The Importance of the Birthing Experience

New class means it's time for a new post. I was very excited to see the topic of this post because it is something that has always been of interest to me; the effect of the birthing experience on a child's development.

I am adopted, and my birthing experience was very different from that of my granddaughter's. The room that I was born in was white, bright, and sterile. No one was in the room with my mother, with the exception of the doctor, and they were separated by a sheet. My mother was given something to sedate her, but even sedated there was a great tension in the room. My birth was routine, and I was born a healthy infant, but there was not a welcome feeling in the room when I arrived. I was quickly taken into another room where I was cleaned and placed in a bassinet, and I never did get to see my mother or have her hold me.

When I got pregnant with my oldest daughter I was living in Spain and I was very nervous because I was not used to the public health care system. I had an experience, before I got pregnant, where I needed medical care, and it was very difficult for me. When I researched what to expect if I had the baby in Madrid I found out that it would be very similar to my previous medical experience. I wanted to make sure that the birth of my baby was comfortable for both of us, so my husband and I moved back home before the baby was born.

My granddaughter's entrance into the world was a completely different story. My husband, my other daughters and I spent the day with the mother to be, rubbing her feet, feeding her ice, laughing and talking. The room was very comfortable, with soft lights, a rocking chair, and a television. When it was time for Paetyn to be born my husband and I stood on either side of the bed and were a support to my daughter. The whole family was right there watching Paetyn being born and celebrating her arrival into the world. The instant she was born the doctor placed her in her mother's arms, and except for the few minutes that it took her to get an Apgar test and get cleaned up a little, she was never out of her family's arms. They even let a family member give her first bath.

I chose these examples because they are in such stark contrast to each other. Early childhood research has shown the importance of early bonding, and I was not able to receive that in my birthing experience (Childpsych, n.d.). I was fortunate to have a loving family adopt me when I was five weeks old, but I have struggled with abandonment issue throughout my life. Paetyn seems to be very well attached with all of the people present in the room on the day she was born. 

I believe that, because western society knows so much more about child development now than they did 40+ years ago, having a loving birthing experience is now being seem as a critical piece of helping start a child on a positive developmental journey. 

Childpsych. (n.d.). Changes in child psychology;John Bowlby. Retrieved from http://childpsych.umwblogs.org/attachment-theory/john-bowlby-2/