Birthing Experience and Birthing Customs in Germany

I have not yet given birth to a child, as my husband and I are waiting to start a family after I complete my Master's; however I was able to watch my sister give birth to my niece. In my eyes, it was such a wonderful experience that my sister allowed me to have with her. I feel like I have a special connection with my sister and my niece because of this experience. My sister was in a lot of pain and had contractions the day before my niece was born. She actually went to the hospital once and they sent her back home with Ambien to help her sleep. It had the reverse effects and she was wide awake, crying from the pain. When she went to the hospital the next day, she gave birth to my niece after being there for only a few hours. I remember the nurse, who was actually my husband's cousin, checking on my sister, say, "we're having a baby!" and she called for the doctor. When the doctor came in, she said "wow, she is moving pretty quickly, let's take our time, no need to rush". My niece's head was starting to show and my sister had an epidural by this point. She pushed about 3 times, and Halle (pronounced like Halle Berry the actress) was here! She was beautiful, healthy, and ready for us to love her unconditionally! I feel extremely blessed to have been able to watch the birth of my niece, seeing her enter this world, so much love and happiness! I remember telling my sister she did a great job. The whole experience for my sister was good, positive, and definitely life changing, as it was for me as well. Everything went smoothly. I think this had a positive influence on my sister and niece from the start because everything went so well.

Halle as a new born. 

Me holding Halle at about 4 or 5 months old.

Halle and I on her 1st Birthday, May 15th 2013!

I chose to research birthing in Germany because my ancestors are originally from Germany, and my husband's as well. Interestingly enough, things are a little different when giving birth there. As in the United States, there is a midwife, however in Germany it is a must, where as here in the U.S. it is optional. Midwives in Germany are actually very well respected and by law must be present at a birth and doctor's are optional. A woman who has a C-Section in Germany is looked upon as a possible failure because they look at the actual event of the birth and not the outcome. One very positive piece of information, in my opinion, is the fact that in Germany, if you are pregnant, your employer cannot fire you. Women also have to stop working 6 weeks before their due date and can not work for 8 weeks after giving birth, all with full pay! Here in the United States, it all depends on your employer. For example, my employer, the board of education, does not  give full pay. We have to save our sick/personal days for maternity/paternity leave. We can apply to the sick bank for days, however it is primarily used for people who are battling cancer, surgeries, etc. Also, if a teacher decides to take a leave of absence for a year or so, and come back after, he/she is not guaranteed the position that they left. Ex: If I teach Kindergarten and leave for 1 year, I am not guaranteed that same position. If I leave for 2 or 3 years, I am not guaranteed to come back to a position at all. In Germany, mothers can take up to 3 years of unpaid leave and the third year can be taken at any time and by the mother or father. One custom in Germany that I feel I would not like is that the government provides a list of "acceptable names" that you can choose from to name your child. It is supposed to prevent parents from choosing names that are too unique and could cause the child to be made fun of and ridiculed. If you decide to choose a unique name you have to give a compelling reason as to why the exception should be made. In the United States, you can name your child whatever you would like. I can understand the German point of view, but I also love that you can choose any name for your child here in the United States. After all, we are all different and unique! I find the differences between Germany and the United States very interesting, but understandable because we are "the land of the free". We have many choices that we can make on our own, and although we have rules and laws to follow, we have a little more flexibility and a different kind of care than Germany when it comes to child birth. Although in the United States, some women may feel inadequate or feel like they have failed if they can not have a child naturally, it is not looked down upon by others in the way that it is in Germany.While there are such differences and some similarities, it is all a part of following customs and the way of life in that area of the world.

References:
http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/vaginal/birth-customs-around-the-world/?page=3