Modern women come into the birth scene with many disadvantages. Unlike indigenous women, modern women were not given special foods during childhood to encourage the full bone growth and development needed for a healthy birth. In indigenous cultures birth was many times apart of the educational process of girls (at the appropriate age). Even still, an extremely high percentage of modern women are still capable of having safe and natural births. The difficulty is only in women who have been miseducated away from their own primal mothering instincts. Many women refuse to allow themselves the opportunity for a safe and natural birth. And there is the conflict between modern medical births, and traditional midwife assisted births. Women who go through the medical model and aim to have their child with a doctor, will find it challenging to be supported in having a natural birth. This is because the medical model is designed to make a profit and push drugs and surgery. Which contrary to the assumptions, makes birth more difficult. A relaxed and peaceful environment is what most mom’s need to be healthy. For a majority of women, choosing the midwifery care model is the only way to ensure for a safer and more natural birth. Unfortunately even many midwives have turned their births into medical births be means of bringing in modern technology into the pregnancy and birth process. There are times when cesareans and modern technology is needed. But in general it is overly used, and wrongly used.
Dr. Kathleen Vaughn, who studied the births of women in rural India, concluded two addition keys for a successful and safe childbirth:
- flexible joints;
- and natural position for birth (for example, squatting)
Dr. Vaugh wrote: “In practically all countries a restricted sedentary indoor life greatly increases the complications associated with childbirth.” In other words, if you want to have a healthy child, you need to move your body every day. Birth can be an active and dynamic process of releasing and letting go.
A program for creating a safe birth is described in the book, “Healing Our Children.”
Here are some key points:
- Prepare the physical body with good nutrition for birth like indigenous women did
- Create a safe and comfortable physical space to have the child
- Stay active