Myriad Myths and Timeless Tips
When you first hear the news that you're pregnant, it's easy for you to get caught up in all of the things that will happen in the future. At times throughout the process, you might feel alone. But remember, you are one of millions of women who've given birth over thousands of years.
In this way, you will benefit from all of the lessons learned over a continuum of time. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that so many of our best modern ideas regarding the comfort and safety of both mother and child have their roots in ancient belief systems.
Alert
Even today, giving birth in a chair may be the most comfortable position. Back in biblical times, women knelt or stood beside chairs for support during labor. Today, some women sit backward on a chair so that their partners can rub their backs and relieve some of the pain.
Early American Myths
In early American life, doulas (women helpers, not quite midwives, based on ancient Greek practices) were far more common than doctors. Physicians were called on only when there were problems with the birth or in high-risk situations. Typically, older, wiser women attended births, since they had the knowledge and hands-on experience. More and more women are using doulas today for the same reason; it's a comfort to have another woman in the room that has been through the experience.
Myths from Other Lands
Fact
The ancient Chinese relied on a birth calendar to predict the sex of their babies, and many expectant parents still use this method today. It's supposedly 90 percent accurate; however, it's for your entertainment and not to be entirely relied upon as an accurate predictor of your baby's sex.
Africans believed that a pregnant woman was holy and to be exalted for bringing a new life into the world. This belief is still prevalent in South African culture today, as in many other cultures (whose people bring gifts to the new mother in honor of her life-giving ability).
Europeans made the first obstetric birthing chair in the mid-1500s. It had a back, and the bottom could be removed to accommodate the birth. This design is similar to the birthing chair of today, although more Europeans use these uniquely designed chairs than do Americans. Birthing chairs are most prevalent in Scandinavia; these countries place a high value on a birthing mother's comfort.
