Tucked away in a byroad in Vyttila, Kochi is a 2,000 sq ft Natural Birthing Centre of south India’s first and India’s second Birth Village.
It consists of a birthing room, water birth facility and birth stools, all of which have initiated a silent revolution in childbirth in Kerala. Here you get professionally-trained midwives from the US and Canada, along with a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator to assist expectant parents to get involved and enjoy a normal pregnancy and childbirth, in a safe, personalised and family-centered setting.
The website of Cochrane Reviews, a comprehensive database of research in health care and policy says, compared to other models of care, midwife-led care leads to fewer deaths during the first half of pregnancy, fewer hospitalisations during pregnancy, less use of painkillers during childbirth, and more spontaneous vaginal birth.
“We limit the number of clients per month, and provide for birth as well as post-partum care,” says Priyanka Idicula, the brain behind the Village. The team includes two experienced and trained midwives, Red Miller from Canada and Kathleen Breault from New York, USA.
Considering high rates of caesarian sections in some hospitals—about 50 per cent as opposed to the WHO recommended limit of 10-15 per cent for best maternal and fetal health outcomes—there is a crisis in maternity care in Kerala. “There is more awareness in the US about midwifery-led births,” says Kathleen. “The movie The Business of Being Born opened the eyes of many. Earlier, it was mostly religious people who opted for this type of birth, but not anymore.” In Kerala, this is gaining in popularity. Apart from preparatory classes for expectant mothers, including breast-feeding sessions, Priyanka and her team visit moms-to-be and do follow-up care. “During labour, we are in constant communication, and mothers and babies are monitored closely,” says Miller, adding, “Our clients are encouraged to leave the centre soon after birth to go home to the warmth of their own beds. We visit them daily within the first 12-24 hours, and then as required, until six weeks post-partum.”
They have undertaken eight births so far, but their client list is growing. They follow the six practices outlined by the International Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative (CIMS)—labour begins on its own, there should be freedom of movement during labour, continuous labour support, no routine interventions, spontaneous pushing in an upright/gravity neutral position, and no separation of mother and baby after birth, with unlimited breastfeeding.
The birth room at the centre has soft lighting and is cosy, unlike a hospital bed. But they are also ready to face an emergency. “We are trained to recognise complications early, have necessary equipment and plan in place in the event of an emergency, but prefer to have these items tucked away,” says Priyanka.
The three women say it is a highly satisfying experience in assisting in the creation of a family. “Seeing a woman in her power is incredible. We feel blessed and grateful to be a part of the process. It’s an honour to be the first person to touch a human being,” they sign off, in unison.