Saturday, March 5, 2011

Birth Experience

The birth experience I chose was the birth of my son.  This is the only birth I have had experience with that I remember.  He was an unexpected C-section birth.  After many hours of labor and the epidural wearing off, he was stuck.  I decided to go ahead with the C-section and another epidural.  He came out and had an Apgar score of 8.  We did not find out the sex of our child till they delivered him and the nurse said “Well Dad, tell her what we got!”  It was at that moment I knew that my suspicions were right, that we were going to have a beautiful baby boy.
I would like to believe that the birth experience has little to no impact on a child, but I know that I am wrong.  The birth experience has a huge impact on the development of the child, especially if the birth was a traumatic one.  Medical attention needed, the stress level of the mother, the alignment of the stars all have an impact on the development in later life. 
The region I chose to research was a birth center in Rid De Janeiro Brazil.  They use birthing centers to provide a more social event than a medical event.  They want to provide a more home like birth than a sterile birth.  The medical community is not as excited about this as the community.  Some of the centers are being closed due to lack of sterility in the setting and lack of medical equipment.  The centers are run with nursing assistants, social workers, and nutritionists.  The centers provide many services to the community such as classes and prenatal checkups.  The centers do only accept women who are in good health and little risk of complications.   The advantages of giving birth at the center is that your family is with you, you are allowed to get up and move around, give birth in any position you want, and can eat what you want.  You are not separated from family or restricted to a hospital bed and monitors.  The argument against the center is that if complications do arise medical intervention is 20-30 minute ambulance ride away.
I do like the theory behind the centers, have a natural experience for birth.  The experience does sound simple and more relaxed.  My experience was a combination of both worlds.  I was able to have my family near and could get up and move around as I pleased until the epidural.  I was not strapped down to the bed until the C-section began.  I had the sterility of a hospital and medical intervention just seconds away. 

Resources:

Frayssinet, Fabiana. (2011, March) Birth Centres vs. Hospitals. Health Brazil.  Retrieved from http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47318

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Personal Childhood Web

Mom-My mother
Influence: showed me a love of learning that has lasted a life time. She would have “Tea Parties” with me but insisted on real food not pretend. She would read to us each night and tuck us in. She showed her love and affection by being there and showing me how to make it on my own. Her impact on my life is ongoing. She is still guiding me to be a better and stronger person.

Dad: My birth father
Influence: taught me that continuing your education may be tough but is always worth the effort. He would take me on camping trips each summer and road trips to historical places. He always called me “sis”. His influence takes me to historical sites. I have an appetite for history.

Don: My step-dad (Dad)
Influence: taught me that hard work was important in life. He taught me how to drive my first stick shift. He moved me back and forth to college many times without question. He considered me his own and became my father when mine abandoned me. He still checks in on me and makes sure my head is on straight.

Grandma D: Paternal Grandmother
Influence: she taught me how to be a “proper” young lady. I remember how I should behave to this day. She showed me how to make ordinary everyday things into magical paths to the imaginary world. A refrigerator box could be a house, doctor’s office, fort, or a cave below hundreds of feet. She showed me how to cook and sew so I could be a good wife. Though she is not with me now I still can look at a plain item and imagine where it could lead me.

Grandma Z: Maternal Grandmother
Influence: taught me that women could be fierce and independent. She loved flowers and taught me a love of them as well.