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The Association for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Health

Introduction    

By David Chamberlain, Editor

Jolted by the epidemic of violence today, parents, legislators, criminologists, policemen, theologians, psychologists, teachers, politicians, and health care providers are all alarmed and looking for some deeper understanding that might lead to practical steps to deal with the problem. The result of this feverish activity is a massive and multiplying literature measured in the thousands of articles, books, conferences, and media productions. Nevertheless, in all this activity the origins of violence early–very early–in life are rarely explored.

Violence in the womb and at birth has always been of concern to members of APPPAH, many of whom are psychotherapists privy to the revelations which expose the consequences of violence at this first stage of human development. Other APPPAH members who work in neonatal intensive care nurseries or labor and delivery rooms witness the repetition of violence in these settings and ponder what the consequences will be for these babies in the future. We have acquired the conviction that any violence which greets a baby in the womb or around the time of birth will serve as a silent and unconscious form of conditioning which acts like a template for future relationships. This conditioning–depending upon its frequency and severity–can affect a person’s physical and mental health for decades to come.

Ironically, in modern hospital birth, violence and pain have become routine for babies! For most of the last hundred years, neither obstetricians nor psychologists regarded pain as a reality for newborns. Consequently, doctors working with babies have not hesitated to expose them to harsh environmental conditions which violated their senses and routinely upset them using painful instruments and protocols. Nor have they hesitated to use powerful chemicals in the form of drugs and anesthetics. All these sharp departures from what normally happened at a home birth have profoundly altered the experience of birth for recent generations of babies. During this time period babies have never been silent. It is virtually universal for them to protest being jabbed with needles for blood samples or vitamin K shots, to react against abrupt manipulations like being held upside down by the feet, rushed through space, or handled by a series of strangers. Their skin is extremely sensitive (and, indeed, serves as a powerful form of communication) so it should be no surprise that they show their dislike for being roughly rubbbed and “cleaned” and are known for their trademark screams and cries at birth!  In sum, professionals have been making babies angry, afraid, defensive, sad, and disoriented–for the greater part of a century since medical management of birth became the “norm” in the United States.

Research activities focusing on birth practices has followed these violent innovations at a great distance, all too often warning of danger long after the damage was done. The unforseen results of this new way of birth may finally be revealed in the angry behavior of generations of men, women, and children born in violence. We have been impregnated with drugs from the first moment of life. Are we so fascinated with drugs and the altered states they evoke because we were introduced to them at birth? Some rare research findings point to these connections.

Growing evidence of this kind led us to organize the conference held at Cathedral Hill Hotel in San Francisco in the Fall of 1995. The conference brought together experts from many disciplines who regularly probe the early origins of violence and who have made the connection between trauma and fearful and angry behavior. In this section of the website, we offer a window into this important field of study and the international conference, “Birth and Violence: The Societal Impact”

A Peaceful Birth?
When was the last time you heard a story about a peaceful birth? Do those two words even go together? A new mom could probably count on all her fingers and toes all of the horror stories she has heard about birth. A first time mom, facing the unknown experience of birthing a baby is so susceptible to the comments of others. The fear gifted to her by “well wishers” actually helps perpetuate the story that birth is a painful, scary experience.

What if it’s true that “birth must be painful” is a man made construct? Simply put, the pain of childbirth comes mostly from fear which (based on the horror stories of others) physiologically causes the body to work against what it wants to do to birth a baby. Many are familiar with the instinctual response of “fight or flight.” As a basic survival instinct, when a person senses a threat, real or perceived, their body throws out adrenalin so that they can either run for safety or stay and fight. In fear, blood is sent away from the uterus and to the extremities. There are many stories about women laboring continuously at home but the minute they get to the hospital, they become afraid and everything seems to stop.

It’s like trying to drive with the emergency brake on. You know you want to go forward, but something is holding you back. In birth, that something is usually fear. So how does one combat the fear? Understanding what the body can do and trusting in the process can take one quite far in allowing a peaceful birth. Knowledge is power. There is much written to support the fact that the body’s natural pain killers – endorphins – are available to birthing women as they let go of fear. By understanding what their body can do given the chance, many allow the natural process to occur without suffering.

When a woman chooses natural childbirth, they often hear the words, “Don’t be a hero.” But in choosing not to have medical interventions, they are not choosing to be a martyr. They may feel pressure and burning. The body isn’t doing something to you; it’s doing something for you. When one runs a marathon and crosses the finish line in pain, they feel the rush of knowing that they have accomplished a great feat. By allowing the body to go through the course set for it from the beginning of time, babies are born alert and mothers recover more quickly. Another great feat has been accomplished.

By pre-screening the childbirth education class you choose to take, you assure that you are getting a class that feels right for you. You can take the one offered by the hospital where you plan to give birth, or you can choose among other private classes. If you want a natural birth without medication, you want a childbirth educator that will encourage the things you want. Look at your options and remember – you are the consumer.

Also be conscious about the caregiver (doctor or midwife) you choose as well as the setting (hospital, birth center or home). Does the place you are choosing have the same balance of caution and trust that you have? Some women choose the help of a doula, a person who is certified as a labor support person and has been trained to “mother the mother.” The continuous presence of a support person, other than the partner, has proven to shorten labor, decrease complications, decrease the need for cesarean section and provide emotional support for the birthing mother.

Other natural methods, besides the presence of a doula, can alleviate the need for medication and allow the body to do what it was meant to do. These include warm water, conscious breathing, relaxation and visualization or self-hypnosis and fear release techniques.

Waterbirth is the process of giving birth in a tub of water that is body temperature (98 – 102). The warmth often helps the mother to relax, encouraging a quicker and easier birthing. The baby comes into a familiar environment and begins to breathe when he/her mouth hits the air. For more information on waterbirth an excellent web site is www.waterbirth.org.

Breathing and relaxation allow the body to work with the natural mechanisms put in place to birth your baby. Training the body to relax months before labor will help the mother automatically go into a relaxed state, allowing the body to do what it wants to do. Many women hold their breath when they become frightened, which is counter-productive to both the baby and the mother. Learning to breathe and relax counter this reaction.

Getting clear about specific fears prior to birth can also help the mother to release those fears that aren’t based in today’s reality. Are they based on stories that aren’t relevant to you or stories you heard from your mother or grandmother? Bringing those fears to consciousness is the first step in letting them go.

What does a peaceful birth look like to you? Answering this question is the best “medicine”, as you relax into the process of bringing your baby into the world. Gather information and make an informed choice. A peaceful birth is one of the most empowering things a woman can experience. I wish one for you.