Translator: Екатерина Житомирская Шехтман Reviewer: Carl Luc Campbell
I would like you to think about а woman giving birth.
What do you see?
Do you see а hospital scenario with lots of people suited up in green,
a smart doctor, preferably Dempsey or Clooney,
urging a woman to keep on pushing?
I suppose, you accept stories
of overwhelming emotions, funny situations, or dramatic events.
For me as a midwife, the beginning of life
is a very normal and natural yet specific event.
So here's what comes to my mind when I think about labor.
Regardless of setting, I see
а very strong and courageous woman rising to meet her personal challenge.
I see her using her inner power to fuel that process.
So my role as a midwife is to simply be by her side.
I help her to find the space and confidence
she needs to find her challenge.
Let me invite you on a journey.
Say you are preparing for a big expedition.
You want to climb the Mount Everest.
You gather everything you need,
you find a trusted partner to accompany you,
and you decide when the time has come to start the journey.
So this is exactly what а baby does during the nine months of the pregnancy.
And when the time has come, towards the end of the pregnancy,
the baby decides that the time has come to take off to the summit.
The increasing contractions set the pace,
but there are always breaks in between
where mother and child can rest and draw strength.
It is a journey they have to accomplish together,
and it is a very necessary journey that builds trust
and roots an incredibly deep-rooted bond.
So when they reach the summit, everything changes.
There is cold air filling the baby's lungs,
there's bright light and loud noises,
but because the mother is always there,
the baby feels the reassurance of her heartbeat,
her familiar voice, her warmth, and her love.
So let me ask you something:
what if 50% of all people would die under unnatural circumstances?
Imagine if people would set a date and a time they want to exit this world.
How would society react?
I am sure it would cause a major debate!
However, it is a fact
that over 50% of all babies worldwide are being born in an unnatural way.
And society accepts this.
The norm of modern obstetrics
leading to the impression that the way we deliver our babies
is just a matter of personal preference.
Today, we know of the effect a lack of natural birth hormones
has on the bond between a mother and a child
or the rising risk of obesity or diabetes type 1 later in life.
So let's go back to our journey up to the summit of Everest.
Now imagine how a baby feels,
experiences a cesarean section or an induced or planned labor.
Any given day, not of its choosing, the journey suddenly starts.
It is given no time to prepare or pack,
and it is rushed along right from the start.
It is given no break at the first or second base camp
and is forced along as quickly as possible to the summit.
And when it gets there, it is cold, and it is bright,
and the baby has to breathe without having had the chance
to slowly adopt or adapt to the thin air it finds there.
We all know that there are situations
when interventions are necessary or a cesarean section is the only option.
But of course, it matters how we enter into this world.
It is my wish that every woman
is aware of the impact and importance of her decision
on how she wants her child to enter into this world,
because birth, love, and death are not diseases.
They are the three major elements of our destiny.
(Applause)