A Birth Story from Singapore

Rani shares the story of the birth of Kei, her second child, in this pretty amazing post, Kei's Birth 2 - The Day.

Rani had a hospital birth in Singapore, and it sounds like her doctor and hospital were very enlightened. They were able to book a suite with a jacuzzi, and her doctor was supportive of her desire to have a drug-free delivery.

Her account is really vivid and full of nice little details, from her decision to stay home until the contractions were stronger because the hospital didn't have wifi to the sensations as Kei moved through the birth canal. Rani was obviously very well-prepared, knew what to expect and did everything she could to ensure the bonding process with her new baby would begin right away.

I wish young girls all over could read stories like hers, so they'd know what birth could be like.

Comments

[Gillian]

Hi there! Just wanted to say how much I'm enjoying your blog - I'm a first-time expectant mother and therefore quite abnormally interested in hormone interactions (especially oxytocin) in birthing and more generally. You write beautifully and I'm devouring the information here!

I live in the UK, where I was given a choice from the start of hospital or home birth with various options. For a number of reasons I've chosen to plan for delivery in a midwife-led unit of a local hospital, in an active birthing room complete with pool, birthing chair, ball and other useful bits and pieces. Though obstetricians are available very nearby, I don't expect to see one during my labour and delivery unless a complication arises. Several of the aforementioned American friends expressed huge surprise that I was able to simply make these choices1 They informed me that birthing choices in the US are often far more constricting, and this led to a certain sadness on my part.

When will society in general start to realise that women were birthing babies for an awful long time before caesarians, pitocin and other interventions came about? While I absolutely accept that these can be important, life-saving measures in particular circumstances, I can't help but feel that society is robbing women of their confidence in themselves - of the belief that they can give birth in a positive, empowering and self-aware way. The frightening rise in elective caesarians is indicative of the fear women now have of this natural and potentially beautiful event, and the consequential increase in maternal mortality a real tragedy.

Obviously I don't know for sure how my own birthing experience will go, but I'm planning to trust in my body and my primal instincts, and I'm not afraid - in fact, I'm fascinated. :)

P.S. Sorry for the long comment...I get carried away on this subject! Probably hormonal...

[Gillian]

Please forgive the typos and other errors in the previous post - it's 5.47am here in the UK and I have insomnia, that wonderful 'friend' of many an expectant mother. ;)

[Susan Kuchinskas]

Typos be durned! Your excitement and passion shine out, and I'm very pleased for you to be having such lovely expectations.

I wish we all would become and remain fascinated by hormones and how they help shape our behavior, because I think that until we acknowledge that behavior and emotions happen at this very physiological level, we won't stop birthing and child-rearing practices that don't contribute to healthy development of these responses.

I agree that society is robbing women of the empowerment and delight that can come from pregnancy and childbirth. Worse, I think elective caesarians may be robbing generations of children of the primal experience of intimacy and love that will set the "endocrine tone" of the rest of their relationships.

Thanks much for chiming in, Gillian. My best wishes for you and your baby.