In imagining birth, and searching for stealable images of what I have not yet done myself (and don't imagine I will be taking pictures of, and certainly not posting!) I sought squatting and traditional birthing positions. This controverial statue from 2005, you may have already seen. It was actually one of the best depictions of what I am reading the midwifes propose for birthing positions, and delightfully went along with this comment summing up the general response to it:
"WTF? Who has a baby on all fours??? I'm sorry this is just fucking ridiculous. A bear-skinned rug, a nude Britney-looking girl, clay, pro-life??? What about the fuckin bear!! I can read into art just fine, and how this represents pro-life or anything is beyond me. Worthless."
:-) To continue...
When it comes to this whole back and forth that I have done half-heartedly about whether or not to return to Tanzania, and when,
What I really am putting off here is visualizing where to birth.
When I picture myself giving birth,
I have pictured myself rolling around on the birthing ball, walking around, and ultimately, squatting down as I hold onto some cloth ropes that have been hung from the ceiling. Or a tree ☺ At first, I though I would just hold onto one, but as I further envisioned it, I realized that with two loops of the sheets, I can sling my arms through to help relax, and even loop my body or legs through.
So when I went to Pomona Hospital on the maternity tour, (the one where I had to stop myself from asking any more questions, in order to get out of that painfully quiet and boring tour, and to stop looking like the annoying question asking hippie) I noticed that there were no beams on the ceiling, and no realistic place to attach a rope. When I asked if we could have the baby NOT on the bed, NOT lying down, she said yes, but seemed annoyed and didn’t offer any alternatives, or anecdotes.
I know my jerry rigged birthing fantasies sound crazy, but sheesh. So does an institutionalized supine position that has been proven over and over to be more painful and less helpful in the opening up process of the cervix.
