Was Adam, then, Eve’s “Midwife?”
To be or not to be present. Should fathers be present at birth of their children? Do they have a role – other than watching?
There are varying opinions on the presence of a father in the labour ward during child birth. Should he or should he not witness it? Many mums and dads have no straight answer to this question. Now, have you pondered on who was Eve’s midwife? Could it have actually been Adam himself? With no other person present on earth at the time, did Adam actually have any option?
So part of us is the matter of pregnancy. It is the embodiment of the ultimate union between male and female, the aluta continua of human life. It is the result of which we are all here. Simply put, man did what God requested of him and with that, dear woman, both loved and scorned, became the vessel of humanity. What an honour!
It is true, though, that despite that very first Eve-Adam baby delivery experience, some midwives and hospitals will not allow the man to be present when the tot shows up. What is wrong with fathers present during child birth? Why prevent a man from seeing how and when?
That aside, it is always a marvel being a mother. Looking at my own totos and remembering my own days of “puuush!”, I cannot help but to share the deep emotions, fears and expectations of those who are either pregnant, planning to be (oh, that’s really organised and nice!), or those already counting the blessings of a newborn. My hubby was there in all instances, witnessing the birth our of children. He strongly supports that fathers be present during child birth. Honestly, though, I have not yet asked him how it was like, watching me deliver. I can only imagine it was quite an experience. Actually, I might just ask him one of these days and sure, I will be back here with his answer!
From what I have heard and read, dads react to this experience in different ways – both positive and negative. Meaning it is important to get a man prepared for what child birth is like. Sounds like it is a good idea for a man to accompany his wife to antenatal clinic and together ask the caregiver – what should we expect? What exactly happens in the delivery room? Should the father be present during child birth? If so, what must he know and how should he prepare himself? What if there is an emergency when he is in there?
As you seek answers to this questions, I say bravo! to all male partners striding in and out of maternity wings, and pre-natal and ante-natal clinics in support of their loved women.
Away from the subject of fathers present during child birth, this edition of Pregnant Magazine is so packed with knowledge, I cannot help but ask you to read on.
We start by emphasizing that Wanting a baby is the best way to have one… and asking you to Define thyself – you are what you ate. If you did not know, Placental insufficiency is the silent unborn baby killer; read about it. On love and intimacy, Sex during pregnancy — Know when to stop! is a good read, as is “How to get back that kick!” after baby’s birth. Keeping fit is advised, but Exercise with caution during pregnancy will give you the don’ts. While pregnant you will experience Changes in your weight and Skin changes during pregnancy, but Yes, you can still be pregnant, beautiful and fashionable. In case you are facing a crisis pregnancy, have a look at Babies from rape. On a light note, get a laugh with Mum is in the toilet — vomiting the baby!
For men, this is a must read: “What pregnant women want…in their own words…”
For women, read about the kind of gossip that goes on in your neighbourhood when people get to know you are pregnant, in “Talk of the village.” Other great reads: “Vaginal examinations — do you need them?”, “Episiotomy — Must I be ‘cut’ and stitched during my baby’s birth?” and “What is a vaginal examination and why is it necessary?”
And on the family front, an interesting subject is “Pregnant househelp.”
If you are HIV positive, ensure to check out this article: “Stop mother to child HIV infection.” You may be facing a challenging situation such as cancer, and so we examine, “How to handle breast cancer in pregnancy.”
Well, this is your magazine all baby lovers, to share in all ways, from thoughts to experiences to images.
Parental love to all of you and your tots!
Editor, Pregnant Magazine
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