By Asatu Musunama Hall, Midwife and Health Educator
I remember being pregnant in 2008 and stressing out about the sex of my child. In my heart I wanted a little girl to carry on my maternal legacy but when asked “so what if it is a boy?” I remember experiencing anxiety which had nothing to do with my fear about giving birth. My anxiety was about having a Black son in a city, state, and a country where young Black boys and young men are murdered and disproportionately arrested and imprisoned. As a midwife and birthworker, I knew the statistics about health disparities for Black mothers which meant that I as a Black mother along with indigenous mothers was 3-4 times more likely than a white woman to die during pregnancy, labor, or within the first year of birth due to preventable causes.
It took great effort on my part to rid myself of emotional trauma, eliminate anxiety so that I could birth without fear, and bring my son into the world without violence.
I can imagine that many pregnant mothers during this time of Covid-19, police brutality, violence, and revolution are experiencing a number of emotions including apprehension, fear, confusion, grief, and anxiety which is completely understandable given our current situation. However, fear hinders the birth process. During the birthing process, fear causes the body to produce adrenaline and forces much-needed oxygen away from the uterus; increasing the experience of pain whereas feeling nurtured, supported, and safe allows women to produce sufficient oxytocin to help the labor progress naturally and with greater ease.
In his 1975 book, Birth Without Violence French obstetrician Frederick Leboyer helped raise consciousness about the violent and fear-producing environment in the hospital during birth. He promoted a gentler and more sensitive birthing environment for delivery which, like the midwifery model of care, encourages gentle lighting, immediate placement of the baby on the mother’s stomach after birth, delayed cutting of the umbilical cord, infant massage and a warm bath to re-create the womb-like environment.
Even though the outside world is filled with turmoil, extreme change, and even violence, the most important work (emotionally, physically and spiritually) for expecting mothers to do right now is to focus on taking care of herself and the child she that is carrying, keeping her environment positive, healthy and peaceful and lastly focus on giving birth to a healthy child in the least violent manner possible.
Here are a few suggestions to support A Birth without Fear and A Birth without Violence during the Covid-19 pandemic and our emerging revolution.
- Consider switching from the “fear-based” medical hospital system to a midwifery model of care with a midwife
- Hire a Doula
- Work with a mental health therapist before birth to deal with past trauma, current fears, and anxiety
- Ground yourself in your spiritual practice if you have one
- Create positive affirmations and post them everywhere
- Limit your exposure to social media and the news until after birth
- Fill your mind with positive images of ecstatic natural births
- Learn about Hypnobirthing or other forms of childbirth preparation
- Shelter in during Covid-19