The Permaculture of Birth

by Kara Spencer, Maia Healing Arts

Permaculture is a set of principles for living in harmony with nature, and midwifery is an integral practice to create permaculture in maternity care. Permaculture is a system of working with nature's cycles for sustainability, health, and ecological balance. These principles were originally developed for agriculture, land use, and farming, yet permaculture is now a holistic way of living on the earth - from birth to death. Midwives provide individualized highly-attentive care, and homebirth midwives go to women, so mothers can birth their babies in the environment that is most comfortable and familiar to them.

The permaculture principles of ecosystems being holistic and integrated is exemplified by the midwife, who works with the mother, in her environment, yet has emergency medicine and skills available if the needs arise - but not to be utilized if there was not a medical need. Birth in the home is simple and safe. The high-touch care of midwifery, compared to the high-tech care of obstetrics, is natural in any environment, from house, apartment, cabin, teepee, birth center, or houseboat. Obstetrics is only available in hospitals with surgery suites, computers,  pharmaceuticals, and a plethora of staff.  Midwifery is earth and human centered, where as obstetrics is technology oriented. 

Permaculture also validates and values traditional and indigenous wisdom and teachings. Midwifery is an ancient tradition with roots in women's culture all over the planet, on every continent. Medical obstetrics is very new, and commonly utilized procedures can be  highly contested among medical and midwifery researchers. Over the last 100 years of obstetrics numerous methods and techniques have been employed and then fazed out as they have been proven to be more detrimental than beneficial, such as twilight sleep, enemas, shaving, the lithotomy position, and more. Currently, there are a plethora of common obstetrical practices that are challenged: induction, misoprostol, elective cesarean, continuous electronic fetal heartrate monitoring, and epidurals to name a few.

Permaculture design applies to the use of land in the community as well as in agriculture. During birth, there are many women who may like the idea of a homebirth but do not feel comfortable giving birth in their own home, due to space, or proximity to neighbors or family. I believe that birth centers are a wonderful permaculture solution to create a community-centered birth sanctuary. Hospital-based birth centers are not sustainable due to the outside control of hospital administration, insurance companies, and politics, rather than control by women, mothers, and midwives. In the book Pattern Language, by Christopher Alexander, the architect and community planner recommends having birth centers within walking distance of each residential neighborhood. Alexander believes that humans are most alive when in close contact to nature and the elements.

Permaculture principles can be applied to all aspects of our health and environment, from food production, home living, and health care. Promote sustainable maternity care, support global midwives and birth centers!