8/30/2010

Birth, Death and Sexuality




Through the act of controlling birth, we disassociate ourselves with its raw power. Disassociation makes it easier to identify with our "civilized" nature, deny our "savage" roots and connection with indigenous cultures. Birth simultaneously encompasses the three events that civilized societies fear--birth, death, and sexuality.

--Holly Richards, "Cultural Messages of Childbirth: The Perpetration of Fear," ICEA Journal 7(3):28, May 1993.

As a Brazilian-American, I lived most of my life in the United States and bi-culturalism has shaped my life. I´ve also had the opportunity to experience birth in two cultures, my daughter was born in Dallas and my son in Belo Horizonte. The first time I had a waterbirth in a birthcenter in a midwife-friendly and strong natural birth culture. The second time, I chose a homebirth, in a city where 8 in 10 women have c-sections, many of them scheduled before the first sign of labor. I was baffled at times by just how violent and nasty people could be when I told them I chose a natural birth. I was many times afraid to mention it would be at home.

As a doula and childbirth educator in Brazil I´ve also had the opportunity to help other women have positive experiences. Some of these women were from other countries and much like I had been, were lost in trying to understand Brazilian birth and culture. It can all be so overwhelming when for a moment we forget just how resilient and powerful we women are.

8/19/2010

Homebirth in Brazil

Comming soon:
My birth story of how I managed to have a love homebirth in a city where women in my situation are facing a 80% + c-section rate.

So happy I did! I caught my son myself as two wonderful midwives watched.

III Conference on Humanization of Childbirth 2010



You´re Invited!

ReHuNa - The Brazilian Network for the Humanization of Childbirth takes great pleasure in inviting you to the III International Conference on Humanization of Childbirth, to be held from November 26th - 30th, 2010 in Brasilia-DF, where we will address important topics, such as the reduction of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, reduction of unnecessary cesarean sections rates, the guarantee of sexual and reproductive rights and humanization of services that assist prenatal, childbirth and postpartum care.

For more information (in English), click here

If you´re interested in coming to the conference and have any questions feel free to e-mail me:
daraluzemcasa
@
gmail.com

Hope to see you in November!
Alex Godinho

2003 Conference in Rio de Janeiro with Ina May Gaskin

Photo from 2003 Conference in Rio de Janeiro. From left to right: Ana Cris Duarte is now a midwife; Bartira is a mom and birth advocate; pregnant me; Ina May Gaskin midwife and international speaker; Ingrid is a mom, doula and birth advocate. I was 27 weeks pregnant with Nathan, my homebirth baby!