South Africa is today a country of many cultures, languages and traditions. The San Bushmen is a one south african tribe.
Motherhood, amongst the San Bushmen, brings status and social recognition to the young girl after she has navigated the journey of pregnancy and birth. Unlike our attitude in the western world where women are offered pain relief at the slightest twinge that labour may have begun, a young ! The woman is actively taught that she must face the pains of natural childbirth with courage and fearlessness. Most women will give birth alone in a squatting position, some few hundred metres from their settlement, and this is regarded as ideal, although mothers giving birth for the first time may have a helper at hand.
Bringing a child into the world is a gift to the tribe and a young mother is taught that how she feels and thinks during the pregnancy will affect the labor and birth of the new baby. Other members of the group will assist by helping to carry other children or food, yet a pregnant woman is expected to continue with her normal duties such as gathering food, cleaning, caring for other children and should not complain. This renders a woman fit and healthy during her pregnancy – there is no room for slothfulness or overeating in this society, a pregnant woman is rarely overweight and an unborn baby is likely to grow to be the right size for the mother to give birth.
Giving birth alone is a tremendous experience for the first time mother among the San Bushmen, and many young girls are encouraged to watch another woman giving birth so that they learn to face their fears. They occasionally talk about their fears to other woman in the group, but most young girls will stoically accept that this path is part of their future. The maternal death rate amongst this tribe was very low at 0.4% in the 1980’s when many studies of the San people were done, though infant mortality rates are higher and losing an infant or young child to sickness is a common experience among this San Bushmen tribe.
It appears that San women bite the cord with their teeth and bury the placenta after giving birth, before walking back to the settlement. This is her duty, to return the placenta, which is no longer needed, to mother earth. It also connects the infant to the territory a particular group of Bushmen clan occupy. Perhaps the nomadic lifestyle of hunter-gatherers means that not much ritual was performed on the burial of the placenta.
Children are the continuation of life – togetherness is essential for this continuation, no individual acts in isolation from the group or clan. Children bring much joy to the clan and provide great amusement when the group gathers around the fire or eats together. Children learn from early on that co-operation and friendliness are valued highly.
Thanks, for sharing such a personal experience of the birth of your daughter. It was a great surprise to hear how women in South Africa have their babies. I thought that was little much to watch another women have a baby in person. Although, their are some simlarities for women in the United States. We view births also just in video's. One thing I felt must be really hard is just squatting down until the baby has come. That sound like it should make it easier for the baby but not the mom. I believe women in different countries can do some of the things we never think about as it relates to birth because of what the culture is use to. If we were in the country long enough I believe eventually ours minds and bodies could adapt to some of the same things. Thanks!
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