The Nature of my World

“Peace on Earth begins with Birth”.  Those were the words on the midwife’s T-shirt when she came to check on my wife the day her water broke.  Those 6 words summed up a journey through pregnancy that began months before.

It all began when we realized what kind of entrance into the world our baby would have if she was born in a hospital.  She would leave a warm womb of soft gushing sound and low light and be pushed – and probably pulled – into a harsh world of bright lights, strange voices, beeps, buzzes and schedules.

I wanted something different for my baby and for my wife.  I didn’t want to watch my wife labor in a room with frequent interuptions and unfamiliar people.  After all, you never know who will deliver the baby in a hospital or who happens to be the nurse that day.  They may or may not agree with how you want to give birth.

All of these things equal stress.  Stress on the mom is automatically stressing on the baby since they are chemically entwined through pregnancy and labor.

We ended up having the baby at home.  Picture a room lit by candles with soft music playing in the background.  The midwife sits quietly off to the side.  Her job is not to interfere with the natural process of labor, but to observe and make sure things are going smoothly.  She occasionally checks the fetal heartbeat and offers words of encouragement, but mostly lets the process unfold.

My wife labored in a pool of warm water, allowing the buoyancy and warmth to soothe her.  She labored in the position most comfortable to her, in this case on her hands and knees.  I held my wife’s hands through the whole experience, offering my support and love. 

Our baby was born underwater by the light of candles and a flashlight.  She let out one quick cry, then settled on her mother’s breast and began to coo.

Peace on earth begins with birth.  Compare that experience with that of a baby who is dragged out of the womb through an incision, or is pulled out and then taken away from the only voices he knows and into a room of strangers who poke and prod, strangers that even the parents don’t know. 

Is it possible that the first hours of a babies life sets a tone for how that life will go?  If so, what tone are we setting with the birth of our children? 

In many cases, it is a feeling of harshness, separation, anxiety and discomfort.  Is it any wonder that so many children have so many problems? 

Birth is not and should not be a traumatic, scarring event, either for the parents or the baby.  It is possible to bring a baby into the world in a gentle, peaceful way for most women.  (There are, of course, women with medical issues that cause problems that need special treatment.) 

Peace on Earth begins with Birth.  It is possible to create a peaceful birth for your family and your baby . . . and everyone who does so makes the world a slightly better place.

Peace.