Why We Need A New System For Pregnancy, Birth, And Postpartum

Healing the Root of a Broken System

Me (43), Pregnant with our third Baby, copyright by author

This is a topic that bothers me quite a bit, and I feel it is time to share my experiences and beliefs.

Short background story. I am 43, Austrian, living in Australia. I am the mother of three wonderful children. A boy (7), a girl (5), and our latest addition, our ocean baby boy (4 months).

I believe if we changed the whole pregnancy, birthing, and aftercare system in the Western world, we could even save humanity as a human race.

Far-fetched? I don’t think so.

Over the last decade, I have done a lot of soul-searching; I connected to Source again, and I have given birth three times, unmedicated, in water.

I think this whole patriarchal system that has been in place for so long is really not good for all of us.

Women have often been seen as the weaker gender in society and have been, and to some extent still are, suppressed by patriarchal structures.

I worked in companies where most of the bosses were still men. This is so imbalanced!

After having gone through three births, and every time choosing unmedicated water births, I know women are very strong and capable of so much. Giving birth without medication is very painful. Some even say it is the second most painful experience a human can go through, right after being burned alive.

The female body is designed to be able to go through that. I did it three times, and I feel empowered, and I feel strong.

I had two uncomplicated home water births with an amazing and caring team. Especially in the Netherlands, my midwifery care was amazing. But I also went through the hospital system in Australia, NSW, recently because there was simply no midwife available for a home birth in my area. Sad but true. So I had to go through the standard system, and I must say, I see so much that should be improved, even though I also have to say my midwife here was amazing as well, and in the end I had a home birth setting without a doctor (no complications) in the hospital. It was quite cool. Only the drive and the timing to the hospital were a bit challenging.

I cannot see that pregnant women are supported in our society the way that they should be.

Pregnancy is a sacred journey and should be honored, as well as the birth and recovery phase.

Some Ideas

Pregnant women should not have to work! Yes! At all!!! :)

A pregnant woman should not have to have any pressure or stress on her because stress affects the baby negatively.

When we start to nurture the process of giving birth to new human beings, our whole world would change to the better. I am sure of this.

We need a better system.

I created a reality around me, lowered my costs, moved into a more affordable rental, only to be there for my kids, be with my kids, play with them, see them grow, but also take time for myself, to write and heal.

We don’t have much, but we have each other and everything that we need to live.

Time is passing fast, and when my kids turned 4 years, I could see a huge change. They suddenly didn’t need me that much anymore, and when they turn 7 years old, they are fully functional and wonderful little human beings that are starting to discover the world with their own eyes. It is a magical process, and I am so happy that I made all these changes so this was possible for me to witness.

A New Way?

Just imagine this scenario for a second.

A woman finds out she is pregnant. It doesn’t matter how this journey will end, but she is allowed to focus completely on this sacred process.

She is allowed to prepare body and mind in facilities which are built for women like her.

When she is ready to give birth, or in the birthing window (about 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the calculated due date), she is allowed to go in a birthing center, where she is allowed to get whatever she wants. She can select from different wellness packages, including massages, acupuncture, baths (not too hot, of course), and whatever her heart desires.

She also has access to all kinds of services, like ultrasounds or appointments with very skilled, kind doctors. She can choose from a wide selection of healthy, organic food, and she has a midwife who checks in with her every day.

For her birth, she can choose the tools that she wants and needs. Everything is available.

She can give birth however she wants to, and when she gave birth she opts into a different wellness package for recovery and postpartum.

This package lasts for another 6 months, but she is allowed to stay up to one year.

Ideally, this whole thing is free as well and covered by our taxes or whatever social system.

Our governments spend so much money on weapons, defence, military infrastructure, corporate subsidies, and endless administrative systems, so why not have a real budget for the future of humanity?

When we learn to support women in a holistic way, we might be able to fix our society as well. Our babies and kids could finally grow up in a balanced and nurtured world.

It is time to rethink what is really important in our world.

Thoughts?

Hugs, Alina

PS Big shout out to my husband Travis, who is and was a great partner, birthing partner, and best friend along this journey. I wouldn’t have been able to have such great experiences becoming a mother without having had such a strong partner on my side, who supported me all the way, every time. Thank you!

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