Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

     My first birth experience I was a newly married and 21 and soon found myself pregnant. We were living in Texas at the time, everything was foreign to me, and my instincts were calling me home to Canada. Into the VW van, we went and traveled until we found our nesting ground on Vancouver Island on a commune of sorts. Natural living was our way. We drank out of our well and ate out of our garden. We had a sauna, and we used wood stoves for heat and cooking, with no electricity or running water. Interesting place for my first birth at home. I had a special midwife who used to be a medical doctor who was disillusionment and left the profession for midwifery. She had the ability to psychically attune to the vitamin and mineral levels in my body and she had me get natural supplements for my body and gave us the most wonderful recipes to make live seed drinks etc. When my labor actually began at 10 and a half months I went to meditate as had been suggested on the picture of the lotus flower on my wall. REALITY set in, this hurt. Thirty-six hours later of back labor my first son was finally born, eight pounds, his head was well molded as he was so over due and his skin was wrinkled without vernix as he was in the water for so long. Birth is the ultimate transformation, change and cycle of life. For the first time in my life I appreciated what my mother had done for me and as I looked into the mirror holding  my newborn I saw myself. We gave our so the middle name of Alder as he was born in a grove of Alder  trees, and we planted his placenta under a cedar tree.

·         I was interested in seeing how the birthing process in Jamaica has changed over the years.

"Not so long ago, many Jamaican children were born at home and subject to a number of different actions, none of which included scores of any kind. Some of them were similar, however, to those found in other cultures. In Jamaica birth rituals were overseen by nanas or midwives, and varied from place to place, depending on race and class. All, however, reflected a deep sense of connection to, and respect for, the spirit world. Today, retention's are strongest in rural areas.

To prepare for birth, the room had to have an open bible on display. The nana would anoint the mother's belly with castor oil, which would later be given to both mother and child. This is certainly more pleasant than having the mother drink a glass of water in which her mother-in-law's toe had been dipped, as is the custom in Bihar, India, or having her drink beer in which a purple onion has been boiled, as in Guatemala.

Following the birth, Jamaican nanas dressed the child's navel with nutmeg. The nana also blew smoke into the child's eyes, often from an old clay pipe, which these women traditionally smoked. (In many Native American and Amerindian cultures, tobacco is regarded as food for the good spirits). The nana then washed her own face with rum and sometimes she herself took a stiff drink to give her 'eyesight,' since the witnessing of each birth was said to affect her sight.

Following delivery, the mother and child were often isolated for eight days, during, which time the nana took control of the house. It was considered very important to protect mother and child from spiritual harm and any physical dangers that came with childbirth. A special broom was used to sweep out the room and the sweepings were kept, perhaps to prevent others from getting hold of them. The child was marked with blue, and the scissors or knife used to cut the umbilical cord was watched carefully. Some sort of charm or 'guzu' (often a strong-smelling substance) was used to protect the child. The child was also washed in cold water that contained rum and a silver coin given by the father. The water and coin were later buried in the yard along with the afterbirth. The nana counted the knots on the umbilical cord to determine how many children the mother was destined to have.

On the tenth day, the mother and child were taken outside to receive greetings as well as presents from family members and other visitors. The child was also named on that day. This practice is believed to have come from the West African belief that until day eight, the child's fate is uncertain and its personality/soul is not fully formed. In addition, there was the possibility that the child could be a visitor from the spiritual world, and if that was the case, then he/she must not be welcomed. If the child died during this period, for example, it was believed that an evil spirit had arrived.

These rituals are similar to those practiced by the earliest Jamaicans, the Tainos. Although no data exist for Jamaica during this period, in Guyana where descendants of Tainos still exist, it is interesting to note that the child is not regarded as an individual separate from his/her mother for the first five to 12 days. Both are considered polluted or ritually unclean and kept indoors to prevent contamination. The naming ceremony takes place 10-12 days following birth. If the child dies before then, it was considered not to have gained a social personality.

The burial of parts of the birthing matter is a common post-partum ritual in many cultures. In Cambodia, for example, what is known as 'the globe of the origin of the soul,' must be buried in the right location in order to protect the baby, and the spot may be covered with a spiky plant to keep evil spirits and dogs from interfering. This prevents potential long-term effects on the mother's mental health. In Turkey, if parents wish their child (ren) to be devout, they may bury the placenta in the courtyard of a mosque. In the Ukraine, tradition holds that a midwife would divine from the newborn placenta how many more children the mother would bear. The placenta was later buried in a location where it would not be stepped over. If it was buried under the doorway, the belief was that the mother would become infertile. In Transylvania, if a couple desired not to have any more children, they would burn their baby's placenta and mix it with ashes, and to render himself infertile, the husband would then drink this potent mixture.

In Jamaica, although the placenta is buried, it was more a matter of necessity rather than ritual. The burial of the umbilical cord or navel string attracted ritualistic behavior. This cord was not only buried in a special location but a tree was planted on that spot. Coconut trees and breadfruit trees were the most popular types. That tree became known as a birth tree. This is where the term 'where you navel string is buried', which symbolizes a spiritual attachment to a place, comes from. The tree became the child's property and that of his/her future progeny. This is said to have helped to reinforce the concept of 'family land' that is passed down from generation to generation.

Noted American dancer and anthropologist, Katherine Dunham, described this practice, which she witnessed in Accompong while doing ethnographic research in the 1940s. Dunham noted that the tree was provided by parents, godparents or other relatives and friends, and was a symbol of great pride. Martha Beckwith, another anthropologist who conducted research in Jamaica, believed that the tree was also a pedagogical tool, teaching the child to take responsibility in life. According to her, it was used to show the child that it is the beginning of his life and he must take care of it"(http://jamaica-gleaner.com/pages/history/story0079.html).

Reference;

Dr. Rebecca Tortello
Contributor

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/pages/history/story0079.html