The first and only birth that I experienced was of my best friend with her second child. My best friend was only 24 years old and she had one little boy already with her ex-husband and he had just recently been diagnosed with autism. She was having a difficult time dealing with this part of her life. She then was faced with another challenge in her life, she was pregnant by a man who wanted nothing to do with the child. This would be hard on any mother to be. She felt alone and had no support.
So, when she asked me to be with her during the birth of her son, I said, "yes" because she needed all the support she could get.
I remember that we were in a small room and her mom, cousin, and me were the only ones with her that day. It seemed like she laid there forever before it was time to welcome her son into the world. The nurse practitioner and her nurse came in and in a blink of an eye there was this beautiful little boy.
I know it was hard for my friend to be pregnant and the father not wanting to be part of its life. She is a single mother of two little boys and I believe the love and support she received from her family and friends helped he relax some and realize she wasn't in this alone. I think it is important for the mother to be calm and relaxed during pregnancy and take care of herself because I believe a mothers' stress, attitude, support, plus, the lack of taking care of herself impacts the baby and its development.
Spain:
Giving birth in Spain is far different from what happens here in the US and what I experienced with my friend. The patients there really don't have say in their care and the birthing process. They are expected to do what they are told to do by the doctor and that is it. Also, patients don't have their own personal doctors to see them through the whole pregnancy. They see whoever is on duty that day or night.
In Spain for preparation for the birth, health care workers administer an enema and some still require shaving.
Fathers are also just now becoming more involved in the birth and being allowed in the room for the birth of their child.
Spain is far different from the births here in the US. Here the women have the right to choose their own doctor and have them available for their care during the pregnancy and the delivery.The women are allowed to have their own opinion of what type of pain relief they receive and type of epidural, in Spain you have to follow their protocol and it is they doctors way or no way. Also, in the US we have the choice to have the father present or whoever else we would like to be there with us during the delivery. The only similarity that I see is the love and support that the women receive from their loved ones.
Reference:
What to expect from giving birth in Andalucia. Retrieved October 4, 2010 from
http:// www.andalucia.com/living/birthprocedures.htm
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