Birthing Experience

The births that I have taken apart in, well, I have been in the waiting room.  One of the births that I was a part of was my brother in law.  I remember how stressful it was!  It was not stressful for the fact that there were complications with the birth, or that anything was going wrong, it was the fact that his girlfriend and him were not seeing eye to eye.  My brother in laws boss was allowed in the delivery room along with my brother in law, and that was it.  This is where it got stressful.  The girl friend had her parents waiting in the waiting room with the rest of us.  It just did not make sense as to why her boss would be in the delivery room, rather than her mother, or her mother to be.  Here is the thing to know about my mother in law; she is a very sweet person, and always worries about how you are, and what she can do to help.  So having her in a waiting room, where she cannot ask questions, or offer support or help, really hurt her feelings. 

This was a very stressful birth.  When we were all able to go in and see the new baby, things were not said, but you could feel the tensions.  No child should have to come into this world feeling that anxiety. 

In Brazil more than half of the women delivery their babies by c-section, if you have private health care the number goes up to eighty two percent.  Women in Brazil have not been allowed to have supportive family members in the delivery room with them, and most have been told that c-section is the way to go.  Women in Brazil have started marches to make sure that the government hears their cries.  They want to be able to choose how and where their children are born, and they want to have the final say in decision making.  Most doctors recommend c-section, because it is predictable and easier for them to control their wages for the day.  With a natural birth a doctor may make the same wages as doing a c-section, but a natural birth can take hours, unlike the 30 minutes for the alternative. 

But there are complications with c-section, and more mothers are making themselves aware of them.  The Perinatal Clinic in Rio de Janeiro offers services to make women more comfortable when in labor.  Through their clinic you can schedule massages, manicures, and beauticians to help make the memories more warm and loving.  After your child is born, you can arrange for catering services for when the whole family comes by to check on mother and baby.

The changes that Brazil is seeking for women is huge, women are fighting for their rights to be able to deliver their child on their terms.  This is a big difference between the United States and Brazil.  C-sections are rises in both countries, but the United States has not gotten to the point where they are requiring it for everyone.  The after care services that were offered in Brazil, would have been a nice luxury for when my niece was born.  Maybe it would have helped soften some of the tension in the air.

Barbassa, J. (2012, August 11). The Huffington Post. Retrieved from Brazil's Women rebel Against C-Sections: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/11/brazils-women-rebel-again_n_1767972.html