalken, 2012). The
midwife does all the pre-natal check-ups in home and decides when the
approximate time to deliver is. Unlike the United States, Holland has a really
strict system when it comes to anesthesia if the mom to be decides to do a
hospital birth. It is up to the anesthesiologist not only, to decide if pain
killers are needed or not but also, if its “convenient” to the
anesthesiologists schedule. Holland’s maternity care system is very different
than the United States. In the United States for a normal vaginal delivery
women stay in the hospital for two whole days after delivery and 4 days if you
had a cesarean section. In Holland if you have a normal delivery mom and the
baby can go home after two hours if everything is fine and the visiting nurse
would do home visits for seven days to provide proper medical care to mom and
the baby. Their system is different from here in the United States but they
seem to be very concerned and provided a lot of care before, during, and after
deliver to both mom and the baby.
Source: Schalken, L. (2012). Birth customs around
the world. Retrieved from
Robin, in my country,pregnant women go to the hospital to give birth to their babies. I remember long time ago, most women gave birth at home, and the nurse or midwife was called prior to giving birth. I am an example of a home birth. This world has become so enlightened, that every pregnant mother visits a gynecologist, or the clinic, to get their monthly check up. Pregnant women now go to the hospital to give birth and spend one day if it is normal, and more, if complication arises.
ReplyDeleteI like how you took the time doing laundry and even procrastinating of sorts. I personally never could do that. My family wouldn't have allowed such a thing then and now.
ReplyDeleteReading the birthing experiences in Holland was interesting. If I was given the opportunity to give birth again, I would opt for home birth knowing the best hospitals are only minutes from me.
It sounds like the people in Holland do things differently when they have babies but still are very focused and concerned with the care of the babies and mothers. Home births are a relaxing experience for the mother and the baby. Hospitals have everything under control with mothers give birth to their babies, they go in and then a couple days later they go home. Women give birth to babies in different settings around world.
ReplyDeleteColleague Robin:
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you were so excited about the birth of your son. I love babies, but if I could have them without the whole process I would have many like my maternal grand mother who gave birth to seventeen babies(six died shortly after birth)! I had great respect for my grandmother. All her children were home delivered in those days.Home deliveries still take place in my country but the majority of women now do go to the hospitals.Thanks for sharing.