Skin to Skin
It's okay if you don't agree with a thing I say on this website. You have every right to think for yourself. But, ask yourself if your reasons for disagreeing with me are your own, or just what you've been taught by someone else? Have you established yourself as a doula, childbirth educator, or midwife and are making money off your present belief system? Is to change your mind going to interfere with your business? If so, is that fair to the pregnant women in your care? On-going education doesn't hurt you or anyone else, but to close your mind off to new facts will!
As a society, we women have gone from being completely dominated by male doctors to going completely in the opposite direction, like this huge pendulum swinging to and fro to both extremes. Eventually all pendulums settle down and stay in the middle. Our thinking and actions should do the same if we want good births overall for all women in the United States.
I was privileged to attend births in 2 maternity hospitals in Copenhagen, Denmark a few years ago. I was very impressed with the way women in labor were treated. Midwives attended all the births unless there was a complication needing a doctor's care. A doctor is always on duty on the labor wards. Each room is designed for one woman in labor and her husband. There are birthing tubs available if women want a water birth, but these large tubs are designed to support the woman's back, unlike plastic water birth tubs in America. The funny thing is I never saw a woman want to give birth in the tub when I was there. They were all treated with respect by the midwives and had all gotten good prenatal care and education by the same midwives before going into labor, so they weren't afraid.
After birth, the baby is immediately given to the mother, covered with a warm towel and left alone to imprint and bond with mother and father, undisturbed. After the placenta is delivered the mother is transferred from the birthing bed to a comfy bed by the window overlooking the green trees and lawns of Denmark. Father sits in a lounge chair by mom and baby's side. They're both treated to cheese, bread, and coffee or tea to refresh themselves afterwards. In 6 hours they're discharged to go home. The baby is NEVER washed or taken away from its parerom the anesthesia and can hold her baby. Then, they are transferrednts after birth. Even when a cesarean is necessary, the father is given his baby right away, skin to skin, until his mate recovers f
to a Maternity Hotel, where they're given a room like in a hotel while midwives oversee the recovery of the mother. This is what I aim for in the United States!
