True confessions of a midwife
Chen explains that most doctors’ training leads them to regard the people who come under their care as “patients” whose “illness” requires their active intervention. “For me,” she says, “an important turning point in moving toward gentle birthing was learning to sit on my hands.”
Fish Yu’s second child was delivered by Chen Yu-ping. Yu has experienced both conventional and gentle birthing methods. Six years ago she gave birth to a daughter vaginally without an epidural, but like most mothers in Taiwan she was given an episiotomy. When she was pregnant with her second child she chose the gentle birthing method with the support of family members. “I was very proud to have my first child, but the surgical procedure left me feeling wounded emotionally,” Yu says. “When I gave birth to my second child, I had no wounds to recover from. I gave birth at 8 a.m. and by 2 p.m. I was on my way home. National Health Insurance covers three days for a vaginal delivery, but I didn’t even need it.”
“I was amazed, and immediately wanted to have another child,” Yu recalls excitedly.
Most mothers using gentle birthing discover that it creates a closer bond between the mother and child and even the rest of the family. “Gentle birthing requires the support of others because it is a matter for all the family,” says Grace Liao, who chose this method of birthing.
After all, the birth of a new family member concerns the whole family. What kind of birthing method should be chosen? What effects will it have on the mother and child? What preparations should be made beforehand? Of course the mother must take a keen interest in the preparations, but so too should the family members who will support her.
“Of course at the very least the husband should be there for birth,” says another mother, Candy Liang. She describes how during her labor her husband had to give her 30-minute pelvic massages with ten-minute intervals between them, to reduce the pain of her contractions. “He said that even he lost weight during the birth!”
“I was really happy that I chose that birthing method. It was a beautiful experience and made our family closer,” Liang says. “Being involved in the delivery also helps the husband prepare for his future role as a father, so that it’s not the mother going through labor alone and the father realizing he’s a father only after the birth is over and he’s given the child to hold.”
Rita Wu’s husband, Aki Yu, hails from Hong Kong, where the couple live. He had to stay behind when she came back to Taiwan during her pregnancy, and so had to rely on online materials to prepare for the delivery, before coming to Taiwan to be present at the birth. “My daughter was born in the amniotic sac. Most doctors would break the sac to facilitate the birth,” says Wu. “I’ve even heard that in Ireland being born in the caul is an auspicious sign!”
Because there is little use of medications in this birthing method, the child emerges alert and healthy and the mother recovers quickly. Thus mother and child can share a recovery room, where the mother can breastfeed and look after her newborn.
Chen Yu-ping likes to compare giving birth to scaling a mountain. “It’s like reaching the top of Yushan,” she says. “You could choose to be carried up by others, but if you climb it yourself the feeling will be entirely different.” These unique, profound moments in life bring a family closer together and prepare them to welcome the future.
Choosing the gentle birthing method puts the onus on mothers, so they usually seek out prenatal classes to ensure they are fully prepared. (courtesy of Moni’s Classroom)