Doctor in the Netherlands: “We don’t see [birth] as a medical thing. It’s a natural thing and sometimes you need medical assistance.”
Woman with European accent: “In America, it’s not usual that you deliver at home?”
No, it’s not usual. In America most babies are born in hospitals (in Europe most babies are born at home) and we have one of the highest newborn death rates amongst developed countries. You do the math.
(And we’re not pregnant.) link via Elaine
hey carrie,
I totally hear you on the pregnancy/infant mortality rate in the US issue. One of my favorite books has an amazing chapter on that, which further opened my eyes: it’s called Reclaiming Our Health: Exploding the Medical Myth and Embracing the Sources of True Healing by John Robbins
I have friends who just had a baby and had a midwife guide them through the process, it was so natural and beautiful and the whole community felt involved in the baby’s growth. They have a beautiful baby boy now.
One of my client families had both their daughters at home and have beautiful moldings they made of the mother’s belly at the height of her pregnancy. One girl was born in each of their bathrooms! LOL They said that’s just how it turned out.
ENjoying the pix of your incredible CA weather – it’s sunny and windy today, making it cold but brisk!
AvIvA
Welcome to the movement Carrie and David! :-) Other interesting sites are http://www.cfmidwifery.org and http://www.inamay.com, from that site “It’s not just the making of babies, but the making of mothers that midwives see as the miracle of birth.”