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23/10/2002 19:31
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Ilana Shemesh, natural midwife
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מאת:
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סיפור על לידת בית חרדית
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כותרת:
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Last Thursday I had a very iteresting and different homebirth. This was a ninth birth in Jerusalem, in Geula neighborhood, which is very orthodox. Lucky for me it wasn't on Shabbat, as then I would have to drive in with my flashing light on the car and everyone would be staring. She called me at midnight with irregular contractions, but since it was a ninth birth and she had a few very fast ones, I decided to go early. Some people would think that a ninth birth should never birth at home but when I checked her obstetric history, she never had a problem with any births, and never had a problem with bleeding. She was healthy and very motivated and her last birth was at home in the United States. When I arrived, her two older children ran down and helped me to bring in all my equipment and Oxygen tank. Her 17 year old daughter was excited but quite shy. I later learned that she will be married in 3 months, and just the day before her mother shlepped to Bnei Brak to choose her wedding gown with her. This is hard for me to believe, when I think where I was at 17 ,and my two daughters who are now 23 and 21. Anyway, our lady is now 3 cm. but with a thick cervix and light irregular contractions. They give me a bed to sleep in, which I realize is the bride to be's room, and I go to sleep. There is another room that 4 small children sleep in and another room for the older boys. Her good friend is with her and they are praying. Her husband and rest of children are going to sleep also. I am amazed when the friend wakes me at 8 AM (Iactually slept the whole night) and says that she is having good contractions every five 5 minutes. She is only 5 cm but cervix is better. The key to progress in delivery is the ripeness of the cervix. If it is thick, it will take time, and if it is thin like paper it will be a fast , birth. So, we pass the day with lots of praying and saying tehilim and even I am given a siddur and am davening the psalms. It feels weird to me as I am not religious, but I sense that this really helps my lady and gives her tremendous strength so I continue to read. I hear lots of stories about the Rabbanit Kook, and about the merits of religous life, and we talk about the differences in the orthodox life and the secular and about raising children, and all kinds of things. They make lists of names of people that are sick or women that can't have children or other people that need to be blessed, and when she will be in the middle of birthing, so then her friend will read the names as it is said that Hashem is very attentive during birth. Her husband knocks periodically on the door and asks for progress reports. Then he goes and consults with the Rav, who then tells us that everything is fine but it might take some time yet. They are very firm followers of a certain Rav. Their faith amazes me. There is lots of Yiddish among the wife and husband and children, and I remember my grandmother and understand almost all the Yiddish. The oldest daughter, the bride, makes sure that I am not hungary or thirsty, and instructs me in the proper blessings. Her contractions are not very strong or close together. She needs to do nipple rolling and feels very strange about this but covers herself up well and does it and soon the contractions are much better, and then her water breaks. She begins to be in transition, she is red in the face and needs to hold my hand, and asks her friend to pray hard and her husband to ask a blessing from the Rav. I want to get her something from the other room but she won't let me leave. I know that she is close to birth. She asks to read the names of the people to be blessed. She begins to push, and makes sure the door is locked and she is covered up well. I peek under her dress and see that the baby is coming. I grab my gloves,, and in one push the baby is out at 7PM. It was very important to know exactly because it was around sunset and if it is a boy they need to know when to do the brit. There is much joy and crying of relief, and she is so happy to have this sweet new girl (her third out of the nine) I look at the baby well and am relieved that although she is 43 years old and didn't do amniocentesis or other Downs screening, the baby looks perfect. She begins to nurse, the placenta comes out, there is no ununusal bleeding and she keeps nursing and I check the hardness of the uterus often and she doesn't even need the shot that is given routinely in hospital to prevent bleeding. Her daughter meanwhile has cooked the entire Shabbat meal for tomorrow, and gives me a plate of gourmet sweet salmon. I guess she is ready to get married!! Her husband and children take turns holding the baby. He tells me that they will call me in a year for the daughters birth. They all decide that the mother of nine will go to a resthome in Telstone for orthodox women to rest for a week after the birth. It was a very different, interesting and spiritual birth and a glimpse into another world for me. .
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