Today I was able to witness a birth. I watched a man and woman gaze into each others eyes and moan together. I am amazed at the power and skill of the human body.
In anticipation of this event I watched a National Geographic special on babies. I was shocked to learn about the difference in proportion of the size of our heads compared to other mammals, and even more shocked to learn that a newborn uses 80% of its caloric intake just to operate its brain. The brain of the newborn has not yet discerned what is important information from the abundant stimuli of our world (light, texture, sound). All of the information his brain takes in goes on a super highway. Over the first year of life, the brain starts to discern where to build strong dendrites (nerve pathways) and where to let some atrophy. So much happens in the first year of life!
When I was living in Hawaii, there was a huge marker on the baby's first birthday. It was when the piko ("place of being centered"....related to soft spot on the head and naval) closed and their unobstructed connection to the spirit world changed. Before this year marker, this giant brain, that is often 1/3 the size of the baby, can do so much at a cost of independence and movement.
Even with this huge brain that wants to rationalize everything, we need companionship, love and support. And we have animalistic needs. Being with these people birthing their baby in their home proved it more to me than anything. The way they were relying on each other, and the way they roared. Our bodies and brains are so very awesome!
While in nursing school, I was privileged to study the mother/baby portion of our content under a nurse practitioner who was also a certified nurse mid-wife. I can't begin to express how much I learned, and gained an amazing appreciation of the natural process of birth, breastfeeding, growth and development of both mom and baby. I was amazed to realize how few options my wife and I were presented with for the birth of our little girl. We deeply regret not pursuing other birthing options, or doing the research ourselves many years ago. However those options are just not presented. Knowledge truly is power.
ReplyDeleteThe human body is capable of so much...if we would just allow it to do what it was designed to do.
Thanks Jeremy! Its great to hear what people are presented with as far as options. I know from my own prospective it went something like this: home pregnancy test positive, go to clinic. Clinic test positive, they send you in for an ultrasound and refer you to a doctor. This is the point when I started getting prenatal massages from a woman who was also a birth doula and she directed me to several books and films that really opened my eyes. To say the least, my concept of birth shifted greatly and I am so thrilled to be working with people in a way that can help inform them of these choices. And now you guys know for your next little spirits birth!!! I'm so glad to know someone has read my blog! Blessings...
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