one hour after birth is most important hour
Posted by: "Shirish Bhate" shirishbhate
Date: Mon Nov 13, 2006 5:02 pm ((PST)
Such an interesting and sometimes intriguing subject, that temptation to record some of the personal experiences cant be avoided. after all
these groups are for exchanging collective human knowledge gained through self experience and meditation.
Janel>There is also some information/research on the benefits of co-sleeping (not in this country) for preventing SIDS -- for many reasons, but a big one is because the baby's CNS and heart (and other systems) is still being regulated by the mother's CNS and heart for months, if not years and decades. Sleep study labs showed mothers who co-sleep tended to their baby's smallest all night during their sleep. My paraphrasing is that baby's heart is not yet able to be fully self-regulating. (I say, duh!) and when it goes out of sync the mother's heart regulates the baby's. That connection is not so good when baby is in another room.>
Dr Bhate> First authors own experience. In India there is a customary crib by the bedside of the mom, made from a cloth hammock. MY son used to get up 3-4 times every night and would sleep only after feeding a little. Wife was afraid he might get crushed if she changes sides in the sleep. However, cosleeping reduced this event to only twice a night. and after few days it was found that son would move in the bed, often go to even foot board side with head towards footboard, but every time he was discovered to have at least one leg in touch with mothers body! somehow he never wanted to separate that touch! That was the first instance when author thought that all of us would like to cling to mothers body, for a life time if possible, after all every original brain cell of ours is made by her tissues, so we are only her extended body!
Janel>It's makes a lot of logical sense that the newborn baby still needs close proximity to the mother and her heart -- and it did when I had my first child at age 18 and co-slept and carried him in a back pack (when it was very uncool- 1975). Many cultures carry the baby/wear the baby -- we all know how babies love that. Why wouldn't they? So, this is all very related to the cord clamping.>
DrBhate> This practice is existing in India even today, but only in villages and tribal areas. Women who go into forest or farms to work or collect firewood, forest treasure such as berries etc keep the baby in back pack. And you would be surprised to know that tribals do not have diabetes or insulin resistance or obesity or PCOS. City folks are loosing fertility but the tribals have preserved it. So that is the ultimate race going to rule the human existence!
Janel> Cord clamping and early cutting is a huge concern for me, and I am observing some interesting spiritual connections. In the Aramaic
language that Jesus spoke the word for breath is translated to the words, Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, the Breathe of God, is our connection to God. I am wondering about the spiritual consquences for this rushed, harsh transition and ritualistic early cutting -- if our connection to God is experienced through the breath. And, it does seem so -- six minutes without it and we are gone.>
Dr.Bhate> All different Yogas (e.g. Rajyoga, Kriya yoga, Sahaj Yoga, Patanjali yoga, Sudarshan yoga, Surya yoga) which spiritual gurus are
teaching in India, and those Gurus in Tibet are based on science of breathing only. Through breath we can reach the home page of our
soul! the superficial cloud of thoughts can be cleared by regulating breath. Thoughtless state is also breathless state. soul does not
need oxygen or thoughts, but can communicate through impulses.
Janel> Interestingly, it is also six minutes I have read that the cord pulses at birth. At the end of the day, our Breath, is the most important thing and really all one has here. At birth a baby is not only separated from the mother physiologically and emotionally, but is done so in such brutal,
harsh, hurried fashion. The cord pulses for at least five to 6 minutes and the purpose is to transition the baby from being a water breathing being to being an air breathing being. There is no exact time for anything in birth. Physiologically, the cord knows what to do just like the woman's uterus knows what to do -- both without our thinking brains. A homebirth physician I worked with told me she saw a cord pulse for over one half hour.>
DrBhate> Having spent much time in trekking in tribal areas, spending time in tribal huts etc, this is what author came to know through tribals. For them nearest douctor can be reached by walking sometimes 20-30 kilometers. The women deliver someimes when they are in field or forests. Only an hour before she may know that time is due. All that they need to do is find a stream close by, rest there for a while and they have nothing to clamp the cord except some natural creeper stem. and they keep watching the pulsating cord. and breathing starts automatically as the blood flow through the cord stops. there is a plenty of time to cut the cord. Nor there is any hurry to clean the baby. Tribal baby is the one who reaches mothers boosom perhaps earliest after birth in the world!>
Janel>The placental blood - rich with oxygen -- is meant to be pumped into the body. When the cord is cut immediately, babies struggle, they
panic, they gasp, and cry to get in oxygen when what they need is their own placental blood. This contributes to the belief/need to do the harsh, panicked resuscitation. When the cord is left to complete the transfer, babies don't need to cry. LeBoyer noted that women are so conditioned to the crying baby as a signal that women had trouble believing the baby was ok if s/he wasn't crying. People are happy when the baby comes out crying and screaming, not knowing that the baby is crying for a reason.>
DrBhate> What you wrote and LeBoyer noted is all city culture, groomed by intelligentsia to their own advantage! This culture is in
sharp contrast to tribal culture, where abundance and generosity of nature does not make them know what is crying!
Janel> There is much about the possible connection of cesarean birth to asthma. Cords are cut immediately at cesarean so that the baby can
be examined away from the mother. No wonder so many people have trouble with transitions! I also wonder about the baby's connection
to the placenta -- from the baby's view in the womb, this is source of life throughout the pregnancy. It is rather large -- large enough
to be very visable and important to the babies. Technology can now show just how engaged babies are in the womb with their cord, with a
twin, with environmental stimulus. Research -- not in the US --showed that when the uterus was touched, in another room, the baby would respond. Consider the way the placenta is handled in hospital birth by medical caregivers -- examined inside and out, cut for sample, and then disposed. I wonder about how that is experienced by the baby. As a loss? Maybe that "other" that we humans search for throughout life.>
Dr Bhate> Above metaphysics may take some time to prove by science, but author believes it may be true. Our complete behavior as we
become adults is governed by our first two years of life. One great piece of research by psychologists states that those who get less breast milk tend to smoke nicotine later. perhaps the cigarette end tries to sooth the deprived satisfaction of holding the nipple at feed time. and smokers who stop, their two fingers automatically reach the area close to lips when they are in stress. Perhaps this body language gives them some relief that cigarette is there in the lips. This shows that prenatal and experiences as baby are influencing the mental states in whole life! Another observation
which author noted by asking several asthma/diabetes patients, 99% had not more than 5-6 months of breast milk. Now they would have
switched to cow milk thereafter, explaining the source of autoimmunity! author believes cow milk in raw form is not detrimental to health, but should not be started before two years, when digestive system of baby is competent to handle it. Up to two years, the brain is nourished by breast milk fats. author was surprised to see skiny tribal women but comfortably feeding up to 2 years. their breasts did not show much fat either!>
Janel>It seems to me that a science-based consistent policy of allowing the cord to stop pulsing (along with some other changes in the first
hour of life) could make monumental changes in many areas of the human being's life.<
DrBhate>As stated by this author in earlier paragraph, It is not only cord clamping or forceps delivery or c-section, but entire time from
conception to say two years age where baby is still willing to take breast milk, is important to decide what this individual will be in
his entire life time. Everyone will agree that mothers influence is greatest in making the character, and every criminal, murderer,
rapist, addict had a disturbed childhood. It remains to be proved and it will be indeed a great area for research if disturbed, intervened
pregnancy also leads to lack of mental strength, lack of resilience to mental tensions of practical life>
Thanks for bringing out an important area of human existence, where mothers importance starts right from conception. Author recollects a
82 years aged patient taking only a mild laxative. Other than old age she had no other disease. Her son aged 60 passed away by stroke. when
author met her, she was unwilling to loosen the grip over author's hand and was asking why I could not give stroke preventing medicine
to him. She passed away in just six months thereafter, unable to fill the vacuum of son's presence. Scientists have divided body into mind,
organs etc, where mind alone subjected to happiness and grief, but it appears from recent research, soul is spread throughout the body,
every cell shares both happiness and grief.
Needless to say, a vaidya or doula, should use all the visual signs and message through touch for diagnosis of body, mind and soul triad!