I would love to share the story of the birth of my own son, Derrick. While reading Chapter 4 in the Berger text, I began to compare my birth with some known facts and I began to compare my Western Culture birth to that of women in Guinea-Bissau which is located in Western Africa.
I gave birth to my son on December 16, 2009. The birth of our first child was very exciting for my husband and I. We did all the things assumed to prepare for the forthcoming of our son: getting the nursery ready, attending numerous prenatal appointments, shopping for wants and needs, creating a birth plan and attending a birthing class at our designated hospital. December 16, I went to work, as usual and felt better than normal. My husband and I worked together at the same school teaching in the same grade. My co-workers commented that I was going to deliver soon, because of my skin discoloration, and swelling. That evening, I decided to accompany my husband to church and we proceeded to run many errands before choir rehearsal started (i.e. getting the infant car seat assembled in the car, stopping to eat dinner and picking up my in-laws so they could attend rehearsal also). While eating dinner with my in-laws and my husband, I began to feel some excruciating pains in my pelvic area. THIS WAS IT!!! My contractions had begun and were just about 10 min apart. Soon, dinner came to an end and we headed to the hospital, per my mother-in-laws advice (I thought I had enough time to go home, grab my bags and take a shower, since pre-labor is expected to be pretty lengthy). Well, thank God for my mother- in-law because I got to the hospital and I learned that I was dilated to a 5 and was in active labor. It was shift change time, so I saw many nurses and begged them all for drugs...LOL I received a 'local anesthesia', an I.V. and a birthing room. I rested for a while and then I received an Epidural, 2 hours later, it was time to push. I delivered my son in 5 hours and he weighed 5 lbs, 8 oz. BUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM!!! While progressing through the birth canal my son swallowed some of my waste and developed 'bacterial pnemonia'. My husband and I were devastated that our son would have to be admitted to the NICU and stay for a week to receive necessary anti-biotics that would cure his pneumonia. Nevertheless, prayer works and we owe it all to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that our son got better during that week and was able to go home, with a 'clean bill of health'!!
The women in Guinea-Bissau would probably have a different birth story. While reading the chapter, "Burdens of Birth" from the book Tired of Weeping: Mother Love, Child Death, and Poverty in Guinea-Bissau, I learned that pain during childbirth was considered a "woman's right" (Einarsdottir, 2008). If I were to give birth in Guinea-Bissau, I would probably be considered 'less than a woman' to give birth, receiving pain medication. Birth here, is assumed to be an 'appointed priveledge'. Although, the Western culture may scrutinize the 'pain management' side of birth, but they must agree with the bond and attachment that is fostered between a mother and child in this culture. The "sensitive period" (Einarsdottir, 2008) allows fathers and mothers crucial time to form an emotional bond with their baby. The power of a woman in the Guinea culture is also determined by her children and how many children she has! I can appreciate the Guinea-Bissau culture for birthing and I feel that though there are some discrepancies the love between mothers and their children is priceless.
Berger, K.S.(2009).
The Developing Person: Through Childhood. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Einarsdóttir, J. (2008).
Tired of Weeping : Mother Love, Child Death, and Poverty in Guinea-Bissau. Retrieved from: http://library.waldenu.edu/.
