Birthing Experience

Being the first woman who got married in my family and with no children on my own, I have no experience with childbirth, only my own birth, and some I have watched on television.  About my own birth, my mom told me that she felt when her water broke and told my dad it was the time. My dad took her to the doctor’s office, in the nearest city to my hometown, about 15 miles away.  The doctor told them something was wrong with my hearth because the hearth beat was unstable. He sent them to the private maternity hospital and I was born through cesarean surgery. After born, everything was fine with my hearth. Because neither my mom nor I had complications at all after the surgery, we went home the day after.

I have a student whose parents are indigenous Tzeltales, an ethnic group from Chiapas, Mexico, and mom delivered her baby about a month ago. As soon as I knew about this blog assignment, I interviewed Ms. Ahuatzi about the birth practices in their village. She told me that Tzeltales live in Los Altos, located in the mountain region in Chiapas, and due to the impassable roads, they deliver their babies on their shack, squatting down, or with midwife assistance.

The Tzeltal midwife is responsible for prenatal care, and she accommodates the baby for the birth, rubbing and massaging the mother’s abdomen. She attends in the traditional manner with the pregnant woman kneeling and holding from her husband. The midwife also cares for the newborn, washing the baby in a certain way, to avoid the loss of his or her soul. “Midwives do their work with the help of medicinal herbs, home remedies [like chamomile tea], massage, and in some cases, prayer” (Luna Maya. 2011). When the midwife wants to make the delivery quick, she bathes the pregnant woman with water infused with sour orange leaves, as hot as she can stand it.

Some midwives don’t charge at all, because they say midwifery is a spiritual gift that God gave them through a dream, and it is their service to the community. Some others charge a kilogram of sugar, a few eggs, or coffee, when it comes to checkups; after the delivery they may charge $50 to $100 Mexican pesos.

I find amazing the different birth practices around the world, especially when they take place in a non-sterile environment.

Reference:

Luna Maya. (2011). Luna Maya, Casa de Partos. Retrieved from http://www.lunamaya.org/

(This website is available in English too)