I am totally fascinated by the birthing process and I look forward to the chance that I get to experience it first hand. It truly is one of the most fascinating things in the world. But while I am intrigued by the birthing process, even when given my own opportunity I don’t want to see one. Lots of blood makes me weak. People tell me that it will be different when I have my own, but as of right now, I don’t even think I can look at my child when they first come out of the womb. I have been invited to share the experience with several friends, but I declined and showed my support from the waiting room. My mother tells me that my birthing experience was a very long one. She says that I was just as stubborn in the womb as I am now. Thirty-something hours, as she recalls it, of pain and failed epidurals lead to the final decision of making me an only child. She refers to the last minutes as one of the most relieving feelings. Once my head made it out my mother says the rest was smooth sailing. I asked her if she had the same reservations as I do, with my fear of blood, but she tells me that it was so great to see this baby that had been growing in her stomach for the last 10 months that it just did not matter. Her heart was filled with joy and could not believe that something so small came out of her. It was great to hear her tell me this story. She had never shared her feelings about my birth with me before. I cannot wait to have this experience and share these same feelings with a child of my own.
My lovely mother and I:
My parents are Jamaican so I wanted to look up how birthing is different there, versus in the U.S. Jamaicans recently started going to the hospital to give birth. For years birthing has taken place in the home with the assistance of a midwife and or a nana. Now as they prepare for birthing in Jamaica, it is mandatory that an open bible is displayed in the room. Mom’s belly will be anointed with caster oil. Upon arrival the babies naval is dressed with nutmeg, smoke is blown into the child’s eyes, and the nana washes her face with rum, and sometimes takes a drink. Drinking the rum is to help fix her eyes. After seeing childbirth, it is believed that your eyes are affected. Mom and baby are isolated for eight days and nana takes over the house until mom is back on her feet. I asked some of the women in my family if they followed these traditions even though they gave birth in the states. For the most part my family members have been very consistent and share the traditions with the younger generation as they get pregnant. (My aunt was rather frustrated that I learned all of this via the internet and the family didn’t have the chance to tell me). I gained a lot from this experience. I got even more excited about my chance to have a child. I am excited about allowing my family to teach me more Jamaican traditions.
References:
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/pages/history/story0079.html
I was very excited about the birthing experience of your mother; all she endured and how happy she was that you came into the World. I was in the waiting room when my oldest son's girlfriend gave birth to their third son. My children all have Jamaican and Haitian ancestors and it is very interesting how Jamaican women give birth.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed your post I found it all to be fasinating. Having had complication with my second child is the reason we didn't have more children. My family also have belief and ritual about childbirth that has been carried down from generation and we are from Southern United States.
ReplyDeleteYour Mom is a strong women to endure labor for 30 hours. I do not think that I could have done that. Your Mom is right about smooth sailing once the head comes out, the baby seems to just slide right out after that. Although I know there are many cases of babies shoulders getting caught and the Dr. has to reach in and help the baby get out. I found your finding on the traditions on child birth in Jamaica interesting especially the part about washing the babies face with rum to fix the eyes. I keep thinking that this might sting the babies face.
ReplyDeleteMonique that is so fascinating how birthing is done in Jamaica. Dressing the naval cord with nutmeg, I thought nutmeg was only for cooking, you learned something new everyday. What does the nutmeg do? I would think to help dry the umbilical cord up faster. And I thinks so too that the Rum would burn the babies face, because their skin is so delicate. This is very fascinating to learn about these tradition in Jamaica.
ReplyDeleteMonique your mother's birthing experience was very similar to mine. It was long and hard, but well worth it. The Jamaican traditons were very interesting. I wonder why the smoke was blown in the baby's eyes. I did not have a nana to take over, but I did have a grandmother that took over until I was ready to return to normal duty. In addition, my grandmother felt like I had to be in seclusion for six weeks. I thought I was going to loose my mind.
ReplyDeleteThe birthing procedures for the Jamaican culture seems a little different from the American culture. My birthing experience with my first child was a scary one for me, because I was young. I now have three children and my two youngest childrens father is Jamaican. Based on all that I have learned about the Jamaican culture, I feel that their child birth experience was a relaxing and spiritual one. I would have loved to give birth like your mother gave birth to you. Thank you for sharing your story and I have learned more about the Jamaican culture, because I constantly research information so I can teach my children about their fathers culture.
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