Having babies is a breeze
It is good to see that small, good news still finds a place in your paper from time to time. So it brought a smile to my face to read that Kaohsiung firefighters removed a bee’s nest from a pair of jeans and set them free instead of just killing them all (Taiwan News Quick Takes, May 8, page 3).
May I also make a few remarks regarding birth guidelines (“Groups push for birth guidelines,” May 8, page 2)?
As a father of two, both born here in Taiwan, I can say that my wife and I were extremely satisfied with the support we got throughout the pregnancies and the process of giving birth.
We found our gynecologist/obstetrician very open, willing to ease all our concerns and provide us with all the information we wanted.
The hospital, a simple local government-run one, seemed to follow a set of guidelines. After each visit we were taken aside, asked again if we had any problems or if things were unclear and whether we needed any help. We were given flyers and had to fill in forms to confirm that all this had been done.
It is a safe bet that this was not just for our benefit — my wife and I are foreigners, but hospital procedure and policy are followed for Taiwanese as well.
As the birth approached we had no problem telling our doctor what my wife did or did not want. We were also told what would happen in an emergency and so on. There was never any coercion of any kind.
Most of our friends, mostly mixed couples, had similar experiences. Some had home deliveries. There was one underwater delivery. They gave birth in Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung.
However, one couple that chose a private clinic did feel they were forced, despite their objections, to have a caesarean section. They said the doctor was constantly looking at his watch and obviously wanted it to be over so he could go home.
Reading the article I cannot help but think that a lot has to do with the fact that modern women have little experience with the whole process of pregnancy and childbirth. There is still a cultural shyness when it comes to talking about the subject with family and friends, let alone doctors, who are more often than not male.
I think that things are done to make the whole process easier, but as often happens, what starts out as a good idea gets institutionalized and formalized. In the end it looks more like it is forced on the expecting mother.
Better communication between couples is important. We found that all the other women at the hospital came alone — I was the only husband there. However, the doctor and the rest of the medical staff helped a lot.
That a doctor would not be open to a birth plan should be a sign that it is time to find one that is. Plenty are.
So stand up. As in this case the doctor might know a lot, but they should not decide how you want to have your child.
In our case we signed forms absolving the doctor and hospital in case something went wrong, except it was a clear case of negligence or malpractice.
All in all, Taiwan has very good healthcare.
Geert Anthonis
Kaohsiung
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