The Birth Pod is a prototype space design which brings together these elements with some awareness , experience and clarity , seeking to explore ways to integrate our expanding knowledge of the birth process and how it can be supported and enhanced .
In the modern model there is some truth to the perception that birth is seen as a potentially dangerous medical condition that requires constant monitoring and intervention . The hospital based birth environments created to handle this ‘ condition ’ have saved many lives , and provided vital response facilities in an emergency .
However , there is a growing tendency to perceive the birth process through the assumptions and resulting procedures underpinning this standard model , which may not optimally cater for the deeper needs and total wellbeing of the mother and the child . For instance , the bright lights , the central birth table , the surrounding noise and polluting electro smog can instill a deep feeling of unsettledness and stress ,
which can stunt the mother ’ s ability to relax and flow with the intense waves of the birth process . Coupled with this is the constant movement of other people , voices , suggestions and commands , which can oftentimes conflict with the mother ’ s natural instincts and movements .
The Birth Pod is not intended to replace or judge the standard model environments ~ rather is seeks to offer a complementary model , based on a more holistic understanding and approach to a very natural process .
The Requirements of a Good Birth
In order to fully integrate the biological and environmental requirements of a good birth it is vital to understand what these requirements actually are . For instance , a mother in labour has some very basic needs . These needs can be generalised but include space to move around and explore different postures and positions that relieve pain , enhance blood flow and facilitate the ease of the contractions .