HW 36 - Pregnancy & Birth Stories

I interviewed three relatives about their birth experience at a baptism family dinner event. One of the reasons i choose to do it at that time, is because baptisms are seen as a newly born child's beginning of a religion, and also there's a lot of mothers. Each mother I interviewed had different experiences, but all shared a common emotion of feeling attached to their baby, while pregnant. On the bottom, is my interview witch each mother.

First Interview:
Name: Lynne Boisrond (Mom)

Number of children: 1

Age you gave birth: 21

1. How did pregnancy affect you physically, emotionally, or in other ways?

“Physically, I didn’t gain much weight, I only gained 24 pounds, because I exercised everyday.” “Emotionally it didn’t affect me at all, but I felt very connected to my baby, I couldn’t wait to see you.”

2. What did you do, while pregnant, to prepare for giving birth?

"I played bob Marley for you, it calmed you down whenever you we’re moving (while in the womb)” “I read pregnancy books, and I changed my diet, I only ate vegetables, my mother used to make me vegetable juice like carrot juice, fruit juice. I never ate or drank those things when I wasn’t pregnant. I didn’t eat or drink anything with preservatives, I didn’t eat red meat and I stopped smoking once I found out I was pregnant.”

3. What actions and attitudes by specific other people made your pregnancy and birth more joyous? More challenging?

“My mother helped me a lot which made my pregnancy more joyous, my mother went with me to lamas classes with me, she was my lamas partner”

4. What thoughts and feelings influenced your choice to make a baby?

“I always wanted a baby, because I love babies, and it kinda happened”

5. What feelings come back to you when you remember labor and giving birth?

“The pain from labor for 2 hours, I pushed you out early, I was 4cm dilated when it’s suppose to be ten, because I couldn’t take the pain”
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Second Interview:
Name: Kathia Boisrond (Aunt)

Number of children: 1

Age you gave birth: 27

1. How did pregnancy affect you physically, emotionally, or in other ways?

“I was extremely busy during my pregnancy, I danced, I worked I had two shows, but I noticed when I saw Kleenex commercials I cried” “I didn’t feel connected to the baby until my 5th month of pregnancy, when I saw my stomach to show”

2. What did you do, while pregnant, to prepare for giving birth?

"I got a few pregnancy books; I tried to eat 300 more calories a day, because I read that in a magazine. So I ate breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between that.” Almost every Saturday I exercised”

3. What actions and attitudes by specific other people made your pregnancy and birth more joyous? More challenging?

"My friends were excited so it was always joyous, no one really gave a negative attitude.”

4. What thoughts and feelings influenced your choice to make a baby?

“Oops” “Hahaha, it just happened, but I didn’t really mind the thought of becoming a mother.”

5. What feelings come back to you when you remember labor and giving birth?

"It’s so funny, up until I saw my cousin giving birth, I appreciated my labor more, so yeah…good times, but I don’t know how long I was labor not long”
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Third Interview:
Name: Lisa Boisrond (Aunt in law)

Number of children: 2

Age you gave birth: 34 & 36
1. How did pregnancy affect you physically, emotionally, or in other ways?

“I gained weight and rested more, since Max (My Uncle) did most of the house work, because he wanted me to rest for the baby”

2. What did you do, while pregnant, to prepare for giving birth?

“Worked, slept, relaxed. Actually pregnancy has given me more of a chance to rest, and relax than when I’m on a normal vacation, because I’m always trying to find something to do, but when I’m pregnant I focus on my and my babies health”

3. What actions and attitudes by specific other people made your pregnancy and birth more joyous? More challenging?

“It’s joyous because max, doesn’t let me do anything, and does everything” “Believe it or not, the most challenging thing was getting used to being relaxed and not having much to do.”

4. What thoughts and feelings influenced your choice to make a baby?

“I’ve always wanted a child, so when Jenney was born, I was excited. And when Kai was born it felt like a re-run of Jenney’s birth, but I felt very lucky and happy to be able to have two children.”

5. What feelings come back to you when you remember labor and giving birth?

“Of course the pain, I don’t think anyone who’s given birth to a child will forget that. But I remember the joy in Max’s eyes when both Jenney and Kai were born, having a child is probably one of life’s greatest gifts.”
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After those interviews, I wanted to explore when a woman finds out their pregnant, when they start a new transition. Such as eating healthy, trying to be more relax and when they start feeling connected with the baby.

HW 35 - Other Peoples' Perspectives 1

I asked 3 children between the ages of 8 and 12, their insights on birth. Two of them we're my younger cousins and the other being my friends younger brother. They all understood that birth is what brought them and everyone around them into existence, and that women are the one who give birth. My eight year old cousin, Raphael understood the basics of birth, because he's asked his parents. One of the questions he asked me was "why do women give birth if it hurts?" That question struck me, because i remembered i asked my mom that question when i was younger. So I gave him the answer my mom told me "Some women don't think about the pain, they think about the end reward". He seemed to understand that answer because he replied, "because mothers love their children". My friends younger brother Charlie, who's 10, said "without birth nothing would exist". Which i thought was absolutely correct. My 12 year old cousin Nick, said "When women give birth, they keep life going, by bringing more people, which continues a cycle". Each of child understood the general basics of birth, that everyone understands. Birth is simple and complex, it's simple because everyone in the world gets the point, and knows that they were born. It's complex, because it's a turning point in someone's life, and affects almost everyone's life.

Hw 34 - Some Initial Thoughts On Birth

Everyday a child is born, and everyday a parent thinks that they created a prophet. But when does that baby become a regular person? In certain cultures you become an adult at 13 or in others 21, but eventually that person who was once a baby, once something special might have their own child who they think is special. All in all birth is the start and sometimes the highlight in peoples life.