by afampov · March 2, 2021
In a birthing room in India, as my colleague once told me, sometimes it’s hard to tell who the midwife is. Young and old women surround the pregnant person – one bringing her teas, another arranging and cleaning the area, another nursing the laboring woman’s own 1-year-old infant, and others sitting in the corner praying. All of these women – mother, sisters, aunties, neighbors, and, of course, the local midwife – are like a skilled staff, trained by years of exposure to and experience with birth.
Most of us today, in contrast, have little or no knowledge and maybe a fear of supporting another in labor. We don’t know anything about herbal remedies, acupressure points, massage, breathing techniques, and many other comfort measures.