Friday, July 18, 2008

All I needed to know about birth I learned from a pig

My son and I visited a farm today at one of our great parks and stumbled upon a sow in the midst of labor. She was in a pen surrounded by a few park employees and I was overcome with emotion as I saw two little piglets walking around, just hours old as their mama continued her journey down the path of birth. Talking with the men, I learned that she had birthed three piglets so far (one was stillborn) and her labor was estimated to have began around 5 o'clock last night. (It was 10 in the morning) They expected her to deliver around eight babies total. I watched in awe as she moved around, ate some hay, and then got in a position comfortable to begin pushing again. I also watched as one of her piglets made a bed in the hay next to her and went to sleep and the other happily nursed while his mother labored and pushed through this wonderful and natural process, so organic that the umbilical cord was still attached to one of the piglets.

It occurred to me that it was perhaps a bit voyeuristic for us all, there were eight of us total including my two year old, to be hovered around this sow's birthing space while she mastered the fine art of giving birth. Another woman was there with her son, who looked to be about seven or eight, and she asked the park employees if they would be calling a vet in soon. Here we go, I thought, even this pig certainly can't go through labor and birth on her own, she needs an "expert" to guide her. The park employee responded no, they only called in the vet if there were complications, such as a piglet stuck in the birth canal, otherwise they let nature take its course and left her alone. Hmmm... if a pig can do it....

I wasn't fortunate enough to see the pig birth another of her piglets while in her presence, but the experience will stay with me for a long time. Birth is something to be honored, to be relished to be RESPECTED, no matter who or what is doing the birthing.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Dar a Luz talks with Natural Mom

One of Dal's favorite websites is Natural Moms Talk Radio where you can find a wealth of information on natural family care topics. The website's founder, Carrie Lauth, was kind enough to interview our president and co-founder, April Kline this week and you can find the podcast interview here. Download it and listen on your computer or mp3 player and hear April and Carrie talk about Dar a Luz's mission and why empowering yourself throughout your pregnancy and birth is such an important part of your birth experience. We'd love to hear your thoughts and comments on the interview. Share them with us in our comments section!