Bonding

I continue to ruminate about my extraordinary experience of attending Cooper's birth last week.

Nick and Courtney chose to have a midwife deliver their child. When the time came to don a lovely hospital gown and settle into their room, the midwife on duty, Laura, introduced Sam, a midwifery student who needed clinical hours to complete the requirements of her degree. Sam asked if she could remain with Courtney throughout her labor and deliver the baby, all under the watchful eye of Laura. Nick and Courtney agreed and in essence Sam became their free doula.

When it came time for Courtney to begin pushing, the nursing staff shifted and Carol, the new nurse on duty, was assigned to Courtney. Carol is also finishing up her midwifery certification so Courtney had 3 midwives by her side. How awesome is that?!

I mention their presence in the birthing process b/c I observed something one does not normally see on the live baby shows on TV such as 'Deliver Me' or 'Baby Story' (or staged, Hollywood births, for that matter). The midwife's perspective of treating birthing as a process rather than a medical condition comes into play here.

Bonding with his mother right after birth is important for the baby, say the experts. At the average birth, baby is born and put onto mother's chest. The medical personnel ensure baby is breathing, usually using suction to remove fluids from the nose & mouth. Baby is wiped off with a blanket. Dad is instructed to cut the cord and baby is then whisked away to a warming bed where a nurse begins a flurry of activities on baby. Once baby has been graded on the Apgar scale, wiped clean, had his footprints recorded, drops put in his eyes, an injection or two given, he is wrapped in a clean blanket and carried over for mom to finally hold.

Cooper experienced something entirely different. Once he was laid upon Courtney's chest, he mewed a time or two, obviously emitting enough noise to assure the midwives that his breathing was adequate. His face was wiped, a little hat put atop his head, then he promptly fell asleep, nestled against the warmth of his mother, listening to the beat of her heart. All the while it took for Courtney to expel the placenta and have a small tear stitched, Cooper lay cuddling with his mom - perhaps 40 minutes. There was no hurry. Cooper wasn't going anywhere, nor were his parents....

In this calm, gentle atmosphere, Cooper was able to bond with his parents. It was bonding in the truest sense of the word.