At last: Making a change, promoting normal birth.

The momentum seems to be building to raise public awareness about the dangers of ever increasing intervention in childbirth.
In new Zealand we have the Maternity Manifesto. This initiative is raising public awareness in New Zealand and lobbying government to:
◦Become informed about the impact of maternity services on the welfare of women, their babies, whanau and our communities
◦Set a comprehensive definition for ‘normal birth’ consistent with international standards
◦Develop an accessible, practical NZ campaign to increase the understanding of ‘Normal Birth’ and how this can best be facilitated
◦Publicly acknowledge positive maternity care outcomes.

And now, on the 1st of September, a new project is about to be launched raising awareness and initiating change around the world. Here is the video which launches this project. Lets get behind these initiatives and start to make a difference. The time is right! For all the women children and families we work with we need to get behind these initiatives and do what we can to raise awareness and support normal birth.

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Two very different birth videos

In this post I want to highlight the very different experiences women can have with what might be called a 'normal vaginal birth'.

In this first video a young woman gives birth to her child in water. In contrast to the video posted on my friend Sarah's blog, this baby is taken from the water quite quickly. I wonder if, given a little more time, the mother might have reached down and picked up the baby herself. Obviously all the labour has gone before this and this is just the birth of the baby. It appears a relaxed and loving birth experience. Both mother and child seem to take a moment or two to realise what has just happened.



In this second video a young woman is giving birth in a hospital. We do not see the whole birth. She is fully draped in sterile drapes, with many gowned and masked health professionals and others buzzing around. The doctor at the foot of the bed is ready to catch the baby. He does not seem to be using any instruments so it would seem safe to assume that this is a 'normal vaginal birth'. A friend or family member is taking this video. The language used is Spanish I think, but the body language clearly indicates that the doctor is not pleased to be videoed. I wonder why? The doctor does not seem to engage with the woman at all. His focus is entirely on the woman's vulva. A shame we do not see the rest of this video.


I welcome your thoughts on the contrast between these two birth experiences. All over the world, and I think New Zealand is no exception to this, women can experience birth in the way these two young women do, and many variations in between.

How might these different birth experiences affect women as they start on their journey of motherhood?

VBAC homebirth

This is a wonderful story of a woman who had two previous hospital births resulting in caesarean birth who chose to birth at home for her third child. She tells her story very eloquently in this video. She understands that she needed to be upright and mobile and to have faith in her own bodies ability and in the care and support of her midwife. This is the story of her personal journey.

If you are considering a VBAC it is important that you understand why you needed a caesarean previously. You need to be well informed of the risks of all your birth options before you decide what is best for you and your baby. You might need to talk to more than one care giver before you can truly make an informed decision. Check out the Childbirth Connections information about the risks associated with various birth options.