Childbirth In Your Life and Around the World

I have never thought about my own birth. I mean does anyone really think about that. Well, this was a great opportunity to ask my mother. Of course she said, “Georgiana you were a beautiful baby”.  I must admit I had the cheesiest smile on my face when she said it. In fact I was smiling for at least twenty minutes. Then she said, “I was seventeen and scared”.

Well let’s get into it. (My Birth) I was born in Jamaica. The hospital was in the country and every pregnant woman was in the same delivery room. They were all waiting to give birth. My mom was hearing women screaming next to her giving birth. My mom said that’s what they did back in those days.  She felt like she wanted to go the bathroom but the nurse did allow her to go. The nurse shaved her pubic hair before she gave birth. I asked why they did that. She was told to prevent an infection. She proceeded to say I was six and a half pounds with lots of hair.  She said all black babies are born with lots of hair. I honestly could not stop laughing when she said that.  She stopped in mid-sentence and said I have a funny story to tell you about the day you were born. My ears were peaked with such curiosity and interest. At that moment I felt like a little girl waiting to hear something special like a secret just for my own ears. I sat in my chair with my fingers in my mouth waiting to hear the funny story. She said, “Georgiana you came the same time as my poop and the water”. I said, “What”. She said, “I asked the nurse to go to the bathroom for the second time but again the nurse refused”. The nurse told her to go to the bathroom in the bed. My mom said she thought the nurse was crazy but she knew they would not allow her to go to the bathroom. So she went to the bathroom in the bed. The nurse said that was one big poop. My mom could not stop laughing. She said, “Georgiana you were the big poop”.  You were my 10 10 baby. I said what’s 10 10.  She said 10 minutes after 10 pm. It’s the time you were born and it was on a Wednesday.  I’m pretty sure most children in Jamaica especially in my hometown were born the same way during that period.  It’s comforting to know most of my childhood friends were born the same way. We have a common bond through the birth experience.         

I really loved hearing my mom talking about my birth. When our conservation was over I thought  about how much I look like her. The most amazing thing is I even laugh like her. I never thought about it until the end of our conservation. It was wonderful to have some insight into my birth experience. After our talk I was thinking about my own development from birth to adulthood. When did I start walking? When did I start to speak? What was my first word? I will continue to ask my mom these questions and I can’t wait to hear the answers.