Marie and Maureen have birthing pools and liners available for use at home or hospital. This video gives instructions on how to inflate/deflate pool, a job we leave for the partner or support person :-)
For more information just phone us on 027 472 0077 or 0800 the midwife
"Low risk birth, in which the mother takes responsibility during the pregnancy to eat right and exercise, in which the baby is head down and delivers after 37 weeks, is pretty much a sure thing at homebirth unless the fetus has congenital malformations incompatible with life, or the provider breaks the water causing a cord prolapse. Head down full term babies that survived 9 months of pregnancy, dont suddenly die as they come out. The studies that find homebirth to have 3 (Wax) or 10 times (Grunebaum) more perinatal death than hospital birth are lying. They never provide any hypothesis or theory for why homebirth would be more dangerous because it isn’t."
I love reading about the history of midwifery and the role of the midwife in caring for the woman. This article will appeal to midwives and students alike and those who are interested in the history of midwifery.
Giving birth in the twenty-first century remains potentially hazardous. For Roman women it could be positively deadly. According to Suzanne Dixon, the mortality rates during childbirth slashed young women’s life expectancy compared to their male contemporaries, with female prospects of longevity only increased once they left their fertile years behind them.
Evidence from tombstones confirms this view, with female mortality greatest between ages 15-29, as in the case of Rusticeia Matrona of Mauretania whose husband dedicated the following inscription:
‘Sacred to the gods of the dead. Rusticeia Matrona lived 25 years. The cause of my death was childbirth and a malignant fate.’ (Inscription from Ain Kebira, cited in Leftkowitz and Fant)
As a result, expectant Roman mothers did everything they could to ensure their deliveries were safe. This ranged from petitioning the gods to more practical ways of ensuring a safe birth for both mother and child.
Roman Gods of Childbirth
Romans summoned a variety of gods to attend upon and aid at births, according to Tertullian. The obscure Diespiter rather vaguely helped as the ‘child accomplishes its birth’ while the goddess Postverta had a more definite role. Tertullian described her as the goddess of breech births. In contrast, Ovid and ancient religion expert George Dumezil both believe Postverta was actually a fate overseeing the new human life.
Di Nixi, or Nixae, served as the central Roman birth deities.Chief among them was Lucina, an aspect of the goddess Juno who brought the ‘child to the birth and light of day,’ according to Tertullian. ‘Thanks to you, Lucina!’ praised the poet Ovid in his Fasti. ‘You are named from lucus, ‘grove,’/ Or because you begin life’s lux, its light./ Show Mercy, I ask, kind Lucina, to pregnant girls,/ And gently extract the womb’s ripe burden.’
Women called upon Lucina to aid an easy birth. One of the customs surrounding this goddess was for everything from clothing to the unbinding of hair, as Romans believed knots would inhibit the passage of the child. Even a crossed leg or interlocked finger could dangerously delay a birth. This custom applied not only to the labouring mother but any attendants around her.
Likewise, Dumezil notes that no one entering the temple of Juno Lucina on the Esquiline Hill could have a knot in his or her clothing. It was customary for new parents to visit this sacred spot after a successful birth to deposit a coin into the temple treasury representing the new child.
Juno Lucina was the goddess Juno in her birth goddess guise. In archaic times, Romans believed her favor was essential during childbirth.
Choosing a Midwife
Doctors such as Soranus may have written about the theories of gynecology. But it was female midwives who attended the birth, supported the mother and ultimately brought a child into the world.
We have no records of birthing techniques written by Roman midwives but Soranus gives us a glimpse into the qualities of the best of them. Ironically, despite the lack of written evidence from their point of view, the doctor believed that a competent midwife was able to read in order to ‘comprehend the art through theory too.’
Soranus’s ideal midwife was sober, discreet and motivated by professional pride rather than financial gain. And despite the plethora of comforting birthing deities available, Soranus also stipulated a midwife should not be reliant on ‘superstition.’ Hygiene was essential and midwives needed ‘[l]ong and slim fingers with short nails,’ in order to touch ‘deep-lying inflammation without causing too much pain.’
Giving Birth the Roman Way
Soranus recommended a total of three midwives attend a birthing mother: one in charge and two to assist. Essential equipment for the birthing room included: ‘oil for injections and cleansing, hot water…. hot compresses to relieve the labor pains, sponges for sponging off, wool for covering the woman’s body and bandages to swaddle the baby in, a pillow so that the infant may be placed on it below the mother until the afterbirth has been taken away.’
Herbs were also a stock item during childbirth. Donald Todman records how laboring mothers could be offered a less than appetizing drink consisting of powered sows dung to help manage their labor pains. Soranus’s recommendations were altogether more pleasant and he prescribed: ‘scents such as pennyroyal, sparganium, barley groats and quince and if in season citron or melon….for the recovery of strength.‘
The birthing room was also equipped with two beds. They were not for the delivery. One, a hard couch, was for lying down between labor pains. The other, made up with soft coverings, was for recovery after the birth. The actual process of birth took place on a birthing stool equipped with a bar at the front for the mother to grip and a crescent-shaped hole cut in the seat to allow the baby to pass through as it was born.
During the process of birth, the main midwife crouched down in front of the mother to supervise the birth while the two assistants stood behind her, supporting her and massaging the belly downwards as necessary to help ease the passage of the child. From this position, the chief midwife would ease or manipulate the child into the world.
Birthing stools were commonly used across the ancient world. Image by Ad Meskens.
After the Birth
Just as they are today, no visible deformities and a strong pair of lungs were the most obvious signs that a child was fit and healthy. But whereas modern babies receive baths of water or in some cases just get gently wiped down, Soranus recommended cleaning the newborn in salt and honey and bathing its eyes in olive oil to strengthen its eyesight!
Despite limited medical knowledge, the Romans recognized the importance of removing the placenta from the body. Soranus observed how a retained placenta ‘produces pain in the head and lower abdomen and convulsions or suffocation.’ If the placenta did not evacuate itself naturally, it was for the midwife to remove it by inserting her hand and gently manipulate it out before the uterus closed.
Even with such care, dangerous postnatal complications could occur. But given the times, the Roman mother had a good chance of surviving childbirth.
Pregnancy and Childbirth Remained Dangerous in Ancient Rome
In spite of the Romans’ attention to careful preparation and following rituals, childbirth remained dangerous. Both mother and child could suffer, but midwives worked hard to reduce the risk.
Resources
Dixon, S. The Roman Mother. (1988) Oklahoma University Press: Norman, Oklahoma.
Dumezil, G. Archaic Roman Religion, Volumes 1 and 2. (1996) John Hopkins University Press: Baltimore and London.
Leftkowitz, M R and Fant, M B. Women’s Life in Greece and Rome. (1995). Duckworth: London.
Ovid, translated by A J Boyle and R D Woodard. Fasti. Penguin Books: London.
Ovid, translated by D Raeburn and D Feeney. Metamorphosis. Penguin Books: London.
Translated by Owsei Temkin. Soranus, Gynecology. (1991). The John Hopkins University Press: Baltimore and London.
Tertullian, translated by Q. Howe. Ad Nationes 1. (2007). Faulkner University. Accessed November 22, 2013.
Donald Todman. Childbirth in ancient Rome: from tradition folklore to obstetrics. (2007). Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Gentle walking and swimming are two great exercises you can do in pregnancy.
"Half the women were assigned to attend three 50-minute sessions a week of aquarobics during their pregnancy, while the other half acted as a control group.
"We found no statistically significant differences in the duration of labor or they type of delivery between the two groups," study author Rosa Pereira, of the University of Campinas in Sao Paulo, said in a news release. "However, only 27% of women in the aquarobics group requested analgesia, compared to 65% in the control group. This represents a 58% reduction in requests."
There's some debate about the wisdom of women exercising during pregnancy. The main concern is that exercise may interfere with fetal/placental demands and compromise fetal development or growth or increase the risk of abnormalities. Pereira and colleagues concluded that aquarobics had no harmful effect on the cardiovascular health of pregnant women and also confirmed the well-being of infants born to the mothers who did aquarobics.
"We've shown that the regular practice of moderate water aerobics during pregnancy is not detrimental to the health of the mother or the child. In fact, the reduction in analgesia requests suggests that it can get women into better psycho-physical condition," Pereira said."
As health professionals you have heard this said many times and for good reasons, not just for your health but also for the health of your unborn baby. The evidence is overwhelming regarding the effects that that puff on that cigarette has on baby and we are here to help you. "If your health isn’t enough to encourage you quit smoking, then the health of your baby should be. Smoking while pregnant increases the possibility of stillbirth, miscarriage and low birth weight – especially in teens and young adults.
Teens and young women have the highest reported smoking prevalence, and it’s only getting worse. The problem is kids experiment with tobacco and it often turns into a lifelong habit. Nearly 90 per cent of adults say they started smoking by the age of 18.
This is a reflection of aggressive tobacco industry marketing to girls. Tobacco companies advertise in magazines, market their brands through direct mail and adverts, promote their products in convenience stores and coerce youth through Internet websites and social media sites.
They fail to mention that tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and at least 60 cancer-causing compounds. Two compounds are especially hazardous to a mother and child: highly addictive nicotine and carbon monoxide.
Pregnant women often have intensified desires for cigarettes due to increases in their metabolism. The addictive effect is very strong and often proves extra difficult to cut cravings.
However, according to a new study, a brisk walk has been shown to temporarily reduce the effects of nicotine. Exercise was known to interrupt nicotine cravings for men and women, but it was still unclear for expecting young mothers.
“This was the first time we have been able to replicate the findings with pregnant smokers,” said Harry Prapavessis, director of the Exercise and Health Psychology Laboratory at Western University in Ontario, who led the research."
Please see your Midwife because we can give you the support to help you and your famly/whanau quit smoking and also refer you to a smoking cessation counsellor.
Wow, whatever next? I would not recommend it at all!
"Award for worst baby equipment of the year must go to US Fisher Price for their "Newborn-to-toddler Apptivity Seat for iPad device". This will allow your newborn (yes newborn – yesterday he was in the womb today he is on the iPad) to experience iPad learning from birth.
This nifty little item combines the holding device of a baby seat with the screen technology of an iPad. It comes less than a week after occupational therapist Lindsay Marzoli warned that excessive screen time for toddlers could cause children long-term damage. This is because when they are using touch screens, they are not building up the muscles needed for writing. In fact the guidelines from the American Academy of Paediatrics state children should not be allowed more than two hours screen time a day. By children they mean over twos: the guideline for under twos is that they should have no screen time at all."
It is important for you to eat healthily during pregnancy, it is a myth that you should eat for two. The following is excellent nutritional advice in pregnancy and where to obtain enough vitamins and minerals for you and your developing baby. Please speak to your midwife about healthy eating. "Dark Green & Leafy Vegetables These are truly nature’s fast foods, as they cook quickly—and many can even be eaten raw. They are the perfect pregnancy food, full of vital nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, trace minerals, folic acid, and vitamin K. They are also great sources of antioxidants and carotenes.
Add more of the following to your diet: kale, watercress, beet greens, bok choy, Chinese (Napa) cabbage, collard greens, dandelion greens, endive, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and turnip greens.
Yellow and Orange Vegetables Rich in carotenes, yellow and orange veggies contain potent antioxidants, boost immune function, aid the growth and repair of tissue, reduce ultraviolet damage to skin, and support eye and skin health.
Good choices include carrots, yams, pumpkin, squash, and sweet potatoes.
Broccoli and Cabbage Family High intake of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage is important for immune function. These veggies are high in indols and carotenoids, which have been proven to possess anticancer properties. Broccoli is also a great source of calcium, vitamin C, potassium, and iron. Some mothers need to avoid this vegetable group in the first three months of nursing.
Other members of the cruciferous family: brussel sprouts, kale, bok choy, collards, turnips, mustard greens, kohlrabi, and watercress.
Dark Pigmented Berries High in antioxidants and rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and flavonoids known as anthocyanins, berries boost the immune system and reduce free-radical damage and inflammation. They help with collagen formation, eyesight, and circulation. Oxidative damage (from free radicals) has been linked to gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, so eating a diet high in antioxidants makes sense. Also, berries in combination with fermented milk products like yogurt have been shown to reduce the incidence of urinary tract infections that can cause kidney infections and premature rupture of membranes during pregnancy.
Food sources include rosehips, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, and strawberries.
Nuts and Seeds Nuts and seeds are high in essential fatty acids, vitamin E, and concentrated protein. Essential fatty acids found in nuts and seeds help influence cellular strength, balance hormones, protect nerves, and reduce inflammation. They are also concentrated sources of vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Consume raw or as cold pressed, unrefined vegetable oils.
Cashews, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and sesame seeds are good choices.
Plain, Organic Yogurt with Live Cultures This fermented food enhances digestion and is a great source of complete protein, calcium, B12, potassium, and zinc. Both prebiotics (food for probiotics that aids in absorption of calcium), and probiotics (beneficial organisms for the digestive tract) are important. Probiotics have demonstrated the ability to enhance the immune system and aid in detoxification. Probiotics compete with yeast and “bad” bacteria to prevent urinary tract infections and yeast infections that can be more prevalent during pregnancy. "
