- Read Chapter 4
- Reflect on:
Childbirth has changed over the years and continues to change. Many of the birthing practices reflect cultural and religious beliefs. Birth in the early years was a struggle with death for both mother and baby. As time went on and the understanding of the birthing process has become more understood and the survival rate is high (only 15 deaths out of 100,000 live births). The birth process has also been broken down into three stages. These stages include 1) the dilation of the cervix which can last several hours (typically 12-14 hours) and is the longest of the three stages. Stage 2 is the descent and emergence of the baby and typically lasts 1-2 hours. During this stage, the baby positions its head down through the cervix and into the vaginal canal and ends completely when the baby emerges completely from the mother. Stage 3 is when the placenta is expelled where the placental and the rest of the umbilical cord are expelled from the body. Each of these stages provides a different experience for each woman. I had three children and each birth was a totally different experience. Child one took about 24 hours to deliver and she got stuck in my vaginal canal because she was delivered sunny side up meaning her face was down to the ground when she came out and normally the child comes out face up. For my second child the labor and delivery only lasted about 4 hours and was easy especially compared to the first birth. The third child I had was birthed with an emergency C-section. The emergency C-section was needed because he positioned himself during stage two with his butt in the vaginal canal and wanted to come out folded in half so the Dr. had to do a C-section for the safety of both me and the baby. It was amazing to me how different each of my three births were.
Now reflect back on an experience you have had welcoming a newborn into the world. If you had the baby personally describe your birthing experience, if you haven’t personally birthed a baby ask a friend, your mom, or a relative about their experience. Submit a written reflection on the experience, reference your reading in comparison to your experience. (1-2 pages)
