The second part of this week’s assignment was to research birthing practices in other countries. While searching on Google, I found some interesting information on the birthing experience in the Netherlands. The women there are spoiled compared to pregnant women here in the United States, in my opinion.
Before I walk you through a birthing experience, I thought I would share that everyone living there has health insurance because it is MANDATORY. That by itself is fascinating.
Ok, there are some differences between the birthing process here in America versus the Netherlands. A notable one is the fact that certified midwives guide almost all pregnancies. An obstetrician is only called if there is a problem during the pregnancy or delivery. The midwife performs all checkups and provides you with information on the delivery. Prenatal tests are only given if the mother has a health risk. An ultrasound is part of the basic health insurance package and is done at 20 weeks.
Along with a midwife, each mother-to-be has a doula. The doula is an experienced, non-medical assistant who provides physical, emotional, and informed choice support in prenatal care and childbirth. I read somewhere that after the child is born, mother and baby are allowed to return home (if there were no complications) and then the maternity home care begins. I’m not sure if this is the same as a doula, but this person comes into your home and takes care of you and your newborn baby. She also cleans your home, does the cooking, takes care of your other children, and gives you parenting lessons. She sounds like a God send! Her services are all covered by your insurance!
Majority of births in the Netherlands take place in the home, without anesthesiology, and are supervised by the midwife. A mother is only sent to the hospital if there are complications with the delivery.
With majority of the births taking place in the home, it was interesting to find out that their infant mortality rate is lower than here in the United States. We are supposed to be a country that is more advanced than everyone, yet our infant mortality rate is high. Why is that? What are we doing wrong or not doing? I had a discussion with my Granny about this topic because I was just shocked. How come other countries are able to provide healthcare to all of their citizens? Why are pregnant women in other countries treated like princesses (for lack of a better word), but here it has a negative view? These are just some thoughts I had.
If you want to read the full story of the Dutch woman, check out this site:
For some other information, visit these sites:
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0241.asp (scroll down to the section titled “Birth Rituals”…very interesting stuff)
