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zosogis — The Birth

Published: 2012-05-28 15:03:09 +0000 UTC; Views: 2651; Favourites: 14; Downloads: 0
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Description Photo by Giselle Natassia: [link]

For those with a sensitive stomach you may not wish to view (or read) (You can't actually see anything in this image so before you get offended it's utilising depth of field) Also I've never experienced this in the Western World so I don't mean to offend anyone with that either..

Although this is a natural part of life.. this was probably one of the most horrific experiences I've ever encountered.

Whilst researching and trying to locate Aids victims for my project in Dhaka, Bangladesh, I wandered into a Medical college hospital and discussed with doctors in the gynaecology department my project.

I was waiting for details for a patient who had recently been diagnosed with aids and subsequently relocated to the Hospital for Infectious Diseases. A woman began screaming I was shuffled along and down into a corridor.

Despite the commotion the doctors seemed chirpy and rather chatty. "Have you ever seen a birth miss?"

"Er… no"

"Well this will be a once in a lifetime experience for you!"

Before I could respond I was steered into an adjoining room.
Viewing a birth may well be a one in a lifetime experience but it did not necessarily mean I wished to experience it! X__X

I was not ready for the view that awaited me…
Three bangladeshi women lay holding their legs and letting out blood curdling screams of agony. There was blood everywhere, on the beds, on the floor, on the women…

"Insha'Allah!!" one of the women screeched (Which translates as god willing/ if it is god's will)

They weren't connected to anything, there was no cheers of encouragement and I've never seen a western birth but I presume between births the stirrups/beds are cleaned or at least the blood is removed from the area before another woman is placed on the bed.

I was motioned towards the end of the bed and honestly did not know where to look. I was so distressed by the situation I was breathing rapidly, inhaling and exhaling deeply almost as if I was in labour myself.

Besides utilising a finger to (what I assumed was to detect the babies head) the doctor didn't seem to be doing much else. He would lean back against the wall, chat lazily to me and check his watch whilst the women lay there screaming.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, the babies head seemed to randomly emerge and it all happened so quickly from there.

The doctors quickly picked up what looked like kitchen scissors and abruptly cut her open further so the baby could be removed quickly. She screamed as if in absolute agony.

I only caught a split second glimpse of the baby, as soon as it was completely removed the baby was quickly placed on a silver tray and transported away to another room. The doctor looked back at me with a wide toothy grin and said "did you get many photos??"

To be honest I wasn't even aware that I was allowed to take photos let alone be capable of peeling myself from that spot to take out my camera as I was immobile due to sheer shock.

As they began stitching the mother back up, I took this photograph. Needless to say.. I won't be having children anytime soon!
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Comments: 29

Gazelam [2017-03-22 04:25:25 +0000 UTC]

Been there for all six of my kids! All natural birth. My wife described each delivery as "extremely uncomfortable", but not painful. Lucky her, I guess. 

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Blooming-Blossom [2014-04-02 09:48:43 +0000 UTC]

OH MA GOD!

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tabun [2013-02-10 04:49:39 +0000 UTC]

That was utterly horrifying.

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zosogis In reply to tabun [2013-02-12 02:47:51 +0000 UTC]

hahaha sorry. It was worse being there - trust me!

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tabun In reply to zosogis [2013-02-12 11:07:20 +0000 UTC]

That goes without saying. I suppose my comment was a bit short and ambiguous. I had a longer comment but I ended up deleting most of it.

I was mostly talking about the description, as I spent longer reading over that than looking at the image. I'd say the description was at least as disturbing as the image as it covered several stages of the experience rather than just one. The imagery made my hair stand on its end.

A fascinating and disturbing insight into this brutal and allegedly "miraculous" stage of life. A reminder of the harsh conditions faced by those in poor countries without access to adequate medical care.

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Goregoat [2013-02-08 20:35:10 +0000 UTC]

Man I was just braced and cringing while I read the description of this. That must have been one hell of an.. experience. You did a really amazing job with this shot- That vivid blood of blood but the real horror (sorry, lady) is just obscured, and that little glimpse is so powerful and, well, cringeworthy.

The human body was in fact developed in such a way that women are meant to give birth in a squatting position. Human babies (rather conveniently) instinctively hold their breath underwater and Water births are apparently much less painful. Laying on one's back with their legs raised whilst giving birth is apparently the most painful and difficult position to possibly choose. Absolutely bizarre.

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zosogis In reply to Goregoat [2013-02-12 02:50:52 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, really nice comment. (Not sure nice is the right word - but you know what I mean)

It is bizarre now you mention it, it looked frikkin' painful; surely you would want to take any measures to make it a less painful experience! Coincidentally my cousin is a midwife and is an advocate for water births and such.

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Bumsy [2012-10-15 21:42:19 +0000 UTC]

Birth is horrible. The baby is the only positive result of it.

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boot-cheese-3000 [2012-06-07 22:07:29 +0000 UTC]

"Western birth"? i've never heard of a Western birth that didn't include any drugs for the ladies let alone massive pools of blood. schitt sounds more like a abattoir than a hospital.

and they don't use scapels--they use scissors? SERIO!?!?!???!

what kind of low-budget hospital is this? i know it's in Bangladesh but come on now..........

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zosogis In reply to boot-cheese-3000 [2012-06-08 00:20:56 +0000 UTC]

I was about to say well hell at least no one gets hurt, but then my friend did a project on Eclampsia there which runs rife.. (maternal fatality)

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boot-cheese-3000 In reply to zosogis [2012-06-08 17:08:21 +0000 UTC]

not surprising in the least. guess you won't be admitting yourself to that hospital for a papercut anytime soon.......

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AaronJJenkins [2012-05-30 00:37:27 +0000 UTC]

Wow haha. Yeah, one of the most natural experiences in life. And I'm soooooo glad I'm male

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DianaLobriglio [2012-05-28 20:57:45 +0000 UTC]

Wow! O_O
Great shot but You had to take a great shot when child went out
you are pluck

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Simili84 [2012-05-28 20:22:10 +0000 UTC]

I think I understand now the soul crushing part when I asked you about your trip to India

In my opinion , you've captured perfectly how birth and death are not so different from each others

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Blusaga In reply to Simili84 [2012-10-13 17:52:48 +0000 UTC]

This is Bangladesh..not India and western countries much horrible compared to India..so indifference between anything..

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zosogis In reply to Simili84 [2012-05-31 09:34:32 +0000 UTC]

Not sure I quite captured it that deeply (ahaha awful awful unintended pun) but thanks!

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Simili84 In reply to zosogis [2012-05-31 14:17:58 +0000 UTC]

Bahaha guess you won't be going into a hospital to see that section again....oh wait, bad puns

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nenmayk [2012-05-28 18:34:02 +0000 UTC]

you have to see it to understand how special it is

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zosogis In reply to nenmayk [2012-05-28 20:08:53 +0000 UTC]

I saw it... special could be one word for it I suppose...

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nenmayk In reply to zosogis [2012-05-29 00:19:38 +0000 UTC]

miracle of life

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zosogis In reply to nenmayk [2012-05-29 00:54:52 +0000 UTC]

you obviously didn't read the story. I know that's the common perception. For me it was fucking horrific. It wasn't beautiful it wasn't a miracle, like I'd heard so many times before. It was fucking horrendous. I suppose that view is perhaps spread so we all still reproduce and aren't terrified to give birth!

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nenmayk In reply to zosogis [2012-05-29 20:33:39 +0000 UTC]

LMAO

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zosogis In reply to nenmayk [2012-05-31 09:31:36 +0000 UTC]

The only miracle is if you reproduce with someone and the result of your DNA combined doesn't look like the Creature from the Black Lagoon. That is a miracle.

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nenmayk In reply to zosogis [2012-06-01 15:50:14 +0000 UTC]

and 200,000 years later we are still here...

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zosogis In reply to nenmayk [2012-06-02 02:22:44 +0000 UTC]

Maybe you should contribute something useful...

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nenmayk In reply to zosogis [2012-06-02 05:03:28 +0000 UTC]

always

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Ryouko-Masaki In reply to zosogis [2012-05-29 17:52:04 +0000 UTC]

And that (unsurprisingly male's) comment didn't take into account that there is nothing natural about slicing a woman open for the sake of making the birth easier on the doctors. Caesarean yes, but this a totally different matter. I'd have been horrified in your position too.

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zosogis In reply to Ryouko-Masaki [2012-05-31 09:32:32 +0000 UTC]

It's apparently not so rare (even in the Western World). I suppose it's not usually done with what looked like Kitchen scissors though.. Cut like butter! :S

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Ryouko-Masaki In reply to zosogis [2012-06-01 08:09:48 +0000 UTC]

True, but I suspect in those cases it's more for the sake of the woman/child, rather than just to make it easier for the doctors. Course I could be wrong entirely, the 'kitchen scissors' description is just pretty disturbing.

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