HW 34 - Initial Thoughts on Birth

Mentally I don't think we are ready for birth. We've seen it in the movies, we have heard our share of stories but in reality we don't know exactly what is going to happen. It makes me wonder if preparing for birth is really necessary? Would it be better to just go with the flow, let nature take it's course? This idea led me to think about how a baby knows when it is ready to make its first appearance. The difference between a premature baby and a "normal" baby. Do babies have thoughts in the womb? How do they pass the time? Are they nearly in a unconscious state for nine months? Society focuses so much attention on what happens after but yet hardly is there ever discussion about who we were before.

How do our minds and spirits become attached to our physical bodies? Are they always a package deal or do they grow progressively throughout our initial hibernation? Once the baby leaves the warm inside do they feel equal amount of pain in comparison to the mother? Beneath all of our memories does this one exist? Are birthing classes really just another excuse to make money? In so many other societies girls give birth at very young ages but in our country teenage pregnancy is strongly frowned upon. Doesn't it seem strange that MTV chooses to document and exploit examples of who our culture stigmatizes?

1. Why does a "normal" pregnancy last nine months?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of an at home birth?
3. Is it painful to be born from the babies perspective?
4. What triggers premature pregnancy?