A month ago, a video showing a mom in the midst of labor went viral, where she was filming herself in her living room when she suddenly felt contractions and, right there on her feet, with her husband and her roughly 2-year-old son by her side, gave birth to her new baby.
Afterward, they were seen at the clinic; everything was fine, and it was a happy ending. There was no pain, no epidural, no screaming, no operating room, and no medical team: the ideal birth in my opinion.
This type of birth is known as vertical or upright birth, and it’s a natural and powerful way to give birth. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Colombian gynecologist Catalina Acuña, there is strong scientific evidence of its benefits, such as the fact that there is less pain and greater control for the woman during labor.
“It has been proven that changing positions or maintaining an upright posture can reduce pain, shorten the duration of labor, and make you feel in control of your birth, because it allows women to move freely and use gravity to their advantage while listening to their bodies. There are not only physical benefits, but emotional ones as well. Feeling active, supported, and capable can make the difference between a birth experienced with fear and one experienced with strength and confidence”, said the gynecologist.
Upright childbirth is not a trend; it’s an ancient way of giving birth that has been practiced for centuries by different cultures around the world. Clinical studies have found that this position can improve the baby’s oxygenation, facilitate descent through the birth canal, and reduce the perception of pain.
And while it is an option, it’s important to be accompanied by a medical team that ensures safety, as well as a space adapted to facilitate childbirth. This can take place at home, in hospitals, or in clinics as long as there are no medical contraindications.
Perhaps we’ve been led to believe that childbirth must take place lying down in a clinic, but the reality is that giving birth while lying down originated centuries ago. This was way back in 1688, when dozens of officials watched Maria of Modena, wife of James II, give birth to a son to put an end to rumors that Maria wasn’t actually pregnant and that they were going to secretly bring a baby into the room. Oh, that’s how gossip starts!
The tradition continued into the 20th century, with the last royal birth to be witnessed by a government minister, being that of Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin, Princess Alexandra, in 1936. The practice was only officially discontinued shortly before the birth of Prince Charles in 1948.
And although those customs thankfully came to an end, giving birth while lying down remained the primary option for childbirth, when the reality is that, naturally, the best position for giving birth is standing. When the mother is standing, there is no pain during labor; furthermore, if the baby is in the correct position, it will also come out easily. Of course, ideally there should be someone to assist with the delivery of the newborn and, if possible, the procedure should be performed in a clinic with medical staff.
Of course, every case is unique and special, because for some women with anatomical abnormalities or complications that prevent them from having a natural birth a C-section is needed. In these cases, the surgical procedure involves making an incision in the skin and uterus in the lower abdomen, either vertically or horizontally, to facilitate the baby’s delivery.
And although cesarean sections have become routine, they truly require preparation and a specialized team, yet, in extreme circumstances, there are mothers who make the impossible possible.
In 2000, in a community in Oaxaca, Mexico, Inés Ramírez, a 40-year-old Zapotec woman with six children, was in her final stages of pregnancy when she felt contractions signaling the onset of labor.
So far, the story seems ordinary, except that Inés lived in a rural area with 500 residents and only one telephone, and the nearest doctor was several kilometers away. To make things worse, her husband wasn’t home, so she did what her maternal instinct told her to do.
Inés sat on a bench, drank alcohol, and used a kitchen knife to perform a C-section on herself, without any medical training. “I couldn’t bear the pain anymore. If my baby had to die, then I decided I should die too. But if he was going to survive, then I would always be by his side and watch him grow,” were her words after this incredible experience.
An hour later, she delivered her baby, cut the umbilical cord with scissors, and asked one of her children to go get help. When the doctor arrived, he found her holding her baby and began to close the 17-centimeter-long incision.
They were taken to the nearest hospital for evaluation, and the incredible thing is that both were in perfect condition despite the fact that it was a procedure performed without anesthesia, surgical instruments, or medical assistance.
As we’ve seen, every birth is unique, but in the end, every woman and every family deserves to experience it in the best way possible, in accordance with their wishes and needs, so they can welcome their children into the world freely and #sinrecato.
Becoming a mother is a personal and respectable decision; you don’t earn a discount card, a medal, or a trophy for doing so. The reward comes when you realize that through you, another human being who will be connected to you in body and soul by a special bond has arrived to the world.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! Because you are living proof that, with your unconditional love, you are capable of anything to protect and strengthen that bond forever.
Traducción del español: Catalina Oviedo Brugés
