Birth Agni
This Podcast explores how indigenously Birth has always unfolded, among women - our tribe, where children could see how breastfeeding was done and how birth happened. This an attempt to fetch the stories of the past as well as bring out the new India’s Birth culture to expose the defining features in both. This shall join the dots to where the increasing problems of postpartum anxiety, rising rate of surgical births and poor breastfeeding outcomes are coming from.
Birth Agni - Agni meaning Fire, the Fire that brings us alive, transforms us and has the ability to burn. Birth is designed to affect a woman’s integrity. It is the fire of awakening that makes her life experience wholesome. Deep down her body knows what Birth is supposed to feel - a euphoria of bringing a new life on Earth. The cocktail of hormones are designed to give her a high.
However, birth today has quickly swayed away from a phase of joy to the one marked by Fear, the constant questioning of a woman’s capacity to Birth naturally and the ugly calculation of the odds of a healthy baby at the expense of the mother’s health. We forget that their health is interlinked and flourish as a dyad. In India, the urban rate of Cesarean Sections on an average until 2020 is a whopping 40% which is concerning.
Birth is linked to Patriarchy, Healthcare Politics and Women’s Rights. Respect in Birth is long due to women and it affects the core of who they are.
Join me Divya Kapoor, a Certified Birth and Lactation Counselor and aspiring Traditional Birth Attendant in the quest to shine light on what we can do as parents and a community to change the narrative.
Birth Agni
#92 - Baneen's Home Birth Story with a Midwife , a Public Health Researcher in the Indian Public Maternal Healthcare System
- Why a home birth , you may ask?
- Why a home birth despite risks?
What if you have worked in the medical system and chose to home birth realising that is the best option for you?
That's Baneen Karachiwala, a Public Health Researcher, Baneen has been associated with various organisations at the national and international level for the last 19 years, providing support in research, documentation and programmatic interventions in the fields of health and development across India. Her special interests lie in the areas of human rights, maternal and child health.
She moved to Goa 7 years ago and now has shifted focus to the areas of hospitality and interior design.
In this episode, Baneen walks us through the various challenges we face today both in public and private maternal healthcare system including respectful maternity care as a precursor to her home birth story where placenta accreta was known in advance.
We discuss:
- The gaps that could be improved in the entire spectrum of maternal healthcare to ensure a healthy outcome and a good experience both for the mother and baby.
- The absorption of traditionally trained and experienced workforce of Dais (Indian Traditional Midwives) into the system as against starting a new cadre of support system from scratch.
- Baneen's story of Home Birth, working with the contractions, handling an emergency with an experienced midwife and more..
- The healing community care model of Prenatal and Postpartum Support
- Birth and taking responsibility - the downsides of blaming your midwife or provider.
There are so many beautiful nuggets that Baneen has shared over the course of her story . Hope it inspires some of you to explore the options you may have around you to birth the way you desire!
Reach out to guest:
Baneen Karachiwala
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