Traditional Thai Midwives.. Are They Still Around?

[skeetaboat]

I'm due to give birth in May. Tried to find a hospital which promotes natural birth and supports the mother without taking to her with a knife or strapping her to a bed.. and have had no luck. It looks like my only option is a private hospital, but they all seem to quote one price, and then give you a bill worth triple the amount originally quoted on the way out.

So now I'm thinking about going to a traditional Thai midwife. Anyone heard of midwives still operating? Any posters or posters wives or posters wives cousins-in-law had experience giving birth with a traditional midwife? If so, where? And how was it? And how much did it cost? And how did the mother find the experience? Please tell all...

I live in Chiang Mai but am willing to travel. I can understand a lot of Thai and speak a fair bit also, but am not fluent.

[skeetaboat]

Anyone?

Those of you who have Thai relatives, where do they give birth? Is it always in a hospital? Have traditional thai birth attendants died out?

Does anyone know a Thai women who has done a natural birth or a home birth?

Someone must have something to say on the subject...

[bina]

skeetaboat:

i cant tell u about thai midwives BUT ... in most countries that allow births at home (not third world countries), there is a team of docs/med support waiting on the side lines should something go wrong.

thailand is still third world when this type of support is needed as far as i understand (my hubby's brother is a paramedic and the ambulance is a pick up truck to the local hospital. ) u have to take in to account what happens if it is a problem breech, or low apgar baby (who will do the antenatal treatments etc until u get to hospital)...

my hubby kind of once mentioned that if i should get pregnant and give birth in thailand it would be at home like his mom did. i have already given birth three times, each time more or less naturally needing intervention only towards the end UNEXPECTEDLYL.!!!! at 44 home birth I DONT THINK SO knowing now what i know...

i know there are women in thailand that have given birth within their own parameters just try asking on the ladies forum maybe, i cant remember i did see some discussions somewhere.

i'm very pro natural /rooming in, i tried squatting and no cutting with first daughter (in the end went flat on back and ripped, but was up and about an hour later although the hospital went bonkers on me for that), second child, i also fought the docs but in the end needed pitocin drip and lactose/saline and went for the cut to avoid the rip again; third child was born earlier than anticipated and in distress but do to quick medical intervention ended up ok... all with midwives in hospital and docs' supervision/intervention. didnt use epidurals etc. (not in thailand but in a second world country)

i think that unless this is a second or so birth, and u are within all boundries of health/age etc. u might want to just re search around for a hospital in thailand that will allow u as much freedom as possible and to tell u the truth, sometimes it seems to matter a lot before the birth and u develop lots of expectations, but once you start giving birth it seems less important where and what happens cause even if u miss the first moment out of the womb, u still have all your life to bond with your child. this is especially important to remember for those whose babies are in incubators or need medical intervention right away after birth or you end up in a nasty factory type hospital. once u are home with your child u have all the control over breastfeeding etc *unless u have an awful interfering MIL *

and i'm not so sure tradtional thai midwifery (or any old fashioned midwifery for that matter) would be as medically equipt as modern well trained midwives/ and it seems from this board (questions ask by men about their wives' pregnancy/births) that a large amount of thai women that are financially ok, choose c sections as being painless and faster and convenient (not my thoughts but whatever) and so 'natural ' is not yet in fashion; traditional even less so.

this doesnt answer your question but having delivered a bunch of sets of twins/triplets (goats) this past two nights, pregnancy and birth is on my mind... if my goats could speak they'd probably be begging me for epidurals.......

good luck whatever u choose; and may your birth be easy quick and painless.

bina

Edited January 10, 2007 by bina

[skeetaboat]

skeetaboat:

i cant tell u about thai midwives BUT ... in most countries that allow births at home (not third world countries), there is a team of docs/med support waiting on the side lines should something go wrong.

thailand is still third world when this type of support is needed as far as i understand (my hubby's brother is a paramedic and the ambulance is a pick up truck to the local hospital. ) u have to take in to account what happens if it is a problem breech, or low apgar baby (who will do the antenatal treatments etc until u get to hospital)...

my hubby kind of once mentioned that if i should get pregnant and give birth in thailand it would be at home like his mom did. i have already given birth three times, each time more or less naturally needing intervention only towards the end UNEXPECTEDLYL.!!!! at 44 home birth I DONT THINK SO knowing now what i know...

i know there are women in thailand that have given birth within their own parameters just try asking on the ladies forum maybe, i cant remember i did see some discussions somewhere.

i'm very pro natural /rooming in, i tried squatting and no cutting with first daughter (in the end went flat on back and ripped, but was up and about an hour later although the hospital went bonkers on me for that), second child, i also fought the docs but in the end needed pitocindrip and lactose/saline and went for the cut to avoid the rip again; third child was born earlier than anticipated and in distress but do to quick medical intervention ended up ok... all with midwives in hospital and docs' supervision/intervention. didnt use epidurals etc. (not in thailand but in a second world country)

i think that unless this is a second or so birth, and u are within all boundries of health/age etc. u might want to just re search around for a hospital in thailand that will allow u as much freedom as possible and to tell u the truth, sometimes it seems to matter a lot before the birth and u develop lots of expectations, but once you start giving birth it seems less important where and what happens cause even if u miss the first moment out of the womb, u still have all your life to bond with your child. this is especially important to remember for those whose babies are in incubators or need medical intervention right away after birth or you end up in a nasty factory type hospital. once u are home with your child u have all the control over breastfeeding etc *unless u have an awful interfering MIL *

and i'm not so sure tradtional thai midwifery (or any old fashioned midwifery for that matter) would be as medically equipt as modern well trained midwives/ and it seems from this board (questions ask by men about their wives' pregnancy/births) that a large amount of thai women that are financially ok, choose c sections as being painless and faster and convenient (not my thoughts but whatever) and so 'natural ' is not yet in fashion; traditional even less so.

this doesnt answer your question but having delivered a bunch of sets of twins/triplets (goats) this past two nights, pregnancy and birth is on my mind... if my goats could speak they'd probably be begging me for epidurals.......

good luck whatever u choose; and may your birth be easy quick and painless.

bina

Hi Bina,

Thanks for the reply. I'm not opposed to intervention if it's needed - and it seems like a traditional midwife isn't really going to be an option since I can't find one and I've also heard that either a doc or a village leader has to certify the birth certificate. Convincing a village leader to give me a birth certificate sounds entirely too complicated to me and I don't want any difficulties with the birth certificate as I won't be able to take my baby home without one!!

If I do find a way to have a home birth and get a birth certificate I'll consider it as we're really close by to both Suan Dok (top government hosptial) and Chiang Mai Ram (good private hosptial)..... which is why I've put this post up. I was hoping someone would be able to shed some light on the subject of home births and birth certificates for Thai women so I can check it out as an option. But no replies about it so far

Anyway, I'm going to check out Suan Dok and see if they'll be a bit flexible - that's looking like my best option at the moment. It's a lot of footwork to find a doc who will support a natural birth without charging a fortune.

[Boo]

Don't know about home births but if you do have it in the hospital & don't speak thai or have a partner who does well enough for all issues, I would really suggest employing an advocate, like a doula, who can explain to the doctors that you don't want to be tied to stirrups etc or if things go a bit crazy for example.

Hope you find what you need & good luck with it all.

[tracker]

Great! Good choice. Too many babies today are born the artificial way. I very much support your choice of choosing a natural birth. Let these "cutters" find another way of making money.

All the good blessings to you, the birth and your coming baby

T.

[Boo]

I have to agree with tracker about the natural birth route. from reading the family forum I am amazed at how many women were given a c section from private hpspitals. It seems to be the standard practice in these places & from reading the reasons given justs eems to be a money making scheme.

I wonder how many of these c sections could have been avoided if not pushed by the hospital it's self?

[bina]

boo

it would seem that upper middle class and hi/so prefer to do things conveniently for them and quickly no muss/no fuss = c section. i'm against it unless there's a good medical reason but apparently in many up and coming countries this is the trend for the wealthier people since it costs more for c section. its the advanced countries that have already gotten past the development stage that can want to be ethnic, country, simple, natural, etc....

i fought tooth and nail not to hae a c section (medical problem that needed careful followup ) but at last minute doc agreed to do natural.

even in animals docs here prefer to not do c section as it is invasive. why would a woman want that, god only knows, unless its emergency or medically planned.