The Importance of Community During Pregnancy.
Hello everyone!
I hope you’re doing well! In today’s post, I wanted to touch on a concept that has been emphasized greatly over the last few years, and yet, seems to be so hard for people to manifest for themselves. Today I want to discuss community and why it is so important to have and rely on during pregnancy.
Humans as we know ourselves have been on this planet for roughly 7 million years according to scientific evidence. Since our inception we have been social creatures, and this, combined with our general intelligence, has been key to our survival. In our early development, pregnant women would have to give birth in the open and dangerous environment of the African savannah, putting themselves at risk for predation by larger animals. At this time, other primitive humans were unable to assist in childbirth in any way other than looking out for predators, yet, if a child was safely delivered, both it and its mother have a higher chance of survival due to their group.
As we continued to evolve, we began to develop different techniques to determine if a woman was pregnant, as well as strategies to help deliver children and reduce maternal mortality. These strategies include:
- The development of doulas or midwives.
- The practice of giving birth in water, also known as hydrotherapy.
- The use of herbs for sedatives, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic treatments.
All of this is important to note, as it highlights that human childbirth and development is heavily reliant on the strength of one’s community. Even in the modern age not too much has changed. Pregnant women now have access to teams of specialists outside of their families to ensure the collective health of themselves and their child is satisfactory.
On the other end, this is part of why maternal mortality rates in less fortunate communities can be much higher, as pregnant can lack the proper education, resources, and medical infrastructure to overcome complications. If this is the situation for you and your loved ones, do not lose hope. This is the whole reason why NutriNatal exists; to bridge the gaps in resources left by failing and overwhelmed systems. If this speaks to you, be sure to check us out under our parent organization, Collective Food Works.
Let us be part of your community.
